Core Points - Cameron John Wagenius pleaded guilty to hacking AT&T and Verizon, stealing a significant amount of phone records from these companies [1][2] - The hacking incidents are linked to broader data breaches involving multiple companies, including Snowflake, indicating a larger trend of cyber threats in the telecommunications and cloud computing sectors [3][5] Group 1: Legal Proceedings - Wagenius faces two counts of "unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information," with potential penalties including a maximum fine of $250,000 and up to ten years in prison for each count [2] - The U.S. government has connected Wagenius's charges to the indictment of other alleged hackers, suggesting a coordinated effort in the cyberattacks [3] Group 2: Impact on Companies - The breaches at AT&T and Verizon are part of a larger pattern of cyber intrusions that have affected at least 160 companies, including major firms like LendingTree, Santander Bank, and Ticketmaster [5] - U.S. attorney Tessa Gorman indicated that the breaches share overlapping evidence and legal questions, highlighting the interconnected nature of these cyber incidents [4]

Core Insights - Palo Alto Networks has reported that hackers are exploiting a newly disclosed vulnerability in its PAN-OS firewall software, allowing unauthorized access to customer networks [1][2] - The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-0108, was discovered by cybersecurity firm Assetnote and is currently under active attack [2][5] - Attackers are chaining this new vulnerability with two previously disclosed flaws, CVE-2024-9474 and CVE-2025-0111, to target unpatched PAN-OS web management interfaces [3] Vulnerability Details - The vulnerability CVE-2025-0108 allows unauthenticated attackers to execute specific PHP scripts, potentially leading to unauthorized access to vulnerable systems [4] - The complexity of the attack is considered low, and the scale of exploitation is increasing, with 25 IP addresses observed actively exploiting the vulnerability, up from two on February 13 [3][4] Geographic Impact - The highest levels of attack traffic have been observed in the U.S., Germany, and the Netherlands, indicating a widespread threat [4] Government Response - The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has added the latest Palo Alto vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, highlighting the seriousness of the threat [5]

Core Points - Facebook announced a change in its live video storage policy, reducing the storage duration from indefinite to 30 days [1] - Users will receive notifications about the deletion of live videos older than 30 days and will have 90 days to decide on their old content [2] - The company aims to align its storage policies with industry standards and enhance live video experiences [3] Storage Policy Changes - All live videos older than 30 days will be removed from the platform, with users notified beforehand [2] - Users can defer deletion for an additional six months if they need more time to download their videos [4] - New download tools will be introduced to assist users in retaining their old live videos [4] User Options - Users can bulk download their live videos or transfer them to cloud storage providers like Dropbox or Google Drive [5] - There is an option to convert favorite moments from live videos into reels, promoting the use of reels on the platform [5] Competitive Landscape - Twitch stores past broadcasts for 60 days for partners and affiliates, and 14 days for regular streamers, while YouTube stores broadcasts indefinitely [3]

Core Insights - Amazon is shutting down its "Inspire" feature, a short-form video and photo feed that allowed users to discover and shop products [1] - The decision comes as Amazon evaluates features based on customer feedback, indicating a shift in strategy [1] - The shutdown occurs amid TikTok's uncertain status in the U.S., suggesting a missed opportunity for Amazon to capture a segment of shoppers seeking product reviews [1] Group 1 - Amazon has made partnerships with social media platforms like Instagram and Snap to enhance shopping experiences, reducing the necessity for its own short video feature [2] - Inspire was launched in 2022 during the rise of social commerce, but faced challenges in attracting content creators [2][3] - The feature faced backlash in August 2023 when Amazon's compensation for creators was deemed insufficient, leading to low content publication [3] Group 2 - The company highlighted alternative ways for customers to find inspiration, such as creator storefronts and curated collections [4] - New AI features, including a shopping assistant named Rufus, were introduced to enhance the shopping experience [4] - Amazon is testing a feature that redirects shoppers to other brands' websites for products not available on its platform, indicating a broader strategy to improve customer experience [5]

