Consumer protection Archives | Page 13 of 223

EU and Canada begin negotiations on a digital trade agreement

The European Commission and Canada have launched negotiations on a new Digital Trade Agreement to strengthen the rules governing cross-border digital commerce.

The initiative was announced in Toronto by the EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu.

An agreement that will expand the digital dimension of the existing Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which has already increased trade in goods and services between the two partners.

Officials say the new negotiations aim to create clearer rules for businesses and consumers engaging in cross-border digital transactions.

Proposals under discussion include promoting paperless trade systems, recognising electronic signatures and digital contracts, and prohibiting customs duties on electronic transmissions.

The agreement between the EU and Canada will also seek to prevent protectionist practices such as unjustified data localisation requirements or forced transfers of software source code.

European officials argue that the negotiations reflect a broader effort to develop international standards for digital trade governance while preserving governments’ ability to regulate emerging challenges in the digital economy.

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Data breach hits fintech lender Figure exposing nearly 1 million accounts

Fintech lender Figure Technology Solutions has disclosed a data breach after hackers exposed personal information from nearly one million accounts. Details from 967,200 accounts, including names, email addresses, phone numbers, home addresses, and dates of birth, were compromised.

Figure Technology Solutions, founded in 2018, operates a blockchain-based lending platform built on the Provenance blockchain. The company says it has facilitated more than $22 billion in home equity transactions through partnerships with banks, credit unions, and fintech firms. Despite blockchain security claims, attackers reportedly gained access by manipulating a staff member rather than breaking the underlying technology.

‘We recently identified that an employee was socially engineered, and that allowed an actor to download a limited number of files through their account,’ a company spokesperson said. ‘We acted quickly to block the activity and retained a forensic firm to investigate what files were affected. We understand the importance of these matters and are communicating with partners and those impacted as appropriate.’

Security researchers say the data breach follows a pattern used by groups such as ShinyHunters, who impersonate IT support staff and pressure employees into revealing login credentials through convincing phishing portals.

Once access to corporate single sign-on systems, which allow users to log in to multiple internal applications with a single set of credentials, is obtained, attackers can move across multiple internal platforms, often including services linked to major providers such as Microsoft and Google.

Experts warn that the data breach highlights a wider cybersecurity problem: even advanced technologies such as blockchain cannot prevent attacks that target human behaviour. Criminals can use exposed personal information to launch convincing phishing campaigns or financial scams, reinforcing the need for stronger employee training and security awareness.

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New AI feature keeps Roblox chat respectful and flowing

Roblox Corporation has unveiled an AI-powered real-time chat rephrasing feature designed to maintain civility while keeping in-game conversations fluid. Previously, messages containing profanity were blocked with hashmarks, disrupting gameplay.

The new system automatically rephrases inappropriate language into more respectful alternatives while preserving the original meaning. Users in the chat are notified when their messages are rephrased, ensuring transparency.

The feature supports in-game chat between age-verified users and all languages via Roblox’s automatic translation. The company consulted its TEEN COUNCIL to design the system, ensuring it reflects how teens naturally communicate.

Earlier experiments with real-time warnings and notifications reduced filtered messages and abuse reports by 5–6%, indicating the approach’s effectiveness.

Roblox is also enhancing its text filters to detect complex attempts to bypass Community Standards, such as leet-speak or symbols. Testing shows a 20-fold reduction in missed cases involving the sharing of personal information, such as social handles or phone numbers.

These upgrades represent a significant step toward safer, more natural in-game chat.

The company plans to continue refining these tools, aiming to minimise disruptions further while promoting civil communication. Users can expect iterative improvements and additional controls in the future to enhance chat safety and overall user experience.

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Privacy lawsuit targets Meta AI glasses after reports of footage review

Meta is facing a new lawsuit in the US over privacy concerns tied to its AI smart glasses.

The legal complaint follows investigative reporting indicating that contractors working for a Kenya-based subcontractor reviewed footage captured by users’ devices, including sensitive personal scenes.

The lawsuit alleges that some of the reviewed material included nudity and other intimate activities recorded by the glasses’ cameras.

According to the complaint, the footage formed part of a data review process designed to improve the AI system integrated into the wearable device.

Plaintiffs claim Meta marketed the product as prioritising user privacy, citing advertisements suggesting that the glasses were ‘designed for privacy’ and that users remained in control of their personal data.

The complaint argues that such messaging could mislead consumers if the footage were subject to human review without clear disclosure.

A legal action that also names eyewear manufacturer Luxottica, which partnered with Meta to produce the glasses.

Meanwhile, the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office has begun examining the issue after reports that face-blurring safeguards may not have consistently protected individuals captured in the recordings.

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Gemini leads latest ORCA benchmark on AI maths accuracy

A new round of the ORCA (Omni Research on Calculation in AI) benchmark reveals significant progress in how leading AI chatbots handle real-world mathematical problems, while also highlighting persistent limitations in reliability and consistency.

The latest results show Google’s Gemini 3 Flash moving clearly ahead of competing systems, correctly answering nearly three-quarters of the 500 practical questions used in the benchmark.

Our readers may recall that the platform previously analysed the first edition of the ORCA benchmark, examining how AI chatbots performed on everyday quantitative tasks rather than purely academic problems. The earlier analysis already showed notable gaps between systems and raised questions about the reliability of AI models for calculations people might encounter in daily life.

The second benchmark compares four widely accessible models: ChatGPT-5.2, Gemini 3 Flash, Grok-4.1 and DeepSeek V3.2. Gemini recorded the largest improvement, decisively outpacing the others. ChatGPT and DeepSeek posted smaller but steady gains, while Grok’s results declined slightly in several subject areas.

