Matt Burgess (WIRED)

@mattburgess1

Security writer @wired.com Cybercrime, privacy, surveillance, and more. Signal: mattburgess.20 | Email: matt_burgess@wired.com

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Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· 13d

These are generally pretty awful, but there are so many legitimate concerns—for researchers, journalists, intelligence/OSINT folks—about the ability to easily manipulate satellite imagery with AI www.digitaldigging.org/p/how-to-pla...

A Google Maps genAI result for Washington DC after a nuclear incident

A Google Maps genAI result for London after a nuclear incident

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Jul 9

sigh

Screenshot from London Marathon entry:

We're sorry, Matt!
We’re sorry that you didn’t get a 2027 Double TCS London Marathon place via the random ballots for both the Saturday and Sunday. But all is not lost! There are still lots of ways to take on a marathon next April.

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Jul 7

From Belgium's X and Instagram accounts

Screenshot of Belgian Red Devils' post on X which says: Overturn this. Following their victory in the World Cup over the United States

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Jun 18

Apparently this is instead of x-rays, per gov info www.gov.uk/government/p...

$The announcement marked a shift away from proposed use of scientific methods such as X-rays and scans which are no longer being pursued. This was confirmed in a November 2025 Home Office policy paper which said: “Early assessment suggests that facial age estimation is effective and could produce workable results much quicker than other potential methods, such as bone X-rays or MRI scans, and at a fraction of the cost.” The Home Office has been clear that FAE would be used only as a supplementary tool for immigration officers, providing additional information to help them make initial age decisions. It won’t be relied upon to make a definitive age decision or to replace holistic approaches such as Merton-compliant age assessments.$

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Jun 16

WIRED and @indicator.media's tracker of deepfake sexual abuse in schools is now at more than 100 cases around the world. When we published this piece in April, the total count was under 90: www.wired.com/story/deepfa... Map and data here: indicator.media/nudifiers-un... (cc @mantzarlis.com)

Screenshot of WIRED/Indicator Media's tracker of AI nudifiers targeting school communities. The screenshot shows a global map with instances plotted onto it

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Jun 8

Home Sec on X "This technology is already on devices. The tech firms just need to switch it on to block children from seeing nude imagery "There is no reporting, no data collection, no monitoring, and no images leaving the device. All adults will be able to switch off the protections if [18+]

Screenshot of UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood post on X:

I make no apologies for doing the right thing to protect children from paedophiles. This is about stopping the coercion and sextortion of children, not surveilling or policing people’s phones.

This technology is already on devices. The tech firms just need to switch it on to block children from seeing nude imagery.

There is no reporting, no data collection, no monitoring, and no images leaving the device. All adults will be able to switch off the protections if they are over 18.

This is targeted, proportionate and - most importantly - it protects children from vile abusers.

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Jun 8

Looks like the UK is going for some combination of client-side scanning/similar approach, plus device-level age verification requirements? Cannot see Apple/Google voluntarily implementing what the government wants within the three months that's been asked

Screenshot of BBC News website on Kier Starmer's plans for child safety features

Companies will have three months to act or face new laws, government says
Breaking
The government has released further detail about Starmer's announcement that the government wants tech firms to prevent children from sending and receiving explicit images.

Here's an overview:

Britain will become the first country in the world where it is impossible for children to take, share or view naked pictures on their devices, the government says
Big tech companies like Apple and Google must activate built-in features or implement technical solutions to detect and block nude images for children on both new and existing smartphones and tablets it says, which would block nudity across the whole device by default
Those over 18 would still be able to take, share or view nude content through an age verification process, it says
If the companies do not act within three months, the government will bring forward legislation to force them to activate blocking technology, it says
This would include fines for companies failing to comply, it says, adding "nothing is off the table", and as a last resort the government is exploring criminal liability for tech bosses who fail to comply
The government says 91% of online child sexual abuse reports recorded in 2024 contained self-generated content from children themselves and the average child now views pornography by age 13

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Apr 30

Never seen this Telegram moderation prompt before: a group is temporary unavailable to allow members to "clean up" pornographic content that was posted

Sorry, this group is temporarily inaccessible on your device to give its moderators time to clean up after users who posted pornographic content. We will reopen the group as soon as order is restored.

