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Apple Fined €150 Million by French Regulator Over Discriminatory ATT Consent Practices

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Apr 01, 2025Ravie LakshmananKnowledge Safety / Privateness

Apple Fined €150 Million by French Regulator Over Discriminatory ATT Consent Practices

Apple has been hit with a nice of €150 million ($162 million) by France’s competitors watchdog over the implementation of its App Monitoring Transparency (ATT) privateness framework.

The Autorité de la concurrence mentioned it is imposing a monetary penalty in opposition to Apple for abusing its dominant place as a distributor of cell functions for iOS and iPadOS units between April 26, 2021 and July 25, 2023.

ATT, launched by the iPhone maker with iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5, is a framework that requires cell apps to hunt customers’ specific consent to be able to entry their machine’s distinctive promoting identifier (i.e., the Identifier for Advertisers or IDFA) and monitor them throughout apps and web sites for functions focused promoting.

Cybersecurity

“Except you obtain permission from the person to allow monitoring, the machine’s promoting identifier worth shall be all zeros and chances are you’ll not monitor them,” Apple notes on its web site. “Whilst you can show the AppTrackingTransparency immediate everytime you select, the machine’s promoting identifier worth will solely be returned when you current the immediate and the person grants permission.”

App builders, apart from requesting for permission to trace the customers, are additionally required to state the aim behind why such monitoring is important within the first place.

“Whereas the target of the App Monitoring Transparency (‘ATT’) framework isn’t at its core problematic, how ATT is applied is neither crucial for nor proportionate with Apple’s acknowledged goal of defending private information,” it mentioned.

Describing ATT as “artificially advanced,” the regulatory authority mentioned the consent obtained through the framework doesn’t meet the authorized obligations required beneath the French Knowledge Safety Act, requiring builders to make use of their very own consent assortment options. This, it added, results in a number of consent pop-ups being exhibited to customers.

The Autorité additionally referred to as out two sorts of asymmetry in the way it’s applied. One among them issues the truth that consent for monitoring should be confirmed by the customers twice, whereas refusal is a one-step course of — a facet that it mentioned undermines the “neutrality of the framework.”

“Whereas publishers have been required to acquire double consent from customers for monitoring on third-party websites and functions, Apple didn’t ask for consent from customers of its personal functions (till the implementation of iOS 15),” it identified. “On account of this asymmetry, the CNIL fined Apple for infringing Article 82 of the French Knowledge Safety Act, which transposes the ePrivacy Directive.”

Cybersecurity

“The asymmetry stays at present insofar as Apple has launched a single ‘Customized Promoting’ pop-up to gather person consent for its personal information assortment, whereas persevering with to require double consent for third-party information assortment by publishers.”

It is value noting that the order doesn’t impose any particular adjustments to the framework. In line with Reuters, it is “as much as the corporate to ensure it now complied with the ruling.” The nice is chump change for Apple, which earned a internet revenue of $36.3 billion on revenues of $124.3 billion within the quarter ending December 28, 2024.

In a assertion shared with the Related Press, Cupertino mentioned the ATT immediate is constant for all builders, together with itself, and that it has obtained “robust assist” for the function from customers, privateness advocates, and information safety authorities globally.

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Verify Level Confirms Knowledge Breach, Says Leaked Data is ‘Previous’

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Cybersecurity large Verify Level has confirmed {that a} latest publish on a infamous darkish internet discussion board, BreachForums, making an attempt to promote allegedly hacked knowledge from the corporate, pertains to an “previous, recognized, and pinpointed occasion.”

The incident, based on Verify Level, occurred in December 2024 and was totally addressed on the time, with no ongoing safety implications for the corporate or its clients.

The BreachForums publish, created on March 30, 2025, by a consumer with the alias “CoreInjection,” claimed to own delicate Verify Level knowledge, reportedly together with inner community maps, supply code, and buyer particulars.

Nonetheless, Verify Level swiftly responded to those claims, discrediting the publish as exaggerated, recycled info from a previous safety occasion.

