Government Regulation

PFAS in fertilisers blamed for killing livestock in Texas and wreaking havoc

PFAS-contaminated fertilizer from biosolids is causing severe health issues for farmers and livestock in Johnson County, Texas, with investigation findings showing dangerous contamination levels. The fertilizer, produced by Synagro from municipal wastewater-treated sewage sludge, contained high levels of PFAS chemicals that affected soil, water sources, and caused animal deaths. Environmental experts warn this is a national crisis threatening the U.S. food supply, with calls for federal regulation of PFAS in biosolids.

Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row

Apple is removing its Advanced Data Protection tool from UK customers after the government demanded access to user data under the Investigatory Powers Act. The move means UK customer data stored on iCloud will no longer be fully encrypted, despite Apple's strong stance against creating encryption backdoors. This decision has sparked criticism from privacy advocates and US politicians who view it as a threat to security.

DeepSeek 'shared user data' with TikTok owner ByteDance

South Korea has accused Chinese AI startup DeepSeek of sharing user data with ByteDance, leading to its removal from app stores. The accusation follows cybersecurity concerns and potential data sharing with Chinese state-owned entities, though the extent of data transfer remains unclear. Multiple countries have banned DeepSeek from government devices amid privacy concerns.