The European Commission has proposed extending the Interim Regulation that allows online service providers to voluntarily detect and report child sexual abuse instead of facing a legal gap once the current rules expire.
These measures would preserve existing safeguards while negotiations on permanent legislation continue.
The Interim Regulation enables providers of certain communication services to identify and remove child sexual abuse material under a temporary exemption from e-Privacy rules.
Without an extension beyond April 2026, voluntary detection would have to stop, making it easier for offenders to share illegal material and groom children online.
According to the Commission, proactive reporting by platforms has played a critical role for more than fifteen years in identifying abuse and supporting criminal investigations. Extending the interim framework until April 2028 is intended to maintain these protections until long-term EU rules are agreed.
The proposal now moves to the European Parliament and the Council, with the Commission urging swift agreement to ensure continued protection for children across the Union.
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From 1 February, the US Transportation Security Administration will charge a $45 fee to travellers who arrive at airports without a valid form of identification, such as a REAL ID or passport.
A measure that is linked to the rollout of a new alternative identity verification system designed to modernise security checks.
The fee applies to passengers using TSA Confirm.ID, a process that may involve biometric or biographic verification. Even after payment, access to the secure area is not guaranteed, and the charge will remain non-refundable, valid for a period of ten days.
According to the TSA, the policy ensures that the traveller, instead of taxpayers, bears the cost of verifying insufficient identification. Officials have urged passengers to obtain a REAL ID or other approved documentation to avoid delays or missed flights.
The agency has indicated that travellers will be encouraged to pay the fee online before arrival. At the same time, further details are expected on how advance payment and verification will operate across different airports.
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The Council of the European Union has agreed on its negotiating position on legislation enabling a digital euro while reinforcing the legal status of euro cash.
An initiative that aims to strengthen the resilience of the EU payments system and support strategic autonomy by ensuring public money remains central in a rapidly digitising economy.
Under the proposal, the digital euro would complement cash, rather than replace it, offering a public payment option backed by the European Central Bank. It would function both online and offline, allow payments with a high degree of privacy, and operate in conjunction with private cards and applications.
Limits on holdings would apply to reduce risks to financial stability, with core services provided free to consumers.
The Council position also clarifies compensation rules for payment service providers and requires fair access to mobile device hardware and software. Interchange and merchant fees would be capped during a transitional period, with future pricing linked to actual operational costs.
At the same time, the Council has moved to strengthen the role of cash by safeguarding acceptance across the € area and guaranteeing access for citizens.
Member states would be required to monitor cash availability and prepare contingency measures for situations where electronic payments are disrupted.
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Dubai charities now accept donations in cryptocurrencies and virtual assets through a new service launched by the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department. The move signals a shift towards modernised fundraising channels across the emirate.
The service supports Dubai’s wider digital transformation strategy and aims to improve efficiency within the charitable donation ecosystem. Donors can now use globally recognised payment options, highlighting the rising use of virtual assets as valid financial tools.
Regulation remains central to the initiative, with IACAD introducing clear policies to protect donors, enhance transparency, and ensure compliance with approved standards. Introductory workshops have also been organised to guide charities through operational and procedural requirements.
Officials stressed that charities need preliminary authorisation to ensure donations are processed securely and in accordance with regulations. The initiative further reinforces Dubai’s ambition to lead in innovative and technology-driven humanitarian work.
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Apple has announced changes to how iOS apps are distributed and monetised in Japan, bringing its platform into compliance with the country’s Mobile Software Competition Act. The updates introduce new options for alternative app marketplaces and payment methods for digital goods.
Under the revised framework, developers in Japan can distribute apps outside the App Store and offer alternative payment processing alongside the In-App Purchase. Apple said the changes aim to meet legal requirements while limiting new risks linked to fraud, malware, and data misuse.
Safeguards include app notarisation, authorisation rules for alternative marketplaces, and baseline security checks for all iOS apps. The measures are aimed at protecting users, including children, even as apps outside the App Store receive fewer protections.
Safeguards include app notarisation, authorisation rules for alternative marketplaces, and baseline security checks for all iOS apps. Apple said the measures aim to protect users, including children, even as apps outside the App Store receive fewer protections.
Additional controls are being rolled out with iOS 26.2, including browser and search engine choice screens, new default app settings, and expanded developer APIs. Apple said it will continue engaging with Japanese regulators as the new framework takes effect.
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Russia has reported a sharp decline in cyber fraud following the introduction of new regulatory measures in 2025. Officials say legislative action targeting telephone and online scams has begun to deliver measurable results.
State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Digital Development Ivan Lebedev told the State Duma that crimes covered by the first package of reforms, known as ‘Cyberbez 1.0’, have fallen by 40%, according to confirmed statistics.
Earlier this year, Lebedev said Russia records roughly 677,000 cases of phone and online fraud annually, with incidents rising by more than 35% since 2022, highlighting the scale of the challenge faced by authorities.
In April, President Vladimir Putin signed a law introducing a range of countermeasures, including a state information system to combat fraud, limits on unsolicited marketing calls, stricter SIM card issuance rules, and new compliance obligations for banks.
Further steps are now under discussion. Officials say a second package is being prepared, while a third set of initiatives was announced in December as Russia continues to strengthen its digital security framework.
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For the first time, the UK has published a detailed, evidence-based assessment of frontier AI capabilities. The Frontier AI Trends Report draws on two years of structured testing across areas including cybersecurity, software engineering, chemistry, and biology.
The findings show rapid progress in technical performance. Success rates on apprentice-level cyber tasks rose from under 9% in 2023 to around 50% in 2025, while models also completed expert-level cyber challenges previously requiring a decade of experience.
Safeguards designed to limit misuse are also improving, according to the report. Red-team testing found that the time required to identify universal jailbreaks increased from minutes to several hours between model generations, representing an estimated forty-fold improvement in resistance.
The analysis highlights advances beyond cybersecurity. AI systems now complete hour-long software engineering tasks more than 40% of the time, while biology and chemistry models outperform PhD-level researchers in controlled knowledge tests and support non-experts in laboratory-style workflows.
While the report avoids policy recommendations, UK officials say it strengthens transparency around advanced AI systems. The government plans to continue investing in evaluation science through the AI Security Institute, supporting independent testing and international collaboration.
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Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a rapidly expanding Android botnet known as Kimwolf, which has already compromised approximately 1.8 million devices worldwide.
The malware primarily targets smart TVs, set-top boxes, and tablets connected to residential networks, with infections concentrated in countries including Brazil, India, the US, Argentina, South Africa, and the Philippines.
Analysis by QiAnXin XLab indicates that Kimwolf demonstrates a high degree of operational resilience.
Despite multiple disruptions to its command-and-control infrastructure, the botnet has repeatedly re-emerged with enhanced capabilities, including the adoption of Ethereum Name Service to harden its communications against takedown efforts.
Researchers also identified significant similarities between Kimwolf and AISURU, one of the most powerful botnets observed in recent years. Shared source code, infrastructure, and infection scripts suggest both botnets are operated by the same threat group and have coexisted on large numbers of infected devices.
AISURU has previously drawn attention for launching record-setting distributed denial-of-service attacks, including traffic peaks approaching 30 terabits per second.
The emergence of Kimwolf alongside such activity highlights the growing scale and sophistication of botnet-driven cyber threats targeting global internet infrastructure.
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Cloudflare released its sixth annual Year in Review, providing a comprehensive snapshot of global Internet trends in 2025. The report highlights rising digital reliance, AI progress, and evolving security threats across Cloudflare’s network and Radar data.
Global Internet traffic rose 19 percent year-on-year, reflecting increased use for personal and professional activities. A key trend was the move from large-scale AI training to continuous AI inference, alongside rapid growth in generative AI platforms.
Google and Meta remained the most popular services, while ChatGPT led in generative AI usage.
Cybersecurity remained a critical concern. Post-quantum encryption now protects 52 percent of Internet traffic, yet record-breaking DDoS attacks underscored rising cyber risks.
Civil society and non-profit organisations were the most targeted sectors for the first time, while government actions caused nearly half of the major Internet outages.
Connectivity varied by region, with Europe leading in speed and quality and Spain ranking highest globally. The report outlines 2025’s Internet challenges and progress, providing insights for governments, businesses, and users aiming for greater resilience and security.
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Cryptocurrency theft intensified in 2025, with total stolen funds exceeding $3.4 billion despite fewer large-scale incidents. Losses became increasingly concentrated, with a few major breaches driving most of the annual damage and widening the gap between typical hacks and extreme outliers.
North Korea remained the dominant threat actor, stealing at least $2.02 billion in digital assets during the year, a 51% increase compared with 2024.
Larger thefts were achieved through fewer operations, often relying on insider access, executive impersonation, and long-term infiltration of crypto firms rather than frequent attacks.
Laundering activity linked to North Korean actors followed a distinctive and disciplined pattern. Stolen funds moved in smaller tranches through Chinese-language laundering networks, bridges, and mixing services, usually following a structured 45-day cycle.
Individual wallet attacks surged, impacting tens of thousands of victims, while the total value stolen from personal wallets fell. Decentralised finance remained resilient, with hack losses low despite rising locked capital, indicating stronger security practices.
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