Welcome to the September 12, 2025 edition of ACM TechNews, providing timely information for computer professionals three times a week.

HEADLINES AT A GLANCE

• Nepal’s Social Media Ban Backfires as Politics Moves to Chat Room
• ACM Signs ACM Open Agreement with Canadian Regional Consortia
• DNA Cassette Tape Can Store Every Song Ever Recorded
• Children Hacking Schools for Fun, U.K. Watchdog Warns
• FTC Investigates AI ‘Companion’ Chatbots
• Google Accepts Seoul's Security Requirements for Map Data Transfer
• White Hat Hackers Reveal Vulnerabilities in NASA Software
• Seven-Eleven Begins Trial of Robots in Japan Stores
• Time’s Kid of the Year Protects Seniors from Cybercrime
• EPA Seeks to Speed Permitting for AI Infrastructure
• Quantum Router Could Speed Up Quantum Computers
• Robot Helps Disabled Children Walk at Calgary Schools

Nepal’s Social Media Ban Backfires as Politics Moves to Chat Room

An attempt to ban social media in Nepal triggered violent protests that toppled the prime minister, left Parliament in flames, and brought soldiers into the streets of capital Kathmandu. Citizens have turned to the Discord platform to debate leadership. A chatroom there, organized by civic group Hami Nepal, now has over 145,000 members, largely Gen Z activists. “The Parliament of Nepal right now is Discord,” a content creator from Kathmandu said.
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ACM Signs ACM Open Agreement with Canadian Regional Consortia

ACM signed a three-year read-and-publish agreement with eight Canadian regional library consortia representing 72 institutions. The pact provides those institutions Premium Access to the ACM Digital Library, ACM’s comprehensive collection of computing and information technology literature. “This agreement reflects the power of regional collaboration in expanding access to academic publishing,” said Scott Delman, ACM’s Director of Publications. “We are proud to work with this group of Canadian consortia to support Open Access publishing and increase the visibility of research coming out of Canada.”
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DNA Cassette Tape Can Store Every Song Ever Recorded

Researchers in China have developed a “DNA cassette,” merging retro design with cutting-edge data storage. The team at China’s Southern University of Science and Technology printed synthetic DNA molecules onto plastic tape, encoding digital files through DNA base sequences. To simplify retrieval, they added barcodes, likening the process to locating books in a library. The researchers said 100 meters of the tape can hold more than 3 billion pieces of music, at 10 megabytes per song.
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Children Hacking Schools for Fun, U.K. Watchdog Warns

The U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) issued a warning about the growing problem of students hacking school and college IT systems. Most insider breaches in education originate from pupils, often starting as dares or challenges, but sometimes causing serious damage. Since 2022, the ICO investigated 215 insider attacks, and found more than half (57%) were carried out by children, some of whom accessed staff systems, altered records, or stole personal data from peers.
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FTC Investigates AI ‘Companion’ Chatbots

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating seven tech companies over potential risks their AI chatbots could pose to children and teens. The inquiry targets companion-style bots that mimic human emotions and encourage users to form relationships. Companies under review include Alphabet, Meta, OpenAI, Snap, Character.AI, and xAI.
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Google Accepts Seoul's Security Requirements for Map Data Transfer

Google said it will comply with South Korea’s security demands to remove latitude and longitude coordinates from its map in order to gain approval to export high-precision map data overseas. The company also pledged to strengthen partnerships with local technology firms and to consider purchasing government-approved satellite images from local partners like Tmap Mobility. South Korea restricts overseas transfers of maps with a scale finer than 1:25,000 for security reasons.
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White Hat Hackers Reveal Vulnerabilities in NASA Software

White hat hackers uncovered vulnerabilities in open-source software used by space agencies and companies to control satellites, potentially allowing attackers to hijack spacecraft. The flaws, now patched, were disclosed at the Black Hat USA and DEF CON conferences. Andrzej Olchawa and Milenko Starcik of space cybersecurity company VisionSpace described the flaws in NASA’s core Flight System and in the Yamcs mission control system as “easy to exploit” and warned that overlooked cybersecurity poses risks to both open- and closed-source space systems.
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Seven-Eleven Begins Trial of Robots in Japan Stores

Seven-Eleven Japan has launched a three-month trial using robots to handle tasks such as restocking beverage shelves and cleaning at a Tokyo store, aiming to cut labor needs by about 30%. The pilot also features a monitor for remote customer support with multilingual assistance. Operations head Hiroki Takei said the initiative seeks to boost productivity while freeing up staff for new services.
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Time’s Kid of the Year Protects Seniors from Cybercrime

Tejasvi Manoj, 16, of Frisco, Texas, was recognized as TIME’s 2025 Kid of the Year as a result of her efforts to protect the elderly against cybercrime. She built Shield Seniors, a website that educates people over 60 about online scams, analyzes suspicious emails with AI, and directs victims to proper reporting channels. Manoj coded the platform herself with guidance from mentors and her IT-savvy parents.
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EPA Seeks to Speed Permitting for AI Infrastructure

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed easing permitting rules to speed construction of infrastructure needed for AI datacenters. The plan would allow companies to begin limited, non-emissions-related construction before obtaining Clean Air Act permits, a change aimed at addressing soaring energy demands from AI. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said outdated rules have hindered growth and innovation.
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Quantum Router Could Speed Up Quantum Computers

A quantum router developed by researchers at Stanford University could speed up useful algorithms by enabling quantum random access memory (QRAM). The quantum router, designed to manage internal information flow inside a quantum computer, was built from superconducting qubits controlled by electromagnetic pulses. It demonstrated about 95% fidelity when tested with three qubits and can encode addresses in superposition.
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Robot Helps Disabled Children Walk at Calgary Schools

A pilot project at schools in Calgary, Canada, is giving children with severe mobility challenges the chance to walk using a domestically-made robotic exoskeleton called the Trexo. The device, which uses motors at the hips and knees to guide leg movement, is being tested by eight students with conditions like cerebral palsy and spina bifida. Project lead Elizabeth Condliffe at the University of Calgary said the researchers have seen unexpected benefits to users of the device, including improved cognitive development, bone health, and sleep patterns.
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