Mit einem neuen EU-Gesetz entsteht ein Gremium für Mediendienste, das der EU-Kommission unterstellt ist, aber unabhängig agieren soll. Erstmals reguliert die Europäische Union damit auch die gedruckte Presse. „Desinformation“ steht besonders im Fokus. Kritiker sehen die Meinungsfreiheit bedroht und fürchten die Legalisierung einer Überwachung von Journalisten.
Archiv: Monopole / Kartelle / monopolies / cartels
„Was an Pressefreiheit übrig bleibt, das existiert dann nur noch von Brüssels Gnaden“
23. 04. 2024 | Aus Anlass der Zustimmung des EU-Parlaments zum orwellianisch benannten „Medienfreiheitsgesetz“ hat Multipolar eine ausführliche und sehr kritische Analyse von Helge Buttkereit veröffentlicht, die ich zur Lektüre empfehle.
Meinungs- und Pressefreiheit: »Kritik zum Verstummen bringen«
„Aufgabe des Gremiums ist es auch, Maßnahmen gegen ausländische Medien zu koordinieren, die die öffentliche Sicherheit schwer gefährden. Das läuft letztlich auf Zensur hinaus, weil man es als Gefährdung der öffentlichen Sicherheit ansieht, wenn aus dem Ausland heraus Propaganda betrieben wird. Stichwort Staatssender, Stichwort RT Deutsch. Natürlich verbreitet jedes Land im Sinne seiner eigenen Interessen Informationen im In- und Ausland. Wenn wir aber anfangen, den Zugang unserer eigenen Bürger zu ausländischen Informationsquellen abzuschneiden, ist das nicht vereinbar mit den Grundsätzen eines freien Landes und eines mündigen Bürgers. Ich halte es für den völlig falschen Weg, unter dem vermeintlichem Deckmantel des Schutzes der öffentlichen Sicherheit Auslandsmedien zensieren zu wollen. „
TLS 1.3: Slow adoption of stronger web encryption is empowering the bad guys
(April 6, 2020)
Asymmetric encryption is used during the “handshake”, which takes place prior to any data being sent. The handshake determines which cipher suite to use for the session – in other words, the symmetric encryption type – so that both browser and server agree. The TLS 1.2 protocol took multiple round trips between client and server, while TLS 1.3 is a much smoother process that requires only one trip. This latency saving shaves milliseconds off each connection.
Privacy-oriented X front-end Nitter is shutting down following changes to guest accounts
(29.01.2024)
Although some Nitter instances are currently still operational, it is anticipated they will cease functioning shortly as they expire. This development leaves those who were using Nitter to monitor or follow X/Twitter users without an account with fewer options.
Threads, Bluesky und Mastodon: Die Chance ist jetzt
Von sozialen Netzwerken und einer digitalen Öffentlichkeit erhoffe ich mir aktuelle Informationen aller Art, nicht nur als Journalist. Ich möchte wissen, was Politiker:innen schreiben, was Regierungen verlautbaren, was NGOs veröffentlichen und was spannende Menschen zu sagen haben. Ich möchte mir selbst ein weitverteiltes Informationsnetzwerk zusammenstellen, (…)
Wenn ich diesen Wunsch nach einem globalen Netzwerk im Mastodon-Umfeld äußere, sind die Reaktionen oft ablehnend bis aggressiv. Ich bekomme Dinge wie „Geh doch zu Twitter“ an den Kopf geworfen. Oder: „Ihr mit euren kurzfristigen, journalistischen Bedürfnissen!“, „Ihr wollt doch nur Aufmerksamkeit“, „Ihr mit Eurer Twitter-Kultur“, „Wir machen das hier aber anders und ihr müsst euch anpassen“.
Das macht mich wütend.
Pro-Kremlin propaganda targets TNA sister publication Misbar, other MENA fact-checkers
The Matryoshka campaign takes a different approach.
