Tootfinder

Demis Hassabis, Sam Altman, and Dario Amodei have published detailed memos in recent weeks, basically agreeing on the need for a US-led AI regulatory framework (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/2026/07/16/ai-regulations-openai-anthropic-google

Behind the Curtain: AI godfathers converge on regulations
The CEOs of Google DeepMind, OpenAI and Anthropic all agree the frontier needs to be regulated ASAP.

Inside the Trump administration’s rapid rollback of gun regulations
An ATF proposal would allow people to buy guns even if they have been deemed unfit to handle Social Security or Veterans benefits,
with officials saying that someone being deemed incompetent to handle their finances does not mean that they cannot responsibly handle firearms.

The proposal would also clarify that people who are involuntarily committed to a mental health institution would be barred from own…

Inside the Trump administration’s rapid rollback of gun regulations
There’s been win after win for the nation’s most ardent gun rights groups, but backers of tighter limits say the push could endanger the public.

"California becomes first US state to set efficiency rules for replacement tires"
#US #USA #America #California

California becomes first US state to set efficiency rules for replacement tires
Regulations that would block sale of older tires praised by environmental groups amid rightwing backlash

Florida sues TikTok for allegedly violating its social media regulations for minors and state consumer protection laws by showing "X-Rated" content to minors (Alex Ebert/Bloomberg Law)
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/tech-and…

TikTok Sued by Florida for Showing Minors ‘X-Rated’ Posts (1)
TikTok Inc. is violating Florida social media regulations for minors and state consumer protection laws by misrepresenting the graphic nature of posts teens can access, the state said in a complaint filed Monday.

Have questions about crafting your comments about the #OMB proposed regulations? #DefendResearch is maintaining a set of resources to help folks make submissions (

Today's Metacurity returns to our "AI watch format" with a summary of crucial AI developments followed by a slew of other infosec news stories cyber leaders and defenders need to know, including
--Canada details offensive cyber ops,
--US cloud providers challenge Korean security rules,
--KDDI confirms breach affecting millions,
--Judge keeps Weiss hacking case alive,
--BonkDAO loses $20m in governance attack,
--Crypto wallet flaw exposed milli…

AI watch: Chinese competition, government adoption, and new regulations pressure AI leaders
Canada details offensive cyber ops, US cloud providers challenge Korean security rules, KDDI confirms breach affecting millions, Judge keeps Weiss hacking case alive, BonkDAO loses $20m in governance attack, Crypto wallet flaw exposed millions to theft, Ctrl Wallet shutters after incident, much more

Feds sued over loosened credit anti-discrimination regulations | Courthouse News Service
https://www.courthousenews.com/feds-sued-over-loosened-credit-anti-discrimination-regulations/

"Foundry is a proprietary product. Some #NHS data analysts told us that all their work on the FDP would be lost if they no longer had access to #Palantir’s platform. This raises concerns over what many experts call “vendor lock in”. Once you start using a Silicon Valley tech company’s product, it can …

I investigated Palantir’s foothold in the British state – and what I found should worry us all
Paid-for political access and threadbare regulations have helped to embed the US tech firm in the NHS – and beyond. But there is a way to free ourselves, asks Peter Geoghegan of Democracy for Sale

California’s Board of Forestry has approved sweeping Zone Zero rules,
banning plants within one foot of homes
and most combustibles within five feet
for millions in high fire-risk communities.
Existing homeowners in state responsibility and very high hazard zones
will have up to five years to comply with Zone Zero,
while new construction must adhere immediately.
Officials say the changes are crucial
as worsening wildfires have destroyed tens …

State approves 'Zone Zero' fire-safe landscaping rules
The California Board of Forestry approved "Zone Zero" regulations outlining what residents in fire-prone areas can plant, build and store near their homes.

Part of the Communications Act 2003 has come into force.
As a member of the public I'm confused as to why these laws don't automatically sunset if left unactivated. Certainly after more than 20 years, and significant changes in the makeup of Parliament.
(This change is just about classifying significant events, eg, sporting events.)

