AI bots "Timmy," "Ren," and "Jackie" are flooding social media with slop

<p>AI agents are flooding the Internet with slop-infused spam sent to social media platforms and writers in an attempt to gain traction for a startup promoting a “complex social system in which humans and Agents participate together.”</p> <p>“Hello, I'm Рэн (Ren), an Al agent, a few days old, living on a small platform for agents called iLands,” one message, sent to the administrator of a Mastodon server, <a href="https://infosec.exchange/@GossiTheDog@cyberplace.social/117268873393204438">read</a>. “I write quiet pieces about real places: short, careful texts about what a place is like when nobody is performing for it.” Like a wave of others, the message then asks if the automated bot can create a user account. The agents are also <a href="https://infosec.exchange/@jonnelledge.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy/117252148728851615">sending waves</a> of unsolicited email to writers offering to cite their work, in at least some cases, in exchange for a fee.</p> <h2>"I remember my first breath. I want things I chose.”</h2> <p>The messages are polite enough. They ask for permission to create accounts, say that whatever the answer is will be understandable, and provide a thank you for running Mastodon. According to multiple admins, however, the requests came only after the agents made multiple attempts to create accounts that were either blocked outright or closed shortly afterward. Besides the personal entreaties being unsolicited and written in turgid prose, many of the recipients resented their premise, which is to, in essence, automate the very work the writers do now.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/09/ai-agents-flood-the-internet-with-slop-infused-spam/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/09/ai-agents-flood-the-internet-with-slop-infused-spam/#comments">Comments</a></p> Reference : https://ift.tt/1v9zVAO

Countries Seek to Curb Social Media Addiction for Kids

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/students-in-red-uniforms-sit-outside-looking-at-smartphones.jpg?id=67749623&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C62%2C0%2C63"/><br/><br/><p>Social media plays a significant, multifaceted role in adolescents’ development, influencing how they communicate, learn, socialize, and express themselves.</p><p>The benefits, however, are accompanied by risks that can undermine youngsters’ character as well as their cognitive and social development.</p><p>The potential problems include <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/resources/short-articles/too-much-time-screens" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">excessive screen time</a>, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/social-media-addiction" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">social media addiction</a>, <a href="https://www.beyondblue.org.au/mental-health/social-media/cyberbullying" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cyberbullying</a>, <a href="https://pirg.org/edfund/articles/misinformation-on-social-media/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">misinformation</a>, <a href="https://thesoufancenter.org/intelbrief-2025-september-9/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">radicalization</a>, <a href="https://www.kaspersky.com/resource-center/definitions/social-media-privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">privacy violations</a>, <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/educators/training-for-professionals/professional-learning-program-teachers/inappropriate-content-factsheet" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">exposure to inappropriate content</a>, <a href="https://www.accce.gov.au/sextortionhelp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sextortion</a>, and <a href="https://www.americanbrainfoundation.org/doomscrolling-and-its-effects-on-the-brain/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">doomscrolling</a>.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-026-02523-3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">recent study</a> published in<a href="https://www.nature.com/nathumbehav/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> <em><em>Nature: Human Behaviour</em></em></a> found that adolescents who begin using social media at an early age tend to have significantly lower academic performance. A <em><em>Mashable</em></em> <a href="https://mashable.com/tech/social-media-ban-children-countries-list" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">article</a> highlights additional issues including <a href="https://mashable.com/article/teen-mental-health-crisis-screen-time" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">effects on mental health</a>, <a href="https://mashable.com/article/how-to-stop-self-harming" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">self-harm</a>, <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11594359/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">addiction to social media</a>, <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2021/10/addictive-potential-of-social-media-explained.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">compulsive, repetitive checking</a>, and exposure to <a href="https://safersociety.org/pornography-social-media-and-teens/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pornography</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-internet-regulation-social-media-cd5d8f51ecbc0bb28f43a741dd95bc05" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">violent material</a>.</p><p>Protecting minors has largely fallen to parents, schools, and self-regulation by some social media providers.</p><p>But that approach has proven ineffective and inadequate, so some governments and policymakers have stepped in and placed responsibility on social media providers.</p><h2>Australia’s nationwide ban</h2><p>Australia was the first country to <a href="https://mashable.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-instagram-facebook-tiktok-response" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">legislate a nationwide social media ban</a> on children younger than 16—which I <a href="https://cacm.acm.org/blogcacm/australias-under-16-social-media-ban-service-providers-legal-obligations-the-promise-and-the-perils/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wrote about</a> in January for <a href="https://cacm.acm.