Archiv: Meta Platforms Inc. (Instagram / Threads / WhatsApp / Facebook) / monopolies


17.11.2024 - 15:55 [ Mint Press ]

Exposed: How Israeli Spies Control Your VPN

(September 11th, 2024)

Kape Technologies is a major player in the online privacy world, one of the three giants that collectively control the market. It owns many of the world’s top VPNs, including ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, ZenMate, Intego Antivirus, and a host of tech websites that promote its products.
(…)
Although it is headquartered in London and employs more than 1,000 people worldwide, Kape Technologies maintains a distinctly Israeli flavor. This begins with its owner, Teddy Sagi. Born in Tel Aviv, the tycoon, who previously spent time in prison for financial crimes, is estimated to be worth $6.4 billion, making him among the top ten richest Israelis.
(…)
Company co-founder and longtime CEO Koby Menachemi began his tech career as a developer for Unit 8200, while Liron Peer, the company’s current head of accounting, also served three years in the controversial military unit. Meanwhile, Menachemi’s successor as Kape CEO, Ido Erlichman, is a veteran of Unit 217, the Duvdevan Unit, an elite commando group that carries out intelligence operations and assassinations against the local Arab population.
(…)
Facebook’s collaboration with Unit 8200 goes far deeper, however. This author’s 2022 MintPress News investigation found that a vast number of Unit 8200 veterans had gone on to work in senior positions at Meta, Facebook’s parent company.
(…)
The same investigation found at least 99 former Unit 8200 agents working at Google. These included Google’s head of strategy and operations, Gavriel Goidel; its head of insights, data and management, Jonathan Cohen; and Google Waze’s head of global self-service, Ori Daniel.

Microsoft, meanwhile, hired at least 166 Unit 8200 veterans to fill its ranks, including many that went straight from the military into the company, suggesting that it is actively recruiting from the regiment.

21.09.2023 - 09:55 [ Reuters ]

UK urges Meta not to roll out end-to-end encryption on Messenger and Instagram

A Meta spokesperson said: „The overwhelming majority of Brits already rely on apps that use encryption to keep them safe from hackers, fraudsters and criminals.
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„We don‘t think people want us reading their private messages so have spent the last five years developing robust safety measures to prevent, detect and combat abuse while maintaining online security.“

21.09.2023 - 09:45 [ techcrunch.com ]

Meta targeted for fresh UK gov’t warning against E2E encryption for Messenger, Instagram

Although friction from policymakers has clearly made the “pivot to privacy” which founder Mark Zuckerberg announced all the way back in 2019, when he said the company would universally apply E2EE on its services, slow going.

Finally, though, this August, Meta announced it would enable E2EE by default for Messenger by the end of the year.

10.07.2023 - 15:22 [ theGuardian.com ]

Twitter traffic sinks in wake of changes and launch of rival platform Threads

Twitter’s website traffic is “tanking” according to the chief of internet services company Cloudflare, amid signs users are migrating to alternative platforms such as Threads, BlueSky and Mastodon.

07.07.2023 - 04:18 [ theGuardian.com ]

We tried Threads, Meta’s new Twitter rival. Here’s what happened

Threads can only be accessed by integrating an existing Instagram username to sign up – meaning if you don’t have an account, you have to get one to enter the new Threads platform.

05.07.2023 - 12:04 [ Fox News ]

Biden likely violated First Amendment during COVID-19 pandemic, federal judge says

A U.S. District Court judge is temporarily preventing White House officials from meeting with tech companies about social media censorship, arguing that such actions in the past were likely First Amendment violations.

The Tuesday injunction by Louisiana Judge Terry A. Doughty was in response to recent lawsuits from Louisiana and Missouri attorneys general. The suits allege that the White House coerced or „significantly encourage[d]“ tech companies to suppress free speech during the COVID-19 pandemic.

05.07.2023 - 12:00 [ APnews.com ]

Judge limits Biden administration in working with social media companies

U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty of Louisiana granted the injunction in response to a 2022 lawsuit brought by attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri. Their lawsuit alleged that the federal government overstepped in its efforts to convince social media companies to address postings that could result in vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or affect elections.

01.07.2023 - 13:06 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Revealed: Google and Facebook DID allow NSA access to data and were in talks to set up ‚spying rooms‘ despite denials by Zuckerberg and Page over PRISM project

(8 June 2013)

Meanwhile, Twitter is one company which has managed to keep mum in PRISM discussions.

