Esra'a

https://mastodon.social/@alshafei

Open web and privacy enthusiast.

Org: https://majal.org

Public Key

npub16sd8vehtem6shvdjp9pmtl4qaq28kjsrt9m773fyqj09dy9wwd0qmxpm34

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsdgxnkvm4uaagtkxeqjsa4l6sws9rmfgp4jal0g5jqf8jkjzh8xhsprpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0d4hhxarj9ecxjmnta60th0

Publishing to

relay.momostr.pink

Author Public Key

npub16sd8vehtem6shvdjp9pmtl4qaq28kjsrt9m773fyqj09dy9wwd0qmxpm34

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Last Notes

2025-02-04 23:41:12 GMT

"Google removed a pledge to not build AI for weapons or surveillance from its website this week."
https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/04/google-removes-pledge-to-not-use-ai-for-weapons-from-website/
#AI #Surveillance #Weapons

2025-01-16 00:34:35 GMT

CPJ "calls on authorities to grant unconditional access to journalists and independent human rights experts to investigate crimes committed against the media during the 15-month long war. "
https://cpj.org/2025/01/cpj-welcomes-gaza-ceasefire-calls-for-media-access-and-war-crimes-investigations/
#Gaza #Palestine

2025-01-13 21:13:51 GMT

Proud to have played a role in this. VC-backed social media is not the answer. At Mastodon, we view this move as the best way to guarantee that the social web remains open and free from ads, data exploitation, manipulative algorithms or corporate monopolies.
https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/13/24342603/mastodon-non-profit-ownership-ceo-eugen-rochko
#Mastodon #Fediverse

2024-12-21 04:40:25 GMT

"Exclusive documents reveal the YPD's [Yale Police Department] use of counterterrorism tactics in suppressing pro-Palestine activism"
Theia Chatelle reports: "To achieve these aims, the YPD invested heavily in monitoring student organizations’ activities throughout the spring."
"Additionally, numerous aerial photos as well as emails about drone training and use reveal that Yale also utilized an advanced drone surveillance program to watch protesters."
https://jewishcurrents.org/inside-yale-police-department-war-student-protesters-palestine
#Surveillance
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/688/968/653/841/540/original/df1c515c0de868b0.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/688/968/692/171/387/original/ca75cccea8bea218.png

2024-12-20 16:32:57 GMT

"Facebook has severely restricted the ability of Palestinian news outlets to reach an audience"
"In a comprehensive analysis of Facebook data, we found that newsrooms in the Palestinian territories - in Gaza and the West Bank - had suffered a steep drop in audience engagement since October 2023."
"... a change made to Instagram's algorithm, which toughened the moderation of Palestinians commenting on Instagram posts."
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c786wlxz4jgo
#Meta #Palestine

2024-12-19 06:01:25 GMT

Donate to Tor: https://donate.torproject.org/
The web would be far worse without it.
#Tor #Privacy
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/677/924/479/184/280/original/2c2bf9d147b03ec9.png

2024-12-18 19:11:46 GMT

When on any new socials, and people say "it's much nicer here" - maybe a pause or acknowledgement of how this might be possible because of who you are.
For far too many communities, abuse seems to follow them regardless of their platform of choice, even Mastodon, Bluesky, etc.
What does "friendlier" look like and to whom?

2024-12-12 01:09:19 GMT

"Our research has scrutinised reforms and closely documented the realities faced by workers in the Kingdom, particularly since the 2021 overhaul of the labour law. This newsletter provides a summary of our recent reporting and offers insights into what this monumental event — and Saudi's wider hyper-development — might mean for the country's 11 million migrant workers."
https://mailchi.mp/migrant-rights/2022review-10967674?e=6aea7db207
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/637/179/676/253/218/original/8b04ca71f1ed5a66.jpeg

2024-12-11 23:30:21 GMT

Our joint statement on the award of the 2034 Men's World Cup to Saudi Arabia:
https://sportandrightsalliance.org/award-of-2034-mens-world-cup-to-saudi-arabia-risks-lives-and-exposes-fifas-empty-human-rights-commitments/
#KSA #Saudi #WorldCup #HumanRights

2024-12-03 16:27:29 GMT

"What's the point of trying to create something different, if your existence is predicated on being silent about genocide and apartheid?" - @npub1z40…s3fq
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/03/tech-industry-gaza-palestine
#Gaza #Palestine #Tech #Nonprofits

2024-12-02 00:11:20 GMT

I'm very glad so many people are focused on building important things that we desperately need in this world.
#AI
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/580/325/324/669/405/original/4a7819e3a635e8a3.png

