Governance
EU regulators, UK and eSafety lead the global push to protect children in the digital world
(DigWatch) Children today spend a significant amount of their time online, from learning and playing to communicating. To protect them in an increasingly digital world, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, the European Commission’s DG CNECT, and the UK’s Ofcom have joined forces to strengthen global cooperation on child online safety. The partnership aims to ensure that online platforms take greater responsibility for protecting and empowering children, recognising their rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. – https://dig.watch/updates/eu-regulators-uk-and-esafety-lead-the-global-push-to-protect-children-in-the-digital-world – https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/esafety-joins-forces-with-the-european-commissions-dg-cnect-and-the-uks-ofcom-to-strengthen-global-cooperation-on-child-online-safety
Why Content Moderation Must Account for Disability
(Tithi Neogi -Tech Policy Press) If you are on social media and do not live under a rock, you may have seen artificial intelligence-generated videos of famous theoretical physicist and wheelchair user Stephen Hawking being horribly brutalized in myriad violent acts. As you casually scroll past these distasteful videos of Hawking, including ones of him being tossed around in a WWE ring, you may pause briefly on a reel wherein United States President Donald Trump claims to have found a cause for autism. Further doomscrolling still might push you into the manosphere, where men promote physical strength to subjugate and podcasters liberally use the adjective “retarded” as a symbol of a “great cultural victory.”. Digital media platforms are increasingly spurning content that depicts, promotes and normalizes violence and hatred, both real and imagined, against persons with disabilities. – https://www.techpolicy.press/why-content-moderation-must-account-for-disability/
The Future of Platform Research Depends on Collective Action
(Vineet John Samuel – Tech Policy Press) Recently, a respected European research organization tried to study how voters discussed political parties on X during Germany’s elections. To do so, they filed a data access request as enabled by the Digital Services Act (DSA). The request seemed straightforward, and researchers followed proper channels under DSA, a law specifically designed to give qualified institutions access to platform data for public interest research. X rejected the request, piling on documentation requirements beyond what the law requires and offering no clear explanation. This specific rejection prevented critical analysis of election narratives. But the rejection itself matters less than what it represents. Across the world, researchers trying to understand how social media platforms shape public discourse, political outcomes, and social behavior are finding doors systematically slammed in their faces. – https://www.techpolicy.press/the-future-of-platform-research-depends-on-collective-action/
Global Internet Freedom Declines for 15th Consecutive Year
(Prithvi Iyer, Justin Hendrix – Tech Policy Press) Since Tech Policy Press launched nearly five years ago, it has made a habit of reporting on the findings of the annual Freedom on the Net report from Freedom House, the nonprofit organization founded in 1941 to advance democracy and human rights. The report is always grim reading. In 2021, it was titled “The Global Drive to Control Big Tech.” In 2022, it was “The Global Expansion of Authoritarian Rule.” In 2023, “Advances in Artificial Intelligence Are Amplifying a Crisis for Human Rights Online.” And last year, it was “The Struggle for Trust Online.” Each year, the report chronicles governments suppressing dissent, tells the stories of people arrested for nonviolent expression, and tallies those attacked or killed for their online activities, in addition to the increasing number of internet shutdowns, challenges to encryption policies, and other more mundane threats to internet freedom. For years, the report was substantially funded by the United States government under its portfolio of projects to advance democracy and human rights around the world. That portfolio has been decimated under the Trump administration. Freedom House itself has suffered layoffs, as cuts to State Department-funded democracy and internet freedom projects “severely impacted” the organization. – https://www.techpolicy.press/global-internet-freedom-declines-for-15th-consecutive-year/
Legislation
What’s Driving the EU’s AI Act Shake-Up?