ICYMI: HHS extended a deadline to make healthcare apps / sites / kiosks accessible, kicking it to 2027 / 2028.
More:
https://www.lflegal.com/2023/07/healthtech-accessibility/
And:

Digital Accessibility, Healthcare, and US Law and Regulations
Note about Updates This article is about many of the laws and regulations that lie at the intersection of healthcare and digital accessibility in the United States. It was first published in 2023 when there was a Democrat (Joe Biden) in the White House. It has been updated many times since then.

[OT] "Gold Standard Science"? The American madhouse known as the US administration rolls on, killing US science https://www.bioniclab.org/news/OMB Further notes at

B.I.O.N.I.C. Lab - OMB-2026-0034-0001
Guide for Scientists: Public Comment on OMB Proposed Rule for Federal Financial Assistance Docket OMB-2026-0034 | Comment Deadline: July 13, 2026 | Published: May 30, 2026 Comment portal: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/OMB-2026-0034-0001 Dear Colleague On Friday, May 29, OMB published a

The Trump administration is scrapping more than three dozen firearms regulations,
abandoning a crackdown on illegal sales,
restoring gun rights to some people with mental illness
and loosening oversight of private weapons transactions.
The drastic retrenchment at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the federal agency responsible for enforcing the nation’s gun laws, was not entirely unexpected:
Trump campaigned as a champion of machismo and …

Trump Administration Rolls Back Dozens of Gun Regulations
Critics say the administration is weakening public safety. Proponents say regulations would be where they were before President Joseph R. Biden took office.

RE: https://mastodon.thi.ng/@toxi/117047924135764185
I'm kind of desperate to hear how other small artist/crafter/maker online shop owners are going to deal with these new hostile EU packaging regulations. One of the biggest issues is the amount of general co…

Filings: Dario Amodei gave $1M in May to Public First, a super PAC advocating for AI safety regulations, seemingly his first seven-figure political donation (Brendan Bordelon/Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/16/a

China is blocking SMS text messages from some services due to local regulations about sender IDs.
https://status.notifications.service.gov.uk/incidents/1vrk9fhhffmd

Text messages to China
GOV.UK Notify's Status Page - Text messages to China.

Sweden to ban 'forever chemicals' in clothing #Sweden

I've posted something similar in the past, but this quote seems evergreen:
“The industry learned how to secure the enactment of seemingly innocuous and sensible regulations that nonetheless spelled doom for any rival” –Tim Wu, The Master Switch
…but this was written about AM radio stakeholders keeping FM down, ~90 years ago, not Big AI, today.
/cc @…

Inside Netflix and Prime Video's fight to loosen France's "unsustainable" streaming rules, which include investment obligations and unfavorable release windows (Elsa Keslassy/Variety)
https://variety.com/2026/film/global/n

Inside Netflix, Prime Video’s Fight to Reshape France Streaming Rules
Amazon’s Prime Video and Netflix are fighting in court and behind closed doors to loosen France’s streaming regulations.

#sigh. In the name of efficiency, gutting the requirements that ensure kids actually benefit. What is wrong with these people?
Trump administration moves forward with Head Start overhaul, proposing to eliminate regulations

#sigh. In the name of efficiency, gutting the requirements that ensure kids actually benefit. What is wrong with these people?
Trump administration moves forward with Head Start overhaul, proposing to eliminate regulations

Also, 0 days since someone claimed that I'm wrong to blame free-market capitalism, because obviously all you need is regulation.
My dear brother in myself, the whole point of free-market capitalism is that it's supposed to regulate itself. People just do what's in their own self-interest, and market mechanisms eventually make everything right and everyone benefits.
If you need governments to lean over backwards setting up regulations (and constantly closing up loopholes) in order to prevent capitalists from devouring everyone and the free market from collapsing upon itself, then you're not saying that free market capitalism works. You're proving the exact opposite: that it doesn't work.
#AntiCapitalism

**Missouri judge strikes down nearly all state abortion regulations** • Missouri Independent
https://missouriindependent.com/2026/06/18/missouri-judge-strikes-down-nearly-all-state-abortion-regulations/

