China claims Australia has expanded 5G restrictions | 2020 Campaigns throw their hands up on disinformation | Google and YouTube moderators speak out on the work that gave them PTSD
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China has accused Australia of expanding restrictions on Huawei and ZTE beyond the rollout of next-generation 5G technology, complaining that "unreasonable requirements" were now affecting Chinese companies' involvement in existing 4G networks. The Sydney Morning Herald
Few politicians or their staffs are prepared to quickly notice and combat incorrect stories about them, according to dozens of campaign staff members and researchers who study online disinformation. Several of the researchers said they were surprised by how little outreach they had received from politicians. The New York Times
These moderators help keep Google and YouTube free of violent extremism — and now some of them have PTSD. The Verge
ICPC
What’s going on with TikTok, China, and the US government?
Vox
@rebexxxxa
The wildly popular video app’s ties to China are prompting some US users and politicians to panic. Samantha Hoffman, an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute told The Verge that “The [Communist] Party of China collects bulk data overseas and then uses it to help with things that relate to state security like propaganda and identifying public sentiment to understand how people feel about a particular issue,” she said. “It’s about controlling the media environment globally. Once you have control, you can use it to influence and shape the conversation.”
The World
Western firms should not sell spyware to tyrants
The Economist
Dozens of firms are involved in the cyber-snooping business; the largest has been valued at $1bn. Many are based in Western countries or their allies, and employ former spooks who learned their craft in intelligence agencies. There is a legitimate business selling cyber-intelligence tools to foreign customers—for example, to help governments track terrorists or investigate organised criminals. Unfortunately, in some cases, these surveillance tools have ended up in the hands of autocratic governments with more sinister aims.
Google and YouTube moderators speak out on the work that gave them PTSD
The Verge
@CaseyNewton
These moderators help keep Google and YouTube free of violent extremism — and now some of them have PTSD.
Australia
Canberra squares up to 5G safety concerns as pace of rollout picks up.
The Sydney Morning Herald
@TimBiggs
The federal government is taking on anti-5G conspiracy theories and grassroots opposition to new telecommunications infrastructure, pledging $9 million over four years towards a public education campaign on the science of electromagnetic energy.
'Unreasonable': China claims Australia has expanded 5G restrictions
The Sydney Morning Herald
@fergushunter @JennieDuke
China has accused Australia of expanding restrictions on Huawei and ZTE beyond the rollout of next-generation 5G technology, complaining that ""unreasonable requirements"" were now affecting Chinese companies' involvement in existing 4G networks. The allegation raised at the World Trade Organisation represents an escalation of complaints from China's representatives in Geneva, who have used meetings over the past year to argue the ban on Chinese suppliers' 5G participation breaches global trade rules.
China
People in China don’t quite know why they are boycotting Arsenal player Mesut Özil
Quartz
@Jane_Li911
The backlash in China that followed Arsenal star Mesut Özil’s criticism of the country’s repression of Uyghur Muslims followed a familiar playbook—broadcasters pulled the team’s games, state media accused him of hurting the feelings of the Chinese people, and angry fans hurled abuse at the player on social media and posted photos of them burning soccer jerseys. It was clear, however, that many people didn’t know why exactly they were meant to be upset at Özil in the first place.
US
Huawei Finds Some Friends in the U.S. Senate
Bloomberg
@EliLake
The Trump administration’s global campaign against the Chinese telecom giant runs into a domestic roadblock.
2020 Campaigns Throw Their Hands Up on Disinformation
The New York Times
@daveyalba
Few politicians or their staffs are prepared to quickly notice and combat incorrect stories about them, according to dozens of campaign staff members and researchers who study online disinformation. Several of the researchers said they were surprised by how little outreach they had received from politicians. Campaigns and political parties say their hands are tied, because big online companies like Facebook and YouTube have few restrictions on what users can say or share, as long as they do not lie about who they are.
