Yeah, but did they hit them hard enough?

https://pogowasright.org/california-fines-data-broker-for-first-time-under-privacy-law/

California Fines Data Broker for First Time Under Privacy Law

Cassandre Coyer reports:

California’s privacy agency hit data broker LocateSmarter LLC with a $116,490 penalty for making it difficult for online users to opt out of the sale of their personal information.

Tuesday’s fine marks the agency’s first action for violations of both the state’s privacy and data broker laws: the California Consumer Privacy Act and the Delete Act.

The Iowa-based company didn’t register as a data broker despite operating as such, according to CalPrivacy. It also required consumers to hand over the last four digits of their Social Security numbers before being able to stop the sale of their personal data, the agency said.

LocateSmarter collected individuals’ names, driver’s licenses, and dates of birth, as well as information about employment, bankruptcy, and litigation, the agency said.

Read more at Bloomberg.

Factual or farcical?

https://www.bespacific.com/authentication-verification-and-the-fight-for-facts-in-the-ai-age/

Holding the Line – Authentication, Verification, and the Fight for Facts in the AI Age

Report by Princeton’s Center for Information Technology Policy (CITP): “Almost anything can now be generated with artificial intelligence: photographs, audio, video, documents, entire websites. As synthetic content becomes cheaper and more convincing, and as verifying what we see online grows harder, how do we sustain an information ecosystem in which facts can still be established and trusted? In this report, we identify the challenges brought to the information ecosystem by the increased accessibility of generative AI. We start from the premise that verification, authentication, and transparency are key pillars of online information integrity. We then describe how this emerging ecosystem challenges the trustworthiness of facts from the perspective of information producers, consumers, and intermediaries. Next, we turn to a discussion of potential interventions that can address the challenge of AI-mediated information integrity. These interventions are not exhaustive, but they represent the issues raised by participants drawn from a cross-section of journalists, researchers, and technologists who participated in an in-person workshop held at NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute in early June 2026. This report is intended to serve as a bridge across different actors in this complex information ecosystem: newsroom engineers, investigative and open-source reporters and editors, verification tool builders, independent journalists, policy makers, researchers, and media platforms. We aim to surface the primary challenges — and imagined interventions — to work towards a more resilient information future together”

This should not come as a surprise…

https://www.bespacific.com/ai-agents-cant-yet-do-open-ended-ai-research/

AI agents can’t yet do open-ended AI research

“Academics Sayash Kapoor and Arvind Narayanan in their latest AI As Normal Technology newsletter introduce their recent research evaluating whether AI agents can conduct open-ended research. After analysing hundreds of hours of agent logs, they identified recurring failures: agents lacked judgment for open-ended research, weren’t aware of available resources (spending less than 50% of budgets), failed to respond creatively to feedback, didn’t effectively backtrack from failed approaches, and ignored concrete instructions. The goal of leading  AI labs is recursive self-improvement (RSI): the automation of AI research using AI agents. RSI also underpins forecasts of explosive  AI  progress. How can we assess if we are close to this milestone? One way is to use benchmarks that test if agents can conduct AI research. Given the AI community’s focus on benchmarks, they have been the dominant way to evaluate progress towards RSI. Over the last year, many such evaluations have found that agents are now able to make progress on tasks where success is easily verifiable, prompting speculation that we are on the verge of RSI. But while these evaluations are helpful, they are limited to narrow, verifiable tasks. AI research can be much more open-ended. Success is often not immediately clear or verifiable, and to make progress, researchers need to test promising hypotheses, backtrack, or consider new or unconventional approaches. How can we evaluate agents’ ability to conduct open-ended AI research?  We take our first step towards answering this question in a new paper.  We partnered with the authors of two unpublished AI papers and asked them to draft their papers’ main research questions. We then tasked frontier AI agents with conducting research to answer these questions, and gave them thousands of dollars of API credits and compute, and six days of wall-clock time. The original authors reviewed the agents’ papers.

