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• HBO Max confirmed “aggressive” plans to tackle password sharing, following in Netflix’s footsteps
• The HBO Max password sharing crackdown will begin to be enforced more rigorously in September 2025
• Subscribers are already complaining about the change to their accounts

Head of streaming and gaming at Warner Bros. Discovery JB Perrette confirmed at the company’s second quarter earnings call that HBO Max will begin an “aggressive” crackdown on password sharing as of September 2025.

It’s a move that follows in the footsteps of rival streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+, marking a 180-turn from previous marketing campaigns encouraging users to share their account details (we all remember those Netflix adverts). The idea is to close existing loopholes and drive profits, though the benefits of doing so aren’t expected to be seen until 2026.

As it stands, HBO Max is undoubtedly one of the best streaming services on the market. It hosts original content including The Last of Us, The White Lotus, Euphoria and Peacemaker, with a quality backlog of classic movies and TV shows added to the platform every month.

However, in a world where streamers are getting more expensive and inaccessible to groups of people (e.g., if you’re a family in the same home, it makes sense to share one account, however, HBO Max does not offer a family subscription tier), the decision to make password sharing harder is one that’s already not going down well with its subscribers.

Early X/Twitter comments from users show that subscribers are already complaining. One user said “that's one way to lose subscriptions quickly,” with another adding, “back in the early Netflix days we all shared passwords like Pokémon cards. Now they want a DNA test before I can watch Euphoria??”

Others have noted how close the announcement is to the pulling of all Cartoon Network content from the platform (don’t worry, you can still find a lot of this on Hulu in the US, while those in Australia can find the network’s shows on Stan). It feels like HBO Max is piling on bad news after bad news, but let’s dive deeper into the methods behind their madness.

Opinion: HBO Max’s ‘aggressive’ password crackdown isn’t exactly the news I wanted to hear

Perette explained during the call that months of testing have gone into “who’s a legitimate user who may not be a legitimate user,” adding that the next step is to “turn on the more aggressive language around what needs to happen” so they “are putting the net in the right place, so to speak”. Later in 2025, the crackdown will be happening “in a much more aggressive fashion,” adding “the message language right now has been a fairly soft, cancel-able message, [which will] start to get more fixed and such that people have to take action as opposed to right now, sort of having to be a voluntary process.”

After all of this is established “the real benefit will start probably in the fourth quarter and then kick in in 2026”. But as WBD claims to have added 3.4 million streaming subscribers to its platforms over the last quarter, can we really expect them to hit their new overall target of 150 million subscribers by 2026 if measures like this are being introduced? The fact I’m now having to jump through more hoops just to stream the content I want to is incredibly offputting, and I wouldn’t be surprised if more people turn to free streaming alternatives, or dare I say it, cable TV.

It’s not something that HBO Max itself is worried about, though, with its eyes on the prize of a hefty theatrical slate heading our way over the next few years. As WBD’s CEO David M. Zaslav explained on the call: “one of the assets that we have at this company is that we have such – so much compelling storytelling IP that people know everywhere in the world, whether it's Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Lord of the Rings. And then we'll call those the big tent poles, Harry Potter. And then smaller tent poles like The Fugitive, Goonies, Gremlins, Practical Magic that everybody knows.

“Our strategy is [to] light up strategically those big tent poles so that we have two or three of those a year, which provide real stability. We got a great script on Lord of the Rings with Peter Jackson that we're already – that we're moving forward on, and we'll be giving you more detail on that.”

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We are in the midst of a Copernican shift in enterprise intelligence. We are no longer just automating or augmenting tasks - we are delegating intent. This is not just IT automation; it’s agency. And it’s changing everything…

In this new paradigm, Agentic AI doesn’t just support human workers - it collaborates with them, anticipates their needs and acts independently to drive outcomes. It marks a seismic shift in how we think about intelligence at work.

Agentic AI is about autonomous execution. It doesn’t wait for prompts. It plans, decides and acts—often without human intervention. This is not just a new toolset; it’s a new mindset.

Are we prepared to rethink how work is designed, how systems are integrated and how humans and machines co-evolve across the enterprise?

From prompt to purpose

Generative AI (GenAI) has captured the public imagination with its ability to generate text, images and code. But it is fundamentally reactive - dependent on human input to produce output. Agentic AI, by contrast, is proactive. It understands goals, decomposes them into tasks, orchestrates tools and adapts its strategy in real time. It’s the difference between a brilliant assistant and a self-directed colleague.

