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IDF soldiers ordered to shoot deliberately at unarmed Gazans waiting for humanitarian aid


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What if Microsoft just turned you off? Security pro counts the cost of dependency


A sharply argued blog post warns that heavy reliance on Microsoft poses serious strategic risks for organizations – a viewpoint unlikely to win favor with Redmond or its millions of corporate customers.

Czech developer and pen-tester Miloslav Homer has an interesting take on reducing an organization's exposure to security risks. In an article headlined "Microsoft dependency has risks," he extends the now familiar arguments in favor of improving digital sovereignty, and reducing dependence on American cloud services.

The argument is quite long but closely reasoned. We recommend resisting the knee-jerk reaction of "don't be ridiculous" and closing the tab, but reading his article and giving it serious consideration. He backs up his argument with plentiful links and references, and it's gratifying to see several stories from The Register among them, including one from the FOSS desk.

He discusses incidents such as Microsoft allegedly blocking the email account of International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, one of several incidents that caused widespread concern. The Windows maker has denied it was responsible for Khan's blocked account. Homer also considers the chances of US President Donald Trump getting a third term, as Franklin Roosevelt did, the lucrative US government contracts with software and services vendors, and such companies' apparent nervousness about upsetting the volatile leader.

#tech
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Fino al 21 luglio la storica Bottega Pascucci in mostra a Riolo Terme (Ra)


Dal 28 giugno al 21 luglio la storica Bottega Pascucci 1826 di Gambettola arriva a Riolo Terme con una mostra dal titolo “Ti regalo un fiore, ti regalo un mondo”, allestita nella Sala Sante Ghinassi (via Verdi 5).

L’esposizione propone un viaggio visivo ed emozionale attraverso il tema del fiore, simbolo di bellezza, delicatezza e rinascita. Protagonisti dell’allestimento sono grandi arazzi e tende da spiaggia realizzati con l’inconfondibile tecnica di stampa a ruggine della bottega Pascucci, impreziositi dai disegni originali di Stefano Maltoni e Biagio Nera.

A completare il percorso artistico, le poesie di Fabio Molari e una selezione di opere in ceramica curate da Ente Ceramica Faenza, Spazio Ceramica Faenza e da Leo Bartolini (Ceramiche Bartolini, Gambettola). Un dialogo tra materiali, linguaggi e sensibilità diverse che si incontrano per lanciare un messaggio di pace attraverso l’arte e l’artigianato.

L’inaugurazione è in programma per sabato 28 giugno alle ore 18. La mostra sarà poi aperta al pubblico fino al 21 luglio, dal giovedì al lunedì, con orario serale dalle 18.00 alle 22.00. L’ingresso è libero.



Fears of "Overblocking" Unite Critics of U.S. Pirate Site Blocking Bill


cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/32975883

The draft of Rep. Darrell Issa's new U.S. pirate site blocking bill 'ACPA' is not without controversy. In public comments, opponents warn that the bill's legal framework risks overblocking, which can impact legitimate sites and services. And in a new twist, it appears the bill may come with a potential self-destruct button: a "sunsetting clause".




Fears of "Overblocking" Unite Critics of U.S. Pirate Site Blocking Bill


The draft of Rep. Darrell Issa's new U.S. pirate site blocking bill 'ACPA' is not without controversy. In public comments, opponents warn that the bill's legal framework risks overblocking, which can impact legitimate sites and services. And in a new twist, it appears the bill may come with a potential self-destruct button: a "sunsetting clause".





Russian Internet users are unable to access the open Internet


MediaZona: The 16‑kilobyte curtain, confirmed. Cloudflare accuses Russia of throttling its traffic.
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Damning Report Exposes Stephen Miller’s Shady Ties to Palantir


White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller owns a massive stake in Palantir, which stands to make millions off of Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown, according to the Project on Government Oversight.

Miller’s public financial disclosure report said that the ghoulish Homeland Security adviser owns between $100,001 and $250,000 in assets at the defense company. Miller reportedly acquired the stock after Trump exited the White House in 2021, but sometime before he enacted his sprawling plan to bolster immigration enforcement. The data had been revised as recently as June 4.

