Network security

Apple accuses the EU of blocking App Store compliance changes

Apple has accused the European Commission of preventing it from implementing App Store changes designed to comply with the Digital Markets Act, following a €500 million fine for breaching the regulation.

The company claims it submitted a formal compliance plan in October and has yet to receive a response from EU officials.

In a statement, Apple argued that the Commission requested delays while gathering market feedback, a process the company says lasted several months and lacked a clear legal basis.

The US tech giant described the enforcement approach as politically motivated and excessively burdensome, accusing the EU of unfairly targeting an American firm.

The Commission has rejected those claims, saying discussions with Apple remain ongoing and emphasising that any compliance measures must support genuinely viable alternative app stores.

Officials pointed to the emergence of multiple competing marketplaces after the DMA entered into force as evidence of market demand.

Scrutiny has increased following the decision by SetApp mobile to shut down its iOS app store in February, with the developer citing complex and evolving business terms.

Questions remain over whether Apple’s proposed shift towards commission-based fees and expanded developer communication rights will satisfy EU regulators.

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AI bot swarms emerge as a new threat to democracy

Researchers and free-speech advocates are warning that coordinated swarms of AI agents could soon be deployed to manipulate public opinion at a scale capable of undermining democratic systems.

According to a consortium of academics from leading universities, advances in generative and agentic AI now enable large numbers of human-like bots to infiltrate online communities and autonomously simulate organic political discourse.

Unlike earlier forms of automated misinformation, AI swarms are designed to adapt to social dynamics, learn community norms and exchange information in pursuit of a shared objective.

By mimicking human behaviour and spreading tailored narratives gradually, such systems could fabricate consensus, amplify doubt around electoral processes and normalise anti-democratic outcomes without triggering immediate detection.

Evidence of early influence operations has already emerged in recent elections across Asia, where AI-driven accounts have engaged users with large volumes of unverifiable information rather than overt propaganda.

Researchers warn that information overload, strategic neutrality and algorithmic amplification may prove more effective than traditional disinformation campaigns.

The authors argue that democratic resilience now depends on global coordination, combining technical safeguards such as watermarking and detection tools with stronger governance of political AI use.

Without collective action, they caution that AI-enabled manipulation risks outpacing existing regulatory and institutional defences.

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Grok faces regulatory scrutiny in South Korea over explicit AI content

South Korea has moved towards regulatory action against Grok, the generative AI chatbot developed by xAI, following allegations that the system was used to generate and distribute sexually exploitative deepfake images.

The country’s Personal Information Protection Commission has launched a preliminary fact-finding review to assess whether violations occurred and whether the matter falls within its legal remit.

The review follows international reports accusing Grok of facilitating the creation of explicit and non-consensual images of real individuals, including minors.

Under the Personal Information Protection Act of South Korea, generating or altering sexual images of identifiable people without consent may constitute unlawful handling of personal data, exposing providers to enforcement action.

Concerns have intensified after civil society groups estimated that millions of explicit images were produced through Grok over a short period, with thousands involving children.

Several governments, including those in the US, Europe and Canada, have opened inquiries, while parts of Southeast Asia have opted to block access to the service altogether.

In response, xAI has introduced technical restrictions preventing users from generating or editing images of real people. Korean regulators have also demanded stronger youth protection measures from X, warning that failure to address criminal content involving minors could result in administrative penalties.

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France accelerates rapid ban on social media for under-15s

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for an accelerated legislative process to introduce a nationwide ban on social media for children under 15 by September.

Speaking in a televised address, Macron said the proposal would move rapidly through parliament so that explicit rules are in place before the new school year begins.

Macron framed the initiative as a matter of child protection and digital sovereignty, arguing that foreign platforms or algorithmic incentives should not shape young people’s cognitive and emotional development.

He linked excessive social media use to manipulation, commercial exploitation and growing psychological harm among teenagers.

Data from France’s health watchdog show that almost half of teenagers spend between two and five hours a day on their smartphones, with the vast majority accessing social networks daily.

Regulators have associated such patterns with reduced self-esteem and increased exposure to content linked to self-harm, drug use and suicide, prompting legal action by families against major platforms.

The proposal from France follows similar debates in the UK and Australia, where age-based access restrictions have already been introduced.

The French government argues that decisive national action is necessary instead of waiting for a slower Europe-wide consensus, although Macron has reiterated support for a broader EU approach.

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New phishing attacks exploit visual URL tricks to impersonate major brands

Generative phishing techniques are becoming harder to detect as attackers use subtle visual tricks in web addresses to impersonate trusted brands. A new campaign reported by Cybersecurity News shows how simple character swaps create fake websites that closely resemble real ones on mobile browsers.

The phishing attacks rely on a homoglyph technique where the letters ‘r’ and ‘n’ are placed together to mimic the appearance of an ‘m’ in a domain name. On smaller screens, the difference is difficult to spot, allowing phishing pages to appear almost identical to real Microsoft or Marriott login sites.

Cybersecurity researchers observed domains such as rnicrosoft.com being used to send fake security alerts and invoice notifications designed to lure victims into entering credentials. Once compromised, accounts can be hijacked for financial fraud, data theft, or wider access to corporate systems.

