Source: Gizmodo
https://gizmodo.com/the-popes-ai-warning-could-help-workers-seek-religious-exemptions-from-using-ai-2000768283
A North Carolina software engineer already secured an accommodation allowing her to avoid using AI at work based on her religious beliefs.
Erin Maus, a Unitarian Universalist, first sought the accommodation in April at the large tech-entertainment company where she works, which she described as progressive. She argued that using AI did not align with her religious beliefs because of environmental and ethical concerns.
“In the era of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is threatened by new forms of dehumanization, ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human,” the pope wrote in his 43,000-word encyclical titled Magnifica Humanitas, published last month.
He wrote that AI is dehumanizing society by reducing “the mystery of the person into data and performance” and called on the tech industry to avoid “the idolatry of profit that sacrifices the weak.”
Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers are required to make reasonable accommodations for workers whose sincerely held religious beliefs conflict with a work requirement, unless the accommodation creates an undue hardship for the employer.
Source: The Register
https://www.theregister.com/cyber-crime/2026/06/05/if-you-dont-fall-for-these-extortionists-calls-theyll-show-up-with-usb-sticks/5251891
If they don’t get you online, they’ll try in person. A data-theft and extortion gang has targeted “dozens” of banks, law firms, and other professional services companies in the US from January through May, using fake help desk calls and other social-engineering techniques to gain access to corporate IT environments, according to Google’s Mandiant incident response team.
And when those remote-deception methods don’t work, the criminals sometimes show up at victims’ physical offices, posing as IT technicians, and attempt to steal sensitive files using thumb drives.
Google’s threat hunters track the extortion threat group as UNC3753, while other analysts call it Luna Moth, Chatty Spider, and Silent Ransom Group. The crew has been around since 2022, originally using fake software renewal emails and other billing lures, typically with PDF attachments containing phone numbers for attacker-controlled call centers, as their means of gaining initial access to corporate networks.
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Tagged: https://www.theregister.com/tag/cyber-crime
Source: Newser and AI
https://www.newser.com/story/390567/san-fran-burglar-escapes-in-driverless-taxi.html
Investigators got a search warrant forcing Waymo to turn over the rider’s account details and video from the white Jaguar used in the caper, but Sgt. Tim Faye says the account info didn’t point to a suspect—likely because of stolen data or a burner phone. It’s not clear how long Waymo keeps its interior video, but it was wiped by the time the warrant was filed, notes TechCrunch. Waymo equips its latest cars with 29 cameras, though it does not use facial recognition or similar techniques to identify people. In a Los Angeles incident last year, police chased a suspect leaving a grocery robbery, and the robotaxi pulled itself over because of the police lights. The San Fran robber appears to have absconded with men’s shorts.
Source: Facebook
https://about.fb.com/news/2026/06/fighting-spyware-an-update-from-whatsapp/
Takeaways
- WhatsApp caught and disrupted spear phishing attempts linked to NSO, a spyware firm blacklisted by the US government.
- We’re filing a federal court contempt order against NSO for violating a permanent injunction that barred them from ever targeting WhatsApp and its users.
- Spyware is a national security threat, which is why we are supporting a growing coalition of privacy advocates, security researchers, and digital rights experts against spyware.
Last year, WhatsApp made history by securing a landmark verdict and permanent injunction barring NSO Group — a spyware firm blacklisted for actions contrary to US national security — from targeting WhatsApp and its users ever again. The court was unequivocal: NSO violated the federal and state laws against hacking. Today, we’re asking the court to hold them in contempt of that order.
Categories: Data and Privacy Integrity and Security Public Policy WhatsApp
Source: Cord Cutters News
https://cordcuttersnews.com/emergency-weather-alerts-on-netflix-there-is-a-growing-push-to-get-the-fcc-to-mandate-alerts-on-streaming/
As Americans increasingly turn away from traditional television toward on-demand streaming platforms, federal regulators face mounting pressure to update the nation’s emergency alert system. The Federal Communications Commission is set to examine emergency alerting protocols this month, with advocates urging the inclusion of major streaming services in location-based notifications for both local disasters and national emergencies.
The outcome could redefine how the country prepares for and responds to disasters in the digital age. For now, reliance on smartphones for wireless alerts and occasional checks of news apps remains the primary backup for streamers. Yet as viewing patterns evolve, the push for comprehensive coverage grows stronger, underscoring a fundamental question: in an era of personalized media, can emergency information remain truly universal? Policymakers aim to ensure that no one misses a critical message simply because they chose to stream instead of tune in.
[I assume that VPN would further obfuscate; btw, my VoIP provider has a 9-1-1 service interface that requires you to register your home address … of course not foolproof but a step in the right direction]
Source: Cord Cutters News
https://cordcuttersnews.com/another-internet-provider-shuts-down-without-warning-leaving-customers-stranded-and-its-not-the-first-time/
This is not the first time a small telecommunications provider has gone dark overnight, leaving customers with no service and no clear path forward. In late 2023, Bailey Cable TV — a company serving more than a dozen towns across Mississippi and Louisiana — abruptly shut down on November 30 without warning to its customers. Subscribers only learned of the closure through a recorded phone message that played when they called the company’s customer service line, informing them that service would not be restored and that they would not be billed for December. No alternative contact method was provided, and the company’s website offered no explanation or notice of the shutdown. What made the Bailey Cable TV closure particularly damaging was that the company went completely out of business rather than transitioning to streaming or focusing on internet service — significantly limiting options for TV and internet access for those in the affected communities.