Instead of sharing the fake news pieces themselves, accounts re-share posts from other accounts in the same network, and post them directly on the feeds of known fact-checking outlets. These “reshares” are formulated as a fact-checking request.
The accounts simulate the behaviour of a typical social media user, who might be sceptical of a piece of news, and would like the opinion of a trusted fact-checking source.
However, this process of resharing is repeated by other accounts in the network, ad nauseam. The “stacking” of posts containing false news reports is akin to how Matryoshka dolls operate, which is where the campaign gets its name from.
TLS 1.3: Slow adoption of stronger web encryption is empowering the bad guys
(April 6, 2020)
Asymmetric encryption is used during the “handshake”, which takes place prior to any data being sent. The handshake determines which cipher suite to use for the session – in other words, the symmetric encryption type – so that both browser and server agree. The TLS 1.2 protocol took multiple round trips between client and server, while TLS 1.3 is a much smoother process that requires only one trip. This latency saving shaves milliseconds off each connection.
CDU und SPD verlängern freiwillige Chatkontrolle durch Big Tech-Konzerne
(07.02.2024)
Das EU-Parlament hat heute grünes Licht für eine Verlängerung der umstrittenen Chatkontrolle durch US-Internetkonzerne bis 2025 gegeben. Dagegen stimmten Piraten, Linke, FDP, Grüne, AfD und zwei SPD-Abgeordnete, während CDU und fast alle SPD-Abgeordneten zustimmten. Das Parlament will sich mit dem Rat noch in der nächsten Woche einig werden, um die Verlängerung im Schnellverfahren noch vor der Europawahl zu verabschieden.
Meinungsfreiheit – ein Auslaufmodell: Der Digital Services Act (DSA)
(16.01.2024)
Am 16.11.2022 ist die Verordnung (EU) 2022/2065 des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates vom 19.10.2022 über den Binnenmarkt für digitale Dienste (Digital Services Act – im Folgenden DSA genannt) in Kraft getreten.
Sie gilt spätestens ab dem 17.02.2024 unmittelbar in jedem EU-Mitgliedstaat in erster Linie für „sehr große Online-Plattformen und sehr große Online-Suchmaschinen“ (Art. 33 Abs. 4, Art. 92, 93 Abs. 2 DSA).
Diese werden unter Androhung empfindlicher finanzieller Sanktionen verpflichtet, alle ihre Inhalte zu kontrollieren und gegebenenfalls zu löschen. Und sie werden dabei kontrolliert von der EU-Kommission, von staatlichen Koordinatoren und von zivilgesellschaftlichen Hinweisgebern.
Trotz seiner unmittelbaren Geltung im deutschen Recht bedarf der DSA eines konkretisierenden nationalen Ausführungsgesetzes. Ein Entwurf dieses Digitale-Dienste-Gesetzes (DDG-Entwurf) wurde von der Bundesregierung am 20.12.2023 verabschiedet.
Beraten und beschlossen werden soll er im Bundestag vor dem 17.02.2024.
(…)
In Erwägungsgrund Nr. 5 wird schon zwischen der „Vermittlung und Verbreitung rechtswidriger oder anderweitig schädlicher Informationen und Tätigkeiten“ unterschieden (Hervorhebung d. Verf.). Auch Art. 34 Abs. 1 DSA spricht in Abs. 1 a von der „Verbreitung rechtswidriger Inhalte über ihre Dienste“, in Abs. 1 b-d allerdings nur noch von Informationen mit „nachteiligen Auswirkungen“, die nicht rechtswidrig sein müssen.
(…)
Im Zentrum, jedenfalls des nationalstaatlichen Geschehens, steht der von jedem Mitgliedstaat bis zum 17.02.2024 zu ernennende „Koordinator für digitale Dienste“ (KdD).
