TechRadar News

• South Korea privacy watchdog has temporarily halted downloads of DeepSeek
• DeepSeek is working with authorities to get compliant
• Latest in a series of privacy concerns raised about AI chatbots

South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) has temporarily halted new downloads of Chinese-owned AI chatbot DeepSeek.

Reports from TechCrunch confirm the app is still up and running for those who have already installed it, and that the decision won’t affect usage of the app - but new downloads will be halted until the Chinese firm complies with Korean privacy laws.

South Korea isn’t the first to ban new downloads of the chatbot, with the model disappearing from the Italian App store and Google Play Store in late January 2025 after the country’s data watchdog filed a privacy complaint and asked for information on how DeepSeek handles users’ personal information.

Recurring concerns

DeepSeek has since appointed a local representative to work with authorities in South Korea, but the data protection agency has said it ‘strongly advises’ current users to refrain from entering personal data into DeepSeek until a final decision is made - here’s everything we know so far.

The restriction is temporary whilst the PIPC assesses the use and storage of data by DeepSeek, but the agency confirms the model will be available for download once it is compliant.

The PIPC found DeepSeek had transferred the data of South Korean users to ByteDance - TikTok’s parent company. TikTok, as many will remember well - was briefly banned in the US over privacy and security concerns.

DeepSeek isn’t the first AI model to come under scrutiny for privacy concerns. The nature of Large Language Models is a bit of a privacy minefield since they scrape every corner of the internet for data to train their models - without the consent of the owners/authors/creators of the media they use.

Further than this though, OpenAI has never asked people for permission to use their data, and it’s not possible for a person to get confirmation of what data has been used or stored - or for it to be deleted. This contradicts an important facet of GDPR laws, which protect the right to be forgotten and should guarantee individuals the ability to have their personal data erased upon request.

As the new kid on the block, DeepSeek is in the spotlight for a number of reasons - and there have been legitimate concerns about how the platform collects and stores your personal information like your email address, name, and date of birth, as well as the data you enter into the chatbot, and the technical information of the device you’re using, like IP address, OS, etc.

Using AI safely

So is DeepSeek safe to use? And can it be used whilst maintaining your privacy? Well there are things you can do to mitigate the risks.

As with all LLMs, if you’re concerned about data privacy, using AI is probably not a good idea. LLMs scrape data from the internet without permission, and will use your interactions to add to the pool of data the model is trained with, and that’s not something you can opt out of, DeepSeek included.

If you’re in South Korea or Italy and still want to download DeepSeek, even the best VPN services will need a little extra help - as they don’t spoof your App store location, so you’ll need to download it from elsewhere. This is something we usually advise against, as it can be a really easy way to be tricked into downloading malware - so do so with caution.

In terms of the cybersecurity risks, there have been reports DeepSeek is ‘incredibly vulnerable’ to attacks, and failed to block any harmful prompts when tested, severely underperforming against its rivals.

You should be wary when using these chatbots - especially on a company device or if you work in an industry that has national security connections - there’s a reason both Australian and Indian government departments have blocked the use of DeepSeek from work devices.

A general rule is that users should be especially careful with the information you give to a chatbot. Don’t enter your health information, financial data, or anything that you wouldn’t want a third party to know. Monitor your accounts for any suspicious activity regularly, and flag anything you see as soon as you see it.

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• Windows 11 patch is causing problems with File Explorer for some
• This means that some – or most – folders on the desktop are failing to open
• There are also reports of installation failures and PCs failing to boot

Microsoft’s latest update for Windows 11 has thrown some more spanners into the works for those who’ve upgraded to the most recent 24H2 spin of the desktop OS.

The February cumulative update for 24H2 users (known as patch KB5051987) did some admirable work on the bug fixing front, but sadly also appears to have introduced some fresh problems to this incarnation of Windows 11.

And two of these issues are very worrying, the first of which is a bug that’s apparently playing havoc with File Explorer, as reported by Windows Latest and other Windows 11 users across various online forums.

File Explorer is the app in which your desktop folders are displayed, allowing you to view and interact with the files inside. Due to this bug, though, you can’t actually view files, as some folders are refusing to open.

Windows Latest observes that the commonly-used Documents and Pictures folders are non-functional after installing the February update for Windows 11 24H2. File Explorer is also failing to work when accessed via Windows 11’s search function, or a desktop shortcut.

Other users are reporting various problems with opening certain folders, or indeed most folders – though some of them still appear to work.

It’s an odd sounding bug, in short, that’s having unpredictable effects. But if you’ve installed KB5051987 and are encountering weirdness in terms of folders just not working or appearing at all – even though File Explorer is running seemingly just fine, as normal, within Windows 11 – well, this is why.

On top of the flakiness with File Explorer, the February update is also failing to install for some Windows 11 users (though that’s nothing new – this is a common problem with a lot of Windows updates these days). For some, the download and installation process is getting stuck fast at a certain percentage, and for others, it might eventually complete, but it’s taking hours.

Worryingly, some folks are reporting that KB5051987 is causing crashes (Blue Screens of Death) after it’s installed, or that it has even torpedoed their Windows 11 installation entirely – yikes.

Windows Latest also points to potential issues with webcams not working, and the mouse cursor moving sluggishly and stuttering (as well as performance glitches in general).

(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird) Analysis: File this one under ‘worrying’

Just when I voiced hope that maybe Microsoft is finally getting on top of all the issues with Windows 11 – which have been numerous ever since the upgrade went live last year – we’ve seemingly got a doozy of a gremlin messing with the internal workings of File Explorer somehow.

File Explorer is a critical part of the Windows interface – as noted, it’s the very folders you navigate to access all the files on your PC – so to see it partially (or almost wholly in some cases) hamstrung is very disappointing.

This is a fairly widely reported issue, and as Windows Latest notes, it has over 30 reports sent in by readers (possibly more by now). There’s also lots of grumbling (understandably) about this on Reddit and other forums.

One of your first thoughts – it was certainly one of mine – was that a third-party customization utility could perhaps be to blame, but Windows Latest tried a completely vanilla installation of Windows 11, and this too was affected. There doesn’t seem to be any commonality between those suffering at the hands of this odd bug, not yet anyway – and there are no suggested workarounds for now. (Save for the obvious course of action – uninstall the February update).

That said, in one of the Reddit complaints I perused, I noticed that somebody offered up the idea of disabling Windows Sandbox, and this reportedly worked for two people. So that might be worth a shot, but bear in mind that Sandbox is not available on Windows 11 Home. So only those with the Pro edition can consider this possible fix, and most people are running the Home flavor of the OS, of course.

