Customer feedback analysis: understanding the hidden truth Customer feedback seems to reflect preferences, but deeper analysis reveals a different reality. While tools like surveys and focus groups provide structured insights, they frequently fail to capture real customer behaviour. Social desirability, hypothetical scenarios, and the gap between reported preferences and actual decisions create a misleading picture of customer needs and expectations.Take the case of an electronics company testing new colours for CD players in a focus group. Participants enthusiastically selected vibrant colours. But when they could take a CD player home, every participant chose the standard black or grey version.This example shows that what customers claim to want and what they actually choose, can be two different things. That is why the analysis of customer feedback needs to go beyond just listening to what people say. Pitfalls of NPS surveys Another example of customer feedback is Net Promoter Score. NPS is a widely used tool in customer feedback analysis, measuring satisfaction and loyalty. We strongly believe in the value of NPS, but only if customers share their scores voluntarily and without pressure.Sadly, many businesses aggressively push for high scores, sometimes even pressuring participants to rate them a 9 or 10, suggesting bonuses, commissions, and company targets depend on a great rating. This manipulation distorts the results and reduces the reliability of NPS. The real value of NPS lies in the follow-up question: Why did you give a certain score? A 3/10 rating without an explanation offers little actionable insight.Additionally, relying solely on NPS scores without any context can be misleading. A high score might indicate satisfaction, but does it correlate with repeat purchases or customer engagement? Similarly, a low score without behavioural context might not mean you’re losing customers. To get a clearer picture, effective customer feedback analysis should integrate multiple data sources. Beware of SINGLE-SOURCE FEEDBACK One of the most common mistakes in customer feedback analysis is relying on a single data source. Many companies base their insights exclusively on survey responses without integrating other crucial data points such as:Customer service interactionsPurchase history and brand engagementWebsite and app behaviourSocial media engagementFor example, consider survey participants who gave feedback but have not interacted with your brand in over a year. How valuable is their input? Without cross-referencing different sources, it is quite challenging to:Determine which research method is most appropriate for a specific questionIntegrate multiple insights into a coherent strategyTake meaningful action based on the feedbackPrioritise which feedback is truly valuableA thorough customer feedback analysis ensures that brands don’t make decisions based on isolated responses but instead consider real behavioural patterns and trends. "Customer feedback alone isn’t enough, you need behavioural data to truly understand what drives decisions and loyalty." Hans Palmers, Managing Partner and Digital & e-Commerce Strategist Keep it SIMPLE Traditional surveys often make respondents overthink their answers, leading to biased results. A smarter approach is to use implicit A/B testing or pairwise comparison to gather more reliable insights. For example: instead of asking customers to evaluate multiple options at once, you can present them two choices at a time (pairwise comparison). This makes decision-making easier and more instinctive while reducing the pressure of finding the ‘right’ answer. To much data, NOT ENOUGH INSIGHT The rise of new tools and methodologies, like eye tracking, behavioural data, feedback forms, and focus groups, has led to an overwhelming amount of data. However, more data does not automatically translate to better insights. Without structured customer feedback analysis, businesses often find themselves drowning in numbers without clear direction on how to act.The paradox is that in challenging times, the thirst for knowledge increases. Businesses collect more data in search of clarity, but all too often, they end up with noise instead of answers. That’s why it’s essential to refocus on the core of the brand and its true customer experience. "Collecting customer feedback is easy. The real challenge is turning it into meaningful actions." Hans Palmers, Managing Partner and Digital & e-Commerce Strategist How can June2O help you? At June20, we believe customer feedback can be a great source to drive growth. We like to focus on methodology and insight rather than just tools. The key to unlocking valuable feedback isn’t the tool you use, it’s in how you frame the question, interpret responses, and integrate findings into a broader strategy. Our approach ensures that:The right methodologies are applied to gather meaningful insightsData sources are integrated logically to form a complete pictureInsights are transformed into clear, actionable recommendations with maximum impactRather than getting lost in data overload, we help brands cut through the noise and make informed, strategic decisions.Want useful customer feedback? Let’s talk BiographyHans Palmers Hans began his professional journey as a Web Developer and Mentor. After three years, he joined TBWA, where he led a team in digital solutions for a decade. Following this, he shared his digital expertise at KUL, EHSAL and Thomas More for over ten years, as one of the founding partners. Embarking on a new venture, Hans founded Mundo Digitalis, specialised in digital solutions, and successfully led the agency for over 11 years. Over all these years, Hans did pioneering work in e-commerce and online banking. Recently Mundo Digitalis has integrated with June20, where Hans holds the position of Managing Partner & E-Commerce Strategist. The post Customer feedback analysis: understanding the hidden truth appeared first on June20.

Reuters reports that Elon Musk’s annoying chatbot, Grok, is now being used by the U.S. government. While the extent and nature of that usage is unclear, sources interviewed by the news outlet have expressed alarm at the implications of the chatbot’s access to government data. Grok was launched by xAI, an AI company founded by Musk in 2023,  and has since become integrated into Musk’s social media platform, X. The chatbot is known to summarize information in the most cringe-inducing manner possible, and was originally fashioned as an “anti-woke” antidote to ChatGPT and other more politically correct applications (though it’s turned out to be too woke for conservatives anyway). Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team is now using a customized version of Grok, with the apparent goal of sorting and analyzing tranches of data. The team may also be using the chatbot to prepare reports, sources told the outlet. Aside from the very obvious data privacy concerns raised by Grok’s integration with government data, it appears that, once again, Musk is at the center of a conflict-of-interest violation. In fact, Reuters characterizes the promotion of Grok as a potentially criminal transgression of federal regulations. The outlet writes: If Musk was directly involved in decisions to use Grok, it could violate a criminal conflict-of-interest statute which bars officials — including special government employees — from participating in matters that could benefit them financially, said Richard Painter, ethics counsel to former Republican President George W. Bush and a University of Minnesota professor. “This gives the appearance that DOGE is pressuring agencies to use software to enrich Musk and xAI, and not to the benefit of the American people,” said Painter. The statute is rarely prosecuted but can result in fines or jail time. Yes, but how many times have we heard that one before? Elon has conflicts of interest up the wazoo. He is a walking conflict of interest, at this point. To my knowledge, he’s never seen the interior of a courtroom and, unless he gets caught with a dead body or something, it seems doubtful he ever will. Ever since Musk helped Trump get re-elected with hundreds of millions from his own piggybank, he’s has been treating the U.S. government like his personal plaything to destroy. Everywhere you look, the billionaire appears to be benefiting from his work with the government, whether it’s the White House bullying tariffed countries to adopt services from the billionaire’s satellite internet company, Starlink, or a new report that shows the billionaire’s companies may have saved nearly $2.37 billion from federal fines and penalties that were active under Biden but have since been “neutralized” in the Trump era. As far as DOGE’s mandate goes, the organization has been an unmitigated failure. It has barely saved a fraction of the money that Musk initially claimed that it would and, in the long term, the cuts are likely to cost Americans money, since many of them have been to important agencies that dispense key services to Americans.

