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Google Installed AI Data Capture Tool on Over 1 Billion Chrome Browsers - W/O Consent or Uninstall

Published about 5 hours ago • 5 min read

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Major Developments

SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES

 

Google Chrome Quietly Installs 4GB AI Model on User Devices

Google Chrome has been found silently downloading Gemini Nano, a 4GB AI model, onto users’ devices without consent, with reports it may automatically reinstall even after deletion unless specific AI settings or experimental flags are disabled.

Researchers estimate that widespread deployment across billions of devices could consume about 240 gigawatt-hours of electricity and produce roughly 60,000 tons of carbon dioxide. Critics also warn the background downloads could trigger extra charges for those on metered connections and mobile hotspots. (Read More)​

Georgia Data Center Secretly Drained 29 Million Gallons Before Residents' Low Water Pressure Exposed It

A data center in Georgia reportedly used nearly 30 million gallons of water without proper billing, with the issue only uncovered after nearby residents reported unusually low water pressure.

A Fayette County investigation found that Quality Technology Services, the Blackstone-owned developer behind the 615-acre Fayetteville campus, had drawn water through two untracked connections for months, leading to $147,474 in retroactive charges. Fayette County Water System attributed the lapse to an administrative error. (Read More)​

Israel Built a Secret Base in the Iraqi Desert to Support Its Air Campaign Against Iran

Israel reportedly established a covert military outpost in western Iraq earlier this year to support its air operations against Iran, according to The Wall Street Journal. The site allegedly served as a logistics hub for the Israeli Air Force and housed special operations units.

It was nearly exposed after a shepherd reported low-flying helicopters in the area. Iraqi forces who later investigated the area were struck in an Israeli airstrike that killed one soldier. (Read More)​

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The Tear Line

QUICK UPDATES

CONFLICT UPDATES

➤ Multiple Gulf states reported suspected Iranian drone attacks Sunday, including a strike on a cargo vessel in Qatari waters that caused a fire. Kuwait also reported hostile drones in its airspace, while the UAE said it intercepted two UAVs launched from Iran. (Read More)​

➤ Hezbollah released an FPV drone footage showing a direct strike on an Iron Dome launcher in western Galilee, with IDF soldiers visible near the battery at the moment of impact. The IDF did not comment on the video and had not previously acknowledged the strike. (Read More)​

➤ Spanish authorities seized over 30 tonnes of cocaine worth €812 million (about $880 million) from the Comoros-flagged cargo ship MV Arconian off the Canary Islands, the largest single cocaine seizure in European history. (Read More)​

SECURITY UPDATES

➤ The European Parliamentary Research Service warned that VPNs are undermining new EU age-verification rules designed to keep minors off social media, calling them a “loophole” that needs closing. One VPN app developer reported an 1,800 percent surge in downloads following the U.K.'s Online Safety Act. (Read More)​

➤ The Federal Communications Commission has proposed “Know Your Customer” rules that would require businesses to collect a government-issued ID, physical address, and the customer’s full legal name, rather than relying only on a phone number, before enabling phone service, including prepaid and VoIP. The agency says the proposal is intended to reduce robocalls. (Read More)​

➤ Security researchers identified over 1,100 malicious AI agent skills on public marketplaces designed to exfiltrate data and harvest credentials, a class of attack known as "tool poisoning." (Read More)​

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES

➤ The Mexican Air Force confirmed plans to replace its fleet of F-5E/F Tiger II fighters by 2028, aircraft it has operated since 1982. Candidates include the F-16 Block 70, Saab Gripen E, KAI FA-50, and Leonardo M-346FA. (Read More)​

➤ The U.S. Marine Corps announced plans to eliminate enlisted maintenance jobs tied to the F/A-18 Hornet as it transitions to a fully F-35 Lightning II tactical aviation fleet. According to the Marine Corps, the service will deactivate its remaining Hornet squadrons by 2030. (Read More)​

➤ DARPA issued a solicitation for autonomous drone swarms of up to 500 aircraft packed into standard shipping containers, capable of launching, recovering, recharging, and redeploying without ground crews. (Read More)​

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Special Interest

SPECIAL CATEGORY

➤ An American passenger from the MV Hondius cruise ship tested mildly PCR positive for Hantavirus while another developed symptoms. Both will be taken to the biocontainment unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha along with 15 other American passengers evacuated from the cruise ship.

➤ A landslide triggered by glacial retreat sent a 481-meter tsunami wave crashing through Tracy Arm Fjord in southeastern Alaska on August 10, 2025, the second-highest ever recorded. A study published in the journal Science in May 2026 found the collapse occurred at 5:26 a.m., hours before cruise ships were scheduled to arrive.

➤ Russian President Vladimir Putin said he believes the war between Russia and Ukraine is “coming to an end” after more than four years of fighting and signaled openness to negotiations on new European security arrangements. Putin identified former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as his preferred partner for the talks.

On this day in history: On May 11th, 1998, India detonated three nuclear devices beneath the Rajasthan desert in Operation Shakti, declaring itself a nuclear weapons state. The CIA failed to detect preparations despite satellite coverage. Pakistan tested its own weapons 17 days later, triggering a South Asian arms race.
Special Interest

SENTIMENT COLLECTION

Saturday’s Results:

Hantavirus pandemic in 2026?

  1. No (76.6%)
  2. Yes (15.3%)
  3. Unsure (8.1%)

n=641

Have a question you would like polled? Email us at editor@sofx.com​

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About SOFX: We are an independent media and communications technology company reporting on the conflicts, security, and technology issues impacting your lives and businesses. SOFX was founded by former special operations & intelligence professionals, not career journalists or Big Tech / Big Media.

Have feedback for us? We want to hear any and all comments you may have. Contact us at editor@sofx.com​.​

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