Caveat

This week on Caveat, Ben’s got the story of Texas becoming the second—and largest—state to pass a law requiring Apple and Google to verify users' ages on app stores and get parental consent before kids and teens can download apps or make purchases, signaling a broader push toward stricter online age checks. Dave dives into the story of President Trump’s 2026 budget proposal, which calls for slashing over 1,000 jobs at CISA and cutting the agency’s budget by nearly half a billion dollars, raising bipartisan concerns about the future of federal cybersecurity programs. While this show covers legal topics, and Ben is a lawyer, the views expressed do not constitute legal advice. For official legal advice on any of the topics we cover, please contact your attorney.  Links to stories: ⁠Trump budget proposal would slash more than 1,000 CISA jobs A new Texas law mandates age checks on phones. It may be just the start. ⁠Get the weekly Caveat Briefing delivered to your inbox. Like what you heard? Be sure to check out and subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠, a weekly newsletter available exclusively to ⁠⁠⁠⁠N2K Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠ members on ⁠⁠⁠⁠N2K CyberWire's⁠⁠⁠⁠ website. N2K Pro members receive our Thursday wrap-up covering the latest in privacy, policy, and research news, including incidents, techniques, compliance, trends, and more. This week’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠ is on how a federal judge is weighing less aggressive remedies in the U.S. antitrust case against Google, suggesting limited data sharing and conditional changes to its deals with Apple rather than the sweeping 10-year plan proposed by regulators. The judge also noted that emerging AI tools like ChatGPT could disrupt traditional search, raising questions about how future competitors should factor into the case. Curious about the details? Head over to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the full scoop and additional compelling stories. Got a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to ⁠⁠⁠⁠caveat@thecyberwire.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. Hope to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Caveat, Ben’s got the story of a federal judge rejecting Google and Character.AI’s claim that their chatbot’s messages are protected free speech, allowing a wrongful death lawsuit over a teen’s suicide linked to the chatbot to move forward. Dave’s story is on the growing challenges of assigning legal and financial responsibility when autonomous AI agents, increasingly deployed by tech giants like Google and Microsoft, make costly mistakes due to miscommunication or errors in multi-agent systems. While this show covers legal topics, and Ben is a lawyer, the views expressed do not constitute legal advice. For official legal advice on any of the topics we cover, please contact your attorney.  Links to stories: Judge rejects claim chatbots have free speech in suit over teen’s death Who’s to Blame When AI Agents Screw Up? Get the weekly Caveat Briefing delivered to your inbox. Like what you heard? Be sure to check out and subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠, a weekly newsletter available exclusively to ⁠⁠⁠N2K Pro⁠⁠⁠ members on ⁠⁠⁠N2K CyberWire's⁠⁠⁠ website. N2K Pro members receive our Thursday wrap-up covering the latest in privacy, policy, and research news, including incidents, techniques, compliance, trends, and more. This week’s ⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠ is on Texas Governor Greg Abbott signing a law that requires Apple and Google to enforce age verification and parental consent for app downloads and in-app purchases by users under 18, effective January 1. While child safety groups support the law as necessary for protecting kids, Apple and Google oppose it citing privacy concerns and potential legal challenges, suggesting instead more targeted age data sharing with apps that truly need it. Curious about the details? Head over to the ⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠ for the full scoop and additional compelling stories. Got a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to ⁠⁠⁠caveat@thecyberwire.com⁠⁠⁠. Hope to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the podcast dives into the controversy surrounding a federal proposal aimed at limiting state AI laws for a decade, sparking concerns of unconstitutionality and favoritism towards Big Tech. It also discusses the newly signed Take It Down Act, targeting non-consensual intimate images and AI deepfakes, while raising alarms about potential censorship and enforcement issues. The balance between privacy rights and free speech is explored, highlighting the challenges faced by lawmakers in the digital age.

