Facebook temporarily hid posts with #ResignModi | Tech shift needed to counter China’s data supremacy | Taiwan minister plays down chances for chip production in EU
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Facebook temporarily hid posts calling for the resignation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking the platform's latest foray in a series of controversial decisions affecting free speech in a country experiencing a full-blown COVID-19 crisis. BuzzFeed News
Governments across the democratic world must speed up the development and deployment of disruptive technology ideas, or risk being left behind by China and other autocratic nations, warns NSW government minister Victor Dominello. Australian Financial Review
Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua on Wednesday played down the prospect of Taiwan tech firms making advanced semiconductors in the European Union, noting industry leader TSMC has insisted it will focus its most advanced technology on the island. Reuters
ASPI ICPC
Australian mother marks nine months in Chinese prison as curious online posts emerge
ABC News
@billbirtles
A series of posts and videos from several small public blog accounts on the social media app WeChat have emerged in recent months, denouncing Ms Cheng as a "spy" and writing about her in far more detail than what the official state media provides. The same account was used to denounce Chinese-Australian writer and commentator Vicky Xu as a "traitor" earlier this year..These posts are written by Ministry of State Security (MSS) people to set the public tone," said Feng Chongyi, a Chinese studies specialist at UTS who himself was detained during a visit to China four years ago…The information looks like it could have easily been sourced from previous interviews Cheng Lei did or gleaned from her social media accounts," said Fergus Ryan, a cyber analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. "But if the article originally came from the same WeChat account that first posted about Vicky Xu — and it appears it does — that would be a strong indication to me that there is MSS involvement. "If that's the case, I think it's reasonable to conclude that the MSS is seeding that information into the Chinese-information space so that it can be weaponised for propaganda purposes down the line."
Australia
Tech shift needed to counter China’s data supremacy
Australian Financial Review
@SaysSmithy
Governments across the democratic world must speed up the development and deployment of disruptive technology ideas, or risk being left behind by China and other autocratic nations, warns NSW government minister Victor Dominello.
USA
Chinese businessman admits smuggling U.S. marine tech to China
Reuters
@nateraymond
A Chinese businessman pleaded guilty on Wednesday to U.S. charges that he smuggled marine technology out of the United States for the benefit of a Chinese military university involved in developing underwater drones…Assistant Attorney General John Demers said during a seminar Wednesday at George Washington University that Chinese espionage and technology theft cases remain a top priority under the Biden administration's Justice Department...Prosecutors said Northwestern Polytechnical University, a Chinese military research institute, tasked Qin with obtaining items used for anti-submarine warfare and that he obtained hydrophones for it from a U.S. manufacturer.
For more on Northwestern Polytechnical University please see our China Defence University Tracker here
Crypto scammer who threatened victims' families pleads guilty, faces 2-year minimum
CyberScoop
@jeffstone500
A plan to steal cryptocurrency and hard-to-find social media accounts has ended with one schemer set to spend at least two years in prison. Eric Meiggs, a 23-year-old Massachusetts man, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to participating in a plan to steal social media account names and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of bitcoin, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
North-East Asia
Taiwan minister plays down chances for chip production in EU
Reuters
Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua on Wednesday played down the prospect of Taiwan tech firms making advanced semiconductors in the European Union, noting industry leader TSMC has insisted it will focus its most advanced technology on the island.
South-East Asia
Getting it right on tech sovereignty
ISIS Malaysia
In Malaysia, the jurisdiction and sovereignty nexus lie in the National Cybersecurity Policy launched in 2006. The policy was superseded by the National Cyber Security Strategy (NCSS), which identified 11 critical national information infrastructures (CNII) covering, among others, defence and security, water, health services, emergency services, trade, industry and economy.
In the Race to Become Southeast Asia's Top Superapp, Gojek and Tokopedia Have to Unite
Ping West
Rebbeca Ren
2021 Will be a crucial year for Gojek’s development for years to come, for the Southeast Asian rideshare giant is in a tight race with opponents to become the most dominant "superapp" in Southeast Asia.
New Zealand & The Pacific
Switch Ericsson off, Huawei on
Post Courier
Donald Nangoi
Bougainville has become the last region to join the rest of Papua New Guinea to swap Ericsson for Huawei technology for its communication.
South and Central Asia
Facebook Temporarily Hid Posts With #ResignModi
BuzzFeed News
@RMac18 @CraigSilverman
Facebook temporarily hid posts calling for the resignation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking the platform's latest foray in a series of controversial decisions affecting free speech in a country experiencing a full-blown COVID-19 crisis.
Europe
Ghostwriter Update: Cyber Espionage Group UNC1151 Likely Conducts Ghostwriter Influence Activity
FireEye
@FireEye
In July 2020, Mandiant Threat Intelligence released a public report detailing an ongoing influence campaign we named “Ghostwriter.” Ghostwriter is a cyber-enabled influence campaign which primarily targets audiences in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland and promotes narratives critical of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) presence in Eastern Europe. A new report by our Information Operations analysis, Cyber Espionage analysis, and Mandiant Research teams provides an update on Ghostwriter, highlighting two significant developments.
France Proposes More Surveillance to Hunt for Potential Terrorists
The New York Times
@NYTimesCohen
The French government, responding to several attacks over the past seven months, presented a new anti-terrorism bill on Wednesday that would allow intense algorithmic surveillance of phone and internet communications and tighten restrictions on convicted terrorists emerging from prison.
Russia
It's wild how these adtech platforms are violating U.S. sanctions against Russia
BRANDED
Two weeks ago, the U.S. Treasury made a very rare move. They announced new sanctions against a Russian disinformation operation — and they named names. They don’t usually do that. You’ll never believe what happened next. All the adtech platforms got together and immediately pulled the websites from their inventory so they could ensure a continued brand safe environment for their clients.
Misc
Government, industry push bitcoin regulation to fight ransomware scourge
Reuters
Joseph Menn & @johnshiffman
Government and industry officials confronting an epidemic of ransomware, where hackers freeze the computers of a target and demand a payoff, are zeroing in on cryptocurrency regulation as the key to combating the scourge, sources familiar with the work of a public-private task force said.
Don’t let the digital divide become ‘the new face of inequality’: UN deputy chief
UN News
Without decisive action by the international community, the digital divide will become “the new face of inequality”, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed warned the General Assembly on Tuesday. Although technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain are opening new frontiers of productivity and providing opportunities to people and societies, they pose numerous risks, she said, including exclusion.
Jobs
ICPC Analyst or Senior Analyst - Cyber & technology
ASPI ICPC
ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre (ICPC) has a unique opportunity for an exceptional cyber-security or technology focused analyst or senior analyst to join its centre in 2021. Candidates must have the ability to synthesis complex cyber and technology developments and explain these developments to media and key stakeholders in plain language. The ability to engage with and brief seniors across parliaments, governments, civil society and the business community.
International Cyber Policy Centre – Program Coordinator
ASPI ICPC
The Coordinator’s primary focus will be the organisation and execution of ICPC’s sponsorship program. The Program Coordinator will work closely with internal and external stakeholders to maintain and develop these relationships. The coordinator will also support the Director and the Deputy Director with the coordination and delivery of ICPC's global research program. This will be a busy, fast-paced and varied role that would suit a highly organised and energetic individual who thinks and acts strategically.
Director, Technology and Human Rights
Human Rights Watch
HRW is seeking an experienced and forward-thinking leader to direct and grow our newly created Technology and Human Rights division. This involves overseeing, supporting, and collaborating with experienced staff on two complimentary bodies of work: a) investigating and advocating against the role of technology in human rights abuses globally and b) using technology to research and expose human rights abuses.