Is President Donald Trump leading a vanguard of right-wing populist world leaders, working together to lay waste to the liberal international order while consolidating power at home? Possibly — but based on his recent foreign policy actions, he doesn’t appear to think so. Establishment-bashing politicians around the world, from Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro to the Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte to the UK’s Boris Johnson, have drawn comparisons to Trump over the years. Some, notably Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and Argentina’s Javier Milei, have cultivated ties to the Trump-era American right, becoming fixtures at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and making the rounds on US talk shows and podcasts. In Romania’s recent presidential election, the leading right-wing candidate somewhat confusingly described himself as being on the “MAGA ticket.”Trump himself has occasionally weighed in on other countries’ political debates to endorse right-wing politicians like France’s embattled far-right leader Marine Le Pen. Some of Trump’s senior officials have spoken openly of wanting to build ties with the global right. In his combative speech at the Munich Security Conference earlier this year, Vice President JD Vance described what he sees as the unfair marginalization of right-wing parties in countries like Romania and Germany as a greater threat to Europe’s security than China or Russia. Trump ally Elon Musk has been even more active in boosting far-right parties in elections around the world. But just because Trump and his officials like to see politicians and parties in their own mold win, that doesn’t mean countries led by those politicians and parties can count on any special treatment from the Trump administration. This has been especially clear in recent weeks.Just ask Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has spent years cultivating close ties with the US Republican Party, and with Trump in particular, and has followed a somewhat similar path in bringing previously marginalized far-right partners into the mainstream. All that has been of little use as Trump has left his Israeli supporters aghast by carrying out direct negotiations with the likes of Hamas, the Houthis, and Iran and being feted by Gulf monarchs on a Middle East tour that pointedly did not include Israel. India’s Hindu nationalist prime minister, Narendra Modi, has likewise been compared to Trump in his populist appeal, majoritarian rhetoric, and dismantling of democratic norms. Trump has cultivated a massive coterie of fans among Hindu nationalist Modi supporters as well as a close working relationship with Modi himself. But after Trump announced a ceasefire agreement in the recent flare-up of violence between India and Pakistan, Trump enraged many of his Indian supporters with remarks that appeared to take credit for pressuring India to halt its military campaign and drew equivalence between the Indian and Pakistani positions. Adding insult to injury, Trump publicly criticized Apple for plans to move the assembly of American iPhones from China to India, a move that in other administrations might have been praised as a victory for “friendshoring” — moving the production of critical goods from adversaries to allies — but doesn’t advance Trump’s goal of returning industrial manufacturing to the US. Even Orbán, star of CPAC and favorite guest of Tucker Carlson, has appeared frustrated with Trump as of late. His government has described its close economic relationship with China as a “red line,” vowing not to decouple its economy from Beijing’s, no matter what pressure Trump applies. Orbán’s simultaneous position as the most pro-Trump and most pro-China leader in Europe is looking increasingly awkward. Overall, there’s simply little evidence that political affinity guides Trump’s approach to foreign policy, a fact made abundantly clear by the “Liberation Day” tariffs the president announced in April. Taking just Latin America, for example, Argentina — led by the floppy-haired iconoclast and Musk favorite Javier Milei — and El Salvador — led by Nayib Bukele, a crypto-loving authoritarian willing to turn his country’s prisons into an American gulag — might have expected exemptions from the tariffs. But they were hit with the same tariff rates as leftist-led governments like Colombia and Brazil. Ultimately, it’s not the leaders who see eye to eye with Trump on migration, the rule of law, or wokeness who seem to have his fear. It’s the big-money monarchs of the Middle East, who can deliver the big deals and quick wins he craves. And based on the probably-at-least-partly Trump-inspired drubbing inflicted on right-wing parties in Canada and Australia in recent elections, it’s not clear that being known as the “Trump of” your country really gets you all that much. Whatever his ultimate legacy for the United States and the world, he doesn’t seem likely to be remembered as the man who made global far-right populism great again, and he doesn’t really seem all that concerned about that. See More:

Image by Getty / FuturismDevelopmentsUnitedHealth, the largest healthcare insurer in the United States, reportedly went to extreme lengths to deny care to seniors and cut costs to pad out its profit margins.As The Guardian reports, nurse practitioners say that UnitedHealth pressed them to change patients' status to "do not resuscitate" — even after those same patients had "clearly expressed a desire that all available treatments be used to keep them alive.""They’re pretending to make it look like it’s in the best interest of the member," one practitioner told the British newspaper. "But it’s really not."UnitedHealth also allegedly tried to prevent patients from transferring hospitals, risking their health further.While the company has denied the allegations, the reporting paints an alarming picture of the state of healthcare in the United States, where insurance is treated much the same way as a tech company trying to maximize profits while cutting costs.UnitedHealth already has a lengthy track record of finding creative ways to deny people healthcare coverage, including deploying an AI that automatically denied and overrode claims for elderly patients.The company has attracted particular controversy after its CEO was murdered in December, in an apparent act of lethal anger at the injustices of a notoriously greedy and deficient system.The company has had a miserable year since then. Its shares have dropped almost 40 percent year to date, following a flood of damning reports.Following The Guardian's reporting today, UnitedHealth's stock price slid by more than six percent.The company has also been the subject of criminal and civil investigations into its practices, including medicare fraud, as Reuters reports.Last week, UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty abruptly resigned, citing "personal reasons" and drawing even more scrutiny over the company's operations.Whether the departure had anything to do with a continuous flood of bad press remains unclear. According to a whistleblower lawsuit cited by the Guardian, staffers at nursing homes were directly incentivized to leak sensitive resident records so that UnitedHealth sales teams could solicit their plans to them and their families.A patient who showed key symptoms of having suffered a stroke, for instance, was denied care by a remote and underqualified UnitedHealth employee, who suggested she was suffering from a less serious condition, according to UnitedHealth logs and records obtained by the newspaper. The delays caused by healthcare practitioners waiting to hear back from the insurer led to the patient's health deteriorating further.Per The Guardian, there have been countless other instances like it.In short, UnitedHealth seems far interested in cutting costs than ensuring people in senior homes stay healthy."How many of those people were further harmed because they never received the care that they needed?" former UnitedHealth nurse practitioner turned whistleblower Maxwell Ollivant told The Guardian. "When you just look at the percentage reductions in hospitalizations, it doesn’t say anything about patient outcomes."Share This Article

