Techlaw

‘Crypto v community’: 4,000 local US lenders join forces to fight ‘stablecoins’ law

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 28.06.2026

Up to 4,000 community banks fear looming legislation to regulate digital cash will deprive rural firms and farmers of $850bn-worth of loansOn 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 grainy images of “crypto insiders” in suits.“American families don’t want experiments with their money,” a voice booms. “They want jobs, growth, and available credit. When crypto gets a free pass, communities pay the price.” Continue reading...

Australian rescue team uses AI-powered drone to find lost hikers – video

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 27.06.2026

Two men in their 20s were found within five hours thanks to an artificial intelligence-powered drone, which used thermal imaging to locate them. Two hikers veered off a walking track in Kosciuszko national park, New South Wales, on Tuesday, and were found about half a kilometre off the track. It was the first time the FRNSW drone’s AI detection system had been used to rescue missing peopleHikers lost in Kosciuszko national park rescued within five hours by AI drone Continue reading...

Screen time can damage under-twos’ development, landmark study suggests

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 27.06.2026

Exclusive: Researchers call for urgent investigation of risks to babies of tablets, smartphones and other digital devicesScreen time for babies and toddlers under the age of two has been linked with long-term negative effects on health and quality of life and should be avoided, according to a landmark study.It warns that using screens during that period may lead to wide-ranging developmental concerns and calls for further urgent investigation of the risks smartphones, tablets and other digital devices pose to infants. Continue reading...

Social media bans go global: big tech faces a reckoning after Australia’s crackdown

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 27.06.2026

As a host of countries move to rein in social media use by children, could this be technology’s big tobacco moment? Continue reading...

OpenAI staggers AI model release after Trump administration request

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 26.06.2026

Sam Altman announces limited preview of GPT 5.6 in move that echoes launch of Anthropic’s MythosBusiness live – latest updatesOpenAI is staggering the release of its latest AI model after a request from the US government, in a move echoing the launch of Anthropic’s Mythos product.The company behind ChatGPT signalled its dissatisfaction with the move, saying that doing so keeps the best AI tools from “users, developers, enterprises, cyber defenders, and global partners who need them”. Continue reading...

Why frontier AI must be stress-tested before CISOs trust it

Published in Why frontier AI must be stress-tested before CISOs trust it on 26.06.2026

The Computer Weekly Security Think Tank considers if Anthropic’s Claude Mythos frontier AI model is a benefit or barrier to achieving resilient enterprise IT security, and how security leaders need to adapt.

The ‘year of AI’: 2026 sees influx of ransomware attacks

Published in Why frontier AI must be stress-tested before CISOs trust it on 26.06.2026

At Infosecurity Europe 2026, Cynthia Kaiser, former FBI cyber deputy director and now SVP of anti-ransomware platform services supplier Halcyon, warns that ransomware is evolving with AI and becoming readily available on the dark web

Met Palantir pilot: The DPIA that raises more questions than answers

Published in Why frontier AI must be stress-tested before CISOs trust it on 26.06.2026

We examine the Data Protection Impact Assessment for the Metropolitan Police’s Palantir Foundry pilot, and the governance gaps it exposes around surveillance, transparency and staff consultation

Former ICO boss found using ‘vulgar’ language with female staff

Published in Why frontier AI must be stress-tested before CISOs trust it on 26.06.2026

An independent investigation into UK’s former information commissioner John Edwards uncovers his use of ‘highly sexualised’ language with staff, days after his resignation

A little bird told her: scientist wins $100,000 prize for decoding birdsong

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 26.06.2026

Julie Elie worked out how zebra finches announce who they are, what they are doing and use individual signaturesA scientist who decoded the vocalisations that a bird uses to communicate has won a $100,000 prize for making progress towards a world in which humans can talk to the animals – without being met with a blank response.Dr Julie Elie at the University of California, Berkeley, was awarded the 2026 Coller-Dolittle prize for two-way interspecies communication after working out the 11 core calls in the zebra finch vocabulary and their meanings. Continue reading...

Metropolitan Police chief warns against law updates amid substantial tech expansion

Published in Why frontier AI must be stress-tested before CISOs trust it on 26.06.2026

The Metropolitan Police is to significantly expand use of AI, drones and facial recognition to ‘regain the advantage’ over criminals, but warns progress could be held back by legislation and data integration issues

CW@60: Powering progress – the unsung hero of innovation

Published in Why frontier AI must be stress-tested before CISOs trust it on 26.06.2026

On 22 September 2026, Computer Weekly turns 60. To mark the milestone, we asked some of our friends - experts, trusted contacts, IT leaders and suppliers - for their perspectives on how tech has changed their lives over six decades

Apple raises iPad and MacBook prices, blaming cost of chips amid AI boom

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 26.06.2026

Company says it cannot shield customers from memory and storage chip costs – and iPhone hikes could be nextApple raised iPad and MacBook prices on Thursday, saying it could no longer shield customers from soaring memory and storage chip costs driven by the AI industry’s data center buildout.The move does not affect Apple’s cash cow, the iPhone. But it would take the starting price of the ⁠Neo, its lowest-priced laptop, from $599 to $699 mere months after launch. Continue reading...

Whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams sues Meta over attempts to ‘silence’ her

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 25.06.2026

Former employee files complaint accusing company of ‘coercive surveillance’ and first amendment violationThe Meta whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams is suing the tech company over its efforts to “silence” her.A 57-page complaint filed to a US district court in California on Thursday argues that an interim arbitration ruling sought by Meta preventing Wynn-Williams from publicising her memoir, Careless People, was “improper and unlawful” and a “blatant violation of the first amendment”. It also accuses the company of “coercive surveillance”. Continue reading...

Canvas breach hit 160 UK unis but caused limited damage

Published in Why frontier AI must be stress-tested before CISOs trust it on 25.06.2026

The April 2026 ShinyHunters breach of the Canvas learning management system caused downstream impacts at more than 150 higher education institutions in the UK, but the damage appears to have been limited

Six companies selected as AI tutoring development partners

Published in Why frontier AI must be stress-tested before CISOs trust it on 25.06.2026

Six UK companies have been selected as part as UK government’s plans to introduce AI tutoring tools in schools