A new study commissioned by noyb reports that most users favour a tracking-free advertising option when navigating Pay or Okay systems. Researchers found low genuine support for data collection when participants were asked without pressure.
Consent rates rose sharply when users were presented only with payment or agreement to tracking, leading most to select consent. Findings indicate that the absence of a realistic alternative shapes outcomes more than actual preference.
Introduction of a third option featuring advertising without tracking prompted a strong shift, with most participants choosing that route. Evidence suggests users accept ad-funded models provided their behavioural data remains untouched.
Researchers observed similar patterns on social networks, news sites and other platforms, undermining claims that certain sectors require special treatment. Debate continues as regulators assess whether Pay or Okay complies with EU data protection rules such as the GDPR.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Japan has drafted a new basic programme aimed at dramatically increasing public use of AI, with a target of raising utilisation from 50% to 80%. The government hopes the policy will strengthen domestic AI capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign technologies.
To support innovation, authorities plan to attract roughly ¥1 trillion in private investment, funding research, talent development and the expansion of AI businesses into emerging markets. Officials see AI as a core social infrastructure that supports both intellectual and practical functions.
The draft proposes a unified AI ecosystem where developers, chip makers and cloud providers collaborate to strengthen competitiveness and reduce Japan’s digital trade deficit. AI adoption is also expected to extend across all ministries and government agencies.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has pledged to make Japan the easiest country in the world for AI development and use. The Cabinet is expected to approve the programme before the end of the year, paving the way for accelerated research and public-private investment.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has issued an urgent advisory on security weaknesses in OpenAI’s ChatGPT models. The agency warned that flaws affecting GPT-4o and GPT-5 could expose users to data leakage through indirect prompt injection.
According to NITDA’s Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team, seven critical flaws were identified that allow hidden instructions to be embedded in web content. Malicious prompts can be triggered during routine browsing, search or summarisation without user interaction.
The advisory warned that attackers can bypass safety filters, exploit rendering bugs and manipulate conversation context. Some techniques allow injected instructions to persist across future interactions by interfering with the models’ memory functions.
While OpenAI has addressed parts of the issue, NITDA said large language models still struggle to reliably distinguish malicious data from legitimate input. Risks include unintended actions, information leakage and long-term behavioural influence.
NITDA urged users and organisations in Nigeria to apply updates promptly and limit browsing or memory features when not required. The agency said that exposing AI systems to external tools increases their attack surface and demands stronger safeguards.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
NTT and Toyota have expanded their partnership with a new initiative aimed at advancing safer mobility and reducing traffic accidents. The firms announced a Mobility AI Platform that combines high-quality communications, distributed computing and AI to analyse large volumes of data.
Toyota intends to use the platform to support software-defined vehicles, enabling continuous improvements in safety through data-driven automated driving systems.
The company plans to update its software and electronics architecture so vehicles can gather essential information and receive timely upgrades, strengthening both safety and security.
The platform will use three elements: distributed data centres, intelligent networks and an AI layer that learns from people, vehicles and infrastructure. As software-defined vehicles rise, Toyota expects a sharp increase in data traffic and a greater need for processing capacity.
Development will begin in 2025 with an investment of around 500 billion yen. Public trials are scheduled for 2028, followed by wider introduction from 2030.
Both companies hope to attract additional partners as they work towards a more connected and accident-free mobility ecosystem.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Growing political pressure is building in Westminster as more than 100 parliamentarians call for binding regulation on the most advanced AI systems, arguing that current safeguards lag far behind industry progress.
A cross-party group, supported by former defence and AI ministers, warns that unregulated superintelligent models could threaten national and global security.
The campaign, coordinated by Control AI and backed by tech figures including Skype co-founder Jaan Tallinn, urges Prime Minister Keir Starmer to distance the UK from the US stance against strict federal AI rules.
Experts such as Yoshua Bengio and senior peers argue that governments remain far behind AI developers, leaving companies to set the pace with minimal oversight.
Calls for action come after warnings from frontier AI scientists that the world must decide by 2030 whether to allow highly advanced systems to self-train.
Campaigners want the UK to champion global agreements limiting superintelligence development, establish mandatory testing standards and introduce an independent watchdog to scrutinise AI use in the public sector.
Government officials maintain that AI is already regulated through existing frameworks, though critics say the approach lacks urgency.
Pressure is growing for new, binding rules on the most powerful models, with advocates arguing that rapid advances mean strong safeguards may be needed within the next two years.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Poland’s Sejm has upheld President Karol Nawrocki’s veto of the cryptoassets bill, blocking plans to place the digital asset market under the Financial Supervision Authority in line with EU MiCA rules. The attempt to override the veto failed to reach the required three-fifths majority.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk condemned the decision, warning that gaps in regulation leave parts of the cryptocurrency sector exposed to influence from Russian and Belarusian actors, organised crime groups and foreign intelligence networks.
