Privacy and data protection

Firefox expands AI features with full user choice

Mozilla has outlined its vision for integrating AI into Firefox in a way that protects user choice instead of limiting it. The company argues that AI should be built like the open web, allowing people and developers to use tools on their own terms rather than being pushed into a single ecosystem.

Recent features such as the AI sidebar chatbot and Shake to Summarise on iOS reflect that approach.

The next step is an ‘AI Window’, a controlled space inside Firefox that lets users chat with an AI assistant while browsing. The feature is entirely optional, offers full control, and can be switched off at any time. Mozilla has opened a waitlist so users can test the feature early and help shape its development.

Mozilla believes browsers must adapt as AI becomes a more common interface to the web. The company argues that remaining independent allows it to prioritise transparency, accountability and user agency instead of the closed models promoted by competitors.

The goal is an assistant that enhances browsing and guides users outward to the wider internet rather than trapping them in isolated conversations.

Community involvement remains central to Mozilla’s work. The organisation is encouraging developers and users to contribute ideas and support open-source projects as it works to ensure Firefox stays fast, secure and private while embracing helpful forms of AI.

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Purdue and Google collaborate to advance AI research and education

Purdue University and Google are expanding their partnership to integrate AI into education and research, preparing the next generation of leaders while advancing technological innovation.

The collaboration was highlighted at the AI Frontiers summit in Indianapolis on 13 November. The event brought together university, industry, and government leaders to explore AI’s impact across sectors such as health care, manufacturing, agriculture, and national security.

Leaders from both organisations emphasised the importance of placing AI tools in the hands of students, faculty, and staff. Purdue plans a working AI competency requirement for incoming students in fall 2026, ensuring all graduates gain practical experience with AI tools, pending Board approval.

The partnership also builds on projects such as analysing data to improve road safety.

Purdue’s Institute for Physical Artificial Intelligence (IPAI), the nation’s first institute dedicated to AI in the physical world, plays a central role in the collaboration. The initiative focuses on physical AI, quantum science, semiconductors, and computing to equip students for AI-driven industries.

Google and Purdue emphasised responsible innovation and workforce development as critical goals of the partnership.

Industry leaders, including Waymo, Google Public Sector, and US Senator Todd Young, discussed how AI technologies like autonomous drones and smart medical devices are transforming key sectors.

The partnership demonstrates the potential of public-private collaboration to accelerate AI research and prepare students for the future of work.

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Agentic AI drives a new identity security crisis

New research from Rubrik Zero Labs warns that agentic AI is reshaping the identity landscape faster than organisations can secure it.

The study reveals a surge in non-human identities created through automation and API driven workflows, with numbers now exceeding human users by a striking margin.

Most firms have already introduced AI agents into their identity systems or plan to do so, yet many struggle to govern the growing volume of machine credentials.

Experts argue that identity has become the primary attack surface as remote work, cloud adoption and AI expansion remove traditional boundaries. Threat actors increasingly rely on valid credentials instead of technical exploits, which makes weaknesses in identity governance far more damaging.

Rubrik’s researchers and external analysts agree that a single compromised key or forgotten agent account can provide broad access to sensitive environments.

Industry specialists highlight that agentic AI disrupts established IAM practices by blurring distinctions between human and machine activity.

Organisations often cannot determine whether a human or an automated agent performed a critical action, which undermines incident investigations and weakens zero-trust strategies. Poor logging, weak lifecycle controls and abandoned machine identities further expand the attack surface.

Rubrik argues that identity resilience is becoming essential, since IAM tools alone cannot restore trust after a breach. Many firms have already switched IAM providers, reflecting widespread dissatisfaction with current safeguards.

Analysts recommend tighter control of agent creation, stronger credential governance and a clearer understanding of how AI-driven identities reshape operational and security risks.

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Anthropic uncovers a major AI-led cyberattack

The US R&D firm, Anthropic, has revealed details of the first known cyber espionage operation largely executed by an autonomous AI system.