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Apr 18

Saw a snake for the first time in the wild in the UK today, about 20-30cm in length. It was having a sunbathe on the path. (I assume it’s some sort of small grass snake)

Small snake, light brown, on chalky stone

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Apr 15

I teamed up with @mantzarlis.com and @indicator.media to create a database and map of these cases—and there are likely many more! See all the data here: indicator.media/p/more-than-...

Map of deepfake school abuse incidents around the world

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Mar 17

NEW: US retailer Sears left a database of people's interactions with its AI chatbot exposed to the internet—including 3.7 million chat logs and audio files of chats. Terrible for privacy, but also people were quick to get pissed off with the bots

Just two minutes into one 76-minute audio call observed by Fowler, the person trying to get help from the company asks to speak to a human. The AI voice bot responds: “I am fully equipped to address your needs efficiently and can resolve your issue right away. Whereas connecting with a live agent may involve a short wait.” Just a few minutes later, the bot struggles to complete the task it is asked about. “I am facing some errors while assisting you with your plan. Can I transfer your call to our live agent who will help with your request?”

In one text transcript, which begins near 11 am and ends at 1:30 pm, a person speaking with the Samantha “AI virtual voice” grows increasingly frustrated with the replies. “Where's my technician?” they repeat 28 times in a row. After getting some more responses they were unhappy with, the transcript shows, the person repeats: “You’re a computer. You’re a computer. You’re a computer.”

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Jan 12

Per Ofcom's announcement, this is the full list what it will be investigating within the parameters of the Online Safety Act

Ofcom has decided to open a formal investigation to establish whether X has failed to comply with its legal obligations under the Online Safety Act – in particular, to:

assess the risk of people in the UK seeing content that is illegal in the UK, and to carry out an updated risk assessment before making any significant changes to their service;
take appropriate steps to prevent people in the UK from seeing ‘priority’ illegal content – including non-consensual intimate images and CSAM;[3]
take down illegal content swiftly when they become aware of it;
have regard to protecting users from a breach of privacy laws;
assess the risk their service poses to UK children, and to carry out an updated risk assessment before making any significant changes to their service; and
use highly effective age assurance to protect UK children from seeing pornography.[4]

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Jan 5

The UK's communications and online safety regulator Ofcom says it has made "urgent contact" with Elon Musk's X and xAI about how Grok's image generator has been used to create sexualized images of child and "undress" photos

An Ofcom spokesperson said: “Tackling illegal online harm and protecting children remain urgent priorities for Ofcom.

“We are aware of serious concerns raised about a feature on Grok on X that produces undressed images of people and sexualised images of children.

“We have made urgent contact with X and xAI to understand what steps they have taken to comply with their legal duties to protect users in the UK. Based on their response we will undertake a swift assessment to determine whether there are potential compliance issues that warrant investigation.”

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Dec 31

But first some blue skies…

View from top of Greenwich Park across London

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Dec 31

So nice to see blue sky! (And seems like today isn’t going to be the end of it)

London weather forecast, showing sun for several days in a row but low temperatures

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Dec 24

There’s a real sharp contrast between the UK and France/EUs statements on the US visa bans 🧐 From BBC story: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

French President Emmanuel Macron called it "intimidation", while the UK government said it is "fully committed" to upholding free speech.
"While every country has the right to set its own visa rules, we support the laws and institutions which are working to keep the internet free from the most harmful content," a UK government spokesperson said.
Macron said the US measures "amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty". The EU "strongly condemned" the visa ban and said it had asked the US for clarification. Spain's foreign ministry meanwhile described the move as "unacceptable measures between partners and allies".

