The Guardian

eSafety monitoring compliance of top 30 adult sites after age verification laws introduced in March Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Nine in 10 of the most visited adult sites used by Australians now have age checks for users, according to the online safety regulator, but eSafety has said it will assess whether those sites are allowing users to bypass restrictions with…

Sony Pictures and Paramount are said to also be among potential buyers for the film-focused social platform Letterboxd is reportedly in talks with potential buyers. The owners of the popular social platform for movies are discussing a sale with companies including Netflix , Sony Pictures and Paramount , according to the industry newsletter Puck . Continue reading...

Nathan Johnson says if elected he’ll investigate state’s deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to provide rural internet US politics live – latest updates A Texas Democrat running to become the state’s attorney general has said he will investigate Elon Musk ’s SpaceX company if elected, saying it “sure looks like” corruption was involved in a deal he said handed the world’s richest man $110m of taxpayers’…

Direct oversight of ‘critical third parties’ such as Oracle and Microsoft given to ensure resilient cyber-defences and help safeguard UK economy The Bank of England has been handed powers to regulate important tech firms including Amazon and Google from next week, amid fears that system failures could threaten financial stability and harm consumers. From Monday, the Bank and fellow City regulator…

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: Edwin Robbe had a troubled life, but found excitement and purpose by joining an audacious community of hackers. Then the real world caught up with his online activities By Huib Modderkolk. Read by Aaron Vodovoz Continue reading...

Researchers say small changes in drafting could spread rapidly and create long-term shifts in public opinion AI tools are twisting online messages on sensitive political topics about everything from abortion to climate change in ways that could snowball to reshape long-term public opinion, experts have said. As tech companies push AI tools as convenient ways to redraft and summarise the massive i…

Guardian analysis of X feed shows how keen world’s richest person was to air his views and ‘interfere’ in British politics Elon Musk posted about race and immigration in the UK on his social media network X twice as often as he did about SpaceX, which he also owns, in the run-up to the aerospace and AI company’s initial public offering. A Guardian analysis of Musk’s posts, replies and reposts bet…

Exclusive: National Crime Agency and safety watchdog issue guidance amid rise in explicit material online AI prey: why watchdogs are telling parents to protect children from nudification apps The UK National Crime Agency has recommended parents should not put photos of their children on public display online as part of landmark guidance to tackle the rise of AI-generated sexual abuse material. Ad…

Culture secretary says her department will stop using platform, citing concern over its far right content that fuels violence and division The UK’s culture and media department will stop using X because the site “now favours abuse and misinformation over meaningful debate”, Lisa Nandy has announced. The culture secretary’s department is the UK’s second to quit the Elon Musk-owned platform over in…

Modern AI systems are, in effect, a universal adviser to help people do harmful things. We’ll need to harness AI for defense, too Earlier this week, national security agencies from the Five Eyes – that’s the rich, English-language-speaking countries club – jointly released a statement warning of the increasing cyber risks of AI models: in particular, their ability to autonomously hack into system…

Up to 4,000 community banks fear looming legislation to regulate digital cash will deprive rural firms and farmers of $850bn-worth of loans On a quiet summer morning, above a small mid-western town, an American flag is waving in the breeze. The camera cuts to a father helping his son at the wheel of a tractor, and flits to a smiling couple on a grass-lined pavement, moments before flashing to gra…

The podcaster and TV host talks to us about doomscrolling, aliens and a horrifying sound healing that made her want to vomit What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received? It’s not really advice, but it is something my mum said when I was going through a breakup with a guy who treated me so badly our whole relationship. She said, “Oh, I feel so sorry for him.” And I was like, “Why do you…

Thalha Jubair and Owen Flowers, linked to the Scattered Spider hacking group, change pleas on first day of trial Two British cybercriminals from the Scattered Spider hacking group have pleaded guilty to a cyber-attack on Transport for London in 2024 that cost £39m and affected 10 million people. Thalha Jubair, 20, and Owen Flowers, 18, pleaded guilty to offences under the Computer Misuse Act at W…

Twenty years ago I briefly became the victim of a viral pile-on – all because of a silly YouTube video. But I’m glad I had the chance to embarrass myself and move on. Are today’s teens so fortunate? As a teenager, I went kind of viral – and the most amazing thing about that is it had absolutely zero effect on my life. It was the summer holidays in 2006, and my friends Jessie, Emma and I decided t…

Need something brilliant to read this weekend? Here are six of our favourite pieces from the last seven days Continue reading...