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(s)
The Guardian shares:
In her final piece for the Observer, Carole Cadwalladr reveals what happened when she returned last week to give the opening speech at technology conference Ted, where she gave her first – life-changing – talk six years ago.
TechDirt writes:
There’s a certain dark irony in watching tech billionaires who built their empires on the “democratizing power of technology” now actively working to dismantle democratic institutions. The same figures who once championed connection and openness are now the architects of the most dangerous centralization of power in modern history.
The “De” In “Decentralization” Stands For “Democracy”
The issues discussed in these two items are some of the main reasons Battalion and the TechnoAnarchist Manifesto exist.
We start and end with good news to make the middle bearable.
The response to Russia’s War Crimes and other douchebaggery
The Kyiv Independent reports:
Switzerland joins EU sanctions against Russian state media
Bleeping Computer reports:
Russian army targeted by new Android malware hidden in mapping app
TheNewStack reports:
EU OS: A European Proposal for a Public Sector Linux Desktop
The Register reports:
It takes one click to join Uber One, but quitting might need 32 actions
European biz calls for Euro tech for local people
Tech Policy reports:
Understanding the Apple and Meta Non-Compliance Decisions Under the Digital Markets Act
How AI Can Support Democracy Movements
A good article, though long. And Erica, search the term headings and learn how to use them!
EuroNews reports:
In his final months, Pope Francis warned about social media, screen time, and AI
NLNet shares:
Eleven new projects for NGI Pilots
CBS News reports:
Federal judge orders Trump administration to rehire all Voice of America and Radio Free Asia staff
Ars Technica reports:
Universities (finally) band together, fight “unprecedented government overreach”
Gaël Duval has:
Murena & /e/OS 2025: another leap towards Usable Privacy for All
The Evil Empire Strikes Back
Propublica reports:
Trump Team Eyes Politically Connected Startup to Overhaul $700 Billion Government Payments Program
Krebs on Security reports:
Whistleblower: DOGE Siphoned NLRB Case Data
NiemanLab reports:
National Science Foundation cancels research grants related to misinformation and disinformation
The Center for Democracy and Technology reports:
Automated Tools for Social Media Monitoring Irrevocably Chill Millions of Noncitizens’ Expression
Pariah States
DarkReading reports:
Nation-State Threats Put SMBs in Their Sights
DeepSeek Breach Opens Floodgates to Dark Web
BleepingComputer reports:
Hackers abuse OAuth 2.0 workflows to hijack Microsoft 365 accounts
Lazarus hackers breach six companies in watering hole attacks
Big Media
404 Media reports:
How 404 Media Is Navigating ‘Economic Headwinds’
Or small media in this case. You should subscribe to 404 if you’re in the tech sector.
Big Tech
The Guardian reports:
Meta ‘hastily’ changed moderation policy with little regard to impact, says oversight board
Tech Policy reports on:
Big Tech, Bolsonarism, and the Erosion of Democracy
Where’s Your Ed opines:
OpenAI Is A Systemic Risk To The Tech Industry
Mozilla says:
Tell Etsy, Reddit, Tinder & Duolingo: Stop Feeding Surveillance Tech
Cybersecurity/Privacy
BleepingComputer has:
Phishers abuse Google OAuth to spoof Google in DKIM replay attack
WordPress ad-fraud plugins generated 1.4 billion ad requests per day
The Register reports:
Ex-NSA chief warns AI devs: Don’t repeat infosec’s early-day screwups
Nextcloud says:
EU-US Data Privacy Framework is defunct: what does this mean for businesses?
CyberNews reports:
Employee monitoring app leaks 21 million screenshots in real time
Ha! You reap what you sow.
Fediverse
The Fediverse Report has:
Tim Bray looks at:
Fedihost asks:
Why Is Mastodon Using So Much Storage?
Jose Murilo shares:
A rede social que não pode ser vendida: porque Mastodon, e não Bluesky.
TechCrunch reports:
Threads officially moves to Threads.com and updates its web app
So, block threads.com.
Meta’s Threads opens up ads to global advertisers
To the surprise of no one.
Other Slightly Federated Social Media
And:
Bluesky launches blue check verification
Government censorship comes to Bluesky, but not its third-party apps … yet
Wait, how did a decentralized service like Bluesky go down?
Because it’s not fucking decentralized.
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
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.