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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 best news in a long time came out with two announcements this week.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n First in, The people should own the town square<\/a>, Mastodon announced:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n We are going to transfer ownership of key Mastodon ecosystem and platform components (including name and copyrights, among other assets) to a new non-profit organization, affirming the intent that Mastodon should not be owned or controlled by a single individual.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meanwhile, Free our Feeds announced<\/a>:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n It will take independent funding and governance to turn Bluesky\u2019s underlying tech\u2014the AT Protocol\u2014into something more powerful than a single app. We want to create an entire ecosystem of interconnected apps and different companies that have people\u2019s interests at heart. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meanwhile the Social Web Foundation said<\/a>:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Social Web Foundation focuses on the network of platforms connected via ActivityPub. We also support efforts to make other distributed social networking protocols more open and equitable. For this reason, we are excited to support the FreeOurFeeds campaign launching today. This campaign is an opportunity to develop the capacity needed for the open social web protocols \u2013 ActivityPub along with Bluesky\u2019s AT Protocol \u2013 to better interoperate, leveraging the entire open social ecosystem to create a working demonstration of algorithmic pluralism at scale.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Open Future summarized<\/a>:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Both initiatives aim at the same problem: Ensuring that the underlying infrastructures powering social media services are run as public services that are resistant to capture from companies or individuals. They represent attempts to safeguard nascent public digital infrastructures for a new generation of social media services.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n So while the Free our Feeds includes some suspect AI cheerleaders and the SWF is too Meta tolerant for my tastes, I hope some fantastic things can come from these developments.<\/strong><\/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 Bleeping Computer reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n FBI deletes Chinese PlugX malware from thousands of US computers<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n US cracks down on North Korean IT worker army with more sanctions<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Verge reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n US finalizes rule to effectively ban Chinese vehicles, which could include Polestar<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Biden warns nation about the rise of American tech oligarchs<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n CNN reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Biden unveils last round of AI chip curbs aimed at China, Russia<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Guardian has:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Will the EU fight for the truth on Facebook and Instagram?<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Google investigated by UK watchdog over search dominance<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Biden strengthens US cyber defenses against Russia and China threats<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Deutche Welle reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n German institutions depart X, a day after Musk’s Weidel talk<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n EFF Goes to Court to Uncover Police Surveillance Tech in California<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Center for Democracy and Technology reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Letter from Meta Civil Rights Advisory Group Members on Grave Concerns with Content Policy Changes<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Le Monde has:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Europe : la r\u00e9gulation du num\u00e9rique \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9preuve de l\u2019offensive de Trump, Musk et Zuckerberg<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Register reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n SEC sues Elon Musk for allegedly screwing investors out of $150M before Twitter takeover<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n US adds Chinese RISC-V player that TSMC suspected of helping build Huawei GPUs to risky company register<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 404 Media reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n FTC Sues John Deere Over Its Repair Monopoly<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Markup reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fearing AI Will Take Their Jobs, Workers Plan a Long Battle Against Tech<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Noyb announces:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TikTok, AliExpress, SHEIN & Co surrender Europeans\u2019 data to authoritarian China<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ars Technica reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TikTok loses Supreme Court fight, prepares to shut down Sunday<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Irish Council for Civil Liberties reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Google and CEO Sundar Pichai under fire for sending Americans\u2019 data to China in new national security complaint<\/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 Wired reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A Spymaster Sheikh Controls a $1.5 Trillion Fortune. He Wants to Use It to Dominate AI<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Markup reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Online Censorship In Schools Is \u2018More Pervasive’ Than Expected, New Data\u00a0Shows<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tech Policy reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Analysis of Spanish-Language Disinformation in the 2024 US Election Suggests Dismissing Fact-Checkers Threatens Democracy<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Peter Thiel Dreams of Empire<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Record reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Russian espionage and financial theft campaigns have ramped up, Ukraine cyber agency says<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Register reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Russia’s Star Blizzard phishing crew caught targeting WhatsApp accounts<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bleeping Computer reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n CISA orders agencies to patch BeyondTrust bug exploited in attacks<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The U.S. State department announces:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joint Statement on Cryptocurrency Thefts by the Democratic People\u2019s Republic of Korea and Public-Private Collaboration<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Guardian asks:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n As tech barons dial up the spreading of lies, why is the BBC dialling down the reporting of truth?