Privacy and data protection Archives | Page 158 of 329

New WhatsApp features help manage unwanted groups

WhatsApp is expanding its tools to give users greater control over the groups they join and the conversations they take part in.

When someone not saved in a user’s contacts adds them to a group, WhatsApp now provides details about that group so they can immediately decide whether to stay or leave. If a user chooses to exit, they can also report the group directly to WhatsApp.

Privacy settings allow people to decide who can add them to groups. By default, the setting is set to ‘Everyone,’ but it can be adjusted to ‘My contacts’ or ‘My contacts except…’ for more security. Messages within groups can also be reported individually, with users having the option to block the sender.

Reported messages and groups are sent to WhatsApp for review, including the sender’s or group’s ID, the time the message was sent, and the message type.

Although blocking an entire group is impossible, users can block or report individual members or administrators if they are sending spam or inappropriate content. Reporting a group will send up to five recent messages from that chat to WhatsApp without notifying other members.

Exiting a group remains straightforward: users can tap the group name and select ‘Exit group.’ With these tools, WhatsApp aims to strengthen user safety, protect privacy, and provide better ways to manage unwanted interactions.

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Copilot policy flaw allows unauthorized access to AI agents

Administrators found that Microsoft Copilot’s intended ‘NoUsersCanAccessAgent’ policy, which is designed to prevent user access to certain AI agents, is being ignored. Some agents, including ExpenseTrackerBot and HRQueryAgent, remain installable despite global restrictions.

Microsoft 365 tenants must now use per-agent PowerShell commands to disable access manually. This workaround is both time-consuming and error-prone, particularly in large organisations. The failure to enforce access policies raises concerns regarding operational overhead and audit risk.

The security implications are significant. Unauthorised agents can export data from SharePoint or OneDrive, run RPA workflows without oversight, or process sensitive information without compliance controls. The flaw undermined the purpose of access control settings and exposed the system to misuse.

To mitigate this risk, administrators are urged to audit agent inventories, enforce Conditional Access policies, for example, requiring MFA or device compliance, and consistently monitor agent usage through logs and dashboards.

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Coinbase CEO fired engineers who refused to adopt AI tools

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has revealed that he fired engineers who refused to begin using AI coding tools after the company adopted GitHub Copilot and Cursor. Armstrong shared the story during a podcast hosted by Stripe co-founder John Collison.

Engineers were told to onboard with the tools within a week. Armstrong arranged a Saturday meeting for those who had not complied and said that employees without valid reasons would be dismissed. Some were excused due to holidays, while others were let go.

Collison raised concerns about relying too heavily on AI-generated code, prompting Armstrong to agree. Past reports have described challenges with managing code produced by AI, even at companies like OpenAI. Coinbase did not comment on the matter.

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Gmail accounts targeted in phishing wave after Google data leak

Hackers linked to the ShinyHunters group have compromised Google’s Salesforce systems, leading to a data leak that puts Gmail and Google Cloud users at risk of phishing attacks.

Google confirmed that customer and company names were exposed, though no passwords were stolen. Attackers are now exploiting the breach with phishing schemes, including fake account resets and malware injection attempts through outdated access points.

With Gmail and Google Cloud serving around 2.5 billion users worldwide, both companies and individuals could be targeted. Early reports on Reddit describe callers posing as Google staff warning of supposed account breaches.

Google urges users to strengthen protections by running its Security Checkup, enabling Advanced Protection, and switching to passkeys instead of passwords. The company emphasised that its staff never initiates unsolicited password resets by phone or email.

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Bluesky shuts down in Mississippi over new age law

Bluesky, a decentralised social media platform, has ceased operations in Mississippi due to a new state law requiring strict age verification.

The company said compliance would require tracking users, identifying children, and collecting sensitive personal information. For a small team like Bluesky’s, the burden of such infrastructure, alongside privacy concerns, made continued service unfeasible.

The law mandates age checks not just for explicit content, but for access to general social media. Bluesky highlighted that even the UK Online Safety Act does not require platforms to track which users are children.

US Mississippi law has sparked debate over whether efforts to protect minors are inadvertently undermining online privacy and free speech. Bluesky warned that such legislation may stifle innovation and entrench dominance by larger tech firms.

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Meta teams up with Midjourney for AI video and image tools

Meta has confirmed a new partnership with Midjourney to license its AI image and video generation technology. The collaboration, announced by Meta Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang, will see Meta integrate Midjourney’s tools into upcoming models and products.