The Nature of the Breach

In keeping with an organization spokesperson, the occasion originated in December 2024, stemming from the compromise of credentials tied to a portal account with restricted entry.

This portal, Verify Level clarified, doesn’t connect with any buyer techniques, manufacturing structure, or crucial safety infrastructures.

The breach affected solely three organizations, revealing restricted knowledge akin to account names, product particulars, buyer contact names, and a handful of worker e mail addresses.

No confidential buyer techniques or worker credentials have been uncovered, the corporate assured.

“CoreInjection’s claims characterize a major mischaracterization of the incident,” Verify Level’s official assertion learn. “

There aren’t any safety implications or dangers to Verify Level clients or workers. This was an remoted, minor occasion, absolutely remediated months in the past.”

Misinformation within the Hacker’s Claims

CoreInjection’s publish included screenshots that purportedly confirmed an admin dashboard containing what seemed to be knowledge on over 120,000 accounts, together with 18,864 paying clients with detailed contract info stretching into 2031.

These claims, Verify Level said, have been “false and exaggerated.” The corporate clarified that the portal concerned within the December breach didn’t provide administrative-level privileges or entry to such delicate buyer knowledge.

Verify Level added that the portal in query had strong inner mitigations in place, which prevented the breach from escalating right into a extra extreme safety incident.

The corporate didn’t remark instantly on how CoreInjection obtained the compromised credentials however hinted at the potential of phishing or credential-stealing malware like infostealers being concerned.

Pending Clarifications and Additional Motion

The incident has triggered follow-up questions for Verify Level, starting from the precise timeline of the breach’s decision to the origin of the compromised credentials.

Whereas the corporate has assured clients that there is no such thing as a danger, additional investigation into the hacker’s claims and their doable motivations continues.

Verify Level has not but dedicated to creating an official public assertion past its preliminary response however might accomplish that within the coming days to “calm the waters,” particularly given the circulation of screenshots allegedly tied to the corporate’s databases.

Whereas Verify Level has offered reassurances that the incident is an outdated and inconsequential occasion, the emergence of CoreInjection’s claims highlights the persistent dangers of misinformation and the complexities of managing cybersecurity breaches.

For now, clients and business observers await additional updates, hoping for readability and extra particulars to deliver closure to the matter.

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Cybersecurity vulnerabilities in solar energy could possibly be used to assault the grid and trigger blackouts



Cybersecurity vulnerabilities in solar energy could possibly be used to assault the grid and trigger blackouts

Cybersecurity vulnerabilities in solar energy methods pose potential dangers to grid safety, stability and availability, in response to a brand new examine

The SUN:DOWN analysis – carried out by Forescout Analysis, a specialist in cybersecurity – investigated completely different implementations of solar energy era. “Our findings present an insecure ecosystem — with harmful vitality and nationwide safety implications,” says the group’s weblog, which presents these extra regarding ramifications because the potential influence of a coordinated assault towards giant numbers of methods.

The report critiques identified points and presents new vulnerabilities with methods supplied by three main solar energy system producers: Sungrow, Growatt, and SMA. It presents seemingly life like power-grid-attack eventualities with the potential to trigger emergencies or blackouts. It additionally advises on danger mitigation for homeowners of sensible inverters, utilities, machine producers, and regulators.

Forescout Analysis summarises its major findings as follows:

  • We cataloged 93 earlier vulnerabilities on solar energy and analyzed developments:
    Because of rising considerations over the dominance of foreign-made solar energy parts, we analyzed their widespread nations of origin:
    • There’s a mean of over 10 new vulnerabilities disclosed per yr up to now three years
    • 80% of these have a excessive or important severity
    • 32% have a CVSS rating of 9.8 or 10 which typically means an attacker can take full management of an affected system
    • Probably the most affected parts are photo voltaic displays (38%) and cloud backends (25%). Comparatively few vulnerabilities (15%) have an effect on photo voltaic inverters straight
  • New vulnerabilities:
    • 53% of photo voltaic inverter producers are primarily based in China
    • 58% of storage system and 20% of the monitoring system producers are in China
    • The second and third commonest nations of origin for parts are India and the US
  • New vulnerabilities:
    • We analyzed six of the highest 10 distributors of solar energy methods worldwide: Huawei, Sungrow, Ginlong Solis, Growatt, GoodWe, and SMA
    • We discovered 46 new vulnerabilities affecting completely different parts in three distributors: Sungrow, Growatt and SMA.
    • These vulnerabilities allow eventualities that influence grid stability and person privateness
    • Some vulnerabilities additionally permit attackers to hijack different sensible units in customers’ houses

