Jurisdiction

Trump Executive Order revises US cyber policy and sanctions scope

US President Donald J. Trump signed a new Executive Order (EO) aimed at amending existing federal cybersecurity policies. The EO modifies selected provisions of previous executive orders signed by former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, introducing updates to sanctions policy, digital identity initiatives, and secure technology practices.

One of the main changes involves narrowing the scope of sanctions related to malicious cyber activity. The new EO limits the applicability of such sanctions to foreign individuals or entities involved in cyberattacks against US critical infrastructure. It also states that sanctions do not apply to election-related activities, though this clarification is included in a White House fact sheet rather than the EO text itself.

The order revokes provisions from the Biden-era EO that proposed expanding the use of federal digital identity documents, including mobile driver’s licenses. According to the fact sheet, this revocation is based on concerns regarding implementation and potential for misuse. Some analysts have expressed concerns about the implications of this reversal on broader digital identity strategies.

In addition to these policy revisions, the EO outlines technical measures to strengthen cybersecurity capabilities across federal agencies. These include:

  • Developing new encryption standards to prepare for advances in quantum computing, with implementation targets set for 2030.
  • Directing the National Security Agency (NSA) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue updated federal encryption requirements.
  • Refocusing artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity initiatives on identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities.
  • Assigning the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) responsibility for updating and guiding secure software development practices. This includes the establishment of an industry consortium and a preliminary update to its secure software development framework.

The EO also includes provisions for improving vulnerability tracking and mitigation in AI systems, with coordination required among the Department of Defence, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

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UK judges issue warning on unchecked AI use by lawyers

A senior UK judge has warned that lawyers may face prosecution if they continue citing fake legal cases generated by AI without verifying their accuracy.

High Court justice Victoria Sharp called the misuse of AI a threat to justice and public trust, after lawyers in two recent cases relied on false material created by generative tools.

In one £90 million lawsuit involving Qatar National Bank, a lawyer submitted 18 cases that did not exist. The client later admitted to supplying the false information, but Justice Sharp criticised the lawyer for depending on the client’s research instead of conducting proper legal checks.

In another case, five fabricated cases were used in a housing claim against the London Borough of Haringey. The barrister denied using AI but failed to provide a clear explanation.

Both incidents have been referred to professional regulators. Sharp warned that submitting false information could amount to contempt of court or, in severe cases, perverting the course of justice — an offence that can lead to life imprisonment.

While recognising AI as a useful legal tool, Sharp stressed the need for oversight and regulation. She said AI’s risks must be managed with professional discipline if public confidence in the legal system is to be preserved.

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Odyssey presents immersive AI-powered streaming

Odyssey, a startup founded by self-driving veterans Oliver Cameron and Jeff Hawke, has unveiled an AI model that allows users to interact with streaming video in real time.

The technology generates video frames every 40 milliseconds, enabling users to move through scenes like a 3D video game instead of passively watching. A demo is currently available online, though it is still in its early stages.

The system relies on a new kind of ‘world model’ that predicts future visual states based on previous actions and environments. Odyssey claims its model can maintain spatial consistency, learn motion from video, and sustain coherent video output for five minutes or more.

Unlike models trained solely on internet data, Odyssey captures real-world environments using a custom 360-degree, backpack-mounted camera to build higher-fidelity simulations.

Tech giants and AI startups are exploring world models to power next-generation simulations and interactive media. Yet creative professionals remain wary. A 2024 study commissioned by the Animation Guild predicted significant job disruptions across film and animation.

Game studios like Activision Blizzard have been scrutinised for using AI while cutting staff.

Odyssey, however, insists its goal is collaboration instead of replacement. The company is also developing software to let creators edit scenes using tools like Unreal Engine and Blender.

Backed by $27 million in funding and supported by Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull, Odyssey aims to transform video content across entertainment, education, and advertising through on-demand interactivity.

