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Binance opens to Syrian users after sanctions ease

Binance has announced it will now allow Syrian residents to access its cryptocurrency services, following the recent suspension of US sanctions on Syria. The platform had previously barred Syrian users due to longstanding international restrictions.

With Syria no longer classified as a prohibited country, local users can now register and engage in spot and futures trading, staking, cross-border payments via Binance Pay, and educational tools in Arabic.

The exchange stated that it aims to contribute to Syria’s economic recovery and digital growth, in line with international compliance.

The shift follows the rise of Syria’s new leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who came to power in December 2024 after overthrowing Bashar al-Assad. In response, US President Donald Trump declared an end to sanctions in May 2025, offering Syria ‘a chance at greatness’.

Due to persistent inflation and currency instability, Syrians have increasingly turned to crypto. Despite sanctions, Syria has ranked among the top 10 countries for crypto-related search activity since 2021, highlighting the region’s demand for financial alternatives.

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India unveils AI incident reporting guidelines for critical infrastructure

India is developing AI incident reporting guidelines for companies, developers, and public institutions to report AI-related issues affecting critical infrastructure sectors such as telecommunications, power, and energy. The government aims to create a centralised database to record and classify incidents like system failures, unexpected results, or harmful impacts caused by AI.

That initiative will help policymakers and stakeholders better understand and manage the risks AI poses to vital services, ensuring transparency and accountability. The proposed guidelines will require detailed reporting of incidents, including the AI application involved, cause, location, affected sector, and severity of harm.

The Telecommunications Engineering Centre (TEC) is spearheading the effort, focusing initially on telecom and digital infrastructure, with plans to extend the standard across other sectors and pitch it globally through the International Telecommunication Union. The framework aligns with international initiatives such as the OECD’s AI Incident Monitor and builds on government recommendations to improve oversight while fostering innovation.

Why does it matter?

The draft emphasises learning from incidents rather than penalising reporters, encouraging self-regulation to avoid excessive compliance burdens. The following approach complements broader AI safety goals of India, including the recent launch of the IndiaAI Safety Institute, which works on risk management, ethical frameworks, and detection tools.

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Bangladesh to reform telecom sector amid industry support and local concerns

The government of Bangladesh is introducing major reforms in the telecommunications sector through a new three-tier licensing framework, dividing licenses into international connectivity, national infrastructure, and access network services. That policy overhaul aims to modernise the sector, improve regulatory clarity, and align with global best practices.

The Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB), representing key players like Grameenphone, Robi, and Banglalink, supports the reforms and considers them a bold and necessary first step, even though the new rules will limit some of their operational freedoms, such as deploying their own fiber infrastructure and building independent towers.

Despite AMTOB’s support, mid-level domestic operators in areas such as International Gateway (IGW), International Internet Gateway (IIG), Interconnection Exchange (ICX), and Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN) have expressed concerns that the policy favours foreign companies at the expense of local firms. They warn that the draft could cause significant job losses, threaten smaller businesses, and reduce government revenues.

AMTOB, however, rejects allegations of foreign favouritism and criticises intermediary infrastructure providers for poor connectivity and increased costs, attributing these issues to the fragmented regulatory environment created by the 2007 International Long Distance Telecommunication Services Policy (ILDTSP).

In response to past political favouritism in licensing, the interim government has launched investigations into corruption within the sector, with a white paper expected to increase transparency and accountability soon. AMTOB also highlighted that many countries allow mobile operators to own and manage their entire infrastructure, which leads to lower costs and better service quality, suggesting this model could guide future reforms in the telecom industry of Bangladesh.

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Meta and TikTok contest the EU’s compliance charges

Meta and TikTok have taken their fight against an the EU supervisory fee to Europe’s second-highest court, arguing that the charges are disproportionate and based on flawed calculations.

The fee, introduced under the Digital Services Act (DSA), requires major online platforms to pay 0.05% of their annual global net income to cover the European Commission’s oversight costs.

Meta questioned the Commission’s methodology, claiming the levy was based on the entire group’s revenue instead of the specific EU-based subsidiary.

The company’s lawyer told judges it still lacked clarity on how the fee was calculated, describing the process as opaque and inconsistent with the spirit of the law.

TikTok also criticised the charge, alleging inaccurate and discriminatory data inflated its payment.

Its legal team argued that user numbers were double-counted when people switched between devices. The Commission had wrongly calculated fees based on group profits rather than platform-specific earnings.

The Commission defended its approach, saying group resources should bear the cost when consolidated accounts are used. A ruling is expected from the General Court sometime next year.

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Quantum cybersecurity goes live in Paris

Orange Business and Toshiba Europe have launched France’s first commercial quantum-safe network service in Paris.

The Orange Quantum Defender, now living in the greater Paris region, aims to shield organisations from cyber threats posed by future quantum computing capabilities.

The service combines Toshiba’s Quantum Key Distribution and Post-Quantum Cryptography technologies to protect sensitive data with a multi-layered approach. A major French financial institution already uses the network to safeguard its critical infrastructure.

After years of testing, the partners confirmed the system works over existing fibre networks, cutting costs and easing enterprise adoption.

Leaders at both companies say the launch marks a turning point in cybersecurity preparedness for the quantum age.

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AI startup faces lawsuit from Disney and Universal

Two of Hollywood’s most powerful studios, Disney and Universal, have launched a copyright infringement lawsuit against the AI firm Midjourney, accusing it of illegally replicating iconic characters.