Upgrading your health is arguably the single most important thing for your survival in Doom: The Dark Ages. To make it through all the challenges entailed by fighting demons with minimal suffering, improving your health could mean the difference between life and death. And you can considerably improve your chance of staying alive if you upgrade your health in Doom: The Dark Ages. But your health bar is not a simple task. First, you need to prove yourself by fighting stronger – and quite annoying – demons and sucking their essence to make you stronger. In this Doom: The Dark Ages guide, we explain how to upgrade your health plus show you where to find all health upgrades. How to upgrade health in Doom: The Dark Ages While your guns, shield, and melee attacks can be upgraded using special currencies to buy new abilities in a Sentinel Shrine, increasing your health requires a little more fighting. Following the same idea as upgrading your ammo capacity and armor, health upgrades are permanent and obtained when you defeat leaders that grant those upgrades. All you need to do is to defeat them to collect their Demonic Essence.  Leaders are stronger than your usual demons. You can identify them with ease, since they have a blue-hued plus sign floating above their head. Below, see maps showing the locations of all health upgrades in Doom: The Dark Ages and the requisite leaders they’re associated with. Hebeth (Chapter 2) You face the first leader in the Doom: The Dark Ages in the second level, Hebeth. You find the leader of this level in the final segment of the map. Before you can challenge them, you must clear all the waves of enemies with all kinds of demons you found until then. A short cutscene will play when you’re done, showing the leader. They are a stronger version of the Pinky Rider demon. They still shoot a Hell Surge projectile to attack you, but their special move is a wave of shields. One of the shields is green and you must try to parry it. If you pay attention, the beast has armor. Even though it protects them from your attacks, the armor follows the rule as the regular metal shields some enemies carry. Superheat the armor then use the Shield Throw to remove it completely. Since this is a tough enemy, consider keeping some of the other demons alive during the fight so you can follow one of our tips and kill them to recover life. The Holy City of Aratum (Chapter 5) As you fly through the Holy City of Aratum in Chapter 5, you can land your cyberdragon on secret landing zones. The leader you want to fight in this chapter to receive a Health upgrade is in the first secret landing zone, a small tower on the left side of the starting gate. You must defeat a Titan who is defending the place before you can actually land in the arena. Once you’re there, enemies will spawn. Defeat some of them for the leader, a Pinky Rider demon, appears. Be careful with the other demons in the arena and focus on breaking the leader’s shield with the Accelerator. Parry their Hell Surge arrows and survive long enough to claim their Demonic Essence. Siege – Part 2 (Chapter 7) The third leader who gives you a Health upgrade is found in Chapter 7 “Siege – Parte 2”. You can’t miss them since they are a mandatory encounter in the main mission. While you are trying to defend the city and rescue Novik, you reach a part of the main building marked as a red zone on the map with a crowned skull icon. This is where you will be facing the leader. The leader is an armored Hell Knight. You have already faced one of these jumpy annoying demons when collecting the first Ammo upgrade. They keep pressuring you with melee attacks and throwing their axe at you.  Keep a distance and bait their Hell Surge axe attack to parry it. Break Hell Knight’s armor as soon as possible and keep your eyes open for the incoming attacks from the regular Hell Knights who are following the leader. Ancestral Forge (Chapter 9) In Chapter 9 “Ancestral Forge,” you find the next leader to fight as you progress in the main mission. They are in the red zone on the right side of the map, close to where you find the Purple Key.  When you get to the location of the encounter, you first need to clear the area of some groups of regular enemies. After a few minutes — and many demon bodies on the ground — the leader will appear. You face another armored Hell Knight, which is great considering this is the same kind of demon you defeated to get your last Health upgrade. Follow the same strategy and you will be fine. The Forsaken Plains (Chapter 10) While the enemies you’ve faced so far were not a breeze, be ready to meet a new kind of challenge when hunting leaders. Chapter 10 “The Forsaken Plains” has a Cyberdemon leader and they have a morale bar. You find them while you’re looking for the Hell Cannons to destroy them as your main mission. The arena where you fight the Cyberdemon is in front of one of these cannons. Before you can fight the leader, you need to deplete their morale bar and disable their shield by killing other demons. The leader doesn’t take damage while they have the shield up so you can’t rush the process. The best approach to a fight against a Cyberdemon is to get closer to them and bait their melee attacks, which you can parry. It is dangerous though, so learn to read their moves and parry all their Hell Purge attacks. Sentinel Command Station (Chapter 12) The sixth Health upgrade available for you is in Chapter 12 “Sentinel Command Station.” To find the leader in this chapter, just follow the main mission which asks you to defend the Command Station. Eventually, you will have to look for the Hangar Card key and also find a new weapon, the Ravager. When you get to this point, you’re right beside the leader’s room. The arena is a large space and the leader won’t appear until you have cleared the place by killing some of the demons who are already there. The leader this time is a Pinky Rider. You’ve already beaten many of these demons so go get their Demonic Essence. Spire of Nerathul (Chapter 14) Although it is not actually hidden, the leader in Chapter 14 “Spire of Nerathul” can be easily missed if you ignore the secondary objectives of this chapter. To find them, you move forward after deactivating the first Stasis Emitter.  On the path to find the second one, you will find a red zone with a crowned skull icon. All you will see in the area is a tree with a red portal above it. Once you destroy it, the leader and many other demons will appear. The leader is another Cyberdemon, but this time they have a morale bar. Begin by killing all the other demons to deplete the Cyberdemon’s bar. Start fighting them as soon as the shield goes down. City of Ry’uul (Chapter 15) As you explore the alien corridors of the City of Ry’uul in Chapter 15, finding the leader whose Demonic Essence raises your maximum Health is a matter of time. Follow the main mission until you get into a large circular room using a water tunnel.  