Source: Gizmodo
https://gizmodo.com/eu-calls-vpns-a-loophole-that-needs-closing-in-age-verification-laws-2000756429
There’s a growing a growing chorus that doesn’t want to stop at basic age verification.Earlier this year, the European Union introduced an application meant to verify the age and identity of citizens accessing the internet as part of an effort to keep underage users off social media. Turns out there’s a slight crack in that otherwise fool-proof approach to verification: VPNs. Now it appears the bloc of nations wants to patch up that hole.CyberInsider first reported that the European Parliamentary Research Service, part of the European Parliament, has issued a warning about virtual private networks, which allow users to bypass age assurance requirements by spoofing their location to be outside of the EU. In a statement, the agency called VPNs “a loophole in the legislation that needs closing.”
Instead, the agency mostly acknowledges that VPNs are a real thorn in its side. It observed that VPN usage has significantly increased in places that have enacted age-verification requirements. One VPN provider, Proton VPN, reported a 1400% increase in new signups after the UK’s age-assurance law went into effect last year. A similar trend emerged in France when the country cut off access to Pornhub to anyone under the age of 18. Basically, when age-verification laws go into effect, people flock to the most well-known tool for dodging them.
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Filed: Privacy & Security
Source: Gizmodo
https://gizmodo.com/fcc-attempts-to-solve-robocall-problem-by-potentially-creating-even-bigger-privacy-problem-2000756762
In a press release late last month, FCC chairman Brendan Carr said “We must bring meaningful robocall relief to consumers.” In another press release two days later, the commission wrote that “Stopping illegal calls is the FCC’s top consumer protection priority.”
At face value, this emphasis should be welcome news to the American public. Late last year a report from the consumer advocacy group U.S. PIRG Education Fund found that Americans had received 2.14 billion robocalls per month in 2024. That’s only about six per month on a per-capita basis, but they aren’t evenly distributed. It’s not unheard of for some Americans to get over 100 spam calls in a day.
But the FCC’s cure might be worse than the disease.
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Consequently, the enforcement regime these rules would put in place is intriguing. Per Wiley Rein, it would be a fine of $2,500 per call, and against an offending telecom provider—not the customer making the calls. The FCC would basically be deputizing telecom companies as ID verifiers and scrutinizers of user behavior, and they would be highly motivated to crack down on their customers heavily, because $2,500 per call in a country with billions of robocalls per year could be devastating.
Filed: https://gizmodo.com/tech/privacy-and-security
Source: Gizmodo
https://www.androidheadlines.com/2026/05/this-t-mobile-mvno-will-clone-your-voice-and-make-phone-calls-for-you.html
REALLY, a T-Mobile MVNO, has unveiled an AI feature called Clone that replicates a subscriber’s voice to make and receive phone calls on their behalf. The carrier-native tool handles tasks like booking restaurants and navigating hold times, but it raises real questions about whether AI-impersonated calls strip away too much human warmth from everyday interactions.
REALLY announces new AI clone feature – Now, the concept of using AI on the phone isn’t exactly new. Google actually introduced a feature like that years ago in the form of “Hold for me.” This is where the AI would wait on the call on your behalf and let you know when to speak. There were even AI features that could call restaurants and make bookings on your behalf.
However, REALLY is taking things to the next level with its AI clone feature. Basically, what it does is it clones your voice so that you can go about your day doing things while it makes phone calls for you. For example, you could be busy at work, but the AI can make calls and book restaurants or hotels on your behalf.
Do you really want to be receiving a call from a family member or friend, only to realize it was a cloned AI voice, asking you out for dinner or reminding you of an upcoming event? It strips away all personality and warmth that you typically get from a human interaction. There’s efficiency and there’s this, and we’re not sure if this is necessarily better.
[how about a scammer preying on an elderly family member to send bail for their incarcerated grandchild?]
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Filed: Smartphone Carriers News
Source: Android Headlines
https://www.androidheadlines.com/2026/05/the-dhs-is-using-google-to-spy-on-people-who-criticize-ice-even-outside-the-us.html
The DHS used a customs summons to demand Google hand over the location data, activity logs, and account records of a Canadian citizen who criticized ICE online, without any court oversight. The case, now being fought by the ACLU, raises alarming questions about whether anyone who uses US-based tech services has real privacy protections, regardless of where they live in the world.
So, you think because you don’t live in the US that you’re “free” from Big Brother? Think again. According to a recent article from WIRED, it turns out the DHS doesn’t care where you live. The report revealed how the DHS tried to violate the privacy of a Canadian through Google by demanding data on them.
