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OONI distributes a free tool called OONI Probe that individuals can run to test whether websites and services are being blocked or throttled on their network. Results are automatically published in near real-time, feeding into what OONI describes as the world's largest open dataset on internet censorship.
President Trump posted on Truth Social suggesting AI be rebranded with a term like 'Superior,' 'Extreme,' or 'Supreme Intelligence,' running a poll for followers to choose. He also claimed that growing public concern over AI and data centers is a manufactured Democratic hoax akin to past controversies like Russia investigations and impeachment efforts, vowing not to let opposition to AI succeed.
An essay contends that people should almost never use AI to generate written text meant to convey ideas or arguments, even with detailed prompts or human editing afterward. The author distinguishes this from other AI uses they endorse, like transcription, data analysis, brainstorming, and copyediting, arguing only the act of drafting substantive prose should be avoided.
Court documents made public in an ongoing copyright lawsuit reveal internal OpenAI communications in which employees discussed the expense and legality of acquiring books to train early ChatGPT models, with some staff flagging the sourcing as questionable. The messages suggest teams weighed pirated material as a cheaper alternative to licensing content properly.
An Android Authority writer describes being billed for roaming data twice in three months even though mobile data and roaming were turned off on a rarely used phone connected only to Wi-Fi. The carrier recorded tiny amounts of roaming usage—under 200KB—which triggered a full roaming-day charge, echoing a widely shared case of a Reddit user hit with a $53,000 AT&T bill after a European trip.
The extortion group ShinyHunters says it exploited an unauthenticated file upload flaw in Grav CMS to compromise the Tor-based data leak site run by the Clop ransomware operation. The attackers uploaded a taunting message, later fully defaced the site with Pokémon-themed ASCII art, and claim to have exfiltrated source code, CMS plugins, system logs and other server files. BleepingComputer confirmed the defacement was live on Clop's infrastructure and that the uploaded file could be downloaded from the site.
A Gamers Nexus investigation accused LG TVs of covertly recording audio and monitoring viewing habits, sparking backlash even after LG issued a response. However, reporting shows this kind of automatic content recognition tracking, which fingerprints audio and video to identify what's being watched, is used industry-wide, not just by LG, and users typically consent to it through dense terms of service.
A group of roughly 10 people vandalized the Montreal offices of Quebec's AI research institute MILA and a nearby AI company this week, smashing windows and spray-painting slogans including "burn the data centers." Montreal police confirmed the coordinated attack and briefly detained a 25-year-old woman found near the scene before releasing her without charges.
South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission has enacted rules allowing fines of up to 10% of a company's annual revenue for major data leaks caused by intent or gross negligence, up from the previous 3% cap. The new rules, effective Friday, apply when 10 million or more people's data is exposed, and also require firms to notify users within 72 hours even if a breach is only suspected. The heightened penalty targets repeat offenders within three years or firms that ignore corrective orders and are subsequently breached.
A technical resource describes methods for improving large-scale data replication by using parallel read operations and optimized write strategies. The material is available as a downloadable guide after users register for the hosting platform's content hub.
An enterprise data and AI executive argues that companies focused on AI's financial costs—compute, licensing, infrastructure—are ignoring a subtler expense: the erosion of employees' cognitive skills. Citing MIT Media Lab EEG research showing reduced brain activity in people who relied solely on ChatGPT versus those working unaided, the piece warns that unused mental faculties like judgment and original thought can atrophy.
Treasury Department data shows foreign official holdings of US Treasuries fell to $3.77 trillion in July, roughly the same level as 2012, even though total Treasury debt outstanding has tripled since then. Their share of marketable Treasuries has dropped to 12.8%, the lowest since 1993, while overall foreign holdings—including private investors—still hit $9.25 trillion, buoyed by activity in offshore financial centers like the Cayman Islands.