Entrepreneurs edition
This week is about an emergency update for PHP, the software behind many websites, and about AI tools that ask for more of your data.
Two critical PHP flaws: updating is the only fix
The makers of PHP released emergency updates on Wednesday. They fix two critical flaws. These flaws let attackers take control of a system remotely. The flaws are in all PHP installations that handle web requests, going back to PHP 5 from 2004. Only PHP 8.2 and newer still get official patches. Patches are repairs for flaws. Some distributions and vendors still make their own fixes for older versions. The PHP Foundation says there is no complete solution and updating is the only safe choice. WordPress, Drupal and Magento run on PHP. Cloudflare saw attacks before the flaws were public. Later the number of attempts grew to millions. Some governments took sites offline as a precaution, including the website of the port of Rotterdam. On Friday morning no successful attacks had been reported yet. Researchers at Calif and Wiz found the flaws with AI tools from OpenAI. Details leaked earlier than planned, so the announcement had to come quickly.
Background for subscribersAsk your hosting provider which PHP version your site uses and whether that version still gets a fix. Do not share revenue figures or staff planning through the share link of an AI tool, because with Muse such conversations could be found. Only connect Gmail or Drive to Personal Intelligence once you have deliberately decided that customer data may be used in AI search.
Google makes the line between Gmail and ads less clear
On 16 October Google changed its privacy policy. Before, it clearly said Google does not show personalised ads based on your content from Drive, Gmail or Photos. That line is now less clear. Android Authority was the first to spot the change. It is linked to Personal Intelligence, a feature from early 2026. With it, you pass data from several apps to Google's AI products, such as the Gemini app and AI Mode in search. Ars Technica reads the new text as saying this data may count in personalised ads. Google says ads are not based directly on your inbox or photo library and that linking is voluntary. Google says it does not use sensitive information to tailor ads.
Background for subscribersThis is a taster.
Subscribers read the whole Entrepreneurs edition: every story, each with its background in plain language.
Subscribe →Not ready for that? Read the free letter first →
AI and tech, made simple.
This is the Entrepreneurs edition. Subscribers get the background to every story, in plain language.
Subscribe
inklaretaal · Amsterdam · © 2026