Special Report: Rite Aid deployed facial recognition systems in hundreds of U.S. stores
(Reuters) - Over about eight years, the American drugstore chain Rite Aid Corp quietly added facial recognition systems to 200 stores across the United States, in one of the largest rollouts of such technology among retailers in the country, a Reuters investigation found.
In the hearts of New York and metro Los Angeles, Rite Aid deployed the technology in largely lower-income, non-white neighbourhoods, according to a Reuters analysis. And for more than a year, the retailer used state-of-the-art facial recognition technology from a company with links to China and its authoritarian government.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-riteaid-software-specialreport/special-report-rite-aid-deployed-facial-recognition-systems-in-hundreds-of-u-s-stores-idUSKCN24T1HL
#us #biometrics #facial #recognition
(Reuters) - Over about eight years, the American drugstore chain Rite Aid Corp quietly added facial recognition systems to 200 stores across the United States, in one of the largest rollouts of such technology among retailers in the country, a Reuters investigation found.
In the hearts of New York and metro Los Angeles, Rite Aid deployed the technology in largely lower-income, non-white neighbourhoods, according to a Reuters analysis. And for more than a year, the retailer used state-of-the-art facial recognition technology from a company with links to China and its authoritarian government.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-riteaid-software-specialreport/special-report-rite-aid-deployed-facial-recognition-systems-in-hundreds-of-u-s-stores-idUSKCN24T1HL
#us #biometrics #facial #recognition
San Francisco Police Accessed Business District Camera Network to Spy on Protestors
The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) conducted mass surveillance of protesters at the end of May and in early June using a downtown business district's camera network, according to new records obtained by EFF. The records show that SFPD received real-time live access to hundreds of cameras as well as a "data dump" of camera footage amid the ongoing demonstrations against police violence.
The camera network is operated by the Union Square Business Improvement District (BID), a special taxation district created by the City and County of San Francisco, but operated by a private non-profit organization.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/07/san-francisco-police-accessed-business-district-camera-network-spy-protestors
#us #surveillance
The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) conducted mass surveillance of protesters at the end of May and in early June using a downtown business district's camera network, according to new records obtained by EFF. The records show that SFPD received real-time live access to hundreds of cameras as well as a "data dump" of camera footage amid the ongoing demonstrations against police violence.
The camera network is operated by the Union Square Business Improvement District (BID), a special taxation district created by the City and County of San Francisco, but operated by a private non-profit organization.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/07/san-francisco-police-accessed-business-district-camera-network-spy-protestors
#us #surveillance
NYPD subpoenaed reporter’s phone records in leak case
New York, July 27, 2020 – The New York City Police Department should refrain from subpoenaing journalists’ phone records or other information that could reveal sourcing, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
On July 14, a New York-based freelance journalist who works for the Daily Mail received a letter stating that their phone records had been obtained from their cellphone provider, AT&T, and were being used in a leak investigation within the police department, according to the journalist, who asked that their name not be disclosed, citing fear of harming relationships with sources, and a report by the New York Daily News.
A lawyer representing a police officer who was interviewed under suspicion of involvement in the leak sent the journalist a copy of a complaint relating to the case, which stated that the journalist’s records had been subpoenaed from their cellphone provider; when the journalist’s lawyer sought to obtain a copy of the subpoena from the telecom provider, AT&T refused, citing a policy against disclosing subpoenas related to criminal investigations, the journalist said.
https://cpj.org/2020/07/nypd-subpoenaed-reporters-phone-records-in-leak-case/
#us #newyork #journalist #privacy
New York, July 27, 2020 – The New York City Police Department should refrain from subpoenaing journalists’ phone records or other information that could reveal sourcing, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
On July 14, a New York-based freelance journalist who works for the Daily Mail received a letter stating that their phone records had been obtained from their cellphone provider, AT&T, and were being used in a leak investigation within the police department, according to the journalist, who asked that their name not be disclosed, citing fear of harming relationships with sources, and a report by the New York Daily News.
