Senator Urges Trump to Encourage 'Open-Weight AI Models'

Republican Senator Jim Banks is urging the Trump administration to develop incentives to encourage U.S. tech companies to ​develop open-weight AI models, according to a letter, ‌adding to a growing debate over the industry's future. Banks, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee ​that oversees national security issues, asked U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to devise options to "limit ‌dependence" ⁠on Chinese-made open-weight models, adding that the U.S. government must also make it harder for those firms to use American semiconductors to build their products.

Meta Calls State Claims in Addiction Trial 'Unsubstantiated'

Meta is pushing back on claims made by several state attorneys general in its latest social media addiction trial, saying allegations it misled users about the safety of its apps and that the platforms' features harmed users are "unsubstantiated." "The State AGs may call this a landmark case, but their limited claims are unsubstantiated and their financial demands are vastly disproportionate," a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.

White House to Let U.S. Companies Hack Foreign Cybercriminals

The Trump administration is encouraging American companies to conduct their own cyberattacks against criminal hackers, a move that White House officials say will help address digital scourges like ransomware but that some former officials and security experts warn could lead to chaos. Under a national security memorandum that President Trump signed, select companies would work with the Justice and Homeland Security Departments to strike foreign cybercriminal groups with hacks under certain conditions.

Brazil Orders Discord to Stop Livestreaming Features, Citing Safety

Brazil's data protection authority ANPD ordered chat platform Discord to ​suspend livestreaming features, citing failures to protect children and ‌teens from exposure to content promoting violence, self-harm and suicide. ANPD said Discord must prove compliance within three business days and faces ​potential fines of up to 50 million reais ($9.67 ​million) per violation.

Supreme Court Pauses Proceedings in Apple-Epic Case

Apple Inc. won a one-day reprieve from the Supreme Court as Justice Elena Kagan paused proceedings before a California trial court in the iPhone maker’s long-running antitrust feud with Fortnite-maker Epic Games Inc. The administrative stay issued by Kagan is designed to give the high court more time to consider Apple’s request for a longer-term stop to additional lower court action in the case.

OMB Lifts Ban on Using TikTok on Government Devices

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) lifted the ban on the social media platform TikTok for government devices, officially ending the yearslong saga. The memo, signed by OMB Secretary Russell Vought, comes after the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel released its own memo stating government employees can lawfully download TikTok on government devices following the platforms’ new U.S. venture.

Trump Signs National Security Memo Targeting Criminal Organizations

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a memo that the White House said was aimed at empowering federal law enforcement ​to use cyber tools against transnational criminal organizations that operate in foreign ‌jurisdictions to attack Americans. Trump signed the national security presidential memorandum directing his administration to "leverage the capability and innovation of the private sector to help conduct these cyber operations under the direction, ​control, and authority of the U.S. Government," the White House said.

Lawsuit Calls Truth Social's Early Access Program Unconstitutional

A news organization and free speech nonprofit sued President Donald Trump over his social media platform’s program that offers paid early access to his posts after the scheme went live at the beginning of August. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by the left-leaning nonprofit newsroom The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, alleges the practice “is extraordinary, corrupt, and unconstitutional.”

New Mexico Judge Orders Meta to Pay $567 Million in Mental Health Case

A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $567 million and make changes to the way young people can use its platforms, the largest financial penalty yet against the tech giant in its ongoing legal battles over social media harm and addiction. The ruling was in addition to $375 million that Meta was ordered to pay in the same case in March, when a jury found that the company misled users about the safety of its platforms and enabled the sexual exploitation of young people.

Iran Suspected in Cyberattacks on Water Utilities in 12 States

Possible cyber intrusions targeting water and wastewater utilities have now been reported in at least a dozen states, multiple sources told ABC News. Iran is the prime suspect in the cyberattacks, which can blind utility operators by changing passwords or disabling alarms, according to the sources, though its involvement has not been officially confirmed.

White House to Exclude Review of Some AI Models for Security Risks

In a meeting with top artificial intelligence companies, White House officials said the federal government planned to review only certain types of artificial intelligence models for potential security risks and not others, according to four people familiar with the discussions. The AI models the government plans to review are known as “closed” models, which do not publish their underlying code and are made by companies like Anthropic and OpenAI, according to three of the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the details of the meeting were private.

Zuckerberg Reportedly Apologizes to India for Child Sex Abuse Content

Meta Platforms' Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg has apologized to the Indian government over child sexual abuse ​material on the company's platforms and for operational errors, local television ‌channels reported. Zuckerberg apologized for the presence of the material, as well as deepfake content and operational lapses on Meta's platforms, financial news publication Moneycontrol reported, citing sources.

British Competition Tribunal Rejects Google's Bid to Block Suit

Alphabet Inc.’s Google must face a class action lawsuit over alleged abuse of its dominance after an antitrust tribunal allowed a claim on behalf of hundreds of thousands of British firms to go ahead. The lawsuit alleged that Google overcharged businesses that paid for online advertising and abused its dominance over mobile operating systems, app distribution and search advertising.

Chinese-Made Routers Have Backdoor Access, Researchers Say

More than 20 models of a Chinese-made router available throughout ‌the world ship with a backdoor that could allow access and potential connections to other devices on the network, researchers with cybersecurity firm VulnCheck said. The finding adds to growing Western concerns about cybersecurity risks posed by Chinese-made networking equipment. ​Western governments have warned for years about hackers exploiting such devices, and U.S. regulators moved this ​year to restrict imports of foreign-made routers.

Bill Would Require Parental Approval for Children's Social Media Use

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz) is introducing legislation mandating social media platforms receive parental permission before children under 16 can create and keep accounts on the applications. The measure would be the most significant requirement on social media companies operating in the U.S., raising the age threshold at least three years for some platforms.

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