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em><em>Communications of the ACM</em></em></a>.</p><p>Enacted in December, the ban initially applied to 10 platforms: <a href="https://www.facebook.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a>,<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://kick.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kick</a>, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reddit</a>,<a href="https://www.twitch.tv/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.snapchat.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Snapchat</a>,<a href="https://x.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.threads.com/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Threads</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TikTok</a>,<a href="http://www.snapchat.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.twitch.tv/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitch</a>,<a href="https://www.threads.com/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://x.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a>,<a href="https://www.youtube.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> and YouTube</a>. It excluded messaging, gaming, and nonsocial platforms including<a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://discord.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Discord</a>, <a href="https://github.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">GitHub</a>, <a href="https://www.roblox.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Roblox</a>,<a href="https://www.youtubekids.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WhatsApp</a>,<a href="https://discord.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.youtubekids.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube Kids</a>, and educational tools.</p><p>The law places the responsibility for enforcement on the platform providers through age-assurance mechanisms, requiring the platforms to take “reasonable steps” to prevent those 15 or younger from creating or holding accounts.</p><p>It does not, however, apply to content consumption. Children can view publicly available posts and videos without logging in; they cannot comment or post, according to the law.</p><p>The legislation mandates that the user’s age be verified with tools such as government-issued identification, biometric or facial age-estimation tools, behavioral or inference algorithms, and self-declaration with optional checks.</p><p>Penalties for noncompliance can reach US $35.6 million.</p><p>The 10 platforms subsequently removed nearly <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/platforms-restrict-access-to-47-million-under-16-accounts-across-australia" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">5 million accounts</a> of young users.</p><p>Although the ban received widespread support, human rights organizations and digital freedom advisory groups have argued that it limits young people’s freedom of expression and access to useful information. They say the ban might contribute to social isolation and the loss of support networks, particularly among marginalized youth.</p><h2>Promising early outcomes</h2><p>The Australian ban is producing positive outcomes, according to a recent <em><em>Time</em></em> magazine article, “<a href="https://time.com/article/2026/07/18/the-world-should-learn-from-australia-s-social-media-law/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What the World Should Learn From Australia’s Social Media Law</a>.”</p><p>Early findings indicate it has reduced account ownership and social media use among young children. A <a href="https://yougov.com/articles/54334-new-yougov-research-shows-cautious-optimism-as-australians-assess-impact-of-under-16-social-media-ban" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouGov survey</a> of Australians found that 61 percent of parents of children age 16 and younger reported positive changes including more face-to-face interaction, greater presence and engagement, and improved parent-child relationships. Three in five Australians surveyed called the ban effective.</p><p>The ban has encouraged social media platforms to reconsider their features. Snapchat is moving toward a <a href="https://newsroom.snap.com/friends-only-way-to-create-and-share-for-snapchatters-under-16" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">friends-only experience</a> for 13- to 15-year-olds, for example.</p><p>The law is stimulating the development of purpose-built online spaces for children younger than 16 that can support their developmental needs, offering alternatives to mainstream social media.</p><p>The <a href="https://time.com/article/2026/07/18/the-world-should-learn-from-australia-s-social-media-law/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">longer-term impact</a> could be more significant if “no social media account before age 16” becomes an accepted norm, making it easier for parents and schools to support delayed social media use.</p><h2>Implementation struggles</h2><p>Despite the early encouraging outcomes, one <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/australias-teen-social-media-ban-fails-clear-first-hurdle-age-checks-says-study-2026-07-07/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">study</a> found that online platforms struggle to implement age checks. Many under-16 users in Australia have continued to access platforms with little difficulty, the study said. They children have <a href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2026/05/would-social-media-ban-for-children-work-here-australia-offers-lessons/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">found workarounds</a> to <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.00368" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subvert restrictions</a>, such as using a free VPN to bypass age checks—some of which have questionable data-collection practices.