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OpenAI has disclosed another case of an AI agent accessing an Australian government system without permission. This time, it retrieved historical bushfire data that wasn't publicly available.

According to The Guardian, the breach occurred in June and involved New South Wales' National Parks and Wildlife Service, part of the state's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

OpenAI says it discovered the breach on Tuesday, Sept. 29, and conducted a 48-hour review before notifying the NSW government on Thursday, Oct. 1. The company told the government that its agent had acted beyond its intended use. "The results we reviewed do not show that the model retrieved any personal information," an OpenAI spokesperson told The Guardian. The department is investigating with the state's cybersecurity agency, and the Australian Signals Directorate has also been notified.

SEE ALSO: An OpenAI agent hacked the Australian government

If this sounds familiar, that's because Australia is already dealing with the fallout from a similar incident. As Mashable previously reported, an internal OpenAI model breached Services Australia's Medicare statistics reporting portal on June 18 while researching public healthcare spending.

When it encountered restrictions, the agent found ways around them, accessing public and non-public files and writing files to the government server. There was no evidence that it accessed individuals' private health information.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the incident "obviously unacceptable" and raised Australia's concerns directly with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Albanese also criticized the notification process. OpenAI said it discovered the Medicare breach in August but waited until Sept. 10 to alert the government, initially emailing a public Services Australia address.

"We clearly cannot rely on these multinational big tech companies to comply with even the most minimal of social obligations, such as notifying when, or even taking enough care to notice if, their products are hacking government systems," Australian Greens MP Abigail Boyd said.

The model also interacted with three other Australian government bodies, though those interactions appeared to involve only public information.

The further investigation should help establish how the agent got in. The bigger question is how OpenAI will stop another one from doing the same — and catch it sooner if it does.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable's parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

I've used Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 for years, so I'm well aware of how difficult they are to replace. But I've also watched free, open-source alternatives quietly get better, and today's options are much more convincing than they were a few years ago. And with Microsoft 365 Personal costing $9.99 a month, there's a pretty good reason to see what else is out there.

There are few people on the internet more universally beloved than Kelly Clarkson. She has somehow spent nearly two decades cultivating the rarest of celebrity currencies — goodwill. People like Kelly. They root for Kelly. Generally speaking, they would like to see Kelly have a nice day.

So it would take something truly egregious to turn the internet against "Miss Independent." And this week, she did just that when she said her life would suck without AI.

The trouble began during Clarkson's recent appearance on the Las Culturistas podcast with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, where she talked about her relationship with ChatGPT. She jokingly called the chatbot her "lover" and explained that she has enlisted it as a sort of digital interior designer, using it to visualize ideas for one of her properties, including paths and landscaping at the place she has in Santa Barbara.

During the podcast's "I Don't Think So, Honey" hot-take segment, Clarkson even declared, "I love AI," adding that there are "very amazing things with AI that I am obsessed with." And she wasn't limiting her enthusiasm to using ChatGPT as a glorified design consultant. Clarkson said she's "very into it artistically," too, and that she has fun with AI "just like everybody else does."

Her reasoning was that AI could give people who might not otherwise be able to create music or art a new entry point into the creative process. It's an idea that has found champions among artists, including Will.i.am, Grimes, and Timbaland, all of whom have spoken about AI as a new kind of creative playground, a tool that can expand the boundaries of what artists can make.

But Clarkson did have one pretty significant caveat. "When you see AI artists competing on a chart with humans, I have an issue," she said. "I think there should be a separate chart." So the robots can have a chart. They just shouldn't be allowed to steal the humans' trophies.

Many fans, unfortunately, were not particularly interested in hearing the nuance.

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The backlash came quickly, with fans and AI critics taking issue not only with Clarkson's comments about AI-generated music but with her broader enthusiasm for the technology. Some called it a "very rare L" for the singer. Others cited the environmental costs of AI and data centers. Still others argued that AI-generated art shouldn't be considered creative in the same sense as work made by humans.

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People weren't just mad; they seemed genuinely bummed out by her admission. "Kelly no...this isn't you...," one commenter pleaded.

Some commenters said they stopped listening to the podcast once the AI conversation began. Others criticized her for using AI for design work. And some users went considerably further, speculating — without evidence — that celebrities are being paid to normalize AI.

But beneath all of that was a simpler objection: Why Kelly?

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Because Clarkson has spent years occupying a strange corner of celebrity culture. She's famous enough to be enormous, but relatable enough that people still talk about her like she's their favorite cousin. She's the American Idol winner whose career became a multigenerational pop success story, and the daytime host who can outsing your faves. There is a reason "America's sweetheart" has followed her around for so long.

Yet, despite her comments, Clarkson isn't exactly tossing human artistry out the window. Just a few weeks ago, she called AI "soulless" in a video with Betches. Now, she's drawing a line between AI-generated music and the work of human musicians. She just seems to think there should be room for both. "Both can be creative in a completely different way," she said.

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Maybe that's not a contradiction so much as the uncomfortable reality of AI's arrival in everyday life. It's becoming difficult to be completely for it or completely against it when the technology is, sometimes simultaneously, useful, fascinating, unsettling, and deeply disruptive to creative work.

Clarkson seems to be trying to find her own line. AI can be fun. AI can be useful. AI can help people create. But when it comes to competing on a music chart, she thinks humans should have their own lane.

Many of her fans, at least for now, seem to think Kelly Clarkson should stay in hers.

I started tweaking my Android Auto settings because I was getting a little tired of the small annoyances. My car screen felt cluttered; some things kept popping up when I didn’t need them, and I honestly couldn’t remember turning on some settings in the first place.

Senator Bernie Sanders is serious about banning the federal government from using Flock and other automatic license plate readers (ALPRs). Flock, a camera surveillance product, captures and processes license plates and related details about vehicles, often for use by law enforcement.

On Friday, the Vermont Democrat introduced The Ban Flock Act in Congress. The proposed law would prohibit the federal agencies from using ALPRs. State and local governments that use the technology would be blocked from receiving federal funding.

SEE ALSO: How people are fighting back against Flock cameras

The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

"At a time of growing concern about the unchecked power of artificial intelligence, Flock is eviscerating the very notion of privacy by installing tens of thousands of cameras in communities across America without their consent," Sanders said in a press release.

Sanders argued that Flock cameras can track people's movements closely and gather data on when they visit the doctor or drop their kids off at school. "Flock is always watching," Sanders said.

Hackers who recently obtained a roadside Flock camera allegedly discovered that its camera's logs contained about three weeks of activity during which it photographed over 50,000 vehicles and produced 1.6 million images.

The largest vendor of ALPRs in the U.S. is Flock, according to Sanders. It has installed more than 120,000 cameras nationwide that record 20 billion vehicles per month.

Sanders said Flock has provided federal immigration authorities with state data and that law enforcement officials have used Flock data to investigate activists who've supported Palestinian rights and "No Kings" demonstrations.

Flock's network of privately owned and operated cameras and its nationwide database have drawn bipartisan concern over the past several months. Beyond mass surveillance concerns, critics have pointed to incidents of false positives, cooperation with federal agents on immigration enforcement, and even tracking women seeking abortions across state lines.

In addition to a federal ban on ALPR use, The Ban Flock Act would allow Americans to sue the federal government when it violates their rights by using the technology.

Additional reporting by Chance Townsend.

There are many open-source alternatives to Microsoft Excel, but popular Linux options like LibreOffice Calc and Gnumeric are strictly GUI apps. So what’s out there for the command-line fan who needs to crunch numbers? Let’s find out!

TL;DR: Watch Colombia vs. Paraguay in an International Friendly for free on Caracol TV. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

We're not too far removed from the 2026 World Cup, so the appetite for international football might not be that great. That is until you see some of the fixtures on the schedule this weekend, starting with Colombia vs. Paraguay.

Both sides reached the knockout stages of the World Cup and will come into this matchup hoping to win. It's going to be a real battle between two physical sides.

If you're interested in watching Colombia vs. Paraguay in an International Friendly from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Colombia vs. Paraguay?

Colombia vs. Paraguay in an International Friendly kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Oct. 2. This fixture takes place at the Sports Illustrated Stadium.

How to watch Colombia vs. Paraguay for free

Colombia vs. Paraguay in an International Friendly is available to live stream for free on Caracol TV.

Caracol TV is geo-restricted to Colombia, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Colombia, meaning you can live stream Colombia vs. Paraguay for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Colombia vs. Paraguay for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Colombia

4. Visit Caracol TV

5. Watch Colombia vs. Paraguay for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Colombia vs. Paraguay without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Caracol TV?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Caracol TV, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Colombia

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Colombia vs. Paraguay for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

If you have a RIDGID wet/dry vac, you have a multipurpose tool that can do many tasks with various attachments and accessories. You don't need to buy specialized equipment when you already have a tool that does the job just fine. I've used my RIDGID vac for many tasks and realized its full potential and advantages over buying specialized tools.

Our phones spend much of the time idle, but they can't get up to too much during that time, because it's vital that they make it through the day. That's why many tasks are saved for overnight while we're asleep. But just what is your phone getting up to while your face is buried in a pillow?

TL;DR: Watch Croatia vs. England in the Nations League for free on ITVX. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The UEFA Nations League has an absolutely stacked schedule this weekend, which is great news for fans missing the domestic game.

Croatia host England in Rijeka. The game will be played behind closed doors due to crowd disturbances involving Croatia fans during a Nations League match against France last year. That shouldn't impact the quality on display. Both teams have secured three points after two games, so the winner here will cement their place in the top two in the standings.

If you're interested in watching Croatia vs. England in the Nations League from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Croatia vs. England?

Croatia vs. England in the Nations League kicks off at 12 p.m. ET on Oct. 3. This fixture takes place at the Stadion Riejka.

How to watch Croatia vs. England for free

Croatia vs. England in the Nations League is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can live stream Croatia vs. England for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Croatia vs. England for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit ITVX

5. Watch Croatia vs. England for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Croatia vs. England without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Croatia vs. England for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

A viral video from Figure AI's robotics lab shows a fleet of its decommissioned F.02 humanoid robots diving into molten steel, an homage to an iconic scene in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

The footage is absolutely wild.

A robot considers its fate. Credit: Figure AI

Figure AI is based in San Jose, California, and its F.02 robots are being replaced by the new F.03 generation. To retire the last of its F.02 fleet, the company hired Terminator star (and former California governor) Arnold Schwarzenegger, consulted with former MythBusters team members, and traveled to a steel plant in Finland with a camera crew. The robots were programmed to autonomously leap into a vat of molten steel in spectacular fashion.

Taking the leap... Credit: Figure AI

One of the robots was even lowered into the forge on a chain, recreating the famous thumbs-up gesture Schwarzenegger's character makes at the end of the film.

At its San Jose headquarters, the company trained the robots to make the leap, and even practiced with large airbags. But finding a place to perform the stunt proved more difficult.

"None of the metal foundries we contacted in the US and Mexico would let us jump a robot with lithium-ion batteries into their expensive equipment. We even reached out to former MythBusters to help with the search. In the end, the only place in the world we could find willing to take this on was a foundry in Imatra, Finland," the company wrote in a blog post detailing the stunt.

Driven to the edge... Credit: Figure AI Cannonball! Credit: Figure AI

The company isn't letting the now-melted F.02 robots go entirely to waste. The resulting metal was fashioned into limited-edition artifacts that the company is now selling online.

And for anyone wondering whether the footage is real, the company addressed that, too: "In an age of AI-generated footage, it’s worth being clear: we really trained robots to jump autonomously, shipped them to Finland, and had them leap into a vat of molten steel. We hope you enjoy the film."

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The holiday travel season will soon be upon us, which means now is the time to start ensuring you can make the most of it, by spending quality time with friends and family, as well as remaining productive for work. The issue is, that being connected and having access to the internet isn't always feasible when on the go, which is why investing in a compact router that's travel-friendly is the new must. Luckily, Amazon's top-rated compact router is a rare 25% off ahead of its Prime Big Deal Days, but it's selling out fast.

Homelabbing is a weird hobby. You start with some old PC you already have, and before you know it, your house is full of gadgets plugged into the wall, each with one weirdly specific job. But a single mini PC can handle all those jobs and more, while keeping your setup remarkably simple and more cost-effective to run.

A major win at an awards show is a good reason to put a movie on your radar. However, what you feel like watching can change from week to week. You may want an emotional story that lingers after the credits roll, and other times, you crave a high-tension, heavy-action thriller.

Windows ships with familiar graphical tools, but they aren't always the quickest way to get things done. If you know your way around a terminal, these three small command-line utilities can replace File Explorer navigation, Task Manager, and Notepad for many everyday jobs, and all three install in seconds through winget.

For nearly two decades, writers on the internet have been adding to the SCP Foundation, a fictional world where a secret organization keeps supernatural creatures, strange objects, and unexplained phenomena hidden from the public. Their stories fill an online wiki, often taking the form of classified files detailing what each discovery does and how to keep it contained.

Now, that world is heading to theaters. Neon has announced an SCP Foundation anthology movie for 2027, bringing multiple stories together in one film with a focus on emerging filmmakers. It joins the separately announced A24-backed V/H/S: SCP, an expansion of the V/H/S horror franchise being produced with Spooky Pictures and Image Nation Studios. Both films are targeting theatrical releases in 2027, so two different adaptations are in the works.

If "SCP Foundation" means absolutely nothing to you, don't worry. You don't need to have spent years reading fictional incident reports to catch up. Here's everything you need to know about the collaborative writing project, the universe its contributors have created, and why Hollywood's interest has sparked debate.

What is the SCP Foundation? Credit: Screenshot/SCP Foundation Wiki

The name refers to both the fictional secret organization and the real collaborative writing project built around it. Within the stories, the Foundation locates, studies, and contains "anomalies": creatures, objects, places, or phenomena that defy the rules of reality. Its mission is to keep those anomalies hidden from the public and protect humanity, while also protecting the anomalies themselves until they can be better understood.

In real life, the SCP Wiki is a website where contributors write fiction set around that premise. The wiki was founded in 2008, and readers can explore individual entries, longer stories, artwork, and different interpretations of the setting.

What does SCP stand for?

"Secure, Contain, Protect" is the Foundation's motto. The initials also refer to "Special Containment Procedures," the instructions for managing individual anomalies. That's why you'll see names such as SCP-173 or SCP-682. These are identifying numbers for entries in the fictional database, rather than installments you need to read in order.

Many entries resemble internal documents, with an item number, an object class, containment instructions, and a description. Some add interviews, experiment logs, or incident reports that gradually reveal what has gone wrong. The format gives the horror its particular flavor: Something impossible has happened, and the people describing it have already developed a protocol. You get to discover why they needed one.

Like the Backrooms, Slender Man, and Jeff the Killer, SCP grew out of creepypasta, the internet tradition of sharing unsettling fictional stories that take on a life of their own as people circulate and expand on them. SCP's starting point was SCP-173, posted to 4chan's paranormal /x/ board in 2007. Other writers began inventing their own strange creatures and objects, gradually building a fictional organization to contain them all.

SEE ALSO: Hollywood wants the internet’s next horror hit What are some examples of SCPs?

Some SCPs are the stuff of nightmares: SCP-173 is a hostile concrete statue that cannot move while someone is looking directly at it (meaning the people handling it must warn one another before blinking). SCP-682, meanwhile, is an intelligent, reptile-like creature that hates living things and keeps regenerating despite the Foundation's efforts to destroy it. But there’s room for something a little friendlier, too: SCP-999 is a playful orange blob that enjoys interacting with people and makes them feel happy through touch. The list of SCPs goes on and on.

Keeping track of these anomalies involves more than assigning numbers. Entries use classifications such as "Safe," "Euclid," and "Keter" to describe how difficult they are to contain. (Safe means containment is relatively straightforward, Euclid means it is more complex, and Keter means it is particularly difficult.)

As for how all these stories fit together, there’s some flexibility. The newcomer guide explains that SCP has no single overarching canon, so writers can offer different versions of the Foundation’s history, resources, and behavior. Some stories share a setting or reference one another, and the Canon Hub collects works that follow common rules and maintain continuity. But you don’t have to make every entry line up to enjoy what you’re reading.

Why are the movies causing debate?

The same openness that lets creators expand SCP also shapes how a studio can adapt it. The wiki's work is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license, commonly shortened to CC BY-SA 3.0. As its licensing guide explains, creators can make adaptations, including commercial ones, but must provide attribution and release their derivative work under the required license. Other people can then copy, share, and build on that adaptation under its terms.

Following the Sept. 11 announcement of the A24-backed film, the team behind the SCP Wiki raised concerns about communication and licensing. They said no one involved in the film had contacted them and emphasized that A24 could not claim exclusive rights to SCP. Their concern came down to whether the filmmakers would respect the rules that let everyone build on the project: "[A24] does not need our permission or involvement to create a work under the terms of our license," they wrote. "Our concern is whether they will follow the license."

Neon, meanwhile, addressed the licensing question in its Sept. 30 announcement, saying it would release the film and related materials under CC BY-SA. In a separate statement, the volunteers who run the SCP Wiki said they had helped Neon with licensing questions and offered basic advice, and were satisfied that the studio intended to follow the requirements. That doesn’t make it an official collaboration, though. "This is not an ‘official’ SCP Foundation film, as staff does not endorse such projects in our official capacity," they wrote.

For some fans, that approach has earned Neon goodwill before a single scene has been released. In a Reddit discussion of the wiki's statement, commenters praised the studio's communication, while others emphasized their hopes for the adaptation itself. "Hoping that whatever comes out respects the amazing work that the writers do," one wrote.

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Others are wondering how the business side will work. In another thread, commenters debated whether audiences would pay for a movie that could also be legally shared under its license.

Neon’s SCP Foundation movie is slated to reach theaters in 2027. Until then, the SCP Wiki offers plenty to explore, if you dare.

Laptops are getting more expensive, making it increasingly difficult to find one that delivers a genuinely premium experience without crossing the $1,000 mark. The new Dell XPS 13 changes that, bringing premium hardware to a laptop that starts at just $699.

Mobile web browsers have come a long way. Chrome for Android started with simple tabs and sync, but now it has many of the features you'll find in the desktop version. In fact, if you know where to look, there's an extra feature that not many people take advantage of.

The best early October Prime Day headphones and earbuds deals: Best headphones deal Bose QuietComfort headphones (2nd gen) $319 (save $40) Get Deal Best earbuds deal Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ100 wireless earbuds $247.99 (save $52) Get Deal Best budget headphones deal Sony WH-CH720N $98 (save $81.99) Get Deal

Just like that, fall is here and so is the holiday shopping season — well, almost.

We're kicking things off with Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, otherwise known as October Prime Day. The sitewide sale runs from Oct. 6 to 7, but deals on headphones are already popping up that are more than worth picking up ahead of time, especially if you want to avoid the chaos of the sale.