On top of the File Explorer problem, the reports of installation failures are very concerning, especially those which apparently broke Windows 11 completely. These reports seem much rarer, thankfully, but still – caution might be the better part of valor here, and you may want to put off installing the February update for as long as you can. (Which, I should note, for Windows 11 Home users isn’t all that long). In this case, you will, of course, be running without the security fixes provided by the patch, which isn’t ideal either.

With any luck, Microsoft will be investigating these issues and hopefully taking action sooner rather than later.

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• Palo Alto Networks fixes authentication bypass PAN-OS flaw
• A day after the patch was released, criminals started looking for vulnerable endpoints
• The flaw allows them to run different PHP scripts

A vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks firewalls is being abused in in-the-wild attacks, researchers are saying.

The company recently found, and fixed, an authentication bypass vulnerability in its PAN-OS firewalls. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2025-0108, has a severity score of 8.8/10 (high), and was said to affect multiple versions of the product.

It released a fix on February 12, 2025, urging users to upgrade their firewalls to these versions:

11.2.4-h4 or later
11.1.6-h1 or later
10.2.13-h3 or later
10.1.14-h9 or later

Exploit attempts

The vulnerability impacts the PAN-OS management web interface, and allows malicious actors to run different PHP scripts. This, in turn enables sensitive data exfiltration, firewall configuration tampering, and more.

Now, researchers from the security outlet GreyNoise said they observed attempts to exploit the flaw on unpatched endpoints. The attacks, they said, started a day after Palo Alto Networks released the patch (February 13), and came from multiple IP addresses, which could suggest that more attackers picked up on the vulnerability at the same time.

Citing information from Macnica researcher Yutaka Sejiyama, BleepingComputer reported that the attack surface likely counts more than 4,400 devices.

To protect the firewalls, users should apply the patch as soon as possible, and restrict access to the product’s interface, as soon as possible.

Firewalls used by SMBs are often targets because these types of businesses typically have weaker security configurations and outdated firmware. Many SMBs lack dedicated IT teams, leading to misconfigured firewall rules that create vulnerabilities. Furthermore, threat actors can use firewalls as entry points to bypass network defenses and gain deeper access to internal systems. Once compromised, firewalls can be used to intercept sensitive data, launch further attacks, or disable security measures altogether.

Via BleepingComputer

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• A flaw named WhoAMI was found in Amazon Machine Image
• It allows threat actors to gain RCE abilities on people's AWS accounts
• A fix has been released, but many users are still yet to update

Amazon Web Services (AWS) users are potentially vulnerable to a name confusion attack called “whoAMI”, experts have warned.

The vulnerability, found in Amazon Machine Image (AMI), was discovered in the summer of 2024 by cybersecurity researchers DataDog, and has now been confirmed by Amazon, which said it fixed the issue on its side, and urged users to update the code on their side and thus protect their premises.

AMI is a pre-configured template used to create and launch virtual servers (EC2 instances) in AWS. It includes an operating system, application software, and necessary configurations like storage and permissions. AMIs allow users to quickly deploy consistent environments, whether using AWS-provided images, community AMIs, or custom-built ones. This makes scaling and managing cloud infrastructure more efficient.

Following the naming pattern

AMIs can be public, or private, and once generated, come with a unique identifier. Public ones can even be found in the AWS catalog. But these public ones should also come with the ‘owners’ attribute, as a way to confirm that they’re coming from a trusted source.

Now, the researchers found that the way software projects retrieve AMI IDs was flawed, and allowed threat actors to gain remote code execution (RCE) capabilities within people’s AWS accounts.

The technical details on how the vulnerability works and how it might be exploited can be found on this link. Long story short, if a threat actor publishes an AMI with a name that follows the format used by trusted owners, it can be picked up by mistake.

When DataDog first discovered the flaw, it said that overall, a very small percentage of AWS users are vulnerable, but that still equals “thousands” of AWS accounts. Amazon responded by issuing a fix in mid-September last year, and releasing a new security control called “Allowed AMIs” in early December last year.

It also advised all users to apply the fixes, while stressing that there was no evidence of abuse in the wild.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Unprotected.org successfully petitions USPTO against the application for Hosted WordPress and Managed WordPress
• However this is not an absolute denial for the trademarks
• Move leads some to call Matt Mullenweg's WordPress leadership into question

Since September 2024, WordPress, led by Matthew Mullenweg, has been locked in a battle with WP Engine over licensing and contributions to the WordPress community.

So far, the battle has seen Mullenweg block WP Engine from open source resources, followed by a court order that required WP Engine's access to be reinstated and restrictions to developers removed.

As part of a wider effort to control how hosts can use the WordPress name, the WordPress Foundation also attempted to trademark 'Hosted WordPress' and 'Managed WordPress,' but the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has required disclaimers for both terms in an initial setback for Mullenweg.

Is Mullenweg doing more harm than good for WordPress?

The attacks on WP Engine and trademark expansion efforts left many hosts wondering about the future of their WordPress hosting products and possible backlash from the WordPress Foundation over trademark infringements of the open-source software.

While this initial disclaimer request gives some relief to hosts it is not a denial and the term Hosted WordPress has already been granted in some counties. If the trademarks are granted it gives more control to the WordPress Foundation on which web hosting providers they can give licenses to for the use of the phrases.

The WordPress drama has caused many to question whether Mullenweg’s actions are damaging rather than strengthening the WordPress community. Since the attack on WP Engine, 159 Automatic (a company run by Mullenweg) employees have left because they disagree with his leadership.

The requested disclaimer on the trademarks was filed by Unprotected.org, a website critical on Mullenweg.

A spokesperson from the site told The Register, "This represents a great victory for the WordPress ecosystem, and we will continue to fight until there is accountability and a change in leadership.”

The spokesperson added, "The WordPress ecosystem is ready for new leadership, and Joost de Valk, the developer of Yoast SEO, is the first who comes to mind."

De Valk has previously called for the decentralisation of WordPress around Mullenweg and to create a federated and independent WordPress. In a blog post he said, “We, the WordPress community, need to decide if we’re ok being led by a single person who controls everything, and might do things we disagree with, or if we want something else. For a project whose tagline is “Democratizing publishing”, we’ve been very low on exactly that: democracy.”

In response, Mullenwag banned De Valk from sponsoring and attending any WordPress events. WordPress currently powers over 43% of the world’s websites but as web hosts develop their own website builders and uncertainty around the stability of WordPress grows we may see that number start to decline.

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• Windows 11 has a new advert for PC Game Pass in testing
• It offers the ability to give up to five friends a 14-day free trial
• Microsoft doesn’t appear to be giving up with a broader push to get these kind of ‘suggestions’ into its desktop OS

Windows 11 is undergoing yet more experimentation with adverts, this time in the Settings app (again), as driving users with targeted ‘suggestions’ of one kind or another appears to be a habit Microsoft isn’t going to relent with anytime soon.