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Nov 26

Here's some before and after images of one section of KK Park. Clearly a bunch of buildings have been destroyed and left as rubble. But this is only a tiny part of the sprawling compound Images: Vantor Tech

Before image of the KK Park scam compound being constructed

After image of some destruction at the KK Park scam compound

Image showing the entirety of KK Park scam compound

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Nov 14

Another affidavit claims there were at least 79 Starlink dishes on the roof of the notorious Tai Chang scam compound. People trafficked to run scams at Tai Chang have been subject to "rape, torture, and murder," the affidavit says. (Images include the alleged number of dishes on each building)

Satellite image of Tai Chang scam compound with alleged number of Starlink dishes on the roof of each building

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Nov 14

The affidavit says experts analyzed buildings at the Three Pagodas Pass scam compounds and identified at least 26 Starlink satellite dishes on the roofs of buildings

Satellite image from affidavit linked to SpaceX, saying 26 satellites dishses are on the roofs of one cluster of buildings

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Oct 28

NEW: The number of phones being searched at the US border just hit another high - 16,000 devices were searched in the last three months—a record high for a quarter - 55,000 in the fiscal year 2025 (Oct-Sept)—a yearly record high Story with @dell.bsky.social here: www.wired.com/story/cbp-se...

Chart showing the rise in number of phones and electronics being searched at the US border each fiscal year. Chart peaks in 2025 Fiscal Year with 55,000 devices being searched

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Oct 27

WIRED's AI package launches today: 17 stories about how AI is changing us and the world we live in, from AI weaponry to what happens when the bubble bursts Read them all here @wired.com: www.wired.com/ai-issue/

Hundreds of millions of people use it. Trillions of dollars fuel it. In 2025, the conversation around AI turned from what it could be to what it is: Large language models are now everywhere, in our schools and our homes, on therapist couches and government computers. We feed it our data, and tell it our secrets. The world is collectively engaged in a live experiment, with few controls and almost no regulation; the best-case and the worst-case scenarios all seem to end with our planet being forever transformed.

WIRED can’t tell the future, but we can try to make sense of it. Behold: 17 readings from the furthest reaches of the AI age.

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Oct 22

SpaceX claims it has “disabled” more than 2,500 Starlink terminals being used around scam compounds in Myanmar. I believe it’s the first time Starlink has publicly commented on use of its devices at the compounds. (Despite me and many other reporters, and officials, asking it over the last year)

SpaceX complies with local laws in all 150+ markets where
@Starlink
is licensed to operate. SpaceX continually works to identify violations of our Acceptable Use Policy and applicable law because - as with nearly all consumer electronics and services - the same technology that can provide immense benefits has a risk of misuse. On the rare occasion we identify a violation, we take appropriate action, including working with law enforcement agencies around the world. In Myanmar, for example, SpaceX proactively identified and disabled over 2,500 Starlink Kits in the vicinity of suspected “scam centers”.

We are committed to ensuring the service remains a force for good and sustains trust worldwide: both connecting the unconnected and detecting and preventing misuse by bad actors.

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Oct 22

OpenAI launched its AI browser yesterday—and of course there's an option where it can access all your browsing history. More and more these AI platforms—especially agents—want access to all your data to ~personalize~ answers WIRED story on the Atlas browser here: www.wired.com/story/openai...

Another feature OpenAI highlighted in the livestream is Atlas’ ability to collect “browser memories.” The capability is optional, and is an iteration of ChatGPT’s existing memory tool that stores details about users based on their past interactions with the chatbot. The browser can recall what you searched for in the past and use that data when suggesting topics of interest and actions to take, like automating an online routine it detects or returning back to a website you previously visited that could be helpful for a current project.

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Oct 14

Some key points from the US indictment against the Prince Group CEO — It claims the Group used political influence—including with China's MSS intelligence agency—to protect criminal operations — There are photos of people allegedly beaten at the scam compounds an image of a phone farm being used

A photo of a "phone farm" where automated call centers used to facilitate cryptocurrency investment fraud and other cybercrimes

Photos of allegedly beaten and men working for a Cambodian scam compound

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Oct 14

Oh good, ChatGPT is getting "erotica for verified adults" later this year

We made ChatGPT pretty restrictive to make sure we were being careful with mental health issues. We realize this made it less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems, but given the seriousness of the issue we wanted to get this right.

Now that we have been able to mitigate the serious mental health issues and have new tools, we are going to be able to safely relax the restrictions in most cases.

