The booming influencer economy of Belgium is colliding with an advertising rulebook that many creators say belongs to another era.
Different obligations across federal, regional and local authorities mean that wording acceptable in one region may trigger a reprimand in another. Some influencers have even faced large fines for administrative breaches such as failing to publish business details on their profiles.
In response, the Influencer Marketing Alliance in Belgium has launched a certification scheme designed to help creators navigate the legal maze instead of risking unintentional violations.
Influencers complete an online course on advertising and consumer law and must pass a final exam before being listed in a public registry monitored by the Jury for Ethical Practices.
Major brands, including L’Oréal and Coca-Cola, already prefer to collaborate with certified creators to ensure compliance and credibility.
Not everyone is convinced.
Some Belgian influencers argue that certification adds more bureaucracy at a time when they already struggle to understand overlapping rules. Others see value as a structured reminder that content creators remain legally responsible for commercial communication shared with followers.
The alliance is also pushing lawmakers to involve influencers more closely when drafting future rules, including taxation and safeguards for child creators.
Consumer groups such as BEUC support clearer definitions and obligations under the forthcoming EU Digital Fairness Act, arguing that influencer advertising should follow the same standards as other media instead of remaining in a grey zone.
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A ransomware attack has disrupted the Oltenia Energy Complex, Romania’s largest coal-based power producer, after hackers encrypted key IT systems in the early hours of 26 December.
The state-controlled company confirmed that the Gentlemen ransomware strain locked corporate files and disabled core services, including ERP platforms, document management tools, email and the official website.
The organisation isolated affected infrastructure and began restoring services from backups on new systems instead of paying a ransom. Operations were only partially impacted and officials stressed that the national energy system remained secure, despite the disruption across business networks.
A criminal complaint has been filed. Additionally, both the National Directorate of Cyber Security of Romania and the Ministry of Energy have been notified.
Investigators are still assessing the scale of the breach and whether sensitive data was exfiltrated before encryption. The Gentlemen ransomware group has not yet listed the energy firm on its dark-web leak site, a sign that negotiations may still be underway.
An attack that follows a separate ransomware incident that recently hit Romania’s national water authority, underlining the rising pressure on critical infrastructure organisations.
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Polish authorities have urged the European Commission to investigate TikTok over AI-generated content advocating Poland’s exit from the European Union. Officials say the videos pose risks to democratic processes and public order.
Deputy Minister for Digitalisation Dariusz Standerski highlighted that the narratives, distribution patterns, and synthetic audiovisual material suggest TikTok may not be fulfilling its obligations under the EU Digital Services Act for Very Large Online Platforms.
The associated TikTok account has since disappeared from the platform.
The Digital Services Act requires platforms to address systemic risks, including disinformation, and allows fines of up to 6% of a company’s global annual turnover for non-compliance. TikTok and the Commission have not provided immediate comment.
Authorities emphasised that the investigation could set an important precedent for how EU countries address AI-driven disinformation on major social media platforms.
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The Bank of Russia has reiterated its confidence in the long-term potential of the digital ruble, describing the project as one of the most advanced central bank digital currency initiatives globally.
According to the regulator, preparations for a large-scale rollout remain on track for 2026, with internal estimates suggesting the digital ruble could represent up to 5% of all cashless payments within seven years of launch.
Central bank officials highlighted smart contracts as a primary area of application, alongside budgetary payments and cross-border transaction mechanisms, where efficiency and transparency gains are expected.
The regulator added that global payment trends are being closely monitored. Officials stressed the importance of defining a clear role for each financial instrument rather than introducing technology without a specific economic purpose.
Bank of Russia officials also emphasised ongoing collaboration with market participants to identify new opportunities for the digital ruble and maximise its practical impact.
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AI dictation reached maturity during the years after many attempts of patchy performance and frustrating inaccuracies.
Advances in speech-to-text engines and large language models now allow modern dictation tools to recognise everyday speech more reliably while keeping enough context to format sentences automatically instead of producing raw transcripts that require heavy editing.
Several leading apps have emerged with different strengths. Wispr Flow focuses on flexibility with style options and custom vocabulary, while Willow blends automation with privacy by storing transcripts locally.
Monologue also prioritises privacy by allowing users to download the model and run transcription entirely on their own machines. Superwhisper caters for power users by supporting multiple downloadable models and transcription from audio or video files.