In 2025, forward-thinking enterprises are no longer choosing between GenAI and Agentic AI - they’re combining them. GenAI fuels ideation and content creation. Agentic AI delivers execution at scale.

The rise of the autonomous enterprise

Agentic AI is already transforming how businesses operate. In finance, agents autonomously monitor compliance, flag anomalies and initiate remediation workflows. In manufacturing, they optimize supply chains in real time. They can use the internet, make purchases and approve orders.

However, the real revolution is internal. Agentic AI will become the connective tissue of the enterprise - linking systems, surfacing insights and taking action across silos. It’s not just about doing more with less. It’s about doing what was previously impossible.

From process to possibility: Reinventing the enterprise core

Agentic AI isn’t just accelerating existing workflows - it’s reimagining them. In finance, autonomous agents now reconcile transactions in real time, detect anomalies before they escalate and dynamically adjust forecasting models based on live market signals. In HR, agents are transforming talent management by continuously scanning internal and external data to identify skill gaps, recommend personalized learning paths and even initiate retention interventions before attrition risks materialize.

Meanwhile, in Sales & Marketing, agents orchestrate hyper-personalized campaigns, adapt messaging based on behavioral signals and autonomously optimize pricing strategies across channels. These aren’t incremental improvements - they’re structural shifts that collapse cycle times, eliminate friction and unlock entirely new value pools. The result is a more fluid, responsive enterprise where strategy and execution are no longer separated by process drag.

Human + Agent: A new collaboration model

The fear that AI will replace humans misses the point. Agentic AI doesn’t eliminate human work—it elevates it. It frees professionals from the tyranny of the inbox and the spreadsheet, allowing them to focus on judgment, emotional intelligence and radical innovation.

Imagine an operations lead at a manufacturing firm working with an AI agent that monitors equipment health, predicts maintenance needs and autonomously adjusts production schedules to avoid downtime. Or a commercial strategist at an energy company whose agent tracks global commodity prices, models regulatory impacts and recommends contract renegotiations in real time.

These agents aren’t waiting for instructions - they’re anticipating change, acting on insight and reshaping how decisions are made. This isn’t science fiction - it’s already happening in the most forward-thinking enterprises.

Designing for Trust and Impact

To harness the full potential of Agentic AI, organisations must go beyond deployment. They must design for trust. That means:

• Transparent reasoning: Agents must explain their decisions in human terms.
• Ethical alignment: Agents must be trained on values, not just data.
• Human-in-the-loop governance: Autonomy must be bounded by accountability.

This is not just a technical challenge - it’s a leadership imperative.

The new literacy: Prompting, supervising, orchestrating

As Agentic AI becomes embedded in workflows, a new skillset is emerging. Prompt engineering is just the beginning. Professionals must learn to supervise agents, interpret their outputs and orchestrate multi-agent systems. This is the new digital fluency.

Business leaders, as well as HR and L&D, must act now to build these capabilities. The future belongs to those who can lead teams of humans and machines.

Conclusion: From intelligence to intent

Agentic AI is not just the next wave of automation. It’s a new form of intelligence - one that acts with intent. As we enter this new era, the question is not whether we will use Agentic AI, but how we will shape it to reflect our highest aspirations.

I tried 70+ best AI tools.

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

• OpenAI's GPT-5 is now available, but many users are angry with the new release
• GPT-5 has replaced the previous AI model selection with some users claiming the upgrade "is horrible"
• ChatGPT Plus subscribers now have limits to how often they can access reasoning models, and have lost access to the older more reliable ones like o4-mini and o4-mini-high

OpenAI just released GPT-5, the next generation of the company's AI model that will power ChatGPT for the foreseeable future.

In an hour-long livestream broadcast yesterday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his team showcased GPT-5's capabilities and improvements over its predecessor, GPT-4o.

However, not even 24 hours later and social media sites like Reddit are being flooded with criticisms of the new AI model, with many users left unimpressed with the next generation of ChatGPT.

One Reddit thread titled "GPT-5 is horrible" has nearly 3,000 upvotes and over 1,200 comments filled with users dissatisfied with the new release.