2024-12-01 00:23:54 GMT

Surveillance Watch is hosting a teach-in during the Phoenix of Gaza VR Exhibit and Symposium at Princeton University on Friday, Dec 6th.
The session will explore the complex ways surveillance companies operate across borders, exploiting legal loopholes and regulatory gaps to evade accountability.
If you're interested in attending, or know someone in the area who would be, you can RSVP here:
https://form.jotform.com/243134059006044
#Surveillance #Privacy
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/574/711/682/858/366/original/3ea5cdce061791df.png

2024-11-29 05:06:44 GMT

"Israel is examining the launch of a pilot program that could see US private security firms replace the army in northern Gaza"
"The former army officer also says Tel Aviv will likely ask that the US – or an outside party – finance the program."
"Since the start of the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, the Israeli government has turned to mercenaries to overcome an enlistment crisis."
https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27879
#Gaza #Palestine #USA #Israel

2024-11-27 17:08:47 GMT

Everyone has the right to browse, search, and speak online without the threat of their activities being tracked, sold to data brokers, or fed to the AI machine.
At Tor, we’re building tools to help people exercise that right to privacy easily (and at no cost)!
Please consider making a donation to Tor so we can keep building a better, privacy-respecting internet:
https://donate.torproject.org
#Privacy #Tor

2024-11-26 00:03:52 GMT

Very happy to share that @npub1e22…get2 was named the 2024 recipient of the Human Rights and Business Award.
The award recognizes "outstanding work by human rights defenders addressing the human rights impacts of business" -
https://www.humanrightsandbusinessaward.org/award-recipient/migrant-rights-org/
#Migrants #HumanRights #GCC #Gulf

2024-11-25 15:34:43 GMT

"The marketing of a new military tech tool powered by Meta’s artificial intelligence is irresponsible and clumsy."
"It gives incorrect technical data that a nonspecialist user is less likely to question."
"Turning to an LLM for airstrike planning also means sidestepping the typical human-based process and the responsibility that entails."
https://theintercept.com/2024/11/24/defense-llama-meta-military/
#AI #Meta #BigTech #Military

2024-11-23 22:04:55 GMT

The tech industry's eternal cycle: Build fast, ignore safety, chase growth. T&S and privacy get relegated to "we'll deal with it later" because protecting vulnerable communities was never the priority. They weren't the "target audience."
When their platforms get weaponized, when harassment turns systematic, when harm becomes irreversible - only then do they summon marginalized voices as free "advisors," shunning most of the feedback anyways because what could these communities possibly know?

2024-11-22 16:50:14 GMT

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Yes that's true, sorry I should've double checked - it was associated with the wrong link, deleted it.

2024-11-22 16:36:17 GMT

The Biden-Harris administration's refusal to hold war criminals accountable by discrediting and undermining the ICC cements its complicity in genocide.
History will not forget their role and rejection of international law and justice.
#Palestine #Gaza #Biden #Harris #USA #Israel #Genocide #WarCrimes

2024-11-22 15:39:34 GMT

"It is a daily struggle for survival under the Israeli-imposed siege on Gaza. Families are surviving on scraps of bread and contaminated canned food, and my children dream of a simple chicken meal. In a land once full of life, only ashes remain."
"I just want to wake up feeling safe to save what remains of my homeland. I don’t want my children to die of hunger"
"We are in a daily battle for survival and on a very long journey of patience and suffering."
https://mondoweiss.net/2024/11/how-my-family-has-survived-the-famine-in-gaza/
#Palestine

2024-11-22 03:23:36 GMT

Took a nap and dreamt that I was stuck in an elevator with a gleeful a16z exec. Still nauseous.

2024-11-20 18:31:31 GMT

"Niantic, the company behind the extremely popular augmented reality mobile games Pokémon Go and Ingress, announced that it is using data collected by its millions of players to create an AI model that can navigate the physical world" (and power robots)
https://www.404media.co/pokemon-go-players-have-unwittingly-trained-ai-to-navigate-the-world/
#AI

2024-11-17 21:52:31 GMT

Despite attempts at reform, the Kafala system in Gulf countries is still custom-built to exploit workers:
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/the-wage-slaves-of-the-kafala-system/

2024-11-17 04:01:50 GMT

It should matter that one of Bluesky's investors is Alumni Ventures, which also funded Outlogic (formerly known as X-Mode Social) - basically a data broker that collected and sold location data by tracking various mobile apps (including dating, music, weather, and Muslim prayer apps.)
Among other controversies, Outlogic/X‑Mode had supplied location data to U.S. military contractors:
https://themarkup.org/privacy/2022/01/27/gay-bi-dating-app-muslim-prayer-apps-sold-data-on-peoples-location-to-a-controversial-data-broker
#Bluesky #Privacy