There are some strong enemies – a Vagary and a Cacodemon Hybrid – waiting for you in this room. Kill them for the leader to finally appear. This time you fight an Agaddon Hunter leader. The best strategy is to learn their move set and parry their attacks. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by their attacks, run from them and look for weaker enemies to kill and recover Health, Armor, and Ammo.  Harbor of Souls (Chapter 19) Your main mission in Chapter 19 “Harbor of Souls” is to find the way to the Mortal Realm and you can imagine it’s going to be one hell of a journey. In the middle of the way, there is also a leader for you to defeat. The arena where you find the leader is after the first gate that requires the Red key. Keep following the path indicated by the game and you will eventually reach the place. Before you can actually fight the leader, you need to kill a Cosmic Baron and an armored Pinky Rider.  The leader is a Komodo, a complicated foe to face. They are quite agile and hit really hard, always pressuring you with their sequences of attacks. Wait for the right moment and use the Rocket Launcher. Since the leader is always close to you, it’s easy to land your shots. Resurrection (Chapter 20) The leader of Chapter 20 “Resurrection” is the first major enemy you face in the chapter. After the cutscene, pass over the Sentinel Shrine and you will see a vast area filled with demons. This leader, a Revenant, has a morale bar, which means that you must kill every demon you see before you can go land some shotgun bursts onto the leader. Since this is one of the last chapters in the game, you will find all kinds of enemies in the area. From a Cyberdemon to a Pinky Rider, there are enough deadly creatures ready to rip you apart if you don’t pay attention. 

Today’s U.S. farmers and agricultural businesses are navigating a complex landscape, with unique near-term and long-term challenges that include intensified global competition, record trade deficits, rising costs, and more frequent and extreme weather events.   These challenges have created economic instability across the entire agriculture sector with U.S. row crop farmer net income remaining persistently low for the third straight year. Estimates from the University of Illinois show that corn and soybean farmers could face a net loss of between $50 and $70 per acre this growing season. On top of this, global acreage has leveled off at 2.3 billion acres and the average yield for corn and soybeans has also slowed.  This uncertainty affects not only those who grow our food but also reverberates throughout the entire food system, threatening the stability we all depend on. It’s clear that our sector must get off unpredictable commodity rollercoaster and create a more predictable future for farm families, agricultural businesses, consumers, and communities.  Drawing on Land O’Lakes, Inc.’s 104 years of experience as a cooperative, we have learned that collaboration is crucial for bringing stability and predictability to the food and agriculture sectors. The ag community represents only around 1% of the population but, by working together, we can capture efficiencies and reinvest in innovation, expand market opportunities, and support the communities and local businesses that are essential to our nation’s food supply.  Become a student of the game  At Land O’Lakes we have a saying that “Our success starts with our member-owners’ success.” What this means is that our decisions and investments must be made with our cooperative owners in mind. This mantra has never been more important than today when external factors are pressuring our bottom lines and muddying the decision-making process.  In agriculture, we’re seeing pressure on the supply side as a result of global trade dynamics, a reduction in demand due to dips in commodity prices, and a rising cost to serve. All of which results in a tightening of margins up and down the food value chain.    To be clear, these challenges are hardly unique to our sector, and I see the remedy as equally universal. Business leaders must double down on being students of the game, keeping a pulse on market dynamics and geo-political developments to stay on offense. And it’s not enough to simply insulate your own business, we must think more collaboratively to identify solutions that serve partners up and down our value chains.  Inject predictability into our food system  To address the pressures facing American farmers, we must move beyond traditional methods and invest in modern technologies and data-driven solutions that provide detailed plans down to the acre and animal, help minimize risk to inject predictability into farm operations. By creating standardized, reliable, and secure datasets, the industry can provide insights that help farmers respond to environmental and market challenges, manage supply chains, and track production volumes with unprecedented precision.  As I look across this sector, I’m especially inspired by how Keystone Cooperative is working to drive predictability. This Indianapolis-based cooperative is using precise, field-level data to help growers respond to seasonal challenges and maximize their ROI by applying the right crop protection products at the right time and in a precise location.  For Land O’Lakes, data is the cornerstone of our innovation strategy. Through the WinField United Innovation Center, a leading agricultural applied research facility, we collect and analyze roughly six million data points annually to help farmers increase production, improve efficiency and optimize resource use. Those insights are then being delivered in a manner that reduces the risk farmers face each day. This includes low-interest financing, prescription programs with a performance warranty, and an AI assistant that provides real-time solutions to problems farmers encounter throughout the growing season.  The power of the cooperative mindset  In an era where traditional business models often prioritize short-term profits over long-term resilience, the cooperative model offers a compelling alternative. We like to say our capital is patient, meaning we can take a longer-term point of view—considering future generations as much as quarterly performance.  With a reach that touches 50% of the U.S. harvested acres, over 100 million animals daily, and 13 billion pounds of milk per year, the Land O’Lakes cooperative system also demonstrates the strength of collaboration and shared purpose. By working together with established business leaders that have earned local trust and demonstrated the ability to drive change, we can strengthen the economic prosperity of our shared businesses and communities.  The cooperative structure also fosters unique partnerships between stakeholders within and outside the agriculture sector. There’s a deeper level of commitment to shared success that shows up in business initiatives and community building alike. For instance, Land O’Lakes is collaborating with CentraCare to help establish the University of Minnesota CentraCare Regional Campus where medical students receive education, training, and career development opportunities in rural communities where local medical services are desperately needed.   Going forward  As we look ahead, I want to challenge other organizations to adopt this collaborative approach. Think externally and selflessly. Think long term. Think evolution. Even if you’re operating outside of the cooperative framework, this mindset can help solve the challenges we all face, enhance economic performance and uplift the communities we serve.   Brett Bruggeman is the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Land O’Lakes, Inc. 

