Pete Recommends – Weekly Highlights on Cyber Security Issues, May 9, 2026

Key Takeaways

• UK age‑check tools easily bypassed, kids still access harmful content
• US draft policy aims to prevent contractors dictating AI use in government
• Americans lost $2.1 B to social‑media scams, investment fraud biggest share
• Pennsylvania bill would restrict sharing of ALPR data to protect driver privacy
• State health exchanges embed trackers that share demographic data with major tech firms

Pulse Analysis

Regulators on both sides of the Atlantic are confronting the limits of digital safety tools. In the United Kingdom, the Online Safety Act’s age‑verification mandates have failed to keep minors away from explicit material, a shortfall highlighted by Internet Matters’ survey of over 1,000 families. Meanwhile, Washington is drafting language that would cement the government’s right to deploy private‑sector AI without vendor‑imposed usage constraints, a move sparked by a dispute between the Department of Defense and Anthropic over autonomous weaponry. These parallel efforts underscore a growing tension between innovation, public safety, and sovereign control.

Consumer exposure to fraud has surged dramatically, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting a $2.1 billion loss on social‑media platforms in 2025—an eight‑fold increase since 2020. Investment‑related scams dominate the damage, reflecting how scammers exploit the trust and reach of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. At the same time, a less‑known brushing scam manipulates e‑commerce review systems, prompting recipients to monitor credit and secure online accounts. Together, these trends illustrate the expanding attack surface as digital interactions become the primary conduit for financial deception.

Privacy concerns are also intensifying as data collection expands into traditionally protected domains. Pennsylvania’s proposed ALPR legislation seeks to curb unrestricted sharing of license‑plate scans, aiming to protect motorists from unwarranted surveillance. Simultaneously, a Bloomberg‑cited investigation reveals that all 20 state‑run health exchanges embed advertising trackers, funneling ZIP codes, gender, citizenship status and race to platforms like Meta, TikTok and Google. The convergence of health data with commercial tracking raises profound questions about consent, data governance, and the need for robust legislative frameworks to safeguard personal information in the digital age.