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Tag: The Guardian

  • UK Government Building a £900M Supercomputer to Create ‘BritGPT’

    UK Government Building a £900M Supercomputer to Create ‘BritGPT’

    The UK government is spending big — to the tune of £900m — to ensure it doesn’t get left being in the AI game.

    With OpenAI’s ChatGPT powering Microsoft Bing, Google developing Bard, and Baidu working on Ernie, the UK government wants to make sure it’s not left behind. According to The Guardian, the UK government is investing in a supercomputer to build its own “BritGPT.”

    The supercomputer will “allow researchers to better understand climate change, power the discovery of new drugs and maximise our potential in AI.”

    The supercomputer is an exascale computer, capable of “more than one billion billion simple calculations a second, a metric known as an “’exaflops.’” There is only one other known exascale computer housed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the US.

    “We think there’s a risk that we in the UK, lose out to the large tech companies, and possibly China, and get left behind … in areas of cybersecurity, of healthcare, and so on. It is a massive arms race that has been around for some time, but the heat has certainly been turned up most recently,” said Adrian Joseph, BT’s chief data and artificial intelligence officer, speaking to the Commons science and technology committee.

    “Because AI needs computing horsepower, I today commit around £900m of funding … for an exascale supercomputer,” said the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt.

  • UK Joins US, EU, Canada In Banning TikTok From Government Devices

    UK Joins US, EU, Canada In Banning TikTok From Government Devices

    The UK has joined the US, EU, and Canada in banning TikTok from government devices, citing “a specific risk with government devices.”

    TikTok is facing an existential crisis as governments and jurisdictions struggle with the security implications of the social media app. The company has come under fire for its ties to Beijing, especially since Chinese companies are required to aid the government with surveillance. There have also been repeated lapses in privacy, including TikTok’s parent admitting to surveilling journalists.

    The UK has evidently determined the risks are too great, passing a ban involving the app and government devices, according to The Guardian. Oliver Dowden, the Cabinet Office minister in the Commons, said the ban was “with immediate effect.”

    The decision is a marked change of tune for the UK government, which had previously said it would not follow other governments in banning the app.

  • WhatsApp and Signal Poised to Leave UK Over Encryption Law

    WhatsApp and Signal Poised to Leave UK Over Encryption Law

    United Kingdom users may be out of luck when it comes to messaging clients, with both WhatsApp and Signal prepared to leave.

    The UK is currently working to pass its Online Safety Bill, a piece of legislation that virtually all critics say would have a devastating impact on encryption and online security. Proponents of the bill have been accused of “magical thinking,” in which they believe encryption can be selectively weakened to catch bad guys.

    The UK’s government is

    WhatsApp and Signal have both come out saying they will refuse to weaken their encryption, a decision that would lead to them leaving the UK.

    “It’s a remarkable thing to think about,” said Will Cathcart, Meta’s head of WhatsApp, via The Guardian. “There isn’t a way to change it in just one part of the world. Some countries have chosen to block it: that’s the reality of shipping a secure product. We’ve recently been blocked in Iran, for example. But we’ve never seen a liberal democracy do that.

    “The reality is, our users all around the world want security,” added Cathcart. “Ninety-eight per cent of our users are outside the UK. They do not want us to lower the security of the product, and just as a straightforward matter, it would be an odd choice for us to choose to lower the security of the product in a way that would affect those 98% of users.”

    Similarly, Signal President Meredith Whittaker told the BBC: “We would absolutely 100% walk rather than ever undermine the trust that people place in us to provide a truly private means of communication.

    “We have never weakened our privacy promises, and we never would.”

    For its part, the British Home Office is recycling the age-old argument that there must be some way to protect privacy and simultaneously undermine it for the sake of catching criminals.

    “It is important that technology companies make every effort to ensure that their platforms do not become a breeding ground for paedophiles,” the Home Office stated.

    “The Online Safety Bill does not represent a ban on end-to-end encryption but makes clear that technological changes should not be implemented in a way that diminishes public safety – especially the safety of children online.

    “It is not a choice between privacy or child safety – we can and we must have both.”

    Unfortunately, as mathematicians, programmers, computer experts, privacy advocates, and many lawmakers have stated, that’s simply not how encryption works.

    “Encryption is either protecting everyone or it is broken for everyone,” Whitaker added.

