Britain Backs Off Apple Data Backdoor After US Push, Leaving Encryption Fight Unsettled

The British government has stepped back from plans that would have forced Apple to weaken iCloud protections for American users. The retreat followed weeks of pressure from Washington, where officials argued the demand would have undermined privacy rights.

The order had been issued in January under the UK’s Investigatory Powers Act, a law that lets authorities demand access to communications and data even if held outside Britain. Apple was told to switch off its Advanced Data Protection system for iCloud, which shields backups and other files with end-to-end encryption. That system prevents even Apple from unlocking the contents.

Apple resisted the order. In February it pulled the feature from the UK, cutting off new users and warning existing ones that the protection would soon be withdrawn. The company also launched a legal challenge, with the case due to be heard next year.

Pressure from the United States changed the course. President Trump, Vice President JD Vance and intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard raised the issue with British officials. Vance, who spent time in the UK recently, was said to have spoken directly with London about the consequences. US officials now claim Britain agreed to drop the demand, though the notice itself has not yet been formally withdrawn.

For Prime Minister Keir Starmer, stepping back avoids another point of conflict with Washington at a time when his government is dealing with trade disputes and looking for US backing over the war in Ukraine. Several officials on both sides now describe the matter as resolved, though some in London acknowledge the government came under heavy US pressure.

The Investigatory Powers Act has long been criticized by privacy groups as a sweeping law that gives Britain unusual reach into global data. Supporters say it is needed to tackle terrorism and child abuse. The Home Office has pointed to an existing UK-US data sharing agreement that already allows both countries to request information from telecom and tech companies, with safeguards in place to prevent each side from targeting the other’s citizens.

Even with Britain’s retreat, Apple has not said if or when Advanced Data Protection will return for UK customers. For now, users there remain without the extra layer of cloud security, while the broader debate over encryption and government access is still far from settled.

Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools. Image: DIW-Aigen.

Read next:

• Google’s AI Summaries Put Pressure on Publishers as Referral Traffic Falls

• Amnesty Reports Starvation in Gaza as Israeli Policies Deepen Crisis
by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Google’s AI Summaries Put Pressure on Publishers as Referral Traffic Falls

Traffic data from leading publishers shows a clear drop in visits from Google Search since the company expanded AI-generated summaries.

Digital Content Next (DCN), a group representing news and entertainment outlets, reported that median referrals fell 10 percent in May and June compared with the same period last year. Non-news sites saw the sharpest decline at 14 percent, while news sites slipped by 7 percent. Some of the hardest weeks were late May and late June, when referrals for both groups dropped by more than 16 percent.

The pattern matches research from Pew, which tracked user behavior when AI summaries appeared in search results. Pew found that people were less likely to click through to external sites, with many stopping at the summary itself. That outcome creates what analysts describe as a zero-click environment, where the material is consumed inside Google’s product rather than on the sites that produced it.

For publishers, fewer referrals translate into weaker ad revenue, slower subscription growth, and tighter budgets for reporting or production. DCN noted that most of its members, spanning 19 companies, remain heavily reliant on advertising, which still accounts for close to four-fifths of their digital income. A slide in traffic puts that stream under pressure at a time when Google already dominates the online advertising market.

DCN argues the change is structural, not temporary. It links the fall in traffic to Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode, which present synthesized answers above the traditional list of links. That placement leaves publishers with fewer readers even as their work continues to be used in training the system.

Google takes a different line, saying that AI summaries drive what it calls higher-quality visits, where people spend longer on a page. The company also suggested that external reports about traffic drops may rely on incomplete or selective samples.

Publishers are seeking stronger protections. They want Google to disclose detailed, verifiable data on click-through rates by content type and location. They also want a real choice to block their work from being used in summaries without losing search visibility, along with licensing deals to reflect the value of their material. DCN has urged regulators to view AI Overviews as part of Google’s broader search monopoly, noting the company’s position in mobile search and the ongoing U.S. antitrust case.

• Also read: What Sets Successful Professionals Apart in Their Daily Tech Habits

The debate comes with a sense of history. Earlier initiatives such as featured snippets and AMP also reshaped how users reached publisher content, often to the platform’s advantage. The concern now is greater because AI modules do not only highlight parts of an article, they often serve as a replacement for it.

If the shift continues, publishers warn that the open web will carry fewer voices, with less room for accountability and discovery. They argue that journalism and entertainment depend on reach and funding, and that AI-driven search risks eroding both.

Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools. Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: 

• Frustrated with Google's AI Overview in Search Results? Here’s How to Completely Disable It

• Amnesty Reports Starvation in Gaza as Israeli Policies Deepen Crisis
by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Amnesty Reports Starvation in Gaza as Israeli Policies Deepen Crisis

Amnesty International has published new accounts from Palestinians in Gaza that describe worsening hunger, disease, and displacement under Israeli control. The organization says the testimonies point to an organized policy of starvation, reinforced by restrictions that prevent civilians from receiving food, water, and medical aid.

Interviews conducted in Gaza’s camps reveal families living on a single meal a day, with children often left to sleep hungry. The Ministry of Health has recorded more than one hundred child deaths linked to malnutrition. Aid groups have reported thousands of new cases of acute malnutrition among children in July, with many classed as severe.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women described being unable to feed their infants. Many go without food themselves to prioritize their children. With infant formula scarce and expensive, and with clean water in short supply, mothers spoke of children weakened by hunger and frequent infections. Health workers report that hospitals lack basic equipment to treat them.

Older residents face the same scarcity. Some survive on soup or bread distributed once a week. Others ration expired medicine for chronic illnesses such as diabetes or heart conditions. Several said the lack of food and care leaves them dependent on relatives already struggling to survive.

Doctors in Gaza say the collapse of healthcare services has left them unable to manage conditions that could once be treated. Infectious diseases are spreading through overcrowded camps where water supplies are unsafe. Patients with kidney disease, diabetes, or other chronic conditions face severe complications because the food and medicines they need are unavailable. Hospitals also report cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a neurological disease, that have already caused deaths among children.

• Also read: What Sets Successful Professionals Apart in Their Daily Tech Habits

The food supply inside Gaza has been largely destroyed. UN satellite analysis shows farmland razed, bombed, or left unusable. Crops and livestock that once provided food for the local population are gone, while fishing remains tightly restricted. Whatever limited supplies reach Gaza through controlled entry points are sold at inflated prices, far out of reach for most families.

Amnesty points to Israeli restrictions on humanitarian groups as a major factor in the crisis. Requests from international organizations to bring in essential supplies are often denied, and new rules could block many of them from operating in the territory altogether.

The organization says these conditions have been created and sustained by Israeli policies over the past two years. It calls for an immediate lifting of the blockade, protection for civilians, and safe access for aid groups to deliver food, medicine, and shelter.

Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools. Image: DIW-Aigen.

Read next: OpenAI Expands ChatGPT With Chromium Browser, Affordable Plan, Voice Upgrades, and Personality Shift
by Asim BN via Digital Information World

What Sets Successful Professionals Apart in Their Daily Tech Habits

A recent survey of more than 1,000 professionals, conducted by LiquidWeb, has drawn a detailed picture of how people at the top of their careers handle technology in daily life. By comparing high earners with the broader American workforce, the study found that patterns of use were less about spending less time on screens and more about shaping routines around them.

High achievers in the survey reported spending roughly seven hours a day on their computers, mainly for work, and about three hours on their phones, often for leisure. The wider workforce, in contrast, leaned more heavily on phones, devoting nearly a quarter more time to them. The gap suggests that for those with demanding jobs, computers remain the primary tool while casual mobile use takes a back seat.

Time away from screens was another part of the picture. About 44 percent of successful respondents said they stepped away from devices at least once a day, compared with 38 percent of the wider group. Smaller shares in both groups reported breaks only once a week. Focus modes and screen-time alerts were mentioned, yet the most common approach was as simple as switching off altogether.

Morning routines also showed a split. Many of the high achievers held off from checking devices straight after waking, giving themselves space to plan the day before facing messages and notifications. More than seven in ten scheduled deep work sessions into their calendars, often lasting an hour to an hour and a half. Those who did so finished projects at roughly double the pace of peers who worked in shorter bursts.

The way communication was handled also set this group apart. Nearly half said they checked work messages outside of office hours, compared with 38 percent of the wider sample. At the same time, many batched emails and Slack notifications into fixed windows. This approach cut down mistakes by about a quarter and left more attention for bigger tasks.

Social media habits told their own story. Around 49 percent of high achievers reported avoiding TikTok completely. Platforms like Reddit and LinkedIn drew more interest, with four in ten using Reddit regularly and LinkedIn showing a higher adoption rate than in the broader workforce.

When it came to devices, premium tools were favored. Sixty-three percent of successful respondents called the iPhone essential, compared with 34 percent for Android phones. Nearly half relied on laptops rather than desktops, and accessories such as headphones, smartwatches, and tablets were common, though at lower levels. More than a third said they preferred premium gear overall, while just under a quarter leaned toward cheaper models.

