In The News

Mueller Report Completed: Washington Post

Matt Zapotosky and Rosalind S. Helderman March 22, 2019
A team under Special Counsel Robert Mueller submitted a final report to the US Attorney General William Barr who will review the findings and determine which details can be shared with Congress and the public at large. Barr informed Congress that the department did not block investigators from pursing leads. The team was responsible for investigating interference in the 2016 presidential campaign...

#MyMosque Shows Packed Places of Worship: Daily Dot

Elizabeth VanMetre March 17, 2019
Social media messages from around the world express support for the victims of a terrorist attack at two Christchurch mosques and defiance against white supremacy. “Photos of packed mosques filled social media, accompanied by the hashtag #MyMosque just hours after terrorists went on a shooting spree at two mosques in Christchurch, killing 49 people,” reports Elizabeth VanMetre for the Daily Dot....

Modern Diplomacy: Advanced Persistent Cyber Threats

Al Lewis January 31, 2019
Global online connectivity presents and exposes many vulnerabilities. Writing for Modern Diplomacy, Al Lewis explains that advanced persistent cyber threats share six characteristics with terrorism: “asymmetry, cost effectiveness, contributions of loose associations, will to succeed, impossibility to completely defend, and contagion.” However, those waging cyber-attacks, unlike terrorists, are...

Time: French Regulators “Embed,” Monitor Facebook

Casey Quackenbush November 16, 2018
Governments and critics scrutinize Facebook for fake news, hate speech, and foreign advertising that raises questions about democracy and election results and even targets some groups with violence. France’s Emmanuel Macron has called for global regulation to ensure truthful posts and takes steps on regulation. “Starting in January, Facebook will welcome a small team of civil servants from Macron...

Reuters: US Accuses China of LinkedIn Spy Campaign

Warren Strobel and Jonathan Landay September 5, 2018
Social media platforms are designed to gather data from users in order to promote connections. US counterintelligence chief William Evanina warns that Chinese agencies are using fake LinkedIn accounts “to recruit Americans with access to government and commercial secrets,” reports Reuters. “LinkedIn says it has 575 million users in more than 200 counties and territories, including more than 150...

African Business: Will Facebook’s Troubles Cost Africans?

Rafiq Raji June 7, 2018
Facebook admits to collecting data on people who are not users, who did not agree to terms of service, for security reasons. Such collections may clash with efforts of the EU General Data Protection Regulation that aim to give people control over their data. “The GDPR may become the global model for regulating tech firms that collect personal data and earn income by selling or drawing profitable...

Reuters: Facebook Confirms Data Sharing With Chinese Firms

David Shepardson June 5, 2018
Facebook confirmed data-sharing partnerships with about 60 companies including Huawei, Lenovo Group, OPPO and TCL in China. Once again, the agreements may have allowed the firms to access data of users’ friends without explicit consent, reports David Shepardson for Reuters. Many of the partnerships had already ended, and Facebook is taking steps to end agreements with the Chinese firms. “Chinese...