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Apple sues European Commission over DMA interoperability ruling

Apple is mounting a legal challenge against the European Commission after being ordered to open up its tightly controlled ecosystem to rival companies under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The tech giant filed its appeal with the EU’s General Court, claiming the decision would undermine user privacy and harm innovation.

The dispute centres on a March ruling by the Commission following months of dialogue, which concluded that Apple must guarantee interoperability—a requirement that would allow third-party developers to connect non-Apple products, such as smartwatches and headphones, to iPhones and iPads.

Apple has pushed back strongly, arguing that the mandate is ‘unreasonable, costly and stifles innovation.’ A company spokesperson said the move would benefit what Apple describes as ‘data-hungry companies’ like Meta and Samsung, who could gain access to users’ most sensitive data through third-party connections.

Since December 2024, the European Commission has been pressing Apple to make its ecosystem more open to promote competition across the digital sector. However, Apple maintains that complying with the order would compromise the company’s privacy-first approach and violate its data protection standards.

The Commission, meanwhile, insists the measures are proportionate and fully aligned with the EU’s stringent privacy and security framework. It argues that the order would not strip Apple of control over its devices, but rather enable fairer access for other tech players while keeping user protections intact.

The case is set to become a major test of how far the EU can push tech giants to comply with the Digital Markets Act, which was designed to curb the dominance of so-called ‘gatekeepers’ in digital markets.

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Reddit accuses Anthropic of misusing user content

Reddit has taken legal action against AI startup Anthropic, alleging that the company scraped its platform without permission and used the data to train and commercialise its Claude AI models.

The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco’s Superior Court, accuses Anthropic of breaching contract terms, unjust enrichment, and interfering with Reddit’s operations.

According to Reddit, Anthropic accessed the platform more than 100,000 times despite publicly claiming to have stopped doing so.

The complaint claims Anthropic ignored Reddit’s technical safeguards, such as robots.txt files, and bypassed the platform’s user agreement to extract large volumes of user-generated content.

Reddit argues that Anthropic’s actions undermine its licensing deals with companies like OpenAI and Google, who have agreed to strict content usage and deletion protocols.

The filing asserts that Anthropic intentionally used personal data from Reddit without ever seeking user consent, calling the company’s conduct deceptive. Despite public statements suggesting respect for privacy and web-scraping limitations, Anthropic is portrayed as having disregarded both.

The lawsuit even cites Anthropic’s own 2021 research that acknowledged Reddit content as useful in training AI models.

Reddit is now seeking damages, repayment of profits, and a court order to stop Anthropic from using its data further. The market responded positively, with Reddit’s shares closing nearly 67% higher at $118.21—indicating investor support for the company’s aggressive stance on data protection.

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Morocco detains suspect in France’s crypto abduction cases

Moroccan police arrested 24-year-old dual French-Moroccan Bajjou Badiss Mohamed AmiDe, wanted for kidnappings of cryptocurrency holders in France. An Interpol red notice issued by French authorities led to his identification and arrest.

Charges include organised crime, kidnapping, and extortion. Due to his dual nationality, he will face trial in Morocco, with French prosecutors sharing the case files.

The arrest follows a recent surge in violent attacks on crypto entrepreneurs in France. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has introduced emergency security measures, including private consultations and home risk assessments for those at risk.

France has seen 14 of the world’s 50 known attacks on crypto figures over the past year, according to Ledger co-founder Éric Larchevêque.

High-profile incidents include the attempted abduction of Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat’s daughter and the arrest of seven suspects linked to a victim found with a severed finger. Officials stress the urgency of judicial action to prevent further violence.

French authorities have thanked Morocco for its cooperation, while proceedings against Bajjou will continue under Moroccan jurisdiction.

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Cyber attack hits Lee Enterprises staff data

Thousands of current and former employees at Lee Enterprises have had their data exposed following a cyberattack earlier this year.

Hackers accessed to the company’s systems in early February, compromising sensitive information such as names and Social Security numbers before the breach was contained the same day.

Although the media firm, which operates over 70 newspapers across 26 US states, swiftly secured its networks, a three-month investigation involving external cybersecurity experts revealed that attackers accessed databases containing employee details.