According to Thales, AI and quantum threats have catapulted to the top of the worry list for organisations wrestling with data security. That’s the key takeaway from the cybersecurity giant’s 2025 Data Threat Report, an annual deep dive into the latest data security threats, emerging trends, and hot topics.This year’s findings are stark: almost seven out of ten organisations now see the sheer speed of AI development – especially where generative AI is concerned – as the number one security headache related to its adoption. This anxiety isn’t just about pace; it’s also fed by concerns over a fundamental lack of integrity in AI systems (flagged by 64% of those surveyed) and a troubling deficit in trustworthiness (a worry for 57%).Generative AI is a data-hungry beast, relying heavily on high-quality, often sensitive, information for core functions like training models, making inferences, and, of course, generating content.As we make rapid advancements in “agentic AI” – systems that can act more autonomously – the pressure to ensure data quality is high calibre becomes even more critical. After all, sound decisionmaking and reliable actions from AI systems depend entirely on the data they’re fed.Many organisations are already diving in, with a third of respondents indicating generative AI is either being actively integrated or is already a force for transformation within their operations.Security threats increase as organisations embrace generative AIAs generative AI throws up a complex web of data security challenges while simultaneously offering strategic avenues to bolster defences, its growing integration signals a distinct shift. Businesses are moving beyond just dipping their toes in the AI water; they’re now looking at more mature, operational deployments.Interestingly, while most respondents tabbed the swift uptake of GenAI as their biggest security concern, those further along the AI adoption curve aren’t hitting the pause button to completely lock down their systems or fine-tune their tech stacks before forging ahead. This dash for rapid transformation – often overshadowing efforts to ensure organisational readiness – could mean these companies are, perhaps unwittingly, creating their own most serious security weak spots.Eric Hanselman, Chief Analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence 451 Research, said: “The fast-evolving GenAI landscape is pressuring enterprises to move quickly, sometimes at the cost of caution, as they race to stay ahead of the adoption curve.“Many enterprises are deploying GenAI faster than they can fully understand their application architectures, compounded by the rapid spread of SaaS tools embedding GenAI capabilities, adding layers of complexity and risk.”On a more positive note, 73% of respondents report they are putting money into AI-specific security tools to counter threats, either through fresh budgets or by reshuffling existing resources. Those making AI security a priority are also diversifying their approaches: over two-thirds have sourced tools from their cloud providers, three in five are turning to established security vendors, and almost half are looking to new or emerging startups for solutions.What’s particularly telling is how quickly security for generative AI has climbed the spending charts, nabbing the second spot in ranked-choice voting, just pipped to the post by the perennial concern of cloud security. This shift powerfully underscores the growing recognition of AI-driven risks and the urgent need for specialised defences to counter them.Data breaches show modest decline, though threats remain elevatedWhile the nightmare of a data breach still looms large for many, their reported frequency has actually dipped slightly over the past few years.Back in 2021, 56% of enterprises surveyed said they’d experienced a breach at some point; that figure has eased to 45% in the 2025 report. Delving deeper, the percentage of respondents reporting a breach within the last 12 months has dropped from 23% in 2021 to a more encouraging 14% in 2025.When it comes to the persistent villains of the threat landscape, malware continues to lead the pack, holding onto its top spot since 2021. Phishing has craftily climbed into second place, nudging ransomware down to third.As for who’s causing the most concern, external actors dominate: hacktivists are currently seen as the primary menace, followed by nation-state actors. Human error, whilst still a significant factor, has slipped to third, down one position from the previous year.Vendors pressed on readiness for quantum threatsThe 2025 Thales Data Threat Report also casts a revealing light on the growing unease within most organisations about quantum-related security risks.The top threat here, cited by a hefty 63% of respondents, is the looming danger of “future encryption compromise.” This is the unsettling prospect that powerful quantum computers could one day shatter current or even future encryption algorithms, exposing data previously thought to be securely locked away. Hot on its heels, 61% identified key distribution vulnerabilities, where quantum breakthroughs could undermine the methods we use to securely exchange encryption keys. Furthermore, 58% highlighted the “harvest now, decrypt later” (HNDL) threat – a chilling scenario where encrypted data, scooped up today, could be decrypted by powerful quantum machines in the future.In response to these gathering clouds, half of the organisations surveyed are taking a hard look at their current encryption strategies with 60% already prototyping or evaluating post-quantum cryptography (PQC) solutions. However, it seems trust is a scarce commodity, as only a third are pinning their hopes on telecom or cloud providers to navigate this complex transition for them.Todd Moore, Global VP of Data Security Products at Thales, commented: “The clock is ticking on post-quantum readiness. It’s encouraging that three out of five organisations are already prototyping new ciphers, but deployment timelines are tight and falling behind could leave critical data exposed.“Even with clear timelines for transitioning to PQC algorithms, the pace of encryption change has been slower than expected due to a mix of legacy systems, complexity, and the challenge of balancing innovation with security.”There’s clearly a lot more work to be done to get operational data security truly up to speed, not just to support the advanced capabilities of emerging technologies like generative AI, but also to lay down a secure foundation for whatever threats are just around the corner.(Image by Pete Linforth)Want to learn more about cybersecurity and the cloud from industry leaders? Check out Cyber Security & Cloud Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including Digital Transformation Week, IoT Tech Expo, Blockchain Expo, and AI & Big Data Expo.Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars powered by TechForge here.

