Concerns mount around UK Online Safety Act
As we reported earlier this week, the UK’s new Online Safety Act has seen a surge in interest in the use of VPNs and an online petition for its repeal has been signed by over 400,000 people.
An article published yesterday by The Critic argues that the legislation is badly drafted. Industry figures too are raising doubts about the effectiveness of the act, its likely wider impact on cybersecurity and its potential for overreach.
Google is making YouTube and other services delightfully free of political ads... in Europe
The nature of modern-day politics means that parties of all colors, all leanings, spend millions on advertising -- it is something that was painfully apparent during the run-up to the US presidential election. Technology firms and social media platforms are under a lot of pressure to take steps to prevent election interference, and to increase transparency.
This is something that has been playing out in Europe with regulation on Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) due to come into force in the EU. With concerns about the, “operational challenges and legal uncertainties” this could lead to, Google has announced that it will not only will stop serving political advertising in the European Union, but will do so before the TTPA comes into force.
Bluesky thinking -- why left-wingers are leaving X and why X will get over it
Are you still on Twitter (sorry, X)? You can tell us, we won't judge. If you are you may have noticed something interesting since the recent US election.
Celebrities along with people and organizations of a left-wing persuasion have been announcing -- in a markedly flouncy manner it must be said -- that they're leaving the platform. This peaked yesterday with the UK's standard bearer of the liberal left the Guardian broadcasting its intention to depart X -- on X, ironically.
Think you could spot a deepfaked politician?
Given the quality of many politicians at the moment you might be forgiven for thinking that sometimes a deepfake would be an improvement.
But to be serious, a new study from Jumio of over 2,000 adults from across the UK finds that 60 percent are worried about the potential for AI and deepfakes to influence upcoming elections, and only 33 percent think they could easily spot a deepfake of a politician.
Politically motivated DDoS attacks on the rise
This year has already seen several warnings of attacks targeting elections that are happening around the world.
A new report from NETSCOUT has identified a rise in politically motivated DDoS attacks. Peru experienced a 30 percent increase in attacks tied to protests about former Peruvian President Fujimori’s release from prison in December.
The cyber threats to 2024's elections
With many countries around the world holding elections this year, Tidal Cyber has released a new report looking at the threats to global elections and offering insights on prioritizing defenses against top adversaries and election interference tactics, techniques, and behaviors.
The report identifies the top ten countries facing the highest election cyber interference threats this year as: the US, the UK, South Korea, India, Belgium, Pakistan, Belarus, Mexico, Georgia, and Indonesia.
Social media security issues pose threat to election campaigns
A new report from access management platform Cerby highlights the critical need for best practices for businesses and political leaders to secure their accounts as the November 2024 US elections quickly approach.
Researchers analyzed social media platforms Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube across six key security parameters. The report provides detailed insights into gaps in their support for enterprise-grade authentication and authorization.
Geopolitical tensions make security precautions critical for UK business
Geopolitical tensions are on the rise around the world and global economic structures continue to evolve as a result. Political disruption and unrest can have a far-reaching impact on the rest of the globe. This impact can be seen most clearly in the ripple effects that the current ongoing Ukraine-Russia war has had on the rest of the world in terms of economic volatility, food insecurity, and dramatic price increases.
Businesses are, of course, hyper-focused on ensuring their resilience to geopolitical risk, fragmentation, and uncertainty, which according to McKinsey’s latest Economic Conditions Outlook is at the top of the agenda for CEOs. But, if businesses want to safeguard their resilience during this disruptive time, organizations will need to prioritize their security.
Politically motivated ransomware declines as attackers switch back to old targets
Ransomware operators have turned their attention away from politically motivated attacks focusing on Russia back to their usual targets such as the United States, China, and Israel.
The latest T2 2022 threat report from ESET also shows the total number of RDP attack attempts has declined by a further 89 percent. The likely reasons for the decline are post-COVID return to offices, improved security, and the Russia-Ukraine war.
PayPal cancels customers it doesn't like
In the past 48 hours or so PayPal’s UK arm has canceled the accounts of a number of campaigning organizations including the Free Speech Union, legal campaigners Law or Fiction, parents group UsForThem, and even the personal account of the FSU's founder journalist Toby Young.
The only reason the company has given for these actions is to cite its Acceptable Use Policy. And, as Young wrote in his column in The Spectator, PayPal also decided it would hang onto his money for up to 180 days while deciding whether to extract 'damages' before refunding it.
C-SPAN Now is a free mobile app for fans of boring content
The C-SPAN television channels are for nerds, and no, I don't intend for that to be a disparaging statement -- quite the contrary. What I mean to say is, viewers of C-SPAN are brainy types that would rather watch the U.S. Congress than reruns of South Park. You know what? Good for them. While I find C-SPAN to be mind-numbingly boring, I have true respect for those that care about the tedious bureaucracy that keeps the USA chugging along.
And now, fans of C-SPAN have a new way to consume the dull video programming they oddly enjoy. Called "C-SPAN Now," it is a new mobile app for both Android and iOS. You can watch coverage of the U.S. House and Senate -- plus other political content -- right on your smartphone. While the app is free, you do need to log in with your TV provider credentials in order to access some of the programming.
Parler goes offline after being dropped from AWS servers
Parler, the social platform launched in 2018 that brands itself as a 'free speech network' has gone offline following a decision by AWS to ban the service from its servers.
This follows hard on the heels of Twitter's decision to impose a life ban on Donald Trump. As we reported last year Parler had become a popular destination for those of a more right-wing persuasion worried about Twitter's censorship policies.
Google makes it easier to vote in the 2020 US Election
The stage is set for the 2020 US Election. We finally know the makeups of both tickets -- Trump and Pence (Republican) against Biden and Harris (Democrat). It is largely expected that the Democrats will win given Donald Trump’s horrible performance as president, but hey, you never know. In 2016, Hillary Clinton was considered the front runner, and we know how that turned out.
That’s why, if you want Joe Biden to be your next president, it is very important that you vote this year -- don’t become indifferent because you assume he is going to win. If you are a first-time voter or just someone intimidated by the voting process, I have good news. Google is making it very simple to learn how to register to vote and what is required to actually cast your ballot.
e-voting can solve the voter fraud concerns plaguing US elections
In just four months, the United States will head into one of the most important Presidential election cycles of its history. Ensuring that eligible citizens are able to participate in the voting process will be critical.
Understandably, as COVID-19 continues to grip the nation and the world around us, American citizens are wary about turning out to vote in person, for fear of being in a crowd or lengthy line. Some startling facts drive home this point when you look at the state of Pennsylvania, for example. This year 1.8 million people have requested absentee votes, up from just 107,000 in 2016. This is further supported by a recent report commissioned by Okta, which found that 67 percent of Americans support mail-in voting to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Is Twitter losing the right?
If you've been using Twitter over the past week or so -- especially if you're in the UK -- you may have noticed the hashtag #Twexit trending.
This is being used to signal users' intention to abandon Twitter and decamp to upstart rival Parler. So what’s going on here and why?
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