Meta is using AI facial analysis to identify underage users on Facebook and Instagram
The company insists this is "not facial recognition"
Kids are using fake mustaches, VPNs, and their parents' accounts to get around age verification
30% of surveyed UK children have bypassed age checks, and parents sometimes help them
Utah just passed the first US law targeting VPN use for age verification
A new Utah law assumes websites can detect VPNs and find your real location. They can't.
Meta says New Mexico lawsuit could force Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp out of the state
Trial could force Meta to add age verification, kill infinite scroll, and limit encryption for minors
GameStop wants to buy eBay in an aggressive pivot to e-commerce
GameStop, a $12 billion company, wants to buy $46 billion eBay
EU is considering new rules for cloud and AI under the Digital Markets Act
US innovates, China replicates... Europe regulates?
YouTube has quietly become the backbone of US classrooms
The big picture: American classrooms now run on YouTube. In many districts, it sits at the center of the entire tech stack: Chromebooks or iPads in every backpack, Google accounts for every student, and videos queued for everything from math lessons to indoor recess. Teachers use it to read to a class, teach first graders to draw, or fill the last few minutes before dismissal. But the platform was never designed to be the primary gatekeeper of what children watch during the school day.
Sony's latest PlayStation DRM policy is causing widespread confusion (updated)
Facepalm: Console enthusiasts recently discovered another form of DRM policy reportedly implemented by Sony in games purchased on PlayStation systems. However, users are still debating how serious the policy is for long-term game ownership. AI-generated support messages and Sony's reluctance to directly address the issue have only added to the confusion.
EU says Meta is breaking the law by failing to keep children off Facebook and Instagram
Regulators warn the company could face fines of up to 6% of global revenue
Consumer tech lobby warns FCC that blocking router updates creates botnet risk for devices already in US homes
A temporary FCC waiver allows updates only until March 2027
A Supreme Court case could decide whether your phone can be used to find you first and suspect you later
A robbery case tied to Google data could set nationwide rules for how investigators use reverse searches to identify suspects
Australia gives Google, Meta, and TikTok a choice: pay news outlets or pay a 2.25% tax
Australia says tech giants must support the news content they benefit from
Stolen Apple Mac mini resurfaces on Facebook Marketplace as thief posts serial number and license plate
A criminal mastermind at work
Norway set to become the next country to ban under-16s from social media
The UK has rejected a similar under-16 ban
Meta to cut 8,000 jobs to bankroll its AI ambitions
The cuts come as Meta ramps up spending on compute, AI agents, and multibillion-dollar partnerships
Kalshi fines candidates for betting on their own elections, but one says he wanted to get caught
He was proving that prediction market platforms are"dangerous to our democracy," apparently
Iran claims US botnets or backdoors disabled routers from Cisco, Juniper, and Fortinet
The unverified claim draws on past router implant disclosures and recent wartime cyber operations
The Internet Archive makes 758 classic PC Gamer demo discs available to the public
Take a trip down memory lane
IPv6 traffic reaches parity with IPv4 for the first time, Google data shows
After decades, IPv6 is finally taking over the internet
Two New Jersey men jailed for helping North Korean IT workers infiltrate 100+ companies
Eight other suspects are on the run
Your Airbnb host might actually be AI
AI chat systems are increasingly managing bookings, support, and even disputes... often without disclosure
Popular WordPress plugins backdoored after ownership change, putting thousands of websites at risk
The backdoor was dormant for months
Clicking "reject cookies" might not actually do anything
Google, Microsoft, and Meta largely ignore cookie opt-outs, independent audit says
Bottom line: Those annoying cookie-consent banners that have flooded the internet over the past several years are supposed to give users the option to block most tracking cookies from advertisers. However, a recent California audit claims that the largest ad tech companies usually send cookies anyway, having decided that simply paying potential billions in fines is more profitable.
Google will demote websites that hijack your browser's back button
Offending websites have until June 15 to comply
What was the first ransomware attack to demand payment in Bitcoin?
Test your cyber history savvy in this week's trivia.