A lawyer representing a police officer who was interviewed under suspicion of involvement in the leak sent the journalist a copy of a complaint relating to the case, which stated that the journalist’s records had been subpoenaed from their cellphone provider; when the journalist’s lawyer sought to obtain a copy of the subpoena from the telecom provider, AT&T refused, citing a policy against disclosing subpoenas related to criminal investigations, the journalist said.
https://cpj.org/2020/07/nypd-subpoenaed-reporters-phone-records-in-leak-case/
#us #newyork #journalist #privacy
Committee to Protect Journalists
NYPD subpoenaed reporter’s phone records in leak case - Committee to Protect Journalists
New York, July 27, 2020 – The New York City Police Department should refrain from subpoenaing journalists’ phone records or other information that could reveal sourcing, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On July 14, a New York-based freelance…
Forwarded from Du Rove's Channel
I hope you all liked the latest Telegram update – our 8th major update this year. This new version of Telegram could have become available to you several days earlier. But it didn’t, because of Apple’s desire to control every mobile app in the world. Few iPhone users realise how the policies of Apple make their lives worse. That’s why I decided to write the post below.
Forwarded from Du Rove's Channel
7 Reasons Every iPhone User Should Be Worried About the App Store’s 30% Tax
In the last few months, many prominent app developers voiced their disapproval of the App Store policies Apple imposes on all apps. Why should that concern you if you own an iPhone? Here are 7 reasons.
HIGHER PRICES. Apple’s 30% commission makes all apps and digital goods more expensive for you. It goes on top of the price you pay to developers for any services and games you buy on your phone. You pay more for every app, even though Apple already charged you a few hundred dollars more for your iPhone than it cost to make. In short, you keep paying even after you have paid.
CENSORSHIP. Some content in apps like Telegram is unavailable to you because Apple censors what is allowed on the App Store, which it fully controls to enforce the 30% tax. Apple even restricts us – app developers – from telling our users that certain content was hidden for iPhone users specifically at their request. Apple should realize how ridiculous their attempt to globally censor content looks: imagine a web browser deciding which websites you are allowed to view.
LACK OF PRIVACY. In order to install an app from the App Store, you must first create an Apple account and log in using it. After that, every single app you download and every push notification you receive is tied to your account, making you an easier target to track. Since the main reason you have to use an Apple account to download an iPhone app is Apple’s desire to enforce their 30% commission, the cost of their greed also includes your private data.
DELAYS IN APP UPDATES. You get new versions of your apps several days or weeks after they are actually ready, because Apple’s review team is notoriously inefficient and often delays approval for no apparent reason. You would think Apple could use the billions of dollars it receives from third-party apps to hire additional moderators. Somehow they are unable to do even that, and us – big apps like Telegram – typically have to wait several days or even weeks to publish updates.
FEWER APPS. Apple’s 30% commission on apps goes on top of all the other expenses developers must pay for: government taxes such as VAT (~20%), wages, research, servers, marketing. Many apps would have been net profitable in a world without Apple’s 30% commission, but being forced to surrender 30% of their revenue to Apple makes them unsustainable. As a result, many of them go bankrupt and lots of great apps you could have enjoyed just don’t exist.
MORE ADS IN APPS. Because Apple makes selling premium services and accepting donations one-third less meaningful for developers, many of them are forced to show ads in their apps in order for their companies to survive. Apple’s policies skew the entire industry towards selling user data instead of letting them adopt more privacy-friendly business models like selling additional services to their users.
WORSE APPS. Billions of dollars are taken from developers who could have otherwise spent those funds on improving the quality of the apps you use every day. Instead, this money rests idly in Apple’s offshore bank accounts and does nothing for the world, while app developers struggle to find resources for the research and development the world needs.
The situation is so bad that one would expect Apple’s 30% cut to be unsustainable. Yet it’s been around for more than 10 years and is still there. In my Telegraph post below, I'm explaining how Apple has been able to trick consumers and regulators into inaction for so long.
In the last few months, many prominent app developers voiced their disapproval of the App Store policies Apple imposes on all apps. Why should that concern you if you own an iPhone? Here are 7 reasons.
HIGHER PRICES. Apple’s 30% commission makes all apps and digital goods more expensive for you. It goes on top of the price you pay to developers for any services and games you buy on your phone. You pay more for every app, even though Apple already charged you a few hundred dollars more for your iPhone than it cost to make. In short, you keep paying even after you have paid.
CENSORSHIP. Some content in apps like Telegram is unavailable to you because Apple censors what is allowed on the App Store, which it fully controls to enforce the 30% tax. Apple even restricts us – app developers – from telling our users that certain content was hidden for iPhone users specifically at their request. Apple should realize how ridiculous their attempt to globally censor content looks: imagine a web browser deciding which websites you are allowed to view.
LACK OF PRIVACY. In order to install an app from the App Store, you must first create an Apple account and log in using it. After that, every single app you download and every push notification you receive is tied to your account, making you an easier target to track. Since the main reason you have to use an Apple account to download an iPhone app is Apple’s desire to enforce their 30% commission, the cost of their greed also includes your private data.
