Digital standards

A new bill aims to formalise crypto taxation in Turkey

Turkey’s ruling AK Party has introduced a bill in parliament to formalise cryptocurrency taxation and revise key tax and spending rules. The legislation links crypto taxation to Turkey’s Capital Markets Law and sets a clear framework for digital assets.

Under the proposal, regulated crypto platforms would withhold a 10% tax on gains quarterly, applicable to both individuals and companies, residents and non-residents. Transaction service providers are subject to a 0.03% tax, and investors on unlicensed platforms must declare gains annually.

The president would have the authority to adjust the withholding tax between 0% and 20%, depending on factors such as token type, holding period, issuer, or wallet type. Exemptions include VAT-free crypto deliveries and corporate tax changes for foundation university hospitals from 2027.

If approved, the crypto taxation provisions would take effect two months after publication, signalling Turkey’s first formal steps to regulate digital assets and integrate them into the national tax system.

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Samsung advances AI RAN with NVIDIA breakthrough

The South Korean electronics company, Samsung, has completed a multi-cell test that brings its virtualised RAN software together with accelerated computing from NVIDIA.

A validation that took place in a realistic network environment confirms that the combined architecture is nearing commercial readiness as AI-native networks continue to evolve.

The company plans to highlight the achievement at Mobile World Congress 2026 as part of its broader push toward software-driven networks that use AI instead of fixed hardware optimisation.

Samsung will demonstrate an AI-based MIMO beamformer running on NVIDIA infrastructure, which offers operators higher throughput and improved spectral efficiency by extracting more value from existing spectrum.

NVIDIA and Samsung are also advancing a unified processor design that integrates CPU and GPU within a single chipset, enabling faster and more efficient data exchange.

Recently, Samsung integrated its vRAN software with the NVIDIA ARC Compact platform equipped with the Grace CPU and L4 GPU, taking another step toward commercial AI-RAN deployments.

The firm says that experience from large-scale vRAN rollouts and close collaboration with industry computing partners strengthens its position in delivering AI-powered network platforms for operators worldwide.

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Microsoft reveals OAuth redirection abuse powering new phishing attempts

Researchers at Microsoft have identified phishing activity that abuses legitimate OAuth redirection behaviour instead of relying on credential theft.

Threat actors create malicious applications within attacker-controlled tenants and configure redirect pages that lead victims from trusted authentication domains to malware-delivery sites.

A technique that has been used against government and public-sector organisations and is designed to bypass email and browser defences by embedding URLs that appear genuine.

The attack begins with lures themed around documents, financial matters or meeting requests, each containing OAuth URLs crafted to trigger silent authentication.

Validation errors, session checks and Conditional Access evaluations provide attackers with information about session status without granting access to tokens, yet still deliver the victim to a malicious landing page.

Once redirected, victims encounter phishing frameworks or are served ZIP files containing shortcut files and HTML-based loaders. These PowerShell commands launch system discovery and extract files used for DLL side-loading.

Executing a legitimate process allows a malicious DLL to load unseen, decrypt the final payload and establish a connection to a remote command-and-control server for hands-on keyboard activity.

Microsoft Entra has removed identified malicious OAuth applications, although related activity continues to appear.

Microsoft emphasises that OAuth redirection follows standards such as RFC 6749 and RFC 9700, meaning attackers cannot exploit normal protocol behaviour instead of software vulnerabilities.

Stronger governance of OAuth applications, tighter consent controls and cross-domain monitoring are required to prevent trusted authentication flows from being turned into delivery paths for phishing and malware.

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Ericsson completes first pre-standard 6G OTA session in US

Ericsson has completed the world’s first pre-standard 6G over-the-air session in the United States, marking a milestone toward commercial 6G networks. The trial took place in Plano, Texas, using a pre-standard system built on an AI-native, cloud-based architecture.

The demonstration validated core 6G building blocks, including radio hardware, RAN Compute, software-defined air interfaces and cloud platforms. Ericsson said its software architecture is deployable across CPU and GPU hardware environments.

The trial used spectrum in the 7GHz range with 400 MHz carrier bandwidth and focused on uplink performance, energy efficiency and spectral utilisation. The system included Ericsson radios, baseband platforms and cloud-native software.

According to the company, the test demonstrated capabilities to support AI-driven applications, such as robotics, that require real-time control and high-quality video streaming. Future 6G networks are expected to deliver consistent low latency and enhanced uplink capacity for advanced AI services.

Ericsson said the milestone strengthens US participation in global standards development, including 3GPP and Open RAN. The company plans to expand trials across additional spectrum bands while building on its US research and manufacturing footprint.

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Deutsche Telekom and Nokia advance open and AI-native RAN

Nokia and Deutsche Telekom have expanded their collaboration to advance cloud-based, disaggregated, and AI-native RAN technologies. The strengthened Innovation Cooperation Program deepens joint work in Cloud RAN, open interfaces, and next-generation solutions.

The partnership builds on years of cooperation focused on open and flexible architectures. Both companies said the expanded effort aims to improve network efficiency, programmability, and long-term operational value for service providers.

Work on Open Fronthaul integration is being intensified following earlier multivendor deployments in Germany linking Nokia baseband units with O-RAN-compliant radios. Additional integrations covering Open Fronthaul and Cloud RAN are progressing within confidential development programmes.

The companies are also advancing O-RAN-aligned management capabilities through open O1 interfaces and deeper integration of configuration management. A vendor-independent Service Management and Orchestration platform remains central to Deutsche Telekom’s multivendor RAN strategy.

Nokia will act as Deutsche Telekom’s strategic co-creation partner for AI-native RAN development. Joint efforts will focus on AI-powered receivers, adaptive beamforming, predictive optimisation, and lab and field validation to support intelligent, autonomous mobile networks.