Chart — Gemini leads latest ORCA benchmark on AI maths accuracy 10

Text — Gemini leads latest ORCA benchmark on AI maths accuracy 10

Performance improvements were uneven across domains, with Gemini showing particularly strong gains in fields such as biology, chemistry, physics and health-related calculations.

Closer examination of the errors reveals why AI still struggles with mathematical accuracy. Calculation mistakes have increased as a share of total errors, while rounding and formatting problems have decreased.

Researchers explain that large language models do not actually compute numbers in the same way that calculators do. Instead, they predict likely sequences of words and numbers, which can lead to small shortcuts during multi-step reasoning that eventually produce incorrect results.

The benchmark also highlights another challenge: instability. The same question can produce different answers when asked multiple times, even when the model initially responded correctly. Such variation reflects the probabilistic nature of AI systems.

As a result, the benchmark concludes that AI chatbots can assist with calculations but cannot yet match the consistency of traditional calculators, which always return the same answer for the same input.

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Debate grows over the future of privacy

Experts gathered in London, UK, to examine how the concept of privacy has evolved over centuries. Discussions in London, UK, highlighted that privacy was only widely recognised as a legal and social norm after the Second World War.

Speakers in London noted that earlier societies often viewed privacy with suspicion or did not recognise it at all. Historical examples discussed included practices from Roman society and the French monarchy.

Modern legal protections expanded rapidly in recent decades, with privacy laws now covering about 80 percent of the global population. Scholars said the concept remains relatively new despite its central role in modern democracies.

The debate also explored whether privacy will remain a stable social value as technology evolves. Analysts in London said emerging technologies such as AI are reshaping debates over personal data and surveillance.

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Calls grow to strengthen New Zealand privacy law

Pressure is growing in New Zealand to strengthen the Privacy Act following several high-profile data breaches. Debate in New Zealand intensified after a cyberattack exposed medical records from the Manage My Health patient portal.

The breach in New Zealand affected about 120,000 patients and involved threats to release documents on the dark web. Another incident forced the MediMap medication platform offline after unauthorised changes were detected in patient records.

Privacy specialists argue that current enforcement powers are too weak to deter serious failures. The Privacy Act allows only limited financial penalties, with fines generally capped at NZD10,000.

Officials are now considering reforms, including stronger penalties for privacy violations. Policymakers also warn that failure to strengthen the law could threaten the country’s EU data adequacy status.

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EU launches panel on child safety online and social media age rules

The European Commission has convened a new expert panel tasked with examining how children can be better protected across digital platforms, including social media, gaming environments and AI tools.

The initiative reflects growing concern across Europe regarding the psychological and safety risks associated with young users’ online behaviour.

Announced during the 2025 State of the Union Address by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the panel will evaluate evidence on both the opportunities and harms linked to children’s digital engagement.

Specialists from health, computer science, child rights and digital literacy will work alongside youth representatives to assess current research and policy responses.

Discussions during the first meeting centred on platform responsibility, including age-appropriate safety-by-design features, algorithmic amplification and addictive product design.

An initiative that also addresses digital literacy for children, parents and educators, while considering how regulatory measures can reduce risks without undermining the benefits of online participation.

The panel’s work complements the enforcement of the Digital Services Act and related European policies designed to strengthen protections for minors online.

Among the tools under development is an EU age-verification application currently tested in several member states, intended to support privacy-preserving checks compatible with the future EU digital identity framework.

The panel is expected to deliver policy recommendations to the Commission by summer 2026.

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OpenAI explains 5 AI value models transforming enterprise strategy

AI is beginning to reshape corporate strategy as organisations shift from isolated technology experiments to broader operational transformation.

According to OpenAI, businesses that treat AI as a collection of disconnected pilots risk missing the bigger structural change that the technology enables.

A new framework describes five value models through which AI can gradually reshape companies. The first stage focuses on workforce empowerment, where tools such as ChatGPT spread AI capabilities across teams and improve everyday productivity.

Once employees develop fluency, organisations can introduce AI-native distribution models that transform how customers discover products and interact with digital services.

More advanced stages involve specialised systems. Expert capability integrates AI into research, creative production, and domain-specific analysis, allowing professionals to explore a wider range of ideas and experiments.

Meanwhile, systems and dependency management introduce AI tools capable of safely updating interconnected digital environments, including codebases, documentation, and operational processes.

The final stage involves full process re-engineering through autonomous agents. In such environments, AI systems coordinate complex workflows across departments while maintaining governance, accountability, and auditability.

Organisations that successfully progress through these stages may eventually redesign their business models rather than merely improving efficiency within existing structures.

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New Coruna exploit kit targets iPhones running older iOS versions

The Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) has identified a powerful exploit toolkit, Coruna, that targets Apple iPhones running iOS versions 13.0 to 17.2.1.

The toolkit contains five complete exploit chains and 23 exploits designed to compromise devices using previously unseen techniques and mitigation bypasses.

Parts of the exploit chain were first detected in early 2025, when a client of a commercial surveillance vendor used them. Later investigations revealed the same framework in highly targeted attacks against Ukrainian users linked to a suspected Russian espionage group.

Toward the end of the year, the toolkit resurfaced in large-scale campaigns linked to financially motivated actors operating from China.

Coruna relies on a sophisticated JavaScript framework that identifies iPhone models and their iOS versions before delivering the appropriate WebKit remote code execution exploit and additional bypass techniques.

Several vulnerabilities exploited by the toolkit had previously been treated as zero-day flaws, highlighting the growing circulation of advanced cyber-attack tools among multiple threat actors.

Google warned that the payload can steal sensitive data, including financial and cryptocurrency wallet information, and allows attackers to deploy additional modules remotely.

The company has added related malicious domains to Safe Browsing and urged users to install the latest iOS updates, noting that the exploit kit does not affect the newest version of Apple’s operating system.

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