Whereas the brand new vulnerabilities have now been rectified by the distributors in query, Forescout stated they may permit attackers to take full management of a fleet of solar energy inverters through a few eventualities. For instance, by acquiring account usernames, resetting passwords to hijack the respective accounts, and utilizing the hijacked accounts.

Attackers can then intervene with energy output settings, or swap them on and off on the behest of a botnet. “The mixed impact of the hijacked inverters produces a big impact on energy era in a grid,” says the weblog. “The influence of this impact will depend on that grid’s emergency era capability and how briskly that may be activated.”

The report discusses the instance of the European grid. Earlier analysis confirmed that management over 4.5GW can be required to deliver the frequency all the way down to 49Hz — which mandates load shedding. Since present photo voltaic capability in Europe is round 270GW, it will require attackers to regulate lower than 2% of inverters in a market that’s dominated by Huawei, Sungrow, and SMA.

The group offers quite a lot of suggestions. For instance, to deal with PV inverters in residential, business, and industrial installations as important infrastructure. This is able to imply following (within the US) NIST pointers for cybersecurity with parts like sensible inverters in residential and business installations

House owners of economic and industrial photo voltaic installations ought to think about safety throughout procurement, and conduct a danger evaluation when organising units. Different suggestions are outlined within the weblog and full report.

ios – Animate a peak and width change individually in a SwiftUI view


You need to use the animation modifier that take a physique closure. That is the way you separate animations into completely different “domains”. Slightly than animating a worth change, it solely animates the ViewModifiers within the physique which are Animatable.

Sadly, body just isn’t an Animatable modifier (however scaleEffect is, so think about using that if you happen to can), so you must make an Animatable wrapper round it.

struct AnimatableFrameModifier: ViewModifier, Animatable {
    var animatableData: CGFloat
    let isWidth: Bool
    
    init(width: CGFloat) {
        self.animatableData = width
        isWidth = true
    }
    
    init(peak: CGFloat) {
        self.animatableData = peak
        isWidth = false
    }
    
    func physique(content material: Content material) -> some View {
        content material.body(width: isWidth ? animatableData : nil,
                      peak: isWidth ? nil : animatableData)
    }
}
struct TestView: View {
    @State var currentWidth: CGFloat = 10
    @State var currentHeight: CGFloat = 10
    
    var physique: some View {
        VStack {
            Coloration.purple
                .animation(.spring(length:1.0)) {
                    $0.modifier(AnimatableFrameModifier(width: currentWidth))
                }
                .animation(.spring(length:20.0)) {
                    $0.modifier(AnimatableFrameModifier(peak: currentHeight))
                }
            
        }
        .onAppear {
            currentWidth = 100
            currentHeight = 100
        }
    }
}

The choice that makes use of scaleEffect, which is likely to be undesirable relying on what you might be doing.

struct TestView: View {
    @State var currentWidth: CGFloat = 10
    @State var currentHeight: CGFloat = 10
    @State var xScale: CGFloat = 1
    @State var yScale: CGFloat = 1
    
    var physique: some View {
        VStack {
            Coloration.purple
                .body(width: 10, peak: 10)
                .animation(.spring(length:1.0)) {
                    $0.scaleEffect(x: xScale)
                }
                .animation(.spring(length:20.0)) {
                    $0.scaleEffect(y: yScale)
                }
                .body(width: currentWidth, peak: currentHeight)
            
        }
        .onAppear {
            currentWidth = 100
            currentHeight = 100
            xScale = 10
            yScale = 10
        }
    }
}

Earlier than iOS 17, you possibly can obtain an analogous impact by ready for a brief period of time between two withAnimation calls.

