Privacy and data protection Archives | Page 236 of 351

Grok AI glitch reignites debate on trust and safety in AI tools

Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, has caused a stir by injecting unsolicited claims about ‘white genocide’ in South Africa into unrelated user queries. These remarks, widely regarded as part of a debunked conspiracy theory, appeared across various innocuous prompts before being quickly removed.

The strange behaviour led to speculation that Grok’s system prompt had been tampered with, possibly by someone inside xAI. Although Grok briefly claimed it had been instructed to mention the topic, xAI has yet to issue a full technical explanation.

Rival AI leaders, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, joined public criticism on X, calling the episode a concerning sign of possible editorial manipulation. While Grok’s responses returned to normal within hours, the incident reignited concerns about control and transparency in large AI models.

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Canva merges data and storytelling

Canva has introduced Sheets, a new spreadsheet platform combining data, design, and AI to simplify and visualise analytics. Announced at the Canva Create: Uncharted event, it redefines spreadsheets by enabling users to turn raw data into charts, reports and content without leaving the Canva interface.

Built-in tools like Magic Formulas, Magic Insights, and Magic Charts, Canva Sheets supports automated analysis and visual storytelling. Users can generate dynamic charts and branded content across platforms in seconds, thanks to Canva AI and features like bulk editing and multilingual translation.

Data Connectors allow seamless integration with platforms such as Google Analytics and HubSpot, ensuring live updates across all connected visuals. The platform is designed to reduce manual tasks in recurring reports and keep teams synchronised in real time.

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Deepfake voice scams target US officials in phishing surge

Hackers are using deepfake voice and video technology to impersonate senior US government officials and high-profile tech figures in sophisticated phishing campaigns designed to steal sensitive data, the FBI has warned.

Since April, cybercriminals have been contacting current and former federal and state officials through fake voice messages and text messages claiming to be from trusted sources.

The scammers attempt to establish rapport and then direct victims to malicious websites to extract passwords and other private information.

The FBI cautions that if hackers compromise one official’s account, they may use that access to impersonate them further and target others in their network.

The agency urges individuals to verify identities, avoid unsolicited links, and enable multifactor authentication to protect sensitive accounts.

Separately, Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal reported a deepfake scam in which bad actors impersonated him and colleagues via Zoom, urging crypto users to install malicious scripts. He described the attack as ‘horrifying’ and noted the difficulty of reporting such incidents to platforms like Telegram.

The FBI and cybersecurity experts recommend examining media for visual inconsistencies, avoiding software downloads during unverified calls, and never sharing credentials or wallet access unless certain of the source’s legitimacy.

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EU to propose new rules and app to protect children online

The European Commission is taking significant steps to create a safer online environment for children by introducing draft guidelines under the Digital Services Act. These guidelines aim to ensure that online platforms accessible to minors maintain a high level of privacy, safety, and security.

The draft guidelines propose several key measures to safeguard minors online. These include verifying users’ ages to restrict access where appropriate, improving content recommendation systems to reduce children’s exposure to harmful or inappropriate material, and setting children’s accounts to private by default.

Additionally, the guidelines recommend best practices for child-safe content moderation, as well as providing child-friendly reporting channels and user support. They also offer guidance on how platforms should govern themselves internally to maintain a child-safe environment.

These guidelines will apply to all online platforms that minors can access, except for very small enterprises, and will also cover very large platforms with over 45 million monthly users in the EU. The European Commission has involved a wide range of stakeholders in developing the guidelines, including Better Internet for Kids (BIK+) Youth ambassadors, children, parents, guardians, national authorities, online platform providers, and experts.

The inclusive consultation process helps ensure the guidelines are practical and comprehensive. The guidelines are open for feedback until June 10, 2025, with adoption expected by summer.

Meanwhile, the Commission is creating an open-source age-verification app to confirm users’ age without risking privacy, as a temporary measure before the EU Digital Identity Wallet launches in 2026.

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Japan approves preemptive cyberdefence law

Japan’s parliament has passed a new law enabling active cyberdefence measures, allowing authorities to legally monitor communications data during peacetime and neutralise foreign servers if cyberattacks occur.

Instead of reacting only after incidents, this law lets the government take preventive steps to counter threats before they escalate.

Operators of vital infrastructure, such as electricity and railway companies, must now report cyber breaches directly to the government. The shift follows recent cyber incidents targeting banks and an airline, prompting Japan to put a full framework in place by 2027.

Although the law permits monitoring of IP addresses in communications crossing Japanese borders, it explicitly bans surveillance of domestic messages and their contents.

A new independent panel will authorise all monitoring and response actions beforehand, instead of leaving decisions solely to security agencies.

Police will handle initial countermeasures, while the Self-Defense Forces will act only when attacks are highly complex or planned. The law, revised to address opposition concerns, includes safeguards to ensure personal rights are protected and that government surveillance remains accountable.

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FBI warns against AI-powered text scams

The FBI has issued a fresh warning urging the public not to trust unsolicited texts or voice messages, even if they appear to come from senior officials. A new wave of AI-powered attacks is reportedly so convincing that traditional signs of fraud are almost impossible to spot.