DELAYS IN APP UPDATES. You get new versions of your apps several days or weeks after they are actually ready, because Apple’s review team is notoriously inefficient and often delays approval for no apparent reason. You would think Apple could use the billions of dollars it receives from third-party apps to hire additional moderators. Somehow they are unable to do even that, and us – big apps like Telegram – typically have to wait several days or even weeks to publish updates.
FEWER APPS. Apple’s 30% commission on apps goes on top of all the other expenses developers must pay for: government taxes such as VAT (~20%), wages, research, servers, marketing. Many apps would have been net profitable in a world without Apple’s 30% commission, but being forced to surrender 30% of their revenue to Apple makes them unsustainable. As a result, many of them go bankrupt and lots of great apps you could have enjoyed just don’t exist.
MORE ADS IN APPS. Because Apple makes selling premium services and accepting donations one-third less meaningful for developers, many of them are forced to show ads in their apps in order for their companies to survive. Apple’s policies skew the entire industry towards selling user data instead of letting them adopt more privacy-friendly business models like selling additional services to their users.
WORSE APPS. Billions of dollars are taken from developers who could have otherwise spent those funds on improving the quality of the apps you use every day. Instead, this money rests idly in Apple’s offshore bank accounts and does nothing for the world, while app developers struggle to find resources for the research and development the world needs.
The situation is so bad that one would expect Apple’s 30% cut to be unsustainable. Yet it’s been around for more than 10 years and is still there. In my Telegraph post below, I'm explaining how Apple has been able to trick consumers and regulators into inaction for so long.
Telegraph – Pavel Durov
7 Myths Apple Is Using to Justify Their 30% Tax on Apps
Apple spends a lot of money on PR and lobbying in order to keep their monopoly power. If you follow the debate around Apple’s 30% cut that results in higher prices and worse apps, you are guaranteed to encounter at least one of the false narratives disclosed…
Encryption laws are hurting Australia's tech sector, Atlassian says
Rushed bill makes overseas companies reluctant to engage with local players, MPs told
The tech giant Atlassian says controversial encryption laws have damaged the reputation of the technology sector, discouraged talent from working in Australia, and harmed an industry that could help drive economic growth in the nation’s post-Covid-19 recovery.
An inquiry into the encryption laws resumed on Monday before the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security, hearing from the industry leader Atlassian, which said it was presenting concerns on behalf of other players who “do not have the resources to engage in such advocacy”.
The laws created a system for law enforcement agencies to request or compel technical assistance from technology companies, including to create capabilities such as backdoors to get around the encryption in some of their products.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jul/27/encryption-laws-are-hurting-australias-tech-sector-atlassian-says
#australia #encryption #laws
Rushed bill makes overseas companies reluctant to engage with local players, MPs told
The tech giant Atlassian says controversial encryption laws have damaged the reputation of the technology sector, discouraged talent from working in Australia, and harmed an industry that could help drive economic growth in the nation’s post-Covid-19 recovery.
An inquiry into the encryption laws resumed on Monday before the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security, hearing from the industry leader Atlassian, which said it was presenting concerns on behalf of other players who “do not have the resources to engage in such advocacy”.
The laws created a system for law enforcement agencies to request or compel technical assistance from technology companies, including to create capabilities such as backdoors to get around the encryption in some of their products.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jul/27/encryption-laws-are-hurting-australias-tech-sector-atlassian-says
#australia #encryption #laws
the Guardian
Encryption laws are hurting Australia's tech sector, Atlassian says
Rushed bill makes overseas companies reluctant to engage with local players, MPs told
How Google harvests and uses your data, and what you can do about it
US technology giant Google’s business model is built on collecting data about consumers when they use its services. But what you might not be aware of is how deep, detailed and intrusive some of this collection is, and how you can take steps to control it.
Asking Google for answers has become second nature for many of us and whether we do that on our phones, PCs or with our voices, our queries are likely stored and tied to our specific Google accounts.
If you have an Android phone, or use your Google account with certain apps or services on the iPhone, there's a good chance the data associated with the apps you use and your physical location is also collected.
https://www.smh.com.au/technology/how-google-harvests-and-uses-your-data-and-what-you-can-do-about-it-20200728-p55g95.html
#australia #google #privacy
US technology giant Google’s business model is built on collecting data about consumers when they use its services. But what you might not be aware of is how deep, detailed and intrusive some of this collection is, and how you can take steps to control it.