2024-11-13 21:05:18 GMT

Dozens of entities and funders newly featured on Surveillance Watch: https://surveillancewatch.io
Thanks to everyone who supported with submissions, research and sourcing. Truly appreciate communities coming together to help build this resource.
#Privacy #Surveillance #Spyware
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/477/671/812/894/526/original/7faa039c7ab02ff4.png

2024-11-12 21:18:34 GMT

Next week, I'll be speaking about Surveillance Watch and grassroots movements resisting surveillance at the Color of Surveillance event in Georgetown Law.
This series aims to put racial and economic justice at the center of conversations about digital era surveillance:
https://www.law.georgetown.edu/privacy-technology-center/events/the-color-of-surveillance-surveillance-resistance/
#Privacy #Surveillance

2024-11-08 02:15:29 GMT

"This life is utterly unbearable. I don’t have the energy to endure it anymore. I hope this war ends and I’ll be back home, even to the rubble of my home. I miss making three meals a day. I miss calm and peace. I hope we’ll restore the beautiful times, and this occupation will end. I dream of seeing and living in a free Palestine before I die."
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/nakba-survivor-forced-to-flee-jabaliya
#Gaza #Palestine
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/444/921/470/028/636/original/d5f86d32489b9f83.webp

2024-11-04 19:56:03 GMT

"What we are seeing today is not only how advanced systems are created and tested in a tech-facilitated genocide but also new methods in the weaponization of everyday things."
"Pushing back on the normalization of techno-terror is important for the lives of millions of people in the Middle East, but also for everyone on the globe. If we are to contend with any work related to 'tech and society,' the boomerang must be grabbed and broken."
https://www.techpolicy.press/the-weaponization-of-things-israels-technoviolence-a-litmus-test-for-technologists/

2024-10-23 01:21:41 GMT

Thanks to Naomi Brockwell for this interview about Surveillance Watch. You can watch / listen to the full discussion here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PbL1GeClQI
#Privacy #Surveillance #Data
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/354/060/509/637/955/original/33a4f4ad70104cf9.mp4

2024-10-15 02:40:40 GMT

"Technology is playing a central role in enabling the relentless mass slaughter and destruction unleashed in Gaza. From supplying the dystopian AI systems used to automate the killing and bombing, to facilitating the spread of state-sponsored disinformation and online incitement to violence and war crimes, Big Tech is deeply embroiled in this brutal war."
https://www.accessnow.org/gaza-genocide-big-tech/
#BigTech #Gaza #Palestine

2024-10-14 20:10:33 GMT

From an interview I had with privacy advocate Naomi Brockwell:
"The reality is that we don’t truly know what someone else’s threat model is, what risks they’re facing, or what social circles might make them an unwitting target. So when people reveal their privacy preferences, you should listen."
"Your decision to overshare or to use less secure communication doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It can have real consequences for others."
https://nordictimes.com/tech/your-privacy-choices-affect-others-too/
#Privacy #Surveillance

2024-09-30 21:36:56 GMT

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We're expected to settle for tech that's just marginally better - where data exploitation is reduced but the overall experience remains toxic because non-white communities are excluded from the design and development process, with this myth that we can't fully grasp the "complexities" of building platforms or protocols.
The results are products that fail to meet the needs of users who don’t look like them or face the same challenges, and remains inaccessible or even harmful.

2024-09-27 20:17:00 GMT

"When a senior American official lies to Congress in the middle of genocide so that the government can keep funding that genocide, he is deliberately flouting the law and prolonging the suffering of millions of innocent people."
"Blinken should resign or be impeached."
https://www.commondreams.org/news/blinken-resign
#Gaza #Genocide #Israel

2024-09-27 15:59:19 GMT

Google was set to host an Israeli military conference at one of their Tel Aviv offices — but the event page was scrubbed from the internet when the Intercept asked questions.
"After months of sustained protests against Google’s relationship with Israel, the company appears to be trying to muddy that relationship, at least in the public eye, while continuing its collaboration with the Israeli military."
https://theintercept.com/2024/09/27/google-israel-defense-tech-conference/
#Israel #IDF #Google
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/210/329/521/848/235/original/4e3eaf148c71ca46.webp

2024-09-26 17:21:27 GMT

"NSO met with Israeli government officials and asked them to secure a blocking order from the nation’s courts to prevent having to comply with discovery requests."
https://www.techdirt.com/2024/09/25/apple-dumps-suit-against-nso-group-after-israeli-government-walks-off-with-a-bunch-of-the-companys-files/
#Privacy #Surveillance #Spyware