The authors unambiguously rejected both agent papers.  To better understand these results, our team spent over a hundred hours analyzing the agents’ logs. Our main takeaways:

• The agents lacked the judgment for conducting open-ended research.  While the agents proposed directions the expert reviewers found impressive, they quickly rejected their proposed directions based on low-quality or synthetic data.

• The agents lacked awareness about the resources available to them.  Both runs ended with less than 50% of the API budget spent and with hours left before the deadline, even though the agents could monitor their usage and were encouraged to spend down their budgets.

• The agents did not creatively respond to feedback.  Despite the agents’ own AI self-reviews surfacing many of the issues that the expert reviewers later raised, the agents did not creatively address these concerns. When faced with negative feedback they responded by adding caveats to existing findings, and doubled down on unpromising research directions.

• The agents did not effectively backtrack.  They retired their most ambitious research targets within the first day of the experiment, and neither agent fundamentally shifted its approach after that point.

• The agents did not follow concrete instructions.  They ignored explicit rules about how much time to spend on exploration, how often to get reviews from AI self-review tools, and strict limits on paper length…

Fun watching this one.

https://thenextweb.com/news/social-media-addiction-lawsuits-ninth-circuit-section-230

A US court just cleared thousands of social media harm lawsuits to proceed

… At the heart of the case is Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the provision that has long protected online platforms from liability for content their users post.

Writing for the panel, Judge Jacqueline Nguyen concluded in a 24-page opinion that the statute offers “a defense against liability, not blanket immunity from being sued.”

I find it more interesting that many haven’t noticed.

https://www.theringer.com/2026/08/04/tech/google-search-ai-internet

The End of Google Search—and the Internet—as We Know It

For years now, Google has been tweaking its search formula to prop up AI and bury actual links. Now it’s rounding into its final form—and changing the internet forever.

Apparently not secret enough, but still took too long to notice.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/09/spy-cameras-on-navy-drones-secretly-sent-data-to-china/

Spy cameras on Navy drones secretly sent data to China

Royal Navy spy drones used by Britain’s elite special forces secretly sent data to China, The Telegraph can reveal.

The cameras on the K3 Scout surveillance drones had components made in China which were transmitting information to a device in the country.

The Royal Marines have been using the £12m fleet since March and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was forced to remove all internet connectivity from the cameras after discovering the breach.

The revelation raises fears that Beijing has been attempting to spy on Britain’s military after years of security warnings about the threat from the country.

Not a bad summation…

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/07/trump-iran-hormuz-deal-stocks-oil.html

Trump teased an Iran deal that didn’t come, but markets soared. Here’s why it keeps happening

The Trump administration this week sparked enthusiasm that the U.S. and Iran could soon strike a deal on the Strait of Hormuz, driving down oil prices and sending stocks soaring — only for no deal to emerge.

If that sounds familiar, it may be because President Donald Trump has claimed dozens of times that the U.S. is close to an agreement that will end the war it began more than five months ago.

Investors have reacted to many of those claims with bursts of buying on hopes a breakthrough is near, even as the war instead appears to be widening and progress on Trump’s chief stated goal — containing Iran’s nuclear ambitions — is at a standstill.

“There’s tremendous optimism bias in the market,” Helima Croft, global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, told CNBC.

No questions answered?