<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n CNN reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jen Rubin exits Washington Post, joins Norm Eisen to launch new outlet countering \u2018authoritarian threat\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n But for some reason they are on fascism-friendly Substack with it.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mother Jones reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n How Trump\u2019s Return Is Pushing the Media to Self-Censor<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n AKA this week in c^ntness.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Guardian has:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n How Elon Musk has meddled in European affairs<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2018Just the start\u2019: X\u2019s new AI software driving online racist abuse, experts warn<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n How to politicize the truth on Facebook, Instagram, and Wikipedia<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Truthout reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meta\u2019s Allowance of Hate Speech Is Another Side Effect of Big Tech Monopoly<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 404 Media reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meta Is Blocking Links to Decentralized Instagram Competitor Pixelfed<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Instagram Ads Send This Nudify Site 90 Percent of Its Traffic<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meta Is Laying the Narrative Groundwork for Trump\u2019s Mass Deportations<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TechCrunch reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n OpenAI quietly revises policy doc to remove reference to \u2018politically unbiased\u2019 AI<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Damien Desfontaines shares:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Five things privacy experts know about AI<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Platforms Systematically Removed a User Because He Made “Most Wanted CEO” Playing Cards<\/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 Tech Policy reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n What Trump\u2019s Return Means For Encryption<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A Call for Modular Multistakeholder AI Governance: Practical Recommendations for the Upcoming AI Action Summit<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Guardian reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ministers consider ban on all UK public bodies making ransomware payments<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n DarkReading reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Apple Bug Allows Root Protections Bypass Without Physical Access<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TechCrunch reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n UnitedHealth hid its Change Healthcare data breach notice for months<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Register reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n GoDaddy slapped with wet lettuce for years of lax security and ‘several major breaches’<\/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 99<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Again Mastodon announced:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The people should own the town square<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Trunk & Tidbits, December 2024<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Verge reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Instagram alternative Pixelfed now has apps<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Internet Review shares:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Enjoying Pixelfed? Don\u2019t Miss Out On One Of Its Cooler Features: Portfolio<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ghost has:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The story so far<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Social Web Foundation looks at:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Content Policy on the Social Web<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Solarbird says:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Let\u2019s all go to the EXIT<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TechCrunch reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Instagram Threads won\u2019t share a timeline for account portability<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Fediverse Reports has:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Last Week in Bluesky and the ATmosphere -2025jan.b<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n DailyKos previews:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Coming Enshittification of Bluesky<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben Werder shares:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Free Our Feeds<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I have no doubt Bluesky will eventually become enshittified. Let’s hope the ATProtocol won’t be.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Social Web Foundation looks at:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Free Our Feeds and Algorithmic Pluralism<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Shellsharks weighs in with:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TechCrunch reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mark Cuban is ready to fund a TikTok alternative built on Bluesky\u2019s AT Protocol<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bluesky saw 17x increase in moderation reports in 2024 after rapid growth<\/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":688,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[69],"tags":[57,66,67,92,74,65,75,58,77,59,154,153,143,63,61,62],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1137"}],"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=1137"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1160,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1137\/revisions\/1160"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/688"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\nFeatured Item<\/h2>\n
Free Our Feeds will build a new, independent foundation to help make that happen.<\/p>\n
\n\nThe response to Russia\u2019s War Crimes and other douchebaggery<\/h2>\n
\n\nThe Evil Empire Strikes Back<\/h2>\n
Pariah States<\/h3>\n
Big Media<\/h3>\n
Big Tech<\/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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