US Faces Scrutiny Over Human Rights, AI Privacy Concerns Emerge
The United States faced criticism over human rights and data privacy concerns as a new AI project from a Turkish production company and Todd Haynes' gay romance film gained momentum, according to reports released on February 4, 2026.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) released its annual World Report 2026, asserting that the U.S. had taken a "decided shift toward authoritarianism" during President Donald Trump's second term, Time reported. The report cited "significant steps backward" in areas including immigration, health, the environment, labor, disability, gender, criminal justice, and freedom of speech. The report also criticized "unnecessarily violent and abusive raids" by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, according to Time.
Meanwhile, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren challenged Google's new Gemini AI checkout feature, The Verge reported. Warren raised concerns about potential privacy violations and data exploitation through the Universal Commerce Protocol, a system developed with major retailers. The inquiry highlighted growing global scrutiny over data privacy and the ethical implications of AI-driven commerce, as international regulatory bodies grapple with similar issues of consumer protection in the digital marketplace.
In the film industry, Turkish AI production company Spongeworthy, known for the AI-generated documentary "Post Truth," announced their second AI movie, titled "A Woman Asleep," Variety reported. The company planned to launch the project at the European Film Market (EFM).
Todd Haynes' "De Noche," a gay romance film, was back on track with Pedro Pascal confirmed to star and France's MK2 Films financing the project, Variety reported. Joaquin Phoenix had exited the project the previous year.
Separately, First Lady Melania Trump's new film was marketed as a documentary and grossed over $7 million in its first weekend, Time reported. However, Time argued that the film was "an extended piece of reputation management presented in the visual language of nonfiction cinema" rather than a true documentary.
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