Governance, Regulation, and Legislation

Council of Europe issues new guidance on AI and gender equality

(DigWatch) Ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, the Council of Europe adopted two new recommendations addressing gender equality and the prevention of violence against women in the context of emerging technologies. One recommendation targets the design and use of AI to prevent discrimination, while the other focuses on accountability for technology-facilitated violence against women and girls. – https://dig.watch/updates/council-of-europe-guidance-on-ai-gender-equality

Crypto exchanges face strict 2027 reserve rules under new Brazil framework

(DigWatch) Brazil’s central bank has introduced a regulatory framework requiring licensed crypto exchanges to prove asset sufficiency daily starting on 1 January 2027. The measures align digital asset intermediaries with banking standards on capital management, accounting, and data protection. Under the rules, exchanges must submit daily attestations confirming that platforms hold adequate fiat and token reserves. Supervisors will review the reports to ensure companies can cover operational, liquidity, and cybersecurity risks while protecting customer balances. – https://dig.watch/updates/brazil-crypto-exchanges-regulation

AI Readiness Assessment Report highlights India’s progress and gaps in ethical AI

(DigWatch) UNESCO and India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) have launched the India AI Readiness Assessment Report during the India AI Impact Summit 2026. The report evaluates the country’s progress in building an ethical and human-centred AI ecosystem. Developed by UNESCO with the IndiaAI Mission and Ikigai Law as implementing partner, the report draws on consultations with more than 600 stakeholders from government, academia, industry, and civil society. The assessment examined governance, workforce readiness, and infrastructure development. – https://dig.watch/updates/unesco-india-ai-readiness-assessment-report

X suspends creators over undisclosed AI armed conflict videos

(DigWatch) Social media platform X will suspend creators from its revenue-sharing programme if they post AI-generated videos of armed conflict without proper disclosure. The penalty lasts 90 days, with permanent removal for repeat violations. Head of product Nikita Bier said access to authentic information during war is critical, warning that generative AI makes it easy to mislead audiences. The policy takes effect immediately. – https://dig.watch/updates/x-suspends-creators-over-undisclosed-ai-armed-conflict-videos

Geostrategies

Global digital sovereignty shaped by infrastructure, services, data and knowledge

(DigWatch) Digital sovereignty is gaining renewed attention as countries navigate an increasingly interconnected technological landscape. The concept refers to a state’s ability to maintain control over the core elements of its digital ecosystem, including infrastructure, services, data governance and AI. The latest blog from Jovan Kurbalija argues that only a small number of states currently possess near-complete authority across all four layers. According to Kurbalija, the United States, China and North Korea stand out as the only countries that can claim a high level of sovereignty across infrastructure, digital services, data control and AI knowledge. – https://dig.watch/updates/global-digital-sovereignty-shaped-by-infrastructure-services-data-and-knowledge

Qualcomm pushes Europe to take the lead in the 6G revolution

(DigWatch) Europe is being urged to take a leading role in developing sixth-generation wireless technology as global competition intensifies over the future of connectivity and AI. Speaking at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Wassim Chourbaji of Qualcomm argued that 6G will represent a technological revolution rather than a gradual improvement over existing networks. – https://dig.watch/updates/qualcomm-pushes-europe-to-take-the-lead-in-the-6g-revolution

Middle East tensions may disrupt AI chip production and data centers

(Reuters/Cybernews) The US-Israel war with Iran could disrupt supplies of key semiconductor manufacturing materials, a South Korean ruling party lawmaker said on Thursday, as the conflict in the Middle East entered its sixth day. South Korea’s chip industry, which supplies around two-thirds of global memory chips, is also concerned that a prolonged conflict in Iran will lead to higher energy costs and prices, Kim Young-bae said after meeting with executives from companies such as Samsung Electronics and trade groups. – https://cybernews.com/tech/middle-east-disrupt-ai-chip-production-data-centers/

“There’s only one way out for Europe:” create its own social media platform

(Anton Mous – Cybernews) Citizens from all over the European Union have registered a so-called European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) for a European social media platform. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have been under scrutiny for quite some time now. This is because they collect and share copious amounts of user data with advertisers, so they can offer personalized ads and make a quick buck. Nowadays, online advertising has become a multi-billion-dollar industry. This is just one flaw we see with social media. In the past, experts have also complained about how algorithms and recommendation systems work, the number of fake accounts, and the way social media are used to sway public opinion. – https://cybernews.com/privacy/one-way-out-europe-create-own-social-media-platform/

Security and Surveillance

Human Rights at Risk in the Sprint Toward AI Sovereignty

(Kian Vesteinsson and Grant Baker – Just Security) As AI tools are increasingly embedded in people’s daily lives and the global economy, policymakers worldwide have declared their pursuit of “AI sovereignty”—the idea that governments should invest in and secure control over domestic AI systems, training data, and cloud computing infrastructure. Freedom House’s recent Freedom on the Net report (which we co-authored) found that such government investments in AI may enable censorship and surveillance, particularly in authoritarian states. Policymakers and technology firms in democratic countries should work with civil society organizations to ensure that safeguards are embedded in such systems to protect people’s rights. Technology firms that contribute to the AI stack in authoritarian countries should conduct due diligence to ensure their products are not facilitating human rights violations. – https://www.justsecurity.org/132427/human-rights-ai-sovereignty/

62 people indicted by Taiwanese prosecutors over ties to cyber scam company Prince Group

(Jonathan Greig – The Record) Prosecutors in Taipei indicted 62 people and 13 companies for their involvement in cyber scam operations organized throughout Asia by the Prince Group. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office initiated its investigation in October after Chen Zhi, the founder of the Prince Group, was indicted by U.S. prosecutors on money laundering charges. The company is accused of running hundreds of compounds in Cambodia where workers and human trafficking victims were forced to conduct cyberscams and steal billions from people in the U.S., Europe and China. Zhi was arrested in Cambodia earlier this year and extradited to China. – https://therecord.media/62-indicted-taiwan-prince-group-scams

ContextCrush Flaw Exposes AI Development Tools to Attacks

(Alessandro Mascellino – Infosecurity Magazine) A critical vulnerability affecting the Context7 MCP Server, a widely used tool for delivering documentation to AI coding assistants, has been disclosed by security researchers. The issue, dubbed ContextCrush, could allow attackers to inject malicious instructions into AI development tools through a trusted documentation channel. The flaw was discovered by Noma Labs researchers in the Context7 platform operated by Upstash. Context7 is used by developers to provide AI assistants such as Cursor, Claude Code and Windsurf with up-to-date library documentation directly inside integrated development environments. With around 50,000 GitHub stars and more than 8 million npm downloads, the server has become a common component in AI-assisted development workflows. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/contextcrush-ai-development-tools/

Operation Leak: FBI and Europol dismantle LeakBase Cybercrime forum

(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) The Federal Bureau of Investigation seized the LeakBase cybercrime forum (leakbase[.]la), a platform used to trade hacking tools and stolen data. The action formed part of “Operation Leak,” an international effort coordinated by Europol involving authorities from 14 countries, who took control of the forum’s domains and posted seizure notices. Active since 2021, LeakBase became a key hub in the cybercrime ecosystem, specializing in trading leaked databases and “stealer logs” containing credentials stolen by infostealer malware. Operating openly in English, the forum combined marketplace and discussion features, allowing cybercriminals to buy, sell, and exchange compromised data. – https://securityaffairs.com/188958/cyber-crime/operation-leak-fbi-and-europol-dismantle-leakbase-cybercrime-forum.html

Google uncovers Coruna iOS Exploit Kit targeting iOS 13–17.2.1

(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) Google’s Threat Intelligence Group has identified a powerful new iOS exploit kit called Coruna (also known as CryptoWaters) that targets Apple iPhones running iOS versions 13.0 through 17.2.1. The kit includes five full exploit chains and a total of 23 exploits. – https://securityaffairs.com/188928/security/google-uncovers-coruna-ios-exploit-kit-targeting-ios-13-17-2-1.html

Cisco fixes maximum-severity Secure FMC bugs threatening firewall security

(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) Cisco addressed two maximum-severity vulnerabilities in its Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) that could allow attackers to gain root access. Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) is a centralized management platform for Cisco firewalls. It lets administrators configure, monitor, and control multiple firewalls from a single web or SSH interface. Through FMC, teams can manage policies for intrusion prevention (IPS), application control, URL filtering, advanced malware protection, logging, reporting, and overall network security posture across their environment. – https://securityaffairs.com/188921/security/cisco-fixes-maximum-severity-secure-fmc-bugs-threatening-firewall-security.html

Automate or orchestrate? Implementing a streamlined remediation program to shorten MTTR

(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) Almost all security teams want to reduce their Mean Time to Remediate (MTTR). And for good reason: research from 2024 found that it takes an average of 4.5 months to remediate critical vulnerabilities. The problem is that most organizations are going about it all wrong. Their approaches lack nuance: some teams respond to every exposure with a fire drill, others with a simple patch. Neither approach really works. This blog breaks down the critical distinction between automation and orchestration. You’ll learn when to hit the “Easy Button” for low-risk, high-volume assets, versus when to trigger a bi-directional workflow for complex misconfigurations. Then, we’ll explore how to build a unified remediation structure that puts each route into action. Armed with that knowledge, you can stop your security and IT teams fighting over “noise” – and start collaborating under a streamlined process that actually reduces risk. It’s time to put your MTTR reduction plan into action. –  https://securityaffairs.com/188917/security/automate-or-orchestrate-implementing-a-streamlined-remediation-program-to-shorten-mttr.html

Frontiers and Markets

AI helps Stanford researchers map schistosomiasis risk in Senegal

(DigWatch) Stanford researchers have developed an AI-powered system that combines field surveys, drones, and satellite imagery to identify schistosomiasis risk areas across Senegal. The project began with fieldwork in Senegal, where researchers collected aquatic vegetation and snails from more than 30 river and estuary sites. The samples helped identify environmental conditions linked to schistosomiasis, which affects about 250 million people worldwide, mostly children in sub-Saharan Africa. – https://dig.watch/updates/stanford-ai-schistosomiasis-research-risk-mapping

Santander and Mastercard complete Europe’s first AI agent payment

(DigWatch) Spanish banking giant Banco Santander and Mastercard have completed what they describe as Europe’s first live end-to-end payment executed by an AI agent. The pilot combined Santander’s live payments infrastructure with Mastercard Agent Pay to enable autonomous, permission-based transactions. Mastercard Agent Pay, launched in April 2025, allows AI agents to initiate and complete payments within predefined consumer limits. The transaction was orchestrated with support from PayOS and integrates Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and Copilot Studio. – https://dig.watch/updates/santander-and-mastercard-complete-europes-first-ai-agent-payment