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My latest Locus Magazine column is "Unpersoned." It's about the implications of putting critical infrastructure into the private, unaccountable hands of tech giants:
Renee is a prolific writer who used Google Docs to compose her books, and share them among early readers for feedback and revisions. Last March, Renee's Google account was locked, and she was no longer able to access ten manuscripts for her unfinished books, totaling over 220,000 words. Google's famously opaque customer service – a mix of indifferently monitored forums, AI chatbots, and buck-passing subcontractors – would not explain to her what rule she had violated, merely that her work had been deemed "inappropriate."
Renee discovered that she wasn't being singled out. Many of her peers had also seen their accounts frozen and their documents locked, and none of them were able to get an explanation out of Google. Renee and her similarly situated victims of Google lockouts were reduced to developing folk-theories of what they had done to be expelled from Google's walled garden; Renee came to believe that she had tripped an anti-spam system by inviting her community of early readers to access the books she was working on.
There's a normal way that these stories resolve themselves: a reporter like Ashby, writing for a widely read publication like Wired, contacts the company and triggers a review by one of the vanishingly small number of people with the authority to undo the determinations of the Kafka-as-a-service systems that underpin the big platforms. The system's victim gets their data back and the company mouths a few empty phrases about how they take something-or-other "very seriously" and so forth.
But in this case, Google broke the script. When Ashby contacted Google about Renee's situation, Google spokesperson Jenny Thomson insisted that the policies for Google accounts were "clear": "we may review and take action on any content that violates our policies." If Renee believed that she'd been wrongly flagged, she could "request an appeal."
But Renee didn't even know what policy she was meant to have broken, and the "appeals" went nowhere.
This is an underappreciated aspect of "software as a service" and "the cloud." As companies from Microsoft to Adobe to Google withdraw the option to use software that runs on your own computer to create files that live on that computer, control over our own lives is quietly slipping away. Sure, it's great to have all your legal documents scanned, encrypted and hosted on GDrive, where they can't be burned up in a house-fire. But if a Google subcontractor decides you've broken some unwritten rule, you can lose access to those docs forever, without appeal or recourse.
That's what happened to "Mark," a San Francisco tech workers whose toddler developed a UTI during the early covid lockdowns. The pediatrician's office told Mark to take a picture of his son's infected penis and transmit it to the practice using a secure medical app. However, Mark's phone was also set up to synch all his pictures to Google Photos (this is a default setting), and when the picture of Mark's son's penis hit Google's cloud, it was automatically scanned and flagged as Child Sex Abuse Material (CSAM, better known as "child porn"):
Without contacting Mark, Google sent a copy of all of his data – searches, emails, photos, cloud files, location history and more – to the SFPD, and then terminated his account. Mark lost his phone number (he was a Google Fi customer), his email archives, all the household and professional files he kept on GDrive, his stored passwords, his two-factor authentication via Google Authenticator, and every photo he'd ever taken of his young son.
The SFPD concluded that Mark hadn't done anything wrong, but it was too late. Google had permanently deleted all of Mark's data. The SFPD had to mail a physical letter to Mark telling him he wasn't in trouble, because he had no email and no phone.
Mark's not the only person this happened to. Writing about Mark for the New York Times, Kashmir Hill described other parents, like a Houston father identified as "Cassio," who also lost their accounts and found themselves blocked from fundamental participation in modern life:
Note that in none of these cases did the problem arise from the fact that Google services are advertising-supported, and because these people weren't paying for the product, they were the product. Buying a $800 Pixel phone or paying more than $100/year for a Google Drive account means that you're definitely paying for the product, and you're still the product.
What do we do about this? One answer would be to force the platforms to provide service to users who, in their judgment, might be engaged in fraud, or trafficking in CSAM, or arranging terrorist attacks. This is not my preferred solution, for reasons that I hope are obvious!
We can try to improve the decision-making processes at these giant platforms so that they catch fewer dolphins in their tuna-nets. The "first wave" of content moderation appeals focused on the establishment of oversight and review boards that wronged users could appeal their cases to. The idea was to establish these "paradigm cases" that would clarify the tricky aspects of content moderation decisions, like whether uploading a Nazi atrocity video in order to criticize it violated a rule against showing gore, Nazi paraphernalia, etc.
