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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.<\/p>\n
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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.<\/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. Fuck ’em.<\/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 Tech Policy writes:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The year is 2028. The world\u2019s leading economies are in turmoil as artificial intelligence systems, once hailed as engines of progress, have outpaced human governance.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n AI-driven financial markets operate beyond regulation, executing trades at speeds incomprehensible to human oversight. AI legal agents flood the courts with appeals and counterappeals, paralyzing the judicial system. Generative AI platforms tailor disinformation campaigns with surgical precision, dismantling electoral processes before governments can intervene.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meanwhile, a handful of oligarchs with exclusive control over the most advanced AI systems command unprecedented influence, bypassing legislatures and setting policies through proprietary governance mechanisms.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Democracy, once thought resilient, is crumbling under the weight of unchecked artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s hard not to see a trajectory towards such a world in today\u2019s headlines. Yet, this future is not inevitable.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n AI at the Brink: Preventing the Subversion of Democracy<\/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 9 to 5 Mac reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Brazilian court gives Apple 90 days to allow sideloading on iOS<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n ArsTechnica reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Apple refuses to break encryption, seeks reversal of UK demand for backdoor<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n NextGov reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n US spy chief directs legal review of UK\u2019s Apple backdoor demand<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Computing reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Call to exempt small sites from the Online Safety Act<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n EuroNews reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n EU Commission looking to speed up 5G defence from foreign interference<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TechCrunch reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n EU must \u2018fully\u2019 apply its market fairness rulebook on Google, search rivals urge<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jan Wildeboer describes:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n From iCloud to Nextcloud: Contacts<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 404 Media reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n French University to Fund American Scientists Who Fear Trump Censorship<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Archivists Recreate Pre-Trump CDC Website, Are Hosting It in Europe<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n NetzPolitik reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Open source funding on the brink : \u201cDelivering what\u2019s needed to make Europe sovereign\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tech Policy has:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Looking for an Exit: Europe\u2019s Way to Public Digital Infrastructures<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Register reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do you DARE? Europe bets once again on RISC-V for supercomputing sovereignty<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n UK watchdog investigates TikTok and Reddit over child data privacy concerns<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Electronic Frontier Foundation introduces:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meet Rayhunter: A New Open Source Tool from EFF to Detect Cellular Spying<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n BleepingComputer reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n US charges Chinese hackers linked to critical infrastructure breaches<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n US seizes domain of Garantex crypto exchange used by ransomware gangs<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Andre Garzia opines:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Web Should Be A Conversation<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sim, meu homem!<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben Werdmuller says:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The web was always about redistribution of power. Let’s bring that back.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joan Westenberg writes:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Big Tech Wants You Trapped. The Open Web Sets You Free<\/a><\/p>\n <\/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 Microsoft unveils finalized EU Data Boundary as European doubt over US grows<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n It begins: Pentagon to give AI agents a role in decision making, ops planning<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Markup reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n AI Chatbots Can Cushion the High School Counselor Shortage \u2014 But Are They Bad for Students?<\/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 BitDefender reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Stop targeting Russian hackers, Trump administration orders US Cyber Command<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Guardian reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Trump administration retreats in fight against Russian cyber threats<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meanwhile BleepingComputer reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n DHS says CISA will not stop monitoring Russian cyber threats<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Register has more:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n So \u2026 Russia no longer a cyber threat to America?<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Given that the people running these agencies are now lying, moronic, incompetent, fascist c^nts, who knows what to believe.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Kyiv Independent reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Russian, Chinese intelligence seek to recruit fired US federal employees, CNN reports<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This would be funny if weren’t disastrous.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rolling Stone reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n New DOGE Staffer Has Ties to a Sanctioned Russian Oligarch<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n How surprising.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 404 Media reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Cellebrite Is Using AI to Summarize Chat Logs and Audio from Seized Mobile Phones<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tech Policy reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n An Alert to the World: The Role of Social Media Platforms in Bolsonaro\u2019s Disinformation Campaign Targeting Brazil\u2019s Democratic Institutions<\/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 Polish space agency confirms cyberattack<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TechCrunch reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Russian propaganda is reportedly influencing AI chatbot results<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n DarkReading reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n ‘Crafty Camel’ APT Targets Aviation, OT With Polygot Files<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n China’s Silk Typhoon APT Shifts to IT Supply Chain Attacks<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bleeping Computer reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Microsoft: North Korean hackers join Qilin ransomware gang<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Guardian<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Israeli military creating ChatGPT-like tool using vast collection of Palestinian surveillance data<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joan Westenberg shares:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Why I Won’t Write on Substack<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/strong>Substack is for c^nts and fascists. Use Ghost or Buttondown instead. And you should become a paid subscriber to Joan’s site as well.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Speaking of, The Guardian has:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The LA Times\u2019 AI \u2018bias meter\u2019 looks like a bid to please Donald Trump<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TechDirt announces:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Why Techdirt Is Now A Democracy Blog (Whether We Like It Or Not)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Where’s Your ‘Ed At explains:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Generative AI Con<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TechCrunch reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Anthropic quietly removes Biden-era AI policy commitments from its website<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jumping on the coward bandwagon.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n OpenAI\u2019s ex-policy lead criticizes the company for \u2018rewriting\u2019 its AI safety history<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Signal President Meredith Whittaker calls out agentic AI as having \u2018profound\u2019 security and privacy issues<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 404 Media reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Google and Amazon AI Say Hitler\u2019s Mein Kampf Is \u2018a True Work of Art\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Micah Flee is:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Exploring the Paramilitary Leaks<\/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 DarkReading reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Third-Party Risk Top Cybersecurity Claims<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n BleepingComputer reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Microsoft Teams tactics, malware connect Black Basta, Cactus ransomware<\/a><\/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 Fediverse Report #106<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joan Westenberg opines:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Fediverse Isn\u2019t the Future. It\u2019s the Present We\u2019ve Been Denied.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Unfortunately, IFTAS has an announcement:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n IFTAS Service Shutdowns<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I just started a small monthly donation, but they need big money for the things they just dropped.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n FOSS Academic asks are we in a:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Standards War?<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ghost has an update:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Warp factor 5, Mr. Sulu<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n FunkWhale announces:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Funkwhale Against Fascism<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n And fuck anybody who has a problem with it!<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Elena Rossini shares:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n PeerTube: the Fediverse\u2019s decentralized video platform (part 1: first impressions)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Failing newspaper, The New York Times reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A Long-Shot Bet to Bypass the Middlemen of Social Media<\/a><\/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 Bluesky Report \u2013 2025mar.a<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TechCrunch reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tapbots teases a new Bluesky app, Phoenix, saying it can\u2019t \u2018survive on Mastodon alone\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tangled is<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Introducing tangled<\/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 Keep fighting!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Welcome to this week’s \u201cDestroying Autocracy\u201d. 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":528,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[69],"tags":[193,57,66,192,156,67,92,74,73,65,75,58,77,59,76,153,64,86,143,63,61],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1514"}],"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=1514"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1514\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1554,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1514\/revisions\/1554"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1514"}],"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
\n\nBig Media<\/h3>\n
Big Tech<\/h3>\n
Terror<\/h3>\n
\n\nCybersecurity\/Privacy<\/h2>\n
Fediverse<\/h2>\n
Other Slightly Federated Social Media<\/h3>\n
\n\nCTAs (aka show us some free love)<\/h2>\n
\n