Digital empathy.The title of the article, “Digital Empathy: How product teams can support users with depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges,” and a gradient blobUsing human psychology to “hack” a good user experience is not a new concept. In fact, understanding psychology and tactically applying those principles is user experience design at its core.The connection between psychology and product design is one of the main reasons I chose to transition careers from mental health social work; I entered the product design industry with over a decade of deep understanding of psychology and human behavior.According to the World Health Organization, about 1 billion people worldwide live with mental illness (source). Rates of adults suffering from depression have risen 8.7% from 2017 to 2023 (source), and about one-third of US adults experience an anxiety disorder in their lifetime (source).A graph from the Gallup depicting the rising trends in depression from 2015 to 2023 (source).On top of that, the Federal Trade Commission has reported a rise in commercial companies using sophisticated digital designs called “deceptive patterns” (also known as dark patterns), manipulating users into giving up their money and personal data (source). These deceptive patterns exploit human psychology, especially in the most vulnerable users, like those with mental illnesses.Seeing the rise in mental illness and the simultaneous growth in deceptive patterns and bad UX, I began to connect product design, accessibility, and mental illness. Or rather, I have begun to expand my understanding and definition of accessibility to include mental illness. I began to ask myself:What does it mean to design products that are more accessible to those with mental illness?Co-creationThe process of designing and building products that are accessible to those with mental health disorders should always start with the people who live with mental illness. This idea is probably not surprising or groundbreaking for most product designers because empathy and the user are centered in the standard design process. However, due to the vulnerabilities those with mental illnesses have, the collaboration and co-creation process should be altered and adjusted to accommodate their needs and ensure an emotionally safe environment.An emotionally safe environment is one where someone “feels safe to express emotions, security, and confidence to take risks and feel challenged and excited to try something new” (source).When conducting research with participants who have mental health conditions:Create a comfortable, judgment-free environment. Adjust your style and methods based on the individual participants if possible to help them feel comfortable.Ensure that the participants know what is expected of them. When possible, explain the research structure, what your goals are, what types of responses you are looking for, and the time commitment.Be flexible with session timing and structure. Allow breaks when possible, and pay close attention to participants’ body language and facial expressions to catch discomfort that might not be expressed verbally.Offer multiple ways to participate (in-person, remote, written responses).Provide clear explanations of how their information will be used, including where and how it will be stored, and who will have access to it.Follow up sensitively after sessions to ensure participants feel supported.Simplify and streamlineOne of the most important and impactful ways to design for those with mental illnesses is to reduce cognitive load. In addition to benefiting those with mental illnesses, reducing cognitive load leads to better experiences for most users, making it an easy sell to skeptical stakeholders.“In the field of user experience, we use the following definition: the cognitive load imposed by a user interface is the amount of mental resources that is required to operate the system. Informally, you can think of mental resources as ‘brain power’ — more formally, we’re talking about slots in working memory.” -Kathryn Whitenton (source)Our brains, similar to machines or computers, have limited processing power. Those with mental illnesses can have even less capacity to process new information and make decisions (source). Basic usability principles can help with this, like chunking or framing content, optimizing response time, and embracing minimalism.Users experience cognitive load when interacting with products. (Image Source)Taking it a step further, I have found the following strategies help those with mental illness when using the products I am designing:Simplify designs further: Avoid using unnecessary images or videos in the UI, narrow down the typography and color palettes, and lean into the use of white space. Allowing the UI room to breathe helps users understand what decisions they need to make and reduces cognitive load.Step-by-Step Processes: Lead users on a streamlined journey through your product or feature with simple, bite-sized steps. Make sure the path is clear to users at all times, and they know what they should do next. This is particularly important for onboarding experiences because this is the user’s first introduction to the product, and reducing the learning curve will lead to a better experience.Limit Choices: Hold the user’s hand and give the illusion of freedom while limiting the number of decisions on one screen. There is not an exact science or number of choices for one page, but use a critical eye on your designs and think through ways to limit the decisions users have to make.Offload tasks: Look for anything in your design that requires user effort. Reading text or remembering information are key examples. Then look for alternatives: can you auto-fill information to prevent the user from having to memorize? Can you show a picture or video instead of forcing them to read? It’s not possible to shift all tasks away from users, but every task you automate leaves more cognitive space for the decisions that truly are necessary.Soften copywriting and avoid shamingShame is an extremely distressing emotional experience that can be debilitating to those with mental illnesses (source; source). Shaming, confronting, or aggressively persuading users has very serious consequences, both for the user and for the product. It is such a distressing experience that users with mental illnesses will begin to develop a poor impression of the brand, or worse, abandon the product altogether (source).As Regina Jankowski quotes Angie Chaplin in an article for Inclusion Hub (source): “If I feel something is a trauma trigger for me, then I will scroll past it.”How do you avoid shaming or confrontation in designs?A popup that uses shaming language to pressure users into providing their personal information.Use supportive language and avoid accusatory wording. Do not blame the user for mistakes or errors, and instead shift the focus to the abstract or the platform.❌ “You entered an invalid email”✅ “We couldn’t recognize this email”2. Design more thoughtful error states. Be specific about the error or issue presented, provide a path forward, and avoid technical jargon that could alienate users. Additionally, ensure that an error state only appears after the user has completed an action incorrectly, and not while they are attempting to finish. For example, an input box should not display an error message while a user is still typing, and should only appear once they have completed the task (incorrectly).❌ “The information provided doesn’t match our records. Please try again.”✅ “The username entered does not match our records. Please double-check and try again, or create an account here.”(image source) ; (image source)3. Frame messages positively. Highlight progress completed instead of work remaining, celebrate small wins, and use an encouraging tone. Avoid pressuring users to make decisions, and include inclusive language.