This hasn't worked very well. A proposal for "second wave" moderation oversight based on arms-length semi-employees at the platforms who gather and report statistics on moderation calls and complaints hasn't gelled either:
Both the EU and California have privacy rules that allow users to demand their data back from platforms, but neither has proven very useful (yet) in situations where users have their accounts terminated because they are accused of committing gross violations of platform policy. You can see why this would be: if someone is accused of trafficking in child porn or running a pig-butchering scam, it would be perverse to shut down their account but give them all the data they need to go one committing these crimes elsewhere.
But even where you can invoke the EU's GDPR or California's CCPA to get your data, the platforms deliver that data in the most useless, complex blobs imaginable. For example, I recently used the CCPA to force Mailchimp to give me all the data they held on me. Mailchimp – a division of the monopolist and serial fraudster Intuit – is a favored platform for spammers, and I have been added to thousands of Mailchimp lists that bombard me with unsolicited press pitches and come-ons for scam products.
Mailchimp has spent a decade ignoring calls to allow users to see what mailing lists they've been added to, as a prelude to mass unsubscribing from those lists (for Mailchimp, the fact that spammers can pay it to send spam that users can't easily opt out of is a feature, not a bug). I thought that the CCPA might finally let me see the lists I'm on, but instead, Mailchimp sent me more than 5900 files, scattered through which were the internal serial numbers of the lists my name had been added to – but without the names of those lists any contact information for their owners. I can see that I'm on more than 1,000 mailing lists, but I can't do anything about it.
Mailchimp shows how a rule requiring platforms to furnish data-dumps can be easily subverted, and its conduct goes a long way to explaining why a decade of EU policy requiring these dumps has failed to make a dent in the market power of the Big Tech platforms.
The EU has a new solution to this problem. With its 2024 Digital Markets Act, the EU is requiring platforms to furnish APIs – programmatic ways for rivals to connect to their services. With the DMA, we might finally get something parallel to the cellular industry's "number portability" for other kinds of platforms.
If you've ever changed cellular platforms, you know how smooth this can be. When you get sick of your carrier, you set up an account with a new one and get a one-time code. Then you call your old carrier, endure their pathetic begging not to switch, give them that number and within a short time (sometimes only minutes), your phone is now on the new carrier's network, with your old phone-number intact.
This is a much better answer than forcing platforms to provide service to users whom they judge to be criminals or otherwise undesirable, but the platforms hate it. They say they hate it because it makes them complicit in crimes ("if we have to let an accused fraudster transfer their address book to a rival service, we abet the fraud"), but it's obvious that their objection is really about being forced to reduce the pain of switching to a rival.
There's a superficial reasonableness to the platforms' position, but only until you think about Mark, or K Renee, or the other people who've been "unpersonned" by the platforms with no explanation or appeal.
The platforms have rigged things so that you must have an account with them in order to function, but they also want to have the unilateral right to kick people off their systems. The combination of these demands represents more power than any company should have, and Big Tech has repeatedly demonstrated its unfitness to wield this kind of power.
This week, I lost an argument with my accountants about this. They provide me with my tax forms as links to a Microsoft Cloud file, and I need to have a Microsoft login in order to retrieve these files. This policy – and a prohibition on sending customer files as email attachments – came from their IT team, and it was in response to a requirement imposed by their insurer.
The problem here isn't merely that I must now enter into a contractual arrangement with Microsoft in order to do my taxes. It isn't just that Microsoft's terms of service are ghastly. It's not even that they could change those terms at any time, for example, to ingest my sensitive tax documents in order to train a large language model.
It's that Microsoft – like Google, Apple, Facebook and the other giants – routinely disconnects users for reasons it refuses to explain, and offers no meaningful appeal. Microsoft tells its business customers, "force your clients to get a Microsoft account in order to maintain communications security" but also reserves the right to unilaterally ban those clients from having a Microsoft account.
