Caveat

Please enjoy this encore of Caveat.

Camille Stewart Gloster, Former Deputy National Cyber Director at the White House, is sharing a retrospective of her public service career. Ben discusses a new lawsuit in Illinois challenging automatic license plate readers. Dave's got the story of an AI hotline between the US and China.

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 the stories:

Caveat Briefing

A companion weekly newsletter is available CyberWire Pro members on the CyberWire's website. If you are a member, make sure you subscribe to receive our weekly wrap-up of privacy, policy, and research news, focused on incidents, techniques, tips, compliance, rights, trends, threats, policy, and influence ops delivered to you inbox each Thursday.

Got a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to ⁠[email protected]⁠. 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 our lead analyst, Ethan shares his knowledge of law, privacy, and surveillance 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. 

Policy Deep Dive

In this Caveat Policy Deep Dive, our conversation and analysis revisits antitrust policy. Throughout this conversation, we break down how President Trump has pursued one of the most aggressive initial antitrust policies in decades. Since taking office, the FTC and DOJ have continued to pursue many of the antitrust cases that the former Biden administration was pursuing targeting many Big Tech companies. However, these cases are not minor as in each of the cases, the Trump administration is actively pursuing major company breakups.

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 how Italy has cut ties with the Israeli spyware firm, Paragon after revelations that its technology was used to surveil government critics, including journalists and migrant rescue workers, sparking political outrage. A parliamentary report confirmed that Italian intelligence services had first paused, then terminated use of the spyware, though the timeline of the decision remains disputed. 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 ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠. 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 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:

⁠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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠. 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:

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 ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠. Hope to hear from you.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Caveat, Ben covers growing backlash to a federal proposal that would block states from enforcing their own AI laws for the next decade—a move critics call unconstitutional and a gift to Big Tech. Meanwhile, Dave unpacks the newly signed Take It Down Act, which criminalizes the distribution of nonconsensual intimate images, including AI deepfakes, and requires platforms to remove them within 48 hours. While the law has broad support, civil liberties groups warn it could lead to censorship, selective enforcement, and false hope for victims.

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:

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 the U.S. and UAE have signed a landmark agreement allowing the UAE to build the largest AI campus outside the U.S., easing previous export restrictions and marking a strategic shift to deepen U.S.-UAE tech ties while managing national security concerns and maintaining trade relations 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 ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠. 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 our lead analyst, Ethan shares his knowledge of law, privacy, and surveillance 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 ⁠[email protected]⁠. 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:

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 ⁠[email protected]⁠. 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 welcome back N2K’s own ⁠⁠⁠Ethan Cook⁠⁠⁠ for our latest policy deep dive segment. As our lead analyst, Ethan shares his knowledge of law, privacy, and surveillance 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 ⁠[email protected]⁠. 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:

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 [email protected]. 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 our lead analyst, Ethan shares his knowledge of law, privacy, and surveillance 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 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 [email protected]. Hope to hear from you.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices