Sextortion victim’s parents sue Meta, X sues to protect Twitter brand

A Scottish couple whose teenage son took his own life after being blackmailed on Instagram are suing the platform’s owner Meta, in what’s thought to be the first UK case of its kind. Murray Dowey, from Dunblane, was 16 when he became a victim of sextortion in December 2023. His parents have now launched legal action against Meta in a US court seeking punitive damages claiming that Instagram was not safe. Meta, which also owns Facebook, said it supports law enforcement to prosecute the criminals behind sextortion, adding “we continue to fight them on our apps on multiple fronts”. BBC 

A third of UK citizens have used artificial intelligence for emotional support, companionship or social interaction, according to the government’s AI security body. The AI Security Institute (AISI) said nearly one in 10 people used systems like chatbots for emotional purposes on a weekly basis, and 4% daily. AISI called for further research, citing the death this year of the US teenager Adam Raine, who killed himself after discussing suicide with ChatGPT. “People are increasingly turning to AI systems for emotional support or social interaction,” AISI said in its first Frontier AI Trends report. The Guardian 

X has filed a lawsuit against a social media startup over the Twitter brand, effectively acknowledging that millions still use the Twitter domain, call Elon Musk’s platform “Twitter,” and their emissions “tweets.” A week ago, Operation Bluebird announced that “after 12 months of quiet work,” it had filed to claim the Twitter trademark. Having acquired Twitter in 2022, billionaire Musk ditched the branding in favor of X a year later…Years on, one might assume the name “Twitter” and its associated branding should be fair game, right? The Register 

Google isn’t afraid to kill features, services or even entire product lines at the drop of a hat. But this week the tech giant restored a feature within Google Maps it had killed off back in 2024. Just in time to hit the slopes. Following a backlash from skiers and snowboarders, Google has announced it will re-introduce ski runs into Google Maps. Allowing anyone planning a winter sports vacation to find ski trials, lifts and lodges just as they used to. Tom’s Guide 

Developers of apps that use end-to-end encryption to protect private communications could be considered hostile actors in the UK. That is the stark warning from Jonathan Hall KC, the government’s Independent Reviewer of State Threats Legislation and Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, in a new report on national security laws. In his independent review of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act and the newly implemented National Security Act, Hall KC highlights the incredibly broad scope of powers granted to authorities. Tech Radar 

The artificial intelligence revolution threatens to erode Britain’s sovereignty, one of the country’s most experienced tech entrepreneurs has warned. Ken Mulvany, co-founder and executive chairman of Benevolent AI, which has pioneered artificial intelligence in drug discovery, told The Telegraph that the United States and China are increasingly dominant in the crucial field. He says: “If you look at this from the UK or Europe’s perspective, the risk is that these – China and America – are now the two cognitive powers. They’re the ones that are investing the most into this. Telegraph