Cybersecurity risks, age verification failures, and staffing issues in the gaming industry dominated recent headlines, alongside revelations about Jeffrey Epstein's activities and Tesco's plans to expand its loyalty program. A BBC reporter's laptop was hacked via a vulnerable AI coding platform, a porn site was fined for age verification failings, and a game developer laid off staff shortly after its game's release.
An AI coding platform called Orchids, designed to allow users without technical skills to build apps and games, was found to have a significant cybersecurity flaw. According to a BBC Technology report, a BBC reporter's laptop was successfully hijacked, highlighting the risks of allowing AI bots deep access to computers. Experts have expressed concerns about the potential vulnerabilities of such platforms, which are gaining popularity as a way to quickly and cheaply perform various professional services.
In other news, the media regulator Ofcom fined the porn company Kick Online Entertainment SA £800,000 for failing to implement proper age verification measures. The company did not have "highly effective" methods to ensure UK visitors were over 18, as required by law. Although Kick Online Entertainment has since introduced age checks, it was not complying with the law between July and December 2025, according to Ofcom. Message board 4chan will also be fined £520,000 for failing to comply with the UK's Online Safety Law, though its lawyer stated the company would not pay. Suzanne Cater, director of enforcement at Ofcom, emphasized that it was "non-negotiable" for adult sites to have highly effective age verification.
The gaming industry also faced challenges. Wildlight Entertainment, the developer of the multiplayer shooter Highguard, laid off multiple staff members just two weeks after the game's release. Highguard, which was first revealed at The Game Awards, struggled to retain players since its January launch, despite being created by industry veterans who had worked on successful titles.
In other developments, Tesco announced plans to make its Clubcard available to under-18s this year. The supermarket's loyalty scheme offers discounts and points that can be converted into vouchers. Tesco did not specify the reasons for expanding eligibility or provide details on how it would work. This decision follows campaigning from Which?, which urged supermarkets to remove what it called "unfair restrictions" on loyalty scheme access. The UK's competition regulator has stated that while supermarkets' eligibility requirements are unlikely to breach consumer law, some could do more to broaden access.
Finally, an email exchange revealed that Jeffrey Epstein asked a staff member to install hidden video cameras at his Florida home. The emails, released by the US Department of Justice last month, showed that Epstein requested the cameras be hidden in tissue boxes.
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