The survey also looked at health-related routines. Short breaks for stretching or mindfulness were tied to about a 10 percent lift in reported productivity. Some respondents used apps or timers to remind themselves to pause, while others followed methods like the Pomodoro technique to manage long stretches of work without burning out.

Taken together, the findings point to a group that spends plenty of time with technology yet keeps it in check with clear routines and selective habits. The picture that emerges is one of people who treat their devices as tools, drawing firm lines around when and how they’re used, and finding ways to keep focus and energy steady across the day.

Read next:

• Why Executive Branding Is Getting Personal: Lessons from the Digital Workplace’s New Playbook

• OpenAI Expands ChatGPT With Chromium Browser, Affordable Plan, Voice Upgrades, and Personality Shift

• The Less You Use It, The More You Fear It: AI’s Uneven Welcome at Work

by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

OpenAI Expands ChatGPT With Chromium Browser, Affordable Plan, Voice Upgrades, and Personality Shift

OpenAI is developing a new browser based on Chromium. Early signs, as spotted by Tibor Blaho, suggest the company may first release it for macOS. The project is expected to rely on ChatGPT at its core, allowing the software to guide how users move through the web.

Unlike traditional browsers, the design points to features such as automatic tab selection, a custom new tab page, and browsing carried out directly by ChatGPT. These ideas build on the existing Agent mode inside ChatGPT. That mode already runs in a cloud setup on Linux, where it can perform requests such as creating documents or presentations using online material.

At present, Agent mode only interacts with a remote virtual browser. It processes screenshots, clicks links, and fills out forms in that environment. Recent details suggest OpenAI is preparing a second route. The system may soon switch between the older cloud option and a new local browser built by the company itself. References to a “Use cloud browser” toggle and traces pointing to macOS confirm the direction of development. Earlier reports also indicated that the firm wants to keep more user activity within a ChatGPT-style interface rather than pushing people to open websites one by one.

Cheaper Subscription Plan in Testing

Work is also underway on pricing. OpenAI is testing a plan called ChatGPT Go, positioned as a lower-cost tier. The dashboard for some accounts now shows a Try Go button, linked to a payment request of four US dollars. The same option appears in euros and pounds, which makes clear that the company is preparing a broader release.

Image: @btibor91 / X

When first spotted, the cheaper plan looked tied to India. The new currency listings point instead to global availability. If the service remains at four dollars or its equivalent, it could draw interest from users who find the higher tiers out of reach.

• Also read: Study Finds Open-Source AI Models Consume Far More Computing Power Than Closed Systems

New Voice Controls and Models

Another area of focus is voice mode. Hidden settings now allow users to control the speed of speech, with sliders ranging from half pace to double pace. The adjustment gives more freedom in how conversations sound, whether slower for clarity or faster for quick updates.

There is also a custom instructions prefix for voice interactions. This lets the system remember a user’s preferred approach, so instructions do not have to be repeated at every turn.

Alongside these changes, the model selector has been updated. Subscribers can now see GPT-5 options labeled high, fast, and auto. Access to GPT-4o has also been restored for paying accounts.

Subtle Personality Shift in GPT-5

OpenAI has also started adjusting how GPT-5 responds in conversations. The company says it has made the model warmer and more approachable after receiving feedback that earlier versions felt too formal. The difference is intended to be subtle, with responses sometimes starting with phrases such as “Good question” or “Great start.” Internal testing showed no increase in flattery compared with the previous GPT-5 personality. The change is rolling out gradually and may take up to a day to reach all users.

The update has prompted mixed reactions online. Some users have asked the company to keep GPT-4o permanently available, saying they prefer its colder and more restrained style. Others expressed concern that ChatGPT should focus on delivering clear information without adding unnecessary warmth.

Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools.

Read next: YouTube Stands Out as America’s Favorite Social Platform

by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Study Finds Open-Source AI Models Consume Far More Computing Power Than Closed Systems

A recent study shows open-source artificial intelligence models use far more computing power than closed systems on the same tasks. The findings raise questions about whether these models deliver the cost benefits often assumed.

The study, led by Nous Research with help from independent analysts, compared nineteen reasoning models. They were tested on knowledge questions, mathematical problems, and logic puzzles. Researchers focused on token efficiency, the measure of how many units of computation a model spends to produce an answer.

Results showed open-weight models burning between one and a half to four times as many tokens as closed ones. For basic knowledge tasks, the gap widened sharply, with some systems using ten times more tokens. In some cases, the added computation translated into higher overall costs despite lower per-token pricing.

