When you sign up for a new app or platform, you’re often asked to “agree” to the terms of service and privacy policies. But what does that consent mean, and is it meaningful?

Almost every website now greets visitors with a cookie consent banner, claiming to offer a choice over tracking. But privacy advocates warn that many of these pop-ups are designed not to inform, but to manipulate. Known as dark patterns, these interfaces use visual tricks to steer users toward accepting all cookies, often burying “reject all” options behind extra clicks, small text, or confusing layouts.

In early 2025, TikTok quietly updated its privacy policy for users in the U.S. and Europe. The changes, buried deep in the fine print, outline broader data-sharing arrangements with its parent company ByteDance, as well as unnamed “business partners.” Privacy advocates warn that these updates could expose users to greater tracking, profiling, and potential government access.

AI-powered hiring tools are being adopted by companies large and small, promising to streamline recruitment and reduce human bias. But recent investigations have raised serious concerns that these systems may actually amplify discrimination rather than prevent it.

AI is transforming consumer lending, promising faster credit decisions and greater access. But the reality is more complicated. Many AI-based scoring systems rely on alternative data — utility payments, online behavior, even social media activity — to predict creditworthiness.

Artificial intelligence tools are reshaping how companies hire — but not always for the better. Across industries, AI-driven systems promise to make recruitment more efficient, objective, and scalable. Yet recent research highlights that these technologies often replicate or even amplify bias rather than eliminate it.

A new IBM global study highlights a troubling gap between AI policy rhetoric and real-world governance. Although 80% of executives say AI governance is critical to responsible innovation, only 20-30% have put robust practices in place.

Europe’s landmark AI Act has officially entered the implementation phase, ushering in one of the world’s most comprehensive frameworks for governing artificial intelligence. The law targets high-risk AI systems, including biometric identification, predictive policing, and AI in critical infrastructure, with strict requirements for transparency, human oversight, and risk assessments.

Microsoft has appointed Cari Benn as its new Chief Privacy Officer (CPO), a move seen as a renewed pledge to place privacy and trust at the heart of its global operations.