“The Pentagon was so concerned about the “unacceptable risk” posed by the Chinese tech giant ZTE in April that it banned sales of its cellphones on military bases. The same month, British officials cautioned that using ZTE equipment was so problematic that national security concerns ‘cannot be mitigated.’ … Yet the Trump administration’s willingness to reverse a Commerce Department ban forbidding American companies from selling to ZTE doesn’t protect U.S. customers from surveillance, hacking or digital espionage, say experts and lawmakers.” More …
Technology
The Rise of Silicon China
“Key features of Chinese history and culture have put it in a position to become the global leader in artificial-intelligence technologies, surpassing even the tech giants of Silicon Valley. But to do so, China will need to overcome economic hurdles – both at home and abroad – that could stand in its way.” More …
Rude, red awakening: China’s theft of U.S. tech is hard to stop
“Washington is waking up to the reality that the cost of doing business in China’s massive market is risking precious tech secrets, but it may be too late… Rogue practices like intellectual property theft are built into Beijing’s industrial policy, and China has used these policies to innovate so rapidly that it may soon be able to cut its reliance on the West.” More …
Just in Time for Elections: White House Eliminates Top Cyber Adviser Post
“The Trump administration has eliminated the White House’s top cyber policy role, jettisoning a key position created during the Obama presidency to harmonize the government’s overall approach to cybersecurity policy and digital warfare.” More …
How the Loss of Net Neutrality Could Change the Internet
“Net neutrality advocates paint an array of troubling scenarios — from smaller websites like the crafts marketplace Etsy and streaming service Vimeo forced to pay tolls to reach consumers, to cable giants like Comcast blocking or slowing disfavored sites while giving priority to their own content.” More …
How Facebook, Google and Twitter ’embeds’ helped Trump in 2016
“A study reveals employees the companies placed in the Trump campaign played a surprisingly active role in shaping its message and targeting voters.” More …
Forget Russian Trolls. Facebook’s Own Staff Helped Win The Election.
“Facebook, Google, and Twitter all directly advised campaigns on how to influence voters — and the help may have been decisive.” More …
Facebook and Google Helped Anti-Refugee Campaign in Swing States
“The big tech companies worked closely with Secure America Now to target an audience the group felt could be swayed by the message.” More …
The Scientist Who Spots Fake Videos
“Hany Farid discusses how to detect image manipulations — and the increasing sophistication of forgers.” More …
I downloaded an app. And suddenly, was part of the Cajun Navy.
“After two minutes of training, I was talking to people desperate for help.” More …