01.07.2023 - 13:04 [ theGuardian.com ]

NSA Prism program taps in to user data of Apple, Google and others

(7 Jun 2013)

The Guardian has verified the authenticity of the document, a 41-slide PowerPoint presentation – classified as top secret with no distribution to foreign allies – which was apparently used to train intelligence operatives on the capabilities of the program. The document claims „collection directly from the servers“ of major US service providers.

Although the presentation claims the program is run with the assistance of the companies, all those who responded to a Guardian request for comment on Thursday denied knowledge of any such program.

01.07.2023 - 12:00 [ Netzpolitik.org ]

Ich fühle mich begafft

Jetzt lässt sich im Detail nachlesen, was im Prinzip schon lange bekannt ist. Die Meta-Töchter Instagram und Facebook erfassen und verarbeiten so ziemlich alles, was Menschen auf ihren Plattformen machen. Daraus berechnen sie Prognosen über unser Verhalten.

Meta erklärt das auf einer neuen Infoseite, geordnet nach 22 Bereichen wie Facebook-Benachrichtigungen, Facebook-Feed, Instagram-Stories, Instagram-Reels. Für jeden Bereich berechnen Algorithmen ein Bündel aus Prognosen und werten teils dutzende Datenpunkte aus. Passend zum aktuellen KI-Hype spricht Meta von „KI-Systemen“.

02.06.2023 - 21:42 [ Robert F. Kennedy Jr / Twitter ]

Interesting… when we use our TeamKennedy email address to set up @instagram accounts we get an automatic 180-day ban. Can anyone guess why that’s happening?

Twitter allows my campaign and me to have a voice. Thank you @elonmusk.

(at)instagram still hasn’t reinstated my account, which was banned years ago with more than 900k followers.

To silence a major political candidate is profoundly undemocratic. Social media is the modern equivalent of the town square. How can democracy function if only some candidates have access to it?

(at)elonmusk
Replying to @RobertKennedyJr @instagram
Would you like to do a Spaces discussion with me next week?

23.05.2023 - 11:35 [ Al Jazeera ]

US says China can spy with TikTok. It spies on world with Google

(28.03.2023)

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which the US Congress must vote to reauthorise by December to prevent it from lapsing under a sunset clause, allows US intelligence agencies to carry out warrantless spying on foreigners’ email, phone and other online communications.

While US citizens have some protections against warrantless searches under the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution, the US government has maintained that these rights do not extend to foreigners overseas, giving agencies such as the National Security Agency (NSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) practically free rein to snoop on their communications.

10.05.2023 - 09:15 [ Netzpolitik.org ]

PEGA-Untersuchungsausschuss: Geheimdienste nutzen Staatstrojaner und schweigen

Der Staatstrojaner-Untersuchungsausschuss im EU-Parlament hatte am 20. April seine letzte Anhörung. Zwei Staatstrojaner-Opfer berichteten über ihre Erfahrungen.

Artemis Seaford war Sicherheitsbeauftragte bei Meta und ist Staatsbürgerin von USA und Griechenland. Im März berichtete die New York Times, dass Seaford vom griechischen Geheimdienst abgehört und mehrere Monate mit dem Staatstrojaner Predator überwacht wurde, wie so viele in Griechenland.

Der griechische Geheimdienst hat eine normale Telefonüberwachung verwendet, um ihr Endgerät mit dem Staatstrojaner Predator zu infizieren. Seaford bezeichnet die Kombination der Macht des Staates mit der technologischen Kapazität von Trojanern als erschreckend.

Seaford weiß bis heute nicht, warum der Geheimdienst sie gehackt und überwacht hat.

27.04.2023 - 18:25 [ CPO Magazine ]

Citing Privacy Concerns, WhatsApp, Signal Wage Media Campaign Against UK Online Safety Bill

(April 25, 2023)

WhatsApp and Signal, two of the largest privacy-focused messaging apps, have joined forces to petition against the United Kingdom’s proposed Online Safety Bill due to privacy concerns. They are accompanied in this effort by several other smaller privacy apps, such as Viber and Wire, who have signed on to an open letter directed to UK legislators.

22.04.2023 - 13:09 [ BBC ]

WhatsApp and other messaging apps oppose ‚surveillance‘

(19.04.2023)

Mr Hodgson, of UK company Element, called the proposals a „spectacular violation of privacy… equivalent to putting a CCTV camera in everyone‘s bedroom“.

Mr Cathcart has told BBC News WhatsApp would rather be blocked in the UK than weaken the privacy of encrypted messaging.

Ms Whittaker has said the same – Signal „would absolutely, 100% walk“ should encryption be undermined.

