LAPD lets contract with surveillance giant Flock expire, citing ‘serious concerns’ over civil liberties and privacy

techcrunch.com Jul 13, 2026

LAPD lets contract with surveillance giant Flock expire, citing ‘serious concerns’ over civil liberties and privacy

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Jul 13, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

The Los Angeles Police Department has decided not to renew its three‑year contract with surveillance firm Flock Safety, citing serious civil‑liberties and privacy concerns. The contract, which expires Saturday, involved Flock’s nationwide network of license‑plate cameras that are operated by the company, not the LAPD. Chief Information Officer Dean Gialamas said the department will halt Flock services until data‑handling, security, and sharing issues are resolved. The move follows similar terminations by other U.S. cities over privacy worries and data misuse allegations.

💡 Why It Matters

· The decision signals growing scrutiny of commercial surveillance tools in policing, prompting a reevaluation of data governance standards across major law‑enforcement agencies.

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The wildest allegations in Apple’s trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI

Apple filed a 41-page lawsuit against OpenAI on Friday, alleging a coordinated effort to steal trade secrets from current and former employees. The complaint details specific instances of alleged misconduct, including casual messages about accessing restricted network storage. One notable excerpt features an employee joking about discovering unauthorized access capabilities. The legal document presents unusually detailed accusations regarding the extraction of confidential information. OpenAI responded via a statement on X, asserting they have no interest in other companies’ trade secrets. The company emphasized its continued focus on building innovative technology that empowers people globally. The lawsuit highlights significant tensions between major tech firms regarding intellectual property and data security. Apple’s legal action seeks to address these alleged breaches through formal judicial proceedings. The case underscores the growing scrutiny surrounding AI development practices and corporate espionage risks in the technology sector.

💡 The casual tone of the alleged misconduct suggests a potential cultural disregard for security protocols within the accused organization. This specific detail raises serious questions about internal governance and the protection of proprietary data in high-stakes AI development.

techcrunch.com · Jul 14

Apple says former employee exploited ‘rare’ bug to download confidential files after…

Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging the theft of trade secrets by former employee Chang Liu. The complaint claims Liu exploited a rare, previously unknown zero-day authentication bug to access Apple’s confidential network after leaving for OpenAI. Despite terminating his access, Liu allegedly downloaded dozens of sensitive files containing unreleased product details and engineering specifications over several weeks. Apple asserts Liu failed to report the vulnerability or return his work laptop, violating his employment agreement. Additionally, Liu allegedly misused the credentials of an acquaintance, Yu-Ting Peng, who was still employed at Apple. The company states that server logs indicate only Liu exploited this specific security breach. Apple has since patched the vulnerability. The lawsuit highlights significant challenges in securing corporate data against departing employees who retain unauthorized access through unpatched system flaws.

💡 The case exposes critical gaps in offboarding protocols, proving that immediate credential revocation is insufficient if underlying authentication flaws persist. It serves as a stark warning that zero-day vulnerabilities can be weaponized by insiders long after their employment ends.

appleinsider.com · Jul 13

‘CrashStealer’ malware poses as an Apple tool to steal passwords & Mac…

CrashStealer, a new Mac infostealer, disguises itself as an Apple tool to steal passwords, browser data, and cryptocurrency credentials. It spreads via a signed, Apple-notarized app called Werkbit, which bypasses security checks. Jamf Threat Labs identified the malware in May and confirmed its presence in July. Apple revoked the app’s signing credentials after being informed. Victims must manually download and launch the app for the malware to activate.

💡 The use of Apple-notarized software to deliver malware shows how attackers are exploiting trusted digital signatures to bypass security. This incident highlights the risks of downloading apps outside the App Store, even if they appear legitimate.

artificialintelligence-news.com · Jul 13

AI agent crawlers now need permission. Here’s how to get it

Cloudflare will block AI agent and training crawlers by default on ad-supported pages starting September 15. The change affects new domains, new sites, and all existing free-tier customers. Cloudflare replaced its single block switch with three categories: Search, Agent, and Training. Search bots remain allowed, while Agent and Training bots are blocked on pages displaying ads. The company argues that ads indicate content built for humans, so bots providing direct answers without referrals should not access such pages freely. Users can opt out via security settings before the deadline. This network-level block impacts enterprise agents relying on real-time data from news, reviews, and pricing pages. Googlebot, which handles both search and training, may also be blocked if Training is restricted. The move shifts web access from free to negotiated, with emerging models like Ceramic.ai and You.com paying publishers for content usage. This represents a significant shift in how AI companies access the open web.

💡 This enforces a financial transaction for real-time data access, ending the era of free scraping for ad-supported content. Agent developers must now secure explicit permissions or risk operational silence.

koreaherald.com · Jul 12

Cyberattacks against S. Korean military top 18,000 last year: report

South Korea’s military recorded 18,951 cyber‑attack attempts in 2025, a 31 % rise from the previous year and the highest level in five years, according to a report from lawmaker Yu Yong‑weon’s office. The surge follows a dip to roughly 9,100 incidents in 2022 after earlier peaks in 2021. Most attempts targeted military websites, with 18,792 intrusions, while phishing‑style email hacks climbed from 16 in 2023 to 127 in 2025. Defense officials attribute the threat to North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau, which they estimate fields about 8,400 hackers that route attacks through third countries. Meanwhile, the South Korean military’s cyber officer program is losing talent: 85 % of the 104 officers commissioned between 2016‑2019 left after service, and only seven of 24 graduates were commissioned in 2025, as private‑sector pay and conditions lure specialists away.

💡 The talent drain threatens the armed forces’ ability to counter a rapidly intensifying North Korean cyber campaign.

tomsguide.com · Jul 12

How to remotely log out of your ChatGPT account on all your…

OpenAI’s ChatGPT now lets users view and terminate active sessions across all devices from the Settings menu. After logging in, users click their profile icon, select Settings, then Security and Login to access the Active Sessions list, which displays each device currently connected to the account. From this view, users can log out of individual sessions or choose “Log out all” to end every active connection, a process that may take up to 30 minutes and also signs the user out of the current chat. The feature, available on both the web interface and mobile app, provides a quick method to secure the account if a device is lost, left unattended, or suspected of unauthorized use.

💡 It gives account owners immediate control to cut off potential breaches, turning a passive security risk into an actionable safeguard.