TLS 1.3: Slow adoption of stronger web encryption is empowering the bad guys
(April 6, 2020)
Asymmetric encryption is used during the “handshake”, which takes place prior to any data being sent. The handshake determines which cipher suite to use for the session – in other words, the symmetric encryption type – so that both browser and server agree. The TLS 1.2 protocol took multiple round trips between client and server, while TLS 1.3 is a much smoother process that requires only one trip. This latency saving shaves milliseconds off each connection.
«Netanyahus Sohn sitzt den Krieg am Strand in Florida aus»
(13. November 2023)
Der älteste Sohn von Benjamin Netanyahu betreibt in den sozialen Medien gezielte Desinformation.
Offiziell übt er keinen Beruf aus – laut israelischen Medien soll er aber seit Jahren die Social-Media-Strategie des Vaters lenken.
Nur ein Bruchteil der Posts enthält tatsächliche Informationen.
„Five Eyes“ hinter den Entschlüsselungsplänen des EU-Ministerrats
(29.11.2020)
Gemeint ist ein erster Schritt zu einer EU-weiten Regulation, die Plattformbetreiber de facto verpflichten wird, Ende-zu-Ende-Verschlüsselung mit einem Generalschlüssel auszuhebeln. Dass diese vom britischen Geheimdienst GCHQ vorgeschlagene Methode favorisiert wird, bestätigte de Kerchove ganz nebenbei in einem am Freitag von der Nachrichtenagentur AFP verbreiteten Interview. Ein frisch geleaktes Dokument des Rats dokumentiert die tiefe Involvierung der Spionageallianz „Five Eyes“ in die Entschlüsselungspläne.
(…)
Was de Kerchove, der auch die Gaming-Websites als überwachungspflichtig ins Spiel gebracht hatte, geflissentlich verschwieg, ist, wozu dies in jedem EU-Staat unweigerlich führen wird, dessen Gesetze den Geheimdiensten ein Mandat zum Anzapfen der Glasfaserleitungen zum Zwecke der „Gefahrenverhütung“ bzw. der „Nachrichtenaufklärung“ verleihen.
Courts Strike a Blow Against White House‘s Social Media Censorship | Opinion
The plaintiffs in the case, led by the states of Missouri and Louisiana, eminent doctors, and others alleged that under guise of combating „mis-, dis-, and mal-information,“ the Biden White House and nearly a dozen federal agencies have, alongside private-sector cutouts, cajoled and colluded with Big Tech platforms to silence millions of Americans. The topics social media platforms have censored at the government‘s direction, measuring likely hundreds of millions of posts, range from the Hunter Biden laptop story, to matters of election integrity, to virtually every aspect of the coronavirus pandemic.
EU and The Washington Post Escalate Their Censorship Campaign with a New Fraudulent “Disinformation Study” About Twitter and Russia. Plus: The John McCain Institute Used to Promote Neocon Dogma on War
(September 08, 2023)
The way this typically works is that groups claim to employ “disinformation experts” – a brand new and fake expertise they created overnight – and then produce studies that purport to document who is either circulating harmful disinformation or who is permitting it to be heard. This latter accusation, permitting dangerous disinformation to be heard, always means that one social media company or another is failing to censor in accordance with the demands of the group and its funders. They then get corporate media outlets who crave censorship to melodramatically trumpet their accusatory studies using flamboyant headlines that claim a disobedient technology platform has the blood on their hands, knowing that it will spread virally, but very few people actually read the study to determine if the accusations have any validity.
EU chat control law will ban open source operating systems
(1 February 2023)
The proposed Chat control EU law will not only seize totalitarian control of all private communication. It will also ban open source operating systems as an unintended consequence.
The Untold Story Behind Saudi Arabia’s 41-Year U.S. Debt Secret
(May 31, 2016)
The basic framework was strikingly simple. The U.S. would buy oil from Saudi Arabia and provide the kingdom military aid and equipment. In return, the Saudis would plow billions of their petrodollar revenue back into Treasuries and finance America’s spending.
