Technology Policy

Technology Policy•Aug 3, 2026

Australia Finalizes a 2.5% Charge to Push Tech Platforms Into News Deals

Australia finalized legislation that would charge large digital platforms 2.5% of local advertising revenue unless they make qualifying deals with news publishers. The bill broadens support for smaller outlets, but Parliament has not passed it and AI services remain excluded.

Technology Policy•Aug 2, 2026

Cyberattacks Reached Water-System Controls in at Least Seven US States

Cyberattacks reached operational technology at water utilities in at least seven US states, briefly disrupting some local systems but causing no reported drinking-water or public-health harm. The FBI is investigating, and a possible Iranian link remains unconfirmed.

Technology Policy•Aug 2, 2026

Europe Starts Enforcing Its AI Act, but Major High-Risk Rules Are Still Delayed

European regulators have begun enforcing the AI Act and its consumer-facing transparency requirements, giving authorities new powers over AI models and synthetic content. The milestone affects global providers serving Europe, but many obligations for high-risk systems remain postponed until 2027 or 2028.

Technology Policy•Jul 31, 2026

Three Months Into Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban, 81% Still Used the Platforms

Australia’s first longitudinal check after its under-16 social media restrictions found fewer children owning accounts, but only a modest decline in actual platform use. The result exposes weak early age checks, yet it is a three-month snapshot, not a verdict on the policy’s long-term success.

Technology Policy•Jul 31, 2026

Shopping AIs Can Spot Suspicious “Made in USA” Contradictions, but Buyers May Never See the Warning

A Columbia Law School investigation found that Amazon and Walmart shopping assistants could identify contradictions between “Made in USA” claims and origin details in tested listings, yet the platforms did not consistently surface those warnings. The audit demonstrates an accountability gap, but chatbot answers do not prove corporate intent.

Technology Policy•Jul 30, 2026

Australia Takes Telegram to Court Over Terror Videos It Says Stayed Online

Australia’s online safety regulator has sued Telegram, alleging the service left reported terrorist videos and related accounts accessible despite legal duties to act. The case could test how far governments can demand proactive moderation from messaging platforms, but the allegations remain unproved and Telegram will contest them.

Technology Policy•Jul 29, 2026

The US Is Blocking New Foreign-Made Humanoid Robots Without Security Approval

The FCC has blocked new foreign-produced advanced robots from routine approval for sale in the United States, citing risks including surveillance and remote control. Existing devices are unaffected, and new models can still enter through a federal security-review exception.

Technology Policy•Jul 27, 2026

Your Shared Claude Chats May Be Appearing in Google Search

Public links created through Claude’s sharing feature were indexed by Google, making some conversations discoverable without knowing their URLs. This was not a leak of every private Claude chat, but it shows that a link described as shareable should be treated as a public webpage unless the service clearly prevents search indexing.

Technology Policy•Jul 25, 2026

Meta Tried to Charge $20 a Month for a Smart-Glasses Feature That Works Offline. Users Pushed Back

Meta has paused a subscription test for Conversation Focus, a smart-glasses feature that amplifies nearby speech and can run without an internet connection. The reversal follows criticism over charging for a function already performed on purchased hardware, although Meta has not promised it will remain permanently free.

Technology Policy•Jul 23, 2026

The US May Sanction a Chinese AI Lab Over Alleged Model Copying. Proving It Is the Hard Part

US officials accused Moonshot AI of using Anthropic's Fable outputs while developing Kimi K3 and warned that sanctions could follow. The dispute could reshape AI competition and model access, but no penalty has been imposed and the government has not published evidence proving the allegation.

Technology Policy•Jul 21, 2026

Anthropic Will Pay $1.5 Billion for Pirated Books. The Bigger AI Question Is Still Open

A US judge has finally approved the largest known copyright settlement in American history. The ruling punishes how Anthropic obtained millions of books, while leaving the legality of training AI on lawfully acquired works largely unresolved.

Technology Policy•Jul 19, 2026

What Is a Presidential Post Worth? Truth Social Wants Wall Street to Pay $100,000 a Month

Trump Media is preparing a premium data feed that could give paying financial firms faster access to posts from Donald Trump and other influential accounts. The milliseconds may be valuable, but the model raises difficult questions about markets and political influence.

Technology Policy•Jul 19, 2026

Facebook and Instagram Went Dark for Thousands. Meta Still Hasn’t Said Why

Thousands of users reported trouble reaching Facebook and Instagram on July 19. The interruption was brief for some, but it exposed how much communication and commerce still depend on a small number of shared platforms.

Technology Policy•Jul 19, 2026

AI’s Biggest Bottleneck Is No Longer Chips. It May Be the Communities Saying No

A coordinated day of 142 protests across 42 US states has turned local disputes over electricity, water and accountability into a national AI infrastructure debate. The reach was remarkable, even though turnout varied sharply.

Technology Policy•Jul 18, 2026

The Human Inside the Machine Never Left. AI Just Learned to Hide Them Better

Amazon’s Mechanical Turk is closing to new customers, ending an era built on tiny tasks performed by invisible workers. But human labor has not vanished from AI. It has moved into expert training, safety review and a strange new battle against bots pretending to be people.

Technology Policy•Jul 18, 2026

Your AI May Be Carrying Censorship Across Borders Without Telling You

A new test of 10 leading language models found they were more than twice as likely to refuse political criticism involving speech-restrictive regimes. The result does not prove government manipulation, but it exposes a hidden global free-expression risk.

Technology Policy•Jul 17, 2026

The EU Is Forcing Google to Open Android and Search Data to AI Rivals

New binding EU measures require Google to give qualifying rival AI assistants access to 11 Android capabilities and share anonymised search data with competing search and AI services. The rules could reshape competition around Gemini and mobile AI, while Google warns that broader access may introduce privacy, security and trade-secret risks.

Technology Policy•Jul 16, 2026

Workers Say Meta Used AI to Target Medical and Parental Leave in Mass Layoffs

Twenty-six Meta employees allege that internal AI scoring and workplace-monitoring systems helped select workers for layoffs while effectively penalizing protected medical, parental and disability leave. Meta says people, not AI, made the decisions, turning the lawsuit into an important test of accountability when algorithms influence employment.

Technology Policy•Jul 15, 2026

New York Becomes First U.S. State to Pause Hyperscale Data Centers

New York has paused state environmental permits for new hyperscale data centers for up to one year while regulators study their effects on electricity, water, air, noise and communities. The first statewide U.S. moratorium targets facilities capable of consuming at least 50 megawatts, with important exemptions and limits.