Other tools take different approaches. VoiceTypr offers an offline-first design with lifetime licensing, Aqua promotes speed and phrase-based shortcuts, Handy provides a simple free open source starting point, and Typeless gives one of the most generous free allowances while promising strong data protection.
Each reflects a wider trend where developers try to balance convenience, privacy, control and affordability.
Users now benefit from cleaner, more natural-sounding transcripts instead of the rigid audio typing tools of previous years. AI dictation has become faster, more accurate and far more usable for everyday note-taking, messaging and work tasks.
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AI tools are increasingly used for simple everyday calculations, yet a new benchmark suggests accuracy remains unreliable.
The ORCA study tested five major chatbots across 500 real-world maths prompts and found that users still face roughly a 40 percent chance of receiving the wrong answer.
Gemini from Google recorded the highest score at 63 percent, with xAI’s Grok almost level at 62.8 percent. DeepSeek followed with 52 percent, while ChatGPT scored 49.4 percent, and Claude placed last at 45.2 percent.
Performance varied sharply across subjects, with maths and conversion tasks producing the best results, but physics questions dragged scores down to an average accuracy below 40 percent.
Researchers identified most errors as sloppy calculations or rounding mistakes, rather than deeper failures to understand the problem. Finance and economics questions highlighted the widest gaps between the models, while DeepSeek struggled most in biology and chemistry, with barely one correct answer in ten.
Users are advised to double-check results whenever accuracy is crucial. A calculator or a verified source is still advised instead of relying entirely on an AI chatbot for numerical certainty.
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China has proposed stringent new rules for AI aimed at protecting children and preventing chatbots from providing advice that could lead to self-harm, violence, or gambling.
The draft regulations, published by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), require developers to include personalised settings, time limits, and parental consent for services offering emotional companionship.
High-risk chats involving self-harm or suicide must be passed to a human operator, with guardians or emergency contacts alerted. AI providers must not produce content that threatens national security, harms national honour, or undermines national unity.
The rules come as AI usage surges, with platforms such as DeepSeek, Z.ai, and Minimax attracting millions of users in China and abroad. The CAC supports safe AI use, including tools for local culture and elderly companionship.
The move reflects growing global concerns over AI’s impact on human behaviour. Notably, OpenAI has faced legal challenges over alleged chatbot-related harm, prompting the company to create roles focused on tracking AI risks to mental health and cybersecurity.
China’s draft rules signal a firm approach to regulating AI technology as its influence expands rapidly.
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Korean Air has disclosed a data breach affecting about 30,000 employees. Stolen records were taken from systems operated by a former subsidiary.
The breach occurred at catering supplier KC&D, sold off in 2020. Hackers, who had previously attacked the Washington Post accessed employee names and their bank account details, while customer data remained unaffected.
Investigators linked the incident to exploits in Oracle E-Business Suite. Cybercriminals abused zero day flaws during a wider global hacking campaign.
The attack against Korean Air has been claimed by the Cl0p ransomware group. Aviation firms worldwide have reported similar breaches connected to the same campaign.
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Many visually impaired gamers find mainstream video games difficult due to limited accessibility features. Support groups enable players to share tips, recommend titles, and connect with others who face similar challenges.
Audio and text‑based mobile games are popular, yet console and PC titles often lack voiceovers or screen reader support. Adjustable visual presets could make mainstream games more accessible for partially sighted players.
UK industry bodies acknowledge progress, but barriers remain for millions of visually impaired players. Communities offer social support and provide feedback to developers to improve games and make them inclusive.
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A Moscow court has dismissed a class action lawsuit filed against Russia’s state media regulator Roskomnadzor and the Ministry of Digital Development by users of WhatsApp and Telegram. The ruling was issued by a judge at the Tagansky District Court.
The court said activist Konstantin Larionov failed to demonstrate he was authorised to represent messaging app users. The lawsuit claimed call restrictions violated constitutional rights, including freedom of information and communication secrecy.
The case followed Roskomnadzor’s decision in August to block calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, a move officials described as part of anti-fraud efforts. Both companies criticised the restrictions at the time.
Larionov and several dozen co-plaintiffs said the measures were ineffective, citing central bank data showing fraud mainly occurs through traditional calls and text messages. The plaintiffs also argued the restrictions disproportionately affected ordinary users.
Larionov said the group plans to appeal the decision and continue legal action. He has described the lawsuit as an attempt to challenge what he views as politically motivated restrictions on communication services in Russia.
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