    That fundamental law of mathematics is why Germany has come out opposed to a similar measure making its way through the EU, instead emphasizing the need to bolster traditional investigative methods to compensate.

  • Where Is Bao Fan? Billionaire Chinese Banker Is Missing

    Where Is Bao Fan? Billionaire Chinese Banker Is Missing

    Bao Fan, a prominent tech banker and head of China Renaissance, has gone missing, sparking fresh fears of another Chinese tech crackdown.

    Bao Fan is one of China’s leading financial CEOs, having founded China Renaissance in 2005 after stints at Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse. According to The Guardian, quoting local news outlet Caixin, Bao Fan has been unreachable for two days, sparking a 50% drop in the company’s stock price. The price eventually regained 30%, but the questions about the CEO’s whereabouts remain.

    “[We] believe that everyone has had a restless night. At this time, [we] hope that you do not believe in or spread rumours,” the company said in a message to employees, seen by The Wall Street Journal.

    The incident is reminiscent of Alibaba founder Jack Ma’s disappearance in early 2021 amid Beijing’s crackdown on the tech and finance sector. Ma went missing for months before finally reappearing in a state media video. The fact that it was a state media video did little to reassure investors and fans that he was ok. Interestingly, Ma has since agreed to give up control of the Ant Group, the financial company at the heart of China’s regulatory efforts surrounding Ma.

    Many fear Bao Fan’s disappearance could be indicative of a similar crackdown on China Renaissance.

    Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, told The Guardian he was “not aware of the relevant information” about Bao’s disappearance.

    “But I can tell you that China is a country under the rule of law,” he added. “The Chinese government protects the legitimate rights of its citizens in accordance with the law.”

  • Japan and Netherlands Poised to Join US in China Semiconductor Crackdown

    Japan and Netherlands Poised to Join US in China Semiconductor Crackdown

    Japan and the Netherlands may be joining the US in its efforts to isolate the Chinese semiconductor industry over security concerns.

    The US has been working to restrict high-tech components from making their way to China. Some analysts believe the country’s semiconductor industry has “collapsed,” but Beijing is spending big to revitalize it.

    According to The Guardian, Japan and the Netherlands are preparing to join the US in its efforts. The confirmation came via a US official that seemed to confirm the existence of a deal but failed to provide any details.

    “We can’t talk about the deal right now,” said Don Graves, deputy commerce department secretary. “But you can certainly talk to our friends in Japan and the Netherlands.”

    If the deal does exist, it will prove a major setback to China’s semiconductor industry, cutting it off from even more of its supply chain.

  • Woman Ordered to Repay Her Employer for ‘Time Theft’

    Woman Ordered to Repay Her Employer for ‘Time Theft’

    A woman has been ordered to repay her employer after it was discovered that she misrepresented the amount of time she worked.

    Karlee Besse, a woman in Canada, was working remotely as an accountant. When she was fired from her job, she accused her employer of wrongful termination, but there was much more to the story.

    According to The Guardian, her employer was able to prove she had logged hours despite not actually working during the time in question, thanks to time-tracking software on her computer.

    A civilian tribunal has sided with the employer, Reach CPA, ordering Besse to repay C$2,459.89 in wages and part of an advance.

    The case could well set a precedent for remote workers, ensuring companies get what they’re paying for, and serving as a warning to employees that would try to cheat the system.

  • The Guardian Suffers Ransomware Attack, Staff’s Data Accessed

    The Guardian Suffers Ransomware Attack, Staff’s Data Accessed

    The Guardian has suffered a major ransomware attack and has revealed that some staff’s personal data was accessed.

    The Guardian broke the news in late December that it suffered an IT incident it believed was a ransomware attack. Yesterday morning the outlet confirmed that it was indeed a ransomware attack, one that compromised the personal data of its UK-based employees.

    The outlet described the attack as a “highly sophisticated cyber-attack involving unauthorised third-party access to parts of our network,” and likely the result of a phishing attempt.

    There was a bit of good news, however, as there appears to be no evidence that readers’ data was accessed.

    The Guardian said it had no reason to believe the personal data of readers and subscribers had been accessed. It is not believed that the personal data of Guardian US and Guardian Australia staff has been accessed either.

    In an email to staff, The Guardian also said there was no evidence the compromised data had made its way online.

