Swedish prosecutors have confirmed that a cyberattack on IT systems provider Miljodata exposed the personal data of 1.5 million people, nearly 15% of Sweden’s population. The attack occurred during the weekend of August 23–24.
Authorities said the stolen data has been leaked online and includes names, addresses, and contact details. Prosecutor Sandra Helgadottir said the group Datacarry has claimed responsibility, though no foreign state involvement is suspected.
Media in Sweden reported that the hackers demanded 1.5 bitcoin (around $170,000) to prevent the release of the data. Miljodata confirmed the information has now been published on the darknet.
The Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection has received over 250 breach notifications, with 164 municipalities and four regional authorities impacted. Employees in Gothenburg were among those affected, according to SVT.
Private companies, including Volvo, SAS, and GKN Aerospace, also reported compromised data. Investigators are working to identify the perpetrators as the breach’s scale continues to raise concerns nationwide.
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Australia has released its regulatory guidance for the incoming social media age restriction law, which takes effect on December 10. Users under 16 will be barred from holding accounts on most major platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
The new guidance details what are considered ‘reasonable steps’ for compliance. Platforms must detect and remove underage accounts, communicating clearly with affected users. It remains uncertain whether removed accounts will have their content deleted or if they can be reactivated once the user turns 16.
Platforms are also expected to block attempts to re-register, including the use of VPNs or other workarounds. Companies are encouraged to implement a multi-step age verification process and provide users with a range of options, rather than relying solely on government-issued identification.
Blanket age verification won’t be required, nor will platforms need to store personal data from verification processes. Instead, companies must demonstrate effectiveness through system-level records. Existing data, such as an account’s creation date, may be used to estimate age.
Under-16s will still be able to view content without logging in, for example, watching YouTube videos in a browser. However, shared access to adult accounts on family devices could present enforcement challenges.
Communications Minister Anika Wells stated that there is ‘no excuse for non-compliance.’ Each platform must now develop its own strategy to meet the law’s requirements ahead of the fast-approaching deadline.
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Advertising is heading for a split future. By 2030, brands will run hyper-personalised AI campaigns or embrace raw human storytelling. Everything in between will vanish.
AI-driven advertising will go far beyond text-to-image gimmicks. These adaptive systems will combine social trends, search habits, and first-party data to create millions of real-time ad variations.
The opposite approach will lean into imperfection, featuring unpolished TikToks, founder-shot iPhone videos, and authentic and alive content. Audiences reward authenticity over carefully scripted, generic campaigns.
Mid-tier, polished, forgettable, creative work will be the first to fade away. AI can replicate it instantly, and audiences will scroll past it without noticing.
Marketers must now pick a side: feed AI with data and scale personalisation, or double down on community-driven, imperfect storytelling. The middle won’t survive.
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The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has proposed new rules requiring major online platforms to establish independent oversight committees focused on personal data protection. The draft regulation, released Friday, 13 September 2025, is open for public comment until 12 October 2025.
Under the proposal, platforms with large user bases and complex operations must form committees of at least seven members, two-thirds of whom must be external experts without ties to the company. These experts must have at least three years of experience in data security and be well-versed in relevant laws and standards.
The committees will oversee sensitive data handling, cross-border transfers, security incidents, and regulatory compliance. They are also tasked with maintaining open communication channels with users about data concerns.
If a platform fails to act and offers unsatisfactory reasons, the issue can be escalated to provincial regulators in China.
The CAC says the move aims to enhance transparency and accountability by involving independent experts in monitoring and flagging high-risk data practices.
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Google’s Gemini latest update has sparked a social media craze by allowing users to transform 2D photos into lifelike 3D figurines. The feature, part of Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, has quickly become the standout trend from the update.
Instead of serving as a photo-editing tool, Gemini now helps users turn selfies, portraits, and pet photos into stylized statuettes. The images resemble collectable vinyl or resin figures, with smooth finishes and polished detailing.
The digital figurine trend blends personalisation with creativity, allowing users to reimagine themselves or loved ones as miniature display pieces. The playful results have been widely shared across platforms, driving renewed engagement with Google’s AI suite.
The figurine generator also complements Gemini’s other creative functions, such as image combination and style transformation, which allow users to experiment with entirely new aesthetics. Together, these tools extend Gemini’s appeal beyond simple photo correction.
While other platforms have offered 3D effects, Gemini’s version produces highly polished results in seconds, democratising what was once a niche 3D modelling skill. For many, it is the most accessible way to turn memories into digital art.
