Cybersecurity concerns, political tensions, and artistic controversies dominated headlines this week. A popular AI coding platform was found to have significant security flaws, a porn site was fined for age verification failures, the Haitian Olympic team's uniforms were redesigned, author Arundhati Roy withdrew from a film festival, and a schism emerged between Donald Trump and Israel.
A BBC reporter was able to hack into the AI coding platform Orchids, a "vibe-coding" tool that allows users to build apps and games with text prompts, demonstrating a significant cyber-security risk. According to a BBC Technology report, the reporter was able to hijack a laptop and upload a wallpaper. Experts have expressed concern about the potential risks of allowing AI bots deep access to computers.
Meanwhile, 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 check that UK visitors were over 18, according to Ofcom. Kick Online Entertainment has since implemented age checks, but was not complying with the law between July and December 2025. Additionally, message board 4chan will be fined £520,000 for failing to comply with the UK's Online Safety Law, though its lawyer says the company will not pay. Suzanne Cater, director of enforcement at Ofcom, stated that it was "non-negotiable" for adult sites to have highly effective age verification.
In the realm of sports, the designer of the Haitian team's uniform for the 2026 Winter Olympics had to redesign the ski suits after being told they did not comply with guidelines. The original design included an image of the formerly enslaved revolutionary Toussaint Louverture riding a horse, but the image of the revolutionary was removed.
In the arts, Indian author and activist Arundhati Roy withdrew from the Berlin International Film Festival after what she described as "unconscionable statements" by jury members about Israel's actions in Gaza. Roy, writing in India's The Wire newspaper, said she found recent remarks from the Berlinale jury, including its chair, director Wim Wenders, that art should not be political to be "jaw-dropping."
Finally, political tensions between Donald Trump and Israel have become apparent. Trump criticized Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, stating he should be "ashamed of himself." According to Sky News, Israel worries the US could become soft on Iran and attempt to negotiate a deal.
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