| | US lawmakers are moving forward with a wave of online safety legislation that could significantly reshape access to the internet. Congress has recently reviewed nearly 20 bills addressing age verification, as such requirements have already spread to about half of US states and are gaining traction globally. Many of these proposals would require users to prove their age before accessing adult or broadly defined harmful content, often through government IDs, facial scans, or similar authentication methods. Digital rights advocates warn that these measures could increase censorship, normalize online surveillance, and create new risks for data misuse or breaches. Activist groups are pushing back, arguing that age-gated systems make the internet less open, less private, and ultimately less safe for users. | | | #Age Verification #Surveillance #Privacy | | | | | | | | Millions of people worldwide are turning to AI chatbots to better understand their health, often uploading sensitive information such as lab results, scans, and medical images. Privacy is the primary concern, as once this data is shared, users have limited control over how it is stored, reused, or combined with other information. Most chatbot providers are not covered by US health privacy laws, leaving medical data largely unprotected. Accuracy is another major risk: studies show that chatbots deliver correct diagnoses less than half the time for people without medical training. Despite their convenience and personalized feel, these tools can expose users to serious privacy and health risks. | | | #Health Data #AI Chatbots #Diagnostic Accuracy #Privacy Risks | | | | | |  | | | Ring has begun rolling out an AI-powered facial recognition feature for its video doorbells in the U.S., allowing users to identify familiar faces such as family members, friends, or regular visitors. When enabled, it sends personalized alerts like “Mom at the front door” and relies on users to manually label faces in the Ring app. Ring says the feature is optional, encrypts biometric data, processes it in the cloud, and does not use it to train Amazon’s AI models. Critics argue the tool risks expanding everyday surveillance and revives concerns tied to Ring’s past data sharing with law enforcement. Due to biometric privacy laws, the feature is unavailable in some states, underscoring tension between convenience, security, and privacy. | | | #Ring #Facial Recognition #Biometric Data Encryption #Amazon | | | | | | | | The FBI is alerting the public to a rise in AI-assisted kidnapping scams designed to panic victims into paying ransoms. In these schemes, criminals contact people by text, falsely claiming they have abducted a loved one and threatening violence if money is not sent immediately. To make the threat seem real, scammers often share photos or videos that appear authentic but are actually AI-generated. Closer inspection may reveal subtle errors, such as missing tattoos, scars, or unnatural body proportions. In some cases, images are sent using disappearing or timed messages to limit scrutiny. As AI makes it easier to fake images, video, and audio, experts warn these scams could become more automated and widespread, even if current success rates remain relatively low. | | | #Scam Texts #AI Scam #Video Scams | | | | | |
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