The new ad – or ‘recommendation’ as Microsoft might call it – is present in the latest preview build of Windows 11 released in the Dev and Beta channels, meaning it’s still just in testing for now.

It’s an advert that appears in the Settings app home page which is targeted at Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers. If that sounds familiar, it’s because Microsoft instigated a similar advert in testing last year, though that was trying to cajole people into signing up for Game Pass itself.

It was still targeted at gamers only, though, we were told at the time. The difference with this fresh advertising initiative is that it’s aimed at those who already subscribe, and it’s a referral ad. The idea is to “share a 14-day free trial” with up to five friends in an effort to get them to sign up.

As with the past advert for Game Pass, this only appears for those who are signed into their PC on their Microsoft account.

In the blog post for the new preview build 26120, Microsoft also notes that it’ll be improving the Recall feature in its next release for testers. It doesn’t say how, only that: “This important update will improve your experience. As part of this upcoming update, your existing snapshots will be deleted.”

Recall is the (controversial and tricky to implement) AI-supercharged search feature that only applies to those who have a Copilot+ PC (as it needs the beefy NPU incorporated with these laptops to ensure the process runs smoothly).

There’s a neat extra for those who use OneDrive in that Windows 11 will present a notification on your PC offering the chance to resume working on a file that you were just editing on your phone. This happens if you were interacting with a file on your smartphone within the last five minutes, then you subsequently unlock your PC – a nifty touch.

(Image credit: Microsoft) Analysis: Boss drum, here we go again

I know, you’re probably sick of hearing the ‘stop this with the veiled advertising in Windows 11’ drum, and I’m sick of beating it, believe me. Microsoft doesn’t appear to take any notice, though, and would likely argue that there’s some value to its latest nudge. After all, you might want your friends on Game Pass, too, and offering the ability to take a two-week test trial could be something your pals appreciate.

Well, fair enough I guess, but what I’d still like to see (and again, this is another well-worn drum) is the ability to turn off all these kinds of recommendations as a system-wide switch. Then those who don’t want some of their screen real estate taken over by such nudges – which are in quite a few corners of the Windows 11 interface – could just flick that switch and enjoy a cleaner UI all around. Meanwhile, those who felt some of the recommendations were useful could keep them turned on.

Everybody wins, no?

Anyhow, I should again emphasize that this latest plug for Game Pass is just in testing at the moment, so it may not be realized. Those who aren’t so keen on the idea can make their feelings known via the usual feedback channels, and maybe throw in a vote for that system-wide ad (sorry, recommendation) kill switch. I can dream, can’t I?

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• Veeam’s DevOps team mistakenly restored an old backup
• Topics and comments spanning 24 hours were lost
• Veeam apologizes for error, says it was not intentional

Top backup and data protection software provider Veeam has apologized after it accidentally erased forum data during an erroneous restoration.

A report from The Register said Fabian K from the company's Product Management team explained the internal infrastructure DevOps team had mistakenly restored a day-old backup of the forum database over the production database, leading to a temporary loss of forum data.

Confirmation of the mistake came around 4.5 hours after Veeam shared that “some topics and comments from the past 24 hours [were] missing.”

Veeam admits fault over mistake restoration

Veeam dedicated its web team to identifying potential issues, Fabian said in a 10:38am post on February 11: “We understand how important timely updates are, and we want to assure you that we are actively looking into this matter.”

Although the company spotted pretty quickly what had gone wrong, Fabian admitted in a 3:00pm post that it would not be possible for Veeam to combine new comments post-restoration with those missing in the runup to the mistake, meaning that an unknown number of posts have been lost without a backup.

Together with the public admission, the incident was humorously labeled as the ‘best post of the week’ in the company’s weekly forum digest, which is used to share news and upcoming plans.

Fabian wrote: “We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and appreciate your understanding.”

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The age of one-size-fits-all AI appears to be crumbling. As enterprises rush to embed artificial intelligence into their operations, a stark reality has emerged: generic language models, while impressive, often stumble when faced with specialized industry needs.

This limitation is particularly glaring for those of us who work in sectors such as voice AI, where our tech is the first step in a complex chain of understanding and action. Converting speech to text perfectly means nothing if the AI can't grasp industry-specific jargon or generate contextually appropriate responses. Working in the medical space recently, we've seen how mixing precise speech recognition with specialty LLMs can mean the difference between accurate diagnosis transcription and potentially dangerous errors.

Enter "Bring your own LLM" (BYO-LLM) - an evolving consensus on how businesses approach AI integration. And the timing is perfect: the LLM landscape has exploded, with upstarts like DeepSeek and Mistral challenging OpenAI and Google's dominance, proving innovation isn't confined to Silicon Valley's walled gardens.

Breaking free from Big Tech

Every industry speaks its own language - from legal firms parsing case law to manufacturers decoding technical manuals. This specialization is precisely why vendor lock-in has become the tech industry's oldest trap.

Betting your entire stack on a single provider's LLM is increasingly risky as the technology evolves at warp speed. BYO-LLM offers an escape route - if a better model emerges, companies can pivot quickly without a complete infrastructure overhaul.

The compliance angle makes this freedom even more crucial. Regulations like GDPR demand strict data controls, and BYO-LLM lets organizations host models locally or choose providers that meet regional compliance standards - critical for sectors where data sovereignty isn't negotiable.

The open source revolution

DeepSeek's emergence marks a turning point: barriers to LLM development are falling, even as strategic hurdles remain.

While platforms like Hugging Face have democratized access to pre-trained models, creating a competitive LLM still demands serious resources. Finetuning the state of the art has become increasingly easy and is now a very quick way for businesses to maintain IP and have a performant domain-specific LLM which understands their use cases.

Open source has been critical on both the foundation model level and the making available the tooling for finetuning.

Building your own beast

For organizations eyeing their own LLM journey, the price tag for training a foundational model can hit eight figures. Fine-tuning existing models is cheaper but still demands significant investment. Your shopping list includes elite data scientists (who command astronomical salaries), serious computational muscle, and mountains of clean, properly labeled data.

Model efficiency isn't optional - in real-time applications, every millisecond of latency kills user experience. Cascaded systems can tackle this by processing speech in stages, but optimization remains a constant challenge.

Add security requirements and on-premises deployment to the mix, and your infrastructure needs multiply.

The build vs integrate dilemma

Unless your differentiator hinges on foundational proprietary AI, most companies will benefit from integrating established models. The key is knowing when to build and when to borrow. For real-time applications, you'll need robust infrastructure - think on-premises deployment, scalable compute resources, and a team that can handle both technical complexities and industry-specific requirements.

The future of AI isn't about having the biggest model - it's about having the right one. As open-source innovation accelerates and specialized models proliferate, success will come to those who can seamlessly integrate the perfect tools for each task.

Generic AI is dead. Long live the custom revolution!

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• Apple is apparently considering inserting ads into its Apple Maps app
• This would mirror a move taken by Google Maps and similar rivals
• It could result in a much worse user experience

Apple Maps was a buggy mess when it first launched, but in the years since it has become a genuine rival to Google Maps, and arguably outperforms it in some areas. But there are murmurings that it could soon adopt one of Google Maps’ worst features, and it’s made me worried for its future.

That’s because Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman believes Apple is considering inserting adverts into the Apple Maps app. This could mean that certain places get pushed to the top of search results within the app, an example being a local Wendy’s topping the list when you search for 'fries,' merely because it paid to be advertised this way.

Apple Maps wouldn’t be the first Apple app to come with built-in ads. The Stocks, News and App Store apps already contain adverts, and the company is pushing further into the commercials business with its expanding sports coverage.

It’s also not the first time that Apple has looked at inserting ads into Apple Maps. Gurman reported back in 2022 that the firm was looking at ways to integrate advertising into its navigation app, although little came of this. Now, it looks like Apple is returning to the idea in a more serious way.

Degrading your search results

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

A move like this sticks in the craw for a number of reasons. As an Apple user, I’m already paying a premium for hardware, so being served ads on top of that feels like I’m being nickel-and-dimed. As well as that, Apple is one of the most valuable and profitable companies in the world – does it really need to be degrading the user experience in order to squeeze even more money into its coffers?

I take some small comfort knowing that Apple is far more committed to user privacy than Google is. Apple takes certain steps to protect the information of people using the Maps app, such as assigning you a random identifier that only lasts for the duration of your session, making it impossible for Apple or a hacker to get a complete picture of any one person’s journeys. That makes me feel Apple would at least handle user privacy more stringently if it were to bring ads to Apple Maps.

But it doesn’t overcome my main problem with seeing ads in a mapping app. Apps like this aren’t just used for route planning – they’re used to find attractions and restaurants in your nearby area. You might want to find the best eatery near you, but if certain locations are being promoted to the top of the pile because they paid for the privilege, you could be pushed towards an inferior location and miss somewhere better that didn’t slip Apple a few shiny greenbacks. In other words, the playing field is being skewed away from the genuinely best results and towards those with the deepest pockets.

If I use an app like Apple Maps to find local attractions, I don’t want my screen to be crowded with questionable options when something better might end up being pushed out of sight. And while I’m assuming that Apple will respect user privacy based on its past behavior, that’s not a guarantee that the company will be quite so scrupulous when serious money is on the line.

I guess the good news is that I’ve become so accustomed to ignoring ads that I've already conditioned myself to scroll right past them in search results. But if Apple handles this move poorly, I might have to start looking for an alternative app.

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Rising costs, particularly the increase in National Insurance costs coming into effect in April, are putting significant pressure on retailers’ margins. In response, many brands are passing on these higher costs to consumers. A recent survey by The British Retail Consortium indicates that as much as two-thirds of British retailers plan to raise prices in response to increased NI costs. However, inflating prices has a negative impact on consumer confidence and spending.

Despite reports of a bumper Christmas trading season, consumer spending has been faltering ever since and retailers are very concerned about increased pressure on costs. As a result, organizations are grappling with how they can do their best not to increase prices.

At this crucial time, retailers must reassess and look at ways to generate efficiency by making improvements in key areas such as forecast accuracy in the supply chain and stock control, driven by AI’s transformational potential. This means they can absorb cost increases and avoid passing these on to consumers whose spending is already squeezed.

At the recent National Retail Federation (NRF) 2025, top of the agenda was how AI can change the retail game. The technology has the potential to lead the charge in these unprecedented times and empower retailers to enhance supply chain responsiveness to disruption, and drive supply chain efficiency for the benefit of the customer. To continuously deliver the exceptional shopping experiences their customers expect.

The cost vs. customer experience challenge

Cost optimization has become a top priority for retailers who have had to navigate a significant jump in costs on a variety of fronts. With margins squeezed, increasing prices or adding new charges may seem like an obvious way to protect margins. However, the long-term pursuit of a consumer cost pass-through strategy can prove a risky choice, as there comes a point when consumer loyalties and trust begin to erode.

One thing is for sure: Today’s consumers, and their wallets, are weary following a prolonged period of inflationary turbulence and economic volatility. Indicators show that consumers are now hyper alert and sensitive to price rises and will be making their purchasing decisions accordingly. Similarly, they are less likely to look favorably on retailers who they perceive are rising prices in an attempt to increase profits – rather than offset costs.

Post-Christmas and with the build up to increased budget pressures this April, retailers that want to deliver a consistent consumer experience and maintain customer spend should opt to work smarter so they can mitigate the need to pass costs onto consumers. To achieve this goal, they should address the supply chain weaknesses that increase operational cost – and consider the host of AI-driven technological innovations designed to change the way retail does business. For example, AI-enabled pricing, provides retailers with real-time insights into the factors influencing customer demand to make optimal pricing decisions across the product lifecycle, at a granular level and at speed.

Inefficient data management

When data from suppliers, customers and other sources is scattered across the supply chain it becomes difficult to capture the actionable insights that enable better demand forecasting and inventory management.

Today’s cloud-powered platforms enable retailers to break down the operational silos that generate inefficiencies, making it possible for internal teams to work much more proactively and cohesively. Even better, by sharing data with the entire supply chain, including trading partners, via a single platform, smarter processes and approaches can be initiated so that everyone can work more effectively.

This kind of real-time flexibility minimizes inefficiencies such as excess inventory. An entire end-to-end AI-driven supply chain can plan for both demand and returns more intelligently. By doing so, retailers can reduce the need for reactive and costly safety-buffer stock orders.

Smarter inventory and returns management

As supply chains become more connected, retailers gain the visibility they need to engage in smarter inventory and returns management.

For example, retailers will be able to see if high demand products are already in transit and extend delivery windows on their website accordingly, rather than ordering additional stock. They can also instantly identify if an item is currently available at a store location for immediate pickup.

By engaging in this real-time dynamic inventory management, retailers can significantly reduce the inventory wastage that equates to lost revenue and additional costs. Equipped with real-time visibility of stock returns, inventory levels across the network can be optimized. This ensures items are instantly re-routed to where they are needed the most – direct to a store or a distribution center.

