Despite growing public awareness and new privacy laws, data broker companies that buy, sell, and aggregate personal information continue to thrive. These firms compile data from credit reports, social media, app usage, and even offline purchases, building profiles that can include thousands of data points per person.

Phishing is the practice of tricking people into revealing sensitive information, and has long been a top cyber threat. But in 2025, phishing has entered a new era: attackers are now using AI tools to generate highly convincing and customized phishing messages at scale.

When you sign up for a new app or platform, you’re often asked to “agree” to the terms of service and privacy policies. But what does that consent mean, and is it meaningful?

Cybersecurity experts are warning about WormGPT, a black-market AI tool designed for criminals. Unlike mainstream AI models that include content filters, WormGPT deliberately omits safeguards, allowing users to generate phishing emails, malware code, and scam scripts at scale.

AI-powered hiring tools are being adopted by companies large and small, promising to streamline recruitment and reduce human bias. But recent investigations have raised serious concerns that these systems may actually amplify discrimination rather than prevent it.

Almost every website now greets visitors with a cookie consent banner, claiming to offer a choice over tracking. But privacy advocates warn that many of these pop-ups are designed not to inform, but to manipulate. Known as dark patterns, these interfaces use visual tricks to steer users toward accepting all cookies, often burying “reject all” options behind extra clicks, small text, or confusing layouts.

Meta’s standalone AI chatbot has ignited privacy concerns after users discovered their private conversations appearing in the public “Discover” feed. Given sensitive topics like mental health struggles, relationship difficulties, sexuality, and political opinions, many users mistakenly believed their content was private.

Europe’s landmark AI Act has officially entered the implementation phase, ushering in one of the world’s most comprehensive frameworks for governing artificial intelligence. The law targets high-risk AI systems, including biometric identification, predictive policing, and AI in critical infrastructure, with strict requirements for transparency, human oversight, and risk assessments.

Microsoft has appointed Cari Benn as its new Chief Privacy Officer (CPO), a move seen as a renewed pledge to place privacy and trust at the heart of its global operations.