WhatsApp has quietly introduced a new ‘Lockdown’ mode
WhatsApp has launched a major security update as it unveils a new ‘lockdown’ mode. This set of security features, known collectively as ‘Strict Account Settings’, is designed to protect users from advanced cyberattacks. Once turned on, the feature will limit how your WhatsApp works in some ways, including blocking attachments and media from people you
New Rules for Google’s AI Overviews in UK
The Competition and Markets Authority said Wednesday that, under its plans, Google might have to provide publishers with more choice and transparency over how their content is used in the search giant’s AI Overviews, the company’s artificial-intelligence feature which produces AI-generated summaries of search results. That could mean allowing publishers to stop their content being
Gallot to leave Google Clouud
Google Cloud’s chief revenue officer Matt Renner announced the news on Tuesday in a memo to staff.Gallot joined Google last April to spearhead a new division focused on helping customers and businesses adopt the company’s cloud products, including its AI offerings. The group absorbed several other teams inside Cloud at a critical time for Google,
Putin is hosting Syria’s interim leader for talks
Russia, which in recent years has been focused on the fighting in Ukraine and kept only a small military contingent in Syria, didn’t try to counter the rebel offensive. It gave asylum to Assad and his family after he fled the country. Syria’s interim leader arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for his second visit in
Greenland will not give in
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Wednesday issued a defiant message on the Arctic island’s future, while Denmark warned the world order as we know it is now over. Appearing together at a forum in the French capital as they seek to shore up support from European allies, the political leaders sought to portray a
Meta to trial premium subscriptions for its socials
Technology giant Meta is to trial premium subscriptions for Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp users in the coming months. The new offerings would give access to features including expanded artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.The firm also plans to test subscriptions for features, such as its Vibes video generation app, which the firm says “can bring your ideas
Grok AI controversy explained
The European Commission is investigating Musk-owned X after its Grok AI chatbot generated sexualised deepfake images. Regulators are examining whether X properly assessed and mitigated risks under the Digital Services Act, following global backlash and prior penalties. The probe is examining whether X took sufficient steps to prevent harm linked to Grok’s image-generation and editing
Telegram CEO: ‘Have to be braindead to believe WhatsApp is secure’
The Russian billionaire’s comments come amid a class-action lawsuit against Meta-owned WhatsApp in San Francisco, accusing it of accessing users’ messages, contradicting end-to-end encryption (E2EE) promises. “You’d have to be braindead to believe WhatsApp is secure in 2026. When we analyzed how WhatsApp implemented its “encryption”, we found multiple attack vectors,” Pavel Durov wrote on
TikTok says a power outage messed up its algorithm
The company informed employees of the outage on Sunday. That day, TikTok users began reporting issues with their feeds, including seeing a flurry of old or irrelevant posts instead of new videos. The absence of topical content, such as on-the-ground videos from the Minneapolis ICE protests, led to speculation on social media that TikTok’s new
Israel finds the last hostage body in Gaza
Israel said Monday it identified the body of the final Israeli hostage in Gaza and returned it to Israel, paving the way for the long-awaited next steps in President Trump’s peace plan.The military said it launched a “large-scale operation” for his body over the weekend in a cemetery in northern Gaza, acting based on intelligence.