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Ghana has launched the National Privacy Awareness Campaign, a year-long initiative to strengthen citizens’ privacy rights and build public trust in the country’s expanding digital ecosystem.
Unveiled by Deputy Minister Mohammed Adams Sukparu, the campaign emphasises that data protection is not just a legal requirement but essential to innovation, digital participation, and Ghana’s goal of becoming Africa’s AI hub.
The campaign will run from September 2025 to September 2026 across all 16 regions, using English and key local languages to promote widespread awareness.
The initiative includes the inauguration of the Ghana Association of Privacy Professionals (GAPP) and recognition of new Certified Data Protection Officers, many trained through the One Million Coders Programme.
Officials stressed that effective data governance requires government, private sector, civil society, and media collaboration. The Data Protection Commission reaffirmed its role in protecting privacy while noting ongoing challenges such as limited awareness and skills gaps.
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A small Japanese political party has announced plans to install an AI system as its leader following its founder’s resignation.
The Path to Rebirth party was created in January by Shinji Ishimaru, a former mayor who rose to prominence after placing second in the 2024 Tokyo gubernatorial election. He stepped down after the party failed to secure seats in this year’s upper house elections.
The AI would oversee internal decisions such as distributing resources, but would not dictate members’ political activities. Okumura, who won a contest to succeed Ishimaru, will act as the nominal leader while supporting the development of the AI.
Despite attracting media attention, the party has faced heavy electoral defeats, with all 42 of its candidates losing in the June Tokyo assembly election and all 10 of its upper house candidates defeated in July.
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A new interdisciplinary study from Bielefeld University and other leading institutions explores why humans excel at adapting to new situations while AI systems often struggle. Researchers found humans generalise through abstraction and concepts, while AI relies on statistical or rule-based methods.
The study proposes a framework to align human and AI reasoning, defining generalisation, how it works, and how it can be assessed. Experts say differences in generalisation limit AI flexibility and stress the need for human-centred design in medicine, transport, and decision-making.
Researchers collaborated across more than 20 institutions, including Bielefeld, Bamberg, Amsterdam, and Oxford, under the SAIL project. The initiative aims to develop AI systems that are sustainable, transparent, and better able to support human values and decision-making.
Interdisciplinary insights may guide the responsible use of AI in human-AI teams, ensuring machines complement rather than disrupt human judgement.
The findings underline the importance of bridging cognitive science and AI research to foster more adaptable, trustworthy, and human-aligned AI systems capable of tackling complex, real-world challenges.
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Kering has confirmed a data breach affecting several of its luxury brands, including Gucci, Balenciaga, Brioni, and Alexander McQueen, after unauthorised access to its Salesforce systems compromised millions of customer records.
Hacking group ShinyHunters has claimed responsibility, alleging it exfiltrated 43.5 million records from Gucci and nearly 13 million from the other brands. The stolen data includes names, email addresses, dates of birth, sales histories, and home addresses.
Kering stated that the incident occurred in June 2025 and did not compromise bank or credit card details or national identifiers. The company has reported the breach to the relevant regulators and is notifying the affected customers.
Evidence shared by ShinyHunters suggests Balenciaga made an initial ransom payment of €500,000 before negotiations broke down. The group released sample data and chat logs to support its claims.
ShinyHunters has exploited Salesforce weaknesses in previous attacks targeting luxury, travel, and financial firms. Questions remain about the total number of affected customers and the potential exposure of other Kering brands.
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The US tech giant, Google, has dismissed over 200 contractors working on its Gemini chatbot and AI Overviews tool. However, this sparks criticism from labour advocates and claims of retaliation against workers pushing for unionisation.
Many affected staff were highly trained ‘super raters’ who helped refine Google’s AI systems, yet were abruptly laid off.
The move highlights growing concerns over job insecurity in the AI sector, where companies depend heavily on outsourced and low-paid contract workers instead of permanent employees.
Workers allege they were penalised for raising issues about inadequate pay, poor working conditions, and the risks of training AI that could eventually replace them.
Google has attempted to distance itself from the controversy, arguing that subcontractor GlobalLogic handled the layoffs rather than the company itself.
Yet critics say that outsourcing allows the tech giant to expand its AI operations without accountability, while undermining collective bargaining efforts.
Labour experts warn that the cuts reflect a broader industry trend in which AI development rests on precarious work arrangements. With union-busting claims intensifying, the dismissals are now seen as part of a deeper struggle over workers’ rights in the digital economy.
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