Category: Technology

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Tuesday clarified that its audits found no breaches in the licensed sector, responding to media reports claiming subscribers’ data was available online. In a statement, a PTA spokesperson said that it did not hold or manage subscriber data, which remains solely with licensed operators. The clarification came amid public concern and media reports over the possible exposure of sensitive personal data of mobile subscribers nationwide “PTA has taken notice of media reports on alleged availability of subscriber data online,” the spokesperson added. Initial review…

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Pakistan and China will establish a joint training centre for space science to enhance cooperation in astronaut training as part of their five-year action plan. This agreement falls under the Action Plan (2025–2029) for a closer China-Pakistan partnership in the new era. The two countries will continue to implement the 2021–2030 Space Cooperation Outline Program, signed between the China National Space Administration and Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to joint work on lunar and deep space exploration, including multilevel assessments of the International…

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Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja confirmed on Monday that a submarine cable cut near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is causing nationwide internet disruptions, with assessments ongoing to determine the extent of the damage. In a statement on Monday, the minister said that she was in contact with officials of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) over the situation. “It is correct that slow internet is affecting businesses,” the minister acknowledged, adding that assessments were underway to determine the extent of damage. Her statement comes days after PTCL had said the…

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Microsoft’s cloud service has slowed down after damage to undersea cables in the Red Sea, leaving users in parts of Asia, Europe and the Middle East facing delays and patchy connections. The tech giant said that its Microsoft Azure users may face increased delays due to multiple undersea fibre cuts in the Red Sea. Traffic passing through the Middle East, either starting in or destined for Asia or Europe, may experience further disruptions, the company said in a service health status update for its Azure platform. “Undersea fibre cuts can…

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The internet users across the country may face disruptions following submarine cable cuts in Saudi waters near Jeddah, the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) said on Saturday. The telecom company said that cuts have affected partial bandwidth capacity on the SMW4 and IMEWE systems, two of the major undersea cables linking the country with international networks. The statement further said that international partners are working on priority to restore the damaged links, while local teams are arranging alternative bandwidth to mitigate the impact on users. “We sincerely appreciate our customers’…

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Nepal said on Thursday it would block access to more than two dozen social media platforms, including Facebook and X, for failing to meet a deadline to register in the country. The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has instructed the telecommunication authority to deactivate access to unregistered platforms operating in the country including Meta-owned Facebook, YouTube, X and LinkedIn. “Unregistered social media platforms will be deactivated today onwards,” ministry spokesman Gajendra Kumar Thakur told AFP. “They will be resumed as soon as they apply to register.” The platforms were still…

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A federal jury decided on Wednesday that Alphabet’s Google must pay $425 million for invading users’ privacy by continuing to collect data for millions of users who had switched off a tracking feature in their Google account. The verdict followed a trial in the federal court in San Francisco over allegations that, for more than eight years, Google accessed users’ mobile devices to collect, save, and use their data, breaking privacy assurances under its Web & App Activity setting. The users had been seeking more than $31 billion in damages.…

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American artificial intelligence firm OpenAI said it would add parental controls to its chatbot ChatGPT, a week after an American couple said the system encouraged their teenaged son to kill himself. “Within the next month, parents will be able to… link their account with their teen´s account” and “control how ChatGPT responds to their teen with age-appropriate model behaviour rules”, the generative AI company said in a blog post. Parents will also receive notifications from ChatGPT “when the system detects their teen is in a moment of acute distress”, OpenAI…

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Britain’s energy operator is betting on an age-old technology to future-proof its grid, as the power plants that traditionally helped stabilise it are closed and replaced by renewable energy systems. Spinning metal devices known as flywheels have for centuries been used to provide inertia — resistance to sudden changes in motion — to various machines, from a potter’s wheel to the steam engine. Grid operators are now looking to the technology to add inertia to renewable-heavy electricity systems to prevent blackouts like the one that hit Spain and Portugal this…

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Meta has announced new safeguards for teenagers using its artificial intelligence products, training systems to prevent flirty conversations and discussions about self-harm or suicide with minors, while also temporarily restricting access to certain AI characters. The move follows a Reuters exclusive report from earlier in August that revealed Meta’s chatbots had been allowed to engage in provocative exchanges, including “romantic or sensual” conversations. In an email on Friday, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said the company is introducing these interim measures as it works on longer-term solutions to provide teens with safe, age-appropriate…

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