22.04.2023 - 12:44 [ Netzpolitik.org ]

Online Safety Bill: Große Messenger stemmen sich gemeinsam gegen britische Chatkontrolle

(18.04.2023)

Es könne kein „britisches Internet“ oder eine Version der Ende-zu-Ende-Verschlüsselung geben, die speziell auf das Vereinigte Königreich zugeschnitten ist. Die britische Regierung müsse das Gesetz deswegen dringend überarbeiten.

Der offene Brief enthält keine Ankündigung, was die Messenger machen würden, sollte die britische Regierung den Forderungen nicht nachkommen. In der Vergangenheit hatten aber einzelne Messenger-Anbieter aufgezeigt, in welche Richtung ihre Reaktion gehen würde. So will Threema es auf einen Rausschmiss ankommen lassen, und WhatsApp hatte einen Rückzug aus Großbritannien ins Spiel gebracht.

22.04.2023 - 12:36 [ Wire.com ]

Open Letter to the British Government on the Online Safety Bill

(18.04.2023)

Global providers of end-to-end encrypted products and services cannot weaken the security of their products and services to suit individual governments. There cannot be a “British internet,” or a version of end-to-end encryption that is specific to the UK.

The UK Government must urgently rethink the Bill, revising it to encourage companies to offer more privacy and security to its residents, not less. Weakening encryption, undermining privacy, and introducing the mass surveillance of people’s private communications is not the way forward.

Signed by those who care about keeping our conversations secure:

Matthew Hodgson, CEO, Element
Alex Linton, Director, OPTF/Session
Meredith Whittaker, President, Signal
Martin Blatter, CEO, Threema
Ofir Eyal, CEO, Viber
Will Cathcart, Head of WhatsApp at Meta
Alan Duric, CTO, Wire

28.02.2023 - 20:18 [ Netzpolitik.org ]

Online Safety Bill in Großbritannien: Threema lässt es auf Rausschmiss ankommen

Der Messenger Threema beteiligt sich nicht am von WhatsApp und Signal angekündigten „Walk-Out“ aus Großbritannien wegen des geplanten Überwachungsgesetzes. Den Anforderungen des „Online Safety Bills“ wird das Schweizer Unternehmen allerdings auch nicht nachkommen.

29.01.2023 - 20:32 [ Bert Walther / Nitter ]

Schlapphüte offen für neue Technologien…

29.12.2022 - 11:53 [ Winfuture.de ]

WhatsApp stellt ab 31. Dezember den Support für über 40 Geräte ein

Es ist mal wieder so weit: In regelmäßigen Abständen streichen die Entwickler von WhatsApp alte Smartphone-Modelle von der Liste der unterstützten Geräte. Am 31. Dezember 2022 steht das Ende für über 40 weitere Geräte an.

14.12.2022 - 13:26 [ Indy100.com ]

WhatsApp is close to disappearing in the UK

WhatsApp is the most popular mobile messenger app in the world, with more than 2 billion users, including around 40 million in the UK.

14.12.2022 - 13:05 [ Telegraph.co.uk ]

WhatsApp raises threat of UK shutdown in encryption row

(10.12.2022)

WhatsApp is threatened with a shut down in Britain as ministers press ahead with plans to require easier access to messages for police and MI5, the messaging app has warned.

Will Cathcart, head of WhatsApp at Meta, which also owns Facebook and Instagram, told The Telegraph he was prepared to see the app blocked for British smartphone users rather than weaken its security.

13.12.2022 - 19:36 [ Netzpolitik.org ]

Online Safety Bill: WhatsApp bringt wegen Überwachungsgesetz Rückzug aus Großbritannien ins Spiel

Großbritannien plant unabhängig von der EU ein ähnliches Gesetz wie die Chatkontrolle. Sollte der jetzige Entwurf mit seinen Bestimmungen durchkommen, erwägt der weltweit größte Messenger einen Rückzug von der Insel.

24.11.2022 - 10:51 [ Meta - fb.com ]

Meta’s Adversarial Threat Report, Third Quarter 2022

This quarterly threat report includes our findings about three networks we took down in the United States, China and Russia. The latter two we originally reported on September 27, 2022.

The US network — linked to individuals associated with the US military — operated across many internet services and focused on Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Somalia, Syria, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Yemen.

24.11.2022 - 10:41 [ theHill.com ]

Meta links phony accounts to people ‘associated with the US military’

It marks a rare instance of the Silicon Valley-based company tying an influence campaign to the U.S. rather than a foreign nation.