In a few weeks, we plan to put out a new version of ChatGPT that allows people to have a personality that behaves more like what people liked about 4o (we hope it will be better!). If you want your ChatGPT to respond in a very human-like way, or use a ton of emoji, or act like a friend, ChatGPT should do it (but only if you want it, not because we are usage-maxxing).

In December, as we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our “treat adult users like adults” principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults.

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Oct 14

Just, you know, the locations of military ships and Blackhawk helicopters being broadcast unencrypted to the planet...

The researchers’ satellite dish also pulled down a significant collection of unprotected military and law enforcement communications. They obtained, for instance, unencrypted internet communications from US military sea vessels, as well as the vessels’ names. (A spokesperson for the US Defense Information Systems Agency acknowledged WIRED’s request for comment but had not provided a response at the time of writing).

For Mexican military and law enforcement, the exposures were far worse: The researchers say they found what appeared to be unencrypted communications with remote command centers, surveillance facilities, and units of the Mexican military and law enforcement. In some cases, they saw the unprotected transmission of sensitive intelligence information on activities like narcotics trafficking. In others, they found military asset tracking and maintenance records for aircraft like Mil Mi-17 and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, sea vessels, and armored vehicles, as well as their locations and mission details. “When we started seeing military helicopters, it wasn’t necessarily the sheer volume of data, but the extreme sensitivity of that data that concerned us,” says Schulman. The Mexican military did not immediately respond to WIRED’s requests for comment.

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Aug 8

As well as listing possible real-world names, a spreadsheet also lists the "ownership" of the IT worker team as: “Ryonbong” That's likely referring to defense company Korea Ryonbong General Corporation, which has been linked to North Korea's nuclear and weapons programs for years

Another spreadsheet also lists members as being part of a “unit” called “KUT,” a potential abbreviation of North Korea’s Kim Chaek University of Technology, which has been cited in US government warnings about DPRK-linked IT workers. One column in the spreadsheet also lists “ownership” as “Ryonbong,” likely referring to defense company Korea Ryonbong General Corporation, which has been sanctioned by the US since 2005 and UN since 2009. “The vast majority of them [IT workers] are subordinate to and working on behalf of entities directly involved in the DPRK’s UN-prohibited WMD and ballistic missile programs, as well as its advanced conventional weapons development and trade sectors,” the US Treasury Department said in a May 2022 report.

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Jul 28

Image of first portion of letter sent from Senator Margaret Hassan to Elon Musk:

Dear Mr. Musk:
According to an October 2024 report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime, transnational criminal groups have used Starlink, a satellite internet serviced owned by
SpaceX, to facilitate fraud against individuals in the United States.1 The U.S. Treasury
Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has warned that these groups have caused
billions of dollars in losses for Americans.2
In addition, since November 2022, the Secret Service
has received more than 8,000 complaints related to digital asset scams, many with traces to scam
networks in Southeast Asia.3 Given the significant financial consequences for Americans, I write
today to request information about SpaceX’s efforts to prevent the misuse of Starlink in
transnational fraud.
Experts have stated that scam networks in Southeast Asia turn to Starlink for its
portability, decentralized infrastructure, and independence from national telecom networks.4
In
one example, a Wired investigation found that across eight scam compounds in Myanmar, at least

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· Jul 25

The UK introduced “robust” age checks for porn and other online content today Also related: VPN interest massively up in the UK, according to Google Trends Story with @lhn.bsky.social: www.wired.com/story/the-ag...

Screenshot of WIRED article.

Headline: The Age-Checked Internet
Has Arrived

Starting today, UK adults will have to prove their age to access porn online. Experts warn that a global wave of age-check laws threatens to chill speech and ultimately harm children and adults alike.

Screenshot of Google Trends VPN interest for the last 30 days in the UK, showing a large spike in recent days

Matt Burgess (WIRED)@mattburgess1· May 30

What are we doing here. Tesco supermarket AI cameras that make sure you scan items at self-service tills and do a video replay if it detects something wrong www.independent.co.uk/life-style/f...