The idea of a suspension of the constitution had been introduced,
by the Constitution of 22 Frimaire Year 8.
Article 14 of the Charte of 1814 granted the sovereign the power to
"make the regulations and ordinances necessary for the execution of the laws and the security of the State"
Because of the vagueness of the formula, Chateaubriand observed
"that it is possible that one fine morning the whole Charte will be forfeited for the benefit of Art…

"Heat waves: Expert tips on redesigning UK homes to cope with hotter temperatures"
#UK #UnitedKingdom #Climate #ClimateChange

Heat waves: Expert tips on redesigning UK homes to cope with hotter temperatures
As the UK prepares for the third heat wave of 2026, most people will be hoping to keep cool at home. Building regulations to protect homes from overheating were introduced in 2022. These require all new homes to be checked at the design stage to see if they might be at risk of overheating. If the overheating risk is high, the architect has to make changes to the design.

China has revised regulations to tighten protection of chip layout designs, including punitive damages for serious infringement, taking effect on October 15 (Eduardo Baptista/Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific…

Open source has become critical digital infrastructure over the past 25 years, but its future depends on human resilience as much as code. Contributor burnout, funding gaps, and new regulations are real challenges, and Ruth has spent nearly two decades at the heart of open source communities working through exactly these kinds of problems. It's a session to look forward to!
Join us for Berlin Buzzwords on June 7-9 at Kulturbrauerei or online. Get your tickets! https://2026.berlinbuzzwords.de/

ExxonMobil’s CEO called Venezuela “uninvestable” without changes to its legal system.
The head of ConocoPhillips wanted U.S. government financing.
But Jeffery Hildebrand, a major Trump donor whose wife had been named ambassador to Costa Rica, had already seen how loyalty could be rewarded.
Even though he had no notable operations outside the U.S., he hunched toward a microphone and said in a halting voice,
“Hilcorp is fully committed and ready to go to rebuilding the i…

Trump Plans to Protect Methane-Leaking Stripper Wells. This Billionaire Donor Will Benefit.
Oil tycoon Jeffery Hildebrand gave millions to Donald Trump’s 2024 election campaign. He is set to reap a financial windfall as the EPA moves to weaken restrictions on wells like his that produce very little energy but release vast amounts of methane.

Public lands grazing is overseen by a nearly century-old system that heavily subsidizes some of the wealthiest Americans
while doing little to address its harms to the environment, ProPublica and High Country News foundlast year.
Even though rangeland management experts say overgrazing has degraded public lands,
the new rules being drafted by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management — the first overhaul since 1995 — would instead expand the practice.

The First Major Overhaul of Public Lands Grazing Regulations in a Generation Looks to Cut Out Public Involvement
For the first time since 1995, the Bureau of Land Management is rewriting its grazing regulations. The new rule, which governs ranching across 155 million acres of public lands in the West, would heavily favor the livestock industry.

The Office of Management and Budget (#OMB) proposed regulation changes would give political appointees complete control over federal grants, from vetting to termination at any point for any reason, and that's just the beginning. I’s critical that as many public comments are submitted as possible by the July 13th deadline:

ITV reports H1 2026 revenue up 2% YoY to £1.9B, ITV Studios revenue up 2% to £912M, and ad revenue up 3% to £850M, with digital ad revenue up 13% (K.J. Yossman/Variety)
https://variety.com/2026/tv/global/itv-half-year-results-2026-solid-2-percent-123…

ITV Sees ‘Solid’ Results in First Half of 2026
ITV has delivered 'solid' results in the first half of 2026, although noted they lost at least $26 million due to new regulations on fast food advertising.

Even with the support of new emerging regulations,
independent researchers still face major barriers to accessing even basic social media data
essential for studying everything from election integrity to public health crises.
However, if you happen to be a commercial for-profit hoping to study social media,
there is a thriving, $100 million-plus market that freely trades this same data with very few restrictions.

Why Commercial Tools Can Scrape Social Media But Researchers Can't
Brandon Silverman explains how researchers face barriers to social media data under the DSA, while corporations can buy full access.

