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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 Joan Westenberg writes:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The lines between corporations and countries are getting blurrier by the day. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the battle between Brazil, Elon Musk and his various vanity projects.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Brazil\u2019s Supreme Court, in its infinite wisdom (and admittedly, sovereign right) ordered the banning of certain accounts on X (formerly Twitter). Why? Because these accounts were spreading misinformation and Nazi ideologies faster than a wildfire in the Amazon.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n In most countries, this would be the end of the story. The Court makes a decision, people grumble, life goes on. But not when Elon Musk is involved.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The New Digital World Order?<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is why I say Big Tech is a more dire threat to democracy for most people than pariah states. Unless you live next door to a pariah state. Aka Ukraine, Taiwan, South Korea, or Palestine.<\/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 Kyiv Independent reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n New military app is set to revolutionize how Ukraine runs its army<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The U.S. Justice department announces:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Five Russian GRU Officers and One Civilian Charged for Conspiring to Hack Ukrainian Government<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Register reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Data watchdog fines Clearview AI $33M for ‘illegal’ data collection<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n FCC finally gets around to banning Kaspersky from telecoms kit<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Global powers sign AI pact promising to preserve human rights, democracy<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Public Notice reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kamala Harris is cutting off Trump\u2019s political oxygen<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Yahoo reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Musk\u2019s Starlink Backs Down, Agrees to Block X in Brazil<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Engadget reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Report: A quarter of X advertisers plan to cut spending next year<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Next Web reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Uh oh, Elon: Half of European marketers plan to cut spending on X ads<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Of course if you give Shitter any money or help them make any you’re a c^nt (nothing personal), so this should be 100%.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rest of World reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The deepfake election nightmare hasn\u2019t happened. Singapore still wants to ban them<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 404 Media reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2018Right to Repair for Your Body\u2019: The Rise of DIY, Pirated Medicine<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Verge reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Social networks can\u2019t be forced to filter content for kids, says judge<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meta Oversight Board okays calls for violence against Venezuelan \u2018colectivos\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Telegram CEO breaks silence after arrest<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Telegram changes its tone on moderating private chats after CEO\u2019s arrest<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n It’s amazing what happens when you hold mofos accountable.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TechCrunch reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Microsoft gives deepfake porn victims a tool to scrub images from Bing search<\/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 Slate reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Voting Rights Situation in Some Swing States Is Quite Alarming<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Guardian reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Trump and allies plant seeds for \u2018chaos and discord\u2019 if he loses, experts warn<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Christian group recruits \u2018Trojan horse\u2019 election skeptics as US poll workers<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Financial Times reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The kleptocrats aren\u2019t just stealing money. They\u2019re stealing democracy<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you follow us on the Fediverse, you may have noticed we are sharing quotes from Anne Applebaum’s excellent book, Autocracy, Inc.. She wrote this article as well.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Kyiv Independent reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Why Russian milbloggers and propagandists are freaking out about Telegram’s CEO arrest<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Kyiv Post opines on:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Unintended Consequences of Surrogate Propaganda Hyperbolism<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Verge reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Russia is trying to meddle with the US election again, Biden administration says<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Former journalism outfit CNN reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n DOJ alleges Russia funded US media company linked to right-wing social media stars<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Euronews reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n ‘Threat is ongoing’ as Russian Doppelganger operation continues on X and Meta despite EU probe<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Guardian reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n How China\u2019s internet police went from targeting bloggers to their followers<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Reuters reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n US voters targeted by Chinese influence online, researchers say<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n BleepingComputer reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Russian military hackers linked to critical infrastructure attacks<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n FBI warns crypto firms of aggressive social engineering attacks by North Korea<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n DarkReading reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n North Korea’s ‘Citrine Sleet’ APT Exploits Zero-Day Chromium Bug<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chinese ‘Tropic Trooper’ APT Targets Mideast Governments<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Washington Post has:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n How the quiet war against press freedom could come to America<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I’m not sure why this was not posted into his own shit paper, The New York Times.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Salon reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Donald Trump’s incoherence makes the media’s double standard hard to hide<\/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 Yes, it sounds like a conspiracy theory. But maybe our phones really are listening to us<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Racism, misogyny, lies: how did X become so full of hatred? And is it ethical to keep using it?<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lula says Elon Musk\u2019s wealth does not mean world must accept his \u2018far-right free-for-all\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Verge reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Judge orders X ban in Brazil<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Obrigado, Brasil!<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n CNBC reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Elon Musk\u2019s Starlink says it will block X in Brazil to keep satellite internet active<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Euronews reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Telegram and Musk\u2019s X are facing a regulation reckoning. But will social media change?<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Kyiv Independent has:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Examining Telegram founder Pavel Durov\u2019s alleged ties to the Kremlin<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Slate reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Expanded Police Surveillance Will Get Us \u201cBroken Windows\u201d on Steroids<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joan Westenberg opines:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Goodbye, Reddit: How the Internet\u2019s Front Page Is Eating Itself<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 404 Media reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here\u2019s 22 Examples of Google Employees Trying to Avoid Creating Evidence in Antitrust Case<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Big Tech \u2018Clients\u2019 of Jacob Wohl\u2019s Secret AI Lobbying Firm Say They’ve Never Heard of It<\/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 Record reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n White House calls attention to ‘hard problem’ of securing internet traffic routing<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Irish Times reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n How Lidl accidentally took on the big guns of cloud computing<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n DarkReading reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n CEO’s Arrest Will Likely Not Dampen Cybercriminal Interest in Telegram<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Register reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Planned Parenthood confirms cyber-attack as RansomHub threatens to leak data<\/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 82<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Verge reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sub.club is here to help the fediverse make money<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n We Distribute has:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A Brief History of the Fediverse Symbol<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fedify has a tutorial:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Creating your own federated microblog<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hachyderm has:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hachyderm’s Introduction to Mastodon Moderation: The Report Feature and Moderator Actions<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n ForgeJo has an update:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Forgejo monthly update – August 2024<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dave Bard covers:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n WordPress, entering the Fediverse using ActivityPub plugin<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben Werdmuller<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Threads is trading trust for growth<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Verge reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Brazil\u2019s X ban is sending lots of people to Bluesky<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TechCrunch reports:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bluesky continues to soar, adding 2M more new users in a matter of days<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Patchwork looks at:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Brazil, Bluesky & the Fediverse<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Zicklag is:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Introducing The Leaf Protocol<\/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":[57,66,67,92,74,73,65,78,75,58,60,115,59,63,61,62],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/824"}],"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=824"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/824\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":840,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/824\/revisions\/840"}],"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=824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battalion.mobileatom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=824"}],"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\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 Federated Social Media<\/h3>\n
\n\nCTAs (aka show us some free love)<\/h2>\n
\n