Large Reasoning Models showed the biggest inefficiencies. Designed to think step by step, they often produced long reasoning trails on problems that required little thought. The team found some models consuming hundreds of tokens just to answer a straightforward question such as the capital of Australia.

Performance differed across providers. OpenAI’s o4-mini and the gpt-oss models ranked among the most efficient, particularly in mathematics. They used up to three times fewer tokens than other commercial systems. Nvidia’s llama-3.3-nemotron-super-49b-v1 topped the open-source list, while some of Mistral’s recent releases were marked as outliers for heavy token use.

In logic problems, the difference was narrower but still present. Adjusted versions of puzzles like Monty Hall revealed that models leaned on training memory until changes forced them to reason properly. When problems were altered, token use rose.

The research team relied on completion tokens to measure efficiency because many closed providers hide their raw reasoning steps. Some compress internal thinking into short summaries, while others use smaller models to record reasoning in compact form. Completion tokens, billed directly to customers, gave a clearer picture of the actual computing effort.

Testing also included math competition problems with altered variables to prevent memorized answers. Results showed most models attempted to solve problems rather than recall them. Still, the spread of token use was wide. OpenAI’s efficient models stood out for keeping costs lower overall, even with higher per-token rates.

The study suggests enterprises need to look beyond accuracy and per-token pricing when choosing systems. Computing overhead can mount quickly and shift the balance of total costs. Closed providers appear to be reducing token use with each update. Some open systems, on the other hand, have been moving in the opposite direction by generating longer reasoning trails.

The complete dataset and evaluation code have been made public. Researchers believe future development should target efficiency alongside accuracy. Shorter, denser reasoning could help keep costs down and preserve performance on complex problems.

The findings point to efficiency as a central factor in determining which models can be scaled for widespread enterprise use.

Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools.

Read next:

• Sam Altman Opens Up on Google, GPT-5, and OpenAI’s Next Moves

• ChatGPT Mobile Surpasses $2 Billion Spending And Becomes Fastest App To Hit 1 Billion Downloads
by Asim BN via Digital Information World

Google Search Still a Reliable Source, But Social Keeps Sliding

Chartbeat’s long-term review of traffic to more than 560 US and UK publishers suggests that Google remains a steady hand for news websites. The share of visits coming through search has hardly moved in six years. It was about 15% in early 2019, jumped above 20% during the first Covid months, and has hovered around 19% this summer. Google’s dominance in that slice of traffic has barely wavered either, holding between 95% and 97% the whole time.

One detail matters here: the count includes Discover, which has taken over as a key route for people reaching publishers. Much of the “search stability” shown in the numbers reflects how Discover feeds have grown into a traffic driver alongside traditional search clicks.

Direct Visits Lose Ground

The picture looks different for direct visits, the readers who go straight to a homepage or use bookmarks. That traffic made up more than 16% of visits at the start of 2019, fell during the pandemic, clawed back for a while, and has since slid again. In July, the share was just over 11%. Despite years of talk about building loyal “front-door” audiences, many publishers are still struggling to turn that into reality.

Social Referrals in a Long Drop

The sharpest declines have come from social networks. Their share of referrals has slipped from more than 17% in 2019 to 13% today. Facebook, which once drove close to a billion monthly visits, has lost half of that traffic. Its highs came during the pandemic, followed by a steep drop as it shifted to personal posts over publisher content. Even with a small recovery this year, it is still well below its former levels.

X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has shrunk even more. Monthly referrals have dropped from around 129 million to barely 32 million. Instagram has moved up a little, while Reddit has surged ahead, reaching about 19 million referrals in July. The jump for Reddit coincided with a visibility boost in Google results after its content deal last year, which also gave the site a new role in training AI systems.

External Links and On-Site Journeys

Traffic patterns from other sources show mixed movement. Visits coming from links placed on outside sites, such as blogs or other publishers, have doubled since 2019. Internal clicks — readers moving from one page to another within the same outlet — have edged down from 43% to 39%. Holding audience attention once they arrive has become a bigger focus as a result.

Aggregators: Google News Still Leads, But Lower

Aggregator traffic tells another story. Google News remains the biggest, though its referrals dropped in late 2023 and have not climbed back. In July it drove around 107 million visits, which is roughly the same as six years ago but nearly a third lower than in 2023. SmartNews, Newsbreak and Flipboard all saw growth during the pandemic but have since fallen away, with Flipboard down the most.

H/T: Pressgazette

Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools. Image: DIW-Aigen.

Read next: Sam Altman revealed he no longer uses Google Search, despite OpenAI still relying heavily on Google’s cloud infrastructure.
by Web Desk via Digital Information World