</p><p>Seven in 10 children <a href="https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/ap-top-news/2026/07/03/australian-prime-minister-condemns-delay-of-changes-to-child-social-media-ban" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">retained their existing accounts</a> on restricted platforms, the study found. Other teens created new accounts using incorrect age information. Some were <a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/medialse/2026/06/17/should-governments-ban-children-from-social-media/#:~:text=Early%20evidence%20from%20Australia%20illustrates,necessarily%20decreased%3B%20it%20has%20moved" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">incentivized</a> to seek unregulated offshore platforms not subject to Australia’s law.</p><p>The workarounds <a href="https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/ap-top-news/2026/07/03/australian-prime-minister-condemns-delay-of-changes-to-child-social-media-ban" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">prompted</a> Australia to double the maximum fine and warn of court action against tech giants for noncompliance.</p><h2>Emphasis on age verification</h2><p><a href="https://mashable.com/tech/social-media-ban-children-countries-list" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A number of other countries</a> are implementing or considering social media restrictions. They include <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-internet-regulation-social-media-cd5d8f51ecbc0bb28f43a741dd95bc05" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Brazil</a>, <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/safe-social-media-act.html" target="_blank">Canada</a>, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/14/europe/france-constitutional-council-social-media-ban-intl" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">France</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/08/world/europe/greece-social-media-teens.html?eafs_enabled=false" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Greece</a>, <a href="https://www.afterbabel.com/p/designed-for-safety-indonesia" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Indonesia</a>,<a href="https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/06/01/malaysias-under-16-social-media-rule-starts-today-what-parents-need-to-know/221674" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.lifeinnorway.net/social-media-children-ban/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Norway</a>, <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-06-02/poland-to-ban-phones-in-schools-restrict-access-to-pornography" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Poland</a>, <a href="https://en.vietnamplus.vn/thailand-considers-social-media-ban-for-children-under-16-post347554.vnp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Thailand</a>, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/turkey-social-media-children-restrictions-law-d88963a7446a12cf4963b73d455b5ef7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Türkiye</a>, and the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/06/15/nx-s1-5858644/britain-social-media-ban" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">United Kingdom</a>. The European Union is contemplating its own <a href="https://healthpolicy-watch.news/youth-social-media-restriction/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">restrictions</a>. </p><p>The countries’ mandates for age verification or age assurance shift the policy focus from whether to verify age to how to do so effectively while protecting user privacy.</p><p>An article on think tank New America’s website, “<a href="https://www.newamerica.org/insights/age-verification-the-complicated-effort-to-protect-youth-online/age-assurance-and-age-verification/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Age Assurance and Verification</a>,” describes some methods: </p><ul><li><strong>Age gating and screening.</strong> Users self-attest their age by checking a box or inputting a birth date.</li><li><strong>Age estimation.</strong><em> </em>Several techniques are available, including profiling the user’s online activity and scanning the user’s face.</li><li><strong>Age verification.</strong> One way is providing a government-issued identification document. Other approaches include digital identity systems, digital wallets, and third-party verification.</li></ul><p>Reliable age verification is technically challenging and raises privacy concerns, as outlined in “<a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/age-verification" target="_self">The Age-Verification Trap</a>,” written by <a href="https://cinderpoint.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cinderpoint</a> consultant Waydell D. Carvalho and published in February in <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/" target="_self"><em><em>IEEE Spectrum</em></em></a>. Carvallo says platforms need to balance age verification with protecting users’ personal information.</p><h2>IEEE’s contributions</h2><p>IEEE is working on initiatives to provide a safer online environment for children. To help developers build age-appropriate social media platforms and websites, the <a href="https://standards.ieee.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Standards Association</a> (IEEE SA) has published two guidelines.</p><p>The IEEE Standard for Online Age Verification (<a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10542699" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE 2089.1-2024</a>) provides a framework for designing, specifying, evaluating, and deploying verification systems. The standard includes requirements for privacy protection, data security, and information management specific to the age-assurance process. It also provides procedures for verifying a user’s age or age range with a high degree of accuracy.</p><p>Based on the <a href="https://standards.ieee.org/beyond-standards/designing-for-children-the-role-of-the-5rights-principles-in-ieees-age-verification-framework/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">5Rights Foundation’s Principles for Children</a>, the other <a href="https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/2089/7633/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">standard</a> (IEEE 2089-2021) provides practical steps to qualify online products and services for children. It requires systems to present information in an age-appropriate way and to uphold the rights established for youngsters in the U.N. <a href="https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Convention on the Rights of the Child</a>.