Digital business models

UK government considers supplier aid after JLR cyberattack

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is recovering from a disruptive cyberattack, gradually bringing its systems back online. The company is focused on rebuilding its operations, aiming to restore confidence and momentum as key digital functions are restored.

JLR said it has boosted its IT processing capacity for invoicing to clear its payment backlog. The Global Parts Logistics Centre is also resuming full operations, restoring parts distribution to retailers.

The financial system used for processing vehicle wholesales has been restored, allowing the company to resume car sales and registration. JLR is collaborating with the UK’s NCSC and law enforcement to ensure a secure restart of operations.

Production remains suspended at JLR’s three UK factories in Halewood, Solihull, and Wolverhampton. The company typically produces around 1,000 cars a day, but staff have been instructed to stay at home since the August cyberattack.

The government is considering support packages for the company’s suppliers, some of whom are under financial pressure. A group identifying itself as Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters has claimed responsibility for the incident.

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Google and Flo Health settle health data privacy suit for $56 million

Google has agreed to pay $48 million, and Flo Health, a menstrual tracking app, has agreed to pay $8 million to resolve claims that the app shared users’ health data without their consent.

The lawsuit alleged that Flo used third-party tools to transmit personal information, including menstruation and pregnancy details, to companies like Google, Meta, and analytics firm Flurry.

The class-action case, filed in 2021 by plaintiff Erica Frasko and later consolidated with similar complaints, accused Flo of violating privacy laws by allowing user data to be intercepted via embedded software development kits (SDKs).

Google’s settlement, disclosed this week, covers users who inputted reproductive health data between November 2016 and February 2019.

While neither Flo nor Google admitted wrongdoing, the settlement avoids the uncertainty of a trial. A notice to claimants stated the resolution helps sidestep the costs and risks of prolonged litigation.

Meta, a co-defendant, opted to go to trial and was found liable in August for violating California’s Invasion of Privacy Act. A judge recently rejected Meta’s attempt to overturn that verdict.

According to The Record, the case has drawn significant attention from privacy advocates and the tech industry, highlighting the potential legal risks of data-sharing practices tied to ad-tracking technology.

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Brazil to host massive AI-ready data centre by RT-One

RT-One plans to build Latin America’s largest AI data centre after securing land in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The US$1.2bn project will span over one million square metres, with 300,000 m² reserved as protected green space.

The site will support high-performance computing, sovereign cloud services, and AI workloads, launching with 100MW capacity and scaling to 400MW. It will run on 100% renewable energy and utilise advanced cooling systems to minimise its environmental impact.

RT-One states that the project will prepare Brazil to compete globally, generate skilled jobs, and train new talent for the digital economy. A wide network of partners, including Hitachi, Siemens, WEG, and Schneider Electric, is collaborating on the development, aiming to ensure resilience and sustainability at scale.

The project is expected to stimulate regional growth, with jobs, training programmes, and opportunities for collaboration between academia and industry. Local officials, including the mayor of Uberlândia, attended the launch event to underline government support for the initiative.

Once complete, the Uberlândia facility will provide sovereign cloud capacity, high-density compute, and AI-ready infrastructure for Brazil and beyond. RT-One says the development will position the city as a hub for digital innovation and strengthen Latin America’s role in the global AI economy.

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Meta expands global rollout of teen accounts for Facebook and Messenger

US tech giant Meta is expanding its dedicated teen accounts to Facebook and Messenger users worldwide, extending a safety system on Instagram. The move introduces more parental controls and restrictions to protect younger users on Meta’s platforms.

The accounts, now mandatory for teens, include stricter privacy settings that limit contact with unknown adults. Parents can supervise how their children use the apps, monitor screen time, and view who their teens are messaging.

For younger users aged 13 to 15, parental permission is required before adjusting safety-related settings. Meta is also deploying AI tools to detect teens lying about their age.

Alongside the global rollout, Instagram is expanding a school partnership programme in the US, allowing middle and high schools to report bullying and problematic behaviour directly.

The company says early feedback from participating schools has been positive, and the scheme is now open to all schools nationwide.

An expansion that comes as Meta faces lawsuits and investigations over its record on child safety. By strengthening parental controls and school-based reporting, the company aims to address growing criticism while tightening protections for its youngest users.

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Gemini’s image model powers Google’s new Mixboard platform

Google has launched Mixboard, an experimental AI tool designed to help users visually explore, refine, and expand ideas both textually and visually. The Gemini 2.5 Flash model powers the platform and is now available for free in beta for users in the United States.

Mixboard provides an open canvas where users can begin with pre-built templates or custom prompts to create project boards. It can be used for tasks such as planning events, home decoration, or organising inspirational images, presenting an overall mood for a project.

Users can upload their own images or generate new ones by describing what they want to see. The tool supports iterative editing, allowing minor tweaks or combining visuals into new compositions through Google’s Nano Banana image model.

Quick actions like regenerating and others like this enable users to explore variations with a single click. The tool also allows text generation based on context from images placed on the board, helping tie visuals to written ideas.

Google says Mixboard is part of its push to make Gemini more useful for creative work. Since the launch of Nano Banana in August, the Gemini app has overtaken ChatGPT to rank first in the US App Store.

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AI robot ‘robin’ brings emotional support to children’s hospitals in USA

An AI-powered robot named Robin transforms patient care in the USA pediatric hospitals by offering emotional support and companionship to young patients.

Developed by Expper Technologies, Robin resembles a child in appearance and voice, engaging patients with games, music, and conversation. Its childlike demeanour helps ease anxiety, especially during stressful medical procedures.

Initially launched in Armenia, Robin now operates in 30 healthcare facilities across the USA, including Massachusetts, California, Indiana, and New York. Designed to combat healthcare staff shortages, the robot is about 30% autonomous, with remote human operators guiding its interactions under clinical supervision.

Robin’s emotional intelligence allows it to mirror patient expressions and respond with empathy, laughing, playing, or offering comfort when needed. Beyond paediatrics, it also assists elderly patients with dementia in nursing homes by leading breathing exercises and memory games.

With the USA facing a projected shortage of up to 86,000 physicians in the next decade, Robin’s creators aim to expand its capabilities to include monitoring vitals and assisting with basic physical care.

Despite concerns about AI replacing human roles, Expper CEO Karen Khachikyan emphasises Robin is intended to complement healthcare teams, not replace them, offering joy, relief, and a sense of companionship where it’s most needed.

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Uzbekistan positions itself as Central Asia’s new AI and technology hub

Using its largest-ever ICT Week, Uzbekistan is showcasing ambitions to become a regional centre for AI and digital transformation.

More than 20,000 participants, 300 companies, and delegations from over 50 countries gathered in Tashkent, signalling Central Asia’s growing role in the global technology landscape.

The country invests in AI projects across various sectors, including education, healthcare, banking, and industry, with more than 100 initiatives underway.

Officials emphasise that digitalisation must serve people directly, by improving services and creating jobs for Uzbekistan’s young and expanding population.

The demographic advantage is shaping a vision of AI that prioritises dignity, opportunity, and inclusive growth.

International recognition has followed. The UN’s International Telecommunication Union described Uzbekistan as ‘leading the way’ in the region, praising high connectivity, supportive policies, and progress in youth participation and gender equality.

Infrastructure is also advancing, with global investors like DataVolt building one of Central Asia’s most advanced data centres in Tashkent.

Uzbekistan’s private sector is also drawing attention. Fintech and e-commerce unicorn Uzum recently secured significant investment from Tencent and VR Capital, reaching a valuation above €1.3 billion.

Public policy and private investment are positioning the country as a credible AI hub connecting Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

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Trump signs order to advance TikTok spin-off tied to his allies

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that paves the way for TikTok to remain in the US, despite a law requiring its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to divest the app or face a ban. The order grants negotiators 120 more days to finalise a deal, marking the fifth time Trump has delayed enforcement of the law passed by Congress and upheld by the Supreme Court.

The deal would transfer most of TikTok’s US operations to a new company controlled by American investors. Among them are Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, private equity firm Silver Lake, and Susquehanna International’s Jeff Yass, a prominent Republican donor. An Emirati consortium known as MGX would also participate, reflecting the Gulf’s growing role in global tech investments. ByteDance would keep a minority stake and retain control of the app’s recommendation algorithm, a sticking point for lawmakers initially pushing for the sale.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump described the incoming management as ‘very smart Americans’ and said Chinese President Xi Jinping had approved the arrangement. Asked whether TikTok would favour pro-Trump content, the president joked that he would prefer a ‘100 percent MAGA’ feed but insisted the app would remain open to all perspectives.

Critics argue the arrangement undermines the very law that forced ByteDance to sell. By preserving a Chinese stake and leaving ByteDance in charge of the algorithm, the deal raises questions about whether the national security concerns that motivated Congress have truly been addressed. Some legal scholars say the White House’s role in handpicking buyers aligned with Trump’s political allies only adds to fears of political influence over a platform used by 170 million Americans.

The negotiations also highlight TikTok’s enormous influence and profit potential. Investors worldwide, including Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Corp., expressed interest in a slice of the app. TikTok’s algorithm, which will still be trained in China but adapted with US data, will remain central to the platform’s success. Oracle will continue to oversee American user data and review the algorithm for security risks.

The unusual process has fueled debate about political power and digital influence. Critics like California Governor Gavin Newsom warned that placing TikTok in the hands of Trump-friendly investors could create new risks of propaganda. Others note that the deal reflects less of a clear national security strategy and more of a high-stakes convergence of money, politics, and global tech rivalry.

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LinkedIn expands AI training with default data use

LinkedIn will use member profile data to train its AI systems by default from 3 November 2025. The policy, already in place in the US and select markets, will now extend to more regions, mainly for 18+ users who prefer not to share their information and must opt out manually via account settings.

According to LinkedIn, the types of data that may be used include account details, email addresses, payment and subscription information, and service-related data such as IP addresses, device IDs, and location information.

Once disabled, profiles will no longer be added to AI training, although information collected earlier may remain in the system. Users can request the removal of past data through a Data Processing Objection Form.

Meta and X have already adopted similar practices in the US, allowing their platforms to use user-generated posts for AI training. LinkedIn insists its approach complies with privacy rules but leaves the choice in members’ hands.

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Content Signals Policy by Cloudflare lets websites signal data use preferences

Cloudflare has announced the launch of its Content Signals Policy, a new extension to robots.txt that allows websites to express their preferences for how their data is used after access. The policy is designed to help creators maintain open content while preventing misuse by data scrapers and AI trainers.

The new tool enables website owners to specify, in a machine-readable format, whether they permit search indexing, AI input, or AI model training. Operators can set each signal to ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ or leave it blank to indicate no stated preference, providing them with fine-grained control over their responses.

Cloudflare says the policy tackles the free-rider problem, where scraped content is reused without credit. With bot traffic set to surpass human traffic by 2029, it calls for clear, standard rules to protect creators and keep the web open.

Customers already using Cloudflare’s managed robots.txt will have the policy automatically applied, with a default setting that allows search but blocks AI training. Sites without a robots.txt file can opt in to publish the human-readable policy text and add their own preferences when ready.

Cloudflare emphasises that content signals are not enforcement mechanisms but a means of communicating expectations. It is releasing the policy under a CC0 licence to encourage broad adoption and is working with standards bodies to ensure the rules are recognised across the industry.

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