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It’s your source for curated news affecting democracy in the cyber arena with a focus on protecting democracy. 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.<\/p>\n
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DD 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.<\/p>\n
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FYI, my opinions will be in bold. And will often involve cursing. Because humans. Especially tech bros. And fascists.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The FTC reports on:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n AI and the Risk of Consumer Harm<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n We start and end with good news to make the middle bearable.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n BleepingComputer reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Russian ISP confirms Ukrainian hackers “destroyed” its network<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Kyiv Independent reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n US sanctions Orban ally Antal Rogan for corruption, abuse of power<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Radio Free Europe reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Biden Slaps Broad Sanctions On Russian Energy Sector In Final Bid To Punish Kremlin<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Register reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Biden said to weigh global limits on AI exports in 11th-hour trade war blitz<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Verge reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n U.S. designates Tencent and CATL as Chinese military companies<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tech Policy reports on:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A New Model for State Privacy Legislation<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 404 Media reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Telegram Hands U.S. Authorities Data on Thousands of Users<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Reuters reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n UK universities join retreat from Elon Musk’s X, citing misinformation on platform<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TechCrunch reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Washington sues T-Mobile over 2021 data breach that spilled 79 million customer records<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n EU court fines European Commission for breaching its own data privacy laws<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n US government charges operators of crypto mixing service used by North Korea and ransomware gangs<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meta to phase back in political content on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Of course being Suckbook, they are going to c^nt it up. See below.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Electronic Frontiers Foundation has:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n EFF Statement on Meta’s Announcement of Revisions to Its Content Moderation Processes<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n They rethought this shortly there after:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meta\u2019s New Content Policy Will Harm Vulnerable Users. If It Really Valued Free Speech, It Would Make These Changes<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Guardian reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Brazil says Meta getting rid of factcheckers is \u2018bad for democracy\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n MIT Technology Review reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A New York legislator wants to pick up the pieces of the dead California AI bill<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ars Technica reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Google loses in court, faces trial for collecting data on users who opted out<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tech Policy reports on:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Politics of AI Innovation in the U.S. States<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 404 Media reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Researcher Turns Insecure License Plate Cameras Into Open Source Surveillance Tool<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TechDirt reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Congressional Report Accuses Jordan, Musk Of Weaponizing Gov\u2019t To Silence Critics<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n MSNBC reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Musk\u2019s global project isn\u2019t about politics. It\u2019s about himself.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Register reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Charter, Consolidated, Windstream reportedly join China’s Salt Typhoon victim list<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Japanese Police claim China ran five-year cyberattack campaign targeting local orgs<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chinese cyber-spies peek over shoulder of officials probing real-estate deals near American military bases<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n DarkReading reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Russia Carves Out Commercial Surveillance Success Globally<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joan Westenberg opines:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Everyone\u2019s Buying the MAGA PICO Top<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TechCrunch reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n X hires former WSJ editor and bureau chief to lead news group<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Guardian reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n How Elon Musk\u2019s X became the global right\u2019s supercharged front page<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n UserMag reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Instagram blocked teens from searching LGBTQ-related content for months<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 404 Media reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Facebook Is Censoring 404 Media Stories About Facebook’s Censorship<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Instagram Begins Randomly Showing Users AI-Generated Images of Themselves<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s Total Chaos Internally at Meta Right Now\u2019: Employees Protest Zuckerberg\u2019s Anti LGBTQ Changes<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Verge reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meta abandons fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram in favor of Community Notes<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meta\u2019s fact-checking changes are just what Trump\u2019s FCC head asked for<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Wired reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meta\u2019s Fact-Checking Partners Say They Were \u2018Blindsided\u2019 by Decision to Axe Them<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TechCrunch reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mark Zuckerberg gave Meta\u2019s Llama team the OK to train on copyrighted works, filing claims<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Told ya. C^ntness galore.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Guardian reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Key Oath Keepers leader revealed as former Las Vegas police detective<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Extremism in US military is \u2018sleeping danger\u2019 says author of Pentagon report<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Verge reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Las Vegas police release ChatGPT logs from the suspect in the Cybertruck explosion<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Forward reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Scoop: Heritage Foundation plans to \u2018identify and target\u2019 Wikipedia editors<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 404 Media reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Violent Hackers Are Using U-Haul To Dox Targets<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n MIT Technology Review reports on:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n What\u2019s next for our privacy?<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n BleepingComputer reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n CISA warns of critical Oracle, Mitel flaws exploited in attacks<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n DarkReading reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Zivver Report Reveals Critical Challenges in Email Security for 2025<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Freelock reports<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Privacy Big Picture: 6 ways privacy is changing<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Fediverse Report has:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Last Week in Fediverse \u2013 ep 98<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Stefano Marinelli is:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Announcing FediMeteo \u2013 Weather in the Fediverse!<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Very useful.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Manyfold announces:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Manyfold \u2764\ufe0f NLNet<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Event Federation<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEvent Bridge For ActivityPub\u201d plugin released on WordPress.org<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n FORbetter explores:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meta, Moderation & what it could mean for open social media<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TechCrunch reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mastodon CEO calls Meta\u2019s moderation changes \u2018deeply troubling,\u2019 warns users cross-posting from Threads<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Of course he’s not going to defederate Threads. Which is what he should have done from the fucking beginning.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dan Sinker is:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pulling the Threads<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Again no one should even be on Threads in the first place (unless it’s a work requirement.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n FOSS Academic reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Watching Threads, Bluesky and Decentralization, and ActivityPub Trust and Safety<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Fediverse Report has:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Last Week in Bluesky \u2013 2025jan.a<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Prospect reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bluesky Proves Stagnant Monopolies Are Strangling the Internet<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Liberal Currents reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bluesky Won’t Save Us<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Why would anyone think a Shitter clone would?<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TechCrunch reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bluesky bump from X exodus is slowing down, data shows<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p><\/ul>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Welcome to this week’s \u201cDefending Democracy\u201d. It’s your source for curated news affecting democracy in the cyber arena with a focus on protecting democracy. 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":689,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[69],"tags":[57,66,67,92,74,65,75,58,59,152,86,143,63,61],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1099"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1099"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1099\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1112,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1099\/revisions\/1112"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\nFeatured Item<\/h2>\n
\n\nThe response to Russia\u2019s War Crimes and other douchebaggery<\/h2>\n
\n\nNeutral<\/h2>\n
\n\nThe Evil Empire Strikes Back<\/h2>\n
Pariah States<\/h3>\n
Big Media<\/h3>\n
Big Tech<\/h3>\n
Terror<\/h3>\n
\n\nCybersecurity\/Privacy<\/h2>\n
\n\nFediverse<\/h2>\n
Other Slightly Federated Social Media<\/h3>\n
\n\nCTAs (aka show us some free love)<\/h2>\n
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