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Claude AI experiences temporary global outage

Anthropic’s AI chatbot, Claude, experienced a global outage, leaving users unable to access the platform. Visitors reported error messages indicating the system had broken down, though the company said it was working to resolve the issue.

The Claude API, used by other websites to integrate the chatbot, remained operational. Anthropic confirmed that the outage was limited to the Claude web interface and did not affect other integrations, emphasising that engineers were actively resolving the issue.

The outage, tracked by Down Detector, began around noon in the UK and affected users worldwide. Messages on the platform reassured users that Claude would return soon and that the problem had been identified and was being fixed.

The interruption comes at a sensitive time for Anthropic, as the company navigates heightened attention surrounding access to its Claude AI system. The situation unfolds amid broader discussions about the role of advanced AI tools in defence contexts, with industry players facing increasing scrutiny over their policies and partnerships.

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EU pressures Meta over alleged smart glasses privacy breaches

Lawmakers in the European Parliament are pressing the European Commission for clarity after reports that Meta’s smart glasses recorded people in intimate moments without their knowledge.

Concerns intensified when Swedish outlets reported that Ray-Ban AI glasses captured and uploaded sensitive footage in violation of strict consent requirements under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.

The reports indicate that personal data from EU users was sent to Sama, a third-party contractor, in Kenya for human review. Annotators working there said they viewed images of individuals changing clothes and believed the recordings were taken without consent.

They added that Meta’s attempts to blur faces or apply other safeguards failed often enough to expose identifiable material instead of ensuring proper anonymisation.

EU privacy law requires clear information and consent before collecting and processing personal data, and additional safeguards when exporting data to countries without recognised adequacy status.

Kenya is still negotiating such recognition with the Commission, meaning contractual protections would be necessary.

The Irish Data Protection Commission, responsible for Meta’s GDPR oversight, has been contacted amid questions about whether Meta complied with EU requirements.

Lawmakers also want the Commission to examine whether proposed changes in the Digital Omnibus package could dilute privacy protections rather than strengthen them.

Critics argue the reforms might ease data-use rules for AI training at a moment when allegations about Meta’s smart glasses have intensified scrutiny of the EU’s broader digital policy agenda.

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Amazon commits €33.7 billion to expand Spain cloud footprint

A €33.7 billion investment in Spain to expand cloud and AI infrastructure marks the most significant technology commitment in the country’s history, as Amazon confirms its major expansion plan.

Announced at MWC26 Barcelona, the package adds €18 billion to funding revealed in 2024 and strengthens the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Europe region based in Aragón.

Total investment in the AWS Europe (Spain) Region is expected to add €31.7 billion to GDP by 2035 and support around 29,900 jobs annually. About 6,700 direct roles stem from Amazon operations, with additional jobs created in construction, logistics, and supply chains.

New manufacturing and fulfilment facilities in Aragón are expected to create about 1,800 additional jobs, including a dedicated AI and machine learning server plant.

Since entering Spain in 2011, Amazon has invested more than €20 billion across retail, logistics, and cloud services. The Amazon Web Services region, launched in 2022, is accelerating AI adoption across Europe, including among Telefónica and BBVA.

A further €30 million will be allocated to community initiatives through 2035, focused on education, sustainability, and local development. Renewable energy projects, including 100 solar and wind sites, support operations and a net-zero carbon goal by 2040, establishing Aragón as a growing European digital hub.

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UK launches consultation on possible social media ban for under-16s

Britain has opened a public consultation examining whether children under 16 should face restrictions or a potential ban on social media use. Young people, parents and educators are being invited to share views before ministers decide on future policy.

Officials are considering several options beyond a full ban, including disabling addictive platform features, introducing overnight curfews, regulating access to AI chatbots, and tightening age verification rules. Pilot schemes will test proposed measures to gather practical evidence on their effectiveness.

The debate follows international momentum after Australia introduced restrictions on under-16 access to major platforms, with Spain signalling similar intentions. Political parties, charities and campaigners remain divided over whether bans or stronger safety regulations offer better protection.

Children’s organisations warn blanket prohibitions could push young users towards less regulated online spaces, creating a ‘false sense of security’. Researchers and policymakers instead emphasise improving platform safety standards while allowing young people to socialise and express themselves online responsibly.

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AI helps scientists translate thoughts into speech and images

Breakthroughs in AI and neuroscience are bringing researchers closer to translating human thoughts into words, offering new communication tools for people living with paralysis or severe speech disorders. Experiments with implanted brain electrodes have enabled patients to produce sentences simply by imagining speech.

Machine learning systems analyse neural signals captured from small electrode arrays placed in speech-related brain regions, converting activity into text at increasing speed and accuracy. Recent trials achieved communication rates approaching practical conversation while also capturing tone, rhythm and emotional expression.

Scientists have begun detecting ‘inner speech’, identifying silent counting or imagined phrases without physical attempts to speak. Findings suggest thinking and speaking rely on overlapping neural networks, although spontaneous thoughts remain difficult to decode reliably.

Beyond language, researchers are reconstructing images, music and sensory experiences from brain scans using generative AI models. Studies analysing visual and auditory processing reveal how different brain regions encode perception, opening possibilities for studying hallucinations, dreams and animal cognition.

Technology companies, including Neuralink, are pushing brain-computer interfaces toward commercial use, though current systems sample only a tiny fraction of the brain’s billions of neurons. Experts believe widespread applications such as natural speech restoration or even brain-to-brain communication may emerge within the next two decades, alongside growing ethical debates around privacy and mental autonomy.

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