Key Internet developments

KT launches secure public cloud with Microsoft for South Korean enterprises

The telco firm, KT Corp, has introduced a Secure Public Cloud service in partnership with Microsoft, designed to meet South Korea’s stringent data sovereignty demands instead of relying solely on global cloud platforms.

Built on Microsoft Azure, the platform targets sectors such as finance and manufacturing, offering high-performance computing while ensuring all data remains stored and processed domestically.

A service that is based on three pillars: end-to-end data protection, enhanced enterprise control over cloud resources, and strict compliance with the residency requirements of South Korea.

Confidential computing encrypts data even during in-memory execution, while a managed hardware security module allows customers to fully own and manage encryption keys, enabling true end-to-end protection.

KT said the platform is particularly suitable for AI training, transaction-heavy applications, and operational workloads where data exposure could pose major risks.

By combining domestic governance with the flexibility and scalability of Azure, the company aims to give enterprises a reliable cloud solution without compromising performance or compliance.

The launch also strengthens KT’s broader cloud ecosystem, which includes KT Cloud and managed global cloud services like AWS.

KT plans to expand the Secure Public Cloud gradually across industries, responding to rising demand from organizations that need robust domestic data controls instead of facing the risks of cross-border data exposure.

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Foxconn and OpenAI strengthen US AI manufacturing

OpenAI has formed a new partnership with Foxconn to prepare US manufacturing for a fresh generation of AI infrastructure hardware.

The agreement centres on design support and early evaluation instead of immediate purchase commitments, which gives OpenAI a path to influence development while Foxconn builds readiness inside American facilities.

Both companies expect rapid advances in AI capability to demand a new class of physical infrastructure. They plan to co-design several generations of data centre racks that can keep pace with model development instead of relying on slower single-cycle upgrades.

OpenAI will share insight into future hardware needs while Foxconn provides engineering knowledge and large-scale manufacturing capacity across the US.

A key aim is to strengthen domestic supply chains by improving rack architecture, widening access to domestic chip suppliers and expanding local testing and assembly. Foxconn intends to produce essential data centre components in the US, including cabling, networking, cooling and power systems.

The companies present such an effort as a way to support faster deployment, create more resilient infrastructure and bring economic benefits to American workers.

OpenAI frames the partnership as part of a broader push to ensure that critical AI infrastructure is built within the US instead of abroad. Company leaders argue that a robust domestic supply chain will support American leadership in AI and keep the benefits widely shared across the economy.

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DPDP law takes effect as India tightens AI-era data protections

India has activated new Digital Personal Data Protection rules that sharply restrict how technology firms collect and use personal information. The framework limits data gathering to what is necessary for a declared purpose and requires clear explanations, opt-outs, and breach notifications for Indian users.

The rules apply across digital platforms, from social media and e-commerce to banks and public services. Companies must obtain parental consent for individuals under 18 and are prohibited from using children’s data for targeted advertising. Firms have 18 months to comply with the new safeguards.

Users can request access to their data, ask why it was collected, and demand corrections or updates. They may withdraw consent at any time and, in some cases, request deletion. Companies must respond within 90 days, and individuals can appoint someone to exercise these rights.

Civil society groups welcomed stronger user rights but warned that the rules may also expand state access to personal data. The Internet Freedom Foundation criticised limited oversight and said the provisions risk entrenching government control, reducing transparency for citizens.

India is preparing further digital regulations, including new requirements for AI and social media firms. With nearly a billion online users, the government has urged platforms to label AI-generated content amid rising concerns about deepfakes, online misinformation, and election integrity.

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Northamptonshire Police launches live facial recognition trial

Northamptonshire Police will roll out live facial recognition cameras in three town centres. Deployments are scheduled in Northampton on 28 November and 5 December, in Kettering on 29 November, and in Wellingborough on 6 December.

The initiative uses a van loaned from Bedfordshire Police and the watch-lists include high-risk sex offenders or persons wanted for arrest. Facial and biometric data for non-alerts are deleted immediately; alerts are held only up to 24 hours.

Police emphasise the AI based technology is ‘very much in its infancy’ but expect future acquisition of dedicated kit. A coordinator post is being created to manage the LFR programme in-house.

British campaigners express concern the biometric tool may erode privacy or resemble mass surveillance. Police assert that appropriate signage and open policy documents will be in place to maintain public confidence.

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Roblox brings in global age checks for chat

Children will no longer be able to chat with adult strangers on Roblox after new global age checks are introduced. The platform will begin mandatory facial estimation in selected countries in December before expanding worldwide in January.

Roblox players will be placed into strict age groups and prevented from messaging older users unless they are verified as trusted contacts. Under-13s will remain barred from private messages unless parents actively approve access within account controls.

The company faces rising scrutiny following lawsuits in several US states, where officials argue Roblox failed to protect young users from harmful contact. Safety groups welcome the tighter rules but warn that monitoring must match the platform’s rapid growth.

Roblox says the technology is accurate and helps deliver safer digital spaces for younger players. Campaigners continue to call for broader protections as millions of children interact across games, chats and AI-enhanced features each day.

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EU proposal sparks alarm over weakened privacy rules

The Digital Omnibus has been released by the European Commission, prompting strong criticism from privacy advocates. Campaigners argue the reforms would weaken long-standing data protection standards and introduce sweeping changes without proper consultation.