❌ “20% remaining”✅ “80% completed”A screenshot depicting a progress bar that highlights the amount of work completed instead of the amount of work left to do. (image source)Providing control and safetyPeople with mental health conditions often experience feelings of powerlessness or anxiety when faced with unpredictable situations (source). Designing products that give users a sense of control can significantly improve their experience.Clear escape routes: Always provide obvious ways to exit processes or return to a previous state. Ensure that “back” and “cancel” options are prominently displayed, and confirm before irreversible actions.Save progress automatically: For users with attention difficulties or those who may need to step away suddenly, automatically save their progress so they don’t lose work or have to start over.Customizable experiences: Allow users to adjust aspects of the interface that might be triggering, such as animations, sounds, or high-contrast visuals (source). Consider options to:Reduce motionControl notification frequencyToggle between light/dark modesAdjust text sizeTurn off time-based featuresConclusionDesigning with mental health accessibility in mind is not just an ethical imperative — it’s good business. By creating products that are accessible to those with mental health challenges, we create better experiences for everyone.The principles outlined here — co-creation, simplification, thoughtful communication, providing control, and mindful content presentation — form a foundation for more inclusive design practices. These approaches reduce barriers for those with mental health conditions while simultaneously improving usability for all users.As designers and product creators, we have the power to shape experiences that either add to the mental burden our users carry or help lighten their load. By integrating these principles into our work, we can create digital spaces that support well-being rather than detract from it.Remember: accessibility isn’t just about accommodating physical disabilities — it’s about making our products work for diverse minds as well.Additional resourcesInterested in learning more about accessibility, mental illness, deceptive patterns, and product design? I’ve collected a few resources that could help.Microsoft’s Mental Wellbeing Prompts for Product CreatorsThis resource assists in thinking through the factors that make for positive and productive experiences for those with mental health concerns. These prompts can help product creators keep mental wellness in mind when developing inclusive products.Nielsen-Norman Group’s Psychology and UX Study Guide, written by Tanner KohlerThis study guide centralizes many resources and articles related to psychology and product design.What are Dark Patterns in UX? by Jay HannahAn excellent overview of deceptive (dark) patterns in UX to guide designers away from making manipulative choices that exploit users.Inclusion HubA community, directory, and resource hub for those attempting to make inclusive products.Supporting users with depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

What’s the opposite of a “bear hug”?That was the phrase often used to describe President Joe Biden’s approach to Israel since the October 7, 2023 attacks: publicly and enthusiastically backing Israel, particularly when it comes to its wider regional conflict with Iran and its proxies, while quietly trying to restrain Israel’s actions in Gaza. Now President Donald Trump is traveling through the Middle East this week for a multi-country tour and dealmaking bonanza that pointedly does not include a stop in Israel. (Trump has denied the snub, saying his trip is “very good for Israel.”)The trip is the latest example of how Trump’s approach to the country often seems like a mirror image of his predecessor’s: he has little interest in restraining or pressuring Israel on its war in Gaza, but perhaps even less interest in supporting Israel on wider regional issues or aligning the two countries’ approach to the region. This is still an administration that is fiercely “pro-Israel” in rhetoric and in its willingness to punish Israel’s critics in America. But in practice, as he conducts his foreign policy, Trump seems remarkably unconcerned about what Israel has to say about it. “The one message that’s consistent [from Trump] is ‘I have plans for the region. You’re welcome to be a partner, but if you prefer to be ignored, go ahead,’” said Nimrod Novik, former foreign policy adviser to the late Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres. This is not the Trump Israel was expectingWhen Trump was reelected last November, the response from the Israeli government was near rapturous. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had an often fraught relationship with Biden’s administration, praised Trump for “history’s greatest comeback” and predicted a “powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.”It’s not hard to figure out why Netanyahu was so optimistic. During his first term, Trump, who often describes himself as the most pro-Israel president in history, took a number of precedent-smashing steps to demonstrate that support, including moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, which is not considered the country’s capital by most of the international community, and recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the disputed Golan Heights.His first term included the Abraham Accords — a series of deals, mediated by the United States, normalizing relations between Israel and a number of Arab countries — as well as the scrapping of President Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear deal, loathed by Netanyahu’s government. Even by the standards of the US-Israel relationship, Trump’s approach stood out for its unconditional support. There were early indications that the second term would bring more of the same. For his ambassador to Israel, Trump picked Mike Huckabee, a Christian Zionist whose views on Israeli-Palestinian issues would put him on the far right even in Israeli politics. One of Trump’s most notable domestic initiatives so far has been a widespread crackdown on universities and activists over last year’s anti-Israel protests. Nor has his White House engaged in much Biden-style soul-searching about Palestinian civilian casualties in Gaza: Trump quickly lifted the limited restrictions on arms exports to Israel and sanctions on violent West Bank settlers that Biden had put in place. His suggestion that Gaza be “cleaned out” of its Palestinian inhabitants to make room for a resort was received ecstatically by the Israeli far right. But when it comes to the Middle East, writ large, it’s been a different story. Trump seems remarkably unconcerned about appearing to be on the same page as the Israelis in his approach to the region, and has repeatedly negotiated directly with Israel’s main adversaries while cutting Israel out entirely.In early March, Axios reported that Trump’s envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, had been negotiating with Hamas over the release of American hostages — without coordinating with Israel, and breaking a longstanding precedent of the US refraining from direct talks with the terrorist group. The news created a firestorm of controversy and Boehler was removed from the talks, but just this week, Hamas agreed to release the last surviving American hostage, Edan Alexander. The negotiations that led to the release, led by Trump’s all-purpose foreign envoy Steve Witkoff, reportedly came after Hamas reached out via an “Arab Americans for Trump” group. Israel learned about the talks not from the White House, but from its own intelligence services. It was not the