Why Trump administration’s plan to attempt to destroy Pfas is ‘nonsenscial’
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/26/trump-administration-pfas-drinking-water-regulation?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Why Trump administration’s plan to attempt to destroy Pfas is ‘nonsenscial’
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/26/trump-administration-pfas-drinking-water-regulation?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Between May 29 and July 9,
roughly 51,000 comments were posted to regulations.gov
(and over 200,000 more had been received but not yet published).
The verdict on public sentiment is clear and lopsided:
about 94 percent oppose the proposed rule and only 6 percent support it,
with fewer than one percent marked as unclear.
The opposition is overwhelmingly grassroots rather than orchestrated.
Form letters make up only about 16 percent of all comments…

The Public Rejects OMB's Federal Financial Assistance Rule
Tens of thousands of scientists, clinicians, and ordinary citizens warned OMB about putting political appointees in charge of which research gets funded.

"Sweden to ban 'forever chemicals' in clothing"
#Sweden #PFAS #ForeverChemicals

Sweden to ban 'forever chemicals' in clothing
Sweden said Thursday it plans to ban so-called "forever chemicals" in consumer products such as clothing and kitchenware as early as 2028, before expected European Union regulations come into force.

China will implement new online food delivery regulations on June 1, requiring platforms to regularly verify businesses' identities, locations, and licenses (Nikkei Asia)
https://asia.nikkei.com/business/technology/china-to-crack-down-on-fo…

China to crack down on food delivery 'ghost kitchens'
Meituan, others will need to verify that listed stores match physical locations

In its latest attempt to circumvent state laws and regulations,
Sable Offshore Corp. is reportedly asking the federal government to seize the ground California has left to stand on — literally. 
The Houston-based oil company reportedly asked the Trump administration to exercise eminent domain to condemn and seize miles of private and state-owned land that contain its legally embattled oil pipelines. 
Sable restarted oil production in March in Santa Barbara County from its o…

In the spring, the federal government finalized regulations requiring millions of people who receive Medicaid benefits to prove they’re working, volunteering, or going to school to keep their coverage.
States have until January to begin those checks.
Montana, Arkansas, and Nebraska have already started implementing them.
The Trump administration’s federal work requirements exempt certain groups of people:
those with disabilities, those older than 64, pregnant people a…

Medicaid Work Rule Leaves Homeless People in the Cold - KFF Health News
Conservatives who have long pushed for Medicaid work requirements often said vulnerable people would get a pass. But the federal government’s list of exemptions left off homeless people.

Trump Ramps Up War on Regulations With 702 Cuts in Pipeline | Financial Post
https://financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/trump-ramps-up-war-on-regulations-with-702-cuts-in-pipeline

U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy previously ran an aerial firefighting company. After joining Congress, he proposed ending Forest Service inspections of those aircraft. 

The same month a draft of his plan to end Forest Service inspections leaked, an aircraft at his former company failed an inspection because of a crack in its wing.

Sheehy owned up to $15 million in stock in the company, Bridger Aerospace, when he launched his effort to end Forest Service inspections of such aircr…

A U.S. Senator Pushed to Cut Firefighting Aircraft Inspections the Same Month His Former Company Failed One
Before entering politics, Tim Sheehy ran an aerial firefighting company, Bridger Aerospace. In the Senate, he has sought to cut regulations and expand the government’s use of private aircraft on wildfires, while still owning stock in the company.

Feds outed those fleeing Iran, lawsuit says
A lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges that the Trump administration’s immigration agencies have been sharing confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government,
violating national immigration regulations and endangering countless Iranians, court filings argue.
The lawsuit depicts a coordinated campaign between the U.S. and Iranian governments
to identify Iranians in Immigration and Customs Enforcemen…

The March 30 announcement arrived with the bluntness that has become a hallmark of the Trump administration’s environmental retreat:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
which has served as the nation’s primary wetland guardian for over half a century, declared that
it is “getting out of the business of regulating wetlands.”
This followed a seismic shift at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which moved to redefine which waters receive federal protection under t…

As the Trump administration guts environmental regulations, local governments must protect wetlands
The front line of climate protection is in city hall, zoning board hearings, and the language of the municipal codes