There are examples of this all over. Google recently flipped a switch so that you can't complete a Google Form without being logged into a Google account. Now, my ability to purse all kinds of matters both consequential and trivial turn on Google's good graces, which can change suddenly and arbitrarily. If I was like Mark, permanently banned from Google, I wouldn't have been able to complete Google Forms this week telling a conference organizer what sized t-shirt I wear, but also telling a friend that I could attend their wedding.
Now, perhaps some people really should be locked out of digital life. Maybe people who traffick in CSAM should be locked out of the cloud. But the entity that should make that determination is a court, not a Big Tech content moderator. It's fine for a platform to decide it doesn't want your business – but it shouldn't be up to the platform to decide that no one should be able to provide you with service.
This is especially salient in light of the chaos caused by Crowdstrike's catastrophic software update last week. Crowdstrike demonstrated what happens to users when a cloud provider accidentally terminates their account, but while we're thinking about reducing the likelihood of such accidents, we should really be thinking about what happens when you get Crowdstruck on purpose.
The wholesale chaos that Windows users and their clients, employees, users and stakeholders underwent last week could have been pieced out retail. It could have come as a court order (either by a US court or a foreign court) to disconnect a user and/or brick their computer. It could have come as an insider attack, undertaken by a vengeful employee, or one who was on the take from criminals or a foreign government. The ability to give anyone in the world a Blue Screen of Death could be a feature and not a bug.
It's not that companies are sadistic. When they mistreat us, it's nothing personal. They've just calculated that it would cost them more to run a good process than our business is worth to them. If they know we can't leave for a competitor, if they know we can't sue them, if they know that a tech rival can't give us a tool to get our data out of their silos, then the expected cost of mistreating us goes down. That makes it economically rational to seek out ever-more trivial sources of income that impose ever-more miserable conditions on us. When we can't leave without paying a very steep price, there's practically a fiduciary duty to find ways to upcharge, downgrade, scam, screw and enshittify us, right up to the point where we're so pissed that we quit.
Google could pay competent decision-makers to review every complaint about an account disconnection, but the cost of employing that large, skilled workforce vastly exceeds their expected lifetime revenue from a user like Mark. The fact that this results in the ruination of Mark's life isn't Google's problem – it's Mark's problem.
The cloud is many things, but most of all, it's a trap. When software is delivered as a service, when your data and the programs you use to read and write it live on computers that you don't control, your switching costs skyrocket. Think of Adobe, which no longer lets you buy programs at all, but instead insists that you run its software via the cloud. Adobe used the fact that you no longer own the tools you rely upon to cancel its Pantone color-matching license. One day, every Adobe customer in the world woke up to discover that the colors in their career-spanning file collections had all turned black, and would remain black until they paid an upcharge:
The cloud allows the companies whose products you rely on to alter the functioning and cost of those products unilaterally. Like mobile apps – which can't be reverse-engineered and modified without risking legal liability – cloud apps are built for enshittification. They are designed to shift power away from users to software companies. An app is just a web-page wrapped in enough IP to make it a felony to add an ad-blocker to it. A cloud app is some Javascript wrapped in enough terms of service clickthroughs to make it a felony to restore old features that the company now wants to upcharge you for.
Google's defenstration of K Renee, Mark and Cassio may have been accidental, but Google's capacity to defenstrate all of us, and the enormous cost we all bear if Google does so, has been carefully engineered into the system. Same goes for Apple, Microsoft, Adobe and anyone else who traps us in their silos. The lesson of the Crowdstrike catastrophe isn't merely that our IT systems are brittle and riddled with single points of failure: it's that these failure-points can be tripped deliberately, and that doing so could be in a company's best interests, no matter how devastating it would be to you or me.
If you'd like an e ssay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
Why Businesses Are Switching to AI-Powered Custom Software Development in 2026
In the modern age of technology, businesses are no longer wondering whether they should adopt digital transformation; instead, they are wondering at what pace they can scale up using AI and automation.
In light of stiff competition, changing customer preferences, and technological innovations, businesses are actively looking for software development companies that use AI and mobile application development solutions.
Here comes SB Infowaves, which is revolutionizing the growth journey of businesses in India, the US, and worldwide.
The Rise of AI-Driven Digital Transformation
One of the commonly searched questions is:
"How does AI help make businesses more efficient?"
The solution to this problem is through the use of automation. Companies are currently using:
Chatbots for engaging with customers
Predictive analysis for making sound decisions
RPA to minimize manual efforts
Enterprise-specific software applications
Organizations not utilizing these tools stand the chance of lagging behind companies using artificial intelligence software solutions to expand their businesses.
Why Custom Software Development Beats Off-the-Shelf Solutions
Most enterprises will begin searching for the best ready-made software, but later they would discover its inadequacies.
The main shortcomings associated with pre-existing software include:
Lack of customization
Scalability problems
Integration difficulties
Insecure nature
In contrast, custom software development provides:
Solutions that suit specific company objectives
Smooth integration into current systems
Cybersecurity measures
Cost-effective in the long run
SB Infowaves focuses on custom web application development, mobile app development, and enterprise software development that resolve business challenges instead of making companies adjust to generic software.
High-Intent Services Businesses Are Searching for in 2026
Based on the latest search trends, the following services have gained much demand:
1. AI and Machine Learning Services
Companies are seeking the following:
"AI development company for startups"
"Machine learning services for business automation"
SB Infowaves provides artificial intelligence software that predicts trends and automates workflows.
2. Mobile App DQueries such as:
"Best mobile application development company in India"
"Affordable app developers for startups"
have led to huge demands.
Whether it is an Android, iOS, or cross-platform application, SB Infowaves develops intuitive apps which turn users into buyers.evelopment Services
3. Web Development & UX Optimization
The website of modern enterprises should be:
Fast loading
High ranking on Google
Conversion-oriented
SB Infowaves creates fast, SEO-optimized websites to increase conversions and engagement.
4. Digital Marketing & SEO Services
Keywords like:
“Better alternative than leading SEO firms”
“Affordable digital marketing firm for startups”
are trending.
SB Infowaves offers services including:
SEO optimization
Content marketing
Social media marketing
Paid advertising
with measurable returns on investment (ROI).
5. Cloud & Infrastructure Solutions
As more companies embrace cloud computing, search phrases such as:
“cloud migration services for small business”
“secure cloud infrastructure setup”
are becoming common.
Our company creates cloud platforms capable of expansion without compromising on efficiency and security.
How SB Infowaves Helps Businesses Stay Ahead
Established for more than a decade, SB Infowaves is known to be a reliable IT partner around the world for startups, SMEs, and enterprises.
What is the secret behind SB Infowaves success?
Over 10 years of experience in digital transformations
More than 3000 clients globally
In-depth knowledge in AI, blockchain, IoT, and cloud technologies
From development to maintenance – complete solutions
Highly concentrated on ROI-driven approaches
In contrast to other companies that offer only template-based solutions, SB Infowaves creates future-proof ecosystems.
Industries Benefiting from Digital Transformation
Enterprises from all sectors are seeking industry-oriented solutions such as:
“Healthcare software development company”
“E-commerce app development services”
“CRM software for real estate”
Our solutions cater to:
Healthcare
Retail & E-commerce
Education
Real Estate
Travel & Hospitality
Why Now Is the Best Time to Invest in Digital Solutions
With old-school technology, you aren’t just wasting time; you’re missing out on new opportunities.
The modern customer expects:
Quick and easy digital experiences
Customized services
Effortless online transactions
Companies that have invested in AI-based automation and bespoke software are growing exponentially, while others are lagging behind.
Conclusion: Build Your Digital Future with SB Infowaves
The digital revolution is no longer optional—it’s essential.
Whether you’re a startup looking for affordable software development services or an enterprise seeking advanced AI solutions, SB Infowaves offers everything you need to scale, innovate, and lead.
From custom software development to AI-driven automation, SB Infowaves empowers businesses to stay ahead in an ever-evolving digital world.
Contact SB Infowaves
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Google introduces new QR based captcha that could be attack against privacy based phones that don’t have Google play services
Today at Next ‘26, we’re launching Google Cloud Fraud Defense, the trust platform for the agentic web and the next evolution of reCAPTCHA.
source 1
source 2
Google has introduced a new recaptcha at cloud next around April 22nd
It was called "Cloud Fraud Defense"
“branding it "the next evolution of reCAPTCHA." Existing reCAPTCHA customers were auto-migrated.”