@State var currentWidth: CGFloat = 10
@State var currentHeight: CGFloat = 10

var physique: some View {
    VStack {
        Coloration.purple
            .body(width: currentWidth, peak: currentHeight)
    }
    .activity {
        withAnimation(.linear(length: 1)) {
            currentWidth = 100
        }

        // right here I used Job.yield to attend for the following body
        // you can too use Job.sleep, DisptachQueue.predominant.asyncAfter, and so on
        await Job.yield()

        withAnimation(.linear(length: 2)) {
            currentHeight = 400
        }
    }
}

However this solely works for animations that merge in a fascinating method. The best way spring animations merge usually are not fascinating for this goal.

The Rising Variety of Tech Firms Getting Cancelled for AI Washing

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In 2024, 15 AI expertise corporations have been hit by regulators for exaggerating their merchandise’ capabilities, and that quantity has greater than doubled from 2023. AI-related filings are on the rise and tech corporations could possibly be caught within the crossfire in the event that they don’t perceive rising laws and keep away from them.

What’s Mistaken with AI Advertising As we speak?

Whereas many are acquainted with the phrase “greenwashing,” it’s solely within the final yr {that a} new type has emerged from the hype round synthetic intelligence, and it’s known as “AI washing.” In line with BBC the phenomenon of AI washing might be outlined as claiming to make use of AI when in actuality a less-sophisticated methodology of computing is getting used. They clarify that AI washing can even happen when corporations overstate how operational their AI is or when an organization combines merchandise or capabilities collectively. For instance, when “corporations are merely bolting an AI chatbot onto their current non-AI working software program.”

Over-exaggerated AI claims are harmful for customers and different stakeholders. Three apparent considerations about AI washing come to thoughts:

  • The person paying for one thing they’re not getting
  • Customers anticipating an final result that isn’t achievable
  • Firm stakeholders not understanding in the event that they’re investing in a enterprise that’s actually innovating with AI

AI washing is a rising subject as tech corporations compete for better market share. As many as 40% of corporations who described themselves as an AI start-up in 2019 had zero synthetic intelligence expertise. The stress to supply superior expertise is even better now than it was 5 years in the past.

What’s Driving AI Washing?

Consultants have a number of theories about what’s behind this rising phenomenon. Douglas Dick, the top of rising expertise threat at KPMG within the UK, instructed BBC that it’s the lack of AI definition and the anomaly that makes AI washing doable.

Consultants at Berkely consider that the discourse of organizational tradition is accountable for AI washing, and the core causes for this phenomenon embrace:

  • Lack of technical AI information in senior management
  • Strain for steady innovation
  • Quick-termism and hype
  • Concern of lacking out (FOMO)

AI washing may also be pushed by funding. Buyers wish to see constant innovation and outpacing of opponents. Even when manufacturers haven’t totally developed an AI functionality, they’ll appeal to the eye of traders with half-baked automation instruments to earn further capital.

With the worldwide AI market set to achieve roughly $250B by the top of 2025, it’s straightforward to know why the bandwagon is in full impact, and startups longing for funding are fast to slap the AI label onto something. Sadly, regulators have taken notice.

AI Tech Firms Charged with AI Washing

Firms that declare to make use of synthetic intelligence are sometimes simply utilizing superior computing and automation methods. Until true AI information science infrastructure is in place with machine studying algorithms, neural networks, pure language processing, picture recognition, or some type of Gen AI is in play, the corporate could be placing up smoke and mirrors with their AI claims.

One AI HR tech firm known as Joonko was shut down by the SEC for fraudulent practices.