The studios claim the San Francisco-based company copied their creative works without permission, describing it as a ‘bottomless pit of plagiarism’.

Characters such as Darth Vader, Elsa, and the Minions were cited in the 143-page complaint, which alleges Midjourney used these images to train its AI system and generate similar content.

Disney and Universal argue that the AI firm failed to invest in the creative process, yet profited heavily from the output — reportedly earning $US300 million in paid subscriptions last year.

Despite early attempts by the studios to raise concerns and propose safeguards already adopted by other AI developers,

Midjourney allegedly ignored them and pressed ahead with further product releases. The company, which calls itself a small, self-funded team of 11, has declined to comment on the lawsuit directly but insists it has a long future ahead.

Disney’s legal chief, Horacio Gutierrez, stressed the importance of protecting creative works that result from decades of investment. While supporting AI as a tool for innovation, he maintained that ‘piracy is piracy’, regardless of whether humans or machines carry it out.

The studios are seeking damages and a court order to stop the AI firm from continuing its alleged copyright violations.

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Wikipedia halts AI summaries test after backlash

Wikipedia has paused a controversial trial of AI-generated article summaries following intense backlash from its community of volunteer editors.

The Wikimedia Foundation had planned a two-week opt-in test for mobile users using summaries produced by Aya, an open-weight AI model developed by Cohere.

However, the reaction from editors was swift and overwhelmingly negative. The discussion page became flooded with objections, with contributors arguing that such summaries risked undermining the site’s reputation for neutrality and accuracy.

Some expressed concerns that inserting AI content would override Wikipedia’s long-standing collaborative approach by effectively installing a single, unverifiable voice atop articles.

Editors warned that AI-generated summaries lacked proper sourcing and could compromise the site’s credibility. Recent AI blunders by other tech giants, including Google’s glue-on-pizza mishap and Apple’s false death alert, were cited as cautionary examples of reputational risk.

For many, the possibility of similar errors appearing on Wikipedia was unacceptable.

Marshall Miller of the Wikimedia Foundation acknowledged the misstep in communication and confirmed the project’s suspension.

While the Foundation remains interested in exploring AI to improve accessibility, it has committed to ensuring any future implementation involves direct participation from the Wikipedia community.

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INTERPOL cracks down on global cybercrime networks

Over 20,000 malicious IP addresses and domains linked to data-stealing malware have been taken down during Operation Secure, a coordinated cybercrime crackdown led by INTERPOL between January and April 2025.

Law enforcement agencies from 26 countries worked together to locate rogue servers and dismantle criminal networks instead of tackling threats in isolation.

The operation, supported by cybersecurity firms including Group-IB, Kaspersky and Trend Micro, led to the removal of nearly 80 per cent of the identified malicious infrastructure. Authorities seized 41 servers, confiscated over 100GB of stolen data and arrested 32 suspects.

More than 216,000 individuals and organisations were alerted, helping them act quickly by changing passwords, freezing accounts or blocking unauthorised access.

Vietnamese police arrested 18 people, including a group leader found with cash, SIM cards and business records linked to fraudulent schemes. Sri Lankan and Nauruan authorities carried out home raids, arresting 14 suspects and identifying 40 victims.

In Hong Kong, police traced 117 command-and-control servers across 89 internet providers. INTERPOL hailed the effort as proof of the impact of cross-border cooperation in dismantling cybercriminal infrastructure instead of allowing it to flourish undisturbed.

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Diplo highlights cybersecurity at AfriSIG

The African School of Internet Governance (AfriSIG) convened in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, from 23 to 28 May 2025, bringing together a broad mix of African and international stakeholders for intensive internet, ICT, and data governance training. As a precursor to the African Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF), the school aimed to strengthen civil society, public, and private sector expertise in navigating Africa’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Representing Diplo, Dr Katherine Getao delivered a keynote on ‘Cybersecurity and Cybercrime in Africa,’ emphasising the continent’s urgent need to build strong digital defences amid rising cyber threats. While the challenges are pressing, she pointed out that they also open avenues for youth employment and entrepreneurship, especially in the cybersecurity sector.

Dr Getao also stressed the significance of African participation in global policy dialogues, such as the Geneva Dialogue, to ensure the continent’s digital priorities are heard and reflected in international frameworks. Drawing from her experience with the UN Group of Governmental Experts, she advocated for Africa to be more active in shaping responsible state behaviour in cyberspace.

The event’s panel discussions and workshops further explored how African voices can better leverage platforms like the Internet Governance Forum to influence global tech governance. For Diplo and initiatives like the Geneva Dialogue, AfriSIG was a key venue for aligning African digital development with international policy momentum.

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IBM sets 2029 target for quantum breakthrough

IBM has set out a detailed roadmap to deliver a practical quantum computer by 2029, marking a major milestone in its long-term strategy.

The company plans to build its ‘Starling’ quantum system at a new data centre in Poughkeepsie, New York, targeting around 200 logical qubits—enough to begin outperforming classical computers in specific tasks instead of lagging due to error correction limitations.

Quantum computers rely on qubits to perform complex calculations, but high error rates have held back their potential. IBM shifted its approach in 2019, designing error-correction algorithms based on real, manufacturable chips instead of theoretical models.

The change, as the company says, will significantly reduce the qubits needed to fix errors.

With confidence in its new method, IBM will build a series of quantum systems until 2027, each advancing toward a larger, more capable machine.

Vice President Jay Gambetta stated the key scientific questions have already been resolved, meaning what remains is primarily an engineering challenge instead of a scientific one.

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