(Raluca Besliu – Tech Policy Press) With the European Commission set to unveil reforms to its landmark AI Act next week, member states remain divided over how far the changes should go. The European Commission is preparing to unveil amendments to the AI Act on November 19 as part of the Digital Omnibus, an extensive package intended to align and simplify the EU’s digital regulatory framework. The move to revise the AI Act follows sustained lobbying from US tech giants. In October, the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), whose members include Apple, Meta, and Amazon, launched a campaign pushing for simplification not only of the AI Act but of the EU’s entire digital rulebook. Meanwhile, EU officials have reportedly engaged with the Trump administration on these issues. One senior official told the Financial Times that there had been ongoing discussions around adjustments to digital rules, including the AI Act. – https://www.techpolicy.press/whats-driving-the-eus-ai-act-shakeup/
Brussels leak signals GDPR and AI Act adjustments
(DigWatch) The European Commission is preparing a Digital Package on simplification for 19 November. A leaked draft outlines instruments covering GDPR, ePrivacy, Data Act and AI Act reforms. Plans include a single breach portal and a higher reporting threshold. Authorities would receive notifications within 96 hours, with standardised forms and narrower triggers. Controllers could reject or charge for data subject access requests used to pursue disputes. – https://dig.watch/updates/brussels-leak-signals-gdpr-and-ai-act-adjustments – https://iapp.org/news/a/an-early-look-at-the-european-commissions-proposed-digital-law-reforms
Courts and Litigation
OpenAI faces major copyright setback in US court
(DigWatch) A US federal judge has ruled that a landmark copyright case against OpenAI can proceed, rejecting the company’s attempt to dismiss claims brought by authors and the Authors Guild. The authors argue that ChatGPT’s summaries of copyrighted works, including George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones, unlawfully replicate the original tone, plot, and characters, raising concerns about AI-generated content infringing on creative rights. – https://dig.watch/updates/openai-faces-major-copyright-setback-in-us-court – https://www.thebookseller.com/news/openai-copyright-case-reveals-ease-with-which-generative-ai-can-devastate-the-market-says-pa
Geostrategies
DeepSeek and Global AI Innovation: Sovereignty, Competition, and Dependency
(Anulekha Nandi, Shreya Balasubramani – Observer Research Foundation) Market disruptions and strategic concerns, followed by rapid diffusion, marked the sensational launch of China’s DeepSeek in January this year. This brief highlights how China’s ‘DeepSeek moment’ has unfolded within the wider context of its military might, manufacturing prowess, and robust network of regional and international institutions. It argues that the event introduced dimensions of national and economic security into the cascading effects of competition which, in turn, is causing distortions in markets, intensifying rationales for technological sovereignty, and reinforcing newer dimensions of dependency. DeepSeek’s accelerated market penetration also raises questions on the architecture of future global AI innovation. – https://www.orfonline.org/research/deepseek-and-global-ai-innovation-sovereignty-competition-and-dependency
Google and Cassava expand Gemini access in Africa
(DigWatch) Google announced a partnership with Cassava Technologies to widen access to Gemini across Africa. The deal includes data-free Gemini usage for eligible users coordinated through Cassava’s network partners. The initiative aims to address affordability and adoption barriers for mobile users. – https://dig.watch/updates/google-and-cassava-expand-gemini-access-in-africa – https://blog.google/intl/en-africa/company-news/partnering-with-cassava-technologies-to-bring-gemini-to-millions-across-africa/
Microsoft links datacentres into an AI superfactory
(DigWatch) Microsoft has opened Fairwater, a new class of AI datacentres networked across the US. Atlanta began operating in October and links with the Wisconsin build to act as a single superfactory. The design targets faster training for models used by Microsoft, OpenAI and Copilot. – https://dig.watch/updates/microsoft-links-datacentres-into-an-ai-superfactory – https://news.microsoft.com/source/features/ai/from-wisconsin-to-atlanta-microsoft-connects-datacenters-to-build-its-first-ai-superfactory/
Meta expands AI infrastructure with $1 billion sustainable facility
(DigWatch) The US tech giant, Meta, has announced the construction of its 30th data centre in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, a $1 billion investment that will power the company’s growing AI infrastructure while benefiting the local community and environment. A facility, designed to support Meta’s most demanding AI workloads, that will run entirely on clean energy and create more than 100 permanent jobs alongside 1,000 construction roles. – https://dig.watch/updates/meta-expands-ai-infrastructure-with-1-billion-sustainable-facility – https://about.fb.com/news/2025/11/metas-30th-data-center-delivering-ai-supporting-wetlands-restoration/
Extremism, Terrorism, and Counterterrorism
From Hawala to Digital Wallets: Jaish-e-Mohammed’s Tech-Savvy Terror
(Soumya Awasthi – Observer Research Foundation) In late October 2025, the Pakistan-based and UN-proscribed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) launched an online course titled Tuhfat-ul-Mu’minat, meaning The Gift for Female Believers. The course, designed explicitly for women, is being endorsed via encrypted Telegram groups, social media handles linked to JeM’s media wings, and affiliated madrassa networks. The course enrolment fee is PKR 500 (150 INR) for women to participate in what is framed as a “spiritual journey” towards “understanding jihad, sacrifice, and modesty.”. The same women’s brigade, the Jamat-ul-Muminatis, is now suspected to be involved in the Delhi Red Fort blast that occurred on November 10, 2025. Dr Shaheena Shahid, who was part of this wing, is suspected to be heading its operations in India. The online course comes a few months after JeM announced the acceptance of donations through digital wallets like EasyPaisa and SadaPay to facilitate ‘digital hawala’ and raise funds to finance its activities, soon after Operation Sindoor razed the group’s bases. JeM operates over 2,000 active digital wallet accounts, moving an estimated US$2.8–3.2 million annually. A significant portion of these funds is allegedly used for procuring weapons and funding terror operations, with some estimates suggesting that up to 50 percent goes directly towards arms purchases. JeM’s ability to evade FATF scrutiny is unlikely without the support of the Pakistani establishment. The online course is intended to serve both as an ideological training platform and as a fundraising apparatus for JeM’s operations. Female relatives of senior JeM commanders are leading the online modules, including Masood Azhar’s sisters Sadia Azhar, Samira Azhar, and Sia Azhar, as well as Afra Farooq, the wife of Omar Farooq, one of the Pahalgam terror attackers. The course has already been discreetly promoted through JeM’s internal Telegram and WhatsApp networks, as well as through closed online religious forums. – https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/from-hawala-to-digital-wallets-jaish-e-mohammed-s-tech-savvy-terror
Security and Surveillance
End of the game for cybercrime infrastructure: 1025 servers taken down
(Europol) Between 10 and 13 November 2025, the latest phase of Operation Endgame was coordinated from Europol’s headquarters in The Hague. The actions targeted one of the biggest infostealers Rhadamanthys, the Remote Access Trojan VenomRAT, and the botnet Elysium, all of which played a key role in international cybercrime. Authorities took down these three large cybercrime enablers. The main suspect for VenomRAT was also arrested in Greece on 3 November 2025. The infrastructure dismantled during the action days was responsible for infecting hundreds of thousands of victims worldwide with malware. Operation Endgame, coordinated by Europol and Eurojust, is a joint effort between law enforcement and judicial authorities of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States to tackle ransomware enablers. More than 30 national and international public and private parties are supporting the actions. Important contributions were made by the following private partners: Cryptolaemus, Shadowserver and RoLR, Spycloud, Cymru, Proofpoint, Crowdstrike, Lumen, Abuse.ch, HaveIBeenPwned, Spamhaus, DIVD, Trellix and Bitdefender. – https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/end-of-game-for-cybercrime-infrastructure-1025-servers-taken-down – https://securityaffairs.com/184581/cyber-crime/a-new-round-of-europols-operation-endgame-dismantled-rhadamanthys-venom-rat-and-elysium-botnet.html
New “Scam Center Strike Force” to combat crypto investment fraud centers run out of Southeast Asia
(Cybernews) The US Justice Department (DoJ) has formed a new “Scam Center Strike Force” to go after online criminal groups operating in Southeast Asia that target Americans with promises of “get-rich-quick” crypto schemes – known as pig butchering – already raiding two compunds and confiscating over $400 million in digital currency. – https://cybernews.com/security/us-launches-scam-center-strike-force-combat-crypto-investment-scams/
Police warn of scammers posing as AFP officers in crypto fraud
(DigWatch) Cybercriminals are exploiting Australia’s national cybercrime reporting platform, ReportCyber, to trick people into handing over cryptocurrency. The AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3) warns scammers are posing as police and using stolen data to file fake reports. – https://dig.watch/updates/police-warn-of-scammers-posing-as-afp-officers-in-crypto-fraud – https://www.afp.gov.au/news-centre/media-release/scammers-impersonate-police-target-victims-cryptocurrencyseed-wallet
UK moves to curb AI-generated child abuse imagery with pre-release testing
(DigWatch) The UK government plans to let approved organisations test AI models before release to ensure they cannot generate child sexual abuse material. The amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill aims to build safeguards into AI tools at the design stage rather than after deployment. – https://dig.watch/updates/uk-moves-to-curb-ai-generated-child-abuse-imagery-with-pre-release-testing – https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8xq677l9xo
Frontiers
AI system tracks tsunami through atmospheric ripples
(DigWatch) Scientists have successfully tracked a tsunami in real time using ripples in Earth’s atmosphere for the first time. The breakthrough came after a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula in July 2025, sending waves racing across the Pacific and triggering NASA’s newly upgraded Guardian monitoring system. – https://dig.watch/updates/ai-system-tracks-tsunami-through-atmospheric-ripples – https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251111-how-nasa-spotted-a-tsunami-in-real-time