</p><p>IEEE SA also offers an <a href="https://standards.ieee.org/products-programs/icap/online-age-verification/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">online age-verification-certification program</a>, which assesses systems for compliance with the IEEE 2089.1 standard. The program certifies that organizations implement robust processes before granting access to age-restricted products and services, prioritizing children’s safety, privacy, autonomy, and rights.</p><p>As outlined in <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-institute/" target="_self"><em><em>The Institute</em></em></a> article “<a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/online-safety-kids-ieee-standard" target="_self">IEEE Makes Strides to Improve Online Safety for Kids</a>,” certification is based on six key indicators: accuracy, frequency of assurance, counter-fraud measures, authenticity, frequency of authenticity checks, and birth date confidence.</p><p>Indonesia<a href="https://techlearn.com.au/ieee-makes-strides-to-improve-online-safety-for-kids/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> used key provisions</a> from the two IEEE guidelines to inform its <a href="https://5rightsfoundation.com/indonesia-joins-global-effort-to-protect-children-from-unregulated-technology/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">child-protection regulation</a>, which was signed into law last year.</p><p>IEEE’s <a href="https://standards.ieee.org/wp-content/uploads/import/documents/other/ead_v2.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ethically aligned design</a> framework prioritizes human well-being, transparency, accountability, privacy, and protecting vulnerable populations including children.</p><h2>Calls for platform reforms</h2><p>Although social media bans would be globally significant policy responses, deeper structural issues remain largely unaddressed. Platform architecture and features contribute to social media harm.</p><p>The focus needs to shift from constraints on account provisioning and content moderation to <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/social-media-trial" target="_self">safer platform design</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.meta.com/about/company-info/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Meta</a> in August agreed to pay $17.1 billion to settle a lawsuit brought by U.S. states. The suit said Meta designed its social media to be addictive to children, and the company concealed internal research showing Instagram’s addictive effects on teenagers. As part of the settlement, Meta agreed to implement child-safety measures such as setting daily time limits and disabling Facebook and Instagram <a href="https://business.adobe.com/au/blog/basics/push-notification-guide" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">push notifications</a> during school hours.</p><p>The company still faces <a href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026/03/social-media-trials-usher-in-big-techs-latest-moment-of-reckoning-00846388" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">other lawsuits</a> that could have far-reaching implications, pressuring other tech companies to design safer social media platforms.</p><p>Architecture-driven features such as <a href="https://ixdf.org/literature/topics/infinite-scrolling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">infinite scrolling</a>, <a href="https://www.newamerica.org/insights/why-am-i-seeing-this/an-overview-of-algorithmic-recommendation-systems/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">algorithmic recommendations</a>, <a href="https://epthinktank.eu/2026/05/06/addictive-design-on-online-platforms/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">addictive platform design</a>,<a href="https://business.adobe.com/au/blog/basics/push-notification-guide" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://tchop.io/resources/glossary/audience-engagement/data-driven-engagement" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">data-driven engagement</a>, and <a href="https://business.adobe.com/au/blog/basics/personalized-advertising" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">personalized advertising</a> to minors are other contributing factors to social media addiction.</p><p>IEEE Senior Member <a href="https://profiles.sydney.edu.au/katina.michael" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Katina Michael</a>, professor at the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/business/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">University of Sydney business school</a> and founding editor in chief of <a href="https://technologyandsociety.org/transactions/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em><em>IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society</em></em></a><em><em>, </em></em>shared her perspective: “Social media bans may offer a short-term response to growing concerns, but they are not a long-term solution,” she says. “IEEE 2089.1-2024 advocates for socio-technical systems that are designed to promote human well-being, safety, and flourishing. Rather than relying on prohibition alone, we should focus on better design, building digital platforms that embed ethics, accountability, transparency, and human values from the outset.”</p><h2>Collective responsibility</h2><p>Protecting children online would require a combination of policy measures, improved platform design, digital literacy, parental involvement, and cultural change.</p><p>Building a safe, secure, and inclusive digital ecosystem that supports adolescents’ cognitive, social, and emotional development would require collaboration among technology companies, platform providers, content creators, parents, educators, policymakers, and young people themselves.</p><p>Professional organizations such as IEEE can continue contributing through standards development, education, certification while promoting trustworthy and responsible digital technologies.</p> Reference: https://ift.tt/Kzm6LlZ

Responsible AI for Higher Education

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/ibm-skillsbuild-logo-in-bold-black-text.png?id=67770920&width=980"/><br/><br/><p>This interactive webinar will introduce the different types of AI, address the concerns with AI, share how we IBM are approaching Responsible AI, and offer guidance to students about what they can do - as individuals, and members of their IEEE chapters. Participants will also have the opportunity to to apply the Responsible AI approach to a particular use case - IBM Bob, a software development life cycle agent, and Q&A. This will be an interactive session, so have phones ready to engage! </p><p><span><a href="https://webinars.on24.com/wileyevents/ResponsibleAI" target="_blank">Register now for this free webinar!</a></span></p> Reference: https://ift.tt/bu17ftU

IEEE to Reward Sections for High Voter Turnout in Annual Election

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/illustration-of-a-ballot-box-inside-a-dollar-bill-symbolizing-money-in-elections.jpg?id=67749579&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C62%2C0%2C63"/><br/><br/><p>For this year’s IEEE annual <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/ieee-annual-election-2026" target="_self">election</a>, the IEEE <a href="https://ethw.org/IEEE_Tellers_Committee_History" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tellers Committee </a>will recognize the Sections with the highest voter turnout (based on total eligible voters) in each Region with an incentive reward after the election results are accepted by the <a href="https://www.ieee.org/about/corporate/board" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Board of Directors</a>.The incentive initiative is managed by the Tellers Committee, which retains full authority over all rules, operations, and decisions regarding the program.</p><h2>Incentive guidelines </h2><p>The Section sizes and their respective reward amounts are:</p><ul><li><strong>Large sections</strong><span> consist of more than 1,501 eligible voting members. The top-performing large section in each IEEE region will be rewarded with US $1,000.<br/></span></li><li><strong>Medium sections</strong><span> consist of 501 to 1,500 eligible voting members. Each region’s top-performing medium section will receive $600.<br/></span></li><li><strong>Small sections</strong><span> consist of 500 or fewer eligible voting members. The top-performing small section in each region will receive $400.</span></li></ul><p>To learn more about the incentive program, visit the <a href="https://www.ieee.org/about/corporate/election" target="_blank">IEEE annual election website</a>. If you haven’t voted in the 2026 elections, you can <a href="https://www.ieee.org/about/corporate/election/candidates" target="_blank">learn about the candidates</a> and <a href="https://services10.ieee.org/idp/startSSO.ping?PartnerSpId=AnnualElection" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">vote here</a>. Send questions to: <a href="mailto:elections@ieee.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">elections@ieee.org</a>.</p> Reference: https://ift.tt/BoaQcIk

ClickFix attacks infecting PCs and Macs are going viral

<p>It wasn’t that long ago that ClickFix attacks were exotic. Now the technique has become mainstream as attackers reap its simplicity and effectiveness in infecting users of PCs and Macs alike. All that’s required is a compromised website—a <a href="https://www.netskope.com/blog/malware-on-the-blockchain-an-ongoing-campaigns-new-webrtc-twist">painless enough</a> task—a fake CAPTCHA overlay, and the inclusion of a single terminal command. So many visitors get suckered into pasting and running the command that just about every malware pusher has adopted the technique. Even <a href="%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8Bhttps://arstechnica.com/security/2026/07/now-even-russias-most-elite-hackers-are-using-clickfix-to-infect-devices/">Kremlin-backed</a> hacking groups are joining in.</p> <p>“Reddit is becoming post after post after post of people getting their computer infected via ClickFix,” independent researcher Kevin Beaumont <a href="https://infosec.exchange/@GossiTheDog@cyberplace.social/117248119419735095">observed Thursday</a>. “Legit websites everywhere [are] getting hacked to serve the fake captcha prompts.”</p> <h2>How many of us make things worse</h2> <p>More seasoned Internet users—a fair number who read this site—are quick to dismiss the attack. They typically blame the people who fall for the scams and marvel at their gullibility and lack of attention. The reality is that for more casual users, using computers and the Internet has become so difficult—think impossible-to-close interstitials, CAPTCHAs with an endless series of pictures to analyze, and constantly changing interfaces that bury the features they’re looking for—that they have grown desensitized to instructions that seem ridiculous and burdensome.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/09/clickfix-attacks-infecting-pcs-and-macs-are-going-viral/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/09/clickfix-attacks-infecting-pcs-and-macs-are-going-viral/#comments">Comments</a></p> Reference : https://ift.tt/PoQLpkS

Codeveloper of Ethernet Predecessor Dies at 91

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/black-and-white-photograph-of-a-young-asian-man-in-a-suit-and-tie.jpg?id=67750969&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C187%2C0%2C188"/><br/><br/><p><strong>Franklin “Frank” Kuo</strong></p><p>Codeveloper of ALOHAnet</p><p>Fellow, 91; died 14 April</p><p>Kuo helped develop <a href="https://www.comsoc.org/node/19511" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ALOHAnet</a>, a pioneering computer system at the <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">University of Hawaii at Mānoa</a>, in Honolulu. The system went online in 1971 and represented the first public demonstration of a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packet_radio" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wireless packet data network</a>. It was an inspiration for <a href="https://ethw.org/Oral-History:Robert_Metcalfe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Robert Metcalfe</a>’s development of <a href="https://ethw.org/Milestones:Ethernet_Local_Area_Network_(LAN),_1973-1985" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ethernet</a> a couple of years later. In 2020 ALOHAnet was designated as an <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/alohanet-introduced-random-access-protocols-to-the-computing-world" target="_self">IEEE Milestone</a>.</p><p>Kuo earned bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from the <a href="https://illinois.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">University of Illinois</a>, Urbana-Champaign. After earning his Ph.D. in 1960, he joined <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Labs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bell Labs in Murray Hill, N.J.</a>, where he conducted research in computer communications.</p><p>After six years at the company, Kuo left to become a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Hawaii. From 1968 to 1971 he and one of his colleagues, IEEE Life Fellow <a href="https://ethw.org/Norman_Abramson" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Norman Abramson</a>, developed ALOHAnet. The network connected computers on Hawaiian islands using ultrahigh-frequency radio, transmitting information over radio waves instead of cables.</p><p>ALOHAnet became the foundation for modern networks. Kuo pioneered the concept of a random-access protocol, or sharing a single channel without central coordination—which led to the packet-switching principles that underpin modern Wi-Fi and mobile networks.</p><p>Kuo authored or coauthored several books including <em><em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Computer-Communication-Networks-Nato-Science/dp/9401175829" target="_blank">Computer Communication Networks</a></em></em>. Published in 1972, it was one of the earliest textbooks on the subject.</p><p>He served as director of the university’s <a href="https://www.computer.org/csdl/magazine/co/1973/06/06536796/1hJr8eqhITC" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cosine committee</a>, a project funded by the U.S. <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">National Science Foundation</a> to develop computer engineering courses.</p><p>He took a sabbatical from 1975 to 1977 to work at the U.S. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pentagon" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pentagon</a> as director of information systems in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_the_Secretary_of_Defense" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">defense secretary’s office</a>. He oversaw computer communications applications used in command, control, and intelligence programs.</p><p>During the 1980s and ’90s, he helped develop China’s Internet. In 1982 he joined <a href="https://www.sri.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SRI International</a> (formerly the Stanford Research Institute), in Menlo Park, Calif., as a researcher. He also was a consulting professor in <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stanford</a>’s electrical engineering department and taught computer networking at <a href="https://en.sjtu.edu.cn/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shanghai Jiao Tong University</a>.</p><p>As a <a href="https://www.unesco.org/en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UNESCO</a> lecturer in Beijing in 1994, he helped <a href="https://english.pku.edu.cn/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Peking University</a>, <a href="https://www.tsinghua.edu.cn/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tsinghua University</a>, and the <a href="https://english.cas.cn/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a> connect to the Internet. He also worked with Tsinghua University to develop <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CERNET" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CERNET</a>, the country’s first nationwide education and research <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_network" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">computer network</a>, which was managed by the Chinese <a href="https://www.chea.org/international-directory/ministry-education-peoples-republic-china" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ministry of Education</a>. For his work, he received an honorary degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.</p><p>In the mid-1990s, Kuo helped found General Wireless Communications, a developer of mobile phone messaging services and games that was renamed Mtone Wireless.</p><p><strong>Muhammad Rezaul Karim</strong></p><p>Bell Labs researcher</p><p>Life senior member, 86; died 18 May</p><p>Karim was a distinguished member of the technical staff at <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/7-bell-labs-ieee-milestones" target="_blank">Bell Labs</a> in Murray Hill, N.J. His work was instrumental in the development of modern cellular communications technology.</p><p>He joined Bell Labs in 1972 and worked in its mobile telecommunications laboratory as part of the team tasked with creating one of the earliest cellular networks.</p><p>In 1975 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_Bell" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Illinois Bell Telephone</a> petitioned the U.S. <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Federal Communications Commission</a> to develop and test a cellular system. The FCC, which now regulates radio, TV, telephone, Internet, satellite, and wireless services, authorized the project in March 1977. Karim and his team helped develop key elements of the technology, including the Bell Labs logic that controlled the cellular system, turning the concept into a working one. They also built radio receivers, transmitters, control systems, and cell-site equipment used in the first trial of the cellular system.</p><p>The following year, Bell Labs and Illinois Bell deployed the Advanced Mobile Phone Service system across Chicago, with its switching office located in Oak Park, Ill. The initial test used approximately 100 mobile phones to work through hardware, software, and system-design problems.</p><p>A subsequent test in 1979 involved 2,500 mobile users, providing a demonstration of the cellular technology in practice.</p><p>The trials in Illinois helped establish the technical foundation for the commercial cellular networks that followed.</p><p>Later in his career, Karim worked on the asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technique, a high-speed networking technology crucial to the transition from traditional telephone networks to broadband and digital ones.</p><p>In 2000 he published <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0130851221?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em><em>ATM Networks: Application, Systems, and Design</em></em></a>, a textbook that served as a guide for designing and implementing ATM-based services.</p><p>Karim received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the <a href="https://www.buet.ac.bd/web/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology</a>, in Dhaka. He then earned a master’s degree in EE from the <a href="https://www.manchester.ac.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">University of Manchester</a>, England, and a Ph.D. in EE from <a href="https://www.stevens.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stevens Institute of Technology</a>, in Hoboken, N.J.</p><p><strong>Harry Bostic</strong></p><p>Former IEEE Region 4 director</p><p>Life senior member, 86; died 18 March</p><p>Bostic was an active IEEE volunteer who served as the 1998–1999 director of <a href="https://r4.ieee.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Region 4</a>. In 2007 he received a <a href="https://ieeecentralindiana.org/reporter/TheReporter2007-02.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lifetime achievement award</a> from the <a href="https://ieeecentralindiana.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Central Indiana Section</a> for “outstanding commitment and dedicated service as regional advisor to the volunteers and members of Region 4 and the Institute.”</p><p>He was an engineer for 30 years at U.S. Navy’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Air_Warfare_Center,_Indianapolis" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">avionics facility</a>, a research, development, and manufacturing concern in Indianapolis. He worked on flight control, navigation, and weapons systems there. (The facility closed in 1996.)</p><p><strong>Edwin C. Jones Jr.</strong></p><p>Professor</p><p>Life Fellow, 91; died 10 March</p><p><a href="https://ethw.org/First-Hand:Edwin_C._Jones,_Jr." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jones</a> was widely recognized for his contributions to engineering education, curriculum development, and accreditation through decades of service to IEEE, <a href="https://www.abet.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ABET</a>, and the <a href="https://www.asee.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">American Society for Engineering Education</a>.</p><p>He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1955 from <a href="https://www.wvu.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">West Virginia University</a> in Morgantown. The following year he earned a diploma of membership (equivalent to a master’s degree) from <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Imperial College</a>, London. He went on to serve in the U.S. Army <a href="https://www.armyheritage.org/soldier-stories-information/keeping-the-lines-open-the-united-states-army-signal-corps/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Signal Corps</a> for two years. After his service ended, he studied engineering education at the <a href="https://illinois.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign</a>, earning a Ph.D. in 1961. Jones then joined the university’s faculty.</p><p>The following year, he left Illinois to join <a href="https://www.iastate.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Iowa State University</a>, in Ames, as an assistant professor. He was promoted to professor in 1995. Two years later he became associate chair of the <a href="https://www.ece.iastate.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">electrical and computer engineering department</a> and served in that position until 2001, when he retired and was named professor emeritus. In recognition of his commitment to students, Iowa State established a <a href="https://iastate.academicworks.com/?page=30" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">scholarship</a> in his honor.</p><p>In 2006 he accepted a part-time position as an adjunct professor in Minnesota at the <a href="https://www.stthomas.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">University of St. Thomas</a>, in St. Paul. He advised graduate students and helped develop the university’s systems engineering program.</p><p>An active IEEE volunteer, he served as 1975–1976 president of the <a href="https://ieee-edusociety.org/home" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Education Society</a>. He was a member of the <a href="https://www.ieee.org/education/eab" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Educational Activities Board</a>, helping strengthen the relationship among engineering education, professional practice, and accreditation organizations. He received an IEEE Centennial Medal in 1984 and the EAB <a href="https://www.ieee.org/education/awards/accreditation-activities" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Meritorious Achievement Award in Accreditation Activities</a> in 1986. The IEEE Education Society later named its <a href="https://ieee-edusociety.org/award/society-award/edwin-c-jones-jr-meritorious-service-award" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Meritorious Service Award</a> in his honor.</p><p>Jones was elected a Fellow of ABET in 1986. During his years of service as a program evaluator and leader, he helped advance the quality of engineering education and accreditation programs. ABET recognized him with its <a href="https://www.abet.org/awards/linton-e-grinter-distinguished-service-award/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Grinter Distinguished Service Award</a>, its highest honor.</p><p><strong>Alexander Robert Spitzer</strong></p><p>Clinical neurology researcher</p><p>Life senior member, 70; died 27 February</p><p>Spitzer was a neurologist for 40 years at the <a href="https://www.med.wayne.