U/headwaterscarto said, "I like how the demo they were like – “if it gets something wrong, no worries, just ask again. I’m actually going to run 3 prompts at once and pick my favorite.” Like, how is that better?" Another says, "Sounds like an OpenAI version of 'Shrinkflation'"

Many users miss the previous 4o and 4.1 models, with plenty of comments saying things like "I miss 4.1. Bring it back," and "They should’ve let us keep the old models while they fix the new one."

There's also uproar from ChatGPT Plus subscribers who feel like the latest AI model release has actually limited the functionality of the paid subscription. The new GPT-5 Thinking model is limited to 200 messages a week, and Plus subscribers no longer have access to the wide variety of AI models that used to be available, as OpenAI now claims GPT-5 is able to reason when it needs to.

ChatGPT literally got worse for every single Plus user today.There's no way to reliably get thinking models anymore.Before we had o4-mini, o4-mini-high and o3.Now we have GPT-5 Thinking with 200 messages per week and a router that exclusively routes you to some small and…August 8, 2025

Are people against change? Or is GPT-5 as bad as the internet makes out

pic.twitter.com/1u0MOGvJWUAugust 7, 2025

A lot of the uproar surrounding GPT-5 is based on the overpromising from Sam Altman, who hyped up the latest announcement as if it were going to revolutionize the world and the way we interact with AI.

Hours before the official GPT-5 reveal, Altman tweeted an image of the Death Star from Star Wars looming over the horizon of a planet, hinting at a ground-breaking revolution from OpenAI's next AI model. Instead, while GPT-5 smashes benchmarks compared to its predecessors, it's an incremental upgrade compared to the initial AI revolution when ChatGPT first launched.

For many, having access to the reliable ChatGPT-4o models, which Altman claimed were like talking to a college student versus GPT-5's PhD-educated expert, was better than GPT-5's one-size-fits-all approach.

Lots of users are reporting GPT-5 performing worse than 4o, but we've yet to properly test out the new AI model to know for sure if that's truly the case. One thing is for sure: OpenAI's paid subscribers feel hard done by the new release, and the company better iron out the launch bugs, such as slow and poor responses, otherwise its loyal fanbase will look elsewhere.

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• A new AI search feature has been spotted in Apple Maps
• It's available in the latest iOS 26 developer beta
• A full rollout of the software is expected in September

As updated iOS 26 beta versions continue to roll out, we're spotting new features in the software that Apple hasn't officially announced: yesterday it was AirPod charging lights, and today it's AI search in Apple Maps.

The team at 9to5Google has spotted that the search function in Apple Maps now encourages users to "search the way you talk" – so you might type out or speak out a search like "find cafes with free Wi-Fi" for example.

This is now live in the fifth developer beta version of iOS 26, so you won't see it yet if you're running the public beta. It might also get tweaked or even pulled before the final version of iOS 26 launches in September, though it seems likely that it's here to stay.

It's certainly an easier and more intuitive way to search for places, if you need to go beyond the basics and specify some additional criteria for your results – such as Wi-Fi access, food options, electric vehicle charging, wheelchair access, or whatever it is.

Apple Maps vs Google Maps

The update gets Apple Maps closer to Google Maps, shown here (Image credit: Future)

It's possible that the new functionality has only gone live in the US for the time being, because after updating my iPhone to the iOS 26 developer beta 5, I was unable to get the natural language search feature to show up in Apple Maps here in the UK.

What I could do was run a similarly phrased search on Google Maps, and the results were somewhat patchy: it identified cafes without any problem, but it listed several that definitely do not offer free Wi-Fi (and I've been in them and asked).

It shows up a limitation in AI features such as these, which is that while the AI might be great at understanding what you're asking for and converting your spoken words into text, it's still relying on cold, hard maps data to get you accurate results.

In terms of raw data, Google Maps perhaps still has the edge over Apple Maps – but upgrades like this one in iOS 26 will mean Apple Maps becomes more appealing and useful, and may be enough to grab some users back from Google Maps.

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• Unidentified hackers broke into Bouygues Telecom systems
• The hackers stole names, contract data, and more
• Bouygues Telecom urges victims to be wary of incoming emails

French telco giatn Bouygues Telecom has confirmed suffering a cyberattack in which it lost sensitive customer data.

In a short announcement published on its website, the company said it detected the attack on August 4, and following an investigation, determined threat actors stole people’s contact details, contract data, civil status data (or company details), and IBAN numbers.