It took several discreet follow-up meetings to iron out all the details, Parsky said. But at the end of months of negotiations, there remained one small, yet crucial, catch: King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud demanded the country’s Treasury purchases stay “strictly secret,” according to a diplomatic cable obtained by Bloomberg from the National Archives database.
How Windows 11 scrapes your data before you’re even connected to the internet
(February 8, 2023)
Using the Wireshark network protocol analyzer, the YouTubers were able to uncover some interesting, yet unsurprising, information about what kind of telemetry was being sent by Windows 11. At boot-up, even before an internet connection was made, they found that Windows 11 was already busy sending information to Microsoft and third-party servers. For example, the information went to software servers (possibly for updates, antivirus refresh, to check for trial versions, etc.) and to marketing/advertising networks.
In stark contrast, the 20-year-old Windows XP 64-bit version barely made a pip, if at all. The only telemetry that was sent was to Microsoft servers to check for OS updates.
Homeland Security report details how teen hackers exploited security weaknesses in some of the world’s biggest companies
(August 10, 2023)
Staffed by senior US cybersecurity officials and executives at major technology firms like Google, the board does not have regulatory authority, but its recommendations could shape legislation in Congress and future directives from federal agencies.
TLS 1.3: Slow adoption of stronger web encryption is empowering the bad guys
(April 6, 2020)
Asymmetric encryption is used during the “handshake”, which takes place prior to any data being sent. The handshake determines which cipher suite to use for the session – in other words, the symmetric encryption type – so that both browser and server agree. The TLS 1.2 protocol took multiple round trips between client and server, while TLS 1.3 is a much smoother process that requires only one trip. This latency saving shaves milliseconds off each connection.
Transatlantische Massenüberwachung: Nimm das doch endlich ernst, Ursula!
Der „Transatlantische Datenschutzrahmen“ garantiert US-Konzernen wie Facebook, dass sie weiterhin Nutzer:innendaten aus Europa ungehindert in die USA übertragen können. Dass sie dort kaum rechtlichen Schutz vor dem anlasslosen wie massenhaften Zugriff der amerikanischen Behörden haben, daran ändert der neue Datenschutzrahmen ebenso wenig wie seine beiden gescheiterten Vorgänger Safe Harbor und Privacy Shield. Schon 2015 und 2020 erklärte der Europäische Gerichtshof diese Beschlüsse der EU-Kommission für ungültig, die eine Blankoerlaubnis für den Datentransfer in die USA geben. Doch allen Bedenken zum Trotz hat die EU-Kommission nun ein drittes Mal einen Blankoscheck ausgestellt – aus der Zusicherung Von der Leyens im Vorjahr wurde nun eine rechtsgültiger Beschluss.
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.
To Foreign Policy Veteran, the Real Danger Is at Home
Mr. Haass recently published a book called “The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens,” outlining ways Americans can help heal their own society, like “Be Informed,” “Remain Civil,” “Put Country First” — all admittedly bromides and yet somehow often elusive these days. (…)
Putting his foreign policy hat aside for now, he said he wants to expand the message from his book and help refocus the country on the core values embodied in the Declaration of Independence as the 250th anniversary of the document approaches three years from now.
Five Eyes, Six Eyes, Europe’s Eyes? Europe-Five Eyes Cooperation in the Face of China
(Mar 27, 2021)
In the short term, Europe may be able to shrug off the illegality of its data-sharing practices under the GDPR, and please privacy advocates with adequacy reviews, but in the long term the violation of Europe’s own data privacy crownpiece is sure to harm its international credibility.
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.
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.
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.
Elon Musk‘s rate limits on Twitter send Bluesky‘s traffic to record high
As of the end of April, Bluesky’s website stated that the platform had more than 50,000 users. Aside from users requesting to sign up via a waitlist, Bluesky says on its website that it periodically distributes invitations for existing users to distribute to other participants. Depending on the quality of invitees converted into users, the platform gives certain users more invites.
SDG16: Part 1 — Building the Global Police State
(June 5, 2023)
There is no reason to believe that the SDG16’s pretensions to promote peace and justice and inclusivity will do anything for the world as a whole, much less anything to resolve the fundamental failings inherent in the UN’s scurrilous and disreputable system of alleged “global governance.”
You may wonder what Sustainable Development Goal 16—or this article about it—has to do with protecting the planet and its inhabitants from the predicted “climate disaster.” The answer is: nothing at all. But then, “climate change” is merely the proffered rationale that purportedly legitimises and lends urgency to sustainable development.
Establishing firm global governance—in effect, a world dictatorship—through the implementation of SDGs is the United Nations’ real objective. “Climate change” is just the excuse. Nothing demonstrates this more clearly than SDG16.9. And this is why we will exclusively focus on 16.9 in Part 2 of our exploration of SDG16.
Is Elon Musk Trying To Destroy Twitter?
(Nov 11, 2022)
Here’s a question I’ve been wondering about:
Is Elon Musk trying to destroy Twitter?
I’m not sure why the new owner of the social media app would want to do that. Yet, if the decisions he’s making are any indication, it almost seems like that’s the plan.
Twitter has started blocking unregistered users
Update July 1st, 2:42PM ET: Elon Musk has now limited Twitter access for everyone, requiring a verified account to read more than 600 posts per day.
Twitter Blocks People From Seeing Tweets Unless Registered
Twitter has long relied on the accessibility of its tweets around the web to drive interest in the site — for instance, through users sending tweets to friends or contacts who don’t have accounts.
Elon Musk Hires Prolific Hacker George Hotz To Fix Twitter Search
(November 23, 2022)
In the span of a 12-week internship, Hotz promises to “fix” Twitter search and introduce all-new features, such as the ability to search within liked tweets.
As the first person in the world to jailbreak the iPhone, Hotz is no stranger to bringing new capabilities to existing platforms.
Elon Musk: The US Government, Intelligence Agencies Had Access To Twitter Backdoor, Ability To Spy On Direct Messages
(Apr 17, 2023)
“The degree to which government agencies effectively had full access to everything that was going on on Twitter blew my mind,” Musk told Carlson. “I was not aware of that.”
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.
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.
Twitter Blocking Access to Users Who Aren’t Logged In as an ‘Emergency Measure,’ Elon Musk Says
Many people were confused about the change, wondering whether it was a glitch or a purposeful move on the part of Twitter, which is under the control of mega-billionaire Elon Musk. Previously, you could search Twitter and view tweets without needing a registered account. But now, visiting any Twitter page displays a log-in prompt instead.
Musk, in a post Friday afternoon, claimed that Twitter took the step to improve performance on the platform after third-party companies were “scraping” data and overloading its systems.
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“.
Part 2: The Belly of The Daily Beast and Its Perceptible Ties to the CIA
Part 2 of a two-part series takes a deep dive into the history of the CIA’s central role in orchestrating news and editorial coverage in America’s most influential liberal national media outlets — and its continued hold today.
Part 1: CIA’s Extraordinary Role Influencing Liberal Media Outlets Daily Kos, The Daily Beast, Rolling Stone
Part 1 of a two-part series takes a deep dive into the history of the CIA’s central role in orchestrating news and editorial coverage in America’s most influential liberal national media outlets — and its continued hold today.
Google‘s troubles mount, as EU joins US‘ breakup call
Both the governments seemingly agree on one thing: The era of Google’s dominance in advertising technology must end. The European Commission recently joined the Department of Justice in touting a breakup as a viable remedy for the California-based tech giant’s alleged monopoly abuses. In its probe, the EU said a divestment is needed because a behavioral remedy wouldn’t stop Google from “self-preferencing.”
Google’s Ad Tech in Peril as EU Joins US’s Breakup Bandwagon
The European Commission last week joined the Department of Justice in touting a breakup as a viable remedy for the California-based tech giant’s alleged monopoly abuses.
US-Geheimdienste: Lizenz zur weltweiten Überwachung läuft aus
Dass besagte Section 702 verlängert wird, steht kaum außer Frage.
