Technology Policy

Technology Policy•Oct 11, 2026

FlyDubai FZ1073 Turned Cockpit Insider Risk Into an Aviation-Safety Test

UAE prosecutors say a flydubai co-pilot tried to seize flight FZ1073 for a suicide attack. A separate Saudi safety investigation must now determine what cockpit procedures and resilience measures can prevent a comparable insider threat.

Technology Policy•Oct 10, 2026

UAE Prosecutors Say Flydubai Co-Pilot Planned to Crash FZ1073

UAE prosecutors say the co-pilot of flydubai FZ1073 planned to seize the aircraft and crash it into Ben Gurion Airport. The alleged plot passed ordinary hiring checks and was stopped through layered cockpit and crew responses; a separate Saudi safety investigation remains open.

Technology Policy•Oct 2, 2026

AI Policy Invitations Hid a Microsoft 365 Session Trap

Proofpoint says TA419 impersonated AI-policy figures and used a real-time Microsoft 365 phishing proxy against fewer than ten specialists. The campaign shows how attackers can capture authenticated sessions, while successful compromise and government attribution remain unproven.

Technology Policy•Oct 1, 2026

Two Transponder Codes Tracked Flydubai’s Cockpit Emergency

Flydubai flight FZ1073 used the 7700 general-emergency and 7500 unlawful-interference transponder codes before diverting safely to Tabuk. The sequence shows how standardised alerts coordinate aviation responses, while an official investigation still has to establish the cockpit events and motive.

Technology Policy•Sep 27, 2026

TikTok Agrees to Two-Hour Teen Limit in $100 Million Alabama Settlement

TikTok will pay Alabama at least $100 million and impose time, nighttime, age-assurance and feed controls on teen accounts. The first state settlement of its kind ends the case without trial, so its safety effect still depends on implementation and enforcement.

Technology Policy•Sep 16, 2026

Spain Received Its First Report of an AI Agent-Led Data Breach

Spain's privacy regulator received a breach notification alleging that an AI agent logged in, found a vulnerability, changed personal data and viewed invoices. The report is under review, with the organization, model, affected population and degree of autonomy still undisclosed.

Technology Policy•Sep 14, 2026

South Korea’s Espionage Law Now Covers Work for Any Foreign Country

South Korea’s expanded espionage offence took effect on September 13, covering qualifying acts performed for any foreign country or comparable organisation. The government says it can better protect strategic technologies, but prosecutors must still prove a national secret and a directed foreign connection.

Technology Policy•Sep 12, 2026

EU Gives Tech Manufacturers 24 Hours to Flag Active Cyber Exploits

EU manufacturers must now report actively exploited vulnerabilities and severe product-security incidents through a single ENISA portal, starting with a 24-hour warning. Most wider Cyber Resilience Act duties still wait until December 2027.

Technology Policy•Sep 5, 2026

A Judge Kept Minnesota’s AI Nudification Ban in Force

Minnesota can keep enforcing the first US law aimed directly at AI nudification tools after a federal judge denied xAI’s request for a preliminary injunction. The ruling leaves penalties of up to $500,000 per violation in place, but it does not resolve the company’s constitutional challenge.

Technology Policy•Sep 2, 2026

A 23-Year-Old Botnet Was Tricked Into Cutting Off Its Own Computers

A coordinated operation disrupted Sality by poisoning the peer lists used by more than 15,000 infected computers, separating them from their operator. The 23-year-old botnet is no longer controlled by its creator, but victim machines still require cleanup and the unidentified operator could try to rebuild it.

Technology Policy•Aug 29, 2026

The FDA Authorized a Vape With an Optional Age Lock

The FDA authorized JUUL2 and two nicotine pods after reviewing adult switching and youth risks. The device can remain locked until users verify their age online, but that safeguard is optional, the evidence comes from company studies, and marketing authorization does not mean vaping is safe.

Technology Policy•Aug 28, 2026

Judge Rules the Pentagon’s Anthropic Blacklist Unlawful

A federal judge ruled that the Pentagon unlawfully retaliated against Anthropic by labeling it a national-security supply-chain risk after a dispute over autonomous weapons and domestic surveillance. The decision blocks the designation and strengthens suppliers’ due-process protections, but the government may appeal and a related case remains pending.