Asking Google for answers has become second nature for many of us and whether we do that on our phones, PCs or with our voices, our queries are likely stored and tied to our specific Google accounts.
If you have an Android phone, or use your Google account with certain apps or services on the iPhone, there's a good chance the data associated with the apps you use and your physical location is also collected.
https://www.smh.com.au/technology/how-google-harvests-and-uses-your-data-and-what-you-can-do-about-it-20200728-p55g95.html
#australia #google #privacy
Surveillance state: 18 of the world’s 20 most monitored cities are in China
China is home to 18 of the world’s 20 most monitored cities and over half the surveillance cameras in use globally, according to a study by British technology website Comparitech.
But while the use of live video surveillance continues to grow, the study said that more cameras do not necessarily reduce crime rates.
“A primary argument in favour of closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance is improved law enforcement and crime prevention … [But] a higher number of cameras just barely correlates with a lower crime index,” it said.
The study compared the number of public surveillance cameras with the crime indices reported based on surveys by Numbeo, a crowdsourced database.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3094666/surveillance-state-18-worlds-20-most-monitored-cities-are-china
#asia #china #surveillance
China is home to 18 of the world’s 20 most monitored cities and over half the surveillance cameras in use globally, according to a study by British technology website Comparitech.
But while the use of live video surveillance continues to grow, the study said that more cameras do not necessarily reduce crime rates.
“A primary argument in favour of closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance is improved law enforcement and crime prevention … [But] a higher number of cameras just barely correlates with a lower crime index,” it said.
The study compared the number of public surveillance cameras with the crime indices reported based on surveys by Numbeo, a crowdsourced database.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3094666/surveillance-state-18-worlds-20-most-monitored-cities-are-china
#asia #china #surveillance
South China Morning Post
Surveillance state: 18 of the world’s 20 most monitored cities are in China
Beijing and Shanghai each have at least 1 million surveillance cameras, a study finds, but Taiyuan and Wuxi are the most surveilled on a per capita basis.
Mozilla's next-gen Firefox hits stable after a year of previews, without full extension support (APK Download)
Mozilla has been working on a brand new version of Firefox for Android, nicknamed 'Fenix,' for over a year at this point. The new codebase slowly trickled down from Preview to Beta, and at long last, the aging stable browser is now receiving the update. However, fans of the stable browser might still notice a few features missing.
The stable version of Firefox for Android has not been significantly updated since July 2019, while Mozilla's developers have focused solely on the new codebase. The stable app has now been updated from v68 to v79, and now uses the codebase from Firefox Preview/Beta. Compared to the older version, there's a more modern interface with a bottom address bar, an updated GeckoView engine with improved performance, more privacy options, Collections (tab groups), dark mode support, and other changes.
https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/07/28/mozillas-next-gen-firefox-hits-stable-after-a-year-of-previews-without-full-extension-support-apk-download/
#android #mozilla #firefox
Mozilla has been working on a brand new version of Firefox for Android, nicknamed 'Fenix,' for over a year at this point. The new codebase slowly trickled down from Preview to Beta, and at long last, the aging stable browser is now receiving the update. However, fans of the stable browser might still notice a few features missing.
The stable version of Firefox for Android has not been significantly updated since July 2019, while Mozilla's developers have focused solely on the new codebase. The stable app has now been updated from v68 to v79, and now uses the codebase from Firefox Preview/Beta. Compared to the older version, there's a more modern interface with a bottom address bar, an updated GeckoView engine with improved performance, more privacy options, Collections (tab groups), dark mode support, and other changes.
https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/07/28/mozillas-next-gen-firefox-hits-stable-after-a-year-of-previews-without-full-extension-support-apk-download/
#android #mozilla #firefox
Android Police
Mozilla's next-gen Firefox hits stable after a year of previews, without full extension support (APK Download)
Readers like you help support Android Police. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read More.
YouTube Sued By Frustrated User Over Alleged DMCA Failures
A frustrated YouTube user has filed a lawsuit against the company in California, alleging multiple failures to comply with the requirements of the DMCA. While the case is likely to fail, it may provide useful pointers for those in a similar position and considering the same kind of action.
Fueled by the massive resources of Google, YouTube is now considered one of the most important sites on the Internet.
Every month two billion users log into the platform and according to the latest statistics, people watch more than a billion hours of video every day. This wouldn’t be possible without creators uploading their content to YouTube, with many doing so in the hope of gaining exposure and/or a share of the financial spoils.
