The European Union’s data protection watchdog has urged stronger safeguards as negotiations continue with the US over access to biometric databases. European Data Protection Supervisor Wojciech Wiewiórowski said limits must ensure Europeans’ data is used only for agreed purposes.
Talks between the EU and the US involve potential arrangements that would allow US authorities to query national biometric systems. Databases across the EU contain sensitive information, including fingerprints and facial recognition data.
Past transatlantic data-sharing agreements between the two have faced legal challenges due to insufficient safeguards. European regulators are closely monitoring the Data Privacy Framework amid ongoing concerns about oversight.
Officials also warned that emerging AI technologies could create new surveillance risks linked to US data access. European authorities said they must negotiate as a unified bloc when dealing with the US.
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Businesses across the US and Europe are confronting new privacy risks as AI transcription tools spread through workplaces. Tools that automatically record and transcribe meetings increasingly capture sensitive conversations without clear consent.
Privacy specialists warn that organisations in the US and Europe previously focused on rules controlling what employees upload into AI systems. Governance efforts now shift towards monitoring what AI tools record during daily work.
AI services such as Otter, Zoom transcription and Microsoft Copilot can record discussions involving performance reviews, health information and legal matters. Companies in the US and Europe face legal exposure when third-party platforms store recordings without strict controls.
Governance teams in the US and Europe are being urged to introduce clear rules on meeting recordings and retention of transcripts. Stronger policies may include consent requirements, limits on recording sensitive meetings and stricter data storage oversight.
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OneTrust has entered a new leadership phase in the US after appointing John Heyman as chief executive, replacing founder Kabir Barday. Barday will remain on the board in an advisory role as the US-based compliance technology firm continues to push into AI governance.
John Heyman said organisations across the US and globally are rapidly integrating AI into daily operations. Companies deploying large numbers of AI agents increasingly need tools to manage risk, data use and regulatory compliance.
OneTrust believes demand for governance technology will grow as AI systems multiply inside businesses in the US and worldwide. John Heyman described a future where automated monitoring tools oversee AI agents operating within company systems.
Leadership at OneTrust in the US aims to build systems that track how AI agents collect and share data while maintaining enterprise control. Growing adoption of AI in the US and globally continues to drive demand for responsible governance platforms.
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Europe is building a federated cloud and AI infrastructure intended to reduce reliance on US and Chinese technology providers and avoid ongoing strategic vulnerability.
The project, known as EURO-3C, was announced in Barcelona by Telefónica and is backed by the European Commission. More than seventy organisations across telecommunications, technology and emerging companies have joined the effort.
Architects of the scheme argue that linking national infrastructures into a shared network of nodes offers a realistic path forward, particularly as Europe cannot easily create a hyperscale cloud provider from scratch.
The initiative follows a series of US cloud outages that exposed the risks of excessive dependence on external infrastructure and raised questions about sovereignty, resilience and long-term competitiveness.
Commission officials described the programme as a way to build a secure cross-border digital ecosystem that supports industries such as automotive, e-health, public administration and sovereign government cloud.
Telefónica stressed that agentic AI, capable of taking autonomous actions, will play a central role in enabling Europe to develop technology rather than import it.
The partners view the project as a foundation for a unified and independent digital environment that strengthens industrial supply chains and prepares European sectors for the next phase of cloud and AI adoption.
They present the initiative as a significant step toward reducing strategic exposure while stimulating domestic innovation.
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Research suggests that being polite to AI chatbots such as ChatGPT does not reliably improve accuracy, despite widespread belief to the contrary. Experiments testing flattery, encouragement and even insults found inconsistent results across different large language models.
Experts in the US say many prominent engineering myths have faded as AI systems have improved. Minor wording changes, such as adding ‘please’ or ‘thank you’, are unlikely to influence mainstream generative AI tools consistently.
Computer scientists argue that users should treat AI as a tool rather than a person. Techniques that do work include asking for multiple options, providing concrete examples and requesting step-by-step clarification before generating a final response.
Researchers also warn that role playing can reduce accuracy when a question has one correct answer, potentially increasing hallucinations. For creative tasks, however, role play and iterative questioning can still be effective when used carefully.