Using AI to enhance supply chain resilience

A digitally connected and cooperative supply chain will be better equipped to handle disruptions caused by external factors such as weather, or internal issues like supply chain bottlenecks. What’s more, real-time and bi-directional data sharing makes it possible to create interoperable workflows that transform retail planning and merchandising. It also opens the door to deploying AI technologies that will further improve supply chain efficiencies and reduce interruptions.

For example, using AI powered tools, retailers can monitor their entire supply chain in real-time and proactively identify and respond to potential disruptions on the horizon. They can also deploy AI and ML solutions to improve and elevate how they undertake several supply chain activities, such as last-mile delivery planning and warehouse management.

Finally, retailers that invest in AI-enabled tools will be able to automate routine tasks and support human operators with real-time insights that help them to focus on making strategic decisions that will drive efficiency.

Streamlining the supply chain to boost efficiency – and save costs

Today’s cloud-powered, interoperable, and data-driven supply chains make it possible to unite multiple teams – retail planning, merchandising, warehousing and transportation – so they can collaborate instantly and seamlessly. When combined with the transformative potential of AI, retailers can plan and proactively manage their supply chains ‘in the moment’ to improve resource utilization, boost operational efficiency and minimize waste. By doing so, they’ll be able to avoid passing on price increases that disappoint loyal customers and suppress demand.

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• Spyware maker SIO suspected of being behind 'Spyrtacus', a not-so new spyware
• It was previously found on Google Play but now largely on phishing websites
• A convincing paper trail links Spyrtacus back to SIO and a subsidiary

At least three Android apps have been identified as being spyware, and researchers believe that developer SIO, which sells its products to the Italian government, is responsible.

In late 2024, an anonymous security researcher raised its concerns about the apps with TechCrunch, who then forwarded the concerns to Google and cybersecurity firm Lookout; which both confirmed the apps in question, which purported to be popular apps like WhatsApp, and support services for phone carriers, were spyware.

Lookout identified the spyware as ‘Spyrtacus’, with reference to the malware itself being found in the code. Both it and a second cybersecurity firm that asked not to be named found that Spyrtacus could steal texts, chats, calls, and contacts, as well as record ambient audio and imagery directly from a device’s microphones and cameras.

SIO’s Spyrtacus spyware

Connecting SIO to Spyrtacus is a convoluted paper trail, but it can be done. Per the researchers TechCrunch spoke with, a number of command-and-control (C2) servers were linked to former startup ASIGINT, now a known subsidiary of SIO that’s directly involved in producing “computer wiretapping” software (PDF, originally in Italian). Italy’s Lawful Intercept Academy, which issues compliance certifications to spyware developers, lists SIO as the cert holder for a product, SIOAGENT, that ASIGINT owns.

Finally, ASIGINT CEO Michele Fiorentino confirmed on LinkedIn he worked on ‘Spyrtacus Project’ at another company linked to SIO’s C2 servers, DataForense.

Kristina Balaam, a researcher at Lookout, found 13 samples of Spyrtacus in total that dated from 2019 through to October 2024. However, Ed Fernandez, a Google spokesperson, was confident that “no apps containing this malware [can currently be] found on Google play”, and confirmed that its app store has had protection against Spyrtacus in place since 2022.

This may not have done much to slow the operation down; Kaspersky, an antivirus software company with its own fair share of controversy over privacy concerns, found in a 2024 report that Spyrtacus distribution had largely switched tack from Google Play to fake but convincing imitations of Italian internet service provider (ISP) websites.

The Italian government already has harrowing form for enabling spyware manufacturers; back in February 2025, Israeli spyware developer Paragon Solutions cancelled its own contract with Italy’s government after being caught violating the ‘ethical framework’ set out in it by encroaching on the privacy of seven Italian citizens and several others across Europe.

It gets murkier when Italian telephone operators have been found actively practicing surveillance (originally in Italian) and being paid by the Italian justice ministry for their services, and that’s saying nothing of the prior two decades during which spyware companies like Hacking Team, Cy4Gate, RCS Lab and Raxir have called Italy home.

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• Security researchers spot new piece of malware called FinalDraft
• It gets commands from a drafted email
• It can exfiltrate data, run PowerShell, and more

Cybersecurity researchers from Elastic Security Labs have discovered a new piece of malware which abuses draft email messages in Outlook for data exfiltration, PowerShell execution, and more.

The malware is part of a wider toolkit used in a campaign called REF7707 targeting government organizations in South America, and Southeast Asia.

As per the researchers, the toolkit comprises a couple of tools: a loader called PathLoader, the malware called FinalDraft, and multiple post-exploitation utilities.

Speeding up

The attack starts with the victim somehow being exposed to the loader. While the researchers don’t detail how that happens, it’s safe to assume the usual channels: phishing, social engineering, fake cracks to commercial software, and similar.

The loader installs FinalDraft, which establishes a communications channel through Microsoft Graph API. It does so by using Outlook email drafts. It proceeds to receive an OAuth token from Microsoft, using a refresh token embedded in its configuration. It stores it in the Windows Registry, allowing cybercriminals persistent access to the compromised endpoint.

The malware allows the attackers to perform a whole swathe of commands, including exfiltrating sensitive data, creating covert network tunnels, tampering with local files, executing PowerShell, and more. After performing these commands, the malware deletes them, making analysis even harder.

The researchers found the malware on a computer belonging to a foreign ministry in South America. However, after analyzing its infrastructure, Elastic has seen links to victims in Southeast Asia, as well. The campaign targets both Windows and LInux devices.

The attack was not linked to any known threat actors, so we don’t know if this was a state-sponsored play or not. However, given that the goal seems to be espionage, it’s safe to assume nation-state attacks. In-depth analysis, including detection mechanisms, mitigations, and YARA rules, can be found on this link.

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• Nosferatu is arriving on Peacock on February 21
• Subscribers will be able to watch both the theatrical and extended cut
• If you don't have Peacock, Nosferatu can also be rented or bought

Nosferatu has found a streaming home in Peacock, so you can now watch one of Robert Eggers' celebrated new movies in the comfort of your own home. Many horror fans have eagerly awaited its arrival, and Peacock has confirmed it will be available on February 21, so there's not long to wait if you want to dive into the excellent horror adaptation. While you wait, here's all the ways you can watch the original Nosferatu movie.

If you don't have a Peacock subscription (it's only available in the US and certain US territories), then I've got bad news because Nosferatu is not currently available on any of the best streaming services in the UK or Australia. So if you want to watch it outside of Peacock, you'll have to rent or buy it from services like Apple TV, Prime Video or Sky Store. If that changes, I'll be sure to let you know!

Was Nosferatu a critical success?