    “We believe this was a criminal ransomware attack, and not the specific targeting of the Guardian as a media organisation,” said chief executive Anna Bateson and editor-in-chief Katharine Viner.

    “These attacks have become more frequent and sophisticated in the past three years, against organisations of all sizes, and kinds, in all countries.”

    They added: “We have seen no evidence that any data has been exposed online thus far and we continue to monitor this very closely.”

  • Workers at Amazon’s Largest Air Hub, in Northern KY, Push for Unionization

    Workers at Amazon’s Largest Air Hub, in Northern KY, Push for Unionization

    Amazon’s unionization woes are increasing, with workers at the company’s largest air hub pushing to organize.

    Amazon has aggressively battled union organization efforts for years, even going so far as to deploy Pinkerton detectives to deter attempts. Despite its stance, support for unionization has been growing, and the company’s largest air hub outside of Cincinnati Northern Kentucky international airport is the latest site to experience significant union pressure.

    According to The Guardian, workers are displeased with annual pay raises, with at least 400 of them signing a petition to have a peak season premium hourly rate enacted. Amazon normally pays its warehouse workers more during the holiday season, when sales reach their yearly peak but has yet to implement it at the NKY site.

    Read more: Amazon Once Again Going Full-Press Against Unionization Efforts

    “We have to operate a lot of heavy machinery, freight loaders, cargo tractors and things like that, and people aren’t paid any extra to do that work,” said Griffin Ritze, an air associate and ramp agent, and one of the organizing members onsite. “They just cross-train you in as many roles as possible and you’re constantly shuffled around.”

    Workers have also complained that Amazon is not clearly communicating with them, including over things as serious as being written up.

    “We do not have any clue that we are written up and never notified about it until we go to apply for a better position, that’s when we’ll find out,” said Steven Kelley, a learning ambassador at the KY site.

    The employees ultimately make the point that Amazon depends on its warehouse and shipping workers as the lifeblood of the company and should therefore take better care of them.

    “We’re the lifeblood of the company, not corporate, not upper management. We’re actually the ones who are sorting the freight, and loading the freight,” said Jordan Martin, a ramp associate at the air hub. “It’s the lifeblood of the company, the workers, who are actually organizing this effort and why we’re pushing for the better benefits that we’re trying to fight for.”

  • Media Groups Voice Support for Julian Assange

    Media Groups Voice Support for Julian Assange

    Media groups have come out in favor of Julian Assange, urging the US to drop the charges against him.

    Twelve years ago Monday, a collection of media outlets published portions of the 250,000 secret documents Assange gained access to in his role as Director of WikiLeaks. Since then, Assange has been wanted by US authorities and spent years holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in the UK before Ecuador revoked his asylum in 2019. Assange was set to be extradited to the US, but his legal team is currently fighting extradition, leaving him in London’s Belmarsh prison.

    According to The Guardian, a group of media outlets are petitioning the US government to drop its charges against Assange. The group includes The Guardian, The New York Times, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, and El País.

    Below is a copy of the letter in its entirety:

    Publishing is not a crime: The US government should end its prosecution of Julian Assange for publishing secrets.

    Twelve years ago, on November 28th 2010, our five international media outlets – the New York Times, the Guardian, Le Monde, El País and Der Spiegel – published a series of revelations in cooperation with WikiLeaks that made the headlines around the globe.

    “Cablegate”, a set of 251,000 confidential cables from the US state department, disclosed corruption, diplomatic scandals and spy affairs on an international scale.

    In the words of the New York Times, the documents told “the unvarnished story of how the government makes its biggest decisions, the decisions that cost the country most heavily in lives and money”. Even now in 2022, journalists and historians continue to publish new revelations, using the unique trove of documents.

    For Julian Assange, publisher of WikLeaks, the publication of “Cablegate” and several other related leaks had the most severe consequences. On April 12th 2019, Assange was arrested in London on a US arrest warrant, and has now been held for three and a half years in a high-security British prison usually used for terrorists and members of organised crime groups. He faces extradition to the US and a sentence of up to 175 years in an American maximum-security prison.

    This group of editors and publishers, all of whom had worked with Assange, felt the need to publicly criticise his conduct in 2011 when unredacted copies of the cables were released, and some of us are concerned about the allegations in the indictment that he attempted to aid in computer intrusion of a classified database. But we come together now to express our grave concerns about the continued prosecution of Julian Assange for obtaining and publishing classified materials.