North Asia
Taiwan YouTuber loses China business over Tsai interview
AFP
A popular Taiwanese YouTuber who specialises in flirting tutorials has found his access to China go up in smoke after a humorous video of him interviewing the island's president went viral.
South Asia
Citizenship Act Protests: Internet Shutdown in Aligarh, Meerut, West Bengal And Assam
News18.com
The internet services on mobile and wired connections have been suspended in Aligarh, Meerut as well as the Malda, Murshidabad, Howrah, North 24 Parganas and parts of South 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal, it is being reported, in the wake of protests against the amended Citizenship Act. This comes after the internet shutdown in the states of Assam and Meghalaya has been extended by another 24 hours. The internet shutdown comes after protests in these parts of the country turned violent. There have been continued protests and demonstrations in universities in Delhi, Aligarh, Hyderabad and Kolkata.
Europe
UBS accused of investing in Chinese firm behind surveillance of Uighurs
Swissinfo
Switzerland’s largest bank is believed to hold shares in the Hikvision group whose products are used to monitor the Uighurs in detention camps and public spaces.
Harmonised approach to cybersecurity – The holy grail of the European Union
EU Cyber Direct
@j_swiatkowska
Harmonisation of national policies is a driving approach in the EU. The field of cybersecurity is no exception. But is it feasible, given the 28 different institutional structures, cultures, interests and threat perceptions? Through a closer look at the experiences with the implementation of the NIS Directive and the ongoing discussions to develop joint standpoints on 5G deployment in the EU, this Idea in Focus offers some preliminary answers.
Germany Says Security Alone Will Define Decision on Huawei in 5G
Bloomberg
@ArneDelfs @patrickjdo
The German government will rely on security concerns alone in deciding whether to allow vendors such as China’s Huawei Technologies Co. into the country’s fifth-generation network, it said days after Beijing threatened with potential retaliation. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief spokesman, Steffen Seibert, declined to respond directly to the warnings from Chinese ambassador Wu Ken about trade consequences, should Huawei be banned from the 5G network. But Seibert said political and industry interests would take a back seat to security issues.
Hackers hit Norsk Hydro with ransomware. The company responded with transparency
Microsoft
@writerdude
The bedside phone rang at 4 a.m. in Oslo, Norway. The pre-dawn call filled Torstein Gimnes Are with a drowsy sense of dread. That only deepened when he heard the first words from the other end. “We may be under attack,” said his IT colleague at Norsk Hydro, one of the world’s largest aluminum companies. Production lines had stopped at some of its 170 plants. Other facilities were switching from computer to manual operations.
Russia
Defense technology cooperation between Russia, China reached several bln dollars per year
Tass
The sides have such level of cooperation already during a fairly long period of time, Deputy CEO of the Russian state arms export agency Rosoboronexport Alexander Scherbinin said.
Middle East
ISIS Is Experimenting with This New Blockchain Messaging App
Vice
@daithaigilbert
Now ISIS is actively testing a blockchain-based messaging app that could provide everything it needs to thrive: secure, anonymous communication, a tamper-proof repository for beheading videos and other ISIS propaganda, and perhaps most ominously, the ability to transfer cryptocurrency anywhere in the world.
15 Million Iranian Bank Accounts Were Breached
Wired
@lilyhnewman @a_greenberg
Telegram hacks in Russia, Senate encryption hearings, and more in the week’s top security news.
Misc
Instagram Won’t Pull These Racist, Violent, Russian-Inspired Accounts
The Daily Beast
@arawnsley @cjcmichel
Neo-Confederates are posting murderous scenes and racist memes—when they’re not reusing material from Kremlin trolls. But Instagram says the accounts don’t violate its rules.
Combatting Misinformation on Instagram
Facebook
In May of this year, we began working with third-party fact-checkers in the US to help identify, review and label false information. These partners independently assess false information to help us catch it and reduce its distribution. Today, we’re expanding our fact-checking program globally to allow fact-checking organizations around the world to assess and rate misinformation on our platform.
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