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32 articles in uk news

Abusers using AI and digital tech to attack and control women, charity warns

Abusers using AI and digital tech to attack and control women, charity warns

Exclusive: Smartwatches, Oura rings, smart home devices and Fitbits being weaponised, says Refuge Domestic abusers are increasingly using AI, smartwatches and other technology to attack and control their victims, a domestic abuse charity says. Record numbers of women who were abused and controlled through technology were referred to Refuge’s specialist services during the last three months of 2025, including a 62% increase in the most complex cases to total 829 women. There was also a 24% increase in referrals of under-30s. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 30
Violence against women and girlsDomestic violenceAI (artificial intelligence)
AI-generated news should carry ‘nutrition’ labels, thinktank says

AI-generated news should carry ‘nutrition’ labels, thinktank says

The Institute for Public Policy Research also argues that tech companies must pay publishers for content they use AI-generated news should carry “nutrition” labels and tech companies must pay publishers for the content they use, according to a left-of-centre thinktank, amid rising use of the technology as a source for current affairs . The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said AI firms were rapidly emerging as the new “gatekeepers” of the internet and intervention was needed to create a healthy AI news environment. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 30
AI (artificial intelligence)TechnologyNewspapers
Universal basic income could be used to soften hit from AI job losses in UK, minister says

Universal basic income could be used to soften hit from AI job losses in UK, minister says

Lord Stockwood says people in government ‘definitely’ talking about idea as technology disrupts industries • Business live – latest updates The UK could introduce a universal basic income (UBI) to protect workers in industries that are being disrupted by AI, the investment minister Jason Stockwood has said. “Bumpy” changes to society caused by the introduction of the technology would mean there would have to be “some sort of concessionary arrangement with jobs that go immediately”, Lord Stockwood said. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 29
AI (artificial intelligence)Universal basic incomeEconomic policy
Meet ‘Amelia’: the AI-generated British schoolgirl who is a far-right social media star

Meet ‘Amelia’: the AI-generated British schoolgirl who is a far-right social media star

The avatar, created to deter young people from extremism, has been subverted and is breaking out of niche online silos In certain corners of the internet, on niche news feeds and algorithms, an AI-generated British schoolgirl has emerged as something of a phenomenon. Her name is Amelia, a purple-haired “goth girl” who proudly carries a mini union flag and appears to have a penchant for racism. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 25
Far rightSocial mediaAI (artificial intelligence)
The year of the ‘hectocorn’: the $100bn tech companies that could float in 2026

The year of the ‘hectocorn’: the $100bn tech companies that could float in 2026

OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceX and Stripe are rumoured to be among ten of the biggest companies considering IPOs You’ve probably heard of “unicorns” – technology startups valued at more than $1bn – but 2026 is shaping up to be the year of the “ hectocorn ”, with several US and European companies potentially floating on stock markets at valuations over $100bn (£75bn). OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceX and Stripe are among the big names said to be considering an initial public offering (IPO) this year. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 22
Technology sectorStock marketsBusiness
Lords put pressure on Starmer with vote to ban social media for under-16s

Lords put pressure on Starmer with vote to ban social media for under-16s

Commons will now have to consider Tory-led amendment, which is likely to be supported by Labour MPs As a parent – and a Conservative – I know that banning social media for under-16s is the right thing to do The House of Lords has voted decisively for a ban on social media for under-16s in a move that puts pressure on Keir Starmer to bring in Australian-style restrictions. Peers voted by 261 to 150 in favour of a Tory-led amendment to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill, which was not backed by the government. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 21
Social media banKemi BadenochKeir Starmer
UK study to examine effects of restricting social media for children

UK study to examine effects of restricting social media for children

Trial involving 4,000 children will explore impact on mental health, sleep and time spent with friends and family A pioneering investigation into the impact of restricting social media access for children in the UK has been announced as politicians around the world consider action on the issue. In December, Australia became the first country to ban under-16s from social media , with governments in other countries, including the, coming under pressure to do the same . Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 20
Social mediaSocial media bansSocial media ban
UK exposed to ‘serious harm’ by failure to tackle AI risks, MPs warn

