Author: Frank Salvato

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has significantly increased its use of administrative subpoenas to compel major technology platforms — including Google, Meta, Reddit, and Discord — to turn over identifying information tied to anonymous social media accounts that post content critical of Immigration and Customs Enforcement or share real-time tracking of ICE activities, a tactic that bypasses judicial oversight and has sparked free speech and privacy concerns; some companies have complied with these demands at least in part, while others have notified users of the requests and allowed legal challenges, and civil liberties advocates warn that this represents a…

Spotify’s co-CEO Gustav Söderström revealed during the company’s fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call that the company’s top engineers have not written a single line of code since December, underscoring a dramatic shift toward artificial intelligence-driven software development where internal systems like “Honk” and generative models such as Claude Code produce and deploy features with minimal human typing required. Instead of traditional coding, engineers at Spotify are using AI commands—sometimes issued via Slack on a mobile device—to generate, fix, and merge app code in real time, a model the company credits with helping it ship more than 50 new features in 2025,…

The Australian government has formally put the hugely popular online gaming platform Roblox on notice, demanding urgent action and accountability after reports emerged that children on the service have been approached by predators and exposed to sexually explicit and self-harm content, prompting calls for meetings with platform executives, possible reclassification of its PG rating, and scrutiny of safety measures under Australia’s Online Safety Act. Sources https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/australia-puts-roblox-on-notice-amid-child-grooming-claims-5983238https://www.abc.net.au/news/commonwealth-roblox-reports-of-child-grooming/106323242https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-asks-meeting-with-roblox-after-grooming-content-complaints-2026-02-10/ Key Takeaways • Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells has sought an urgent meeting with Roblox after receiving reports that children using the platform are being groomed by predators and exposed to explicit and harmful…

A new survey released in February shows that children in the United Kingdom are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence chatbots not just for homework help, but for real-world guidance, with roughly 86 percent of those who use these AI systems reporting that they’ve acted on the advice given by them, a trend that raises fresh concerns about digital literacy, critical thinking and social development as nearly a third of young users describe these tools as friend-like and many disclose personal issues they wouldn’t share with parents or teachers. Sources https://www.vodafone.co.uk/newscentre/press-release/ai-chatbots-safer-internet-day-2026/https://www.itv.com/news/2026-02-09/ai-homework-and-friendship-why-more-children-are-opening-up-to-chatbotshttps://saferinternet.org.uk/blog/almost-all-young-brits-use-ai-more-than-half-say-it-makes-life-better Key Takeaways • A large majority of UK children aged…

A bipartisan group of eight U.S. lawmakers led by House committee leaders has formally pressed the Trump administration to expand and tighten export controls on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China, warning that current entity-specific restrictions leave “critical gaps” that Beijing is exploiting to advance its chipmaking capabilities. They argue that restricting China’s access to so-called chokepoint tools — including advanced lithography systems China cannot produce domestically — is vital for U.S. national security and technological competitiveness, and called for broader countrywide controls and allied cooperation to prevent the transfer of key chipmaking gear and subcomponents into Chinese hands, as…

Waymo, the self-driving vehicle division of Alphabet Inc., has initiated fully autonomous operations in Nashville, Tennessee, marking a new phase in its expansion of driverless robotaxi services across the United States. The deployment in Music City comes after months of preparation and is tied to a strategic partnership with ride-hailing company Lyft, which is set to integrate Waymo’s autonomous fleet into its platform for public use later this year. Nashville joins several major metropolitan areas where Waymo has already developed autonomous driving capabilities, with ride-hail services previously established in cities like Phoenix and San Francisco. As Waymo ramps up its…

In a high-stakes civil trial unfolding in Los Angeles Superior Court, legal teams for Google’s YouTube pushed back on allegations that the platform functions as addictive social media and harms children’s mental health, arguing YouTube is fundamentally different from platforms like Instagram or TikTok and does not cause addiction, even as plaintiff attorneys maintain the tech giants engineered features that ensnare young users in compulsive, damaging use. Attorneys for YouTube told jurors the video service is a video-streaming platform rather than social media — and pointed to testimony and data suggesting a 19-year-old plaintiff’s average YouTube use was modest —…

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman-Grant, was questioned in the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee by One Nation Senator Tyron Whitten on Feb. 11 regarding whether the broad online safety crackdown — including recent actions to restrict social media access for under-16s and strengthen enforcement of online content laws — could harm ties between the United States and Australia, as some U.S. lawmakers have expressed concern about the commissioner’s enforcement of online safety measures and their perceived impact on Big Tech operations. Sources https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/senator-questions-whether-esafety-crackdown-could-strain-us-australia-ties-5983936https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/senator-questions-whether-esafety-crackdown-could-strain-us-australia-ties-5983936https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_Safety_Amendment_%28Social_Media_Minimum_Age%29_Act_2024 Key Takeaways • A sitting Australian senator queried whether expansive online safety enforcement might affect diplomatic…

The Federal Trade Commission has formally warned Apple that its Apple News app may be showing political bias by favoring left-leaning sources and excluding conservative outlets, saying such practices could violate U.S. consumer-protection law if they mislead users or contradict Apple’s own policies; the FTC’s letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook cites recent reports and studies alleging the curated content appears to boost left-wing media while suppressing right-wing perspectives, and urges a comprehensive review to ensure the platform’s operations align with the FTC Act and consumer expectations. Sources https://www.theepochtimes.com/tech/ftc-warns-apple-over-alleged-political-bias-in-apple-news-5984490https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-ftc-raises-concerns-over-accusations-apple-news-favors-articles-left-wing-2026-02-12/https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-ftc-sends-letter-apple-over-alleged-political-bias-its-news-app Key Takeaways • The FTC has issued a formal warning to…

Instagram’s head executive, Adam Mosseri, testified in a high-profile trial in Los Angeles that he does not believe users can be clinically addicted to Instagram or other social media, drawing a distinction between clinical addiction and what he described as “problematic use,” amid plaintiffs’ claims that platforms were purposefully designed to hook young people; Mosseri told jurors that spending more time on the app than someone feels good about does not equate to clinical addiction and emphasized that addiction is a medical diagnosis beyond his company’s purview, while opposing lawyers challenged that position with internal communications and broader mental-health concerns…