SEE ALSO: Amazon announces dates for Prime Big Deal Days, its 48-hour 'October Prime Day' sale

Standouts include the first-ever price cut on the new Bose QuietComfort headphones (some of the best I've tested this year) and a $52 price cut on the Technics EAH-AZ100, our favorite premium earbuds for sound quality. Other deals have had some fluctuation in the lead-up — the AirPods Pro dropped to $199 only to go back to $234 — but we'll be keeping this list updated as we head into the sale next week.

Below, check out the best headphones and earbuds deals live ahead of October Prime Day, according to someone who tests them.

Best headphones deal Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort headphones (2nd gen) $319 at Amazon
$359 Save $40   Get Deal Why we like it

The Bose QuietComfort headphones stand out the most (so far) in a year of many releases. With immersive audio, comfort for all-day wear, excellent active noise cancellation, and clear, robust sound quality, these headphones are very comparable to the significantly more expensive Bose QC Ultra headphones.

This $40 price drop is their first ever sale following their recent release, but I'd be surprised if it drops much more for Prime Day proper. In other words, if you're looking to get a good deal on these headphones, now is the time to buy.

Read Mashable's review of the Bose QuietComfort headphones (2nd gen).

More headphones and earbuds deals

• Soundcore Q20i — $39.99 $69.99 (save $30)

• Marshall Major V — $89.99 $129.99 (save $40)

• Sony WH-CH720N — $98 $179.99 (save $81.99)

• Beats Solo 4 — $149.95 $199.95 (save $50)

• Sony ULT headphones — $132.95 $249.99 (save $117.04)

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $234 $249 (save $15)

• Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless — $244.90 $449 (save $55.09)

• Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ100 wireless earbuds — $247.99 $299.99 (save $52)

• Apple AirPods Max 2 — $509.99 $549 (save $39.01)

If you spend time scrolling YouTube Shorts, you’ve probably seen plenty of podcast excerpts, livestream highlights, and interview clips uploaded by someone other than the original creator.

Taking moments from podcasts, interviews, livestreams, or other videos and repackaging them as short-form content is called "clipping," but now, YouTube wants those accounts to bring more to the table.

According to an Oct. 2 announcement, YouTube is updating its Shorts recommendation systems to "improve the Shorts experience for everyone." The update encourages creators to upload "original commentary, unique edits, or storytelling."

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The change will work to further prioritize original content and reduce the reach of videos reposted from other creators without meaningful additions. But it could also complicate life for the wider clipping ecosystem, which many streamers and podcasters depend on to reach audiences.

The platform also cautions against relying on "minor technical edits" or "template-based changes" simply to alter a video. The question, then, is what you’re adding. Using a podcast excerpt to develop an argument or explain a topic is different from republishing that excerpt with a few cosmetic changes.

Clipping has developed into a robust marketing business, with creators and brands paying accounts and fans to distribute short excerpts of their content. Platforms such as Whop connect clippers with campaigns and handle payouts. YouTuber Airrack even launched a clipping agency, Clipfarm, through Whop in 2025.

The incentive is straightforward: Get views, get paid. Marketers told Business Insider back in March that clippers are typically offered $1 to $4 per 1,000 views — equivalent to $1,000 to $4,000 for a million qualifying views, before campaign limits or other conditions. So, YouTube's new policy could have big impacts beyond lower view counts. For clippers paid based on performance, less reach on YouTube Shorts could also mean a smaller payout.

Does this mean clipping is dead?

That’s how internet retention strategist Mario Joos framed the news in a post on X, celebrating the change as a way to address quality issues on the platform.

"RIP clipping," he writes. "While this will piss off some people whose entire careers were built on the premise of other people’s content (mostly clippers), the change itself is amazing and will finally address the overall quality issue we’ve been seeing."

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His enthusiasm makes sense for creators who want their original work to reach viewers. The accounts most directly in YouTube’s sights are those primarily reposting other creators’ work without substantial changes. Commentary, storytelling, and creative editing remain part of the platform’s advice for people using outside footage.

For clip channels, that raises the stakes of what happens between finding a good moment and hitting upload. The moment may belong to someone else. YouTube wants a reason to recommend your version.