These campaigns involve voice and text messages crafted with AI, mimicking the voices of known individuals and spoofing phone numbers of trusted contacts or organisations. US victims are lured into clicking malicious links, often under the impression that the messages are urgent or official.

The FBI advises users to verify all communications independently, avoid clicking links or downloading attachments from unknown sources, and listen for unnatural speech patterns or visual anomalies in videos and images.

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TikTok adds AI tool to animate photos with realistic effects

TikTok has launched a new feature called AI Alive, allowing users to turn still images into dynamic, short videos. Instead of needing advanced editing skills, creators can now use AI to generate movement and effects with a few taps.

By accessing the Story Camera and selecting a static photo, users can simply type how they want the image to change — such as making the subject smile, dance, or tilt forward. AI Alive then animates the photo, using creative effects to produce a more engaging story.

TikTok says its moderation systems review the original image, the AI prompt, and the final video before it’s shown to the user. A second check occurs before a post is shared publicly, and every video made with AI Alive will include an ‘AI-generated’ label and C2PA metadata to ensure transparency.

The feature stands out as one of the first built-in AI image-to-video tools on a major platform. Snapchat and Instagram already offer AI image generation from text, and Snapchat is reportedly developing a similar image-to-video feature.

Meanwhile, TikTok is also said to be working on adding support for sending photos and voice messages via direct message — something rival apps have long supported.

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NatWest hit by 100 million cyber attacks every month

NatWest is defending itself against an average of 100 million cyber attacks each month, according to the bank’s head of cybersecurity.

Speaking to Holyrood’s Criminal Justice Committee, Chris Ulliott outlined the ‘staggering’ scale of digital threats targeting the bank’s systems. Around a third of all incoming emails are blocked before reaching staff, as they are suspected to be the start of an attack.

Instead of relying on basic filters, NatWest analyses every email for malicious content and has a cybersecurity team of hundreds, supported by a multi-million-pound budget.

Mr Ulliott also warned of the growing use of AI by cyber criminals to make scams more convincing—such as altering their appearance during video calls to build trust with victims.

Police Scotland reported that cybercrime has more than doubled since 2020, with incidents rising from 7,710 to 18,280 in 2024. Officials highlighted the threat posed by groups like Scattered Spider, believed to consist of young hackers sharing techniques online.

MSP Rona Mackay called the figures ‘absolutely staggering,’ while Ben Macpherson said he had even been impersonated by fraudsters.

Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, are now working together to tackle o n line crime. Meanwhile, Age Scotland warned that many older people lack confidence online, making them especially vulnerable to scams that can lead to financial ruin and emotional distress.

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AI hallucination at center of Anthropic copyright lawsuit

Anthropic, the AI company behind the Claude chatbot, has been ordered by a federal judge to respond to allegations that it submitted fabricated material—possibly generated by AI—as part of its defense in an ongoing copyright lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed in October 2023 by music publishers Universal Music Group, Concord, and ABKCO, accuses Anthropic of unlawfully using lyrics from over 500 songs to train its chatbot. The publishers argue that Claude can produce copyrighted material when prompted, such as lyrics from Don McLean’s American Pie.

During a court hearing on Tuesday in California, the publishers’ attorney claimed that an Anthropic data scientist cited a nonexistent academic article from The American Statistician journal to support the argument that Claude rarely outputs copyrighted lyrics.

One of the article’s alleged authors later confirmed the paper was a ‘complete fabrication.’ The judge is now requiring Anthropic to formally address the incident in court.

The company, founded in 2021, is backed by major investors including Amazon, Google, and Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced crypto executive convicted of fraud in 2023.

The case marks a significant test of how AI companies handle copyrighted content, and how courts respond when AI-generated material is used in legal proceedings.

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Valve denies Steam data breach

Valve has confirmed that a cache of old Steam two-factor authentication codes and phone numbers, recently circulated by a hacker known as ‘Machine1337’, is indeed real, but insists it did not suffer a data breach.

Instead of pointing to its own systems, Valve explained that the leak involves outdated SMS messages, which are typically sent unencrypted and routed through multiple providers. These codes, once valid for only 15 minutes, were not linked to specific Steam accounts, passwords, or payment information.

The leaked data sparked early speculation that third-party messaging provider Twilio was the source of the breach, especially after their name appeared in the dataset. However, both Valve and Twilio denied any direct involvement, with Valve stating it does not even use Twilio’s services.

The true origin of the breach remains uncertain, and Valve acknowledged that tracing it may be difficult, as SMS messages often pass through several intermediaries before reaching users.

While the leaked information may not immediately endanger Steam accounts, Valve advised users to remain cautious. Phone numbers, when combined with other data, could still be used for phishing attacks.

Instead of relying on SMS for security, users are encouraged to activate the Steam Mobile Authenticator, which offers a more secure alternative for account verification.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the source of the breach, Valve reassured users there’s no need to change passwords or phone numbers. Still, it urged vigilance, recommending that users routinely review their security settings and remain wary of any unsolicited account notifications.

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