Yes, it was, and it has been a very good year for horror movies. Nosferatu was nominated for several BAFTAs and Academy Awards, even if it missed out on being one of the 2025 Best Picture nominees. Fellow horror hit The Substance has been flying lately, but that doesn't mean Nosferatu is any less deserving of praise.

The movie received 84% from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes and has joined some of the best horror movies in getting that coveted approval. Personally, I'm delighted that the genre has been so celebrated this awards season and can't wait to see what the rest of the year brings, as I'm yet to see some of my most anticipated horror movies of 2025. If they're as good as Nosferatu, we'll be truly spoiled.

If you've already seen Nosferatu, it's worth rewatching because Peacock is also releasing the extended cut, which includes extra scenes that weren't included in the theatrical cut. I just hope I'll be able to stream the extended cut of Nosferatu when it eventually gets a streaming release in the UK.

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• Microsoft has spotted a new phishing attack vector in the wild
• Storm-2372 is stealing access tokens through Microsoft Teams
• The group has been linked to Russia with medium confidence

A new phishing campaign has been spotted using ‘device code phishing’ through Microsoft Teams to target governments, NGOs, and other industries across Europe, North America, Africa, and the Middle East.

The attack, spotted by Microsoft itself, leverages Teams video conferencing meeting invitations which prompt the victim to enter a device code generated by the attacker which results in the victim handing over valid access tokens, giving the attacker access to victims emails and sensitive data.

Microsoft assesses with a medium level of confidence that the group, tracked as Storm-2372, is acting in line with Russian tactics and interests.

Data theft and lateral movement

Microsoft says the threat actor would first build up a rapport with the victim through messaging services such as WhatsApp, Signal, and Microsoft Teams, positioning themselves as an important figure within the victim’s industry. The attacker then invites the victim to an online meeting, where the victim is prompted to complete a device code authentication request.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The actor will generate a legitimate device code authentication request, and then send the code to the victim. The victim enters the code into the legitimate authentication service page which allows the attacker to capture access and refresh tokens to maintain control over the account.

From there, the attacker will often attempt to move laterally using the valid access tokens, using a keyword search in the messaging service to harvest sensitive data including usernames and passwords, as well as data related to the admin, teamviewer, anydesk, credentials, secret, ministry, and gov keywords.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The attacker can also use the compromised account to message or email colleagues with additional phishing messages. Storm-2372 has also been observed using the specific client ID for Microsoft Authentication Broker to request additional tokens that allows the attacker to register their own devices as an authentication device through Entra ID.

In order to protect against the specific attack vector used by Storm-2372, Microsoft recommends:

• Disabling device code flow wherever possible.
• Provide phishing training to all users.
• Revoke access tokens when Storm-2372 activity is suspected using revokeSignInSessions.
• Introduce a sign-in risk-based policy to to block access or force multi-factor authentication for high-risk sign ins.

The full list of defenses and mitigation can be found here.

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When I first heard about the rise in LED face masks like Shark’s new Cryoglow, I wasn’t sold. That’s because I’m a huge skeptic when it comes to beauty tech, belied by the stacked pile of gadgets and gizmos I’ve collected over the years.

In fact, the very reason I’ve developed such a chip on my shoulders is because of that mountainous product pile; very few have had any meaningful impact on my core skin concerns, those being my lifelong battle against acne and dark, puffy bags beneath my eyes.

I’ve tried just about everything to manage my acne and subsequent scarring, and the near-constant dark, puffy circles underneath my eyes signal a life decorated by insomnia and bouts of routine dysregulation. The signs of aging are also beginning as I crawl towards 30, and while I’m a huge advocate of aging gracefully, I have to wear a fair amount of concealer to hide my biggest skin insecurities and I’d love to have fewer fine lines to worry about.

As of writing, I’m testing the Shark Cryoglow, and I’ve started to see some promising results even before completing my review; here are my initial thoughts.

Have questions about the Shark Cryoglow ahead of my full review? Let me know in the comments below.

(Image credit: Future) How does the Shark Cryoglow work?

Enter the Shark Cryoglow, which I’ve been testing for three weeks as of writing; approximately half of the recommended eight-week treatment which uses LED light to stimulate collagen production and cell metabolism to reduce fine lines, treat acne and reduce inflammation.

There are four different treatments programmed into the Shark Cryoglow which use different wavelengths to treat different skin conditions. Red light therapy delivers much of the collagen production, while also reducing inflammation and accelerating healing alongside anti-aging benefits. Blue light targets acne-causing bacteria and reduces inflammation, particularly for oily and acne-prone skin, while near-infrared light therapy improves circulation and reduces fine lines and wrinkles, helping to plump your skin and reduce redness.

(Image credit: Future)

These different wavelengths are used across pre-set treatments designed to target different skin conditions; Better Ageing mode (reducing fine lines and firming skin in eight weeks), Blemish Repair mode (improves blemishes in four weeks) and Skin Sustain, designed to be used following an eight-week cycle of one of the former treatments to boost brightness and maintain results.

In tandem with this technology, the Shark Cryoglow also features controllable under-eye cooling metal pads to reduce puffiness and dark circles through cryotherapy. There are three different temperature settings to account for different skin sensitivities, or you can opt to use the mask without the cooling affect.

There are only a few clinical studies into LED face mask technology, with some positive, albeit varied results, and little insight into the long-term effects. That being said, I can at the very least say my personal experience has been a positive one so far.

(Image credit: Future) First impressions

Shark’s Cryoglow LED face mask makes quite the impression, looks-wise. Unlike some of the other flexible mask models on the market, it’s a solid mask with cushioning to comfortably fit a variety of face shapes. It also comes with extra optical cooling covers to bring the under-eye pads closer to your face if needed.

Instead of wraparound straps like those found in some of its competitors, the Shark Cryoglow has two elasticated straps that go across the top and sides of your head above your ears, which I personally find more comfortable; though it is a little heavy.

It can also take some getting used to the narrow field of view afforded by the Shark Cryoglow and many of the other LED masks on the market. For most, this won’t be an issue; it’s no bad thing to take a moment for some self-care, sit back and relax as the LED face mask works its magic. I, however, can’t sit still, and found it a little difficult that I couldn’t move around or play on my phone easily while my skin was being rejuvenated.

Attached to the mask is the handheld remote, from which you both charge the device and select the treatment cycles or coolness, as well as tracking your progress and adjusting settings.

Early results

I’ve found it easy to commit to and keep up my LED treatments thanks to the on-device remote keeping tabs on my activity, and its super-quick treatments are all less than 10 minutes, meaning it’s not a huge drag on my self-care routine to keep up.

After just a few weeks of use, my skin has shown some noticeable improvement, though I wouldn’t yet go as far as to say it’s a silver bullet solution.

