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.

In early 2025, TikTok quietly updated its privacy policy for users in the U.S. and Europe. The changes, buried deep in the fine print, outline broader data-sharing arrangements with its parent company ByteDance, as well as unnamed “business partners.” Privacy advocates warn that these updates could expose users to greater tracking, profiling, and potential government access.

Artificial intelligence tools are reshaping how companies hire — but not always for the better. Across industries, AI-driven systems promise to make recruitment more efficient, objective, and scalable. Yet recent research highlights that these technologies often replicate or even amplify bias rather than eliminate it.

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?

AI is transforming consumer lending, promising faster credit decisions and greater access. But the reality is more complicated. Many AI-based scoring systems rely on alternative data — utility payments, online behavior, even social media activity — to predict creditworthiness.

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.

New Orleans is at the center of a national debate as it considers an ordinance to legalize real-time facial recognition surveillance across the city.

In a significant development within the 2025 federal budget bill, lawmakers have proposed a 10-year moratorium on state-level AI regulation. This provision, supported by major tech lobbying groups and some Republican legislators, aims to establish a uniform national standard for AI governance. Proponents argue that avoiding a fragmented regulatory patchwork will reduce legal complexity and foster innovation and economic competitiveness.