    The Obama-Biden administration, in office during the WikiLeaks publication in 2010, refrained from indicting Assange, explaining that they would have had to indict journalists from major news outlets too. Their position placed a premium on press freedom, despite its uncomfortable consequences. Under Donald Trump however, the position changed. The DoJ relied on an old law, the Espionage Act of 1917 (designed to prosecute potential spies during world war one), which has never been used to prosecute a publisher or broadcaster.

    This indictment sets a dangerous precedent, and threatens to undermine America’s first amendment and the freedom of the press.

    Obtaining and disclosing sensitive information when necessary in the public interest is a core part of the daily work of journalists. If that work is criminalised, our public discourse and our democracies are made significantly weaker.

    Twelve years after the publication of “Cablegate”, it is time for the US government to end its prosecution of Julian Assange for publishing secrets.

    Publishing is not a crime.

    The editors and publishers of:

    The New York Times

    The Guardian

    Le Monde

    Der Spiegel

    El País

  • Prosecutors Seek 15-Year Sentence and $800M in Elizabeth Holmes Case

    Prosecutors Seek 15-Year Sentence and $800M in Elizabeth Holmes Case

    Prosecutors are seeking a 15-year sentence and $800 million in restitution in their case against Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes.

    Holmes was found guilty of multiple counts of fraud after Theranos failed to deliver on Holmes’ promise. The case sent shockwaves through Silicon Valley, with some experts warning it could open a much larger door to executives being prosecuted anytime their companies don’t deliver.

    With the sentencing phase of the case now in full swing, prosecutors want Holmes sentenced to 15 years in prison, according to The Guardian. They also want her to pay $800 million in restitution. Holmes could face a maximum of 20 years.

    Holmes’ attorney is arguing that the former exec should not receive any jail time.

    “Ms Holmes is no danger to the public,” Holmes’s lawyer said in the court documents. “She has no criminal history, has a perfect pretrial services compliance record, and is described by the people who know her repeatedly as a gentle and loving person who tries to do the right thing.”

    “Ms Holmes will never be able to seek another job or meet a new friend without the negative caricature acting as a barrier,” her lawyers argued.

    Concerned citizens have written the court in favor of Holmes, including none other than New Jersey senator Cory Booker.

    “In the years since, I’ve always been struck by the way our conversations focused on her desires to make a positive impact on the world,” Booker wrote. “I still believe that she holds on to the hope that she can make contributions to the lives of others, and that she can, despite mistakes, make the world a better place.”

  • AT&T Employees Push Back Against Return-to-Office Plans

    AT&T Employees Push Back Against Return-to-Office Plans

    AT&T employees are pushing back against the company’s return-to-office (RTO) plans, saying they can do their work just fine from home.

    AT&T is the latest company to struggle with the new normal that has come about as a result of the pandemic. Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and others have all struggled to navigate a changed workplace landscape. AT&T is the latest to face stiff opposition to its RTO plans.

    According to The Guardian, AT&T is accused of going back on an agreement it made with employees to allow them to work from home until at least March 2023. The company is now requiring many of its workers to come back to the office. Employees are pushing back, citing commute times, exorbitant childcare costs, and concerns over COVID as motivations for wanting to continue working from home. What’s more, many employees see tangible benefits they didn’t previously enjoy.

    “These are extremely stressful times over the last few years and being at home has allowed us to have less distractions, giving us better one-on-one time with our customers and our clients,” said James Bloch, an AT&T employee of over 21 years, regarding the mental health, physical health, productivity, and climate benefits of remote work. “With AT&T technology, they’re a communication company. We have some of the best stuff out there. Let’s use it. We can do the same job from home anywhere that we could do if we were all sitting there together.”

    Employees have signed a petition for AT&T to make work from home a permanent option.

    “Now is the time to make Work From Home (WFH) a permanent option for AT&T Call Center workers, Teleconference Specialists, Communications Technicians, and other eligible work titles,” the petition reads.

    “The WFH arrangement has proven extremely beneficial to the workers and the company. WFH provided a safer, more convenient work environment and minimized the spread of COVID-19 among the workforce. Production and attendance rates are both way up. WFH was a necessary adjustment that has proven tremendously popular in what continues to be uncertain times.”

  • Visa and Mastercard Suspend Russia Business

    Visa and Mastercard are the latest, and two of the most influential, companies to suspend operations in Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

    Visa and Mastercard answered calls from President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to suspend their business in Russia, in an effort to make Russia’s invasion as costly to the country as possible. According to The Guardian, both companies are isolating Russia, preventing cards issued in the country from working outside, and vise versa.

    “We are compelled to act following Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and the unacceptable events that we have witnessed,” said Alfred Kelly, Visa’s CEO.

    “We regret the impact this will have on our valued colleagues, and on the clients, partners, merchants and cardholders we serve in Russia.”

    “This war and the ongoing threat to peace and stability demand we respond in line with our values.”

    Mastercard echoed those sentiments in their own statement:

    “For more than a week, the world has watched the shocking and devastating events resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

    “Our colleagues, our customers and our partners have been affected in ways that most of us could not imagine.

    “We don’t take this decision lightly. Mastercard has operated in Russia for more than 25 years.

    “We have nearly 200 colleagues there who make this company so critical to many stakeholders.

    “As we take these steps, we will continue to focus on their safety and wellbeing, including continuing to provide pay and benefits.”

    While the companies are clearly working to isolate Russia, domestic customers will still be able to use their cards in-country, according to The Guardian.

  • FBI Was One of NSO Group’s Customers

    FBI Was One of NSO Group’s Customers

    NSO Group has quickly become one of the most reviled security firms, even being banned by the US government. Despite that, it appears the FBI was one of its customers.

    News broke in mid-2021 that NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware was being used by authoritarian governments to spy on journalists, civil rights activists, and US diplomats. The US Commerce Department ultimately ended up blacklisting the company, preventing any US companies from doing business with it.

    Amid the controversy surrounding the NSO Group, it has now come out that the FBI was one of its customers, according to The Seattle Times, a revelation that is not sitting well with many groups.

    “Spending millions of dollars to line the pockets of a company that is widely known to serially facilitate widespread human rights abuses, possible criminal acts, and operations that threaten the U.S.’s own national security is definitely troubling,” Ron Deibert, director of Citizen Lab, told the Times. Citizen Lab is an internet watchdog with the University of Toronto, that has been exposing Pegasus hacks since 2016.

    The FBI has been tight-lipped about its relationship with NSO Group, but reports form The New York Times and The Guardian indicate it initially paid $5 million for a one-year license, before renewing it for $4 million. The Guardian’s sources say the FBI never actually used the software.

  • Top Tech Firms Backing Groups Fighting Climate Legislation

    Top Tech Firms Backing Groups Fighting Climate Legislation

    Despite their stated support for efforts to combat climate change, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Disney support groups fighting such legislation.

    According to The Guardian, lobby groups are actively fighting the $3.5 trillion budget bill that Democrats are trying to pass. The bill contains some of the most comprehensive measures to fight climate change.

    In spite of the bill seemingly lining up with companies’ support for such climate efforts, lobby groups are working hard to sink the bill.

    “Major corporations love to tell us how committed they are to addressing the climate crisis and building a sustainable future, but behind closed doors, they are funding the very industry trade groups that are fighting tooth and nail to stop the biggest climate change bill ever,” said Kyle Herrig, president of Accountable.US, which was responsible for the analysis.

    The Guardian reached out to the companies in question, none of whom denied their backing of the lobby groups or disavowed the lobbyists’ efforts. None of the companies indicated they had any plans to review their position either.

    “Hiding behind these shady groups doesn’t just put our environment at risk – it puts these companies’ household names and reputations in serious jeopardy,” Herrig said.

  • LAPD Collects Everyone’s Social Media Data and Social Security Numbers

    LAPD Collects Everyone’s Social Media Data and Social Security Numbers

    The LAPD has instructed officers to collect social media data and social security numbers on everyone they stop.

    The LAPD is one of the largest police departments in the US. As a result, the actions it takes have a profound impact on countless individuals. The department also has a long track record of police misconduct and controversy, including civil rights violations.

    In fact, the department’s behavior led the DOJ to threaten a civil suit over the LAPD’s long history of abuses. To avoid the suit, the LAPD entered into a Civil Rights Consent Decree with the DOJ in 2001. While such legally binding decrees last a minimum of five years, this particular decree lasted until 2013, when the DOJ was satisfied enough changes had taken place.