However, despite increasing numbers of channels earning five and six-figure payouts, the road is not always smooth for smaller contributors. In particular, many feel they are overlooked or mistreated when it comes to copyright claims that target their content and leave their accounts in poor standing.
https://torrentfreak.com/youtube-sued-by-frustrated-user-over-alleged-dmca-failures-200727/
#youtube #dmca
A frustrated YouTube user has filed a lawsuit against the company in California, alleging multiple failures to comply with the requirements of the DMCA. While the case is likely to fail, it may provide useful pointers for those in a similar position and considering the same kind of action.
Fueled by the massive resources of Google, YouTube is now considered one of the most important sites on the Internet.
Every month two billion users log into the platform and according to the latest statistics, people watch more than a billion hours of video every day. This wouldn’t be possible without creators uploading their content to YouTube, with many doing so in the hope of gaining exposure and/or a share of the financial spoils.
However, despite increasing numbers of channels earning five and six-figure payouts, the road is not always smooth for smaller contributors. In particular, many feel they are overlooked or mistreated when it comes to copyright claims that target their content and leave their accounts in poor standing.
https://torrentfreak.com/youtube-sued-by-frustrated-user-over-alleged-dmca-failures-200727/
#youtube #dmca
Torrentfreak
YouTube Sued By Frustrated User Over Alleged DMCA Failures * TorrentFreak
YouTube is being sued by a user for alleged DMCA failings. The case is likely to fail but may provide advice for those in a similar position.
Forwarded from App Manager | CHANNEL
AppManager_v2.5.10.apk
2.6 MB
App Manager v2.5.10
- [Feature] Added 1-click operations (as 1-Click Ops in the menu section in the main window): block trackers, component blocking by signatures, app op blocking
- [Feature] Added support for external apk: Open apk files from your file manager. You can view app details, manifest or scan for trackers directly from there
- [Feature] Added persistent apps filtering option in the main window
- [Feature] Display number of trackers as a tag in the App Info tab
- [Feature] Added a select all option in the bottom bar in the main window in selection mode
- [Feature] Added support for installing/updating apk files in the App Info tab
- [Feature] Added an option to import existing disabled components in the Import/Export settings
- [Feature] Added split apk information in App Info tab
- [Fix] Fixed crashes when switching to the components tabs for non-root users
- [Fix] Fixed crashes on devices that does not support data usage
- [Fix] Fixed crash when trying to view manifest of an split apk
- [Feature] Added 1-click operations (as 1-Click Ops in the menu section in the main window): block trackers, component blocking by signatures, app op blocking
- [Feature] Added support for external apk: Open apk files from your file manager. You can view app details, manifest or scan for trackers directly from there
- [Feature] Added persistent apps filtering option in the main window
- [Feature] Display number of trackers as a tag in the App Info tab
- [Feature] Added a select all option in the bottom bar in the main window in selection mode
- [Feature] Added support for installing/updating apk files in the App Info tab
- [Feature] Added an option to import existing disabled components in the Import/Export settings
- [Feature] Added split apk information in App Info tab
- [Fix] Fixed crashes when switching to the components tabs for non-root users
- [Fix] Fixed crashes on devices that does not support data usage
- [Fix] Fixed crash when trying to view manifest of an split apk
Forwarded from cRyPtHoN™ INFOSEC (EN)
Firefox 79 is out – it’s a double-update month so patch now!
You’ve probably heard of a Blue Moon, which is the second full moon in any calendar month.
The last one was back in 2018; the next one is coming up in October 2020.
Well, 28 July 2020 is a Blue Firefox Update event – the second major security fix of the month, given that Mozilla now uses an every-four-weeks-on-Tuesday rhythm, and Firefox 78.0 came out on the first day of the month.
https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2020/07/28/firefox-79-is-out-its-a-double-update-month-so-patch-now/
📡@cRyPtHoN_INFOSEC_DE
📡@cRyPtHoN_INFOSEC_EN
📡@BlackBox_Archiv
📡@NoGoolag
You’ve probably heard of a Blue Moon, which is the second full moon in any calendar month.
The last one was back in 2018; the next one is coming up in October 2020.
Well, 28 July 2020 is a Blue Firefox Update event – the second major security fix of the month, given that Mozilla now uses an every-four-weeks-on-Tuesday rhythm, and Firefox 78.0 came out on the first day of the month.
https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2020/07/28/firefox-79-is-out-its-a-double-update-month-so-patch-now/
📡@cRyPtHoN_INFOSEC_DE
📡@cRyPtHoN_INFOSEC_EN
📡@BlackBox_Archiv
📡@NoGoolag
Read how Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google plan to defend themselves to Congress.