Suspicious activity detected in September 2025 led to an investigation that uncovered an attack framework, which used Claude Code as an automated agent to infiltrate about thirty high-value organisations across technology, finance, chemicals and government.

The attackers relied on recent advances in model intelligence, agency and tool access.

By breaking tasks into small prompts and presenting Claude as a defensive security assistant instead of an offensive tool, they bypassed safeguards and pushed the model to analyse systems, identify weaknesses, write exploit code and harvest credentials.

The AI completed most of the work with only a few moments of human direction, operating at a scale and speed that human hackers would struggle to match.

Anthropic responded by banning accounts, informing affected entities and working with authorities as evidence was gathered. The company argues that the case shows how easily sophisticated operations can now be carried out by less-resourced actors who use agentic AI instead of traditional human teams.

Errors such as hallucinated credentials remain a limitation, yet the attack marks a clear escalation in capability and ambition.

The firm maintains that the same model abilities exploited by the attackers are needed for cyber defence. Greater automation in threat detection, vulnerability analysis and incident response is seen as vital.

Safeguards, stronger monitoring and wider information sharing are presented as essential steps for an environment where adversaries are increasingly empowered by autonomous AI.

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Digital ID arrives for Apple users

Apple has introduced Digital ID, a new feature that lets users create an identification card in Apple Wallet using information from a US passport.

The feature launches in beta at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints across more than two hundred and fifty airports for domestic travel, instead of relying solely on physical documentation.

It offers an alternative for users who lack a Real ID-compliant card while not replacing a physical passport for international journeys.

Users set up a Digital ID by scanning the passport’s photo page, reading the chip on the back of the document, and completing facial movements for verification.

Once added, the ID can be presented with an iPhone or Apple Watch by holding the device near an identity reader and confirming the request with Face ID or Touch ID. New verification options for in-person checks at selected businesses, apps and online platforms are planned.

The company highlights privacy protection by storing passport data only on the user’s device, instead of Apple’s servers. Digital ID information is encrypted and cannot be viewed by Apple, and biometric authentication ensures that only the owner can present the identity.

Only the required information is shared during each transaction, and the user must approve it before it is released.

The launch expands Apple Wallet’s existing support for driver’s licences and state IDs, which are already available in twelve states and Puerto Rico. Recent months have added Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia, and Japan adopted the feature with the My Number Card.

Apple expects Digital ID to broaden secure personal identification across more services over time.

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EU investigates Google over potential Digital Markets Act breach

The European Commission has opened an investigation into whether Google may be breaching the Digital Markets Act by unfairly demoting news publishers in search results.

An inquiry that centres on Google’s ‘site reputation abuse policy’, which appears to lower rankings for publishers that host content from commercial partners, even when those partnerships support legitimate ways of monetising online journalism.

The Commission is examining whether Alphabet’s approach restricts publishers from conducting business, innovating, and cooperating with third-party content providers. Officials highlighted concerns that such demotions may undermine revenue at a difficult moment for the media sector.

These proceedings do not imply a final decision; instead, they allow the EU to gather evidence and assess Google’s practices in detail.

If the Commission finds evidence of non-compliance, it will present preliminary findings and request corrective measures. The investigation is expected to conclude within 12 months.

Under the DMA, infringements can lead to fines of up to ten percent of a company’s worldwide turnover, rising to twenty percent for repeated violations, alongside possible structural remedies.

Senior Commissioners stressed that gatekeepers must offer fair and non-discriminatory access to their platforms. They argued that protecting publishers’ ability to reach audiences supports media pluralism, innovation, and democratic resilience.

Google Search, designated as a core platform service under the DMA, has been required to comply fully with the regulation since March 2024.

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New York Times lawsuit prompts OpenAI to strengthen privacy protections

OpenAI says a New York Times demand to hand over 20 million private ChatGPT conversations threatens user privacy and breaks with established security norms. The request forms part of the Times’ lawsuit over alleged misuse of its content.