For one thing, my under-eye bags have drastically reduced from daily cooling, and I’ve even noticed improvements in discoloration. I’ve been mostly using Blemish Repair mode, with the odd burst of Better Aging, and I’ve noticed some solid early signs of improvement. After the first two weeks, my skin seemed to regain some elasticity, and a slightly more consistent tone. By week three, I noticed my acne improved; while it’s not gone entirely, it’s becoming less prone to cystic outbreaks and, while my evidence is only anecdotal, does seem to be healing more quickly, too.

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One of my only gripes so far outside of the heaviness is that the battery life is a little sub-par. It needs charging after three or four treatments, which is fine until you’re caught in a situation where you’re in a rush to leave the house and want to give your skin some treatment beforehand.

I've not yet finished my full testing and review process, so I can't say for certain what my verdict on the Shark Cryoglow is; however, it's certainly on track to win me over. Stay tuned for my full review in a few weeks, and let me know in the comments below if you have any Cryoglow questions!

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• Arm could be gearing up to make its own CPUs, competing with its own customers
• Report says Arm is quietly poaching talent from its own partners
• SoftBank's $6.5 billion Ampere buyout could be the push Arm needs

Arm has built a solid business designing microprocessor architectures, such as ARMv9, and licensing the IP to big players like Apple, Qualcomm, Samsung, Nvidia, AMD, and AWS - but what it doesn’t do is make and sell its own chips, although this could be about to change.

It has long been rumored Arm is considering making its own silicon, and it now appears the British firm is finally taking steps in that direction.

Arm’s Japanese owner, SoftBank, is set to acquire Ampere Computing, Arm's only independent server chip vendor, for $6.5 billion, a move which could help Arm expand its footprint in the competitive data center and AI markets and pave the way for the company to build its own chips, but it’s a risky strategy. This quest for higher profits could put it in competition with some of its larger customers, including Qualcomm and AMD.

Looking to poach staff

Much of Arm’s success stems from the fact that its partners view it as a neutral force in the industry, rather than a competitor. If Arm begins to build its own silicon, that perception will change - and, as a Reuters report citing anonymous sources and a reviewed document suggests, it could upend the industry. Companies that license Arm's IP will have to consider whether they want to continue doing business with a direct competitor. RISC-V could really benefit here.

According to the report, Arm is actively seeking to recruit staff from its own customers, as well as competing with some of them for deals as it moves towards the goal of selling its own CPUs.

The document that Reuters reviewed reportedly states in November 2024, a recruiter working for Arm sent a message to an unnamed executive at an unnamed Arm client, seeking to hire employees to assist with its "transformation from solely designing processor architecture (IP) to also selling its own silicon, with a focus on driving AI enablement in the data center" and on other devices.

Two industry sources also told Reuters Arm recruiters have been reaching out to other chip designers in Silicon Valley for the same purpose.

Arm’s ambitions may extend further still. According to a research note published by J.P. Morgan analyst Harlan Sur, Broadcom has won a contract from Arm and SoftBank to develop a custom-built AI chip for data centers, potentially bringing Arm into competition with Nvidia.

A spokesperson for Arm declined to comment on the Reuters report.

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• We could be seeing a new Xe3P architecture for Intel's rumored next-gen 'Celestial' GPUs
• Rumors hint at Intel potentially using an in-house INTC process instead of the usual TSMC
• This could lead to stronger competition against AMD and Nvidia as Intel may be making a bigger effort on its GPUs

Intel's recent Battlemage GPUs have been received well by budget PC gamers, with the Arc B580 and Arc B570 providing great performance at 1440p and 1080p respectively - however, it doesn't stop there for Team Blue, as reports suggest it has new tricks up its sleeve for its next-gen 'Celestial' GPUs.

According to Raichu in a post on X that appears to have been removed (reported by VideoCardz), Team Blue's new discrete GPUs known as Arc Celestial will be based on Xe3P architecture rather than Xe3. Raichu also hints at Intel using its INTC in-house process instead of TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) who are responsible for helping build chips for multiple tech giants, which is used for most GPUs such as Nvidia's recent RTX 5000 series lineup, as well as Intel's Arc B580 and B570. Moving in-house will give Intel more control over the chips, and it also means they don't have to wait for TSMC to fulfill orders from its many other customers, many of whom are direct competitors to Intel.

A new architecture can bring significant performance improvements and increased power efficiency to next-gen GPUs, like we’ve seen previously with Nvidia’s move from Ada Lovelace (for the RTX 4000 series) to Blackwell (for the RTX 5000 series). New technologies like AI upscaling, data processing, and frame generation become possible, which sounds promising for the rumored Xe3P architecture.

VideoCardz highlighted a LinkedIn profile of an Intel engineer who was revealed to be working on the rumored architecture, further corroborating reports of its development for the Celestial GPUs. It seems as though it's being developed alongside Xe3+ and Xe3 (codenames for architectures developed by Intel) but since this is still just a rumor, take it with a grain of salt.

There's no doubt that Nvidia remains the market leader in graphics cards (despite some ongoing concerns about RTX 5000 series GPUs), but there's a chance its rival AMD could begin to close the gap soon. Intel still has some work to do to get closer to both Team Green and Team Red in terms of competition - and while it's unlikely the purported Celestial GPUs will launch anytime soon since Intel's Battlemage GPUs were released just a few months ago, these rumors are still pretty exciting for anyone who’d like the GPU market to have more competition and choice.

(Image credit: Future/Shutterstock) Road to high-end GPUs for Intel?

Nvidia’s been the GPU market leader for a long, long time now, and while AMD has been trying hard to close the gap with the likes of the Radeon RX 7900 XTX (competing with the RTX 4080 Super), it's not been enough to outperform its rival's products.

Despite this, AMD is the only real 'threat' to Nvidia’s GPU throne right now even with its clear focus on midrange graphics cards this generation, and its new Radeon RX 9000 series looks promising considering the negative consensus surrounding Nvidia's generational uplift from the RTX 4000 series (especially with the pricing of the new GPUs).

Intel still has a long journey ahead if it wants to catch up to both since the recent Arc B580 and Arc B570 are considered midrange GPUs. While it’s provided a great option for budget PC gamers, it doesn't match up to the popularity of Team Green’s GPUs, and that looks set to continue if the hype about the upcoming RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 are anything to go by. Regardless, the only way is up which is great because Team Green needs more competition - as that means (hopefully) more innovation and more competitive prices for us consumers.

We've yet to see what Team Blue can produce when it comes to high-end GPUs, but based on the affordability of its Battlemage offerings, I'm very keen to see what this will mean once it can focus on providing even stronger GPUs for gamers...

