California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk is overflowing with AI bills
The Washington Post’s essential guide to tech policy news.
By Gerrit De Vynck and Will OremusA telltale clue reveals shady ads on Facebook and Instagram
Links to Telegram on Meta’s platforms often lead to drugs and scams, researchers find.
By Will OremusSpyware vendors thwart restrictions with new names and locations
International efforts to rein in online surveillance tools are being systematically skirted, researchers say.
By Joseph MennMusk and Durov are facing the revenge of the regulators
For years, internet moguls like Elon Musk and Pavel Durov have flown above the law as captains of free speech. Now they’re hitting turbulence.
By Will OremusTelegram CEO Durov indicted in France, banned from leaving country
The Russian-born billionaire is charged with complicity in distributing child sexual abuse images and aiding organized crime.
By Joseph MennChinese government hackers penetrate U.S. internet providers to spy
Beijing’s hacking effort has “dramatically stepped up from where it used to be,” says former top U.S cybersecurity official.
By Joseph MennTech companies rally behind FTC’s crackdown on fake reviews
The Washington Post’s essential guide to tech policy news.
By Cristiano Lima-StrongAI researchers call for ‘personhood credentials’ as bots get smarter
Paper warns AI impersonators could “overwhelm the internet” without better ways to verify humans.
By Will OremusHow Democrats’ party platform has shifted on tech policy
The Washington Post’s essential guide to tech policy news.
By Cristiano Lima-StrongFederal court upholds block on California child online safety law
A federal court largely upheld a block against California’s landmark child online safety law.
By Cristiano Lima-StrongTrump’s mysterious X promos show the limits of digital ad transparency
The Washington Post’s essential guide to tech policy news.
By Cristiano Lima-Strong and Aaron SchafferGoogle sold Android phones with hidden insecure feature, companies find
The master software for some Android phones includes a hidden feature that is insecure and could be activated to allow remote control or spying, a security company says.
By Joseph MennAI’s legal reckoning is one step closer
A class-action lawsuit brought by a group of artists against firms Stability AI and Midjourney cleared a key legal hurdle.
By Will OremusRussian spy agency hackers breach human rights groups, victims say
Traditional phishing attacks aimed to break into organizations advocating for Russian dissidents, among others.
By Joseph MennFormer X employees, experts doubt Musk claim of cyberattack on Trump talk
The platform owner’s assertion that a distributed denial of service attack caused a 40-minute delay in his audio exchange with the former president meets with skepticism.
By Joseph MennDemocrats flip social media ‘censorship’ complaints on Musk, GOP
The Washington Post’s essential guide to tech policy news.
By Cristiano Lima-StrongTrump Media reports $16.4 million quarterly loss
Donald Trump’s company, which operates Truth Social, said it earned $837,000 in quarterly revenue.
By Eva DouIran uses fake news sites to interfere in U.S. election, Microsoft says
The company’s threat report cites efforts of different Iranian groups to run influence campaigns aimed at political extremes.
By Joseph MennCalifornia is weighing a flurry of sprawling tech bills — again
The Washington Post’s essential guide to tech policy news.
By Cristiano Lima-StrongDesign flaw could allow hackers to roll back Microsoft Windows updates
The company says it is working on fixes for the flaw presented at the annual Black Hat security conference.
By Joseph Menn