DHS is violating privacy by getting Google data on people – As you and many people around the world are aware, there have been protests held against ICE. Namely over the killing of two US citizens. This has sparked a lot of outrage. Especially with the Trump administration labeling the victims as “terrorists,” even though video evidence suggests otherwise.
Now, the criticisms leveled at ICE are taking place all around the world. This includes countries and people who aren’t living in the US, aren’t US citizens, or have never even stepped foot into the US. You would think that their comments are safe, but apparently not. This is because your privacy, especially on Google, isn’t safe from the DHS.
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Filed: Google News
Source: NC News via Newser
https://www.newser.com/story/388967/no-grandma-brad-pitt-isnt-pitching-medicare-on-facebook.html
Meta is under fresh fire over some of its ads, and being watched carefully on what happens next. A new report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate says Facebook is awash in deceptive Medicare-themed ads that rely on bogus celebrity endorsements and that mainly target older users, reports NBC News. Thirty top scam accounts generated an estimated 215 million ad impressions over the past year, with nearly three-quarters of impressions coming from people 65 and up, according to the group.
Meta, which has faced multiple lawsuits and years of criticism over deceptive ads, says it removed more than 159 million scam ads in 2025 and calls scammers “determined criminals” using “increasingly sophisticated tactics.” Per Bloomberg, one complaint filed against Meta claims that the company pulls in about $7 billion as a result of the misleading spots.
Source: Android Headlines
https://www.androidheadlines.com/2026/05/android-17-security-privacy-2026-updates.html
Google has detailed its 2026 security roadmap, highlighting Android 17’s focus on AI-driven protection. Key upgrades include verified financial calls to prevent spoofing, biometric-enhanced theft protection, and granular privacy controls for location and contacts. By integrating real-time threat detection and harder defenses against unauthorized access, Android aims to significantly reduce fraud and data theft.
Google is raising the bar for mobile security on devices in 2026 with Android 17. The company is rolling out a massive security and privacy updates designed to tackle common threats like financial fraud, physical theft, and invasive app tracking.
Android 17 security updates for 2026 bring advanced anti-scam shields – One of the most persistent threats involves “spoofing.” This practice involves criminals disguising their caller ID to look like a legitimate bank. This tactic leads to nearly $950 million in global losses every year. To fight back, Google is introducing verified financial calls.
Devices running Android 11 or higher will now work silently in the background with banking apps like Revolut and Nubank. When a call arrives, the system asks the bank for confirmation. If the bank didn’t actually place the call, Android simply ends it. This protection effectively kills the scam before you even have a chance to pick up the phone.
Subject: Google Says Criminal Hackers Used A.I. to Find a Major Software Flaw
Source: New York Times Gift Article
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/11/us/politics/google-hackers-attack-ai.html?unlocked_article_code=1.h1A.r-MJ.jL43AwSnlkP8
The company said that it had identified, for the first time, hackers using artificial intelligence to discover an unknown bug. The attempted attack represents “a taste of what’s to come,” one expert said. A criminal hacking group recently attempted to launch a widespread cyberattack that appeared to rely on artificial intelligence to detect a previously unknown bug, Google said in research published Monday, highlighting the potential threat that A.I. poses to digital security. Security experts have feared for years that malicious hackers could eventually rely on A.I. models to identify undisclosed flaws in computer code to launch crippling attacks that are difficult to guard against. That fear was largely theoretical until now. “We have high confidence that the actor likely leveraged an A.I. model to support the discovery and weaponization of this vulnerability,” the report said.
Subject: Trump Says He Discussed ‘Standard’ AI Safety Guardrails With Xi. There’s No Such Thing Maybe there should be.
Source: Gizmodo
https://gizmodo.com/trump-says-he-discussed-standard-ai-safety-guardrails-with-xi-theres-no-such-thing-2000759221
Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping talked about AI safety during their two-day summit in Beijing, according to Bloomberg. What safeguards, exactly? “Standard guardrails that we talk about all the time,” he said. Great! Except… there are no standard guardrails. In the United States, AI regulation is a mess. There is a patchwork of state-level laws that take steps to restrict some of the more harmful and dangerous uses of AI. California has been a leader in this space and passed a major AI safety bill last year, though one can quibble with just how effective the legislation is. But at the federal level, very little meaningful action has been taken. Last year, Trump revealed his “AI Action Plan,” which offered up 90 policy recommendations that amount to a whole lot of nothing. It could largely be boiled down to “we should do AI.” To the extent there were any guardrails involved, Trump called on AI models to be “unbiased,” which, in his mind, means that they don’t say anything he doesn’t like. To that end, his most recent idea for AI regulation includes letting his goons review AI models before they are released to the public to make sure they comply with the administration’s desires.