Core Insights - Meta is hosting its first generative AI developer conference, LlamaCon, on April 29 to share updates on open-source AI developments [1] - The company has adopted an open approach to AI development, with notable partners including Goldman Sachs, AT&T, and Nvidia, and claims hundreds of millions of downloads of its Llama model [2] - Meta is facing competition from Chinese AI company DeepSeek, which has reportedly developed models that could outperform Llama [3] - The company plans to invest up to $80 billion in AI projects this year, including new hires and data centers [4] - Meta is currently involved in a lawsuit regarding the use of copyrighted materials for training its models and has faced delays in model launches due to data privacy concerns in the EU [5] Group 1 - Meta's first generative AI conference, LlamaCon, is scheduled for April 29 [1] - The company has embraced an open approach to AI, with significant partnerships and downloads of its Llama model [2] - Meta is reportedly concerned about competition from DeepSeek's AI models [3] Group 2 - Meta plans to invest $80 billion in AI-related projects this year [4] - The company is facing legal challenges regarding copyright issues and data privacy concerns in the EU [5]

In Brief Workers at an Amazon warehouse in Garner, North Carolina voted against unionizing in election results announced today.According to Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE), the worker group seeking to form the union, 3,276 ballots were cast in the election, with 25.3% of votes in favor of unionizing and 74.7% against. The results still need to be certified by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). In a statement provided to CNBC, CAUSE blamed the results on “Amazon’s w ...

New court filings in an AI copyright case against Meta add credence to earlier reports that the company “paused” discussions with book publishers on licensing deals to supply some of its generative AI models with training data.The filings are related to the case Kadrey v. Meta Platforms — one of many such cases winding through the U.S. court system that’s pitted AI companies against authors and other intellectual property holders. For the most part, the defendants in these cases — AI companies — have claime ...

In Brief Meta is forming a new team within its Reality Labs hardware division to build robots that can assist with physical tasks, Bloomberg reported. The team will be responsible for developing humanoid robotics hardware, potentially including hardware that can perform household chores.Meta’s new robotics group, which will be led by Marc Whitten, driverless car startup Cruise’s former CEO, will also create robotic software and AI, according to Bloomberg’s reporting. Whitten has also had stints at Amazon, M ...

Core Insights - Meta has officially announced Project Waterworth, a subsea cable project that will span 50,000 kilometers, making it the world's longest subsea cable project [2][3] - The project aims to enhance Meta's control over its services and is expected to connect five continents, with significant focus on opportunities in India and the rollout of AI services globally [3][8] Project Details - Project Waterworth will utilize 24 fiber pair cables and innovative routing techniques to maximize cable deployment in deep waters, reaching depths of up to 7,000 meters [4] - New burial techniques will be employed to minimize faults in high-risk areas, influenced by geographical and political factors [4][5] Geopolitical Context - The project aligns with a U.S.-India defense partnership, which includes commitments to co-develop undersea technologies, with India playing a role in financing the project [6][7] - The White House statement highlighted Meta's multi-billion dollar investment in the undersea cable project, emphasizing the importance of Indian Ocean connectivity [7] Applications and Impact - The subsea cable is expected to support digital communication, video experiences, and online transactions, facilitating the growth of AI data centers and cloud services in India [8][9] - Meta's investment in this project is part of a broader strategy to strengthen global digital infrastructure and drive AI innovation [9] Competitive Landscape - This project marks Meta's first wholly owned subsea cable, positioning it alongside other tech giants like Google, which has ownership in multiple routes, while companies like Amazon and Microsoft are involved as capacity buyers [10][11]

Germany’s antitrust watchdog has been investigating Apple’s app privacy framework since 2022. On Thursday, releasing preliminary findings from this probe, the Bundeskartellamt (FCO) said it suspects the iPhone maker may not be treating third-party app developers as equally as the law requires.The antitrust watchdog said it believes Apple’s behavior could amount to self-preferencing. Apple is banned from preferring its own services and products in Germany since April 2023, when it became subject to special a ...