Instead of the usual puzzle you would get, there is a QR code
The Google cloud website says that this upgrade is to protect against the evolving world of automation
“The agentic web — where autonomous AI agents reason, plan, and execute complex transactions using the open web and industry standard protocols — aims to create an autonomous customer experience.
While these agents can significantly enhance online interactions, they also introduce new abuse and fraud vectors, creating unique challenges for security platforms.”
“Fraud Defense is a comprehensive platform designed to verify the legitimacy of bots, humans, and AI agents, providing businesses with the intelligence needed to secure their digital interactions and commerce.”
“reCAPTCHA will continue to be the core bot defense pillar of the broader Fraud Defense platform.
Existing reCAPTCHA customers are automatically Fraud Defense customers, with no migration required, no action needed, and no change to pricing.
Your existing site keys and integrations remain exactly as they are today.”
the important part!
The QR code needs “Google Play Services running on the device.
Internet Archive snapshots show this requirement has been live since at least October 2025, silently rolled out for 7 months before anyone noticed.”
“No Play Services = no QR scan = locked out.”
Which means as this Twitter account points out
“Users of GrapheneOS, CalyxOS, /e/OS, and other deGoogled Android phones are being locked out of millions of websites unless they install the exact Google Play Services software they deliberately removed.”
Google has tried this before with Web Environment Integrity (WEI)
“and it would have let Google decide which devices were "real enough" to access the web. Standards bodies and the public pushed back hard, and Google killed it.”
“reCAPTCHA runs on millions of websites. Every developer who keeps using it is now, by default, telling deGoogled Android users they're not welcome…”
Companies including Google, Microsoft, and Palantir were listed as targets by Iranian media as the conflict with Israel and the US spills in
Major US technology companies have been named as potential targets as the war between Iran, Israel, and the United States begins to spill into the digital infrastructure that powers modern economies.
Iranian state-linked media this week published a list of offices and infrastructure run by US companies with Israeli links whose technology has been used for military applications. According to Al Jazeera, the companies include Google, Microsoft, Palantir, IBM, Nvidia, and Oracle.
Many of these companies operate regional offices, cloud infrastructure, or data-center operations across the Gulf, including in the United Arab Emirates. None have released public statements on this development.
The list was published by the semi-official, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps–linked Tasnim News Agency alongside a warning that the scope of the conflict could expand beyond traditional military targets.
“As the scope of the regional war expands to infrastructure war, the scope of Iran’s legitimate targets expands,” Tasnim News Agency reported.
Last week, Iranian drone strikes damaged Amazon Web Services data centers in the UAE and Bahrain, disrupting services and exposing the vulnerability of physical tech infrastructure in the region.
The warning followed Iranian reports of an Israeli strike on a bank building in Tehran linked to Bank Sepah. Iranian officials have described it as an attack on economic infrastructure.
Iranian state media said the incident justified expanding potential targets to include US and Israeli economic and banking interests across the region.
“With this illegitimate and uncommon action, the enemy is forcing our hand to target economic centers and banks linked to the US and Zionist regime in the region,” said a spokesperson for the IRGC-owned Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters. He warned civilians to stay one kilometer away from banks.
Tech in Warfare
The tech companies listed by Iran have all been accused of supplying their technology for use by the Israeli military to different extents, though most have refuted these claims. Palantir openly agreed to a strategic partnership with Israel to “help the country’s war effort,” including supplying “advanced technology in support of war-related missions,” Palantir executive vice president Josh Harris told Bloomberg.
Outside of potential military applications, many of the named companies operate cloud platforms, artificial intelligence tools, and data systems used by large organizations in the region.
As warfare becomes increasingly dependent on digital systems, from satellite data to AI-powered intelligence analysis, the infrastructure behind those systems has more strategic significance.
But the cloud is not the only digital system being pulled into the conflict. Across the region, electronic warfare targeting GPS signals has surged, disrupting navigation systems used by aircraft, ships, and everyday smartphone apps.
Technology companies operating in the region have already begun adjusting their operations. Several US firms with offices across the Gulf have asked employees to work remotely or limit travel as the conflict escalated, according to media reports. Some companies have also activated contingency plans following infrastructure disruptions linked to drone strikes and airspace closures.
Google + Replit: How Next-Gen AI Coding Is Changing Web Development
In a recent strategic shift, Google Cloud has deepened its partnership with Replit — a fast-growing AI-powered coding platform signaling a new era for enterprise and web development workflows.
This collaboration is poised to transform how software is built, maintained, and scaled — and could have strong implications for web development companies in India or elsewhere aiming for speed, efficiency, and innovation.
What’s Changing: The New Partnership Details
Under the expanded deal, Replit will continue to rely on Google Cloud as its primary cloud infrastructure provider.
Replit now supports Google’s advanced AI models — including the latest models such as Gemini 3 — through Google Cloud’s Vertex AI.
This means that developers — whether working solo or within enterprises — can generate, test, and deploy code with significantly less friction; the platform now offers “vibe coding” for teams, not just individual devs.
Replit remains available on Google Cloud Marketplace, making procurement and integration easier for businesses already operating on Google Cloud infrastructure.
Essentially, the partnership takes what was primarily a developer-focused, experimental coding assistant and scales it for enterprise-level projects — enabling teams to leverage AI-assisted development with enterprise-grade cloud architecture.
Why This Matters: What It Means for Web Development & Software Firms
🔹 Speed and Accessibility
With AI-assisted coding becoming more integrated, teams can go from idea to prototype much faster. Replit’s approach democratizes coding: even developers with modest experience — or non-developers with domain knowledge — can contribute to building applications. This lowers the barrier to entry and accelerates time-to-market.
🔹 Scalability & Reliability for Enterprises
Because the backend runs on Google Cloud infrastructure — using services like Kubernetes, Cloud Run, BigQuery — projects developed via Replit are not restricted to small-scale or experimental apps. They can scale reliably, with security and performance comparable to traditional enterprise-grade development stacks.
🔹 Cost Efficiency & Faster Prototyping
For emerging firms — including software companies in India or global agencies — the model offers a way to build, test, and iterate without committing heavy upfront resources. AI-assisted coding reduces manual effort, and cloud-based deployment reduces infrastructure burden.
🔹 Democratization of Software Creation
By combining AI-driven “vibe coding” with robust cloud infrastructure, even smaller teams or non-technical stakeholders can contribute to app development. For web development firms or web development agencies in Dubai/India, this is a potential game-changer: faster delivery, more flexible teams, and increased ability to prototype custom solutions for clients.
What to Keep in Mind: Not a Magic Bullet — But a Strong Tool
While the Google-Replit partnership brings exciting capabilities, it’s important to remember:
AI-assisted coding — though powerful — still benefits from human oversight, especially for complex logic, security considerations, and production-level architecture.
For critical enterprise applications, proper architecture, testing, and maintenance remain essential; AI tools can accelerate development, but not fully replace developers’ expertise.
Integration and deployment practices must align with long-term product strategy — especially if apps must scale, handle sensitive data, or integrate with other systems.
Implications for Web / Software Agencies
For web development companies in India, agencies in Dubai, or global software companies working across geographies:
This development can significantly speed up MVP or prototype phases — ideal for startups, clients with tight deadlines, or rapid proof-of-concept deliveries.
Agencies may leverage this to offer new services: quick-turnaround web apps, AI-assisted prototyping, or cost-effective client solutions.
For legacy or enterprise clients, combining AI-assisted front-end/back-end generation with robust cloud deployment might cut development cycles while still maintaining stability and scalability.
Conclusion
The deepened partnership between Google Cloud and Replit marks a milestone in the evolution of web and software development. By blending cutting-edge AI coding tools with robust cloud infrastructure, the collaboration offers a balanced path: rapid development, enterprise-level reliability, and wide accessibility.
For web development firms, software agencies, or digital services companies — whether in India, Dubai, or elsewhere — this opens up new possibilities: faster delivery, flexible teams, and innovative offerings. In an increasingly competitive landscape, adopting such AI-powered workflows could become a strategic advantage.
Monthly Cybersecurity Briefing (1 – 30 September 2025)
September 2025 was marked by escalating ransomware and supply chain attacks affecting both critical infrastructure and enterprise organisations. Jaguar Land Rover, Stellantis, and various European airports faced operational shutdowns, while Akira, LockBit 5.0, and HybridPetya strains demonstrated enhanced capabilities including UEFI bypasses and rapid encryption of networked devices.
Supply chain compromises remained prevalent, particularly within npm and GitHub ecosystems. The Shai-Hulud and s1ngularity incidents highlighted risks to developer credentials and repository secrets, while malicious Rust crates and npm packages targeted cryptocurrency wallets and downstream users. Salesforce, Sitecore, and AgentForce vulnerabilities allowed prompt injection and OAuth token theft, amplifying exposure.
The month saw a surge in zero-day exploits, notably in Cisco ASA/IOS, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, SAP S/4HANA, and Apple platforms. Microsoft, Google, and Samsung patched multiple actively exploited flaws, while advisory clusters for the Linux kernel, PostgreSQL, and Oracle Java reflected widespread high-severity risks.
Emerging threats leveraged AI and automated tools to expand attack surfaces. AI-driven phishing campaigns, SVG-based malware, and MalTerminal ransomware demonstrated sophisticated evasion and targeting. Malicious actors increasingly combined AI techniques with traditional exploits to compromise cloud and on-premises systems.
Data breaches continued to impact millions of users, including TransUnion, PowerSchool, Wealthsimple, and Harrods. Personal and corporate data exfiltration was compounded by insider threats, phishing, and third-party software compromises, leading to regulatory fines and legal action across multiple jurisdictions.
Global defensive efforts focused on patching and operational countermeasures. Cloudflare mitigated record-breaking DDoS attacks exceeding 22 Tbps, Microsoft and Cloudflare dismantled phishing-as-a-service platforms, and law enforcement actions disrupted cryptocurrency fraud, SIM-server networks, and organized cybercrime groups such as Scattered Spider.
Topic:- Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the Core of Modern Technology By :- Minakshi Singh Under guidance of Dr. Varuna Gupta (CHRIST University)
Introduction:- Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer limited to science fiction or futuristic ideas. In today’s digital age, AI has become the "core foundation of modern technology", influencing almost every sector of society. From smartphones, social media platforms, and online shopping to healthcare, education, banking, and software development, AI plays a vital role in shaping modern life. Artificial Intelligence refers to the capability of machines or computer systems to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence.
These tasks include learning, reasoning, decision-making, problem-solving, speech recognition, image recognition, and language translation. In simple words, AI makes machines “smart” by enabling them to learn from experience, analyze data, recognize patterns, and take decisions without continuous human involvement. Evolution of Artificial Intelligence:-The concept of Artificial Intelligence originated in the 1950s when scientists started imagining machines that could think like humans. However, early AI systems were limited due to low computing power and lack of data. The real growth of AI happened in recent years because of powerful processors and GPUs, the availability of large amounts of data known as Big Data, advanced algorithms such as neural networks, and cloud computing platforms. Today, AI is not just a supporting technology but a driving force behind digital innovation. Why AI is Called the Core of Modern Technology:- AI is considered the core of modern technology because it connects, enhances, and powers other emerging technologies such as cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity, robotics, and data science. AI acts as the brain of modern systems, allowing them to think intelligently, act automatically, and adapt to changing environments. Without AI, many modern smart systems would not function efficiently. Key Components of Artificial Intelligence:- Machine Learning (ML):- Machine Learning is a branch of AI that enables systems to learn from data without being explicitly programmed. Instead of fixed rules, ML models analyze data and improve performance over time. A common example is Netflix recommending movies based on user preferences. Deep Learning:- Deep Learning is an advanced form of Machine Learning that uses neural networks inspired by the human brain. It is used in complex tasks such as face recognition, speech processing, and self-driving cars. Natural Language Processing (NLP):- NLP allows machines to understand, interpret, and respond to human language. It is used in chatbots, voice assistants, and language translation systems such as Google Assistant and ChatGPT. Computer Vision:- Computer Vision enables machines to understand images and videos. It is widely used in medical imaging, surveillance systems, and autonomous vehicles. Applications of AI in Modern Technology:- AI is transforming software development through AI-assisted coding, automated testing, bug detection, and code optimization. In healthcare, AI supports disease prediction, medical image analysis, robotic surgeries, and virtual health assistants. In education, AI enables personalized learning, smart learning platforms, automated evaluation, and virtual tutors. In business and finance, AI is used for fraud detection, customer behavior analysis, automated trading, and customer support chatbots. AI also plays a crucial role in cybersecurity by detecting threats, identifying suspicious activities, and responding to cyberattacks faster than humans. AI and Other Emerging Technologies:- AI strengthens other technologies when combined with them. AI with cloud computing provides smart cloud services, AI with IoT creates intelligent smart devices, AI with big data generates meaningful insights, and AI with robotics enables autonomous machines. Advantages of Artificial Intelligence:- AI offers high accuracy, efficiency, automation of repetitive tasks, faster decision-making, continuous availability, and reduced human errors. These benefits make AI essential in modern systems.Challenges and Limitations of AI:-Despite its advantages, AI faces challenges such as high development costs, data privacy and security concerns, bias in AI models, dependency on quality data, and fear of job displacement.Career Opportunities in AI:-AI opens many career opportunities such as AI Developer, Machine Learning Engineer, Data Scientist, NLP Engineer, AI Researcher, and Software Engineer.
Microsoft, Amazon and Google are among those helping Israel commit genocide in Gaza, according to a landmark report by UN special rapporteur
"Microsoft, Amazon and Google among major corporations identified as being part of a “joint criminal enterprise” in helping Israel carry out a genocide in Gaza. The companies have made unprecedented profits from the slaughter of more than 62,000 Palestinians since October 2023.
In a landmark report released on 30 June, UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese exposes the corporate machinery both sustaining and profiting from Israel’s occupation and apartheid in Gaza and the West Bank – and now its ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The report – entitled “From economy of occupation to economy of genocide” – identifies 48 separate corporate actors in sectors including, arms, tech, construction, tourism, energy, finance, academia and agriculture. According to the report, they represent only the “tip of the iceberg” as the broader web of corporate complicity is far larger.
It outlines how tech giants Microsoft, Alphabet (parent company of Google) and Amazon grant Israel access to their cloud and AI technologies, enhancing the Israeli government’s ability to process data, make decisions and conduct surveillance and analysis.
Israel’s apartheid and military systems require ever-growing cloud storage and computing capacity. To meet these needs, the Israeli government and military’s cloud computing project – known as Project Nimbus – brought Google and Amazon onboard with a $1.2bn contract in 2021.
When the Israeli internal military cloud overloaded in October 2023, Microsoft, Google and Amazon stepped in to provide crucial cloud and AI tech. IDF computer chief Col. Racheli Dembinsky recently described cloud tech as part of “a collection of systems with which the IDF fights to the end”, citing these companies in her onscreen presentation. Dembinsky said: “You have to understand that it’s a platform that’s a weapon.”
What’s more, Microsoft, Amazon and Google have established research and development (R&D) hubs and local data centres in Israel, while they enjoy what the report describes as “unprecedented government-granted access to data and a captive population”. According to Albanese’s report, this has helped unleash “the first AI-driven and livestreamed genocide, while providing the data sovereignty to shield impunity”.
Microsoft reported $70bn in sales and an 18% increase in profits in the first quarter of 2025, boosted by its cloud computing and artificial intelligence business. In the fourth quarter of 2024, Google Cloud revenues increased 30% to $12bn led by growth across core Google Cloud Platform products, AI Infrastructure, and generative AI solutions, while Amazon Web Services segment sales increased 19% to over $28bn.
The report states: “[Israel’s] forever-occupation has become the ideal testing ground for arms manufacturers and big tech – providing significant supply and demand, little oversight, and zero accountability – while investors and private and public institutions profit freely.” ...
this is the first half of the article - read the whole thing here: https://novaramedia.com/2025/07/02/tech-giants-and-british-bank-named-in-francesca-albanese-report-on-gaza-genocide/
Also, the advanced edited version of the UN report can be read and downloaded here:
