Digital identities

South Korea retailer admits worst-ever data leak

Coupang disclosed a major data breach on 30 November 2025 that exposed 33.7 million customer accounts. The leaked data includes names, email addresses, phone numbers, shipping addresses and some order history but excludes payment or login credentials.

The company said it first detected unauthorised access on 18 November. Subsequent investigations revealed that attacks likely began on 24 June through overseas servers and may involve a former employee’s still-active authentication key.

South Korean authorities launched an emergency probe to determine if Coupang violated data-protection laws. The government warned customers to stay alert to phishing and fraud attempts using the leaked information.

Cybersecurity experts say the breach may be one of the worst personal-data leaks in Korean history. Critics claim the incident underlines deep structural weaknesses in corporate cybersecurity practices.

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UK to require crypto traders to report details from 2026

The UK government has confirmed that cryptocurrency traders will be required to report personal details to trading platforms from 1 January 2026. The move forms part of the Cryptoasset Reporting Framework (CAFR), aligned with an OECD agreement, and aims to improve compliance with existing tax rules.

Under the framework, exchanges must provide HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) with customer information, including cryptocurrency transactions and tax reference numbers.

Traders who fail to supply required details could face fines of up to £300, while platforms may be fined the same amount per unreported customer. HMRC expects to raise up to £315 million by 2030 from the new reporting rules.

Experts warn exchanges may face challenges collecting accurate information, potentially passing compliance costs onto users. Some investors may initially turn to noncompliant platforms, but international standards are expected to drive global alignment over time.

The 2025 Budget also addressed the taxation of DeFi activities such as lending and staking. HMRC appears to favour taxing gains only when they are realised, although no final decision has been made and consultations with stakeholders will continue.

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DeepSeek opens access to gold-level maths AI

Chinese AI firm DeepSeek has released the first open AI model capable of achieving gold-medal results at the International Mathematical Olympiad. Math-V2 is now freely available on Hugging Face and GitHub, allowing developers to repurpose it and run it locally.

Gold-level performance at the IMO is remarkably rare, with only a small share of human participants reaching the top tier. DeepSeek aims to make such advanced mathematical capabilities accessible to researchers and developers who previously lacked access to comparable systems.

The company said its model achieved gold-level scores in both this year’s Olympiad and the Chinese Mathematical Olympiad. The results relied on strong theorem-proving skills and a new ‘self-verification’ method for reasoning without known solutions.

Observers said the open release could lower barriers to advanced maths AI, while US firms keep their Olympiad-level systems restricted. Supporters of open-source development welcomed the move as a significant step toward democratising advanced scientific tools.

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Vanity Fair publisher penalised for cookie breaches

France’s data regulator fined Les Publications Condé Nast €750,000 for unlawful cookie practices on vanityfair.fr. Investigators found consent-based cookies loading immediately when visitors landed on the site.

CNIL officials also noted unclear information describing several trackers as strictly necessary without explaining their true purposes. Users faced further issues when refusal tools failed to block or halt consent-based cookies.

Repeated non-compliance weighed heavily, as the company had already received a formal order in 2021. Earlier proceedings had been closed after corrective steps, yet later inspections showed renewed breaches.

The French regulator stated that millions of visitors were potentially affected by the unlawful tracking activity. The case highlights continuing enforcement efforts under Article 82 of France’s Data Protection Act.

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Concerns grow over WhatsApp rules as Italy probes Meta AI practices

Italy’s competition authority has launched an investigation into Meta over potential dominance in AI chatbots. Regulators are reviewing the new WhatsApp Business terms and upcoming Meta AI features. They say the changes could restrict rivals’ access to the platform.

Officials in Italy warn that the revised conditions may limit innovation and reduce consumer choice in emerging AI services. The concerns fall under Article 102 TFEU. The authority states that early action may be necessary to prevent distortions.

The case expands an existing Italian investigation into Meta and its regional subsidiaries. Regulators say technical integration of Meta AI could strengthen exclusionary effects. They argue that WhatsApp’s scale gives Meta significant structural advantages.

Low switching rates among users may entrench Meta’s market position further in Italy and beyond. Officials say rival chatbot providers would struggle to compete if access is constrained. They warn that competition could be permanently harmed.

Meta has announced significant new AI investments in the United States. Italian regulators say this reflects the sector’s growing influence. They argue that strong oversight is needed to ensure fair access to key platforms.

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New digital strategy positions Uzbekistan as emerging AI hub

Uzbekistan has outlined an extensive plan to accelerate digital development by introducing new measures at major AI forums in Tashkent.

The leadership detailed a national effort to strengthen the domestic AI ecosystem, supported by a supercomputer cluster built with Nvidia and a National Transfer Office established in Silicon Valley.

