Cybersecurity

Google outage disrupts services across Türkiye and southeast europe

Google services experienced a widespread outage in Türkiye on Thursday morning, leaving core functions such as search and YouTube inaccessible.

Users reported search queries failing to return results, frozen pages, and an inability to connect to Google servers. Social media posts suggested the disruption extended beyond Türkiye, affecting users in Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Armenia, the Netherlands, and Germany.

The Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency confirmed outages across parts of Southeastern Europe. Turkish Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Omer Fatih Sayan, said the issue impacted Android and related services in Türkiye and the wider European region.

He added that the National Cyber Incident Response Centre had requested a technical report from Google and is monitoring the situation closely.

As of 10:57 a.m. local time, 4 September 2025, access to Google services in Türkiye had been restored. Google has yet to issue an official statement regarding the cause of the disruption.

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Record funding and new assurance measures mark fresh UK AI push

Private backing for UK AI companies has reached £2.9 billion, with average deals of £5.9 million, driving record growth across the sector. Ministers say investment is spreading regionally, with the number of firms in the Midlands, Yorkshire, Wales, and the North West doubling in just three years.

At Mansion House, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle urged industry to cut red tape, expand data centres, and attract global talent. He emphasised that public trust, supported by AI assurance measures, is crucial for growth.

The assurance roadmap aims to add billions to the economy by creating a dedicated profession to review AI systems for safety, ethics, and accountability. Independent experts will be tasked with certifying systems, while a consortium of professional bodies develops a code of ethics to guide standards.

Further initiatives include £2.7m to boost regulator capacity and AI projects for Ofgem, the Civil Aviation Authority, and the Office for Nuclear Regulation, covering energy, aviation, and nuclear waste.

Officials say these measures will help position the UK as a world leader in AI innovation, while ensuring growth is matched with robust oversight and public confidence in the technology.

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IBM Cloud replaces free support with AI tools

The cloud computing services offered by IBM will end free human support under its Basic Support tier in January 2026, opting for an AI-driven self-service model instead.

Users will lose the option to open or escalate technical cases through the portal or APIs. However, they can still report service issues via the Cloud Console and raise billing or account cases through the Support Portal.

IBM will direct customers to its Watsonx-powered AI Assistant, upgraded earlier in the year, while introducing a ‘Report an Issue’ tool to improve routing. The company plans to expand its support library to provide more detailed self-help resources.

Starting at $200 per month, paid support will remain available for organisations needing faster response times and direct technical assistance.

The company describes the change as an alignment with industry norms. AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure already provide free tiers that rely on community forums, online resources and billing support.

However, IBM Cloud holds only 2–4 percent of the market, according to Synergy Research Group, which some analysts suggest makes cost reductions in support more likely. Tencent, another provider, previously withdrew support for basic users because they were not profitable.

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CNIL fines Google and SHEIN in ongoing cookie compliance crackdown

France’s data protection authority, CNIL, has fined Google 350 million euros and SHEIN 150 million euros as part of a broader enforcement effort targeting non-compliant use of advertising cookies under Article 82 of the French Data Protection Act.

The action stems from CNIL’s 2019 guidelines, aimed at ensuring that internet users are adequately informed and give valid consent for the placement of cookies.

The CNIL’s restricted committee, responsible for imposing penalties, raised ongoing concerns such as unauthorised cookie placement and the growing use of ‘cookie walls’ where users must accept cookies to access services.

Although not illegal by default, such practices require consent, with all choices presented clearly and without bias.

In Google’s case, CNIL also cited a breach of Article L.34-5 of the French Postal and Electronic Communications Code for displaying promotional emails in Gmail’s ‘Promotions’ and ‘Social’ tabs without prior user consent. High-traffic platforms remain a key focus of the authority’s compliance strategy.

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SCO Tianjin Summit puts tech, AI, and digital governance high on the agenda

Tech, AI, and digital issues were prominent during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin on 1 December. The resulting SCO Tianjin Declaration championed the principles of cyber sovereignty and equal rights for all nations in governing the internet and AI, outlining a clear agenda for regional and global digital policy.

Here are the key highlights:

Artificial Intelligence

The SCO endorsed a push for inclusive AI development, formally backing the UN General Assembly resolution on AI capacity-building, highlighting the “equal right to develop and utilise AI.” To operationalise this vision, the declaration supports two major initiatives:

  • The establishment of a Central Asian AI Centre in Dushanbe.
  • The creation of a dedicated SCO mechanism for cooperation in AI.

This commitment was reinforced by a separate statement issued during the Summit on deepening international collaboration.

Cybersecurity

In the cybersecurity realm, the SCO focuses on the central role of the UN in establishing global norms. The Tianjin Declaration specifically called for the signing of the UN Convention on Cybercrime, signalling the organisation’s preference for a UN-led framework for international cybersecurity.

Digital Economy

To foster regional growth, the summit advanced cooperation in the digital economy. Member states adopted a formal statement on strengthening digital economic development. A key outcome was the call to establish a dedicated SCO program to enhance cooperation on e-commerce among member states.

Higher relevance

As outlined by Chinese President Xi during the Summit, the Global Governance Initiative put forward five guiding principles: adhering to sovereign equality, abiding by international rule of law, practising multilateralism, advocating the people-centred approach, and focusing on taking real actions. As tech, AI, and digital governance are two of the focus areas of the Initiative, it remains to be seen how they will impact the UN and other processes and initiatives.

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China and India adopt contrasting approaches to AI governance

As AI becomes central to business strategy, questions of corporate governance and regulation are gaining prominence. The study by Akshaya Kamalnath and Lin Lin examines how China and India are addressing these issues through law, policy, and corporate practice.

The paper focuses on three questions: how regulations are shaping AI and data protection in corporate governance, how companies are embedding technological expertise into governance structures, and how institutional differences influence each country’s response.

Findings suggest a degree of convergence in governance practices. Both countries have seen companies create chief technology officer roles, establish committees to manage technological risks, and disclose information about their use of AI.

In China, these measures are largely guided by central and provincial authorities, while in India, they reflect market-driven demand.

China’s approach is characterised by a state-led model that combines laws, regulations, and soft-law tools such as guidelines and strategic plans. The system is designed to encourage innovation while addressing risks in an adaptive manner.

India, by contrast, has fewer binding regulations and relies on a more flexible, principles-based model shaped by judicial interpretation and self-regulation.

Broader themes also emerge. In China, state-owned enterprises are using AI to support environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, while India has framed its AI strategy under the principle of ‘AI for All’ with a focus on the role of public sector organisations.

Together, these approaches underline how national traditions and developmental priorities are shaping AI governance in two of the world’s largest economies.

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Singapore mandates Meta to tackle scams or risk $1 million penalty

In a landmark move, Singapore police have issued their first implementation directive under the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA) to tech giant Meta, requiring the company to tackle scam activity on Facebook or face fines of up to $1 million.

Announced on 3 September by Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming at the Global Anti-Scam Summit Asia 2025, the directive targets scam advertisements, fake profiles, and impersonation of government officials, particularly Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and former Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen. The measure is part of Singapore’s intensified crackdown on government official impersonation scams (GOIS), which have surged in 2025.

According to mid-year police data, Gois cases nearly tripled to 1,762 in the first half of 2025, up from 589 in the same period last year. Financial losses reached $126.5 million, a 90% increase from 2024.
PM Wong previously warned the public about deepfake ads using his image to promote fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes and immigration services.

Meta responded that impersonation and deceptive ads violate its policies and are removed when detected. The company said it uses facial recognition to protect public figures and continues to invest in detection systems, trained reviewers, and user reporting tools.

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SCO Tianjin Summit underscores economic cooperation and security dialogue

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin closed with leaders adopting the Tianjin Declaration, highlighting member states’ commitment to multilateralism, sovereignty, and shared security.

The discussions emphasised economic resilience, financial cooperation, and collective responses to security challenges.

Proposals included exploring joint financial mechanisms, such as common bonds and payment systems, to shield member economies from external disruptions.

Leaders also underlined the importance of strengthening cooperation in trade and investment, with China pledging additional funding and infrastructure support across the bloc. Observers noted that these measures reflect growing interest in alternative global finance and economic governance approaches.

Security issues are prominently featured, with agreements to enhance counter-terrorism initiatives and expand existing structures such as the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure. Delegates also called for greater collaboration against cross-border crime, drug trafficking, and emerging security risks.

At the same time, they stressed the need for political solutions to ongoing regional conflicts, including those in Ukraine, Gaza, and Afghanistan.

With its expanding membership and combined economic weight, the SCO continues to position itself as a platform for cooperation beyond traditional regional security concerns.

While challenges remain, including diverging interests among key members, the Tianjin summit indicated the bloc’s growing role in discussions on multipolar governance and collective stability.

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TSMC faces curbs on shipping US tech to China

The United States has revoked Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s licence to ship advanced technology from America to China. The decision follows similar restrictions on South Korean firms Samsung and SK Hynix, increasing uncertainty for chipmakers operating Chinese facilities.

TSMC confirmed that Washington has notified that its authorisation will expire by the end of the year. The company said it would discuss the matter with the US government and stressed its commitment to keeping operations in China running without disruption.

The curbs are part of broader US measures to limit China’s access to advanced semiconductors. While they could complicate shipments and force suppliers to seek individual approvals, analysts suggest the direct impact on TSMC will be limited, as its sole Chinese plant in Nanjing makes older-generation chips that contribute only a small share of revenue.

Chinese customers may increasingly turn to domestic chipmakers, even if their technology lags. Such a shift could spur innovation in less performance-critical areas, while global suppliers grapple with higher costs and regulatory hurdles.

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AI framework Hexstrike-AI repurposed by cybercriminals for rapid attacks

Within hours of its public release, the offensive security framework Hexstrike-AI has been weaponised by threat actors to exploit zero-day vulnerabilities, most recently affecting Citrix NetScaler ADC and Gateway, within just ten minutes.

Automated agents execute actions such as scanning, exploiting CVEs and deploying webshells, all orchestrated through high-level commands like ‘exploit NetScaler’.

Researchers from CheckPoint note that attackers are now using Hexstrike-AI to achieve unauthenticated remote code execution automatically.

The AI framework’s design, complete with retry logic and resilience, makes chaining reconnaissance, exploitation and persistence seamless and more effective.

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