In Hong Kong, a Proxy Battle Over Internet Freedom Begins | Trump administration considering TikTok ban | How US restrictions drove Deutsche Telekom and Huawei closer together
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As the city grapples with new restrictions on online speech, American tech giants are on the front line of a clash between China and the United States over the internet’s future. The New York Times
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News' Laura Ingraham on Monday that the Trump administration is "looking at" a ban on Chinese social media app TikTok. Axios
Internal documents illustrate leading European operator's special relationship with Huawei. POLITICO
ASPI ICPC
Lacoste and Adidas pledge to cut forced Uighur labor from supply chain – Glossy
Glossy
As a growing body of research connects China’s forced detention of Uighurs to the supply chain of the world’s largest fashion companies, a new campaign to pressure brands to end ties with factories connected to forced labor is gaining momentum.. “We found that many Uighur workers in these factories outside Xinjiang are facing conditions akin to the detention centers: constant surveillance, minders, restricted freedom of movement and political indoctrination classes,” said Munro. “So brands manufacturing in China that think they are free of forced labor risk because they’re not involved in Xinjiang need to think again.”
TikTok’s Hong Kong exit isn’t a stand against Beijing’s internet censorship
Quartz
“TikTok’s decision is a public relations exercise, not a decision based in principle. Notably, TikTok didn’t refer to any principle as being the basis for its decision to move out of Hong Kong, unlike Facebook…,” said Fergus Ryan, an analyst who studies Chinese internet at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI).
China’s massive effort to collect its people’s DNA concerns scientists
Nature
Chinese state media first reported the government’s intention to construct a national forensic DNA database in 2017. But a report released on 17 June compiled by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), a think tank, reveals the scale, and key details, of the operation for the first time: for several years, police have been collecting DNA from men and school-aged boys across the country.
Govt finally backs sovereign cloud capability
InnovationAus
“The challenge for the government in coming up with this is making sure they narrow the scope rather than going too broad and losing the financial benefits that come from true cloud capability where you have the scale and cost efficiencies that cloud has,” Mr Hanson told InnovationAus. “Data localisation tends to drive up costs rather than the other way around. It makes sense for some kinds of data, but they have to try to make sure it isn’t taken to extremes,” he said. “They also need to be making sure the market remains open and competitive, rather than an oligopoly or narrowing it down too lightly and scoping it too tightly so you don’t have a competitive marketplace anymore.”
The World
Nokia to add open interfaces to its telecom equipment
Reuters
Finland's Nokia on Tuesday became the first major telecom equipment maker to commit to adding open interfaces in its products that will allow mobile operators to build networks that are not tied to a vendor.
Why Twitter's influence goes beyond its user numbers
CNBC
Although Twitter's user base is much smaller than other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, the platform has tremendous influence. It's become President Trump's favorite means of communication and an important tool for social movements, as well as a running feed for recording our global history.
YouTube’s Power of the Purse
The New York Times
Facebook is a place where people get attention — but not typically where they make much money.
Australia
‘It's just not safe’: Even in Australia, Hong Kong nationals live in fear of Beijing's reach
ABC
The 25-year-old university student was so worried about the reach of Beijing she only agreed to share her story wearing a mask and using a pseudonym. “I have received death threats from Chinese people," she said. “Our address and personal information were all disclosed in WeChat, social media for Chinese people."
Beware US ban on China tech
Australian Financial Review
As soon as the federal government banned Chinese telecoms supplier Huawei from Australia's 5G network David Tudehope, the co-founder of Macquarie Telecom, stripped all Chinese equipment out of his telecoms business. As a major supplier of cybersecurity and data centre services to government departments in Canberra Tudehope felt it would be in the interests of his business to have no equipment supplied or made by Huawei or ZTE in Macquarie Telecom's telco operations.
Huawei Australia slams MacTel chief over Chinese gear ban comment
CRN Australia
Huawei Australia has engaged in a war of words with Macquarie Telecom group executive Luke Clifton over a LinkedIn post critical of Chinese telco equipment.
PM's cabinet reshuffle -- how SA ministers could benefit and move-up
The Advertiser
Cyber security will also likely become a ministerial portfolio again after Prime Minister Scott Morrison flagged the increased and ongoing cyber attacks on Australia from a foreign power. It could be an opportunity to promote assistant ministers Jane Hume, Jonathon Duniam or Zed Seselja or new blood.