We don’t know exactly when the intrusion happened, who did it, if it was a ransomware attack or not, or how many people were affected - but acccording to official company data, Bouygues Telecom has 26.8 million subscribers.

Phishing potential

The teleco started notifying affected individuals via SMS, ousted the attackers, and allegedly implemented additional safeguards to prevent further incursions.

“We have blocked the malicious access, increased monitoring of our systems, and implemented additional necessary security measures,” the company said.

Bank card numbers and Bouygues Telecom account passwords were not affected.

While there is still no evidence the information stolen in the attack is being abused in the wild, the very nature of the archive gives it plenty of potential.

Cybercriminals can use it to craft convincing phishing emails, impersonating the company and forcing the victims into action by threatening to terminate their account.

Knowing information such as contract data and IBAN numbers could convince the victims that they are talking to legitimate representatives of the organization.

In a short FAQ, Bouygues said it “strongly recommends” users stay vigilant, and never share their login credentials, or passwords.

“Be especially cautious of calls from fake banking advisors who may try to gain your trust by mentioning your name or account number. If in doubt, hang up and call your bank or advisor back on their usual number.”

Finally, the company stressed that the IBAN number alone is not enough to initiate financial transactions, but users should still monitor their accounts closely.

Via TechCrunch

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• A new report suggests The Batman Part II will feature Robin
• The rumor emerged less than 24 hours after the movie's filming start date was revealed
• If true, it raises questions about the DCU's own Batman film

The Batman Part II is still over two year away from grapple gunning into theaters, but a new rumor could not only have huge implications for the movie itself, but also James Gunn's DC Universe (DCU).

Let's start with the latest piece of gossip. Yesterday (August 7), industry insider Jeff Sneider suggested that Robin, the Dark Knight's most famous sidekick, is part of the superhero movie's cast. Sneider made the claim in the latest addition of his InSneider newsletter and says he was made aware of Robin's inclusion after sitting down with a "well-placed source" earlier in the week.

Sneider's assertion comes less than 24 hours after Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) announced filming would begin on The Batman Part II in early 2026. Considering the timing of Sneider's claim, some observers would argue its arrival is all a bit too coincidental. After all, if Sneider spoke to his source before WBD confirmed when the cameras would start rolling on the DC comic book movie sequel, why not reveal it sooner?

Robin's apparent inclusion in Matt Reeves' next Batman film raises even more questions and potentially kills off a big fan theory about The Batman Part II's story. So, let's break down the biggest ones that are on my mind right now.

Let's tackle the aforementioned fan theory first. Some fans have speculated that The Batman 2 will be heavily inspired by 'The Long Halloween', one of the Caped Crusader's most famous comic book series. Their evidence? The Batman's follow-up is slated to arrive in October 2027, so a tale based on Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's iconic literary works would befit the film's forthcoming release date.

Robin's possible appearance in The Batman Part II pours cold water on that theory because he isn't in 'The Long Halloween'. Okay, The Batman Epic Crime Saga's next big-screen entry could take creative liberties with said literature and include Robin. It wouldn't be the first time a superhero film has changed elements of a comic series it's based on. Nevertheless, I'd be amazed if Reeves and fellow co-writer Mattson Tomlin shoehorned Robin into their story if it is based on 'The Long Halloween', particularly as it would heavily impact the timeline of events from said story.

What does this rumor mean for the DCU's Batman movie, which is also set to include Robin? (Image credit: DC Studios)

Now it's time to try and address some of those big questions I previously mentioned – and, surprise surprise, they're based around a long-running discussion about whether The Batman Epic Crime Saga is secretly being folded into the DCU.

Here are the facts: When James Gunn announced the initial DCU Chapter One line-up in January 2023, one of the projects he discussed was a Batman movie. Titled The Brave and the Bold, it's expected to draw heavily from Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert's fan-favorite 'Batman and Son' comic series. In it, the Dark Knight is stunned to learn he has a son named Damien, whom he takes in and tries to raise. However, without getting too deep into spoiler territory, there's more than meets the eye about the seemingly genetically perfect, yet rage-filled Damien.

Now, even if Robin is confirmed to be part of The Batman Part II's cast, we don't know which one will appear. It could be any one of Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damien Wayne, or one of the less well-known female Robins in Stephanie Brown or Carrie Kelley. There are other Robins, but those listed are the most well-known.

