Iran has denounced the most recent U.S. strikes as a sign of bad faith as negotiations press on toward a possible deal to end the war. Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic began restoring internet access after a monthslong national shutdown. The U.S. military characterized Monday's strikes in southern Iran as defensive, saying targets included missile launch sites and minelaying boats. American military officials said the U.S. acted with restraint in light of the weekslong ceasefire. On Tuesday, Iran's foreign ministry called the strikes a ceasefire violation and warned that Washington would bear responsibility for all consequences, without elaborating.
By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and COREY WILLIAMS Associated Press
Updated
A key online learning system used by thousands of schools and universities is back after a cyberattack knocked it offline, creating chaos as students tried to study for finals. A cybersecurity threat analyst says a hacking group called ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for breaching Canvas. Instructure, the company behind Canvas, said late Thursday that the system was available for most users. An expert says the hackers posted online that nearly 9,000 schools worldwide were affected, with billions of private messages and other records accessed. Teachers had to find workarounds to help students study for exams and submit final assignments, and some schools pushed back finals.
The interactive gaming platform Roblox, popular among children and teens, has reached an over $12 million agreement with the state of Nevada over its protections for young users. Attorney General Aaron Ford said Wednesday the company will enhance safety features for young users and provide funds for nondigital youth programs. He calls it a first-of-its-kind settlement with a state. Roblox faces litigation in other states as prosecutors file lawsuits against social media companies over the role they play in children's lives. Roblox will contribute $10 million over three years to support youth programs and alternatives to screen time. The settlement includes enhanced age verification and restricted notifications for minors.
Social media companies have revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children in Australia. This follows the country's ban on platform use by those under 16. Communications Minister Anika Wells announced the figures on Friday, highlighting the success of the law enacted in December. The ban has sparked debates about technology use, privacy, and child safety. Platforms like Facebook, YouTube and X face hefty fines if they fail to comply. Officials say the measure is encouraging, though some young users have found ways to bypass restrictions. Other countries, such as Denmark, are considering similar bans.
More artificial intelligence is being implanted into Gmail as Google tries to turn the world's most used email service into a personal assistant that can improve writing, summarize far-flung information buried in inboxes and deliver daily to-do lists. The new AI features announced Thursday could herald a pivotal moment for Gmail, a service that transformed email when it was introduced nearly 22 years ago. Gmail's new AI options will only be available in English within the U.S. for starters, but Google is promising to introduce them in other countries and other languages as the year unfolds.
Roblox is stepping up its age verification system for users who want to message other players and implementing age-based chats so kids, teens and adults will only be able to communicate with people around their own age. The moves come as the popular gaming platform continues to face criticism and lawsuits over child safety and a growing number of states and countries are implementing age verification laws. Roblox said it will start enforcing age checks in Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands in the first week of December and the rest of the world in early January.