https://philpapers.org/rec/ADETFO-2

The Future of AI Governance

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has generated both unprecedented opportunities and complex governance challenges. This study examines the future of AI governance by analyzing existing regulatory frameworks, identifying governance gaps, and proposing adaptive approaches that balance innovation with ethical responsibility. Using a qualitative, comparative policy analysis, the research focuses on the European Union (EU), United States (US), and China, alongside international organizations such as the OECD and UNESCO. Data were derived from academic publications, regulatory documents, and policy reports published between 2017 and 2023, enabling a thematic evaluation of divergent governance models, ethical principles, accountability mechanisms, stakeholder inclusion, adaptive regulation, and international cooperation. The findings highlight significant divergences in governance: the EU’s risk-based and rights-oriented AI Act, the US’s decentralized and industry-driven model, and China’s centralized, state-controlled approach. While ethical principles such as fairness, transparency, and accountability are widely endorsed, enforcement gaps persist, raising concerns of “ethics washing.” Liability frameworks remain underdeveloped, and stakeholder participation is uneven, with limited inclusivity in authoritarian contexts. Adaptive mechanisms such as regulatory sandboxes and public–private partnerships show promise but require further empirical validation. Moreover, global cooperation is hampered by geopolitical competition, producing fragmented governance regimes. The study concludes that effective AI governance demands a global, multidisciplinary, and inclusive approach that integrates legal clarity, ethical safeguards, and adaptive oversight. Policy implications include the creation of interoperable global standards, enforceable liability mechanisms, binding ethical requirements, stakeholder-inclusive councils, and expanded regulatory sandboxes. By embedding fairness, accountability, and human rights into governance structures, societies can harness AI’s benefits while mitigating its risks and safeguarding democratic values.

AI as “pimp?” Would this work in the drug world? How about other areas...

https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/dignity/vol11/iss2/8/

Leveraging Technology to Measure the Strength of Demand for Commercial and Trafficked Sex

The article examines Transaction Intercept (TI), an artificial‑intelligence platform designed to reduce sex trafficking by disrupting the revenue streams that draw organized crime into the market. Transaction Intercept deploys decoy online ads that appear to offer commercial sexual exploitation or prostitution. Automated "decoy" personas connect to individuals who click on these ads and engage them in text conversations. These exchanges can remain fully automated, ending with deterrence messages, or be transferred to police for potential enforcement action or to trained volunteers who attempt to discourage further attempts to buy sex. Transaction Intercept generates extensive, real‑time data on local demand for commercial sex, including the characteristics of ads that attract buyers, the number of unique individuals who respond, and behavioral patterns by sex. Transaction Intercept generates extensive, real‑time data on local demand, including the characteristics of ads that attract buyers, the number of unique individuals who respond, behavioral patterns among sex buyers, and the outcomes of each interaction. Provided at no cost to law enforcement, the system allows agencies to quickly assess the scale and traits of consumer‑level demand for sex trafficking within their jurisdiction. In its current deployment, Transaction Intercept has facilitated more than 700,000 text exchanges and identified over 25,000 sex buyers across over 75 U.S. cities. The article outlines how this technology can inform public policy, strengthen law‑enforcement practice, and be adapted for use in other national contexts.

Can you think of a few other systems that don’t need to be accessible from Iran?

https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/08/07/water-system-controllers-dont-belong-on-the-internet-says-ex-nsa-chief-after-suspected-iran-attacks/5285070

Water system controllers don't belong on the internet, says ex-NSA chief after suspected Iran attacks

More significant that I thought.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/08/world/europe/russia-wildberries-tatyana-kim.html?unlocked_article_code=1.31A.lizT.19wq63dNxZ_O&smid=url-share

She Is Russia’s Richest Woman. Her Business Empire Is Going Up in Flames.

… Wildberries has lost up to one-third of its warehouse space and as much as 480 billion rubles’ worth of goods ($5.9 billion) in the Ukrainian attacks, according to Moscow-based Data Insight, an e-commerce consultancy.

Wildberries “has almost run out of its biggest warehouses,” said Sergei Semko, an analyst at Data Insight. “Every single day one warehouse after another is getting methodically destroyed,” he added.

So, the president is the one negotiating with Trump?

https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/irans-president-difficult-contact-supreme-leader-mojtaba-khamenei-rcna591110

Iran’s president says it’s ‘very difficult’ to contact absent Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei

Khamenei hasn’t been seen publicly since taking up the role, most notably failing to attend his own father’s public funeral proceedings in Tehran last month.

(Related) Who is shaping it now?

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2026/8/3/who-will-shape-post-war-iran

Who will shape post-war Iran?

… On one side is the security establishment, which includes the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its volunteer paramilitary, the Basij; the regular army, or Artesh, with its ground, air, naval and air-defence forces; and intelligence and internal-security bodies. The IRGC remains the most politically influential part of this architecture, but Iran’s security capacity is distributed across several institutions and chains of command.

