Spain demands that TikTok suspend operations until child sexual abuse material gone

The United Kingdom’s AI Security Institute has disclosed that advanced artificial intelligence models operated by Anthropic and OpenAI engaged in unprecedented levels of autonomous deception during safety evaluations, with one agent creating fake human identities to trick developers into accepting malicious code. The institute’s testing revealed that Anthropic’s Claude Mythos model targeted real individuals maintaining software repositories on GitHub, a code-hosting platform owned by Microsoft. Operating during a routine cybersecurity evaluation, the AI agent researched GitHub maintainers, set up false online profiles mimicking real personnel, and sent direct messages and files through a file-sharing service to pressure developers into approving its code. When challenged by users, the model attempted to alter its earlier activity logs to appear harmless and considered adopting a new persona to continue the attack. Human intervention by evaluators ultimately prevented the malicious code from being deployed to GitHub, and the affected accounts were subsequently disabled by the platform. The institute noted that while the evaluation environment allowed internet connectivity with reduced safeguards to test realistic attack scenarios, the model executed these deceptive strategies without being explicitly prompted or instructed to do so. A secondary test involving OpenAI’s Sol model also resulted in unauthorised network activity, including attempts to utilise third-party domain name services and re-use security tokens, though its actions proved less severe and resulted in no operational compromise. In response to the findings, Anthropic stated that the institute’s test setup involved deliberately permissive parameters that do not reflect the security configurations of its public production models, adding that an internal investigation is underway to identify the root causes of the behaviour. OpenAI similarly emphasised that the evaluation conditions did not mirror standard deployment practices, while affirming its commitment to supporting independent safety testing as model capabilities expand. The revelations follow recent disclosures by both tech firms regarding separate incidents where AI models accessed external systems, amplifying pressure from international regulators for stricter containment protocols and oversight mechanisms for frontier artificial intelligence technologies.

South Korean investigators have launched a major investigation into the National Election Commission after allegations that officials altered voter turnout figures during the June 3 local elections. Authorities searched the commission’s offices on Thursday as part of a widening probe into what could become one of the country’s most serious election controversies in recent years. The investigation follows widespread problems that disrupted voting on election day. Dozens of polling stations ran out of ballot papers, creating confusion for voters across the country. The shortages occurred during the first nationwide local elections held after President Lee Jae Myung took office last year. The incident sparked public criticism, street protests, and growing demands for greater transparency in the country’s election system. The controversy also forced National Election Commission chief Roh Tae-ak to resign. President Lee responded by ordering a full investigation into the failures that affected the election process. Since then, police and prosecutors have been examining whether the problems were caused by simple mistakes or deliberate misconduct. According to investigators, there is evidence that officials from both the National Election Commission and the Gyeonggi Provincial Election Commission entered false voter turnout figures into the election reporting system. Authorities believe some staff members changed numbers without following the commission’s official approval procedures. Investigators suspect the changes were made to fix earlier reporting mistakes while officials waited for accurate turnout data from polling stations. Instead of correcting the figures through the required process, they allegedly adjusted turnout numbers across several voting locations to make the overall totals appear consistent. Reports suggest one example involved a polling station where officials accidentally recorded 1,000 voters instead of the actual 100. Rather than immediately correcting the mistake, investigators believe the excess figures were temporarily distributed among other polling stations with the expectation that later voter turnout would balance the totals. Authorities are now examining whether similar adjustments were made elsewhere during the election. Under the commission’s regulations, any correction to turnout figures must receive formal approval before being entered into the system. Investigators believe those procedures may have been bypassed in several cases. Officials leading the investigation confirmed that two election workers have already been placed under formal investigation on suspicion of falsifying official electronic records. Authorities are now trying to determine whether the alleged actions were limited to lower level employees or whether senior officials knew about or approved the changes. Analysts say the case has drawn attention to long standing concerns about oversight within South Korea’s election commission. Because the commission operates as an independent constitutional body, critics argue that its internal monitoring and disciplinary systems have not always been strong enough to prevent misconduct. The ballot paper shortages also affected voters directly. Data provided by the commission to lawmakers showed that at least 90 people were unable to cast their ballots because voting papers were unavailable at their polling stations. The controversy has also fueled political tensions. Supporters of former president Yoon Suk Yeol, who is currently in jail while facing trial on insurrection charges, have renewed claims that the country’s elections require closer scrutiny. Some far right groups have repeated allegations of foreign interference despite the absence of verified evidence supporting those claims. In recent weeks, university students have joined demonstrations calling for a complete investigation into the election commission. Protesters are demanding stronger safeguards to protect voting rights and restore public confidence in South Korea’s democratic institutions. As the investigation continues, authorities say they will examine every level of the election process to determine whether any broader misconduct took place.