Uber turns to US law enforcement ‘after hacker breaches network’
Uber said it has contacted US law enforcement after a hacker apparently breached its network. A security engineer said the intruder provided evidence of obtaining access to crucial systems at the ride-hailing service. There was no indication that Uber’s fleet of vehicles or its operation was in any way affected. “It seems like they’ve compromised […]
Irish data protection watchdog defends handling of social media investigations
Ireland’s data protection watchdog has defended its stance and the pace of its investigations into breaches by social media giants. Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon said the long-running criticisms are “becoming old news”. Ireland’s regulator of big tech companies has long faced criticism from civil liberties groups in Ireland and across Europe, accusing it of […]
EU wants to toughen cybersecurity rules for smart devices
The European Union’s executive arm has proposed new legislation that would force manufacturers to ensure devices connected to the internet meet cybersecurity standards, making the 27-nation bloc less vulnerable to attacks. The EU said a ransomware attack takes place every 11 seconds, and the global annual cost of cybercrime is estimated at 5.5 trillion euros […]
Adobe buying Figma in €19.98 billion cash-and-stock deal
Software company Adobe is buying online design company Figma in a cash-and-stock deal worth 20 billion US dollars (€19.98 billion). Figma, founded in 2012, allows those who design interactive mobile and web applications to collaborate through multi-player workflows, sophisticated design systems and a rich developer ecosystem. The companies said Figma’s web-based, multiplayer capabilities will accelerate […]
Fireball which lit up night sky was space debris, experts conclude
A “brilliant fireball” seen in the skies above parts of the UK is believed to have been space debris, experts have said. The UK Meteor Network said it had received almost 800 reports after the blazing orb was spotted in the night sky on Wednesday. The organisation said that having studied many videos of the […]
South Korea fines Google and Meta over privacy violations
South Korea’s privacy watchdog has fined Google and Meta a combined 100 billion won (£62.35 million) for tracking consumers’ online behaviour without their consent and using their data for targeted advertisements. South Korea’s Personal Information and Protection Commission said it fined Google 69.2 billion won (£43.3 million) and Meta 30.8 billion won (£19.05 million) after […]
TikTok search results ‘riddled with misinformation’ on Covid, climate and war
TikTok is riddled with misleading information, including about Covid-19, climate change and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a new research report says. Researchers at NewsGuard searched for content about prominent news topics on the social media platform and found that almost one in five videos automatically suggested by TikTok contained misinformation. Searches for information about “mRNA […]
China and India had agents working for Twitter, says whistleblower
Twitter’s former security chief has told US Congress there was “at least one agent” from China’s intelligence service on the social network’s payroll and that the company knowingly allowed India to add agents to the company roster as well, potentially giving those nations access to sensitive data about users. These were some of the troubling […]
Researchers find new way to extract high-purity silver from used solar panels
Researchers have found an alternative way to extract high-purity silver from used solar panels. The metal is essential to the functioning of the panels, but the amount of naturally occurring silver found in ores is decreasing, making supply a concern for the future. This not only affects the production of photovoltaic (PV) cells – also […]
Bezos rocket fails during lift-off with only experiments aboard
Jeff Bezos’ rocket company suffered its first launch failure Monday. No one was aboard, only science experiments. The Blue Origin rocket blasted off from West Texas and was barely a minute into the flight when bright yellow flames shot out from around the single engine at the bottom. The capsule’s emergency launch abort system immediately […]