How the Batavia spyware targeting Russian organizations works
Batavia spyware steals data from Russian organizations
Kaspersky experts have discovered a new spyware called Batavia, which steals data from corporate devices.Kaspersky
How the Batavia spyware targeting Russian organizations works
Batavia spyware steals data from Russian organizations
Kaspersky experts have discovered a new spyware called Batavia, which steals data from corporate devices.Kaspersky
Is Earth safe from nearby exploding stars?
Scientists used an Earth system model to test how radiation from a nearby supernova would affect life on our planet. They found that the atmosphere shields us against most of the immediate damage.
Is Earth safe from nearby exploding stars? – Sciworthy
Scientists showed that Earth's atmosphere shields us against damaging radiation from nearby exploding stars.Aubrey Zerkle (Sciworthy)
Meta’s grand WhatsApp fintech experiment in India has fizzled
- India capped WhatsApp Pay’s user base for nearly six years, allowing Google Pay and PhonePe to lock in market dominance.
- WhatsApp treated payments as a side feature, with minimal product upgrades, marketing, or merchant outreach, even after regulatory barriers eased.
- Outside India, WhatsApp Pay remains limited to Brazil and Singapore, with stalled launches in other key markets, like Mexico and Indonesia.
WhatsApp Pay failed in India despite 500M users - Rest of World
WhatsApp Pay couldn’t compete with Google Pay and PhonePe in India’s $3 trillion digital payments market after regulatory delays and Meta’s lack of investment.Munira Mutaher (Rest of World)
Belgium is unsafe for CVD
Belgium is unsafe for CVD
This post is about the reason I will probably never try to warn any organisation in Belgium about any vulnerability again. Recently I have been dealing with an attempt at coordinated vulnerability disclosure (CVD) with an organisation in Belgium.Floor Terra (Floort.net)
Belgium is unsafe for CVD
Belgium is unsafe for CVD
This post is about the reason I will probably never try to warn any organisation in Belgium about any vulnerability again. Recently I have been dealing with an attempt at coordinated vulnerability disclosure (CVD) with an organisation in Belgium.Floor Terra (Floort.net)
Adalytics finds 9,000+ pirated movies, including summer blockbusters, TV shows, and live sports on YouTube, amassing a collective 250M+ views from July to May
JS Required-PDF:
- Full Report.
- Executive Summary.
Note: to get straight to the interesting part, read from the the bullet point number 10 in the summary in the comments.
Is YouTube billing - and not refunding - advertisers for ads served on non-conforming or potentially copyright infringing content? Are its algorithms actively promoting this content to consumers, and deleting details about this content from advertisers’ p
Ads observed on YouTube videos which were later deleted from the platform and redacted in ad delivery placement reportsadalytics.io
Adalytics finds 9,000+ pirated movies, including summer blockbusters, TV shows, and live sports on YouTube, amassing a collective 250M+ views from July to May
JS Required-PDF:
- Full Report.
- Executive Summary.
Note: to get straight to the interesting part, read from the the bullet point number 10 in the summary in the comments.
Is YouTube billing - and not refunding - advertisers for ads served on non-conforming or potentially copyright infringing content? Are its algorithms actively promoting this content to consumers, and deleting details about this content from advertisers’ p
Ads observed on YouTube videos which were later deleted from the platform and redacted in ad delivery placement reportsadalytics.io
11. Thousands of “re-distributed” YouTube videos - including live ESPN or CBS sports
games, full films that were still in theatrical release at movie theaters, TV shows, and
exclusive streaming content from - were found on third party YouTube channels, largely
via the YouTube recommendation algorithm. These videos appear to have likely
collectively generated over a billion views and likely several billions of ad impressions.
12. The YouTube recommendation algorithm itself appears to amplify and make easily
discoverable "re-distributed" content with as little as one click/view of similar uploads.
Beyond just "hosting" the "re-distributed" content, YouTube's recommendation algorithm
may actively make it easier for consumers to find and view "re-distributed" content, and
appears to surface more and more "re-distributed" content to users even with relatively
little browsing history. There are entire Reddit forum discussions where consumers
discuss observing this phenomenon.
13. User comments posted on YouTube and Reddit suggest that some consumers avoid
paying for cinema tickets, Netflix or other streaming subscriptions, or film rentals
because the consumers are able to watch copyrighted media content for free on
YouTube.
14. This may potentially affect film studios, TV show producers, and live sports broadcasters
by potentially increasing YouTube's viewership ratings and time spent numbers, while
potentially decreasing the viewership ratings for the license rights owners and
subscribers for competitive streaming services. This could theoretically impact the
rightful license right owners ability to attract large advertising budgets and subscribers.
15. Movies that were in theatrical release at cinema - such as “Deadpool & Wolverine” in the
summer of 2024 - were observed being uploaded and removed multiple times on
YouTube, and were observed being promoted on the YouTube.com Homepage. This can
impact consumers' propensity to pay to view the movies in cinemas, as was noted by
many users in the comments.
16. Live sports events - such as Major League Baseball (MLB) or NCAA college football
games broadcast by ESPN or CBS Sports - were live streamed entirely on various third
party YouTube channels. The videos and streams are largely removed after the fact,
either by voluntary self-deletion by the creators or by YouTube. Some of these third party
streams collectively generate millions of views.
17. TV and streaming shows, such as content of Netflix’s “Squid Game”, NBCUniversal
Peacock’s Love Island, Family Guy, Warner Brothers’ Big Bang Theory, Loki, and
American Dad, were observed on third party channels on YouTube.
