Welcome to this week’s “Destroying Autocracy”.
It’s your source for curated news affecting democracy in the cyber arena with a focus on protecting it. That necessitates an opinionated Butlerian jihad against big tech as well as evangelizing for open-source and the Fediverse. Since big media’s journalism wing is flailing and failing in its core duty to democracy, this is also a collection of alternative reporting on the eternal battle between autocracy and democracy. We also cover the cybersecurity world. You can’t be free without safety and privacy.
DA comes out on Thursday and is updated through the end of day on Friday. Then we start over. So take your time in perusing it and check back in over the weekend.
FYI, my opinions will be in bold. And will often involve cursing. Because humans. Especially tech bros. And fascists. Fuck ’em.
Featured Item
Anil Dash writes:
The concept of consent doesn’t exist on the modern internet.
You didn’t read the terms of service. You didn’t agree to accept cookies. I didn’t consent to having my site pulled into the training model for that artificial intelligence system that’s going to use to sell the fruit of my labor for profit. I didn’t agree to have my activity tracked across all these different websites and cobbled together into a creepy and inaccurate profile of my preferences that gets sold without my permission.
Nobody asks for anything, they just take it. There’s not even an acknowledgement, that any of this stuff is happening let alone a conversation about it.
We start and end with good news to make the middle bearable.
The response to Russia’s War Crimes, TechnoFeudalism, and other douchebaggery
CyberNews reports:
Massive security blunder: Russian nuclear site blueprints exposed in public procurement database
The Register reports:
Europe warns giant e-tailer to stop cheating consumers or face its wrath
Tuta reports:
In Europe, there’s good news.
404 Media reports:
Flock Decides Not to Use Hacked Data in People Search Tool
Yeah, but for how long?
Civitai Ban of Real People Content Deals Major Blow to the Nonconsensual AI Porn Ecosystem
John Onolan reflects on:
DarkReading reports:
Danabot Takedown Deals Blow to Russian Cybercrime
How to Geek has:
After Switching to Linux, This App Helped Me Drop Google for Good
The Next Web reports:
Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot banned by a quarter of European firms
Be sure to see the Signal article below.
The Register reports:
Poll of 1,000 senior techies: Euro execs mull use of US clouds
Apple has only 30 days to comply with EU DMA rules
Ars Technica reports:
It’s too expensive to fight every AI copyright battle, Getty CEO says
That’s why we need laws and regulations.
Tech Policy shares:
Debunking Myths About AI Laws and the Proposed Moratorium on State AI Regulation
AI Monopolies Are Coming. Now’s the Time to Stop Them.
18F announces:
TechCrunch reports:
Hugging Face unveils two new humanoid robots
Neutral
TechPolicy reports:
The GDPR Shake-Up: What You Need to Know
Vox reports:
The new pope has strong opinions about AI. Good.
Our Techno Anarchist Manifesto looks into similar ideas from other Popes.
The Center for Democracy and Technology has:
This is Not An #Ad: Political Influencers, Elections, and Information Integrity on Social Media
The Evil Empire Strikes Back
TechCrunch reports:
Why a new anti-revenge porn law has free speech experts alarmed
Tech Policy reports:
The Big Beautiful Bill Could Decimate Legal Accountability for Tech and Anything Tech Touches
404 Media reports:
ICE Taps into Nationwide AI-Enabled Camera Network, Data Shows
Developer Builds Tool That Scrapes YouTube Comments, Uses AI to Predict Where Users Live
The Register reports:
Ex-CISA employee: ‘This culture of fear started permeating the agency’
Renée DiResta reports:
A Comment on the Comment Call: Dissecting the FTC’s Inquiry Into Content Moderation
New Republic reports:
Trump Taps Palantir to Create Master Database on Every American
Pariah States
BleepingComputer reports:
Russian Laundry Bear cyberspies linked to Dutch Police hack
Iranian pleads guilty to RobbinHood ransomware attacks, faces 30 years
Czechia blames China for Ministry of Foreign Affairs cyberattack
APT41 malware abuses Google Calendar for stealthy C2 communication
Reuters reports:
India’s alarm over Chinese spying rocks the surveillance industry
TechCrunch reports:
Report: TuSimple sent sensitive self-driving data to China after US national security agreement
The Register reports:
Why is China deep in US networks? ‘They’re preparing for war,’ HR McMaster tells lawmakers
Big Media
Joan Westenberg looks at:
The Daily Beast reports:
Bezos’ WaPo Gives Staff Ultimatum as It Pushes Them Out
The NewGuild reports:
Washington Post Tech Guild overwhelmingly votes to certify union in historic election
And, that’s how you deal with a c^nt.
Big Tech
The Register reports:
Some signs of AI model collapse begin to reveal themselves
The International Journal of Law and Information Technology asks:
The EU Digital Services Act: what does it mean for online advertising and adtech?
Jacobin reports:
Big Tech Wants to Become Its Own Bank
TechSpot reports:
Duolingo CEO backtracks on AI push, says human workers still needed
Ben Werdmuller looks at:
Fuck Substack.
Jae shares:
Yet another reason you should use Signal
And fuck these two c^nts.
Travel Lemming notes:
Well, shit.
Cybersecurity/Privacy
ZDNet reports:
BleepingComputer reports:
Apple Safari exposes users to fullscreen browser-in-the-middle attacks
ConnectWise breached in cyberattack linked to nation-state hackers
Google reports:
Text-to-Malware: How Cybercriminals Weaponize Fake AI-Themed Websites
Fediverse
The Fediverse Report has:
The Social Web Foundation shares its:
Hamish Campbell is:
Thinking about news on the Fediverse
We Distribute reports:
PeerTube announces a fundraising effort:
Other Slightly Federated Social Media
The Fediverse Report has:
CTAs (aka show us some free love)
- That’s it for this week. Please share this edition of Destroying Autocracy.
- Follow me on the Fediverse. Or this site via the button in the footer. Or via RSS.
Keep fighting!
Ringleader, Battalion
Reuben Walker
Follow me on the Fediverse
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