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The US FTC has issued a policy statement signalling greater flexibility in enforcing parts of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act when companies deploy age verification tools. The agency said it will not take enforcement action where personal data is collected solely for age verification purposes.
The FTC framed age assurance as a key safeguard to prevent children from accessing inappropriate content online in the US. Officials said the approach is intended to encourage broader adoption of age verification technologies by online services.
While offering flexibility, the US regulator stressed that organisations must maintain strong safeguards, including data deletion practices and clear notice to parents and children. The FTC also warned that personal data used beyond age verification could still trigger enforcement action under COPPA.
Similar to previous 2023 amendments, legal experts cautioned that companies using age assurance may face additional compliance duties under state youth privacy laws, even as federal requirements evolve.
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Agentic AI is set to transform banking operations in the US and Asia, according to a McKinsey podcast featuring senior partners from New York, Mumbai and London. The technology goes beyond traditional automation by handling less structured tasks and supporting end to end decision making.
Research cited in the discussion suggests many banks are experimenting with AI, yet few report material financial gains. Leaders in the US and Asia are urged to avoid narrow pilot projects and instead redesign workflows, teams and governance around AI at scale.
McKinsey partners said successful banks in the US and Asia are aligning chief executives, technology leaders and risk officers behind a shared strategy. Operations, risk management and frontline services are seen as areas where AI could deliver significant productivity and quality gains.
Banks in India and other Asian markets are also benefiting from regulatory engagement, including guidance from the Reserve Bank of India. Speakers argued that workforce training, cross functional collaboration and clear accountability will determine whether AI delivers lasting impact in the US.
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More than 25 million people across the United States have had personal information exposed following a ransomware attack on government contractor Conduent. Updated state breach notifications indicate the incident is larger than initially understood.
Conduent provides printing, payment processing, and benefit administration services for state agencies and large corporations. Its systems support food assistance, unemployment benefits, and workplace programmes, reaching more than 100 million individuals, according to the company.
US State disclosures show Oregon and Texas account for most of the affected records, with additional cases reported in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Washington. Compromised data includes names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, health insurance information, and medical details.
Public information from Conduent has been limited since the January 2025 attack. An incident notice published in October carried a ‘noindex’ tag in its source code, preventing search engines from listing the page, which critics say reduced visibility for affected individuals.
The breach ranks among the largest recent ransomware incidents, though it is smaller than the 2024 Change Healthcare attack that affected 190 million people. Regulators and affected users continue seeking clarity on the Conduent case and its security failures.
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US policymakers are increasingly treating personal data as a dual use asset that carries both economic value and national security risks. Regulators have raised concerns about sensitive information, including geolocation data linked to military personnel.
Measures such as the Protecting Americans Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024 and the Department of Justice Data Security Program aim to curb misuse by designated foreign adversaries. Both frameworks impose broad restrictions on cross border data transfers.
Experts warn that compliance remains complex and uncertain, with companies adapting in what one adviser described as a fog. Enforcement signals have already emerged, including a draft noncompliance letter from the Federal Trade Commission and litigation.
Organizations are being urged to integrate national security expertise into privacy and cybersecurity teams. Observers say early preparation is essential as selective enforcement risks increase under strict but evolving US data protection regimes.
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American technology firms are increasingly looking to Wales as a destination for AI investment and data infrastructure. Strong inward investment figures and expanding growth zones are putting the nation firmly on the technology map.
Last year Wales secured £4.6bn in global investment across 65 foreign direct investment projects, marking a 23 per cent rise year on year. Thousands of jobs were created or safeguarded, outperforming many other UK regions.
Major projects underline the shift. US firm Vantage plans to transform the former Ford Bridgend plant into a large-scale data centre campus, while Microsoft is supporting another proposed scheme in Newport, both located within designated AI growth zones.
Beyond data centres, Wales offers land, connectivity and a supportive regulatory environment. Innovation clusters across Cardiff, Newport and North Wales, alongside strengths in life sciences, advanced manufacturing and renewable energy, are strengthening its appeal to global investors.
With expanding energy projects and a growing start-up pipeline, Wales is positioning itself as a competitive base for global business. Investors are increasingly encouraged to see it not as a regional outpost, but as an international platform rooted in strong economic foundations.
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