The breach potentially affects around 40,000 individuals — far more than the company’s 4,500 current staff — indicating that past employees were also impacted.

The stolen data could be used for identity theft, fraud or phishing attempts. Criminals may even impersonate affected employees to infiltrate deeper into company systems and extract more valuable information.

Lee Enterprises has notified those impacted and filed relevant disclosures with authorities, including the Maine Attorney General’s Office.

Headquartered in Iowa, Lee Enterprises draws over 200 million monthly online page views and generated over $611 million in revenue in 2024. The incident underscores the ongoing vulnerability of media organisations to cyber threats, especially when personal employee data is involved.

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Eminem sues Meta over copyright violations

Eminem has filed a major lawsuit against Meta, accusing the tech giant of knowingly enabling widespread copyright infringement across its platforms. The rapper’s publishing company, Eight Mile Style, is seeking £80.6 million in damages, claiming 243 of his songs were used without authorisation.

The lawsuit argues that Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, allowed tools such as Original Audio and Reels to encourage unauthorised reproduction and use of Eminem’s music.

The filing claims it occurred without proper licensing or attribution, significantly diminishing the value of his copyrights.

Eminem’s legal team contends that Meta profited from the infringement instead of ensuring his works were protected. If a settlement cannot be reached, the artist is demanding the maximum statutory damages — $150,000 per song — which would amount to over $109 million.

Meta has faced similar lawsuits before, including a high-profile case in 2022 brought by Epidemic Sound, which alleged the unauthorised use of thousands of its tracks. The latest claim adds to growing pressure on social media platforms to address copyright violations more effectively.

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OpenAI turns ChatGPT into AI gateway

OpenAI plans to reinvent ChatGPT as an all-in-one ‘super assistant’ that knows its users and becomes their primary gateway to the internet.

Details emerged from a partly redacted internal strategy document shared during the US government’s antitrust case against Google.

Rather than limiting ChatGPT to existing apps and websites, OpenAI envisions a future where the assistant supports everyday life—from suggesting recipes at home to taking notes at work or guiding users while travelling.

The company says the AI should evolve into a reliable, emotionally intelligent helper capable of handling a various personal and professional tasks.

OpenAI also believes hardware will be key to this transformation. It recently acquired io, a start-up founded by former Apple designer Jony Ive, for $6.4 billion to develop AI-powered devices.

The company’s strategy outlines how upcoming models like o2 and o3, alongside tools like multimodality and generative user interfaces, could make ChatGPT capable of taking meaningful action instead of simply offering responses.

The document also reveals OpenAI’s intention to back a regulation requiring tech platforms to allow users to set ChatGPT as their default assistant. Confident in its fast growth, research lead, and independence from ads, the company aims to maintain its advantage through bold decisions, speed, and self-disruption.

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NSO asks court to overturn WhatsApp verdict

Israeli spyware company NSO Group has requested a new trial after a US jury ordered it to pay $168 million in damages to WhatsApp.

The company, which has faced mounting legal and financial troubles, filed a motion in a California federal court last week seeking to reduce the verdict or secure a retrial.

The May verdict awarded WhatsApp $444,719 in compensatory damages and $167.25 million in punitive damages. Jurors found that NSO exploited vulnerabilities in the encrypted platform and sold the exploit to clients who allegedly used it to target journalists, activists and political rivals.

WhatsApp, owned by Meta, filed the lawsuit in 2019.

NSO claims the punitive award is unconstitutional, arguing it is over 376 times greater than the compensatory damages and far exceeds the US Supreme Court’s general guidance of a 4:1 ratio.

The firm also said it cannot afford the penalty, citing losses of $9 million in 2023 and $12 million in 2024. Its CEO testified that the company is ‘struggling to keep our heads above water’.

WhatsApp, responding to TechCrunch in a statement, said NSO was once again trying to evade accountability. The company vowed to continue its legal campaign, including efforts to secure a permanent injunction that would prevent NSO from ever targeting WhatsApp or its users again.

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