Technology Policy•Aug 27, 2026

Meta Will Pay Up to $18 Billion and Limit Teens’ Instagram Time

Meta will pay up to $18 billion and impose new limits on how minors use Instagram and Facebook under settlements with nearly all U.S. states. The changes include a two-hour daily cap, overnight blocking and stronger age checks, though personalized recommendations and targeted advertising remain.

Technology Policy•Aug 27, 2026

The FBI Disabled Hacking Tools That Hid Behind Infected Routers

U.S. authorities seized three domains and disabled QScan and QTRouter, tools allegedly used by a China-linked group to scan targets and conceal attacks behind infected devices. The action disrupted the platforms, but did not arrest their operators or reveal the full impact of every reported intrusion.

Technology Policy•Aug 26, 2026

Australia Bars Fully AI-Made Songs From Its Music Charts

Australia's main music charts will exclude recordings made wholly by generative AI from August 31, while songs that use AI as a supporting tool may still qualify. The rule protects a place for human authorship, but ARIA still has to judge what counts as substantially human made.

Technology Policy•Aug 25, 2026

Britain Gets Five Million Battlefield Images to Train Military AI

Britain has become the first foreign partner admitted to Ukraine's Avengers AI Labs, a platform built around five million annotated battlefield frames. The signed agreement opens joint military-AI work and two early pilots, but its headline detection rate comes from Ukraine's defence ministry and lacks an independent public audit.

Technology Policy•Aug 24, 2026

New Zealand Proposes a Social Media Ban for Children Under 16

New Zealand's government introduced a bill that would require major social networks to keep children under 16 off their platforms and assess risks to young users. Companies could face fines tied to global revenue, but the proposal lacks enough parliamentary support and cannot pass before the coming election.

Technology Policy•Aug 23, 2026

China Is Recalling 4.3 Million Cars Over Hidden Door Handles

China has ordered its largest vehicle recall, covering about 4.3 million cars whose emergency door releases may be difficult to find or use after a severe crash. Automakers will add clearer markings and software changes, but the campaign also exposes a physical safety problem created by electronic car design.

Technology Policy•Aug 21, 2026

Brazil Is Spending R$2.3 Billion on Two AI Supercomputers

Brazil committed about R$2.3 billion to two AI supercomputing projects, one in Rio Grande do Norte and another in Rio de Janeiro with Chinese partners. The plan could expand local model training and public research, but neither system is operating yet and key performance claims remain procurement targets.

Technology Policy•Aug 13, 2026

South Korea Wants a 100-Qubit Computer by 2029 and a Moon Landing by 2030

South Korea has grouped seven major technology bets into a national roadmap, including a 100-qubit processor, Moon missions, advanced energy and brain interfaces. The plan could reshape supply chains, but its headline dates remain policy targets without complete budgets or demonstrated hardware.

Technology Policy•Aug 13, 2026

AI Agents Joined a Real Cyberattack on Taiwan, but Humans Were Still in Charge

Taiwan says overseas hackers combined manual work with AI agents in a July campaign against government agencies. The incident shows how automation can accelerate reconnaissance and credential theft, but the attacker's identity, detailed impact and degree of machine autonomy remain unproved.

Technology Policy•Aug 9, 2026

US Senate Votes to Pause a Rule That Would Expand Political Control Over Research Grants

The US Senate passed a funding bill that would stop a proposed federal grant rule from taking effect through December 11. The rule would give senior political appointees more authority over awards and terminations. The pause is temporary, and the House must still agree before it can become law.

Technology Policy•Aug 8, 2026

Brazil Will Pause Some Large Crypto Transfers for Up to 24 Hours

Brazil has finalized an anti-fraud rule that can delay certain crypto transfers above US$10,000 to foreign providers or self-custody wallets. It starts January 1, 2027, and creates time for risk checks, but it is not a blanket freeze and its real fraud-prevention effect is still untested.

Technology Policy•Aug 5, 2026

The US Will Test Powerful Closed AI Models, but Open-Weight Systems Get an Exemption

A new US framework reportedly gives officials 30 days to test some advanced closed AI models for dangerous cyber capabilities before release, while excluding open-weight systems. The distinction could shape security incentives, but the voluntary framework remains confidential and has not yet proved it can prevent real-world misuse.