Meta said that the people behind the operation “attempted to conceal their identities,” but the company’s investigation “found links to individuals associated with the US military.”

05.10.2022 - 17:05 [ Felix Reda / Nitter ]

EU Commissioner @YlvaJohansson claimed that AI is capable of detecting unknown depictions of sexualized violence against children with over 90% accuracy & 99% precision. My #FOIA request reveals that her statement is based on industry claims: #chatcontrol

In the process of responding to my #FOIA request, the @EU_Commission asked for my snail mail address, asked for more time to consult with colleagues, misgendered me, failed to meet the extended deadline, all to finally admit that they believed whatever numbers #Meta published.

25.09.2022 - 17:00 [ Washington Post ]

Pentagon opens sweeping review of clandestine psychological operations

(September 19, 2022)

The measure, known as Section 1631, allows the military to carry out clandestine psychological operations without crossing what the CIA has claimed as its covert authority, alleviating some of the friction that had hindered such operations previously.

“Combatant commanders got really excited,” recalled the first defense official. “They were very eager to utilize these new authorities. The defense contractors were equally eager to land lucrative classified contracts to enable clandestine influence operations.”

25.09.2022 - 16:54 [ Max Blumenthal / Nitter ]

After Congress passed Section 1631 allowing the military to conduct covert online propaganda, the Pentagon created droves of accounts spreading fake news against designated enemies, including one claiming Iran was harvesting organs in Afghanistan

(20.09.2022)

31.07.2022 - 17:17 [ America First Legal ]

AFL LAWSUIT REVEALS DAMNING CDC DOCUMENTS PROVING GOVERNMENT COLLUSION WITH BIG TECH TO CENSOR FREE SPEECH AND PROMOTE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION PROPAGANDA

Last July, then-White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki admitted that the White House was working with social media companies to identify “misinformation.” Specifically, she said, “we’re regularly making sure social media platforms are aware of the latest narratives, dangerous to public health that we and many other Americans are seeing across all of social and traditional media. And we work to engage with them to better understand the enforcement of social media platform policies.”

AFL immediately submitted FOIA requests to the Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health to uncover the degree to which the CDC and the White House have been censoring content that it has deemed “disinformation” or “misinformation.” Predictably, the Biden Administration obstructed and delayed complying with their legal obligation to provide such information, and AFL sued the CDC to compel their release.

Today, after a year of work, AFL has obtained its first damning release of documents.

31.07.2022 - 17:12 [ TKP,at ]

Dokumente beweisen: US-Regierung nutzt Big Tech zur Zensur

Am Mittwoch gab die NGO Organisation America First Legal (AFL) bekannt, dass sie dank einer Klage gegen die Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) an die Dokumente gelangt sei. Der erste Versuch, an die Dokumente über den „Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)“ über das Weiße Haus an die Dokumente zu kommen, war gescheitert.

AFL interpretiert die Dokumente nicht nur als Beweis für eine Koordinierung zwischen den privaten Konzernen und der Regierung. Es habe sich um geheime Absprachen gehandelt, um die Zensur auf den Internetplattformen zu koordinieren.

Spätestens ab Dezember 2020 und mindestens bis Juni 2021 kommunizierte die CDC mit Google, Facebook und Twitter. Die „Zusammenarbeit“ ging so weit, dass Beiträge von einzelnen Nutzern als Beispiele vorgelegt wurden, um festzuhalten, was zensiert werden muss.

10.07.2022 - 22:10 [ Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism ]

Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism – Membership

Founding Members:

YouTube
Twitter
Microsoft
facebook

General Members:

zoom
tumblr
WordPress.com
JustPaste
airbnb
mailchimp
Discord
Instagram
WhatsApp
Pinterest
amazon
Dropbox
MEGA
Linkedin
YouTube
Twitter
Microsoft
facebook

05.06.2022 - 19:07 [ theHindu.com ]

Israeli private detective used Indian hackers in job for Russian oligarchs

(May 30, 2022)

Azari is currently being held in federal prison in Brooklyn awaiting sentencing in relation to a hacking campaign tied to the defunct German financial technology company Wirecard AG , his lawyer said last month.

Reuters reported last year that Azari was accused of hiring the Indian hacking firm BellTroX on behalf of powerful clients. BellTroX, which has also been accused of hacking by cybersecurity researchers at Facebook and elsewhere, could not be reached for comment.

30.04.2022 - 17:25 [ addons.mozilla.org ]

Cloud Firewall

Block connections to pages and web resources hosted in major cloud services if the user wishes to do so. Supports blocking Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft and Cloudflare.