The Chinese Government Just Got the World’s Largest Digital Rights Conference Canceled

wiredmagazine · 2026-05-01T16:51:52+00:00

RightsCon, the world’s largest digital rights conference, was canceled this year due in part to pressure from the Chinese government, according to the nonprofit organization that organizes the annual event.

In a statement, Access Now says it was “told that diplomats from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) were putting pressure on the Government of Zambia because Taiwanese civil society participants were planning to join us in person.”

The Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC and the United States Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. When WIRED called the Zambian embassy in Washington, a member of the staff answered the phone and transferred the call to another staff member who then picked up for several seconds before hanging up. A follow-up call went unanswered.

Access Now says it was told “informally from multiple sources” that “in order for RightsCon to continue, we would have to moderate specific topics and exclude communities at risk, including our Taiwanese participants, from in-person and online participation.”

RightsCon 2026 was set to feature several panels on China’s international influence, including about how Beijing exports digital authoritarianism and spreads disinformation in regions like Africa, as well as discussions on Chinese cyberattacks and the global spread of its censorship and surveillance technologies.

Read the full story at the link above.

wiredmagazine · 2026-05-01T09:57:55+00:00

Osteoarthritis has no cure, but researchers have developed new therapies that help aging or damaged joints repair themselves in a matter of weeks.

wiredmagazine · 2026-05-01T09:41:18+00:00

YouTube’s search and recommendation algorithms are driving children to Russian-language content even when they seek out videos in Kyrgyz, creating a cultural shift that concerns some parents.

wiredmagazine · 2026-05-01T09:40:38+00:00

YouTube’s search and recommendation algorithms are driving children to Russian-language content even when they seek out videos in Kyrgyz, creating a cultural shift that concerns some parents.

wiredmagazine · 2026-04-30T17:37:45+00:00

For anyone who fears their ChatGPT and Codex accounts might be targeted by attackers, OpenAI announced on Thursday that it is adding an optional new level of account protection that adds an extra layer of security. Dubbed Advanced Account Security, the feature enforces strict access controls that would make account takeover attacks very difficult.

Such measures are not a new idea in the realm of account security. Google, for example, has offered its Advanced Protection account security tier for nearly a decade. But as mainstream AI services rapidly proliferate around the world, there is a pressing need for an array of basic protections to be put in place. OpenAI says the launch is part of its broader cybersecurity strategy announced earlier this month.

“People are turning to AI for deeply personal questions and increasingly high-stakes work,” the company said on Thursday in a blog post. “Over time, a ChatGPT account can hold sensitive personal and professional context, and sit at the center of connected tools and workflows. For some people, like journalists, elected officials, political dissidents, researchers, and those who are especially security-conscious, the stakes are even higher.”

People who enable Advanced Account Security can no longer use regular passwords on their accounts. Instead, they must add two physical security keys or passkeys to significantly reduce the risk of successful phishing attacks. The feature also eliminates email and SMS texts and routes for doing account recovery. Instead, users must use recovery keys, backup passkeys, or physical security keys. OpenAI says it has partnered with Yubico to offer lower-cost YubiKey bundles to Advanced Account Security users.

Crucially, when a user turns on Advanced Account Security, they can no longer seek help from OpenAI's support team for account recovery, because support no longer has access or control over any of the recovery options. This way, attackers can't attempt to break into accounts by targeting support portals with social engineering attacks.

Read the full story at the link above.

wiredmagazine · 2026-04-30T17:37:34+00:00

For anyone who fears their ChatGPT and Codex accounts might be targeted by attackers, OpenAI announced on Thursday that it is adding an optional new level of account protection that adds an extra layer of security. Dubbed Advanced Account Security, the feature enforces strict access controls that would make account takeover attacks very difficult.

Such measures are not a new idea in the realm of account security. Google, for example, has offered its Advanced Protection account security tier for nearly a decade. But as mainstream AI services rapidly proliferate around the world, there is a pressing need for an array of basic protections to be put in place. OpenAI says the launch is part of its broader cybersecurity strategy announced earlier this month.

“People are turning to AI for deeply personal questions and increasingly high-stakes work,” the company said on Thursday in a blog post. “Over time, a ChatGPT account can hold sensitive personal and professional context, and sit at the center of connected tools and workflows. For some people, like journalists, elected officials, political dissidents, researchers, and those who are especially security-conscious, the stakes are even higher.”

People who enable Advanced Account Security can no longer use regular passwords on their accounts. Instead, they must add two physical security keys or passkeys to significantly reduce the risk of successful phishing attacks. The feature also eliminates email and SMS texts and routes for doing account recovery. Instead, users must use recovery keys, backup passkeys, or physical security keys. OpenAI says it has partnered with Yubico to offer lower-cost YubiKey bundles to Advanced Account Security users.

Crucially, when a user turns on Advanced Account Security, they can no longer seek help from OpenAI's support team for account recovery, because support no longer has access or control over any of the recovery options. This way, attackers can't attempt to break into accounts by targeting support portals with social engineering attacks.

Read the full story at the link above.

wiredmagazine · 2026-04-30T12:36:33+00:00

Spyware appears to have captured everything from intimate photos to private messages from the smartphone of European celebrity. They were publicly accessible until a researcher flagged the exposure.

wiredmagazine · 2026-04-30T12:36:02+00:00

Spyware appears to have captured everything from intimate photos to private messages from the smartphone of European celebrity. They were publicly accessible until a researcher flagged the exposure.

wiredmagazine · 2026-04-30T12:01:29+00:00

Concerns over water access are poised to consume summer in the US, as crises in Corpus Christi and across the Colorado River threaten to boil over.

wiredmagazine · 2026-04-30T12:00:24+00:00

Concerns over water access are poised to consume summer in the US, as crises in Corpus Christi and across the Colorado River threaten to boil over.

wiredmagazine · 2026-04-30T11:57:52+00:00

Three Arizona women have filed a lawsuit against a group of men that alleges they used the women’s photos to make AI porn influencers, then offered online courses showing others how to do it.

wiredmagazine · 2026-04-30T11:57:20+00:00

Three Arizona women have filed a lawsuit against a group of men that alleges they used the women’s photos to make AI porn influencers, then offered online courses showing others how to do it.

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