This week on Caveat, Dave and Ben welcome back N2K’s own Ethan Cook for our latest policy deep dive segment. As a trusted expert in law, privacy, and surveillance, Ethan is joining the show regularly to provide in-depth analysis on the latest policy developments shaping the cybersecurity and legal landscape. While this show covers legal topics, and Ben is a lawyer, the views expressed do not constitute legal advice. For official legal advice on any of the topics we cover, please contact your attorney.  Please take a moment to fill out an audience survey! Let us know how we are doing! Policy Deep Dive In this Caveat Policy Deep Dive, our conversation and analysis revolve around critical infrastructure policy. Throughout this conversation, we break down how critical infrastructure policy has evolved over the past fifteen years and what policies have been behind some of these advancements. Some key topics focused on during this conversation center on some of the centralization of infrastructure management policies, the creation of CISA, and how the second Trump administration is changing the federal government's approach when managing critical infrastructure. Get the weekly Caveat Briefing delivered to your inbox. Like what you heard? Be sure to check out and subscribe to our ⁠Caveat Briefing⁠, a weekly newsletter available exclusively to ⁠N2K Pro⁠ members on ⁠N2K CyberWire's⁠ website. N2K Pro members receive our Thursday wrap-up covering the latest in privacy, policy, and research news, including incidents, techniques, compliance, trends, and more. This week’s ⁠Caveat Briefing⁠ a new bill that is gaining traction in Congress where Senators Merkley and Kennedy are looking to limit the TSA's facial scanning program. This law comes after the DHS announced an audit regarding how the TSA has used this technology. Curious about the details? Head over to the ⁠Caveat Briefing⁠ for the full scoop and additional compelling stories. Got a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to ⁠caveat@thecyberwire.com⁠. Hope to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Ben and Dave tackle two major policy stories making headlines. Ben unpacks the Fourth Circuit’s long-awaited ruling in United States v. Chatrie, where the court failed to reach a majority decision on whether geofence warrants violate the Fourth Amendment. Instead, the panel affirmed the lower court’s decision based solely on the good-faith exception, leaving key constitutional questions unanswered. Then, Dave covers the latest twist in the Epic Games v. Apple saga: a federal judge ruled that Apple willfully defied a court order to open up iOS app payment options—referring the company and a senior executive for potential criminal investigation. While this show covers legal topics, and Ben is a lawyer, the views expressed do not constitute legal advice. For official legal advice on any of the topics we cover, please contact your attorney.  Please take a moment to fill out an ⁠audience survey⁠! Let us know how we are doing! Links related to our show this week: ⁠The Fourth Circuit's Geofencing Case Ends Not With a Bang But A Whimper Apple violated court’s order to loosen app store rules, judge says Get the weekly Caveat Briefing delivered to your inbox. Like what you heard? Be sure to check out and subscribe to our ⁠Caveat Briefing⁠, a weekly newsletter available exclusively to ⁠N2K Pro⁠ members on ⁠N2K CyberWire's⁠ website. N2K Pro members receive our Thursday wrap-up covering the latest in privacy, policy, and research news, including incidents, techniques, compliance, trends, and more. This week’s ⁠Caveat Briefing⁠ covers the story of how a proposed bipartisan U.S. law aims to crack down on semiconductor chip smuggling by mandating location-tracking technology, while President Trump’s 2026 budget proposes major cuts to CISA’s cybersecurity efforts, signaling shifting federal priorities amid growing concerns over national security and tech competition with China. Curious about the details? Head over to the ⁠Caveat Briefing⁠ for the full scoop and additional compelling stories. Got a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to ⁠caveat@thecyberwire.com⁠. Hope to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please enjoy this encore episode of Caveat. This week on Caveat, Dave and Ben are thrilled to welcome back N2K’s own Ethan Cook for the second installment of our newest policy ⁠deep dive⁠ segment. As a trusted expert in law, privacy, and surveillance, Ethan is joining the show regularly to provide in-depth analysis on the latest policy developments shaping the cybersecurity and legal landscape. While this show covers legal topics, and Ben is a lawyer, the views expressed do not constitute legal advice. For official legal advice on any of the topics we cover, please contact your attorney.  Please take a moment to fill out an ⁠audience survey⁠! Let us know how we are doing! Policy Deep Dive In this Caveat Policy ⁠Deep Dive⁠, we turn our focus to the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) policy. This month, the Caveat team delves into the key issues shaping political discourse around AI, exploring state-led initiatives, the lack of significant federal action, and the critical areas that still require stronger oversight, offering an in-depth analysis of AI legislation, the varied approaches across states, and the pressing challenges that demand federal attention. Get the weekly Caveat Briefing delivered to your inbox. Like what you heard? Be sure to check out and subscribe to our ⁠Caveat Briefing⁠, a weekly newsletter available exclusively to ⁠N2K Pro⁠ members on ⁠N2K CyberWire's⁠ website. N2K Pro members receive our Thursday wrap-up covering the latest in privacy, policy, and research news, including incidents, techniques, compliance, trends, and more. This week’s ⁠Caveat Briefing⁠ covers the story of the ⁠Paris AI summit⁠, where French President Emmanuel Macron and EU digital chief Henna Virkkunen announced plans to reduce regulatory barriers to support AI innovation. The summit highlighted the growing pressure on Europe to adopt a lighter regulatory touch in order to remain competitive with the U.S. and China, while also addressing concerns about potential risks and the impact on workers as AI continues to evolve. Curious about the details? Head over to the ⁠Caveat Briefing⁠ for the full scoop and additional compelling stories. Got a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to ⁠caveat@thecyberwire.com⁠. Hope to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we