The company argues the demand would expose highly personal chats from people with no link to the case. It previously resisted broader requests, including one seeking more than a billion conversations, and says the latest move raises similar concerns about proportionality.

OpenAI says it offered privacy-preserving alternatives, such as targeted searches and high-level usage data, but these were rejected. It adds that chats covered by the order are being de-identified and stored in a secure, legally restricted environment.

The dispute arises as OpenAI accelerates its security roadmap, which includes plans for client-side encryption and automated systems that detect serious safety risks without requiring broad human access. These measures aim to ensure private conversations remain inaccessible to external parties.

OpenAI maintains that strong privacy protections are essential as AI tools handle increasingly sensitive tasks. It says it will challenge any attempt to make private conversations public and will continue to update users as the legal process unfolds.

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New AI platforms approved for Surrey Schools classrooms

Surrey Schools has approved MagicSchool, SchoolAI, and TeachAid for classroom use, giving teachers access through the ONE portal with parental consent. The district says the tools are intended to support instruction while maintaining strong privacy and safety safeguards.

Officials say each platform passes rigorous reviews covering educational value, data protection, and technical security before approval. Teachers receive structured guidance on appropriate use, supported by professional development aligned with wider standards for responsible AI in education.

A two-year digital literacy programme helps staff explore online identity, digital habits, and safe technology use as AI becomes more common in lessons. Students use AI to generate ideas, check code, and analyse scientific or mathematical problems, reinforcing critical reasoning.

Educators stress that pupils are taught to question AI outputs rather than accept them at face value. Leaders argue this approach builds judgment and confidence, preparing young people to navigate automated systems with greater agency beyond school settings.

Families and teachers can access AI safety resources through the ONE platform, including videos, podcasts and the ‘Navigating an AI Future’ series. Materials include recordings from earlier workshops and parent sessions, supporting shared understanding of AI’s benefits and risks across the community.

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Hidden freeze controls uncovered across major blockchains

Bybit’s Lazarus Security Lab says 16 major blockchains embed fund-freezing mechanisms. An additional 19 could adopt them with modest protocol changes, according to the study. The review covered 166 networks using an AI-assisted scan plus manual validation.

Whilst using AI, researchers describe three models: hardcoded blacklists, configuration-based freezes, and on-chain system contracts. Examples cited include BNB Chain, Aptos, Sui, VeChain and HECO in different roles. Analysts argue that emergency tools can curb exploits yet concentrate control.

Case studies show freezes after high-profile attacks and losses. Sui validators moved to restore about 162 million dollars post-Cetus hack, while BNB Chain halted movement after a 570 million bridge exploit. VeChain blocked 6.6 million in 2019.

New blockchain debates centre on transparency, governance and user rights when freezes occur. Critics warn about centralisation risks and opaque validator decisions, while exchanges urge disclosure of intervention powers.

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European Commission launches Culture Compass to strengthen the EU identity

The European Commission unveiled the Culture Compass for Europe, a framework designed to place culture at the heart of the EU policies.

An initiative that aims to foster the identity ot the EU, celebrate diversity, and support excellence across the continent’s cultural and creative sectors.

The Compass addresses the challenges facing cultural industries, including restrictions on artistic expression, precarious working conditions for artists, unequal access to culture, and the transformative impact of AI.

It provides guidance along four key directions: upholding European values and cultural rights, empowering artists and professionals, enhancing competitiveness and social cohesion, and strengthening international cultural partnerships.

Several initiatives will support the Compass, including the EU Artists Charter for fair working conditions, a European Prize for Performing Arts, a Youth Cultural Ambassadors Network, a cultural data hub, and an AI strategy for the cultural sector.

The Commission will track progress through a new report on the State of Culture in the EU and seeks a Joint Declaration with the European Parliament and Council to reinforce political commitment.

Commission officials emphasised that the Culture Compass connects culture to Europe’s future, placing artists and creativity at the centre of policy and ensuring the sector contributes to social, economic, and international engagement.

Culture is portrayed not as a side story, but as the story of the EU itself.

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