China
USA
Pompeo: Trump administration is "looking at" TikTok ban
Axios
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News' Laura Ingraham on Monday that the Trump administration is "looking at" a ban on Chinese social media app TikTok.
Director Wray Discusses Threat Posed By China to U.S. Economic and National Security
The Daily Beast
”In 2017, the Chinese military conspired to hack Equifax and made off with the sensitive personal information of 150 million Americans—we’re talking nearly half of the American population and most American adults—and as I’ll discuss in a few moments, this was hardly a standalone incident. Our data isn’t the only thing at stake here—so are our health, our livelihoods, and our security. We’ve now reached the point where the FBI is opening a new China-related counterintelligence case about every 10 hours. Of the nearly 5,000 active FBI counterintelligence cases currently underway across the country, almost half are related to China.
And at this very moment, China is working to compromise American health care organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and academic institutions conducting essential COVID-19 research. But before I go on, let me be clear: This is not about the Chinese people, and it’s certainly not about Chinese Americans.”
Right-Wing Media Outlets Duped by a Middle East Propaganda Campaign
The Daily Beast
Conservative sites like Newsmax and Washington Examiner have published Middle East hot takes from “experts” who are actually fake personas pushing propaganda.
How US restrictions drove Deutsche Telekom and Huawei closer together
POLITICO
Internal documents illustrate leading European operator's special relationship with Huawei.
Seventh Former eBay Employee Charged in Aggressive Cyberstalking Campaign
US Justice Department
A seventh former employee of eBay, Inc. has been charged with participating in a cyberstalking campaign targeting a Natick, Mass. couple who published a newsletter that eBay executives viewed as critical of the company.
Asian-Americans are using Slack groups to explain racism to their parents
MIT Technology Review
Jess Fong was feeling restless. Black Lives Matter protests stemming from the death of George Floyd were spreading, and she wanted to help. So she started scrolling through the plethora of lists that appeared online in the days after Floyd’s death of resources on how to fight racism.
North Asia
Hong Kong security law: Police handed power to do warrantless searches, freeze assets, intercept comms, control internet
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong police will be authorised to conduct searches at private properties without a warrant, restrict suspects’ movements, freeze their assets, intercept communications and require internet service providers to remove information, as the city’s leader handed more powers to the force for implementing the new national security law.
In Hong Kong, a Proxy Battle Over Internet Freedom Begins
The New York Times
As the city grapples with new restrictions on online speech, American tech giants are on the front line of a clash between China and the United States over the internet’s future.
In Hong Kong national security law, echoes of China's own cyber crackdown
Reuters
Experts on Chinese internet laws say the legislation hews closely to mainland policies on national security in cyberspace, giving hints as to what is in store for a city long accustomed to vast digital privacy rights.
Microsoft and Zoom join Hong Kong data 'pause'
BBC News
Microsoft and Zoom have said they will not process data requests made by the Hong Kong authorities while they take stock of a new security law.
Europe
Russia
Understanding Russia’s quest to rid itself of foreign tech
C4ISRNET
Will a Russian rule requiring pre-approved software to be installed on devices promote domestic innovation? Perhaps, argues Justin Sherman, but perhaps not in the way Russia expects.
Misc
How to detect if your domains are being abused for phishing attacks
APNIC Blog
Guest Post: There are several freely available standards, policies and protocols that can help any organization decrease the risk of their domains being abused.
Jobs
Program Manager/Senior Analyst
ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre (ICPC) has an outstanding opportunity for a talented, proactive and super efficient program manager/senior analyst to join its growing centre. The successful candidate will need to have a proven track record of leading teams and experience in project management including financial and stakeholder management (which will include industry, the Australian Government, Parliament and foreign governments). To succeed in this position candidates should have exceptional communication and problem-solving skills and experience in research, policy analysis or policy development.
Analyst
ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre has an outstanding opportunity for a talented and proactive allrounder to join its growing centre. The ICPC is looking for someone who is an excellent writer and researcher and who is a team player - you will need to juggle multiple research projects that could span the range of topics listed above. This is not an entry level position. Analysts in ICPC have between 5-15 years’ relevant work experience and, depending on experience, are involved in stakeholder and project management, fundraising and the management of small teams.