With their big day before lawmakers just around the corner, previews of Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple’s opening statements are now available on the House Judiciary Committee’s site. On Wednesday, the CEOs of each company will appear in an unusually executive-packed Congressional hearing focused on antitrust concerns over the business practices.
While the opening statements are just a glimpse of the hearing’s potential topics, they do provide a useful outline for the strategy each company will use to fend off accusations that their businesses have grown on such an enormous scale due to anticompetitive behavior.
https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/28/opening-statements-tech-antitrust-hearing/
📡@cRyPtHoN_INFOSEC_DE
📡@cRyPtHoN_INFOSEC_EN
📡@BlackBox_Archiv
📡@NoGoolag
With their big day before lawmakers just around the corner, previews of Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple’s opening statements are now available on the House Judiciary Committee’s site. On Wednesday, the CEOs of each company will appear in an unusually executive-packed Congressional hearing focused on antitrust concerns over the business practices.
While the opening statements are just a glimpse of the hearing’s potential topics, they do provide a useful outline for the strategy each company will use to fend off accusations that their businesses have grown on such an enormous scale due to anticompetitive behavior.
https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/28/opening-statements-tech-antitrust-hearing/
📡@cRyPtHoN_INFOSEC_DE
📡@cRyPtHoN_INFOSEC_EN
📡@BlackBox_Archiv
📡@NoGoolag
Turkish parliament approves social media law with new powers
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s parliament approved a law early Wednesday that gives authorities greater power to regulate social media despite concerns of growing censorship.
The law requires major social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter to keep representative offices in Turkey to deal with complaints against content on their platforms.
The government says the legislation was needed to combat cybercrime and protect users. Speaking in parliament Wednesday morning, ruling party lawmaker Rumeysa Kadak said it would be used to remove posts that contain cyberbullying and insults against women.
Opposition lawmakers said the law would further limit freedom of expression in a country where the media is already under tight government control and dozens of journalists are in jail. They called the bill the “censorship law.”
https://apnews.com/9abc40bdd22f6c8df763bad0b4c55924
#turkey #censorship
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s parliament approved a law early Wednesday that gives authorities greater power to regulate social media despite concerns of growing censorship.
The law requires major social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter to keep representative offices in Turkey to deal with complaints against content on their platforms.
The government says the legislation was needed to combat cybercrime and protect users. Speaking in parliament Wednesday morning, ruling party lawmaker Rumeysa Kadak said it would be used to remove posts that contain cyberbullying and insults against women.
Opposition lawmakers said the law would further limit freedom of expression in a country where the media is already under tight government control and dozens of journalists are in jail. They called the bill the “censorship law.”
https://apnews.com/9abc40bdd22f6c8df763bad0b4c55924
#turkey #censorship
AP NEWS
Turkey: Social media law's passage raises censorship worries
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s parliament approved a law early Wednesday that gives authorities greater power to regulate social media despite concerns of growing censorship in a country where critical...
Vatican allegedly hacked by China ahead of key talks
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican and the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong have been the targets of alleged Chinese state-backed hackers ahead of talks on renewal of a landmark 2018 deal that helped thaw diplomatic relations between the Vatican and China, according to a monitoring group.
The alleged attacks by a group called RedDelta began in May with an eye on September talks to renew a provisional agreement on bishop appointments, according to a report Tuesday by the U.S.-based Recorded Future, which tracks state-backed cyber attacks. The attacks were first reported by the New York Times.
The Vatican had no immediate comment. The Chinese foreign ministry denied any involvement, calling the report ’’groundless speculation.”
Recorded Future said that the Hong Kong Study Mission to China — a key link between the Vatican and China — and the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions also were targeted.
https://apnews.com/86d667d57bca41ddbc6f289d48f2dfe0
#vatican #china #hacking
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican and the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong have been the targets of alleged Chinese state-backed hackers ahead of talks on renewal of a landmark 2018 deal that helped thaw diplomatic relations between the Vatican and China, according to a monitoring group.
The alleged attacks by a group called RedDelta began in May with an eye on September talks to renew a provisional agreement on bishop appointments, according to a report Tuesday by the U.S.-based Recorded Future, which tracks state-backed cyber attacks. The attacks were first reported by the New York Times.
The Vatican had no immediate comment. The Chinese foreign ministry denied any involvement, calling the report ’’groundless speculation.”
Recorded Future said that the Hong Kong Study Mission to China — a key link between the Vatican and China — and the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions also were targeted.
https://apnews.com/86d667d57bca41ddbc6f289d48f2dfe0
#vatican #china #hacking
AP NEWS
Vatican allegedly hacked by China ahead of key talks
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican and the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong have been the targets of alleged Chinese state-backed hackers ahead of talks on renewal of a landmark 2018 deal that helped...
Contact tracing – the privacy vs urgency dilemma for governments in the fight against Covid-19
• China has been quick to experiment with digital contact tracing, enlisting domestic tech giants to build QR-code-based quarantine apps during the pandemic
• The US approach to contact tracing has been fragmented and slow to launch, with no national program in place, although privacy has been top of mind
Using an app on your smartphone to track whether you’ve been in close contact with people who have contracted Covid-19 seems – at first glance – like a perfectly plausible way to use new technology to help tackle a global health crisis that has sickened millions and brought the world economy to its knees.
There’s just one problem – data privacy.
Tracing the whereabouts of infected patients has become a central plank in government efforts around the world to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. In the past, contact tracing was done through in-person interviews with medical professionals. Now smartphones have the power to streamline and automate that process.
https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3087325/contact-tracing-privacy-versus-urgency-dilemma-governments-fight
#us #china #privacy
• China has been quick to experiment with digital contact tracing, enlisting domestic tech giants to build QR-code-based quarantine apps during the pandemic
• The US approach to contact tracing has been fragmented and slow to launch, with no national program in place, although privacy has been top of mind
Using an app on your smartphone to track whether you’ve been in close contact with people who have contracted Covid-19 seems – at first glance – like a perfectly plausible way to use new technology to help tackle a global health crisis that has sickened millions and brought the world economy to its knees.
There’s just one problem – data privacy.
Tracing the whereabouts of infected patients has become a central plank in government efforts around the world to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. In the past, contact tracing was done through in-person interviews with medical professionals. Now smartphones have the power to streamline and automate that process.
https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3087325/contact-tracing-privacy-versus-urgency-dilemma-governments-fight
#us #china #privacy
South China Morning Post
Contact tracing – privacy vs urgency in the fight against Covid-19
How China and the US have approached contact tracing differently, with competing priorities over personal privacy and the need to tackle a health emergency effectively.
How Mexico's New Copyright Law Crushes Free Expression
When Mexico's Congress rushed through a new copyright law as part of its adoption of Donald Trump's United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), it largely copy-pasted the US copyright statute, with some modifications that made the law even worse for human rights.
The result is a legal regime that has all the deficits of the US system, and some new defects that are strictly hecho en Mexico, to the great detriment of the free expression rights of the Mexican people.
Mexico's Constitution has admirable, far-reaching protections for the free expression rights of its people. Mexico’s Congress is not merely prohibited from censoring its peoples' speech -- it is also banned from making laws that would cause others to censor Mexicans' speech.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/07/how-mexicos-new-copyright-law-crushes-free-expression
#us #mexico #copyright #law
When Mexico's Congress rushed through a new copyright law as part of its adoption of Donald Trump's United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), it largely copy-pasted the US copyright statute, with some modifications that made the law even worse for human rights.
The result is a legal regime that has all the deficits of the US system, and some new defects that are strictly hecho en Mexico, to the great detriment of the free expression rights of the Mexican people.
Mexico's Constitution has admirable, far-reaching protections for the free expression rights of its people. Mexico’s Congress is not merely prohibited from censoring its peoples' speech -- it is also banned from making laws that would cause others to censor Mexicans' speech.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/07/how-mexicos-new-copyright-law-crushes-free-expression
#us #mexico #copyright #law
Religious Freedom commission finds China uses extensive surveillance to monitor and suppress Christians
Christians in China are being persecuted and monitored with invasive technology.
The latest report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom revealed that the Chinese government was employing an “Orwellian surveillance state” to monitor minorities and religious communities in its borders. Christians are routinely subjected to various oppressive measures imposed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The CCP leverages modern technology such as advanced data analytics to track, monitor, and suppress several minority groups in the country.
“Authorities have systematically installed cameras in churches to identify and target anyone who attends services,” said Gayle Manchin, the chairperson of USCIRF, in a virtual hearing that detailed accounts of CCP’s oppressive practices imposed on minorities, especially religious ones.
https://reclaimthenet.org/china-surveillance-christians/
#asia #china #ccp #surveillance
Christians in China are being persecuted and monitored with invasive technology.