AI-focused curricula will be introduced across regional Future Centres to broaden access to advanced training.

A strong emphasis has been placed on nurturing young talent. An annual interschool competition will identify promising AI startup ideas. At the same time, a presidential contest will select one hundred young participants each year for internships in leading technology companies in the US, the UAE and Europe.

November will be marked as ‘AI month for youth’, and the Silk Road AI Forum will become a recurring event.

A central part of the strategy is the ‘five million AI leaders’ project, which aims to train millions of students, along with teachers and public servants, by 2030. The programme will integrate AI education across schools, vocational institutions and universities instead of limiting it to specialist groups.

The government highlighted the country’s growing appeal for technology investment. Nearly two billion dollars have already been secured for AI and digital projects, IT service exports have risen sharply, and startup activity has expanded significantly.

Work has begun on a central green data centre, developed in collaboration with a Saudi partner, as Uzbekistan seeks to strengthen its position in regional digital innovation.

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AI detects chronic stress in medical scans

Researchers have developed an AI model capable of detecting chronic stress by examining routine chest CT scans, offering a new way to identify long-term physiological strain that is often difficult to measure.

The system calculates adrenal gland volume, providing clinicians with a clearer understanding of how prolonged stress may affect key hormone-producing organs.

The study examined nearly 3,000 patients and compared their adrenal measurements with cortisol levels, stress questionnaires and markers such as blood pressure and body mass index.

Findings showed that patients with higher reported stress consistently had enlarged adrenal glands and exhibited greater risks of conditions, including heart failure.

Scientists say the new approach provides an objective, scalable tool that uses medical imaging already standard in hospitals, reducing the need for costly or cumbersome testing.

The research team believes the model could help identify a wide range of stress-linked diseases in older adults and ultimately support earlier, more targeted interventions.

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Utah governor urges state control over AI rules

Utah’s governor, Spencer Cox, has again argued that states should retain authority over AI policy, warning that centralised national rules might fail to reflect local needs. He said state governments remain closer to communities and, therefore, better placed to respond quickly to emerging risks.

Cox explained that innovation often moves faster than federal intervention, and excessive national control could stifle responsible development. He also emphasised that different states face varied challenges, suggesting that tailored AI rules may be more effective in balancing safety and opportunity.

Debate across the US has intensified as lawmakers confront rapid advances in AI tools, with several states drafting their own frameworks. Cox suggested a cooperative model, where states lead, and federal agencies play a supporting role without overriding regional safeguards.

Analysts say the governor’s comments highlight a growing split between national uniformity and local autonomy in technology governance. Supporters argue that adaptable state systems foster trust, while critics warn that a patchwork approach could complicate compliance for developers.

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AI police assistant Bobbi launches in the UK

Police in the UK have begun trialling an AI assistant called Bobbi to help manage non-emergency queries online and reduce pressure on overstretched call handlers.

The virtual tool responds to common questions and hands conversations to a human operator if users request it or ask about issues it cannot resolve.

Developers say Bobbi follows the same guidance as trained call handlers and offers recommendations based on official advice, reflecting input from more than 200 testers, including victim support groups.

The system cannot investigate crimes or replace the 999 emergency line, and police emphasise that crime reports must still be made through existing channels.

Senior officers believe the tool will free up staff for emergencies and complex cases as demand for police contact continues to rise each year.

Leaders at Thames Valley Police and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, the first forces to deploy the technology, say the assistant will help ensure the public receives timely support.

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South Korea’s Hopae boosts EU presence with €5 million investment

Hopae is expanding into Europe with a €5M investment as the region prepares for mandatory EUDI Wallet adoption. The company aims to help businesses navigate multiple electronic identity systems before new requirements take effect in 2026 and 2027.

The firm plans to offer an intermediary platform that unifies eIDs and wallet-based verification. It says the model can ease compliance for regulated sectors and Very Large Online Platforms, which will need to accept EUDI Wallets under the EU rules.

Hopae has already signed a partnership with Luxembourg’s INCERT, becoming the first officially registered intermediary service. It secured OIDC certification and opened a Luxembourg office, naming Bertrand Bouteloup to lead its European expansion and trust-service ambitions.

The company says its system already integrates more than 50 eIDs and wallets, to reach 100 by mid-2026. CEO Ace Jaehoon Shim says demand for secure, wallet-based identity verification will require further investment across the continent.

Founded in 2022, Hopae previously developed the national vaccination pass in South Korea and has expanded into the United States. It is now contributing to the Korean Architecture Reference Framework while operating offices in Seoul, San Francisco, Paris, and Luxembourg.

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