UK exposed to ‘serious harm’ by failure to tackle AI risks, MPs warn

Government, Bank of England and FCA criticised for taking ‘wait-and-see’ approach to AI use in financial sector Consumers and the UK financial system are being exposed to “serious harm” by the failure of government and the Bank of England to get a grip on the risks posed by artificial intelligence, an influential parliamentary committee has warned. In a new report, MPs on the Treasury committee criticise ministers and City regulators, including the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), for taking a “wait-and-see” approach to AI use across the financial sector. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 20
BusinessAI (artificial intelligence)Bank of England
More than 100,000 people urge MPs to ban social media for under-16s in UK

More than 100,000 people urge MPs to ban social media for under-16s in UK

Letters sent using campaign group’s template as Keir Starmer indicates Australia-style move being considered MPs’ inboxes have been flooded with letters calling for an Australia-style social media ban for under-16s, as the prime minister indicated such a move was being considered. More than 100,000 people have contacted their local MP since the grassroots organisation Smartphone Free Childhood launched an email campaign on Tuesday evening with a template calling for “reasonable, age-appropriate boundaries”. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 15
Social mediaInternet safetyChildren
UK politics: West Midlands crime commissioner resists calls for immediate sacking of chief constable – as it happened

UK politics: West Midlands crime commissioner resists calls for immediate sacking of chief constable – as it happened

Simon Foster says he will give report into force’s handling of Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban ‘careful consideration’ in deciding Craig Guildford’s fate Here are extracts from three interesting comment articles about the digital ID U-turn. Ailbhe Rea in the New Statesman in the New Statesmans says there were high hopes for the policy when it was first announced. I remember a leisurely lunch over the summer when a supporter of digital IDs told me how they thought Keir Starmer would reset his premiership. Alongside a reorganisation of his team in Number 10, and maybe a junior ministerial reshuffle, they predicted he would announce in his speech at party conference that his government would be embracing digital IDs. “It will allow him to show he’s willing to do whatever it takes to tackle illegal immigration,” was their rationale. Sure enough, Starmer announced “phase two” of his government, reshuffled his top team and, on the Friday before Labour party conference, he duly announced his government would make digital IDs mandatory for workers. “We need to know who is in our country,” he said, arguing that the IDs would prevent migrants who “come here, slip into the shadow economy and remain here illegally”. In policy terms, I don’t think you particularly gain anything by making the government’s planned new digital ID compulsory. One example of that: Kemi Badenoch has both criticised the government’s plans to introduce compulsory ID, while at the same time committing to creating a “British ICE” that would go around deporting large numbers of people living in the UK. In a country with that kind of target and approach, people would be forced to carry their IDs around with them in any case! The Online Safety Act, passed into law by the last Conservative government with cross-party support and implemented by Labour, presupposes some form of ID to work properly. Here is the political challenge for Downing Street: the climbdowns, dilutions, U- turns, about turns, call them what you will, are mounting up. In just the last couple of weeks, there has been the issue of business rates on pubs in England and inheritance tax on farmers. We welcome Starmer’s reported U-turn on making intrusive, expensive and unnecessary digital IDs mandatory. This is a huge success for Big Brother Watch and the millions of Brits who signed petitions to make this happen. The case for the government now dropping digital IDs entirely is overwhelming. Taxpayers should not be footing a £1.8bn bill for a digital ID scheme that is frankly pointless. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 14
PoliticsUK newsPMQs
Keir Starmer tells MPs he is open to social media ban for young people

Keir Starmer tells MPs he is open to social media ban for young people

PM says he is alarmed at reports about children’s screen time and has shifted position on Australian-style policy UK politics live – latest updates Keir Starmer has told MPs he is open to the idea of an Australian-style ban on social media for young people after becoming concerned about the amount of time children and teenagers are spending on their phones. The prime minister told Labour MPs on Monday evening he had become alarmed at reports about five-year-olds spending hours in front of screens each day, as well as increasingly worried about the damage social media is doing to under-16s. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 13
Keir StarmerLabourInternet safety
Can X be banned under UK law and what are the other options?

Can X be banned under UK law and what are the other options?

