Code found in Google Wallet version 26.42.1003171897 reveals a new 'Tap to pay' option under the app's Verification settings, according to Android Authority. The feature currently crashes the app when selected, so its exact function and security safeguards remain unclear. It appears designed to extend to regular contactless purchases the kind of verification flexibility Google Wallet already offers for transit payments.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-27
A research team has produced a complete machine-checked formalization in the Lean proof assistant of the classification of finite simple groups, following the original first-generation proof. The formalization comprises over 43 million lines of Lean code and 2.05 million declarations, drawing on 715 papers and books. The team also reports finding an issue in a previously published argument for the Unbalanced Group Theorem and describes the alternative proof route they used instead.
cfsg.axiommath.ai
· 2026-10-27
iOS 27.2 introduces a new age-verification option that lets users confirm they are an adult by taking a selfie, which an on-device and Private Cloud Compute age-estimation model evaluates. Apple says the feature supplements existing methods like ID scans or credit card checks, and applies in regions including Australia, Brazil, Singapore, South Korea, the UK, and Texas in the US. The company states the selfie is never accessible to anyone, including Apple, and is deleted immediately after age confirmation.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-10-27
Google's support documentation confirms that any verified phone number on an Android device is now automatically linked to every Google account signed into that device, including accounts added later or numbers from new SIM cards. The company and carriers periodically re-verify these numbers, a process that can incur carrier charges, and the linkage can only be adjusted from the phone itself. Verification also enables features like phone number sign-in, lost device location, emergency services, Quick Share, and a newer account-recovery tool launched in October 2025.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-24
Greece has enacted a law prohibiting children under 15 from using social media platforms, effective January 1, 2027. The law mandates platforms adopt reliable age-verification systems and requires parents to use government-approved apps to enforce access restrictions, with penalties tied to the EU's Digital Services Act for noncompliance. Prime Minister Mitsotakis pushed the bill through using his parliamentary majority over objections from minority parties.
tech.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-23
Spotify is enforcing its longstanding rule that Family and Duo plan members share the same address by prompting users to scan a QR code on the plan manager's device. Users who don't scan within seven days are demoted to the free tier and barred from joining another Duo or Family plan for 12 months. Spotify's support documentation confirms the policy after users reported the prompts on Reddit.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-10-23
Anthropic, working with Theorem, reports using its Claude models to generate formal mathematical proofs of security properties for more than 100 real-world open-source software libraries at the RISC-V assembly level. The company says this is the first large-scale attempt to apply AI-driven formal verification to production software at that level, and that Claude uncovered previously undetected bugs in the process.
anthropic.com
· 2026-10-22
Spotify acknowledged it is tightening verification for its Family Plan subscriptions, which require members to share a household address. The company described this as a routine, ongoing update to its verification methods rather than a one-time crackdown with a set end date.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-22
Nvidia has launched OpenShell 0.1.x, a runtime designed to let autonomous AI agents access files, APIs, and credentials under enforced policy limits. The release adds a stable version cadence, new isolation primitives, an expanded extension surface, and new APIs, with kernel-level sandboxing and formal verification used to check policy changes before they take effect.
github.com
· 2026-10-22
Spotify confirmed on its Q3 earnings call that it is rolling out QR code verification for Family Plan members, requiring them to scan a code from the plan manager's phone to prove they live together. Members who miss the seven-day verification window lose access and must wait 12 months before joining another Family or Duo plan, or switch to an individually paid plan. Co-CEO Alex Norström described the change as a routine update to existing verification tools rather than a crackdown.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-10-22
Current and former TikTok employees told NPR that internal reports flagged minors appearing in sexual content that viewers paid to access, with TikTok profiting from the transactions. They also said staff raised concerns about underage users evading age restrictions and blocking parental oversight, and about TikTok avoiding age-verification surveys to dodge FTC scrutiny. Employees say senior leadership knew but responded inadequately, and that concerns about suicide and self-harm content shown to minors were similarly unaddressed.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-10-21
Google has begun replacing traditional help articles with "Ask Google Help," a Gemini-powered interface that condenses documentation into troubleshooting steps and lets users ask follow-up questions. Direct links to support pages like account recovery and 2-Step Verification now default to this AI experience, though a "View Sources" button still leads to the original article. The rollout currently appears limited to select topics such as Google Account Help and Chrome, while sections like Pixel Help still show standard articles.
tech.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-20
GoKawiil