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Here's the latest tech news from the last 24 hours:

✉️ 'Millions' of sensitive US military emails mistakenly sent to Mali
📺 Netflix subscriber numbers soar after password sharing crackdown
🚀 Virgin Galactic's first private passenger flight to launch next month
🔒 US chip sale restrictions could backfire
🧠 UN warns unregulated neurotechnology could threaten mental privacy

✉️ 'Millions' of sensitive US military emails mistakenly sent to MaliLINK

Millions of emails associated with the US military have been accidentally sent to Mali for over 10 years due to a common typo, with the .MIL domain frequently being replaced with Mali's .ML.

Johannes Zuurbier, who was contracted to manage Mali's domain, has intercepted 117,000 of these misdirected emails since January, some containing sensitive US military information, but his contract ends soon, leaving the authorities in Mali with potential access to this information.

Despite awareness and efforts from the Department of Defense (DoD) to block such errors, the issue persists, particularly for other government agencies and those working with the US government, which may continue to send emails to the wrong domain.

📺 Netflix subscriber numbers soar after password sharing crackdownLINK

Netflix's password sharing crackdown in the US is reportedly yielding results, with analysts expecting an announcement of an increase of 1.8 million new subscribers in the last financial quarter, bringing the total to around 234.5 million.

New data shows Netflix's new subscriber count grew 236% between May 21 and June 18, with the company experiencing its four largest days of US user acquisitions during this period, according to analytics firm Antenna.

It is unclear how many of the new subscribers are using Netflix with ads or are added users to existing plans, which could impact the ARPU (average revenue per user), a crucial metric for shareholders; the price increase for adding users has raised concerns for families who share their Netflix plans.

🚀 Virgin Galactic's first private passenger flight to launch next monthLINK

Virgin Galactic is expected to launch its first private passenger spaceflight, Galactic 02, on August 10th, following its first successful commercial flight in June.

There are three passengers aboard, including an early ticket buyer, Jon Goodwin, and the first Caribbean mother-daughter duo, Keisha Schahaff and Anastasia Mayers, who won seats in a fundraising draw for Space for Humanity.

While the company has operated at a loss for years, losing over $500 million in 2022, the introduction of paying customers and an increase in flight frequency are crucial steps towards making a case for the viability of space tourism and recouping losses.

🔒 US chip sale restrictions could backfireLINK

The Biden administration is considering imposing restrictions on the sale of advanced semiconductors to China.

This potential move could jeopardize substantial new government investments in domestic chip manufacturing.

The U.S. chip-industry trade group expressed their concerns about these proposed measures on Monday.

🧠 UN warns unregulated neurotechnology could threaten mental privacyLINK

The UN warns that unregulated neurotechnology utilizing AI chip implants presents a serious risk to mental privacy and could pose harmful long-term effects, such as altering a young person's thought processes or accessing private emotions and thoughts.

While Neuralink, Elon Musk's venture into neurotechnology, wasn't specifically mentioned, the UN emphasised the urgency of establishing an international ethical framework for this rapidly advancing technology.

The UN's Agency for Science and Culture is working on a global ethical framework, focusing on how neurotechnology impacts human rights, as concerns grow about the technology's potential for capturing basic emotions and reactions without individual consent, which could be exploited by data-hungry corporations or result in permanent identity shaping in neurologically developing children.

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Norway's privacy regulator is threatening daily fines against Meta for privacy violations, following a European ruling prohibiting data harvesting for advertising.LINK

An original, factory-sealed 2007 iPhone with 4GB storage, a rare item among collectors, sold for nearly $200,000 at auction.LINK

Russian authorities are banning government employees from using Apple devices for work, amidst allegations of US spying operations involving these devices.LINK

Ford has significantly reduced the prices of its F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck range, citing increased production capacity and cheaper battery materials.LINK

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