Month: July 2026

Whistleblower suggests internal security services deployed spyware from 2017 against key domestic and foreign targets A former member of Morocco’s domestic intelligence service has helped to provide an unprecedented insight into how the north African state used hacking software – including Pegasus spyware – to target journalists, human rights defenders, French politicians and Spanish cabinet …

Moroccan intelligence insider reveals widespread use of Pegasus hacking software Read More »

Psychologist Candice Odgers has studied adolescent mental health for 25 years. She fears the current debate around smartphones obscures some of the biggest issues facing teenagers – from the impact of Covid to the health of their adult caregivers The quickest way to make being online safer for children and teens would be to kick …

The social media ban sceptic: are we getting it wrong on kids, tech and mental health? Read More »

AI-friendly president shared a post saying governor Kathy Hochul should scrap the one-year policy ‘IMMEDIATELY’ Donald Trump railed against the New York governor, Kathy Hochul, for pausing the construction of large new datacenters, the resource-intensive facilities that power artificial intelligence. New York became the first US state to enact a moratorium on new datacenters on …

Trump rails against New York’s statewide datacenter moratorium Read More »

All the young people the Guardian spoke to disagreed with aspects of the government’s proposed block Sixteen- and 17-year-olds in Britain are to be encouraged to observe a midnight to 6am social media curfew but will be able to opt out by changing their account settings. From next spring, they will be urged to refrain …

‘What’s the point?’ Teenagers give their verdict on Britain’s social media curfew Read More »

As global anxieties multiply, ​v​ideo games from Resident Evil to Mouthwashing are providing rich source material to help decode society’s problems • Don’t get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Sign up here Horror is so hot right now. There’s Obsession, Evil Dead Burn and Hokum in the cinema, Widow’s Bay, From and Something Very …

Zombies, gore and creepy kids – why we can’t stop playing horror games Read More »

The Star Wars director has called AI technology ‘the future’ of film-making and advised ‘there’s nothing you can do about it’ Star Wars director George Lucas has added his voice to the growing chorus of film-makers receptive to the rising use of AI tools in moviemaking. Speaking in an interview with A Rabbit’s Foot, Lucas, …

George Lucas likens AI sceptics to luddites clinging to horses and carts Read More »

For months, artists and activists have been calling on the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to act on the AI boom as datacentres pop up around the country. Today he made a major speech at the University of Sydney addressing copyright, the regulation of datacentres and the future of AI in Australia ‘Not up for grabs’: …

Anthony Albanese says he wants to do AI ‘the Australian way’ – video Read More »

Midnight to 6am block on some apps is latest stage of Labour’s bid to protect young people from online harms Sixteen and 17-year-olds are to be encouraged to observe a midnight social media curfew, in the latest stage of Labour’s bid “to protect the next generation” from online harms, including poor sleep caused by night-time …

UK 16- and 17-year-olds to be encouraged to follow midnight social media curfew Read More »

Lawsuit filed by dozens of employees says people who took maternity or disability leave were disproportionately selected for layoffs Dozens of Meta employees have sued the social media company over claims that it used artificial intelligence tools to tag workers for mass layoffs. The workers allege that those AI tools targeted them after they asked …

Meta used AI to tag workers who took leave to be laid off, lawsuit claims Read More »

PM lays out plan for datacentre development and rejects prospect tech companies will be given free use of Australian data Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Anthony Albanese has promised “the strongest possible protection” for Australian creatives against misuse of their …

‘Not up for grabs’: Albanese establishes AI office and vows to protect Australian creatives from copyright ‘theft’ Read More »