Last month, the Trump administration tapped Palantir to help build a massive system to allow federal agencies to better share their data with each other, creating a huge database that will serve as a surveillance tool for the state. Palantir has also been angling to get involved with the U.S. Navy’s efforts to fast-track warship building.

Palantir has been the highest performing company on the S\&P in 2025, with its stock price surging 80 percent this year alone.



Gezonde Socials Voor Alle Leeftijden


Grote mensen verbieden kinderen graag hun eigen verslavingen. Kinderen mogen niet drinken, niet roken, niet gokken. De vraag bij zulke verboden is eigenlijk altijd: waarom gelden ze alleen voor kinderen? Dat hangt ervan af aan wie je het vraagt.

Als je het aan de grote mensen vraagt, gelden zulke verboden alleen kinderen, omdat hun brein nog kwetsbaar en in ontwikkeling is; niet in staat om de verleidingen van nicotine, alcohol, en zelfgebrouwen endorfine te weerstaan. Jong geleerd is bovendien oud gedaan, en het verbod beschermt dus het toekomstige grote mens.

Ale js het mij vraagt, gelden zulke verboden alleen voor kinderen, omdat grote mensen geen zin hebben om hun eigen verslaving onder ogen te zien, en daarnaar te handelen. Ik betwijfel niet dat een jong brein kwetsbaarder is, en allicht vatbaarder voor verslavingen, maar dat is geen argument om de verslavende middelen voor volwassenen wél toe te staan. Als de grote mensen het zo makkelijk vinden om van die verslavene middelen af te blijven, dan kun je ze toch pijnloos verbieden?

Veslaafd aan sociala media


Het kabinet (dat is een groep heel grote mensen) kwam recent met een advies, de ‘Richtlijnen gezond en verantwoord scherm- en sociale mediagebruik’. Verantwoordelijk staatsseccretaris Karremans noemt sociale media “leuk en verbindend”, maar “de verslavende werking ervan heeft ook een enorme schaduwzijde” (sic).

Dat klopt. Jij, groot mens, en de kinderen zijn verslaafd. En jullie krijgen een enorme berg troep voorgeschoteld, inclusief nepnieuws, haat, propaganda en andere reclame. Dit is een probleem van ons allemaal.

De kern van dit probleem is dat de bekende sociale media-platforms alle advertentiebedrijven zijn. Het business model van alle platformen, van facebook, twitter, tiktok, instagram, tot linkedin bestaat uit de volgende essentiele eigenschappen:

  1. Ze bieden een gratis funktionaliteit die leuk is (fotootjes delen met al je vrienden bijvoorbeeld)
  2. Ze zorgen dat die funktionaliteit alleen bij hen te halen valt. Al je vrienden zijn alleen bij hen; je zit gevangen.
  3. Ze zorgen met verslavende trucs dat je heel veel tijd op hun site/app zit.
  4. Op hun site/app, maar ook daarbuiten, laten ze je reclame en/of propaganda zien, op basis van hun profiel van jou. Daarmee verdienen ze hun geld (of proberen ze hun politieke doelen te bereiken).

Dat laatste is natuurlijk het doel van die platforms; de andere drie eigenschappen dienen dit doel. Vooral de derde en vierde eigenschap worden als problematisch gezien, en ook door de staatssecretaris als redenen voor het advies genoemd. Het liefst zou hij eigenschap drie verbieden, maar dat gaat niet zomaar. Daarom zegt het advies: hou kinderen maar helemaal weg.

Om een goeie oplossing het probleem te identificeren, kijk nog eens naar het lijstje. Welke eigenschappen zijn voor de gebruiker wenselijk? Makkelijk, dat is alleen eigenschap 1. Ok, dus al het andere mag kapot. Nu, welke overgebleven eigenschap in’t verdienmodel moeten we slopen? Het enige juiste antwoord is eigenschap 2: de gebruikersgevangenis.

Interoperabiliteit tegen verslaving


De sleutel voor de poorten van die gevangenis is interoperabiliteit. Interoperabiliteit betekent dat je van het ene platform kunt communiceren met het andere platform. Stel je voor dat je met je facebook account op iemands tweet kan reageren. Of met je twitter account youtubers of tiktokkers volgen. Dit zou betekenen dat je vrij bent te gaan waar je wilt. Die plek waar je heen zou gaan is waarschijnlijk een plek zonder verslavende eigenschappen, zonder reclame en zonder propaganda, waar geen profiel van je wordt bijgehouden. Maar kan dat wel?