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• One Reddit user accidentally activated Emergency SOS and shared a naked video of themself with their emergency contacts
• This embarrassing (and amusing) story has made some consider turning Emergency SOS off on their Android phone
• You could instead change your SOS settings to make it harder to activate, or set it to not share video and audio

Emergency SOS features on our phones have been cited as being life-saving, but accidental activations could be life-ruining if you have an experience like that of one unlucky Reddit user, who accidentally sent their 12 emergency contacts a naked video of themself. Thankfully, you don’t need to switch the setting off to help you avoid the same embarrassment.

The ordeal occurred over the weekend when, in an effort to switch off their morning phone alarm, user AssistancePretend668 says they accidentally activated Emergency SOS – they suspect by pressing their phone’s power button five times. The alarm became a whirring siren and their phone screen alerted them that it was calling 911 and sending out information to their emergency contacts.

They scrambled to cancel Emergency SOS, but in doing so picked up their phone without knowing the feature starts capturing a video which it then sends to all of their emergency contacts. Combine this with the fact that the user says they sleep without any clothes on, and the result is their contacts were sent a video of their friend completely naked.

If you want a good laugh, the full post on Reddit and the replies in the thread are worth a read – especially knowing that after the situation was explained everyone involved also found it hilarious – but you might well be wondering what you can do to avoid finding yourself in a similar situation.

How to change your Emergency SOS settings

(Image credit: Samsung)

Some obvious, but not overly useful, suggestions would be to switch off Emergency SOS, use a different device as your alarm, or to always sleep with clothes on, but there are some Emergency SOS settings you can change instead to help you avoid disaster.

One is setting your phone to require a secondary action after pressing your power button five times before it goes into emergency mode, instead of this being automatic. On Pixel this requires you to touch and hold an icon on your phone screen for a couple of seconds, while on Samsung this requires you to swipe up on the phone symbol onscreen, as when answering a call.

A second option is to change which details emergency contacts receive. If you’d prefer, you can set it so that your device won’t send audio recordings, pictures, or video of your emergency to contacts. The disadvantage of turning this off is that these auto recordings make it easy to show and explain your situation without needing to type out a bespoke message – so keep that in mind if you are thinking of turning it off.

A third option is changing who's on your emergency contacts list so you limit who receives your details and videos. All three of these settings can be tweaked in your Settings app – search for Emergency SOS and then alter the settings in the Emergency SOS and Emergency Sharing sub-menus.

A final suggestion is to turn on your phone’s ability to switch off an alarm simply by telling it “Stop”. This runs the risk of your still half-asleep self cutting your alarm off early, but because it’s a hands-free approach you won’t run the risk of accidentally inputting your Emergency SOS . Though it can be temperamental, and if “Stop” doesn’t work you will still need to take a more hands-on approach to switching off your alarm.

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• Meta confirms Project Waterworth subsea cable plans
• The cable will span 50,000km and reach around the entire world
• It will be the longest cable in the world – previous record holder was… Meta

Facebook parent company Meta has lifted the wraps off its plans to build an extensive 50,000km subsea cable that will connect five continents and span the entire globe.

The news comes just a few months after we first learned the company had plans to build a subsea cable network at the cost of $10 billion.

Project Waterworth, which Meta says is a multibillion-dollar, multi-year investment, will center around a cable that’s longer than the earth is round.

Meta will build a subsea cable to span the globe

VP for Network Engineering Gaya Nagarajan and Global Head of Network Investments Alex-Handrah Aimé shared in an announcement the cable will become the world’s longest and that it would feature the “highest-capacity technology available.”

Project Waterworth aims to connect the US, India, Brazil, South Africa and “other key regions,” and has been described as an “investment to strengthen the scale and reliability of the world’s digital highways by opening three new oceanic corridors with the abundant, high-speed connectivity needed to drive AI innovation around the world.”

It might be Meta’s biggest, but it’s certainly not its first. The company has developed 20 other cables over the years, including an extended version of its ‘2Africa’ network which was the previous record holder, at 45,000km.

The cable network, which will loop south of Africa and cut through the center of Asia and Australasia, will be laid at depths of up to 7,000m.

Besides giving Meta greater control over its network infrastructure, Nagarajan and Aimé stated that improved connectivity will help provide opportunities for technological development in countries like India, where significant growth and investment in digital infrastructure have already played out.

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• Google Freeplay is axing some TV channels, and bringing back others
• Out TV Proud and Shades of Black both return after a few weeks away
• Freeplay's channel list has still shrunk overall

Google TV users may notice a few changes to the platform’s Freeplay service this month, with a number of free TV channels leaving and arriving in quick succession.

We’re saying goodbye to some seasonal Christmas channels, including Xumo Holiday Movie Channel, Xumo Holiday Classics, and Xumo Christian Christmas – all of which arrived in time for the Christmas season and are unlikely to see much traction for the coming nine months (via 9to5Google). Although, honestly, we all know people who would happily watch those Hallmark holiday movies all year round, don't we…

But for anyone sad about losing some free channels, there is some good news here too. A pair of channels that were removed from Freeplay earlier in February are now returning to the service to make up for it. After a brief absence, Shades of Black – the "Black culture, entertainment and lifestyle" channel formerly known as Fuse Beat – is now back on Freeplay, alongside the LGBTQ+ network Out TV Proud.

These channels were part of a major cull to Google TV’s Freeplay, alongside The Hill TV, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Milan, the Dove Channel, Comedy Dynamics, the Bob Ross Channel, Dazn Ringside, and Dazn Women’s Football. However, it seems like their absence only lasted a couple of weeks, even if the remaining seven channels are still nowhere to be seen. (We’ll miss you, Bob Ross).

Google Freeplay now has around 160 free channels after a major cull earlier in 2025. (Image credit: Google / 9to5google) What's the issue?

Google TV Freeplay is a big perk for US customers using Google’s smart TV operating system, packing in over 160 free channels that cover everything from documentary channels and sports to Bollywood movies and true crime.

2024 saw a steady increase in the number of channels available, eventually peaking around 170, though it seems Google is starting to curate that list a little more intentionally in the new year.

Freeplay is just one of the major players in FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming Television) these days. TV viewers can now watch oodles of free TV shows and films on the likes of Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, Tubi, and The Roku Channel.

As Netflix raises its subscription prices once again, and it becomes even harder to juggle all the best TV shows across a splintered streaming market, many people are embracing free, ad-supported TV that doesn’t put a big monthly dent in their spending budget.

And as long as your favorite channels don’t suddenly disappear, there should still be plenty of Google TV Freeplay for you to enjoy throughout 2025. Let’s just hope Google’s AI news summaries don’t end up replacing them.

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