If – and it's a big if – The Batman 2 features Damien, though, fans will rightly ask the question: is The Batman Epic Crime Saga eventually going to be part of the DCU? After all, it would be silly, not to mention incredibly confusing, if we have two Batman films that exist in separate cinematic universes and feature the same super-duo.

For what it's worth, Gunn and Reeves have largely shut down the idea of the Reeves-Verse being absorbed into the DCU. Crucially, though, Gunn has always left the door slightly ajar – the DC Studios co-chief most recently telling Entertainment Tonight: "I’ve said it before. We [Gunn and Reeves] have talked about it before, but it’s not what’s happening right now." (NB: Gunn didn't emphasise the words in italics, but I've done so to hammer home my point that the door isn't closed on these two universes potentially merging).

A post shared by Matt Reeves (@mattreevesla)

A photo posted by on

There is evidence that Gunn's and Reeves' Batman films will continue to exists in separate shared universes. In June, Gunn said "I think I have a way in" when asked for an update on The Brave and the Bold's script. He also revealed an unnamed writer was busy penning it.

Now, you could argue that those things could be related to Reeves' own Batman flick. He and Tomlin were still thrashing out The Batman 2's screenplay when Gunn made those comments. The fact that Gunn didn't mention the name of his movie's writer, plus his "I think I have a way in" quote, could be interpreted as him and Reeves secretly agreeing to fold The Batman's epic crime saga into the DCU. To me, though, that's akin to fans clutching at straws and trying to manifest the integration of the former into the latter.

Frankly, considering Robert Pattison's Bruce Wayne had only been operating as Batman for a couple of years in The Batman, the only way he'd be old enough to have a kid in The Batman 2 is if it featured a big time jump. Sure, that's a possibility, but I don't see it happening.

The best thing Gunn, who's active on social media, can do right now is confirm or deny Sneider's claim. If Robin is set to appear in The Batman Part II, Gunn – or even Reeves himself – could give us some indication as to which one will feature in Reeves' next big-screen project. That's the only way to officially put another pin in this never-ending debate about the state of The Batman Epic Crime Saga's ongoing independence to the DCU.

In the meantime, let me know what you think. Should these two universes remain separate, or is it time for Pattinson's Caped Crusader to make the leap to the DCU? Sound off in the comments.

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Now you and your friends can answer age-old questions like, "Does pineapple belong on pizza?"

everywhere. Clockwise from top left: Bobby Darin, Bobby Vee, Bobby Rydell, Bobby Goldsboro, Bobby Womack, and Bobby Sherman.'/>

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• Avalanche Studios' Contraband is seemingly no more
• The game only ever received one public-facing CG trailer
• There has been no news on the game in the four years since its announcement

Xbox Game Studios has canceled Contraband, a game I wouldn't blame you for not remembering, as we only ever saw it once in the form of a CG trailer.

Contraband, being developed by Just Cause and Mad Max's Avalanche Studios, was initially revealed in 2021, accompanied by a trailer that didn't give much away beyond its gritty 1970s setting.

Initially reported by Bloomberg, it seems that Contraband has now been canceled, or has at least had its development halted for the time being. Reporter Jason Schreier states that the project has been canceled "after four years of radio silence."

Avalanche Studios followed up with confirmation on its own website, saying: "Over the past several years, Avalanche Studios Group and Xbox Game Studios Publishing have collaborated on Contraband. Active development has now stopped while we evaluate the project's future. We're thankful for the excitement we've seen from the community since we announced and will give an update on what's next as soon as we can."

A cancellation at this point may not be all that surprising for Contraband, but regardless, it's not a good look for Xbox. The company recently canceled two high-profile games in Rare's Everwild and The Initiative's Perfect Dark reboot. That's in conjunction with another recent round of mass layoffs, where thousands of employees across several studios were let go.

Back in July, Xbox boss Phil Spencer described the actions taken as "tough decisions," claiming Xbox's "platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger" despite the seeming instability of the Xbox Game Studios umbrella.

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• Google pledges $1 billion in funding for AI education and training across the US
• Eligible students also get 12 months' Google AI Pro, with Gemini 2.5 Pro and more
• The news comes just weeks after Microsoft announced a similar scheme, but at 4x the value

Google has confirmed a commitment to spend $1 billion over the next three years to support AI education and training across the US, targeting colleges, universities and nonprofits.