UK media regulator is investigating whether X has breached the Online Safety Act – what could happen next? The UK government is threatening Elon Musk’s X with the nuclear option under the country’s online safety laws: a ban. The social media platform is under pressure from ministers after it allowed the Grok AI tool, which is integrated within the app, to generate indecent images of unsuspecting women and children. The government has said it will support the media regulator Ofcom, which has launched an investigation into X, if it decides to push ahead with a ban. But is such a move likely? Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 13
XGrok AIOfcom
UK threatens action against X over sexualised AI images of women and children

UK threatens action against X over sexualised AI images of women and children

Government signals support for possible Ofcom intervention on Grok as scrutiny of X’s AI tool intensifies Business live – latest updates Elon Musk’s X “is not doing enough to keep its customers safe online”, a minister has said, as the UK government prepares to outline possible action against the platform over the mass production of sexualised images of woman and children. Peter Kyle, the business secretary, said the government would fully support any action taken by Ofcom, the media regulator, against X – including the possibility that the platform could be blocked in the UK. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 12
Internet safetyGrok AIAI (artificial intelligence)
No 10 condemns ‘insulting’ move by X to restrict Grok AI image tool

No 10 condemns ‘insulting’ move by X to restrict Grok AI image tool

Spokesperson says limiting access to paying subscribers just makes ability to generate unlawful images a premium service UK politics live – latest updates Downing Street has condemned the move by X to restrict its AI image creation tool to paying subscribers as insulting, saying it simply made the ability to generate explicit and unlawful images a premium service. There has been widespread anger after the image tool for Grok, the AI element of X, was used to manipulate thousands of images of women and sometimes children to remove their clothing or put them in sexual positions. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 9
Grok AIXSocial media
World ‘may not have time’ to prepare for AI safety risks, says leading researcher

World ‘may not have time’ to prepare for AI safety risks, says leading researcher

AI safety expert David Dalrymple said rapid advances could outpace efforts to control powerful systems The world “may not have time” to prepare for the safety risks posed by cutting-edge AI systems, according to a leading figure at the UK government’s scientific research agency. David Dalrymple, a programme director and AI safety expert at the Aria agency, told the Guardian people should be concerned about the growing capability of the technology. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 4
AI (artificial intelligence)TechnologyComputing
Reddit overtakes TikTok in UK thanks to search algorithms and gen Z

Reddit overtakes TikTok in UK thanks to search algorithms and gen Z

Platform is now Britain’s fourth most visited social media site as users seek out human-generated content Reddit, the online discussion platform, has overtaken TikTok as Britain’s fourth most visited social media service, as search algorithms and gen Z have dramatically transformed its prominence. The platform has undergone huge growth over the last two years, with an 88% increase in the proportion of UK internet users it reaches. Three in five Brits online now encounter the site, up from a third in 2023, according to Ofcom . Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 3
RedditSocial mediaInternet
Facebook slow to act on posts celebrating Bondi beach massacre, anti-hate group says

Facebook slow to act on posts celebrating Bondi beach massacre, anti-hate group says

Exclusive: CST highlights volume of IS-supporting accounts and says social media firms ‘putting all of us in danger’ Facebook hosted terrorist propaganda that celebrated the murder of Jews and praised Islamic State, a leading anti-hate group has alleged. The posts included celebrations of the Bondi beach massacre that the Community Security Trust says Facebook has been too slow to take down. The posts were still on Facebook on 16 December, two days after the attack, and received shares and likes. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Dec 30, 2025
FacebookAntisemitismHate crime
‘Why should we pay these criminals?’: the hidden world of ransomware negotiations

‘Why should we pay these criminals?’: the hidden world of ransomware negotiations

Cybersecurity experts reveal what they do for high-profile clients targeted by hackers such as Scattered Spider They call it “stopping the bleeding”: the vital window to prevent an entire database from being ransacked by criminals or a production line grinding to a halt. When a call comes into the cybersecurity firm S-RM, headquartered on Whitechapel High Street in east London, a hacked business or institution may have just minutes to protect themselves. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Dec 29, 2025
CybercrimeTechnologyRetail industry
UK campaigner targeted by Trump accuses tech giants of ‘sociopathic greed’

UK campaigner targeted by Trump accuses tech giants of ‘sociopathic greed’

Exclusive: Imran Ahmed says US companies are ‘corrupting the system’ of politics by seeking to avoid accountability A British anti-disinformation campaigner told by the Trump administration that he faces possible removal from the US has said he is being targeted by arrogant and “sociopathic” tech companies for trying to hold them to account. Imran Ahmed, the chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), is among five European nationals barred from the US by the state department after being accused of seeking to push tech firms to censor or suppress American viewpoints. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Dec 26, 2025
UK newsTrump administrationUS politics
‘Undermines free speech’: Labour MP hits back at US government over visa ban on UK campaigners

‘Undermines free speech’: Labour MP hits back at US government over visa ban on UK campaigners