Midjourney will remain independent following the deal. CEO David Holz said the startup, which has never taken external investment, will continue operating on its own. The company launched its first video model earlier this year and has grown rapidly, reportedly reaching $200 million in revenue by 2023.

Midjourney is currently being sued by Disney and Universal for alleged copyright infringement in AI training data. Meta faces similar challenges, although courts have often sided with tech firms in recent decisions.

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AI could democratise higher education if implemented responsibly

Professor Orla Sheils of Trinity College Dublin calls on universities to embrace AI as a tool for educational equity rather than fear. She notes that AI is already ubiquitous in higher education, with students, lecturers, and researchers using it daily.

AI can help universities fulfil the democratic ideals of the Bologna Process and Ireland’s National AI Strategy by expanding lifelong learning, making education more accessible and supporting personalised student experiences.

Initiatives such as AI-driven tutoring, automated transcription and translation, streamlined timetabling and grading tools can free staff time while supporting learners with challenging schedules or disabilities.

Trinity’s AI Accountability Lab, led by Dr Abeba Birhane, exemplifies how institutions can blend innovation with ethics. Sheils warns that overreliance on AI risks academic integrity and privacy unless governed carefully. AI must serve educators, not replace them, preserving the human qualities of creativity and judgement in learning.

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Google Cloud’s new AI tools expand enterprise threat protection

Following last week’s announcements on AI-driven cybersecurity, Google Cloud has unveiled further tools at its Security Summit 2025 aimed at protecting enterprise AI deployments and boosting efficiency for security teams.

The updates build on prior innovations instead of replacing them, reinforcing Google’s strategy of integrating AI directly into security operations.

Vice President and General Manager Jon Ramsey highlighted the growing importance of agentic approaches as AI agents operate across increasingly complex enterprise environments.

Building on the previous rollout, Google now introduces Model Armor protections, designed to shield AI agents from prompt injections, jailbreaking, and data leakage, enhancing safeguards without interrupting existing workflows.

Additional enhancements include the Alert Investigation agent, which automates event enrichment and analysis while offering actionable recommendations.

By combining Mandiant threat intelligence feeds with Google’s Gemini AI, organisations can now detect and respond to incidents across distributed agent networks more rapidly and efficiently than before.

SecOps Labs and updated SOAR dashboards provide early access to AI-powered threat detection experiments and comprehensive visualisations of security operations.

These tools allow teams to continue scaling agentic AI security, turning previous insights into proactive, enterprise-ready protections for real-world deployments.

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Musicians report surge in AI fakes appearing on Spotify and iTunes

Folk singer Emily Portman has become the latest artist targeted by fraudsters releasing AI-generated music in her name. Fans alerted her to a fake album called Orca appearing on Spotify and iTunes, which she said sounded uncannily like her style but was created without her consent.

Portman has filed copyright complaints, but says the platforms were slow to act, and she has yet to regain control of her Spotify profile. Other artists, including Josh Kaufman, Jeff Tweedy, Father John Misty, Sam Beam, Teddy Thompson, and Jakob Dylan, have faced similar cases in recent weeks.

Many of the fake releases appear to originate from the same source, using similar AI artwork and citing record labels with Indonesian names. The tracks are often credited to the same songwriter, Zyan Maliq Mahardika, whose name also appears on imitations of artists in other genres.

Industry analysts say streaming platforms and distributors are struggling to keep pace with AI-driven fraud. Tatiana Cirisano of Midia Research noted that fraudsters exploit passive listeners to generate streaming revenue, while services themselves are turning to AI and machine learning to detect impostors.

Observers warn the issue is likely to worsen before it improves, drawing comparisons to the early days of online piracy. Artists and rights holders may face further challenges as law enforcement attempts to catch up with the evolving abuse of AI.

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Energy and government sectors in Poland face mounting hacktivist threats

Poland has become the leading global target for politically and socially motivated cyberattacks, recording over 450 incidents in the second quarter of 2025, according to Spain’s Industrial Cybersecurity Center.

The report ranked Poland ahead of Ukraine, the UK, France, Germany, and other European states in hacktivist activity. Government institutions and the energy sector were among the most targeted, with organisations supporting Ukraine described as especially vulnerable.

ZIUR’s earlier first-quarter analysis had warned of a sharp rise in attacks against state bodies across Europe. Pro-Russian groups were identified as among the most active, increasingly turning to denial-of-service campaigns to disrupt critical operations.

Europe accounted for the largest share of global hacktivism in the second quarter, with more than 2,500 successful denial-of-service attacks recorded between April and June, underlining the region’s heightened exposure.

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