are joined by Avani Desai, CEO of Schellman, who is talking about what we can expect now that Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) is in effect. Ben’s got the story of how a federal judge ruled that Google broke antitrust laws to maintain its dominance in online advertising, marking the second major legal blow in a year that could lead to a dramatic restructuring of the tech giant. Dave’s got the story of a Nevada judge who ruled that "tower dumps"—grabbing cell tower data on thousands of people at once—are unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment… but still let the cops use the data this time because they acted in good faith. While this show covers legal topics, and Ben is a lawyer, the views expressed do not constitute legal advice. For official legal advice on any of the topics we cover, please contact your attorney. Please take a moment to fill out an audience survey! Let us know how we are doing! Links related to our show this week: Google Broke the Law to Keep Its Advertising Monopoly, a Judge Rules Judge Rules Blanket Search of Cell Tower Data Unconstitutional Get the weekly Caveat Briefing delivered to your inbox.Like what you heard? Be sure to check out and subscribe to our Caveat Briefing, a weekly newsletter available exclusively to N2K Pro members on N2K CyberWire's website. N2K Pro members receive our Thursday wrap-up covering the latest in privacy, policy, and research news, including incidents, techniques, compliance, trends, and more.This week’s Caveat Briefing covers the story of Google losing its second major antitrust case, escalating U.S.-China trade tensions impacting chipmakers, a new probe into 23andMe’s data handling, and a lawsuit against Discord for child safety concerns—highlighting growing scrutiny of tech giants across legal, regulatory, and geopolitical fronts. Curious about the details? Head over to the Caveat Briefing for the full scoop and additional compelling stories.Got a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to caveat@thecyberwire.com. Hope to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Caveat, Dave and Ben welcome back N2K’s own Ethan Cook for our latest policy deep dive segment. As a trusted expert in law, privacy, and surveillance, Ethan is joining the show regularly to provide in-depth analysis on the latest policy developments shaping the cybersecurity and legal landscape. While this show covers legal topics, and Ben is a lawyer, the views expressed do not constitute legal advice. For official legal advice on any of the topics we cover, please contact your attorney. Please take a moment to fill out an audience survey! Let us know how we are doing! Policy Deep DiveIn this Caveat Policy Deep Dive, our conversation and analysis revolves around US cybersecurity policy. Throughout this conversation, we break down the Trump administration's efforts to reassess the US's cybersecurity policies. Some key talking points revolve around pivoting the nation's international focus to prioritize the Pacific region as well as domestic efforts to place cybersecurity responsibilities in the hands of state governments rather than federal agencies.Get the weekly Caveat Briefing delivered to your inbox.Like what you heard? Be sure to check out and subscribe to our Caveat Briefing, a weekly newsletter available exclusively to N2K Pro members on N2K CyberWire's website. N2K Pro members receive our Thursday wrap-up covering the latest in privacy, policy, and research news, including incidents, techniques, compliance, trends, and more.This week’s Caveat Briefing covers the story of the FTC officially kicking off its antitrust lawsuit against Meta, and how it accusing the tech giant of monopolizing the social media market through a “buy-or-bury” strategy, with high-profile witnesses like Mark Zuckerberg set to testify as the agency attempts to unwind years-old acquisitions. Curious about the details? Head over to the Caveat Briefing for the full scoop and additional compelling stories.Got a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to caveat@thecyberwire.com. Hope to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a lively discussion, Perry Alexander, a noted expert in trusted systems from the University of Kansas, and John Symons, a philosophy professor focusing on ethics in cybersecurity, dive into pressing topics. They explore the significance of public-private partnerships and the need for ethical considerations in artificial intelligence policy. They dissect the challenges of biases and hallucinations in AI and emphasize the importance of moral values in technology, questioning how these will shape our future cybersecurity landscape.

This week, we are joined by Daniel Barber, CEO and Co-Founder of DataGrail, to discuss why data privacy should matter to companies in 2025. Ben has the story of a California lawmaker’s proposal to regulate kids’ use of AI companions. Dave's got the story of a reporter's 300 mile trek through rural Virginia in search of license plate readers. While this show covers legal topics, and Ben is a lawyer, the views expressed do not constitute legal advice. For official legal advice on any of the topics we cover, please contact your attorney. Please take a moment to fill out an audience survey! Let us know how we are doing! Links to the stories: Kids are talking to ‘AI companions.’ Lawmakers want to regulate that. I drove 300 miles in rural Virginia, then asked police to send me their public surveillance footage of my car. Here’s what I learned. You're Being Tracked Get the weekly Caveat Briefing delivered to your inbox.Like what you heard? Be sure to check out and subscribe to our Caveat Briefing, a weekly newsletter available exclusively to N2K Pro members on N2K CyberWire's website. N2K Pro members receive our Thursday wrap-up covering the latest in privacy, policy, and research news, including incidents, techniques, compliance, trends, and more.This week’s Caveat Briefing covers the story of why election officials and lawmakers are fearful that U.S. elections will be less secure after the Trump administration cut funding for federal election security programs, halting CISA’s support and forcing states to find alternative resources amid growing concerns about cyber and physical threats. Curious about the details? Head over to the Caveat Briefing for the full scoop and additional compelling stories.Got a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to caveat@thecyberwire.com. Hope to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices