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European Space Agency Chief Urges Europe to Raise Its Ambitions
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- ESA’s chief Josef Aschbache said Europe “needs to raise its ambition” to keep up in the space industry
- European aerospace group Airbus recently laid off 2,500 workers
- Aschbache shared concerns about lagging behind powerful global competitors
Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), said Europe needs to work harder to compete against global space organizations to succeed in the space race.
According to Reuters , large European satellite makers are building alliances to keep up with new technologies and developments to compete against Elon Musk’s Starlink. However, Aschbacher hasn’t disclosed information about these possible strategic relations but shared concerns about Europe not being able to keep up in the industry.
“Europe needs to accelerate its activities in space, needs to raise its profile, needs to raise its ambition, otherwise we will risk falling behind,” Aschbacher said during an interview with the news agency in Milan at the global space meeting this week.
Aschbacher believes in the current talent and resources but worries about the future. “I know that we have the capacity and excellence of the European industry. What I’m more worried about is … how and what does Europe need to succeed on the global stage?” said the intergovernmental organization’s director.
“Being successful means using taxpayers’ money in the best possible way to create a maximum impact for our industry for European needs, and obviously also to put them in good conditions for the global competitive base, ” added Aschbacher.
Just a few days ago, the European aerospace group Airbus announced the layoff of 2,500 jobs from its Defence and Space division due to losses in the satellite business.
ESA faces strong competition from international organizations and companies like Starlink and SpaceX—which recently launched its fifth starship rocket and made history by catching a heavy booster back in the launch tower for the first time.
More private companies are building and developing space technologies. Robinhood’s cofounder recently launched a space-based solar power startup called Aetherflux .
Image from Freepik
Instagram Launches New Features to Combat Teen Sextortion Scams
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- Screenshotting disappearing images in DMs will soon be blocked.
- Accounts showing scammy behavior will face stricter follow request limitations.
- Nudity protection will blur explicit images sent in direct messages.
Instagram announced yesterday the rollout of new safety features aimed at protecting teens from sextortion scams, a form of online blackmail where scammers threaten to release intimate images unless the victim provides more photos or pays a ransom.
These features are designed to address the increasing threat to young users who are often manipulated into sharing explicit content. These initiatives follow Instagram’s test in April .
Sextortion typically involves coercing victims into sending sexually explicit images or videos, which are then used as leverage for further demands. According to Instagram, scammers often mislead teens about their location to build trust, tricking them into sharing sensitive content.
To combat this, Instagram will soon test new safety notices in its direct messages and Messenger apps, informing teens if they are chatting with someone who may be located in a different country, reported NCJA .
One of the upcoming guardrails will prevent users from screenshotting or screen recording disappearing images or videos sent in private messages. If the sender enables replays, the platform will also block the recipient from opening them via the web.
However, Instagram acknowledges that these measures won’t stop scammers from using other devices to capture the images, as noted by TechCrunch .
These initiatives follow Instagram’s introduction of Teen Accounts , which offer built-in protections to limit who can contact underage users, the type of content they see, and how much time they spend online.
Teens under 16 are now restricted from changing certain account settings without parental approval. The platform also limits who can message teens, ensuring they can only receive direct messages from people they follow. Further restrictions will soon prevent accounts that show signs of suspicious behavior from even requesting to follow teens.
In addition, Instagram is testing tools to block scammers from viewing follower lists, which are often used by sextortionists to blackmail teens. Scammers will also lose access to other features, such as viewing tagged accounts and photos, reducing their ability to exploit teens.
With the global rollout of nudity protection in direct messages, Instagram aims to blur any images flagged as containing nudity by default for users under 18.
By increasing safeguards for teen users, Instagram hopes to offer a safer online experience and limit the tactics scammers use to manipulate and exploit young people.