18. Content starring many famous Hollywood actors were 're-distributed' on third party
YouTube channels. It is unclear whether these actors receive compensation - such as
royalties - when ads are viewed on this content via third party, 're-distributing' YouTube
channels. The list of Hollywood actors whose videos were found on "re-distributing", third
party YouTube channels includes: Jason Statham, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise,
Daniel Craig, Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Keanu Reeves, Scarlett Johansson,
Mark Ruffalo, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Will
Smith, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Gal Gadot, Laurence Fishburne, Chris Pratt, Vin
Diesel, Bruce Willis, Benedict Cumberbatch, and many others.
19. This research found various channel owners were continuously removing and
re-uploading “re-distributed” content each day, Some YouTube channels appear to be
able to serve many videos of "re-distributed" content, and evade being banned by
continuously self-removing their own "re-distributed" content each day, in a daily
round-robin cycle of uploading "re-distributed" content and then removing the content
later in the day. It is unclear if this is a deliberate attempt to circumvent the YouTube
Content ID detection algorithm.
20. Some YouTube channel creators - including YouTubed-”verified” creators and creators
who appear to have received a “YouTube Creator Award” for having hundreds of
thousands or millions of subscribers or views - were seen uploading “re-distributed”
Disney movies, Family Guys episodes or live videos from ESPN, Fox Sports, or CBS
Sports college football games. The creators often self-delete or edit these videos after
the livestreams end. These creators appear to have amassed millions of views via these
tactics.
:::
21. In some cases, third-party YouTube creators upload “re-distributed” content, such as
ESPN, CBS Sports, or Fox Sports college football game live streams or episodes of TV
shows such as Family Guy. After ~12 hours, the creators edit the videos to cut out the
“re-distributed” content and they edit the title, description, and meta-data of the videos to
something unrelated. This appears to prevent brand advertisers from knowing against
what sorts of content their ads were served on in their original form, and suggests that
YouTube ad delivery placement reports may not accurately convey what sorts of content
the ads were served against before the videos were retro-actively edited and re-named.
22. Disney, Lionsgate, Paramount, Universal/Focus Features, Bleecker Street, and
streaming services like Disney+, Peacock, Sling TV, YouTube TV, and Hulu/FX, in their
capacity as advertisers, have run ads against uploaded copies of their own intellectual
property on third-party channels, thus potentially funding it.
23. The presidential election campaigns of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, as well as
major brands such Procter & Gamble, had ads served on videos that appear to belong to
various professional film studios, such as “Deadpool & Wolverine”, whilst the film was
being shown in movie cinemas in the summer of 2024.
24. The list of brands whose ads were served on third-party, “re-distributed” content
YouTube channels which were later deleted by YouTube (and thus, likely retroactively
redacted from their ad delivery placement reports), includes:
a. the New York Times, the presidential election campaigns of Donald Trump and
Kamala Harris, the House Majority PAC (a Democrat Super PAC), Procter &
Gamble (P&G),Unilever, BMO Bank, Ben & Jerry’s, McDonald’s, US Bank,
Crossmedia, Samsung, Disney+, FX networks, WarnerMedia (HBO Max), Mint
Mobile, Focus Features (owned by NBCUniversal), Kellanova (Special K, Frosted
Flakes), State Farm, Verizon, Visible (by Verizon), T-Mobile, Disney, Hulu,
Mazda, the Wall Street Journal, Nissan, North Face, Paramount+, Health for
California Insurance Center, A&E Television Networks (Lifetime), NBCUniversal
Media (Peacock), Volvo cars, Lionsgate, Macy’s, Adobe, SlingTV, Hyundai,
Genesis, AAA (American Automobile Association), Amazon, AMC Plus,
Mindshare USA (part of GroupM/WPP), Peloton, Linkedin, TD Bank, Grammarly,
General Mills, Ubisoft, Zaxby's, Dentsu X, Dentsu Carat, OMD (part of
Omnicom), Publicis Media, Alfa Romeo (part of Stellantis), Starcom Worldwide,
Horizon Media, Canvas Worldwide, Safelite, Ricolino (owned by Mondelez), Save
The Children, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Hasbro, Kinder (Ferrero), TruGreen,
California Teachers Association, Frontier Internet, Ticketmaster, Meta
(Facebook), Ray Ban, JetBlue, Quest Nutrition, Shopify, General Motors, Ruiz
Foods, JPMorgan Chase, Currax Pharmaceuticals, TikTok, B&H PHoto & Video,
Invesco, VaynerMedia, Kingsford, St. George’s University, Empower insurance,
Ezcater, Philo, GolfNow, World Vision Fund, Discover Puerto Rico, Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute (Jimmy Fund), Novo Nordisk, Ooni, Aquasana, Panasonic,
Atlassian, Caterpillar, Fandango, Harbor Freight Tools, Castlery Furniture, Blue
Diamond Hotels, and others.
