I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

When Obi-Wan Kenobi says this in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, he senses that something profound just changed in the galaxy. A powerful presence has vanished. The balance of power shifting in ways that will ripple far beyond the immediate moment. As Yoda later describes the Force: “Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us, binds us.” In this way, artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to play a role for the US Defense Industrial Base (DIB) not unlike the Force itself—quietly enhancing the capabilities of engineers, analysts, and compliance professionals across thousands of organizations supporting national defense programs.

So what could happen if a major AI player suddenly disappears from the board?Continue Reading Orbiting A.I.-deraan? A Disturbance in the Force for the Defense Industrial Base

California Attorney General (AG) Rob Bonta announced the largest settlement under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) against The Walt Disney Company (Disney) for failing to honor customers’ requests to opt out of the sale or sharing of their data across all devices and streaming services linked to their Disney accounts. Essentially, Disney made it too difficult for consumers.  Businesses should evaluate their internal structure for responding to consumer requests. California has put a hefty price tag to make sure that more than appearances matter. As discussed in prior alerts, this follows the joint investigative sweep announced in September 2025 among California, Connecticut, and Colorado to investigate businesses refusing to honor consumers’ right to opt out of the sale of their personal information.Continue Reading Opt Me Out! California Lessons on National Privacy Enforcement