Chi Onwurah speaks out after Marco Rubio accused five Europeans, including two Britons, of ‘seeking to suppress American viewpoints they oppose’ A senior Labour MP has accused the Trump administration of undermining free speech after Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, announced sanctions against two British anti-disinformation campaigners. Chi Onwurah, the chair of parliament’s technology select committee, criticised the US government hours after it announced “visa-related” sanctions against five Europeans, including Imran Ahmed and Clare Melford. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Dec 24, 2025
Elon MuskDonald TrumpTechnology
‘A gamechanger’: 200,000 UK small businesses sign up to TikTok Shop

‘A gamechanger’: 200,000 UK small businesses sign up to TikTok Shop

Big brands such as Sainsbury’s and M&S also selling directly in app through links in videos and livestreams It is better known for its viral dances and for making hits out of forgotten songs , but the social media site TikTok is becoming a force to be reckoned with as a shopping platform. Major retailers such as Marks & Spencer, Samsung, QVC, Clarks, and Sainsbury’s are now selling their wares on the site’s e-commerce service, TikTok Shop, alongside more than 200,000 UK small and medium businesses. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Dec 24, 2025
TikTokRetail industryBusiness
MPs question UK Palantir contracts after investigation reveals security concerns

MPs question UK Palantir contracts after investigation reveals security concerns

Journalists find Swiss government rejected company over fears US intelligence might gain access to sensitive data UK MPs have raised concerns about the government’s contracts with Palantir after an investigation published in Switzerland highlighted allegations about the suitability and security of its products. The investigation by the Zurich-based research collective WAV and the Swiss online magazine Republik details Palantir’s efforts , over the course of seven years, to sell its products to Swiss federal agencies. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Dec 22, 2025
PalantirUK newsMinistry of Defence
‘It can be quite a thankless job’: why driving examiners are calling it quits

‘It can be quite a thankless job’: why driving examiners are calling it quits

A staff exodus and a broken booking system are helping to cause huge jams in Britain’s driving test system It has long been a stressful rite of passage for many young people but, in recent years, passing the actual driving test is the easy part. Now, many people seeking a test need to wake up early to snag a date before the bots do and, even then, they are looking at a long and arduous wait. Despite moves from the government to address the issue , an audit report released this week found plans to cut the wait for a driving test to seven weeks by the end of the year would not be achieved until November 2027. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Dec 21, 2025
MotoringMotoringRoad transport
Parents of sextortion victim sue Meta for alleged wrongful death

Parents of sextortion victim sue Meta for alleged wrongful death

Exclusive: Lawsuit is the first UK case of its kind, with Ros and Mark Dowey accusing Meta of ‘putting profit before our young people’ The parents of a 16-year-old who took his own life after he fell victim to a sextortion gang on Instagram are suing Meta for the alleged wrongful death of their son, in the first UK case of its kind. Murray Dowey died in December 2023 at his family home in Dunblane, after being tricked into sending intimate pictures to an Instagram contact. He thought it was a girl his own age, but it turned out to be overseas criminals involved in financially motivated sexual extortion. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Dec 17, 2025
MetaInstagramTechnology
Hackers access Pornhub’s premium users’ viewing habits and search history

Hackers access Pornhub’s premium users’ viewing habits and search history

ShinyHunters group reportedly behind the hack affecting data of 200m users thought to be from before 2021 Hackers have accessed the search history and viewing habits of premium users of Pornhub, one of the world’s most popular pornography websites . A gang has reportedly accessed more than 200m data records, including premium members’ email addresses, search and viewing activities and locations. Pornhub is a heavily used site and says it has more than 100m daily visits globally. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Dec 17, 2025
HackingPornographyInternet
US puts £31bn tech ‘prosperity deal’ with Britain on ice

US puts £31bn tech ‘prosperity deal’ with Britain on ice

Pledge to invest billions in UK paused, with Washington citing lack of progress on trade barriers across pond The US has paused its promised multi-billion-pound investment into British tech over trade disagreements, marking a serious setback in US-UK relations. The £31bn “tech prosperity deal” , hailed by Keir Starmer as “a generational stepchange in our relationship with the US” when it was announced during Donald Trump’s state visit, has been put on ice by Washington. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Dec 15, 2025
Trade policyUS newsUK news
AI deepfakes of real doctors spreading health misinformation on social media