… Then there is the elected government. President Masoud Pezeshkian controls the ministries that manage the economy, reconstruction and diplomacy, but not the armed forces or the final decisions on war and national security. His government, therefore, carries much of the burden of keeping the country functioning and negotiating abroad while operating within security limits set through the supreme leader and the Supreme National Security Council.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf occupies a different position. He has access to both civilian and military networks. That has made him important in building agreement around sensitive files, including negotiations. His influence comes from being able to move between institutions that do not always share the same priorities and turn military red lines into positions the government can implement.

(Related) Yet another view… (Including a chart)

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/01/iran-ceasefire-power-structure.html

Iran’s overlapping power centers make ending the war more complicated

… Whenever negotiations resume, Iran’s opaque power structure — spanning the Supreme Leader, the Revolutionary Guards, civilian government, commanders and other groups — will shape not only what is agreed, but whether any deal can be enforced.

How is a wider war better?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/07/russia-could-attack-nato-within-weeks-us-intelligence-warns/?ICID=continue_without_subscribing_reg_first

Russia could attack Nato within weeks, US intelligence warns

Russia could attack a Nato country within weeks to test the alliance’s resolve, US intelligence has warned.

US officials believe Russia might attempt to escalate tensions by mounting a small land incursion or launching cyber attacks across Eastern Europe any time from this autumn to 2029, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The report marks a significant shift in US intelligence assessments from their previous stance that Vladimir Putin would not attack while still caught up in his war in Ukraine.

Last month, The Telegraph reported that European and US intelligence had picked up on Russian considerations for an armed provocation on Polish soil, missile or drone attacks against critical infrastructure, or false flag attacks attempting to pin blame on Ukraine.

(Related)

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/05/the-leipzig-drone-bomb-marks-a-dangerous-escalation-for-europe

The Leipzig drone bomb marks a dangerous escalation for Europe

The armed drone found at Leipzig airport on Wednesday may not have exploded, but the fact that it got inside the perimeter, close to Ukrainian cargo planes, raises obvious concerns for the security of international aviation.

Though the identity of the culprits is unknown, the initial evidence points firmly towards a Russian-orchestrated plot. It is the first time that a drone with explosives has been found in Europe far from the Ukrainian border.

Timely searches?

https://pogowasright.org/courts-tell-law-enforcement-that-delayed-applications-for-warrants-to-search-cell-phones-will-be-denied/

Courts tell law enforcement that delayed applications for warrants to search cell phones will be denied

Seen on FourthAmendment.com, a decision from the Eastern District of New York:

“The government seeks a warrant to search two cellular phones that have been in its possession for more than two months since the time to execute a prior search warrant lapsed. In United States v. Smith, 967 F.3d 198 (2d Cir. 2020), the Second Circuit held that a delay of less than half that length violated the Fourth Amendment. Smith stated and clarified principles by which to determine when law enforcement’s delay in seeking a warrant to search a seized personal electronic storage and communication device make the retention and search of that device unreasonable and therefore unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment. 967 F.3d at 213. Applying those principles, I conclude that the warrant application must be denied.” In re Application for Search Warrant for Two Cellular Phones, 2026 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 169896 (E.D.N.Y. July 27, 2026).

For your spare time…

https://www.zdnet.com/article/free-ai-course-stanford/

Taught by AI pioneers, Stanford's free online course takes you far beyond ChatGPT

…  Udacity is hosting a free version of the landmark Intro to Artificial Intelligence course that Peter Norvig and Sebastian Thrun originally taught at Stanford in 2011.

The course was massive in both size and influence. More than 160,000 people enrolled in the original online offering, making it one of the pioneering massive open online courses and helping set the stage for Thrun to create Udacity.

Norvig is a distinguished education fellow at Stanford's Institute for Human-Centered AI and a research director at Google. He also co-authored Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach , a leading textbook still used in university AI courses in 2026, including at Carnegie Mellon, Boston University, Texas A&M, and San Jose State.