hatemail tech newsletter, 2023-03-20

U.S. Tells China's ByteDance to Sell TikTok or Face a Ban

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. demanded that TikTok's Chinese owners divest their stakes in the company. TikTok pushed back. [Gizmodo] [Reuters]

TikTok Sale Likely to Be Rejected by China

The Chinese government is likely to oppose any attempt by the Biden administration to force TikTok’s Chinese shareholders to sell their stakes in the hugely popular app, said China-based lawyers and investors, setting the stage for a protracted standoff between Beijing and Washington. [The Information]

Justice Dept. Investigating TikTok’s Owner Over Possible Spying on Journalists

The inquiry appears to be tied to an admission by the app’s owner, ByteDance, that employees had inappropriately obtained Americans’ data. The company said it had fired the workers involved. [New York Times]

PDF Download: Australian Parliament Report on TikTok

The Australian Parliament just published the most comprehensive exploration yet of the CCP’s ties to TikTok. The 113-page doc details the CCP’s controls and its surveillance and propaganda aims, which contradict TikTok’s public statements. [Australian Parliament]

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Why Does the Global Spyware Industry Continue to Thrive? Trends, Explanations, and Responses

The global spyware and digital forensics industry continues to grow despite public backlash following an array of surveillance scandals, many linked to NSO Group’s Pegasus program. This paper explores the resilience of the commercial spyware market and offers ideas about how to limit the spread of invasive cyber surveillance tools. It highlights several factors driving the industry, including elevated demand for intrusion technology from government clients and private customers, as well as inconsistent political will from democratic governments to crack down on these technologies. [Carnegie Endowment]

Global Inventory of Commercial Spyware & Digital Forensics

Global inventory of commercial spyware & digital forensics technology procured by governments. Focuses on three overarching questions: Which governments show evidence of procuring and using commercial spyware? Which commercial firms are selling targeted surveillance technology and what are their countries of origin? What types of activities are government agencies using the technology for? [Mendeley]

Mexico to investigate alleged human rights abuses by military after spying claims

Move follows reports alleging that the army used Pegasus spyware software to hack the phone of a prominent rights activist. [The Guardian]

Zuckerberg Was Warned on Social Media Addiction, Filing Says

Employees at Meta Platforms Inc. and ByteDance Inc. were aware of the harmful effects of their platforms on young children and teenagers but disregarded the information or in some cases sought to undermine it, according to claims in a court filing. [Bloomberg]

Microsoft lays off entire AI ethics team while going all out on ChatGPT

This month saw the surprise dissolution of Microsoft’s entire Ethics & Society team—the latest casualty in the company’s ongoing layoffs affecting 10,000 employees, or roughly 5 percent of its entire global workforce. Once a 30-member department, the Ethics & Society team had been reduced to just seven people in October 2022 following an internal reorganization. [Popular Science] [The Verge]

How AI could write our laws

ChatGPT and other AIs could supercharge the influence of lobbyists—but only if we let them. [MIT Technology Review]

GitHub on Twitter: ”Looking to improve your accessibility skills?”

Here are some simple steps that all developers can take to automatically increase accessibility. [GitHub on Twitter]

2.3% of workers have pasted confidential company data into ChatGPT

The average company leaks confidential material to ChatGPT hundreds of times per week. ChatGPT is incorporating that material into its publicly available knowledge base and sharing it. [Cyberhaven]

Why leading researchers fear AI will wreak even more havoc than social media

Artificial intelligence could warp the economy and supercharge everything from financial scams to government surveillance, according to tech experts. [Business Insider]

Battle for Libraries

Don’t let libraries die. As the future goes digital, major publishers are suing to cut off libraries’ defense of digital books from censorship. It’s time to fight back. [Battle for Libraries]

Toward Comprehensive Risk Assessments and Assurance of AI-Based Systems

In this paper, we seek to align overlapping, AI-adjacent communities on a consistent and comprehensive assurance terminology crucial for the safe deployment of AI-based systems. We then propose a novel end-to-end AI risk framework that integrates the concept of an Operational Design Domains (ODD). We believe that by defining a more concrete operational envelope, developers and auditors can better assess potential risks and required safety mitigations for AI-based systems. [Heidy Khlaaf / Trail of Bits]