AI deepfakes of real doctors spreading health misinformation on social media

Hundreds of videos on TikTok and elsewhere impersonate experts to sell supplements with unproven effects TikTok and other social media platforms are hosting AI-generated deepfake videos of doctors whose words have been manipulated to help sell supplements and spread health misinformation. The factchecking organisation Full Fact has uncovered hundreds of such videos featuring impersonated versions of doctors and influencers directing viewers to Wellness Nest, a US-based supplements firm. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Dec 5, 2025
HealthUK newsUS news
Home Office admits facial recognition tech issue with black and Asian subjects

Home Office admits facial recognition tech issue with black and Asian subjects

Calls for review after technology found to return more false positives for ‘some demographic groups’ on certain settings UK politics live – latest updates Ministers are facing calls for stronger safeguards on the use of facial recognition technology after the Home Office admitted it is more likely to incorrectly identify black and Asian people than their white counterparts on some settings. Following the latest testing conducted by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) of the technology’s application within the police national database, the Home Office said it was “more likely to incorrectly include some demographic groups in its search results”. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Dec 5, 2025
Facial recognitionPoliceHome Office
‘A step-change’: tech firms battle for undersea dominance with submarine drones

‘A step-change’: tech firms battle for undersea dominance with submarine drones

As navies seek to counter submarines and protect cables, startups and big defence companies fight to lead market Flying drones used during the Ukraine war have changed land battle tactics for ever. Now the same thing appears to be happening under the sea. Navies around the world are racing to add autonomous submarines. The UK’s Royal Navy is planning a fleet of underwater uncrewed vehicles (UUVs) which will, for the first time, take a leading role in tracking submarines and protecting undersea cables and pipelines. Australia has committed to spending $1.7bn (£1.3bn) on “Ghost Shark” submarines to counter Chinese submarines. The huge US Navy is spending billions on several UUV projects, including one already in use that can be launched from nuclear submarines. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Nov 28, 2025
Technology sectorBusinessDefence policy
One in 10 UK parents say their child has been blackmailed online, NSPCC finds

One in 10 UK parents say their child has been blackmailed online, NSPCC finds

Harms include threats to release intimate pictures as charity warns against parents sharing photos or details of children online Nearly one in 10 UK parents say their child has been blackmailed online, with harms ranging from threatening to release intimate pictures to revealing details about someone’s personal life. The NSPCC child protection charity also found that one in five parents know a child who has experienced online blackmail, while two in five said they rarely or never talked to their children about the subject. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Nov 28, 2025
Internet safetyChildrenYoung people
How Amazon turned our capitalist era of free markets into the age of technofeudalism | Yanis Varoufakis

How Amazon turned our capitalist era of free markets into the age of technofeudalism | Yanis Varoufakis

Amazon Web Services owns the basic infrastructure for other businesses to operate online, turning even governments into its serfs. But now some people are fighting back For the past six years, every Black Friday – that made-up carnival of consumption – Amazon workers and their allies have mobilised across the world in coordinated strikes and protests . At first glance, these disputes look like the standard struggle between a giant capitalist employer and the people who keep it running. But Amazon is no ordinary corporation. It is the clearest expression of what I call technofeudalism: a new economic order in which platforms behave like lords owning the fiefs that have replaced markets. To appreciate Amazon’s extraordinary power, we must recall the system it is helping to bury. Capitalism relied on markets and profit. Firms invested in productive capital, hired workers, produced commodities and lived or died by profit and loss. But the emerging order is one in which the most powerful capitalist firms have exited that market altogether. They own the digital infrastructure that everyone else must use to trade, work, communicate and live. Yanis Varoufakis is the leader of MeRA25 and the author of Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Nov 27, 2025
AmazonSurveillanceWorkers' rights
UK firms can win a significant chunk of the AI chip market | John Browne

UK firms can win a significant chunk of the AI chip market | John Browne

Britain’s legacy in chip design is world-class, and we could supply up to 5% of global demand if we get our act together The UK is in a uniquely promising position, far too little understood, to play a lucrative role in the coming era of artificial intelligence – but only if it also grabs the opportunity to start making millions of computer chips. AI requires vast numbers of chips and we could supply up to 5% of world demand if we get our national act together. Lord Browne is the co-chair of the Council for Science and Technology . He is the chair of BeyondNetZero and was the chief executive of BP from 1995 to 2007 Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Nov 13, 2025
Artificial intelligence (AI)Technology sectorComputing