    According to The Guardian, however, the LAPD is once again engaging in disturbing behavior. Documents obtained by the Brennan Center for Justice show that the LAPD has instructed its officers to collect the social media information of everyone they stop — including individuals who have neither been arrested, nor charged with a crime.

    The department evidently added the line for social media accounts on its field interview cards in 2015. In a memo to employees, Chief Michael Moore said the data was critical to aid in “investigations, arrests, and prosecutions.” 

    According to the Brennon Center, none of the other 40 police departments the organization checked with called for its officers to collect such information.

    “There are real dangers about police having all of this social media identifying information at their fingertips,” Rachel Levinson-Waldman, a deputy director at the Brennan Center, told The Guardian.

    To make matters worse, LAPD officers are instructed to collect individuals’ social security numbers, telling them federal law requires it.

    The revelation is drawing condemnation from critics, including Kathleen Kim. Kim is “a Loyola law professor and immigrants’ rights expert, who previously served on the LA police commission.”

    Kim said she was unaware of any legal requirement that individuals provide their social security number and was shocked at the news. She said the policy was “so antithetical to the department’s own policies.”

    It’s a safe bet the LAPD may once again find itself at the center of some well-deserved scrutiny by the DOJ.

  • Huawei Could Monitor Calls on One of the Largest Dutch Wireless Networks

    Huawei Could Monitor Calls on One of the Largest Dutch Wireless Networks

    Huawei is facing accusations that it had the access and ability to monitor all the calls made on KPN’s wireless network, one of the largest in the Netherlands.

    Huawei has been facing accusations for years that it serves as a conduit for Beijing to spy on governments and companies around the world. The US ultimately banned the Chinese firm from participating in its networks, and many of its allies did the same.

    Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant saw a confidential report prepared for KPN in 2010 by the Capgemini consultancy firm. According to The Guardian, the report found that Huawei and China could have monitored calls by then prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende, as well as Chinese dissidents.

    KPN has downplayed the report, saying it “never observed that Huawei took client information.” At the same time, it did acknowledge that one of its suppliers had “unauthorised, uncontrolled or unlimited access to our networks and systems”.

    The report was originally commissioned after the Dutch intelligence service warned of potential espionage. Despite the findings, KPN continued to use Huawei for its 3G and 4G deployments, although it excluded the company from its 5G network.

    The report concluded that the findings put “the continued existence of KPN Mobile in serious danger” since customers “may lose confidence … if it becomes known the Chinese government can monitor KPN mobile numbers.”

    It remains to be seen what fallout KPN may still face now that the report has become public.

  • Electric Vehicles Nearing Adoption Tipping Point

    Electric Vehicles Nearing Adoption Tipping Point

    Electric vehicles are approaching the tipping point of mass adoption thanks to a combination of factors.

    Electric vehicles have been increasing in popularity, with multiple automakers committed to phasing out gasoline engines in the next decade. Even so, there are issues holding back widespread adoption, specifically cost and range anxiety.

    According to The Guardian, however, those factors are on the verge of changing, and already have in some locations. Norway, for example, saw electric cars hit 54% market share in 2020 thank, in large part, to tax breaks that made them cheaper than gasoline-powered vehicles. Continued development of battery technology is driving the price down globally, making it only a matter of time before electric vehicles are cheaper in other countries as well.

    Similarly, StoreDot has successfully demonstrated batteries that charge in five minutes. Fast-charging batteries are one of the biggest factors in alleviating range anxiety, making it possible to recharge in the same amount of time it would take to refuel a traditional vehicle.

    As The Guardian points out, experts now believe electric vehicles will become cheaper than traditional vehicles, even without subsidies, sometime between 2023 and 2025.

    While there’s still a ways to go, these factors are combining to ensure the tipping point of mass adoption occurs sooner rather than later.

  • China Looking to Expand Weather Control, Cover Half the Country by 2025

    China Looking to Expand Weather Control, Cover Half the Country by 2025

    China is looking to expand its weather control program, making it possible to trigger artificial rain or snowfall in over half the country by 2025.