He argued that the bill would have strengthened national security by giving authorities better tools to oversee risky segments of the market.
The president’s advisers defended the veto as protection against excessive, unclear regulation and accused the government of framing the vote as a false choice involving criminal groups.
President Nawrocki later disputed the government’s claims of foreign intelligence threats, saying no such warnings were raised during earlier consultations.
Tusk vowed to submit the bill again, insisting that swift regulation is essential to safeguard Poland’s financial system. He stated that further delays pose unnecessary risks and urged the opposition and the president to reconsider their stance.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
South Korea has gained nationwide satellite coverage as Starlink enters the market and expands the country’s already advanced connectivity landscape.
The service offers high-speed access through a dense LEO network and arrives with subscription options for households, mobile users and businesses.
Analysts see meaningful benefits for regions that are difficult to serve through fixed networks, particularly in mountainous areas and offshore locations.
Enterprise interest has grown quickly. Maritime operators moved first, with SK Telink and KT SAT securing contracts as Starlink went live. Large fleets will now adopt satellite links for navigation support, remote management and stronger emergency communication.
The technology has also reached the aviation sector as carriers under Hanjin Group plan to install Starlink across all aircraft, aiming to introduce stable in-flight Wi-Fi from 2026.
Although South Korea’s fibre and 5G networks offer far higher peak speeds, Starlink provides reliability where terrestrial networks cannot operate. Industry observers expect limited uptake from mainstream households but anticipate significant momentum in maritime transport, aviation, construction and energy.
An expansion in South Korea that marks one of Starlink’s most strategic Asia-Pacific moves, driven by industrial demand and early partnerships.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Regulators in the EU have accepted binding commitments from TikTok aimed at improving advertising transparency under the Digital Services Act.
An agreement that follows months of scrutiny and addresses concerns raised in the Commission’s preliminary findings earlier in the year.
TikTok will now provide complete versions of advertisements exactly as they appear in user feeds, along with associated URLs, targeting criteria and aggregated demographic data.
Researchers will gain clearer insight into how advertisers reach users, rather than relying on partial or delayed information. The platform has also agreed to refresh its advertising repository within 24 hours.
Further improvements include new search functions and filters that make it easier for the public, civil society and regulators to examine advertising content.
These changes are intended to support efforts to detect scams, identify harmful products and analyse coordinated influence operations, especially around elections.
TikTok must implement its commitments to the EU within deadlines ranging from two to twelve months, depending on each measure.
The Commission will closely monitor compliance while continuing broader investigations into algorithmic design, protection of minors, data access and risks connected to elections and civic discourse.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
European ministers have adopted conclusions aimed to boosting the Union’s digital competitiveness, urging quicker progress toward the 2030 digital decade goals.
Officials called for stronger digital skills, wider adoption of technology, and a framework that supports innovation while protecting fundamental rights. Digital sovereignty remains a central objective, framed as open, risk-based and aligned with European values.
Ministers supported simplifying digital rules for businesses, particularly SMEs and start-ups, which face complex administrative demands. A predictable legal environment, less reporting duplication and more explicit rules were seen as essential for competitiveness.
Governments emphasised that simplification must not weaken data protection or other core safeguards.
Concerns over online safety and illegal content were a prominent feature in discussions on enforcing the Digital Services Act. Ministers highlighted the presence of harmful content and unsafe products on major marketplaces, calling for stronger coordination and consistent enforcement across member states.
Ensuring full compliance with EU consumer protection and product safety rules was described as a priority.
Cyber-resilience was a key focus as ministers discussed the increasing impact of cyberattacks on citizens and the economy. Calls for stronger defences grew as digital transformation accelerated, with several states sharing updates on national and cross-border initiatives.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Australian regulators have released new guidance ahead of the introduction of industry codes designed to protect children from exposure to harmful online material.
The Age Restricted Material Codes will apply to a wide range of online services, including app stores, social platforms, equipment providers, pornography sites and generative AI services, with the first tranche beginning on 27 December.
The rules require search engines to blur image results involving pornography or extreme violence to reduce accidental exposure among young users.
Search services must also redirect people seeking information related to suicide, self-harm or eating disorders to professional mental health support instead of allowing harmful spirals to unfold.
eSafety argues that many children unintentionally encounter disturbing material at very young ages, often through search results that act as gateways rather than deliberate choices.
The guidance emphasises that adults will still be able to access unblurred material by clicking through, and there is no requirement for Australians to log in or identify themselves before searching.
These codes will operate alongside existing standards that tackle unlawful content and will complement new minimum age requirements for social media, which are set to begin in mid-December.
Authorities in Australia consider the reforms essential for reducing preventable harm and guiding vulnerable users towards appropriate support services.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