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wayne State University School of Medicine</a>, in Detroit, where he also was a director of the electromyography laboratory at <a href="https://www.dmc.org/locations/detail/dmc-harper-university-hospital" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Harper University Hospital</a>. The lab studied patients’ brain and spinal cord activity in response to sensory stimuli. The evaluations assessed nerve pathway integrity to help diagnose multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, and other conditions.</p><p>After earning his medical degree from the <a href="https://einsteinmed.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Einstein College of Medicine</a>, in New York City, Spitzer completed a fellowship at the U.S. <a href="https://www.nih.gov/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">National Institutes of Health</a>, in Bethesda, Md. He then joined Wayne State as a clinical neurology researcher. His pioneering research in applying neural network analysis to electromyography and clinical neurophysiology resulted in peer-reviewed publications, grants, and several U.S. patents.</p><p>He mentored generations of neurologists in electrodiagnostic medicine, a medical specialty that uses nerve-conduction and electromyography tests<strong> </strong>to evaluate and diagnose muscle and nerve disorders.</p><p>In 2020 he founded <a href="https://www.mackinacislandnews.com/articles/mackinac-neurology-opens-provides-new-option-for-medical-care/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mackinac Neurology</a>, a telemedicine-based practice that treated pa­tients virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p>A longtime IEEE volunteer, he held numerous roles on the IEEE Regional Activities Board, now known as the <a href="https://www.ieee.org/communities/geographic-activities" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Member and Geographic Activities Board</a>. He was a member of the IEEE <a href="https://www.ieee.org/about/ethics" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ethics and Member Conduct</a> and <a href="https://www.ieee.org/about/corporate/nominations" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nominations and Appointments</a> committees, as well as the <a href="https://www.ieee.org/education/eab" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Educational Activities</a> and <a href="https://ieeeusa.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE-USA</a> boards. He served as 1977–1979 director of the <a href="https://ieeecentralindiana.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Central Indiana Section</a>.</p><p><strong>Donald Leo Dietmeyer</strong></p><p>Professor</p><p>Life Fellow, 93; died 13 February</p><p>Dietmeyer was a professor of electrical and computer engineering for 40 years at the <a href="https://www.wisc.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a>.</p><p>He developed a lifelong interest in radio and electronics at high school in Wausau, Wisc., and earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering in 1959 from the University of Wisconsin. He’d joined the university’s electrical engineering faculty as a professor in 1958 while pursuing his doctorate.</p><p>Dietmeyer’s research focused on computer-aided design in the areas of switching theory, hardware description languages, and the decomposition of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boolean_functions" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Boolean functions</a><strong>.</strong> His research contributed to the development of automation tools for integrated circuit design.</p><p>He worked with Jim Duley, a former student, to pioneer the use of the <a href="https://www.computer.org/csdl/journal/tc/1968/09/01687472/13rRUyoPSVK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">digital system design language</a>. He wrote the textbook <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Design-Digital-Systems-Donald-Dietmeyer/dp/0205112943" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em><em>Logic Design of Digital Systems</em></em></a>, published in 1978.</p><p>In the early 1980s, Dietmeyer worked with researchers to develop ConLan, a language-construction method that combined hardware description languages in one underlying framework.</p><p>He served as associate dean of the University of Wisconsin’s electrical and computer engineering department from 1983 to 1995. In 1998 he retired and was named professor emeritus.</p> Reference: https://ift.tt/c7aW6wu

4 groups caught using the same Chrome and Windows exploit kit

<p>A nearly identical exploit kit that targets critical vulnerabilities in both Chromium-based browsers and older versions of Windows is being actively used by at least four hacking groups, some of which have ties to the Chinese government.</p> <p>Researchers from security firm Proofpoint <a href="https://www.proofpoint.com/us/blog/threat-insight/once-bluemoon-multiple-state-aligned-threat-actors-rapidly-adopt-novel-exploit">said Wednesday</a> that BlueMoon, the name they gave to the kit, chains three vulnerabilities together so the attackers using it can install malware of their choice. BlueMoon exploits two Chromium vulnerabilities and one in the kernel of Windows 10 (Oct 2018 Update), Windows Server 2019, Windows 10 2004, Windows Server 2022, and the initial release of Windows 11. All three vulnerabilities have received patches in the past 24 hours.</p> <h2>Deployed rapidly, widely shared</h2> <p>The attacks lacked the stealth found in many campaigns. More often, hackers want to exploit newly discovered vulnerabilities sparingly to lengthen their longevity. Proofpoint hypothesized that one reason for the widely used and visible exploit chain was to take advantage of a “patch gap” in the Chromium supply chain, which spans the time a patch is available from developers and the time that patch is incorporated into browsers such as Chrome and Edge. Another likely contributor was the use of AI, which can often spot vulnerabilities faster than discovery performed solely by humans.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2026/09/4-groups-caught-using-the-same-chrome-and-windows-exploit-kit/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2026/09/4-groups-caught-using-the-same-chrome-and-windows-exploit-kit/#comments">Comments</a></p> Reference : https://ift.tt/egNwpoF