Studying from Joonko

Joonko claimed that it may assist employers establish near-hires so employers may faucet into these swimming pools. The thought was that this is able to create extra numerous candidates to be put in entrance of recruiters and have a better likelihood of getting employed. Joonko was so profitable at advertising and marketing its AI that Eubanks wrote about Joonko in his first guide, and the corporate raised $27 million in VC funding between 2021 and 2022.

When the SEC charged Joonko’s former CEO with AI washing securities fraud, it was as a result of he had falsely represented the quantity and names of their clients. He claimed that Joonka bought to world bank cards, journey, and luxurious manufacturers, and solid financial institution statements and buy orders for traders. The CEO obtained felony fees along with the SEC fees in opposition to the corporate.

Studying from Codeway

In 2023, the Codeway app was charged for a deceptive advert on Instagram that claimed their AI may repair blurry photographs. The advert learn “Improve your picture with AI” and when challenged by a complainant, the corporate did not show how their app may repair a blurry picture by itself with out the assistance of different digital picture enhancement processes. The Promoting Requirements Authority (ASA) upheld the grievance and banned the corporate from operating that advert or any others prefer it.

Different Examples

Within the US, the FTC and SEC not too long ago carried out the following enforcement actions:

  • A number of enterprise schemes have been halted after claiming individuals may use AI to earn a living with on-line storefronts
  • A declare for over 190k was actioned for ineffective robotic lawyer companies
  • An organization known as Rytr LLC falsely claimed that it may create AI-generated content material
  • A settlement motion in opposition to IntelliVision Applied sciences for deceptive claims about its AI facial recognition
  • Delphia Inc. and World Predictions Inc. have been charged for making false claims about AI on their web site and social media accounts

Rising Rules

The expansion of AI expertise, and AI washing, have caught the eye of regulators around the globe. Within the UK, the ASA is already setting a precedent by litigating in opposition to unsubstantiated AI-related advertisements.

In Canada, regulators are focusing on unsubstantiated claims about AI as nicely and likewise advertising and marketing materials that’s deceptive or overly promotes AI expertise. The Canadian Securities Directors launched a workers discover on November seventh, 2024 that shared some examples of what it considers to be AI washing:

  • An AI firm making the declare that their issuer is disrupting their business with essentially the most superior and fashionable AI expertise out there
  • An AI firm making the declare that they’re the worldwide chief of their AI class
  • An AI firm over-exaggerating its utilization or significance to the business

Within the US, there are state-specific laws, like New York Metropolis’s necessary AI bias audits that each AI tech firm working there may be required to have. Nevertheless, there aren’t any complete federal laws that prohibit the event or use of AI. In December 2024, the US Congress was contemplating greater than 120 totally different AI payments. These laws would cowl all the things from AI’s entry to nuclear weapons to copyright, however they might depend on voluntary measures relatively than strict protocols that would sluggish technological progress. Whereas these payments are debated, there’s a patchwork of US federal legal guidelines inside particular departments, such because the Federal Aviation Administration that claims AI in aviation have to be reviewed. Equally, there have been govt orders on AI throughout the White Home. These orders put in place to mitigate the danger of AI use and guarantee public security, label AI-generated content material, defend information privateness, guarantee necessary security testing and different AI steerage have all simply been eliminated by the Trump administration as not too long ago as January 2025. The US-based AI corporations that serve worldwide markets will nonetheless have to stick to their laws.

Don’t Be an AI Poser

As regulators proceed to implement numerous sorts of actions in opposition to culprits of AI-washing, tech corporations ought to take notice. Any firm that does declare to make actual AI expertise ought to be capable to again up their claims. Their advertising and marketing groups ought to keep away from overexaggerating the aptitude of their firm’s AI merchandise, in addition to the outcomes, the shoppers, and the income. Any firm that’s uncertain of its personal expertise or advertising and marketing ought to evaluation rising laws domestically and throughout the markets they promote to. Shoppers or corporations considering of buying AI expertise ought to look very intently on the product earlier than shopping for it. With the 2024 circumstances of AI washing nonetheless within the early phases of litigation, the story continues to be unfolding, however one factor is bound, you don’t need your organization to be part of it.