Dark Web ‘BreachForums’ Operator Charged With Computer Crime

Federal agents have arrested a Peekskill, New York, man they say ran the notorious dark web data-breach site “BreachForums” under the name “Pompompurin.” [Bloomberg]

Two U.S. Men Charged in 2022 Hacking of DEA Portal

Two U.S. men have been charged with hacking into a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) online portal that taps into 16 different federal law enforcement databases. [Krebs on Security]

This Is the New Leader of Russia's Infamous Sandworm Hacking Unit

Evgenii Serebriakov now runs the most aggressive hacking team of Russia's GRU military intelligence agency. Thanks to a botched 2018 operation, he's already well-known to Western intelligence. [Wired]

Uncovering a Wave of Global Espionage

SentinelLabs uncover a previously unknown set of espionage campaigns conducted by Winter Vivern advanced persistent threat (APT) group. [Winter Vivern / SentinelOne]

The Paradox of Digital Infections: Unraveling the Philosophical Implications of Computer Viruses

In the realm of computer science, computer viruses are perhaps the most feared and misunderstood entities. They infiltrate systems, steal information, and wreak havoc on the digital world. Simultaneously, philosophy seeks to understand the world, uncovering truth and wisdom to navigate the complexity of human experience. At first glance, it might seem that these two disciplines have little in common. However, a closer examination reveals that computer viruses and philosophy share a deep connection, as they both challenge our understanding of ethics, autonomy, and the nature of existence. [16-bit Wisdom]

Reporting On Sexual Violence In Conflict

Reporting on sexual violence in places divided by conflict? And concerned about making things worse for your interviewees? Here is some practical advice you will want to read. [Covering CRSV]

Best Practices for Journalists Covering Conflict-Related Sexual Violence

At a recent GIJN webinar, journalist and experts discussed best practices for investigating sexual violence in conflict zones. [GIJN]

Latest ABS data shows 22% of women have been exposed to sexual violence

About 42% of men reported experiencing physical violence since the age of 15, report finds. [The Guardian]

In Bulgaria, Russian Trolls Are Winning the Information War

Pro-Russia groups are gaming Facebook’s review process, and moderators are stuck in the middle. [Wired]

Pro-Moscow voices tried to steer Ohio train disaster debate

Soon after a train derailed and spilled toxic chemicals in Ohio last month, anonymous pro-Russian accounts started spreading misleading claims and anti-American propaganda about it on Twitter, using Elon Musk's new verification system to expand their reach while creating the illusion of credibility. [AP]

How a Montenegrin Gang Used Open-Source Intelligence to Kill - OCCRP

Hitmen working for a criminal group active in Montenegro and Serbia used open-source intelligence techniques, poring over apartment listing sites, satellite images, and tourist photos posted online. [OCCRP]

Dr. Jen Golbeck on Twitter

In my monitoring-the-MAGAs project, I'm keeping an eye on their plans ahead of Trump's arrest on Tuesday . So far, they are disorganized, ranting, conspiratorial, and not planning a thing. I'll keep this thread updated with anything interesting that I spot. [@jengolback on Twitter]

China exerts control over internet cable projects in South China Sea

Beijing imposes strict permit requirements for access to underwater data infrastructure over spying fears. [Financial Times] [Non paywall copy on Archive]

Activist killed in ‘Cop City’ protest had hands in the air when shot, family say

Manuel Paez Terán’s family release results of independent autopsy after protester fatally shot by Georgia law enforcement. [The Guardian]

This week we feature Telegram, the popular messaging and social media app. Since its inception, the company has had a lax approach to content moderation, allowing hate groups like the TERRORGRAM network to thrive on the platform. Telegram has its own internet AS infrastructure, found at AS62041 and powered by the GlobalNet internet backbone.

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