The latest report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom revealed that the Chinese government was employing an “Orwellian surveillance state” to monitor minorities and religious communities in its borders. Christians are routinely subjected to various oppressive measures imposed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The CCP leverages modern technology such as advanced data analytics to track, monitor, and suppress several minority groups in the country.
“Authorities have systematically installed cameras in churches to identify and target anyone who attends services,” said Gayle Manchin, the chairperson of USCIRF, in a virtual hearing that detailed accounts of CCP’s oppressive practices imposed on minorities, especially religious ones.
https://reclaimthenet.org/china-surveillance-christians/
#asia #china #ccp #surveillance
Reclaim The Net
Religious Freedom commission finds China uses extensive surveillance to monitor and suppress Christians
Christians in China are being persecuted and monitored with invasive technology.
BootHole GRUB bootloader bug lets hackers hide malware in Linux, Windows
A severe vulnerability exists in almost all signed versions of GRUB2 bootloader used by most Linux systems. When properly exploited, it could allow threat actors to compromise an operating system’s booting process even if the Secure Boot verification mechanism is active.
Aptly named BootHole, the flaw permits executing arbitrary code in GRUB bootloader. An attacker could use it to plant malware known as bootkit that loads before the operating system (OS).
Compromising a system this way confers the malware the highest privileges and makes it virtually undetectable as it is already running when security solutions on the OS become active.
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/boothole-grub-bootloader-bug-lets-hackers-hide-malware-in-linux-windows/
#Linux #GRUB #security
A severe vulnerability exists in almost all signed versions of GRUB2 bootloader used by most Linux systems. When properly exploited, it could allow threat actors to compromise an operating system’s booting process even if the Secure Boot verification mechanism is active.
Aptly named BootHole, the flaw permits executing arbitrary code in GRUB bootloader. An attacker could use it to plant malware known as bootkit that loads before the operating system (OS).
Compromising a system this way confers the malware the highest privileges and makes it virtually undetectable as it is already running when security solutions on the OS become active.
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/boothole-grub-bootloader-bug-lets-hackers-hide-malware-in-linux-windows/
#Linux #GRUB #security
BleepingComputer
BootHole GRUB bootloader bug lets hackers hide malware in Linux, Windows
A severe vulnerability exists in almost all signed versions of GRUB2 bootloader used by most Linux systems. When properly exploited, it could allow threat actors to compromise an operating system's booting process even if the Secure Boot verification mechanism…
PTA denies being responsible for disruption in Amazon Web Services
Since a few days there have been speculations circulating on social media platforms that PTA is responsible for the disruption in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) faced by some users. Some have even connected the issue with that of the recent ban on PUBG.
In response to these PTA issued an official statement today denying that the two are connected and that the authority has anything to do with the disruption.
“The ban on PUBG is in place since 10 July whereas AWS users faced issues reportedly on 23 July. Complaints received by operators from AWS users also show that they experienced intermittent accessibility issues and not complete blocking of AWS IPs or services. Furthermore, this phenomenon was not specific to Pakistan only but users in other countries including United States also experienced similar issues. PTA has already clarified the matter through its social media accounts as well when this trend was first seen on social media.”
https://pk.mashable.com/tech/4365/pta-denies-being-responsible-for-disruption-in-amazon-web-services
#asia #pakistan #PTA #AWS
Since a few days there have been speculations circulating on social media platforms that PTA is responsible for the disruption in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) faced by some users. Some have even connected the issue with that of the recent ban on PUBG.
In response to these PTA issued an official statement today denying that the two are connected and that the authority has anything to do with the disruption.
“The ban on PUBG is in place since 10 July whereas AWS users faced issues reportedly on 23 July. Complaints received by operators from AWS users also show that they experienced intermittent accessibility issues and not complete blocking of AWS IPs or services. Furthermore, this phenomenon was not specific to Pakistan only but users in other countries including United States also experienced similar issues. PTA has already clarified the matter through its social media accounts as well when this trend was first seen on social media.”
https://pk.mashable.com/tech/4365/pta-denies-being-responsible-for-disruption-in-amazon-web-services
#asia #pakistan #PTA #AWS
Mashable Pakistan
PTA denies being responsible for disruption in Amazon Web Services
PTA issued an official statement today denying that they are behind the disruption or that it is connected with the ban on PUBG.