Ja! En het bestaat al! Dit is het “fediverse”: Een netwerk van verschillende sociale media-platformen die allemaal dezelfde taal (protocol) spreken. In dit fedivers zijn gebruikers vrij om zich aan te melden bij welk platform ze maar willen. Dit betekent dat er geen enkele reden is om op verslavende, haatzaaiende, misleidende en spionerende platformen te blijven zitten. Je kunt gewoon op een prettige plek digitaal sociaal zijn. Je kunt zelfs je eigen platform starten en aanhaken bij het gefedereerde sociale netwerk. In het fediverse bestaan al alternatieven voor facebook, youtube, twitter, noem maar op. Het fediverse is van niemand, en daarom van iedereen. Kijk voor een leuke intro de video hieronder.

videos.elenarossini.com/videos…

Nu kunnen we wachten totdat iedereen zijn weg naar het fediverse komt, maar dat gaat nog wel even duren, terwijl spaarzame kinder- en grotemensenjaren achter schermpjes vervliegen (om maar te zwijgen van de verdampende democratie). Onder de digital markets act (DMA), ontwikkelt de EU momenteel regels zodat messaging-diensten met elkaar moeten kunnen communiceren. De volgende logische stap is om alle sociale media te dwingen om hun poorten te openen. Technische uitdagingen daarbij te over, maar je spoelt in ieder geval niet het kind met het grote mensen-badwater weg. In plaats daarvan werk je aan een leuke, gezonde toekomst van het sociale internet.

Author: Gilles Dutilh

Created: 2025-06-27 Fri 13:11

Validate

#DMA #fediverse #SocialeMediaVerbod #SocialMedia



Republican senators propose slashing size of intel office led by Tulsi Gabbard


A bill by Sen. Tom Cotton would cut the Office of the Director of National Intelligence by 60%. The move comes as Gabbard appears to have fallen out of favor in the Trump administration.

A top Republican senator is proposing a sweeping overhaul of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, slashing the workforce of an organization that has expanded since it was created in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Under a bill by Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, the Republican chair of the Intelligence Committee, the ODNI’s staff of about 1,600 would be capped at 650, according to a senior Senate aide familiar with the proposed legislation.

ODNI’s workforce was about 2,000 in January, but National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard has already overseen a reduction of about 20% as part of the Trump administration’s drive to shrink the federal workforce. The reduction in the staff Gabbard oversees could weaken her role in the intelligence bureaucracy at a time when she appears to have fallen out of favor with the White House.










'Technofascist military fantasy': Spotify faces boycott calls over CEO’s investment in AI military startup


Spotify, the world’s leading music streaming platform, is facing intense criticism and boycott calls following CEO Daniel Ek’s announcement of a €600m ($702m) investment in Helsing, a German defence startup specialising in AI-powered combat drones and military software.

The move, announced on 17 June, has sparked widespread outrage from musicians, activists and social media users who accuse Ek of funnelling profits from music streaming into the military industry.

Many have started calling on users to cancel their subscriptions to the service.

“Finally cancelling my Spotify subscription – why am I paying for a fuckass app that works worse than it did 10 years ago, while their CEO spends all my money on technofascist military fantasies?” said one user on X.



Inside the face scanning tech behind social media age limits


As age restrictions on social media gain political momentum, biometric software is being explored as a way to effectively enforce any potential laws. However, critics warn that privacy and surveillance issues could arise if these tools become more widespread in policing the internet. So, should this technology be used to build a safer, more secure internet?

https://www.rte.ie/news/primetime/2025/0626/1520524-inside-the-face-scanning-tech-behind-social-media-age-limits/

Questa voce è stata modificata (2 mesi fa)


Inside the face scanning tech behind social media age limits


As age restrictions on social media gain political momentum, biometric software is being explored as a way to effectively enforce any potential laws. However, critics warn that privacy and surveillance issues could arise if these tools become more widespread in policing the internet. So, should this technology be used to build a safer, more secure internet?

https://www.rte.ie/news/primetime/2025/0626/1520524-inside-the-face-scanning-tech-behind-social-media-age-limits/

Questa voce è stata modificata (2 mesi fa)


in reply to misk

Title is shit. What the judge meant by this is:

It's possible that authors may be able to show evidence that Meta "contributed to the BitTorrent network" by providing significant computing power that could've meaningfully assisted shadow libraries, Chhabria said in a footnote.


Which is unlikely.



The Problem with AI War Games



Alexandr Wang, 28, founded Scale AI in 2016, and he is now worth billions.

Scale AI is credibly accused of cheating and exploiting human coders who hand-label billions of images and texts used for training generative AIs.

Scale AI is backed by massive military contractor Amazon and the ubiquitous military AI investor Peter Thiel.

Born in Los Alamos, New Mexico, Wang is a vocal AI war hawk who posits that China poses an existential threat to US dominance in artificial intelligence.

His company holds a substantial portfolio of Department of Defense contracts focused on developing weapons to attack China.

In March, the Pentagon’s AI venture capital arm, Defense Innovation Unit, contracted with Scale AI to create a weaponized AI called Thunderforge to

conduct AI-powered wargaming to anticipate and respond to evolving threats. … Thunderforge’s integration across multiple security domains ensures that AI-driven planning capabilities will be securely embedded into real-world military operations.

Initially deployed in the US Indo-Pacific and European Commands,

Thunderforge marks a decisive shift toward AI-powered, data-driven warfare, ensuring that U.S. forces can anticipate and respond to threats with speed and precision. Following its initial deployment, Thunderforge will be scaled across combatant commands.

Thunderforge integrates Scale AI’s customized military databases with Microsoft’s Defense Llama product and Anduril’s array of autonomous weapons systems to run battle training simulations and to fight real-life wars.

Thunderforge is an element in the jerry-rigged Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control effort to create a centralized, globally controllable battlespace. The multibillion-dollar “CJADC2” is a Rube Goldberg-type system composed of “stove-piped” AI programs that cannot communicate with each other, according to federal auditors.

Questa voce è stata modificata (2 mesi fa)


The Problem with AI War Games



Alexandr Wang, 28, founded Scale AI in 2016, and he is now worth billions.

Scale AI is credibly accused of cheating and exploiting human coders who hand-label billions of images and texts used for training generative AIs.

Scale AI is backed by massive military contractor Amazon and the ubiquitous military AI investor Peter Thiel.

Born in Los Alamos, New Mexico, Wang is a vocal AI war hawk who posits that China poses an existential threat to US dominance in artificial intelligence.

His company holds a substantial portfolio of Department of Defense contracts focused on developing weapons to attack China.

In March, the Pentagon’s AI venture capital arm, Defense Innovation Unit, contracted with Scale AI to create a weaponized AI called Thunderforge to

conduct AI-powered wargaming to anticipate and respond to evolving threats. … Thunderforge’s integration across multiple security domains ensures that AI-driven planning capabilities will be securely embedded into real-world military operations.

Initially deployed in the US Indo-Pacific and European Commands,

Thunderforge marks a decisive shift toward AI-powered, data-driven warfare, ensuring that U.S. forces can anticipate and respond to threats with speed and precision. Following its initial deployment, Thunderforge will be scaled across combatant commands.

Thunderforge integrates Scale AI’s customized military databases with Microsoft’s Defense Llama product and Anduril’s array of autonomous weapons systems to run battle training simulations and to fight real-life wars.

Thunderforge is an element in the jerry-rigged Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control effort to create a centralized, globally controllable battlespace. The multibillion-dollar “CJADC2” is a Rube Goldberg-type system composed of “stove-piped” AI programs that cannot communicate with each other, according to federal auditors.

Questa voce è stata modificata (2 mesi fa)


A Tech-Backed Influencer Wants to Replace Teachers With AI


Backed by tech money, entrepreneur MacKenzie Price is growing a network of private K–12 schools that promises to replace all classroom teachers with an “AI tutor” that students learn from while glued to their laptop screens.


A Tech-Backed Influencer Wants to Replace Teachers With AI


Backed by tech money, entrepreneur MacKenzie Price is growing a network of private K–12 schools that promises to replace all classroom teachers with an “AI tutor” that students learn from while glued to their laptop screens.


Palantir partners to develop AI software for nuclear construction


Palantir and Nuclear Company will jointly create the nuclear operating system (NOS), which will simplify construction, allowing the firm to build plants faster and at lower cost.

The deal follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive orders that aimed to boost U.S. nuclear energy production amid a boom in demand from data centers and AI.

The orders, signed in May, direct the nation’s independent nuclear regulatory commission to cut down on regulations and fast-track new licenses for reactors and power plants.

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/palantir-partners-develop-ai-software-nuclear-construction-2025-06-26/



LLMs factor in unrelated information when recommending medical treatments






‘Double standards’: Spain slams EU inaction on Israel deal




News Wrap: At least 18 killed as they waited for flour, Gaza hospital officials say





ईडी रेड: ADC के ठिकानों पर ईडी की छापेमारी, 32 लाख की कारें, 40 बैंक खाते और तीन लॉकर बरामद; जानें पूरा मामला


Himachal News: प्रवर्तन निदेशालय ने ईडी रेड के तहत धर्मशाला में सहायक ड्रग कंट्रोलर निशांत सरीन के ठिकानों पर छापा मारा। 22-23 जून को हिमाचल, हरियाणा, और पंजाब में सात जगहों पर तलाशी हुई। 32 लाख की दो गाड़ियां, 40 बैंक खाते, और तीन लॉकर सीज किए गए। सरीन के घर से 60 से ज्यादा शराब की बोतलें मिलीं। जांच में एल-50 लाइसेंस भी बरामद हुआ, जो होम बार के लिए होता है।

जांच का दायरा बढ़ा


ईडी रेड में सरीन के न्यू चंडीगढ़ स्थित आवास से बरामद शराब की बोतलें आबकारी विभाग को सौंपी गईं। जांच एजेंसी यह पता लगा रही है कि सरकारी अधिकारी को इतनी शराब रखने की जरूरत क्यों थी। एल-50 लाइसेंस की मौजूदगी सवाल उठाती है। क्या यह सिर्फ शौक था या कुछ और? जांच अब इस दिशा में भी आगे बढ़ रही है। दस्तावेजों और डिजिटल साक्ष्यों की गहन पड़ताल जारी है।

भ्रष्टाचार के पुराने मामले


निशांत सरीन पर पहले भी भ्रष्टाचार के आरोप लगे थे। 2019 में बद्दी में तैनाती के दौरान उन्हें हिमाचल पुलिस ने गिरफ्तार किया था। तब उन पर फार्मा कंपनियों से रिश्वत लेने का आरोप था। 2022 में हरियाणा पुलिस ने सरीन और उनके सहयोगी कोमल खन्ना के खिलाफ जालसाजी का मामला दर्ज किया। यह मामला झेनिया फार्मास्यूटिकल्स में साझेदारी विलेख से जुड़ा था। जांच में और खुलासे की संभावना है।

संपत्ति और लाइसेंस पर सवाल


ईडी रेड ने सरीन की संपत्ति पर भी सवाल उठाए। 40 से ज्यादा बैंक खाते, फिक्स्ड डिपॉजिट, और तीन लॉकर बरामद हुए। उनके पास एल-50 लाइसेंस का होना हैरान करता है। शराब कानून विशेषज्ञों के अनुसार, यह लाइसेंस बड़े पैमाने पर शराब संग्रह के लिए होता है। जांच एजेंसी इस बात की तह तक जा रही है कि क्या सरीन का आवास पार्टी स्थल था। दस्तावेजों की जांच से और रहस्य खुल सकते हैं।

आबकारी विभाग की भूमिका


ईडी रेड के बाद बरामद शराब की बोतलें आबकारी विभाग को सौंपी गईं। ईडी ने विभाग को लिखित जानकारी दी है। जांच अब शराब के स्रोत और इसके पीछे की मंशा पर केंद्रित है। सरीन के परिवार और फार्मा कंपनियों के बीच वित्तीय लेनदेन की भी जांच हो रही है। आने वाले दिनों में और बड़े खुलासे हो सकते हैं। यह मामला हिमाचल में भ्रष्टाचार की गहरी जड़ों को उजागर कर रहा है।

#corruption #EDRaid

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