b. Zefr, which is a Partner of the YouTube Measurement Program, appears to have
been observed transacting ads for Dexcom on a “re-distributed” video of Netflix’s
“Squid Game 3” which was later removed. Channel Factory, which declares itself
to be a Google Premier Partner, part of the YouTube Measurement Program, and
is TAG “Certified for Brand Safety”, was observed transacting ads on behalf of
brands such as:
- General Mills on “re-distributed” YouTube videos of the movie “John Wick:
Chapter 4” on a channel which was removed from YouTube,
- Sephora and Quest Nutrition on “re-distributed” YouTube videos of the
movie “Spider Man: Homecoming” on a channel which was removed from
YouTube,
- Tena (part of Essity) on “re-distributed” YouTube videos of the movie:
“Deadpool & Wolverine” on a channel which was removed from YouTube
“because it violated [YouTube’s] Community Guidelines” (archived here:
loom.com/share/9fff55d650eb4fd…)
:::
Channel Factory transacting ads on "Deadpool & Wolverine" after the video was re-instated on YouTube
Deadpool & Wolverine FULL ACTI0N M0VIE RELEASE | A FUNNY ANTIHERO TEAMS UP WITH L0GAN TO FACE ENEMIES IN THE MULTIVERSE Video URL = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXa1edOruaI NovaDex Brasil Channel URL = https://youtube.Loom
Alibaba's new GPT-4o competitor Qwen VLo is no longer open source
Qwen VLo: From "Understanding" the World to "Depicting" It
QWEN CHAT DISCORD Introduction The evolution of multimodal large models is continually pushing the boundaries of what we believe technology can achieve. From the initial QwenVL to the latest Qwen2.Qwen Team (Qwen)
is There is Any PNG and SVG Icons Website That Work Without Javascript?
Icon Archive - 800,000+ free icons & stickers, PNG, SVG Downloads
Discover 800,000+ free icons. Browse icons by category, artist, popularity, date. PNG, SVG, ICO files. Share your favorites via Twitter or WhatsApp.www.iconarchive.com
commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.…
Icon Archive - 800,000+ free icons & stickers, PNG, SVG Downloads
Discover 800,000+ free icons. Browse icons by category, artist, popularity, date. PNG, SVG, ICO files. Share your favorites via Twitter or WhatsApp.www.iconarchive.com
Pro likes this.
Understanding Japan's AI Promotion Act: An "Innovation-First" Blueprint for AI Regulation
Understanding Japan's AI Promotion Act: An "Innovation-First" Blueprint for AI Regulation
In a landmark move, on May 28, 2025, Japan’s Parliament approved the "Act on the Promotion of Research and Development and the Utilization of AI-Related Technologies" (AI Promotion Act, or Act), making Japan the second major economy in the Asia-Pacif…Future of Privacy Forum
A developer details how he shipped Context, a native macOS app that was almost 100% built using Claude Code
I Shipped a macOS App Built Entirely by Claude Code
How I built Context—a native macOS SwiftUI app for debugging MCP servers—almost entirely with Claude Code, and what I learned about building with AI coding agents.Indragie Karunaratne (www.indragie.com)
The Prime Reasons to Avoid Amazon
Amazon’s now-legendary “Prime Day” is July 8-11. Much like Black Friday or Cyber Monday, this means sales on lots of items on Amazon’s vast marketplace, and as such many people flock to the giant’s website to get sweet deals on everything from computers to small kitchen appliances and more. While many of us are feeling the financial crunch more than ever, I urge you, dear reader, to resist the allure. I don’t typically have strong opinions about where people chose to shop or how they decide to spend their heard-earned money, but in this post I hope to lay out a convincing case for why Amazon is full-stop evil, no caveats, and is undeserving of your money on a moral and ethical level no matter what your values are. Amazon needs to be stopped, and legislation will not do so. Only its loyal consumers – who keep the beast alive – can do that by taking their money elsewhere. No matter your political or personal beliefs, I'm certain Amazon violates them in one way or another, and you should vote with your dollar by buying from other places whenever possible. Here’s why.
The Prime Reasons to Avoid Amazon
Amazon’s now-legendary “Prime Day” is July 8-11. Much like Black Friday or Cyber Monday, this means sales on lots of items on Amazon’s va...The New Oil
Spain and Ireland to join more than 20 states to declare ‘concrete measures’ against Israel
Exclusive: Spain and Ireland to join more than 20 states to declare ‘concrete measures’ against Israel
More than 20 countries are convening in Bogota next week to declare “concrete measures against Israel’s violations of international law”, diplomats told Middle East Eye.Sondos Asem (Middle East Eye)
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The Internet is for Extremism - by Jeremiah Johnson
The Internet is for Extremism
How MrBeast explains why everything online is going insaneJeremiah Johnson (Infinite Scroll)
Me staring at my shit in the toilet like
👁️👄👁️
Jack Dorsey’s New App Just Hit a Very Embarrassing Security Snag
Jack Dorsey’s New App Just Hit a Very Embarrassing Snag
Twitter co-founder and erstwhile CEO Jack Dorsey has started yet another new app — and this one's got an embarrassing secret.Noor Al-Sibai (Futurism)
adhocfungus likes this.
like this
Technology reshared this.
Definitely would not be used to monitor user data and then used for targetted advertisements. \s
On the side note, this could be pretty slick if open source community is able to use them for all kinds of purposes.
No, Ubisoft's EULA clause ordering you to destroy your games isn't new, nor is it unique
Ubisoft isn't the only studio that orders you to destroy your games once support ends
Ubisoft is under fire for an EULA clause that orders people to destroy their games once support ends, but the clause isn't exclusive to Ubisoft.Josh Coulson (TheGamer)
like this
Evarist Bartolo: 50 Years of Deceiving Russia & the Collapse of Pan-European Security
- YouTube
Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.www.youtube.com
Evarist Bartolo: 50 Years of Deceiving Russia & the Collapse of Pan-European Security
- YouTube
Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.www.youtube.com
Switch to the new Fairphone (Gen. 6)
Two thoughts on that … Fairphone told participants of their 25 June 25 launch event in Amsterdam that going for a smaller display (which would be necessary for a significantly smaller device) would be making the device much more expensive.Fairphone Community Forum
L'unione fa la forza.
Il Fediverso.
Parliamo del Fediverso italiano, quello che più ci è vicino.
Al momento, tenendo conto solo della piattaforma più diffusa (Mastodon), abbiamo circa 60 istanze in Italia, miste, dalle istanze monoutente fino alle grandi; a cui dobbiamo sommare decine di altre istanze su piattaforme diverse (Misskey, Pleroma, Snac, GoToSocial, Pixelfed ecc...).
Questo è lo spirito giusto, la Decentralità del Fediverso.
Ora dirò una cosa che sconvolgerà qualcuno …
Tutte servono, dalla più grande alle tante monoutente, con tutte le intermedie.
Si, è vero, ci sono stati, ci sono e ci saranno i campanilismi, ma è innegabile che serviamo tutti per combattere l’egemonia dei G.A.F.A.M ( it.wikipedia.org/wiki/GAFAM ).
A cosa serve un’istanza monoutente?
Questa da dove scrivo è il classico esempio. Nel mio piccolo, comunque mi state leggendo in tanti e senza paura che qualcuno qui mi zittisca o altro, ci sono solo io.😅
Le istanze medio/piccole?
Aggregano persone con gli stessi interessi, da cui possono scaturire interessanti confronti su argomenti in comune.
Le grandi istanze?
Altre istanze sono grandi e generaliste, aggregando così gente che, arrivando da altri lidi, cerca un’alternativa a loro.
Ci sono tanti motivi per tutte le istanze, ma uno solo DEVE accomunarci … la Decentralizzazione.
Come dicevano i latini … Divide et impera ( it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divide_e… ).
Se ci scontriamo fra di noi, non facciamo che agevolare i G.A.F.A.M. per cui, nonostante il Fediverso sia ancora piccolo, rappresenta una possibile minaccia.
Sarebbe un’utopia sperare di andare tutti d’amore e d’accordo, ma cerchiamo di tollerarci di più o soccomberemo presto.🙏
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reshared this
Claudia Sheinbaum on the reasons neoliberalism collapsed in Mexico
Claudia Sheinbaum on the reasons neoliberalism collapsed in Mexico
Instance PeerTube généraliste francophone. General French-speaking PeerTube instance.Mes Numériques
Using Clouds for too long might have made you incompetent
My take on how a decade (or more) of using cloud services for everything has seemingly deskilled the workforce.
Just recently I found myself interviewing senior security engineers just to realize that in many cases they had absolutely no idea about how the stuff they supposedly worked with, actually worked.
This all made me wonder, is it possible that over-reliance on cloud services for everything has massively deskilled the engineering workforce? And if it is so, who is going to be the European clouds, so necessary for EU's digital sovereignty?
I did not copy-paste the post in here because of the different writing style, but I get no benefit whatsoever from website visits.
“We found the fossil halfway up Virginia”
“WHO THE FUCK IS VIRGINIA AND WHY DOES SHE HAVE A FOSSIL INSIDE HER??”
Can the term 'link aggregator' be changed to 'decentralized forum'
like this
Fediverse reshared this.
Changed the text to "forum and link aggregator".
github.com/LemmyNet/joinlemmy-…
Change title and description to use term "forum" by Nutomic · Pull Request #38 · LemmyNet/joinlemmy-translations
Should be easier to understand this way. Iirc we used the same kind of description in the past, but somehow that got lost? Relevant discussionGitHub
Thank you! Great to see some lowering to technical barrier to entry for the Fediverse.
I believe the biggest barrier to entry for Lemmy is not a lack of features but the technical lingo required.
Algorithmic Sabotage Manifesto.
Theorizing “Algorithmic Sabotage”
The “Manifesto” articulates a systematically structured sequence of ten distinct propositions, enumerated from 0 to 9, each delineating the underlying principles, strategic approaches, and aesthetic manifestations that shape the critical concept of “algorithmic sabotage” within the expansive and intricately interwoven frameworks of digital culture and information technology.
- “Algorithmic Sabotage” is a figure of techno-disobedience for the militancy that’s absent from technology critique.
- Rather than an atavistic aversion to technology, “Algorithmic Sabotage” can be read as a form of counter-power that emerges from the strength of the community that wields it.
- “Algorithmic Sabotage” cuts through the capitalist ideological framework that thrives on misery by performing a labour of subversion in the present, dismantling contemporary forms of algorithmic domination and reclaiming spaces for ethical action from generalized thoughtlessness and automaticity.
- “Algorithmic Sabotage” is an action-oriented commitment to solidarity that precedes any system of social, legal or algorithmic classification.
- “Algorithmic Sabotage” is a part of a structural renewal of a wider movement for social autonomy that opposes the predations of hegemonic technology through wildcat direct action, consciously aligned itself with ideals of social justice and egalitarianism.
- “Algorithmic Sabotage” radically reworks our technopolitical arrangements away from the structural injustices, supremacist perspectives and necropolitical authoritarian power layered into the “algorithmic empire”, highlighting its materiality and consequences in terms of both carbon emissions and the centralisation of control.
- “Algorithmic Sabotage” refuses algorithmic humiliation for power and profit maximisation, focusing on activities of mutual aid and solidarity.
- The first step of techno-politics is not technological but political. Radical feminist, anti-fascist and decolonial perspectives are a political challenge to “Algorithmic Sabotage”, placing matters of interdependence and collective care against reductive optimisations of the “algorithmic empire”.
- “Algorithmic Sabotage” struggles against algorithmic violence and fascist techno-solutionism, focusing on artistic-activist resistances that can express a different mentality, a collective “counter-intelligence”.
- “Algorithmic Sabotage” is an emancipatory defence of the need for communal constraint of harmful technology, a struggle against the abstract segregation “above” and “below” the algorithm.
Interventions:
- Trapping AI.
- Police Officers Faces.
- Technopolitics of Fronts.
Manifesto on “Algorithmic Sabotage”
The “Manifesto” articulates a systematically structured sequence of ten distinct propositions, enumerated from 0 to 9, each delineating the underlying principles, strategic approaches, and aesthetic manifestations that shape the critical concept of “…ASRG
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Saturday, July 12, 2025
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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
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Russia’s war against Ukraine
A firefighter extinguishes fire after a Russian drone attack in the Moldovanka district of Odesa. Nine people were injured as a result of the attack, and seven were hospitalized, Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper said. Windows of homes were damaged and service station, cars damaged by debris. (Viacheslav Onyshchenko/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Ukraine’s HUR destroys Russian command post in occupied Melitopol in joint operation with partisans. “As a result of the explosion, a satellite communication hardware station—intended by Russian military leadership to coordinate occupying forces—was also destroyed,” Ukraine’s military intelligence said.
Ukraine behind new pipeline explosion in Siberia that supplies Russian military-industrial complex, source claims. A source in Ukraine’s military intelligence told the Kyiv Independent the attack had destroyed a section of a key pipeline supplying Russian military-industrial facilities in Chelyabinsk, Orenburg, and Sverdlovsk oblasts.
Ukrainian drone strikes reported at Russian MiG plant, other defense industry facilities amid mass attack. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its forces downed 155 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 53 over Kursk Oblast and 13 over Tula Oblast.
Ukraine deploying interceptor drones to defend Kyiv amid surge in Russian attacks. During several months of testing, the system intercepted nearly 550 Russian drones over Kyiv Oblast, an official said.
‘Aid shipments have been restored,’ Zelensky says amid halt of US weapons deliveries. “We have received political signals at the highest level — good signals — including from the United States and from our European friends. According to all reports, aid shipments have been restored,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.
Germany, Norway ready to buy 3 Patriots for Ukraine, Zelensky says. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine needs a total of 10 Patriots and voiced hope that other European partners will join the new financing scheme.
Ground drone maker Tencore raises $3.7 million in one of the largest known investments in Ukraine defense tech. The deal is one of the largest publicly disclosed investments in Ukrainian defense technology since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Russia confirms brigade commander’s death, allegedly linked to Ukrainian strike in Kursk Oblast. Russian authorities confirmed that Colonel Sergei Ilyin, commander of Russia’s 155th Marine Brigade, has been buried, without disclosing the cause of death.
Ukraine, EU launch $117 million military innovation partnership. Ukraine and the EU will allocate 100 million euro ($117 million) to boost battlefield-driven solutions under the newly-launched BraveTech EU initiative, announced at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in Rome on July 11.
Russian troops tasked to create 10-kilometer buffer zone in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine’s spy chief says. According to Ukraine’s military intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov, Russia’s earlier announcement of its entry into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast serves a political goal.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Kyiv behind new pipeline explosion in Siberia, drone strikes reported at Russian aircraft plant
Ukraine was behind the operation that caused an explosion on a major gas pipeline in the city of Langepas, Russia’s Tyumen Oblast, a source in Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent on July 11.
Photo: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Learn more
‘These were not negotiations’ — Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister on Istanbul talks with Russia in exclusive interview
In an interview with the Kyiv Independent, Kyslytsya argues that the Istanbul meetings, for the most part, couldn’t truly be called negotiations due to Russia’s rigid, ultimatum-like approach.
Photo: Danylo Pavlov / The Kyiv Independent
Learn more
Russia’s new drone tactic — rolling out mass terror across all of Ukraine
As Russia intensifies its air strikes against Ukraine, its tactics have visibly shifted, with a growing number of missile and drone attacks now targeting western regions once considered relatively safe. Overnight on July 9, cities across Ukraine came under the largest air assault yet, with the western city of Lutsk experiencing what local officials described as the heaviest bombardment to date.
Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos via Getty Images
Learn more
Ukrainians grapple with how to memorialize a war still being fought
Every nation-defining event in Ukraine’s nearly 35 years of independence has begun in the main square of Kyiv. There, on what is now called Independence Square, democratic protests sparked three revolutions, each commemorated by several memorials. But none of those memorials are as prominent as the square’s newest addition — a collection of flags, photos, and candles installed since 2022.
Photo: Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images
Human cost of Russia’s war
‘Russia targets life’ — Russian attacks kill 9, injure 42 over past day, damaging maternity hospital in Kharkiv. Regional authorities reported casualties in at least six Ukrainian oblasts over the past day.
Russian drone attack on Odesa injures 11, hits residential areas, horse stable. A Russian attack against the southern city of Odesa injured at least eight people and damaged residential areas, local authorities reported.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,031,620 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.
The number includes 1,040 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Over 118,000 Russian military personnel killed in Ukraine identified by media, including 523 foreigners. The media investigation has identified 523 foreign nationals from 28 countries who were killed while serving in the Russian army.
How Ukrainian teens are training for war
International response
US Senate committee backs $500 million in Ukraine aid in 2026 defense budget. The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee approved $500 million in aid for Ukraine as part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Reuters reported on July 11.
