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  • ‘Keys to the kingdom’: hackers who gained access to heart of London transport network jailed

    Thalha Jubair, 20, and Owen Flowers, 19, sentenced to five and a half years each for cyber-attack that cost Transport for London £39m The data of millions of commuters was stolen, Londoners were left out of pocket and 27,000 Transport for London staff were forced to reset their passwords. Over four days in 2024 a…

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  • Two Britons plead guilty to £39m 2024 cyber-attack on Transport for London

    Thalha Jubair and Owen Flowers, linked to the Scattered Spider hacking group, change pleas on first day of trial Two British cybercriminals from the Scattered Spider hacking group have pleaded guilty to a cyber-attack on Transport for London in 2024 that cost £39m and affected 10 million people. Thalha Jubair, 20, and Owen Flowers, 18,…

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  • Met to expand use of live facial recognition into central London by Christmas

    Technology to be used in six more areas next year as critics say tens of thousands of people will be forced into ‘digital police lineup’ The Metropolitan police is to expand its use of live facial recognition (LFR) technology, first into London’s West End by Christmas and then into a further six areas next year.…

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  • Palantir to sue Sadiq Khan over blocked £50m Met police contract

    US spy-tech company to challenge London mayor’s intervention after he raised concerns over breach of procurement rules Palantir intends to sue the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, after he blocked a contract between the US spy-tech firm and the Metropolitan police. The Met had planned to use Palantir’s software to automate intelligence analysis in criminal investigations,…

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  • The London school that has screen-free days for pupils, teachers – and parents

    Holy Family Catholic primary school says enthusiastic response from parents has been biggest surprise Schools banning pupils from having smartphones are commonplace. But what about a school where pupils ban teachers from using their smartphones, and then get their parents to join in? And not just phones: at Holy Family Catholic primary school in west…

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  • Palantir hits back at Sadiq Khan after £50m contract with Met police blocked

    London mayor accused of ‘putting politics above public safety’ for rejecting deal to use AI in intelligence analysis UK politics live – latest updates Palantir has accused Sadiq Khan of “putting politics above public safety” after the London mayor blocked its £50m contract with the Metropolitan police in a move that has also led to…

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  • Google DeepMind in talks with UK unions amid staff concern over US and Israel’s AI use

    Exclusive: Google DeepMind agrees to Acas talks after workers sign petitions about governments’ use of AI for defence and intelligence Google DeepMind has agreed to enter formal talks with UK tech workers that could lead to trade union representation amid growing staff concerns about the use of its AI by the US and Israeli governments’…

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  • AI engineer says Google unfairly sacked him after he protested against work for Israel

    Exclusive: Employment tribunal claim says worker lost his job after distributing leaflets throughout London office Google is facing a legal challenge from an AI engineer who claims he was unfairly dismissed after he protested against its work for the Israeli government, in the latest sign of growing concern about the social and ethical impacts of…

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  • AI facial recognition oversight lagging far behind technology, watchdogs warn

    Exclusive: Biometrics commissioners say face-scanning not as effective as claimed and new laws needed to regulate use How does live facial recognition work and how many police forces use it? Guilty until proven innocent: shoppers falsely identified by facial recognition Britain’s biometrics watchdogs have warned that national oversight of AI-powered face scanning to catch criminals…

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  • London schools trialling VR to relieve pupils’ stress

    Phase Space pilot programme with NHS mental health trust used to calm anxiety around exams, ADHD and home troubles Schools have begun deploying virtual reality to help pupils cope with stress caused by impending exams, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or difficult home lives. All 15 secondary schools in the London borough of Sutton are using…

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