Tech and AI this week: security, access and AI rules
khabr.pk's technology stories this week fell into three groups: digital security, how Pakistanis get online and pay for devices, and who sets the rules for AI. Each connects to people and businesses in Pakistan.
- Security stories ranged from a $6.3bn crypto theft to a TeamViewer flaw.
- Pakistan's YouTube use is high, but phone financing rules are unresolved.
- Major AI firms backed a shared opt-out signal for AI training.
This week's technology stories can be read in three groups: security, access and cost, and the rules around AI. Each group touches readers in Pakistan, from households that watch video on phones to businesses that rely on remote software.
The first theme is security. On 30 October khabr.pk reported that Binance said about $6.3 billion in crypto assets was stolen, the largest known theft of its kind. Binance said user funds are safe and that it will cover losses. On 3 November khabr.pk reported that North Korea denied U.S. allegations over the hack. Elliptic said about $2.85 billion has been frozen or seized, and Binance said it has covered about 95% of the affected amount.
Closer to home, khabr.pk reported on 29 October that the PTA detected 326 significant cyber threat indicators through Dark Web monitoring in a year. Website defacement made up 174 of them, alongside 87 data leaks and 41 DDoS threats. On 2 November, National CERT asked TeamViewer users to update to version 15.83 or later after a flaw rated 8.8 on the CVSS scale was found. Taken together, the stories show that threats range from very large thefts to everyday problems such as defaced websites and outdated software.
The second theme is access and cost. On 3 November khabr.pk reported that the PTA chairman told a National Assembly committee that 96 million Pakistanis use YouTube and 560 million videos are watched in Pakistan each day. A minister said 1.8 million people use 5G in 24 cities. Yet on 4 November khabr.pk reported that the framework for smartphone installment financing is still unresolved. Jazz, PTCL/Ufone, Telenor and Zong wrote to the PTA on 7 May 2026 asking for rules on financing and repayment defaults, and industry sources say nothing is final. The State Bank released draft Open Banking Regulations on 30 October 2026. On 5 November khabr.pk also reported that Spotify launched Audiobooks+ in Pakistan at Rs489 a month for 15 hours of listening.
The third theme is the rules around AI. On 31 October khabr.pk reported that OpenAI, Google, Microsoft and Anthropic back a shared robots.txt signal that lets websites state their AI training preferences. Anthropic has adopted it, Google and Microsoft plan to support it next year, and OpenAI says it will do so in the coming months. On 4 November, Google faced criticism over its school tools, where search would be off by default and schools can turn it back on. On 29 October Mistral released the weights of its Large 4 model, which can be downloaded from Hugging Face.
Apple's foldable iPhone Duo, which khabr.pk covered on 3 November, belongs to the cost theme. It launched at $1,999, preorders sold out quickly, and Apple cannot say when supply will meet demand.
Several questions remain open. The financing framework for phones has no final form. The AI opt-out signal depends on companies following through. The Binance case continues, with funds still being traced.
Why it matters
Businesses and individuals in Pakistan use remote tools and online platforms, so the TeamViewer warning and the PTA's threat figures bear directly on them. Households and phone buyers are affected by the unresolved financing rules for smartphones. Heavy online video use shows how many people depend on mobile networks. Website owners are affected by the shared AI opt-out signal, which lets them state their preferences on AI training.
