Month: December 2025

Irish authorities asked to investigate Microsoft over alleged unlawful data processing by IDF

Move follows Guardian revelations of Israel’s mass surveillance of Palestinians using Microsoft cloud Irish authorities have been formally asked to investigate Microsoft over alleged unlawful data processing by the Israeli Defense Forces. The complaint has been made by the human rights group the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) to the Data Protection Commission, which …

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Thirsty work: how the rise of massive datacentres strains Australia’s drinking water supply

The demand for use in cooling in Sydney alone is expected to exceed the volume of Canberra’s total drinking water within the next decade Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here As Australia rides the AI boom with dozens of new investments in datacentres in Sydney and Melbourne, …

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Pornography company fined £1m by Ofcom for not having strong enough age checks

AVS Group, which runs 18 websites, has 72 hours to make changes required by UK’s Online Safety Act A pornography company that runs 18 adult websites has been fined £1m by the watchdog Ofcom for not having strong enough age checks. AVS Group Ltd has been hit with the fine, plus a further £50,000 for …

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‘I don’t take no for an answer’: how a small group of women changed the law on deepfake porn

The new Data (Use and Access) Act, which criminalises intimate image abuse, is a huge victory won fast in a space where progress is often glacially slow For Jodie*, watching the conviction of her best friend, and knowing she helped secure it, felt at first like a kind of victory. It was certainly more than …

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Dan Houser on Victorian novels, Red Dead Redemption and redefining open-world games

As the Grand Theft Auto co-writer launches a new project, he reflects on his hugely successful open-world adventures and where game design might go next • Don’t get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Sign up here It is hard to think of a more modern entertainment format than the open-world video game. These sprawling …

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India revokes order to preload smartphones with state-owned security app

Tech companies including Apple and Google made it clear they would not comply due to privacy concerns India’s government has backtracked on an order for all smartphones to be pre-installed with a state-owned security app after a mass outcry over privacy concerns and refusal by technology companies to comply. The department of telecommunications confirmed it …

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Sleep Awake review – Gary Numan cameos in an overly straightforward sleep-deprivation horror

PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox; Eyes Out/Blumhouse GamesPsychedelic visuals and a promising premise are let down by tired game design in this first-person horror with an appearance from the synthpop pioneer Video games have delivered a feast of singular and wondrous sights in 2025: ecological fantasias teeming with magical beasts; stunning, historically obsessive recreations of feudal …

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Indian order to preload state-owned app on smartphones sparks political outcry

Apple among big tech companies reportedly refusing to install Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app on their devices A political outcry has erupted in India after the government mandated large technology companies to install a state-owned app on smartphones that has led to surveillance fears among opposition MPs and activists. Manufacturers including Apple, Samsung and Xiomi have …

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Sam Altman issues ‘code red’ at OpenAI as ChatGPT contends with rivals

Chief executive tells staff it is ‘critical time’ for chatbot as it faces intense competition from Google’s new Gemini 3 Sam Altman has declared a “code red” at OpenAI to improve ChatGPT as the chatbot faces intense competition from rivals. According to a report by tech news site the Information, the chief executive of the …

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