Noyb founder Max Schrems claims the plan favours large technology firms by creating loopholes around personal data and lowering user safeguards. Critics say the proposals emerge despite limited political support from EU governments, civil society groups and several parliamentary factions.

The Omnibus is welcomed by industry which have called for simplification and changes to be made for quite a number of years. These changes should make carrying out business activities simpler for entities which do process vast amounts of data.

The Commission is also accused of rushing (errors can be found in the draft, including references to the GDPR) the process under political pressure, abandoning impact assessments and shifting priorities away from widely supported protections. View our analysis on the matter for a deep dive on the matter.

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UNESCO and SAP selected the AI system EDiSON for the Solomon Islands

SAP and UNESCO have agreed to deploy the AI-supported disaster management system EDiSON in the Solomon Islands.

The platform, created by SAP Japan and the start-up INSPIRATION PLUS, utilises the SAP Business Technology Platform with machine learning to merge real-time meteorological information with historical records, rather than relying on isolated datasets.

A system that delivers predictive insights that help authorities act before severe weather strikes. It anticipates terrain damage, guides emergency services towards threatened areas and supports decisions on evacuation orders.

The initiative aims to serve as a model for other small island states facing similar climate-related pressures.

UNESCO officials say the project strengthens early warning capacity and encourages long-term resilience. EDiSON will become operational in 2026 and aims to offer a scalable approach for nations with limited technical resources.

Its performance in Japan has already demonstrated how integrated data management can overcome fragmented information flows and restricted analytical tools.

The design of EDiSON enables governments to adopt advanced disaster preparedness systems instead of relying on costly, bespoke infrastructure. A partnership that seeks to improve national readiness in the Solomon Islands, where earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones and floods regularly threaten communities.

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Meta wins antitrust case over monopoly claims

Meta has defeated a major antitrust challenge after a US federal judge ruled it does not currently hold monopoly power in social networking. The decision spares the company from being forced to separate Instagram and WhatsApp, which regulators had argued were acquired to suppress competition.

The judge found the Federal Trade Commission failed to prove Meta maintains present-day dominance, noting that the market has been reshaped by rivals such as TikTok. Meta argued it now faces intense competition across mobile platforms as user behaviour shifts rapidly.

FTC lawyers revisited internal emails linked to Meta’s past acquisitions, but the ruling emphasised that the case required proof of ongoing violations.

Analysts say the outcome contrasts sharply with recent decisions against Google in search and advertising, signalling mixed fortunes for large tech firms.

Industry observers note that Meta still faces substantial regulatory pressure, including upcoming US trials regarding children’s mental health and questions about its heavy investment in AI.

The company welcomed the ruling and stated that it intends to continue developing products within a competitive market framework.

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OpenAI and Intuit expand financial AI collaboration

Yesterday, OpenAI and Intuit announced a major strategic partnership aimed at reshaping how people manage their personal and business finances. The arrangement will allow Intuit apps to appear directly inside ChatGPT, enabling secure and personalised financial actions within a single environment.

An agreement that is worth more than one hundred million dollars and reinforces Intuit’s long-term push to strengthen its AI-driven expert platform.

Intuit will broaden its use of OpenAI’s most advanced models to support financial tasks across its products. Frontier models will help power AI agents that assist with tax preparation, cash flow forecasting, payroll management and wider financial planning.

Intuit will also continue using ChatGPT Enterprise internally so employees can work with greater speed and accuracy.

The partnership is expected to help consumers make more informed financial choices instead of relying on fragmented tools. Users will be able to explore suitable credit offers, receive clearer tax answers, estimate refunds and connect with tax specialists.

Businesses will gain tailored insights based on real time data that can improve cash flow, automate customer follow ups and support more effective outreach through email marketing.

Leaders from both companies argue that the collaboration will give people and firms a meaningful financial advantage. They say greater personalisation, deeper data analysis and more effortless decision making will support stronger household finances and more resilient small enterprises.

The deal expands the growing community of OpenAI enterprise customers and strengthens Intuit’s position in global financial technology.

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Misconfigured database triggered global Cloudflare failure, CEO says

Cloudflare says its global outage on 18 November was caused by an internal configuration error, not a cyberattack. CEO Matthew Prince apologised to users after a permissions update to a ClickHouse cluster generated a malformed feature file that caused systems worldwide to crash.

The oversized file exceeded a hard limit in Cloudflare’s routing software, triggering failures across its global edge. Intermittent recoveries during the first hours of the incident led engineers to suspect a possible attack, as the network randomly stabilised when a non-faulty file propagated.

Confusion intensified when Cloudflare’s externally hosted status page briefly became inaccessible, raising fears of coordinated targeting. The root cause was later traced to metadata duplication from an unexpected database source, which doubled the number of machine-learning features in the file.

The outage affected Cloudflare’s CDN, security layers, and ancillary services, including Turnstile, Workers KV, and Access. Some legacy proxies kept limited traffic moving, but bot scores and authentication systems malfunctioned, causing elevated latencies and blocked requests.

Engineers halted the propagation of the faulty file by mid-afternoon and restored a clean version before restarting affected systems. Prince called it Cloudflare’s most serious failure since 2019 and said lessons learned will guide major improvements to the company’s infrastructure resilience.

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