Swedish court upholds ban on Huawei selling 5G network gear | EU privacy watchdogs call for ban on facial recognition in public spaces | 3 things to know about Nigeria’s Twitter ban
Swedish court upholds ban on Huawei selling 5G network gear | EU privacy watchdogs call for ban on facial recognition in public spaces | 3 things to know about Nigeria’s Twitter ban
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A Swedish court on Tuesday upheld a ban against Huawei selling 5G equipment in the country, dashing the Chinese company's hopes of staging a comeback in Europe and increasing the chances of potential retaliation by China against rival Ericsson. Reuters
Europe’s two privacy watchdogs teamed up on Monday to call for a ban on the use of facial recognition in public spaces, going against draft European Union rules which would allow the technology to be used for public security reasons. Reuters
On June 4, the Nigerian government announced that it had suspended Twitter’s operations in the country. The announcement came two days after the social media company removed a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari, in which Buhari issued a thinly veiled threat against secessionist groups in the southeast “to treat them in the language they understand. The Washington Post
ASPI ICPC
Australia
New tools show companies how to avoid building bad tech
Australian Financial Review
@DLLabs
Australia’s cyber safety tsar has released a set of self-assessment tools designed to help internet start-ups build platforms free from bullying, racism, ageism, terrorism and the myriad other ills that have plagued social media since its inception.
How a bunch of data nerds shamed government to release vaccine data
Australian Financial Review
@tburton
How many people have been vaccinated in Australia? This is the simple question a group of young data and digital evangelists has been pushing the federal government to answer for nearly four months.
South Australia splashes out on space, defence, and cybersecurity in 2021-22 Budget
ZDNet
@achanthadavong
The South Australian government believes tech-focused sectors such as defence, space, and cybersecurity will have a key role to play in the state's future.
Digital initiatives across NSW gain funding boost from 2021-22 Budget
ZDNet
@achanthadavong
The New South Wales government handed down its 2021-22 Budget on Tuesday, revealing that digital initiatives across the state will receive handsome handouts.
China
LinkedIn Accounts of Scholars Blocked in China
The Wall Street Journal
@lizalinwsj
Affected users say social-networking site owned by Microsoft Corp. is obstructing them over ‘prohibited content’ without further explanation.
Bitcoin tumbles below $30,000 for the first time since January
The New York Times
@el72champs@zhonggg
Bitcoin fell below $30,000 on Tuesday for the first time since January after a torrid week of trading in which the cryptocurrency has lost nearly 30 percent of its value... The decline comes as China intensifies its crackdown on Bitcoin.
USA
The Technology 202: New Twisted Toys ads highlight how tech giants prey on children's data
The Washington Post
@Cat_Zakrzewski
Meet Share Bear, the toy that knows everything about you … and then sells it to billion-dollar tech companies. This cuddly yet creepy companion is part of a new campaign launching later this week called “Twisted Toys,” which aims to raise awareness about the ways tech companies prey on children’s data.
Cyber Risk Across the U.S. Nuclear Enterprise
Texas National Security Review
@HerbLinCyber
As the United States embarks on an effort to modernize many elements of its nuclear enterprise, it needs to consider how dependencies on modern information technologies could lead to cyber-induced failures of nuclear deterrence or to nuclear war.
GlobalFoundries puts $4bn into Singapore expansion
Nikkei
@DylanLoh
U.S. semiconductor giant GlobalFoundries will invest over $4 billion to expand its Singapore wafer plant and ramp up capacity as it attempts to tackle the global microchip shortage.
Like ‘Terminator,’ high-tech cyber crime to ‘keep coming’
Reuters
@alwynscott
Businesses worldwide are fighting sophisticated data scientists as they battle to protect their data-rich computers from cyber crime - and the costly attacks are not going to stop, a top expert at insurer Sompo Holdings Inc said on Tuesday.
North-East Asia
New Zealand & The Pacific
South and Central Asia
India plans tighter e-commerce rules amid complaints over Amazon, Flipkart
Reuters
@adityakalra
India proposed banning flash sales on e-commerce websites and said on Monday their affiliate entities should not be listed as sellers on their platforms, in a proposed tightening of rules that could hit Amazon and Walmart's Flipkart.
Amazon faces new antitrust challenge from Indian online sellers: legal documents
Reuters
@adityakalra
A group of more than 2,000 online sellers has filed an antitrust case against Amazon in India, alleging the U.S. company favours some retailers whose online discounts drive independent vendors out of business, a legal filing seen by Reuters showed.
UK
A major international data flow problem just got resolved. But another row is already brewing
ZDNet
@daphneleprince
The EU has just green-lighted the free flow of personal data with the UK. But if the country now changes its data laws, it could bring an end to the agreement.