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai explained in a blog post more than 100 colleges and universities have already signed up to its AI for Education Accelerator program, which hopes to make AI and career training free for every college student in America.

Google's training efforts add to its already extensive involvement within education – the company already runs schemes to get Chromebooks into the hands of students in multiple countries and regions.

Google wants to train America's students in AI

In the post, Pichai explained his own personal motivation for the project: "Having regular access to computers in grad school changed my life, and led me on the path to Google. It’s my hope that bringing the best AI tools to college students will open up new worlds for them, too."

The latest announcement sees eligible students across the US, as well as Japan, Indonesia, Korea and Brazil, able to sign up for a year's free Google AI Pro plan with Gemini 2.5 Pro access, Deep Research via Gemini 2.5 Pro, Veo 3, higher limits for Jules, NotebookLM and 2TB of storage.

Boasting about its presence across the education sector, and offering a small dig at Microsoft which previously dominated the area, Pichai noted that more than four in five of the top 100 US universities now use Google Workspace for Education.

However, Google isn't the only company investing in upskilling the current generation of students and our future workforce.

Microsoft President Brad Smith recently shared details of a $4 billion investment in AI and cloud technology for K-12 schools, community and technical colleges, and nonprofits. Other companies in this space, including Meta, OpenAI, Anthropic and Amazon have all pledged their own support, too.

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• Available for Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro
• Requires Android 16 and One UI 8
• One UI is still a beta for some Galaxy phones

As promised, Samsung has begun the rollout of Gemini support to its Galaxy Buds 3 earbuds. It's a free update, and it's easy enough to get and install. But there's one caveat: you might need to install beta software on your phone.

Gemini doesn't run on the earbuds themselves – it's far too demanding to run natively – so it needs your phone or tablet to act as a messenger between your mouth and Gemini's ears.

As 9to5Google reports, at the moment the updates appear to be exclusively for phones running the One UI 8 atop Android 16. That's factory-fitted on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and on the Galaxy Z Flip 7, but for the Samsung Galaxy S25 series One UI 8 is still a beta – ie. a pre-release version of the operating system, that while available (to a select group of users) is meant for testing.

(Image credit: Samsung)How to get Gemini on the Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro

If you have a Galaxy S25 Series or older, the stable version of the One UI 8 software isn't due until late September 2025. However, there is a beta version and from next week it will be available for more devices including the Galaxy S24 Series, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Galaxy Z Flip 6. The beta will expand further next month to include the S23, Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5 and several A-series models.

Once you've got One UI 8 up and running, the next stage is to check for software updates for your earbuds… and then pray. I'm being dramatic there, but only slightly: the Gemini upgrade is reportedly "wonky" and results may differ from device to device.

If you've got the update, you should now see a new "Set up Google digital assistant" option at the top of the Voice Controls section in Samsung's app. This enables you to set up the Gemini integration with your smartphone or tablet.

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• Unidentified hackers access Air France and KLM through a third-party service provider
• The attackers stole names, contact details, and more
• Passport data was not compromised

Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have confirmed recently suffering cyberattacks in which both airlines lost sensitive customer data.

The companies, both owned by the same airline holding firm, sent out data breach notification letters to affected customers, and in a statement shared with Tweakers, KLM said the incident happened when threat actors broke into a third-party service provider.

“Unusual activity was detected on a third-party platform used by our contact centres, which led our IT security team, together with the third-party system involved, to swiftly implement corrective measures to put an end to the incident,” the company also told Cybernews.

Was it Scattered Spider?

We don’t know exactly how many people were affected by the breach, but the airlines transport more than 80 million people every year.

The information stolen in this attack include people’s full names, contact details, Flying Blue numbers and tier levels, and subject lines of service request emails.

Luckily, passport numbers, payment card details, passwords, or Flying Blue Miles (the airline’s loyalty program) balances were not stolen.

There was no word on the attackers, and no one claimed responsibility for the attack.

However, in late June 2025, the FBI warned Scattered Spider hackers were now increasing targeting airlines.

Scattered Spider works by impersonating company staff, and convincing support employees from the IT department that they lost access to their corporate accounts.

After gaining initial access, they map out the company, identify high-level individuals, and then repeat the process until they gain access to accounts through which they can steal data.

The hacking group struck Qantas in early July 2025, and Hawaiian Airlines in late June, and Russian Aeroflot, American GlobalX, and Canadian WestJet have all suffered similar incidents in recent months.

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