FTC declines to enforce a kids privacy law for data collected to verify users’ ages
FTC declines to enforce a kids privacy law for data collected to verify users’ ages

The Federal Trade Commission is encouraging companies to adopt age verification technologies by announcing it will not enforce a children’s online privacy law against certain websites that collect and use minors’ personal data in order to verify their ages. “Age verification technologies are some of the most child-protective technologies to emerge in decades,” Christopher Mufarrige, […]

Trump claims tech companies will sign deals next week to pay for their own power supply
Trump claims tech companies will sign deals next week to pay for their own power supply

President Donald Trump tried to quell Americans’ concerns about rising electricity costs during his State of the Union speech – and now we’re learning that the deals he promised could land next week. Trump claimed that he’s negotiated a “rate payer protection pledge” with major tech companies, which would see them build out or pay […]

Welcome to the post-hype crypto market

Crypto is creeping back into the startup conversation, but at ETHDenver last week, the buzz was as much about Washington as it was about tokens. Policy shifts are rippling through the market as Tether and stablecoins face scrutiny, players like Stripe …

Apple rolls out age verification tools worldwide to comply with growing web of child safety laws

Apple complies with new age assurance laws in the U.S. and abroad, including those that block users from downloading apps aimed at adults.

Inside Anthropic’s existential negotiations with the Pentagon
Inside Anthropic’s existential negotiations with the Pentagon

Anthropic’s weekslong battle with the Department of Defense has played out over social media posts, admonishing public statements, and direct quotes from unnamed Pentagon officials to the news media. But the future of the $380 billion AI startup comes down to just three words: “any lawful use.” The new terms, which OpenAI and xAI have […]

Trump is making coal plants even dirtier as AI demands more energy
Trump is making coal plants even dirtier as AI demands more energy

The Trump administration just tossed out Biden-era restrictions on mercury and other toxic pollutants from power plants. It’s repealing Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) just as electricity demand in the US ticks up with the buildout of new AI data centers. Those standards are particularly impactful when it comes to pollution from coal plants […]

Nevada sues to block Kalshi’s prediction betting market
Nevada sues to block Kalshi’s prediction betting market

Nevada is suing to block the prediction market platform Kalshi from allowing residents to place bets on the outcomes of events, including elections and sports games, as reported earlier by Business Insider. The lawsuit adds to a growing number of legal battles across the country, claiming that Kalshi is harming the state’s gambling market by […]

Shein’s ‘addictive design’ and illegal sex dolls under investigation
Shein’s ‘addictive design’ and illegal sex dolls under investigation

The European Union has opened a formal investigation into Shein after French regulators found listings for “child-like sex dolls” on the retail platform last year. The investigation will assess whether the systems Shein is using to curb illegal product sales are compliant with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), according to the European Commission, including […]

After spooking Hollywood, ByteDance will tweak safeguards on new AI model
After spooking Hollywood, ByteDance will tweak safeguards on new AI model

TikTok creator ByteDance says that it is working to improve safeguards on its new AI video generator after Disney, Paramount, and Hollywood trade groups accused the tool of violating copyright protections. Concerns were raised after hyperrealistic videos generated by the Seedance 2.0 model went viral last week, with the likeness of actors, such as Tom […]

In one swoop, Trump kills US greenhouse gas regulations
In one swoop, Trump kills US greenhouse gas regulations

The Trump administration just eliminated the landmark finding that has underpinned federal regulations on planet-heating pollution since 2009. For nearly the past two decades, the “endangerment finding” has allowed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to craft rules limiting greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. Rather than repealing those rules individually, the Trump administration […]