only surprise Netanyahu has gotten recently. During an Oval Office meeting with the prime minister last month, Trump dropped the surprise announcement that he was dispatching Witkoff and other negotiators to begin direct talks with Iran over its nuclear program. Netanyahu, who learned of the talks only after arriving in Washington, DC, has pushed the US to insist on a complete dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program. But officials including the secretary of state and vice president have suggested they might be open to Iran maintaining some type of civilian nuclear program — effectively returning to a similar framework to the one Trump tore up in 2018. And while Israel welcomed Trump’s decision in March to step up the US air campaign against the Houthis, the Yemeni militant group that has been firing missiles and drones at Israel as well as ships traveling through the Red Sea since the start of the Gaza war, Trump abruptly announced an end to the bombing earlier this month. He said he had received assurances from the Houthis that they would refrain from attacking US ships. (The rate at which the campaign was burning through American money and munitions also probably played a role.) Trump’s announcement made no mention of Israel, even though the Houthis had attacked Tel Aviv’s airport days earlier. The message was unmistakable: Israel could deal with the Houthis on their own. All in all, the Trump administration has been in direct talks with three of Israel’s main adversaries — Hamas, Iran, and the Houthis — to cut deals without Israel’s input, a nearly unprecedented situation according to longtime observers of relations between the two countries.“I don’t think there’s an administration, Democrat or Republican, that has even come close to undertaking the sort independent outreach that the Trump administration has now contrived over the course of the last three months,” said Aaron David Miller, a veteran Mideast peace negotiator who served in several US administrations. A changing GOP meets a changing Middle EastWhat explains the new frostiness in the US-Israel relationship? One answer may be that Trump is simply growing frustrated with Netanyahu. If there’s one consistent theme in Trump’s worldview, it’s skepticism about allies that, as he sees it, take more from America than they give. During his Oval Office meeting with Netanyahu, Trump brushed aside a suggestion that he should lift tariffs on Israel, saying “We give Israel $4 billion a year. That’s a lot. Congratulations, by the way.” Some Trump critics in the US have been crediting him for his approach to the relationship. The New York Times’ Thomas Friedman praised the president for realizing that “Netanyahu is not our friend,” while former Bernie Sanders foreign policy adviser Matt Duss credited him with handling “Netanyahu more effectively than alleged foreign policy expert Joe Biden did.” Netanyahu himself is probably not the only factor here. The second Trump term has also seen the rise in influence of the so-called “restrainer” wing of Republican foreign policy, who want to reduce America’s military footprint abroad, especially in the Middle East, at the expense of traditional hawks. While not uniformly anti-Israel (though some outside Trump allies like Tucker Carlson would probably qualify), the restrainers are much less inclined to think that US and Israeli interests are aligned. Vice President JD Vance, for instance, has stated that while Israel has a right to defend itself, he doesn’t believe the US should be drawn into a war with Iran. Trump’s speech in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, which included pointed shots at “neocons” and “nation builders,” may have been an indication of which faction is winning the battle for influence. And according to reporting by the Washington Post, former national security adviser Mike Waltz, one of Trump’s most traditionally hawkish advisers, was fired in early May in part because of Trump’s anger that Waltz had been in communication with the Israeli government about using military force against Iran. This is also not the same Middle East that Trump dealt with last time around. Israel isn’t the only longstanding US ally getting snubbed on Trump’s trip; previous presidents might have been expected to make a stop in Egypt or Jordan. But Trump is making a beeline for the Gulf, home of lucrative arms and computer chip deals, not to mention golf resorts and free 747s.During Trump’s first term, the Saudis and Emiratis were more or less aligned with the US and Israel on wider regional security matters — namely, the perceived danger posed by Iran. This was the context that made the Emiratis’ recognition of Israel in the Abraham Accords possible. This time, when Trump sits down with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the UAE’s Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, he’s likely to hear a different story. The Saudis and Iranians have reached a detente, and both Gulf countries have tried to extricate themselves from the long and brutal conflict with the Houthis in Yemen. Both now support a deal with Iran that would avoid war, and both supported an end to the US campaign against the Houthis. They’re also increasingly frustrated with Israel’s war in Gaza and the anger it has provoked throughout the region, including in their own populations. The scenes coming out of Gaza have raised the costs of appearing to be aligned with Israel.“Both MBS and MBZ have his respect. He listens to them,” said Novik, now a fellow at the Israel Policy Forum, of the Saudi and Emirati leaders. “They believe that what happens in Gaza doesn’t stay in Gaza. It’s destabilizing the region, and that’s bad for business.” All indications are that Trump is these days more interested in what he calls the “gleaming marvels of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi” than the winding streets of Jerusalem. A case in point: both the first Trump administration and the Biden team sought a major regional deal that would tie US nuclear or security cooperation with Saudi Arabia to Saudi recognition of Israel. Though Trump is still calling for the Saudis — who have never recognized the Jewish state — to normalize relations, his team has reportedly dropped it as a demand for US-Saudi nuclear cooperation. If this comes to pass, it would effectively be giving up on what would be the crown jewel of the Abraham Accords process. A hands-off stance on GazaAll this is a dramatic shift, but it’s certainly not the change that critics of Biden’s support for Israel were hoping for. Trump has iced out the Israelis on regional diplomacy just as Israel is considering a plan for an “intensive escalation” of its military operations in Gaza. This could include the destruction of most of the enclave’s remaining buildings and and would give civilians a choice between moving to a tiny “humanitarian area” or leaving — though it’s not clear what countries would be willing to accept them if they did. Trump and his senior officials have not spoken out publicly about the plan and, according to Axios’ reporting, have “effectively given Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a green light to do as he sees fit.” Israeli officials say the operation will begin if there is no ceasefire and hostage deal by the end of Trump’s visit to the region this week, though there are few indications that Trump is actively involved in pushing for one. It seems unlikely that Trump would employ pressure tactics that Biden was unwilling to use, such as conditioning military aid or addressing the Israeli public directly about the war. Trump has shifted radically on policy in the past, but for the moment, his cold shoulder doesn’t seem any more likely to put an end to the ongoing catastrophe in Gaza than Biden’s bear hug. See More: