Cybersecurity

Teen content on Instagram now guided by PG-13 standards

Instagram is aligning its Teen Accounts with PG-13 movie standards, aiming to ensure that users under 18 only see age-appropriate material. Teens will automatically be placed in a 13+ setting and will need parental permission to change it.

Parents who want tighter supervision can activate a new ‘Limited Content’ mode that filters out even more material and restricts comments and AI interactions.

The company reviewed its policies to match familiar parental guidelines, further limiting exposure to content with strong language, risky stunts, or references to substances. Teens will also be blocked from following accounts that share inappropriate content or contain suggestive names and bios.

Searches for sensitive terms such as ‘gore’ or ‘alcohol’ will no longer return results, and the same restrictions will extend to Explore, Reels, and AI chat experiences.

Instagram worked with thousands of parents worldwide to shape these policies, collecting more than three million content ratings to refine its protections. Surveys show strong parental support, with most saying the PG-13 system makes it easier to understand what their teens are likely to see online.

The updates begin rolling out in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada and will expand globally by the end of the year.

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Abu Dhabi deploys AI-first systems with NVIDIA and Oracle

Oracle and NVIDIA have joined forces to advance sovereign AI, supporting Abu Dhabi’s vision of becoming an AI-native government by 2027.

The partnership combines the computing platforms of NVIDIA with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to create secure, high-performance systems that deliver next-generation citizen services, including multilingual AI assistants, automatic notifications, and intelligent compliance solutions.

The Government Digital Strategy 2025-2027 of Abu Dhabi, backed by a 13-billion AED investment, follows a phased ‘crawl, walk, run’ approach. The initiative has already gone live across 25 government entities, enabling over 15,000 daily users to access AI-accelerated services.

Generative AI applications are now integrated into human resources, procurement, and financial reporting, while advanced agentic AI and autonomous workflows will further enhance government-wide operations.

The strategy ensures full data sovereignty while driving innovation and efficiency across the public sector.

Partnerships with Deloitte and Core42 provide infrastructure and compliance support, while over 200 AI-powered capabilities are deployed to boost digital skills, economic growth, and employment opportunities.

By 2027, the initiative is expected to contribute more than 24 billion AED to Abu Dhabi’s GDP and create over 5,000 jobs, demonstrating a global blueprint for AI-native government transformation.

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Researchers expose weak satellite security with cheap equipment

Scientists in the US have shown how easy it is to intercept private messages and military information from satellites using equipment costing less than €500.

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego and the University of Maryland scanned internet traffic from 39 geostationary satellites and 411 transponders over seven months.

They discovered unencrypted data, including phone numbers, text messages, and browsing history from networks such as T-Mobile, TelMex, and AT&T, as well as sensitive military communications from the US and Mexico.

The researchers used everyday tools such as TV satellite dishes to collect and decode the signals, proving that anyone with a basic setup and a clear view of the sky could potentially access unprotected data.

They said there is a ‘clear mismatch’ between how satellite users assume their data is secured and how it is handled in reality. Despite the industry’s standard practice of encrypting communications, many transmissions were left exposed.

Companies often avoid stronger encryption because it increases costs and reduces bandwidth efficiency. The researchers noted that firms such as Panasonic could lose up to 30 per cent in revenue if all data were encrypted.

While intercepting satellite data still requires technical skill and precise equipment alignment, the study highlights how affordable tools can reveal serious weaknesses in global satellite security.

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New YouTube tools provide trusted health advice for teens

YouTube is introducing a new shelf of mental health and wellbeing content designed specifically for teenagers. The feature will provide age-appropriate, evidence-based videos covering topics such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, and eating disorders.

Content is created in collaboration with trusted organisations and creators, including Black Dog Institute, ReachOut Australia, and Dr Syl, to ensure it is both reliable and engaging.

The initiative will initially launch in Australia, with plans to expand to the US, the UK, and Canada. Videos are tailored to teens’ developmental stage, offering practical advice, coping strategies, and medically-informed guidance.

By providing credible information on a familiar platform, YouTube hopes to improve mental health literacy and reduce stigma among young users.

YouTube has implemented teen-specific safeguards for recommendations, content visibility, and advertising eligibility, making it easier for adolescents to explore their interests safely.

The company emphasises that the platform is committed to helping teens access trustworthy resources, while supporting their wellbeing in a digital environment increasingly filled with misinformation.

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Dell joins Microsoft and Nscale on hyperscale AI capacity

Nscale has signed an expanded deal with Microsoft to deliver about 200,000 NVIDIA GB300 GPUs across Europe and the US, with Dell collaborating. The company calls it one of the largest AI infrastructure contracts to date. The build-out targets surging enterprise demand for GPU capacity.

A ~240MW hyperscale AI campus in Texas, US, will host roughly 104,000 GB300s from Q3 2026, leased from Ionic Digital. Nscale plans to scale the site to 1.2GW, with Microsoft holding an option on a second 700MW phase from late 2027. The campus is optimised for air-cooled, power-efficient deployments.

In Europe, Nscale will deploy about 12,600 GB300s from Q1 2026 at Start Campus in Sines, Portugal, supporting sovereign AI needs within the EU. A separate UK facility at Loughton will house around 23,000 GB300s from Q1 2027. The 50MW site is scalable to 90MW to support Azure services.

A Norway programme also advances Aker-Nscale’s joint venture plans for about 52,000 GB300s at Narvik, along with Nscale’s GW+ greenfield sites and orchestration for target training, fine-tuning, and inference at scale. Microsoft emphasises sustainability and global availability.

Both firms cast the pact as deepening transatlantic tech ties and accelerating the rollout of next-gen AI services. Nscale says few providers can deploy GPU fleets at this pace. The roadmap points to sovereign-grade, multi-region capacity with lower-latency platforms.

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UK government urges firms to keep paper backups for cyberattack recovery

The UK government has issued a strong warning to company leaders to prepare for cyber incidents by maintaining paper-based contingency plans. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) emphasised that firms must plan how to continue operations and rebuild IT systems if networks are compromised.

The advice follows a series of high-profile cyberattacks this year targeting major UK firms, including Marks & Spencer, The Co-op, and Jaguar Land Rover, which experienced production halts and supply disruptions after their systems were breached.

According to NCSC chief executive Richard Horne, organisations need to adopt ‘resilience engineering’ strategies, systems designed to anticipate, absorb, recover, and adapt during cyberattacks.

The agency recommends storing response plans offline and outlining alternative communication methods, such as phone trees and manual record-keeping, should email systems fail.

While the total number of cyber incidents investigated by the NCSC, 429 in the first nine months of 2025, remained stable, the number of ‘nationally significant’ attacks nearly doubled from 89 to 204. These include Category 1–3 incidents, ranging from ‘significant’ to ‘national cyber emergency.’

Recent cases highlight the human and operational toll of such events, including a ransomware attack on a London blood testing provider last year that caused severe clinical disruption and contributed to at least one patient death.

Experts say the call for offline backups may sound old-fashioned but is pragmatic. ‘You wouldn’t walk onto a building site without a helmet, yet companies still go online without basic protection,’ said Graeme Stewart, head of public sector at Check Point. ‘Cybersecurity must be treated like health and safety: not optional, but essential.’

The government is also encouraging companies, particularly SMEs, to use the NCSC’s free support tools, including cyber insurance linked to its Cyber Essentials programme.

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Salesforce invests $15 billion in San Francisco’s AI future

The US cloud-based software company, Salesforce, has announced a $15 billion investment in San Francisco over the next five years, strengthening the city’s position as the world’s AI capital.

The funding will support a new AI Incubator Hub on the company’s campus, workforce training programmes, and initiatives to help businesses transform into ‘Agentic Enterprises’.

A move that coincides with the company’s annual Dreamforce conference, expected to generate $130 million in local revenue and create 35,000 jobs.

Chief Executive Marc Benioff said the investment demonstrates Salesforce’s deep commitment to San Francisco, aiming to boost AI innovation and job creation.

Dreamforce, now in its 23rd year, is the world’s largest AI event, attracting nearly 50,000 participants and millions more online. Benioff described the company’s goal as leading a new technological era where humans and AI collaborate to drive progress and productivity.

Founded in 1999 as an online CRM service, Salesforce has evolved into a global leader in enterprise AI and cloud computing. It is now San Francisco’s largest private employer and continues to expand through acquisitions of local AI firms such as Bluebirds, Waii, and Regrello.

The company’s new AI Incubator Hub will support early-stage startups, while its Trailhead learning platform has already trained more than five million people for the AI-driven workplace.

Salesforce remains one of the city’s most active corporate philanthropists. Its 1-1-1 model has inspired thousands of companies worldwide to dedicate a share of equity, product, and employee time to social causes.

With an additional $39 million pledged to education and healthcare, Salesforce and the Benioffs have now donated over $1 billion to the Bay Area.

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Vodafone restores UK network after major outage

Vodafone says its nationwide network outage that left thousands across the UK without broadband and mobile data has been fully resolved. The disruption, which began on Monday afternoon, triggered over 130,000 complaints to Downdetector as customers reported losing internet access.

The company confirmed that a software error from one of its vendors had caused the problem but stressed it was not the result of a cyberattack. Vodafone apologised and said the network had fully recovered after engineers implemented fixes late on Monday night.

Industry experts warned that the outage highlighted the need for stronger digital resilience. Analysts said businesses relying on Vodafone likely suffered missed deadlines and financial losses, with many expected to seek compensation.

The fault also impacted UK customers of Voxi, Lebara, and Talkmobile, which operate on Vodafone’s infrastructure. Cloudflare data showed Vodafone traffic temporarily dropped to zero, effectively cutting the network off from the internet for over an hour.

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A common EU layer for age verification without a single age limit

Denmark will push for EU-wide age-verification rules to avoid a patchwork of national systems. As Council presidency, Copenhagen prioritises child protection online while keeping flexibility on national age limits. The aim is coordination without a single ‘digital majority’ age.

Ministers plan to give the European Commission a clear mandate for interoperable, privacy-preserving tools. An updated blueprint is being piloted in five states and aligns with the EU Digital Identity Wallet, which is due by the end of 2026. Goal: seamless, cross-border checks with minimal data exposure.

Copenhagen’s domestic agenda moves in parallel with a proposed ban on under-15 social media use. The government will consult national parties and EU partners on the scope and enforcement. Talks in Horsens, Denmark, signalled support for stronger safeguards and EU-level verification.

The emerging compromise separates ‘how to verify’ at the EU level from ‘what age to set’ at the national level. Proponents argue this avoids fragmentation while respecting domestic choices; critics warn implementation must minimise privacy risks and platform dependency.

Next steps include expanding pilots, formalising the Commission’s mandate, and publishing impact assessments. Clear standards on data minimisation, parental consent, and appeals will be vital. Affordable compliance for SMEs and independent oversight can sustain public trust.

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India’s AI infrastructure gets a $15bn lift from Google

Google has announced a $15 billion commitment for 2026–2030 to build its first Indian AI hub in Visakhapatnam, positioning itself as a foundational partner in India’s AI-first push and strengthening US–India tech ties.

The hub will centre on a purpose-built, gigawatt-scale data-centre campus engineered to Google’s global standards for performance, reliability, and low latency. Partners AdaniConnex and Airtel will help deliver enterprise-grade capacity, enabling large companies and startups to build and scale AI-powered services.

Beyond compute, Google will anchor an international subsea gateway in Visakhapatnam, landing multiple cables to complement those in Mumbai and Chennai, adding route diversity, lowering latency across India’s east coast, and strengthening national connectivity for users, developers, and enterprises.

Clean growth is a core pillar of the plan, with work on transmission lines, new clean-energy generation, and storage in Andhra Pradesh. Google will apply its energy-efficient data centre design to expand India’s diverse clean power portfolio while supporting grid reliability and long-term sustainability goals.

The initiative aligns with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, targeting high-value jobs in India and spillover benefits to US research and development. By combining compute, connectivity, and clean energy at scale, Google aims to accelerate AI adoption across sectors and broaden digital inclusion nationwide.

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