Citing cyber investigations, officials ask Congress to renew surveillance powers
(14.06.2023)
In a joint written testimony from the Biden administration witnesses, the NSA, FBI and CIA all cited Section 702’s usefulness for cybersecurity.
US intelligence community presses for FISA Section 702 reauthorization
(13.06.2023)
Officials from U.S. intelligence agencies backed reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ahead of a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing Tuesday. One official characterized a potential lapse or „unusable“ modifications to Section 702 as „grave national security risks.“ The support for full reauthorization came as 21 advocacy groups joined on a letter urging reform of Section 702. Meanwhile, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued a report regarding purchases of commercially available personal information by the U.S. intelligence community.
Civil Liberties: Restore our Rights
Our administration will make it a top priority to protect and restore the fundamental civil liberties, enshrined in the Bill of Rights, that hold the essence of what America can be. These liberties have endured constant assault for over twenty years, starting with the Bush/Cheney War on Terror, and accelerating in the era of Covid lockdowns.
Freedom of speech is the capstone of all other rights and freedoms. Once a government has the power to silence its opponents, no other right is safe. We will therefore dismantle the censorship-industrial complex, in which Big Tech censors, deplatforms, shadowbans, and algorithmically suppresses any person or opinion the government asks them to. We will respect the right to privacy and freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures, by ending mass surveillance of American citizens and the abuse of civil asset forfeiture. We will make sure that the Covid-era suspension of the right to assembly, trial by jury, and freedom of worship will never happen again. The same for the right to property. During Covid, 3.4 million business were forced to close. Many of them, including 60% of Black-owned businesses, will never reopen.
A Kennedy administration will respect American citizens and stop treating them like suspects and schoolchildren. We will stop manipulating the public with propaganda and targeted leaks. We will never weaponize the law against political opponents, nor hold our own officials above the law. We will return the intelligence agencies to their proper role as protectors not violators of liberty.
„Albtraumszenario“: US-Dienste kaufen massenhaft Handydaten für Überwachung
„Der Regierung wäre es nie erlaubt worden, Milliarden Menschen dazu zu verpflichten, jederzeit Geräte zur Standortüberwachung bei sich zu haben, ihre sozialen Interaktionen aufzuzeichnen oder lückenlose Aufzeichnungen ihrer Lesegewohnheiten vorzuhalten“, fasst das Office of the Director of National Intelligence zusammen. Doch Smartphones, vernetzte Fahrzeugen, Webtracking, das Internet der Dinge und „andere Innovationen“ hätten die gleichen Folgen, ohne dass die Regierung etwas tun müsse.
Bestätigt: US-Geheimdienste kaufen persönliche Daten – Datenschutzbedenken wachsen
Die Art und Weise, wie US-Geheimdienste Daten aus verbundenen Fahrzeugen, Webbrowser-Aktivitäten und Smartphones sammeln und nutzen, steht zunehmend im Fokus. Dabei besteht die Gefahr, dass die unregulierte Verbreitung und der Verkauf von privaten Informationen amerikanischer Bürgerinnen und Bürger deren Privatsphäre bedroht. Der Bericht wurde vom Büro des Direktors der nationalen Geheimdienste (ODNI) veröffentlicht.
In response to my request, DNI Haines has confirmed that the government is buying Americans‘ private data with no guardrails for when and how that data is used. If this isn‘t a wake up call for Congress to stop feds from buying up Americans‘ information, I don‘t know what is.