    Weather control involves “seeding” clouds with silver iodide or liquid nitrogen to trigger precipitation. The concept of cloud seeding was initially discovered in 1946 by a General Electric chemist in the US. While a number of countries have weather control programs, China’s is the largest. The country has used antiaircraft guns and military aircraft to seed clouds, although usually on a local level.

    As ecological problems continue to escalate, however, weather control has increasingly been looked as a way to combat drought, wildfires and more. As a result, according to The Guardian, the Chinese government plans to rapidly expand the program to cover roughly 56% of the country by 2025.

    The government wants to take it a step further, expanding the program to reach an “advanced” level by 2035, one that would allow it to “focus on revitalising rural regions, restoring ecosystems and minimising losses from natural disasters.”

    As The Guardian points out, however, China’s plans are not likely to be welcomed by its neighbors. The scale China is working towards could impact weather on a regional level. It remains to be what fallout there may be.

  • British Government May Be Moving Closer to Huawei U-Turn

    British Government May Be Moving Closer to Huawei U-Turn

    The British government may be moving closer to reversing its decision to include Huawei in its 5G rollout.

    Huawei has been under increasing pressure globally amid accusations that it helps the Chinese government spy on governments and organizations around the world. While all Chinese corporations are required to cooperate with the government, Huawei has been accused of having far closer ties with the Chinese intelligence community than most companies.

    Despite ongoing US pressure to exclude Huawei, the British government initially opted to include the Chinese firm in a limited capacity. Recent events, however, have forced the UK to reconsider. US officials have repeatedly warned that including Huawei would force the US to revisit sharing intelligence and military assets with the UK. The US has also taken efforts to restrict Huawei’s supply of semiconductors.

    It appears the increased pressure is having an impact. According to The Guardian, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden told a defense committee that an emergency review was nearly finished and would likely result in a change of policy.

    “Given that those sanctions are targeted at 5G and extensive, it is likely to have an impact on the viability of Huawei as a provider for the 5G network,” Dowden told the MPs.

    If the UK does reverse course, it will be a significant blow to Huawei, while providing US official with a major win.

  • Facebook Bans ‘Deepfake’ Videos, But Not ‘Shallow Fakes’

    Facebook Bans ‘Deepfake’ Videos, But Not ‘Shallow Fakes’

    The Guardian is reporting that Facebook has banned “deepfake” videos in preparation for the U.S. election.

    Deepfake videos use AI to manipulate a video to make it appear something is happening that’s really not. For example, a deepfake video may superimpose one person’s face onto another’s body, or make it appear someone is saying something they’re not. During an election, a deepfake video at just the right moment could have a profound impact on the results, swaying public opinion enough to change the outcome.

    Even aside from elections, deepfake videos could have disastrous consequences. A video showing someone seemingly engaged in immoral or illegal behavior, engaging in controversial or even racist speech, could ruin a person’s life.

    As a result of these threats, Facebook has decided to ban deepfake videos—with one big caveat. The company is only banning deepfake videos created with the help of AI. Videos created using traditional methods, so-called “shallow fakes,” have not been banned, despite having the ability to be almost as convincing.

    While this is certainly a step in the right direction, it remains to be seen if Facebook’s efforts will be enough to have a measurable impact.

  • Vladimir Putin Still Using (Long) Unsupported Windows XP

    Vladimir Putin Still Using (Long) Unsupported Windows XP

    One would expect a former KGB officer to use the latest and greatest when it comes to computer security. Evidently, Vladimir Putin disagrees, as he is still relying on Windows XP, according to The Guardian.

    According to the story, “Putin, 67, appears to have the obsolete Microsoft Windows XP operating system installed on computers in his office at the Kremlin and at his official Novo-Ogaryovo residence near Moscow, according to images released by his press service.”

    Evidently, the opposition-friendly, Russian news site Open Media reported “that Mikhail Klimaryov, the head of Russia’s independent Internet Protection Society, had confirmed that Putin’s computers were running Windows XP in the photographs.”

    Microsoft stopped supporting Windows XP, as well as Office 2003, in April 2014. Despite the availability of newer versions of Windows, the Russian government has been trying to phase out Microsoft and Google software in favor of its own Linux distribution. As a result, government regulation is likely behind Putin’s archaic operating system choice.

    On the bright side, at least he’s not subjected to ads in his Windows applications. In other news, the CIA is dusting off its archive of Windows XP exploits.