Ukraine secures $200 million from World Bank for reconstruction projects. The World Bank will provide $200 million over the next five years to prepare Ukrainian projects for large-scale reconstruction, the Economy Ministry announced on July 11. The funding will be available under the five-year PREPARE program with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA).
EU transfers $1.2 billion to Ukraine using profits from frozen Russian assets. Ukraine has received more than $18.5 billion from frozen Russian assets this year, directing the money toward swift recovery projects, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
Europe will also benefit from US-Ukraine minerals investment fund, Americans say. The Ukraine-U.S. Reconstruction Investment Fund will provide opportunities not only for U.S. companies but also for other countries, representatives of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation said during a workshop at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome on July 11.
Trump’s envoy Kellogg to visit Ukraine on July 14 amid military aid confusion. U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg will arrive in Kyiv on July 14 for a week-long visit, he told a Novyny Live journalist at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome.
Russia must pay at least 500 billion euros in compensation to Ukraine, Germany’s Merz says. Russian assets frozen by the West should not be released until Moscow pays back at least 500 billion euros (over $580 billion) in compensation to Ukraine, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on July 10 in Rome.
Norway pledges $200 million for Ukraine’s emergency energy support, green recovery. According to the Energy Ministry, the initiative will restore heating and water services to millions of Ukrainians, particularly in front-line communities.
EU considering tougher Russian oil price cap as bloc aims to pass 18th sanctions package, Bloomberg reports. The proposed price cap would be set at 15% below the market rate based on a 10-week average, lowering the threshold to $50 down from the current cap of $60, people familiar with the matter said.
Opinions and insights
Trump administration immigration policies leave Ukrainian refugees in limbo
In summer 2023, Anna arrived in the United States to start a new life in the midwestern state of Illinois. After more than a year of war, she had fled her home in Kyiv to seek shelter abroad from the drone and missile strikes that regularly target the Ukrainian capital. Now, she finally had a safe place to settle for the long term. Or so she thought. Today, Anna is again at risk of losing her home.
Photo: Nancy Lane/Boston Herald via Getty Images
In other news
Ukrainian anti-corruption activist faces charges as his team alleges government pressure. “We consider these searches to be another wave of attack on Vitaliy Shabunin and the Anti-Corruption Action Center for criticizing the Presidential Office and (Presidential Office head) Andrii Yermak personally,” the center said.
Ukraine ex-minister’s home searched in connection with controversial lawmaker’s fraud case. Former Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov denied any connections with controversial lawmaker Yevhenii Shevchenko’s fraud case.
Russia arrests truck driver allegedly transporting drones for Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb. Mediazona’s source said that Mikhail Ryumin was unaware that his vehicle was carrying Ukrainian drones hidden beneath the roofs of the frame house structures.
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![[Illustrative purposes] Ukraine's drone designed to intercept and destroy Iranian-designed Shahed drones used by Russia was shown in Kyiv on April 9, 2025. (President Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram)](https://poliverso.org/photo/preview/640/52832206 "[Illustrative purposes] Ukraine's drone designed to intercept and destroy Iranian-designed Shahed drones used by Russia was shown in Kyiv on April 9, 2025. (President Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram)")
Russia arrests truck driver allegedly transporting drones for Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb
Mediazona's source said that Mikhail Ryumin was unaware that his vehicle was carrying Ukrainian drones hidden beneath the roofs of the frame house structures.Kateryna Hodunova (The Kyiv Independent)
New research centre to explore how AI can help humans ‘speak’ with pets
New research centre to explore how AI can help humans ‘speak’ with pets
Centre for animal sentience to look into animal consciousness and the ethical use of AI in how we treat themAmelia Hill (The Guardian)
What People Think Privacy/Security Is
OC by @Charger8232@lemmy.ml
I know there are plenty of software missing from here. This is just a fun infographic I made, no need to take it seriously 😀
Taglio ai vitalizi, 1300 ex parlamentari fanno ricorso. Ilona Staller: “Voglio 10 milioni di risarcimento”
Taglio ai vitalizi, 1300 ex parlamentari fanno ricorso: tra loro Staller, Guzzanti, Bassolino
E anche Scajola, Martelli, Iervolino. Si attende a breve la decisione. La riforma è del 2018La Stampa
Pro
in reply to Pro • • •1. YouTube states “Only content meeting our monetization policies will be eligible to show
ads.”
2. Several advertisers reported to Adalytics that they were allegedly billed (and allegedly
mostly not refunded) for video ads served on YouTube channels which were later
removed by YouTube for violating YouTube’s Community Guidelines or YouTube’s Terms
of Service. Some brands reported being billed thousands of dollars for hundreds of
millions of ad impressions served against YouTube channels which YouTube allegedly
deleted from its own platform for violations.
3. When YouTube channels or videos are removed by YouTube for violations, Google
appears to retroactively “redact” or “delete” data from advertisers’ ad delivery reports.
Once YouTube removes a channel, the ad delivery reports are updated to say: “Channel
no longer available”, such that brands cannot readily know what sorts of content their
ads served against.
4. According to various media buyers, YouTube’s own records show that the brands were
billed for (and mostly not refunded) for ads served on channels were served on YouTube
channels which were “terminated” “due to multiple or severe violations of”:
- “YouTube’s policy prohibiting hate speech”
- “YouTube’s policy on nudity or sexual content”
- “YouTube’s policy prohibiting content designed to harass, bully or threaten.”
- “YouTube’s policy on violence”
- “YouTube’s policy prohibiting impersonation”
5. In some cases, video ads appear to have been served against YouTube channels which
were “terminated due to a legal complaint” or “removed due to a court order”. One of the
channels which appears to have been removed was allegedly funded by an entity that -
according to the US Department of Justice - was allegedly linked to a foreign intelligence
information warfare and psyop operation. The channels’ operators stated they were
“victims of this scheme”, knew “nothing about any of this fraudulent activity”, and “were
"deceived and are victims" if the allegations are proven to be true.”
6. In addition to retroactively redacting or deleting “offending” data from advertisers’ ad
delivery reports without issuing full refunds, Google also appears to consistently withhold
data about where significant portions of brands ads served. In some advertisers’
YouTube placement reports, between 10-40% of their channel-level or video-level ad
delivery data is aggregated into a reporting category called: “Total: Other”. There
appears to be no transparency or detail about where ads were served when the ads
deliver against: “Total: Other”. It does not appear to be readily possible for a media buyer
to know if the ads were served on Channels that were deleted for violations, low quality
content, or otherwise. One brand reported that when they looked at “video-level” (rather
channel-level) ad delivery reporting, YouTube had bucketed over 90% of their media
spend into the “Total: Other” category, thus depriving the brand of transparency into
where the majority of their ads served at a video-level.
7. Google has previously stated it is committed to “at least 99% effective at ensuring brand
safety of advertising placements on YouTube, in accordance with industry standards.” YouTube is Media Rating Council (MRC) accredited for “brand safety”, and works with
“independent” third party verification vendors. Multiple advertisers reported that it is
unclear to them whether the MRC or third party verification vendors have visibility into
retroactively deleted YouTube channels or non-transparent “Total: Other” ad delivery as
part of their brand safety assessments
8. One small business (SMB) marketer allegedly spent over twelve months repeatedly
asking - via email and in verbal meetings - why he was charged for ad delivery on
YouTube, where over 50% of his ad spend was non-transparent in the “Total: Other”
category. After 12+ months, YouTube reportedly agreed to provide him with a $50,000
custom credit in response to his repeated requests.
9. In addition to serving adjacent to sexual content, hate speech, violence, and alleged
foreign intelligence operations, significant portions of YouTube ads are served against
content which was removed by YouTube due to “third-party claims of copyright
infringement”.
10. Content from all major film studios - Amazon/MGM, Paramount, Lionsgate, Disney,
Universal Pictures, Warner Brothers, Sony - was found on third party YouTube channels
(third party meaning the channels are not the official channels of these respective film
studios). Content from streaming services such as Netflix, NBCUniversal Peacock,
Disney+, and Apple TV+, was available for watching on third party YouTube channels.
For example, the Netflix films “Extraction 2”, “Heart of Stone”, and “Atlas” could be
watched in their entirety on multiple third party YouTube channels, where they received
millions of views.
:::
Pro
in reply to Pro • • •11. Thousands of “re-distributed” YouTube videos - including live ESPN or CBS sports
games, full films that were still in theatrical release at movie theaters, TV shows, and
exclusive streaming content from - were found on third party YouTube channels, largely
via the YouTube recommendation algorithm. These videos appear to have likely
collectively generated over a billion views and likely several billions of ad impressions.
12. The YouTube recommendation algorithm itself appears to amplify and make easily
discoverable "re-distributed" content with as little as one click/view of similar uploads.
Beyond just "hosting" the "re-distributed" content, YouTube's recommendation algorithm
may actively make it easier for consumers to find and view "re-distributed" content, and
appears to surface more and more "re-distributed" content to users even with relatively
little browsing history. There are entire Reddit forum discussions where consumers
discuss observing this phenomenon.
13. User comments posted on YouTube and Reddit suggest that some consumers avoid
paying for cinema tickets, Netflix or other streaming subscriptions, or film rentals
because the consumers are able to watch copyrighted media content for free on
YouTube.
14. This may potentially affect film studios, TV show producers, and live sports broadcasters
by potentially increasing YouTube's viewership ratings and time spent numbers, while
potentially decreasing the viewership ratings for the license rights owners and
subscribers for competitive streaming services. This could theoretically impact the
rightful license right owners ability to attract large advertising budgets and subscribers.
15. Movies that were in theatrical release at cinema - such as “Deadpool & Wolverine” in the
summer of 2024 - were observed being uploaded and removed multiple times on
YouTube, and were observed being promoted on the YouTube.com Homepage. This can
impact consumers' propensity to pay to view the movies in cinemas, as was noted by
many users in the comments.
16. Live sports events - such as Major League Baseball (MLB) or NCAA college football
games broadcast by ESPN or CBS Sports - were live streamed entirely on various third
party YouTube channels. The videos and streams are largely removed after the fact,
either by voluntary self-deletion by the creators or by YouTube. Some of these third party
streams collectively generate millions of views.
17. TV and streaming shows, such as content of Netflix’s “Squid Game”, NBCUniversal
Peacock’s Love Island, Family Guy, Warner Brothers’ Big Bang Theory, Loki, and
American Dad, were observed on third party channels on YouTube.
18. Content starring many famous Hollywood actors were 're-distributed' on third party
YouTube channels. It is unclear whether these actors receive compensation - such as
royalties - when ads are viewed on this content via third party, 're-distributing' YouTube
channels. The list of Hollywood actors whose videos were found on "re-distributing", third
party YouTube channels includes: Jason Statham, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise,
Daniel Craig, Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Keanu Reeves, Scarlett Johansson,
Mark Ruffalo, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Will
Smith, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Gal Gadot, Laurence Fishburne, Chris Pratt, Vin
Diesel, Bruce Willis, Benedict Cumberbatch, and many others.
19. This research found various channel owners were continuously removing and
re-uploading “re-distributed” content each day, Some YouTube channels appear to be
able to serve many videos of "re-distributed" content, and evade being banned by
continuously self-removing their own "re-distributed" content each day, in a daily
round-robin cycle of uploading "re-distributed" content and then removing the content
later in the day. It is unclear if this is a deliberate attempt to circumvent the YouTube
Content ID detection algorithm.
20. Some YouTube channel creators - including YouTubed-”verified” creators and creators
who appear to have received a “YouTube Creator Award” for having hundreds of
thousands or millions of subscribers or views - were seen uploading “re-distributed”
Disney movies, Family Guys episodes or live videos from ESPN, Fox Sports, or CBS
Sports college football games. The creators often self-delete or edit these videos after
the livestreams end. These creators appear to have amassed millions of views via these
tactics.
:::
Pro
in reply to Pro • • •21. In some cases, third-party YouTube creators upload “re-distributed” content, such as
ESPN, CBS Sports, or Fox Sports college football game live streams or episodes of TV
shows such as Family Guy. After ~12 hours, the creators edit the videos to cut out the
“re-distributed” content and they edit the title, description, and meta-data of the videos to
something unrelated. This appears to prevent brand advertisers from knowing against
what sorts of content their ads were served on in their original form, and suggests that
YouTube ad delivery placement reports may not accurately convey what sorts of content
the ads were served against before the videos were retro-actively edited and re-named.
22. Disney, Lionsgate, Paramount, Universal/Focus Features, Bleecker Street, and
streaming services like Disney+, Peacock, Sling TV, YouTube TV, and Hulu/FX, in their
capacity as advertisers, have run ads against uploaded copies of their own intellectual
property on third-party channels, thus potentially funding it.
23. The presidential election campaigns of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, as well as
major brands such Procter & Gamble, had ads served on videos that appear to belong to
various professional film studios, such as “Deadpool & Wolverine”, whilst the film was
being shown in movie cinemas in the summer of 2024.
24. The list of brands whose ads were served on third-party, “re-distributed” content
YouTube channels which were later deleted by YouTube (and thus, likely retroactively
redacted from their ad delivery placement reports), includes:
a. the New York Times, the presidential election campaigns of Donald Trump and
Kamala Harris, the House Majority PAC (a Democrat Super PAC), Procter &
Gamble (P&G),Unilever, BMO Bank, Ben & Jerry’s, McDonald’s, US Bank,
Crossmedia, Samsung, Disney+, FX networks, WarnerMedia (HBO Max), Mint
Mobile, Focus Features (owned by NBCUniversal), Kellanova (Special K, Frosted
Flakes), State Farm, Verizon, Visible (by Verizon), T-Mobile, Disney, Hulu,
Mazda, the Wall Street Journal, Nissan, North Face, Paramount+, Health for
California Insurance Center, A&E Television Networks (Lifetime), NBCUniversal
Media (Peacock), Volvo cars, Lionsgate, Macy’s, Adobe, SlingTV, Hyundai,
Genesis, AAA (American Automobile Association), Amazon, AMC Plus,
Mindshare USA (part of GroupM/WPP), Peloton, Linkedin, TD Bank, Grammarly,
General Mills, Ubisoft, Zaxby's, Dentsu X, Dentsu Carat, OMD (part of
Omnicom), Publicis Media, Alfa Romeo (part of Stellantis), Starcom Worldwide,
Horizon Media, Canvas Worldwide, Safelite, Ricolino (owned by Mondelez), Save
The Children, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Hasbro, Kinder (Ferrero), TruGreen,
California Teachers Association, Frontier Internet, Ticketmaster, Meta
(Facebook), Ray Ban, JetBlue, Quest Nutrition, Shopify, General Motors, Ruiz
Foods, JPMorgan Chase, Currax Pharmaceuticals, TikTok, B&H PHoto & Video,
Invesco, VaynerMedia, Kingsford, St. George’s University, Empower insurance,
Ezcater, Philo, GolfNow, World Vision Fund, Discover Puerto Rico, Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute (Jimmy Fund), Novo Nordisk, Ooni, Aquasana, Panasonic,
Atlassian, Caterpillar, Fandango, Harbor Freight Tools, Castlery Furniture, Blue
Diamond Hotels, and others.
b. Zefr, which is a Partner of the YouTube Measurement Program, appears to have
been observed transacting ads for Dexcom on a “re-distributed” video of Netflix’s
“Squid Game 3” which was later removed. Channel Factory, which declares itself
to be a Google Premier Partner, part of the YouTube Measurement Program, and
is TAG “Certified for Brand Safety”, was observed transacting ads on behalf of
brands such as:
- General Mills on “re-distributed” YouTube videos of the movie “John Wick:
Chapter 4” on a channel which was removed from YouTube,
- Sephora and Quest Nutrition on “re-distributed” YouTube videos of the
movie “Spider Man: Homecoming” on a channel which was removed from
YouTube,
- Tena (part of Essity) on “re-distributed” YouTube videos of the movie:
“Deadpool & Wolverine” on a channel which was removed from YouTube
“because it violated [YouTube’s] Community Guidelines” (archived here:
loom.com/share/9fff55d650eb4fd…)
:::
Channel Factory transacting ads on "Deadpool & Wolverine" after the video was re-instated on YouTube
Loom