Europe
Swedish court upholds ban on Huawei selling 5G network gear
Reuters
@johan_ahlander @Tech_Correspond
A Swedish court on Tuesday upheld a ban against Huawei selling 5G equipment in the country, dashing the Chinese company's hopes of staging a comeback in Europe and increasing the chances of potential retaliation by China against rival Ericsson.. "Sweden's security is of heavy importance and the administrative court has taken into account that only the Security Police and the armed forces together have an overall picture regarding the security situation and the threat to Sweden," the court said in a statement.
EU privacy watchdogs call for ban on facial recognition in public spaces
Reuters
@FooYunChee
Europe’s two privacy watchdogs teamed up on Monday to call for a ban on the use of facial recognition in public spaces, going against draft European Union rules which would allow the technology to be used for public security reasons.
Freight tech startup Forto raises $240 million in Softbank-led round
Reuters
@Busvine
Forto has raised $240 million from investors led by Softbank, the freight technology startup said on Monday, and will invest in expanding its platform for organising trade shipments between China and Europe.
EU to launch rapid response cybersecurity team
Politico
@laurenscerulus
The European Commission will present its plan on Wednesday to set up what it calls the "Joint Cyber Unit," which would allow national capitals hit by cyberattacks to ask for help from other countries and the EU, including through rapid response teams that can swoop in and fight off hackers in real time, according to the draft.
Google’s Internet Ad Dominance Draws Fresh E.U. Antitrust Inquiry
The New York Times
@satariano
The bloc’s investigation, which takes aim at the heart of Google’s business model, is part of a push to regulate the world’s largest technology companies.
Russia
The dangers of echoing Russian disinformation on Ukraine
Atlantic Council
@UmlandAndreas
Russia’s spring 2021 saber-rattling on the Ukrainian border helped guarantee that Ukraine would be high on the international agenda during June’s G7, NATO, and US-Russia summit meetings.
Canada
Trudeau’s Party Passes Bill to Regulate Social Media, Streaming
Bloomberg
@kbolongaro
Canadian lawmakers passed a controversial bill that aims to regulate programming distributed by media streaming services and social platforms like Facebook and YouTube, a measure that critics warn could infringe on individual speech.
Africa
3 things to know about Nigeria’s Twitter ban
The Washington Post
@monkeycageblog
On June 4, the Nigerian government announced that it had suspended Twitter’s operations in the country. The announcement came two days after the social media company removed a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari, in which Buhari issued a thinly veiled threat against secessionist groups in the southeast “to treat them in the language they understand.
Misc
Assessing the risks of civilian harm from military cyber operations during armed conflicts
Humanitarian Law & Policy Blog
Ellie Shami
Cyber risks are now so prevalent that it is hard to believe it was just over a decade ago when the world witnessed what experts believe to be the first case of a coordinated cyber attack synchronized with other warfare domains.
Twitter is opening applications to test Ticketed Spaces and Super Follows
The Verge
@thedextriarchy
Twitter is opening applications for a limited test of its Super Follows and Ticketed Spaces features. US-based users can apply separately for each program through Twitter’s mobile app; Super Follows are restricted to iOS, while Ticketed Spaces are available on iOS and Android.
Facebook is working on visual search for shopping on Instagram
Engadget
@karissabe
Facebook is working on visual search technology for Instagram as it doubles down on shopping features throughout its platform. Speaking in a live audio room on Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg said the company is in the early stages of building camera-based search tools.
Intel forms Accelerated Computing, Software business units
ZDNet
@TiernanRayTech
Intel’s head of GPUs, Raja Koduri, will run the accelerated computing business, Sandra Rivera will run Xeon chips operations, and Barefoot Networks co-founder Nick McKeown will run a combination of IoT and networking.
Events
Calling Aussie and NZ tech companies for London Tech Week 2021
GOV.UK
The UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) is seeking tech companies from Australia and New Zealand who are considering the UK for international expansion. The selected group will join the official hybrid mission to London Tech Week in September 2021.
Research
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. Please note that interviews have commenced for this position and will continue until the end of June. This role will focus on policy relevant cybersecurity analysis, informed public commentary and either original data-heavy research and/or technical analysis. Analysts usually have around 7-15 years work experience. Senior analysts usually have a minimum of 15 years relevant work experience and tend to be involved in staff and project management, fundraising and stakeholder engagement.
ICPC Senior Analyst or Analyst - China
ASPI ICPC
ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre (ICPC) has a unique opportunity for exceptional and experienced China-focused senior analysts or analysts to join its centre. This role will focus on original research and analysis centred around the (growing) range of topics which our ICPC China team work on. Our China team produces some of the most impactful and well-read policy-relevant research in the world, with our experts often being called upon by politicians, governments, corporates and civil society actors to provide briefings and advice. Analysts usually have at least 5 years, often 7-10 years’ of work experience. Senior analysts usually have a minimum of 15 years relevant work experience and, in addition to research, they take on a leadership role in the centre and tend to be involved in staff and project management, fundraising and stakeholder engagement.