The pattern emerging from both cases raises serious questions about the protections available to consumers — particularly those in rural areas — when small or financially troubled telecom providers fail. Unlike large national carriers, smaller regional providers often operate with less regulatory scrutiny, and when they collapse, they can leave entire communities digitally stranded with little recourse.
Source: FedScoop
https://fedscoop.com/why-governing-agentic-ai-is-the-next-mission-for-federal-agencies/
As the federal government transitions from individual AI models to dynamic, multi-agent systems, the mission focus is shifting toward governing autonomous entities in high-stakes environments. During his recent AITalks session, Dr. Paul Rodrigues, Chief AI Officer for Microsoft Federal’s National Security Group, outlined the critical evolution required to manage what he calls the “agentic agency.”
While the federal government has been a pioneer in AI for decades, the nature of the technology has fundamentally shifted. Previous iterations focused on “narrow AI systems” that executed specific tasks in a serial manner, Rodrigues said. Today’s AI landscape is empowered by “complex systems with agents that interact with each other,” similar to how people interact in the workplace, to meet broader mission requirements.
Navigating the mission-critical reality – Rodrigues highlighted several core challenges – “When we’re talking about agentic AI, we’re not just talking about a system that can increase the efficiency of government,” Rodrigues explained. “We need these systems to increase efficiency in a traceable manner, adhering to policy and ensuring that there’s human oversight and authorities.”
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Tagged:
Source: Gizmodo
https://gizmodo.com/crypto-hits-a-new-low-with-misspelled-memecoin-forehead-tattoo-bounty-2000770012
With the advent of AI, crypto has begun to feel like an afterthought in the story of our nascent tech dystopia, a receding whiff of last year’s bullshit. But never fear, while AI bros’ world-ruining antics occupy the spotlight in 2026, crypto bros remain more than capable of some ghastliness of their own.
Take, for example, the launch of “GO”, a marketplace launched last week by memecoin sewer pump.fun. As per pump.fun’s own X account, the marketplace lets users “Pay ANYONE to do ANYTHING … create [and] complete bounties for ANY task.” The announcement came with some cursory language about empowerment and changing the world and etc, promising that the marketplace would “leverage the power of humans and money across the globe.” Instead, in news that will surprise precisely no-one, it devolved almost instantly a sort of sub-Pewdiepie race to the bottom, with users trying to outdo one another in commissioning oh-so-outrageous stunts from people to whom a few hundred dollars could make a real difference.
Source: Android Headlines
https://www.androidheadlines.com/2026/06/fcc-proposal-anonymous-burner-phones-identity-rules.html
The FCC has proposed strict new identity rules aimed at curbing illegal robocalls by forcing telecom providers to verify customer names, physical addresses, and government ID numbers before granting phone service. Privacy advocacy groups like the ACLU and the EFF argue the move will eliminate anonymous burner phones, hurting domestic abuse survivors and journalists while failing to stop sophisticated scammers. The proposal is currently open for public feedback, with a formal comment deadline set for June 25.
More data, more cybersecurity risks – Critics also say the policy is based on a flawed premise. Security researchers allege professional scammers can easily bypass these checks with fake documentation or stolen credentials. Meanwhile, ordinary consumers would face increased cybersecurity risks by handing over high-value personal data to an industry notorious for security flaws. John Doyle, CEO of privacy-focused carrier Cape, warned that enriching legacy telecom datasets with government IDs creates an incredibly attractive honeypot for hackers. It would turn standard phone accounts into prime targets for identity theft.
Source: The Hill
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5918784-epa-phone-systems/
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) replaced employee desk phones with calling software used on their laptops, something the union says poses safety issues, including during a recent medical emergency.
Justin Chen, president of the biggest EPA employee union, told The Hill that the additional software that’s supposed to handle 9-1-1 geolocation “doesn’t really work, apparently.”
Chen said that this recently came up during an emergency situation in the EPA’s San Francisco office, adding the issue “ended up delaying a response.”
Another EPA employee said that the emergency service software “has not worked since the time it was installed” last year.
“It pops up on your computer and it just says, ‘unable to connect,’ and then we’ve been instructed to just click on the ‘x’ box and close the program,” they said, adding the direction came from managers at the agency.
In the case of the medical emergency, the regular call software worked, but “9-1-1’s response was delayed by the fact that they could not locate where the phone call was coming from,” the staffer said.
Ultimately, the person who had the medical emergency was OK, the employee said, but Chen said the situation puts safety at risk.
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“The legacy desk‑phone systems were at end‑of‑life and no longer vendor‑supported, which can create reliability and cybersecurity concerns. The cloud‑based platform improves resilience, security, and continuity of operations,” said the spokesperson, who did not provide their name.
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Asked specifically about the San Francisco incident, they said it was “still under investigation, but we have not identified any system‑wide malfunction and Region 9 IT staff have had no reported malfunctions to date.”
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Kito said that any connection issues would be because of the computer settings, not the software itself.
He added that if someone clicks on the “x” box, the program should pop back up every few minutes. If they were to shut it down entirely, they would get a warning message saying that closing the program could prevent emergency services from finding them.
“We try [to] do everything we can to make sure that the person who is using the application knows how important it is for them to keep it up,” he said.
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[I counted 3 companies involved with providing service /pmw1]