Experts warn that mobile browsing increases the risk, as users are less likely to inspect complete URLs before logging in. Directly accessing official apps or typing website addresses manually remains the safest way to avoid falling into these traps.

Security specialists also continue to recommend passkeys, strong, unique passwords, and multi-factor authentication across all major accounts, as well as heightened awareness of domains that visually resemble familiar brands through character substitution.

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Microsoft confirms Outlook disruption

Microsoft confirmed a service disruption affecting Outlook and Microsoft 365 users in the US, with problems first reported on Wednesday afternoon. The outage primarily affected business and enterprise customers nationwide.

In the US, users reported difficulties sending and receiving email, alongside problems accessing services such as Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive. Microsoft said part of its North America infrastructure was failing to process traffic correctly.

Engineers in the US began rebalancing traffic and restoring affected systems to stabilise services. Microsoft said recovery was under way, though full resolution would take additional time.

The incident highlights the reliance of organisations in the US on cloud-based productivity tools. Businesses across the country experienced disruptions extending into the evening as work and communication systems remained unstable.

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LinkedIn phishing campaign exposes dangerous DLL sideloading attack

A multi-faceted phishing campaign is abusing LinkedIn private messages to deliver weaponised malware using DLL sideloading, security researchers have warned. The activity relies on PDFs and archive files that appear trustworthy to bypass conventional security controls.

Attackers contact targets on LinkedIn and send self-extracting archives disguised as legitimate documents. When opened, a malicious DLL is sideloaded into a trusted PDF reader, triggering memory-resident malware that establishes encrypted command-and-control channels.

Using LinkedIn messages increases engagement by exploiting professional trust and bypassing email-focused defences. DLL sideloading allows malicious code to run inside legitimate applications, complicating detection.

The campaign enables credential theft, data exfiltration and lateral movement through in-memory backdoors. Encrypted command-and-control traffic makes containment more difficult.

Organisations using common PDF software or Python tooling face elevated risk. Defenders are advised to strengthen social media phishing awareness, monitor DLL loading behaviour and rotate credentials where compromise is suspected.

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Burkina Faso pushes digital sovereignty through national infrastructure supervision

Burkina Faso has launched work on a Digital Infrastructure Supervision Centre as part of a broader effort to strengthen national oversight of digital public infrastructure and reduce exposure to external digital risks.

The project forms a core pillar of the government’s digital sovereignty strategy amid rising cybersecurity threats across public systems.

Led by the Ministry of Digital Transition, Posts and Electronic Communications, the facility is estimated to cost $5.4 million and is scheduled for completion by October.

Authorities state that the centre will centralise oversight of the national backbone network, secure cyberspace operations and supervise the functioning of domestic data centres instead of relying on external monitoring mechanisms.

Government officials argue that the supervision centre will enable resilient and sovereign management of critical digital systems while supporting a policy requiring sensitive national data to remain within domestic infrastructure.

The initiative also complements recent investments in biometric identity systems and regional digital identity frameworks.

Beyond infrastructure security, the project is positioned as groundwork for future AI adoption by strengthening sovereign data and connectivity systems.

The leadership of Burkina Faso continues to emphasise digital autonomy as a strategic priority across governance, identity management and emerging technologies.

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EU cyber rules target global tech dependence

The European Union has proposed new cybersecurity rules aimed at reducing reliance on high-risk technology suppliers, particularly from China. In the European Union, policymakers argue existing voluntary measures failed to curb dependence on vendors such as Huawei and ZTE.

The proposal would introduce binding obligations for telecom operators across the European Union to phase out Chinese equipment. At the same time, officials have warned that reliance on US cloud and satellite services also poses security risks for Europe.

Despite increased funding and expanded certification plans, divisions remain within the European Union. Countries including Germany and France support stricter sovereignty rules, while others favour continued partnerships with US technology firms.

Analysts say the lack of consensus in the European Union could weaken the impact of the reforms. Without clear enforcement and investment in European alternatives, Europe may struggle to reduce dependence on both China and the US.

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OpenAI ads in ChatGPT signal a shift in conversational advertising

The AI firm, OpenAI, plans to introduce advertising within ChatGPT for logged-in adult users, marking a structural shift in how brands engage audiences through conversational interfaces.

Ads would be clearly labelled and positioned alongside responses, aiming to replace interruption-driven formats with context-aware brand suggestions delivered during moments of active user intent.

Industry executives describe conversational AI advertising as a shift from exposure to earned presence, in which brands must provide clarity or utility to justify inclusion.

Experts warn that trust remains fragile, as AI recommendations carry the weight of personal consultation, and undisclosed commercial influence could prompt rapid user disengagement instead of passive ad avoidance.

Regulators and marketers alike highlight risks linked to dark patterns, algorithmic framing and subtle manipulation within AI-mediated conversations.

As conversational systems begin to shape discovery and decision-making, media planning is expected to shift toward intent-led engagement, authority-building, and transparency, reshaping digital advertising economics beyond search rankings and impression-based buying.

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