Office of the Director of National Intelligence Senior Advisory Group Panel on Commercially Available Information
(27 January 2022, approved for release by ODNI on 5 June 2023)
(U) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
(U) There is today a large and growing amount of what the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) refers to as “Commercially Available Information” (CAI). As the acronym indicates, and as we use the term in this report, CAI is information that is available commercially to the general public, and as such, is a subset of publicly available information (PAI). We do not use the term CAI to include, and we do not address in this report, commercial information that is available exclusively to governments. The volume and sensitivity of CAI have expanded in recent years mainly due to the advancement of digital technology, including location-tracking and other features of smartphones and other electronic devices, and the advertising-based monetization models that underlie many commercial offerings available on the Internet. Although CAI may be “anonymized,” it is often possible (using other CAI) to deanonymize and identify individuals, including U.S. persons.
(…)
Today, in a way that far fewer Americans seem to understand, and even fewer of them can avoid, CAI includes information on nearly everyone that is of a type and level of sensitivity that historically could have been obtained, if at all, only through targeted (and predicated) collection, and that could be used to cause harm to an individual’s reputation, emotional well-being, or physical safety.
(…)
(U) A May 2014 report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides a similar account:
(U) Data brokers collect data from commercial, government, and other publicly available sources. Data collected could include bankruptcy information, voting registration, consumer purchase data, web browsing activities, warranty registrations, and other details of consumers’ everyday interactions.
(…)
1.3. (U) Examples of CAI. We do not attempt a comprehensive description of the scope and scale of data that are available as CAI, or the relevant markets, in part because they are so large and so dynamic. However, a few examples of CAI offerings will illustrate the current nature of available offerings:
• (U) “Thomson Reuters CLEAR is powered by billions of data points and leverages cutting-edge public records technology to bring all key content together in a customizable dashboard.”
• (U) LexisNexis offers more than “84B records from 10,000+ sources, including alternative data that helps surface more of the 63M unbanked/underbanked U.S. adults.”
• (U) Exactis has “over 3.5 billion records (updated monthly)” in its “universal data warehouse.”
• (U) PeekYou “collects and combines scattered content from social sites, news sources, homepages, and blog platforms to present comprehensive online identities.”
(…)
As the FTC explained in its May 2014 report:
(U) Data brokers rely on websites with registration features and cookies to find consumers online and target Internet advertisements to them based on their offline activities. Once a data broker locates a consumer online and places a cookie on the consumer’s browser, the data broker’s client can advertise to that consumer across the Internet for as long as the cookie stays on the consumer’s browser. Consumers may not be aware that data brokers are providing companies with products to allow them to advertise to consumers online based on their offline activities. Some data brokers are using similar technology to serve targeted advertisements to consumers on mobile devices.
(…)
2.2. (U) Examples of CAI Contracts. The IC currently acquires a large amount of CAI. Unclassified IC and other contracts for CAI can be found at Sam.Gov, a U.S. government website that allows searching by agency or sub-agency and by keywords, among other things. By way of example only, this website shows that the following agencies have, have had, have considered, or are considering the following contracts or proposals related to CAI:
• (U) The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with ZeroFox for social media alerting (15F06721P0002431)
• (censored)
• U) The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) for social media reports on individuals who are seeking a security clearance (HHM402-16-SM-CHECKS), and with LexisNexis for “retrieval of comprehensive on-line search results related to commercial due diligence from a maximum number of sources (news, company, public records, legal, regulatory financial, and industry information),” among other things (HHM402-21-Q-0094)
• (U) The U.S. Navy with Sayari Analytics, Inc. for access to its database that “contains tens of thousands of previously-unidentified specific nodes, facilities and key people related to US sanctioned actors including ‘2+3’ threats to national security” (N0001518PR11212)
• (U) Various offices within the Treasury Department for access to Banker’s Almanac (RFQ-FIN-55100-21-0010)
• (U) The Department of Defense (DOD) for access to Jane’s online (W31P4Q17T0009)
• (U) The Coast Guard with Babel Street for “Open Source Data Collection, Translation, Analysis Application” (70Z08419QVA044).
(U) In addition, DIA has provided the following information about a CAI contract in an unclassified and publicly-available paper sent to Congress on January 15, 2021:
(U) DIA currently provides funding to another agency that purchases commercially available geolocation metadata aggregated from smartphones.
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