2024-09-25 11:52:55 GMT

"The U.S. government’s two foremost authorities on humanitarian assistance concluded this spring that Israel had deliberately blocked deliveries of food and medicine into Gaza."
"Blinken and the administration of President Joe Biden did not accept either finding."
https://www.propublica.org/article/gaza-palestine-israel-blocked-humanitarian-aid-blinken
#Israel #Gaza #Palestine #Biden #USA #Genocide #WarCrimes

2024-09-24 11:10:38 GMT

"Weapons used in earlier Israeli strikes into Lebanon that have killed civilians have been found to be U.S.-made."
"The Biden administration is telling us that it’s working for a ceasefire in Gaza, but continues to send arms."
https://theintercept.com/2024/09/23/israel-bombs-lebanon-us-weapons/
#Israel #Lebanon #Gaza #Palestine

2024-09-16 11:16:06 GMT

"Billionaire Larry Ellison says a vast AI-fueled surveillance system can ensure citizens will be on their best behavior"
"Ellison said AI would be used in the future to constantly watch and analyze vast surveillance systems, like security cameras, police body cameras, doorbell cameras, and vehicle dashboard cameras."
https://www.businessinsider.com/larry-ellison-ai-surveillance-keep-citizens-on-their-best-behavior-2024-9
#Privacy #Surveillance #AI

2024-09-11 03:18:24 GMT

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😵

2024-09-11 00:46:21 GMT

"Ford Motor Company is seeking a patent for technology that would allow it to tailor in-car advertising by listening to conversations among vehicle occupants, as well as by analyzing a car’s historical location and other data, according to a patent application"
https://therecord.media/ford-patent-application-in-vehicle-listening-advertising
#Privacy #Surveillance

2024-09-05 22:23:39 GMT

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I'll absolutely take Bitcoin, a16z says it's the future and that the environment doesn't matter because we're all dead inside anyways, and if the scams just enrich me at the expense of other communities then sure why not I deserve the best life EVER

2024-09-05 21:56:19 GMT

Hi everyone right now I'm fundraising for something called Super Safe Extra Superintelligence Inc (SSESI) and I can't quite share what it is but you have to trust me I need roughly $1B for a barely functional prototype (we promise it will be super duper safe and also super intelligent!!!!)
Our primary competitors, Safe Superintelligence Inc., have absolutely nothing on our GRAND idea that we need lots and lots of money for, heaps of money actually, an obscene amount - the time is now, join us!
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/087/160/037/895/815/original/640da52cd5d34831.png

2024-08-27 20:50:20 GMT

60 organizations, including RSF, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Free Press Unlimited signed a joint letter urging EU leaders to unequivocally and publicly call on Israel to meet the following press freedom demands:
- Provide access and uphold the freedom to report
- Protect the lives of journalists
- Ensure accountability and end impunity
https://rsf.org/sites/default/files/medias/file/2024/08/IOPT_EU_Joint%20Letter_8.21.2024_FINAL.docx.pdf
#Media #Press #Palestine #Gaza
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/035/917/733/851/830/original/731542c190386030.png

2024-08-27 17:57:03 GMT

"Released doctors, nurses and paramedics described to Human Rights Watch their mistreatment in Israeli custody, including humiliation, beatings, forced stress positions, prolonged cuffing and blindfolding, and denial of medical care. They also reported torture, including rape and sexual abuse by Israeli forces, denial of medical care, and poor detention conditions for the general detainee population."
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/08/26/israel-palestinian-healthcare-workers-tortured
#Palestine #Gaza

2024-08-27 04:04:44 GMT

"Britain, Israel and Australia are refusing to release evidence of the killing of an Australian aid worker and six colleagues in Gaza in April."
"The MoD previously ignored a question about whether its surveillance flights had gathered evidence of mass graves at al-Shifa hospital."
https://declassifiedaus.org/2024/08/26/evidence-withheld-in-israeli-killings-of-aid-workers/
#Gaza #Genocide

2024-08-26 19:20:13 GMT

"The revised ads, which linked to what UNRWA USA views as deeply dishonest distortions, have run across the US and Europe and continue to appear on Google as of this month despite additional UNRWA USA complaints"
https://www.wired.com/story/israel-unrwa-usa-hamas-google-search-ads/

2024-08-26 18:43:20 GMT

"There are no words, pictures, or videos that can really capture what’s happening. As soon as we got to the other side of the Gaza border crossing, it was like this dystopian image out of a movie. I mean it was just dust. It was an annihilation of the entire land. It’s not just buildings that were destroyed. There were things that looked like dirt fields, but I was told, 'That was an orchard. That was this farm."
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/08/dnc-palestine-gaza-doctors-uncommitted-israel-kamala-harris/
#Gaza #Palestine #Genocide

2024-08-22 15:40:58 GMT

"Expanded surveillance gives police greater opportunities to abuse their power and exploit people in poor neighborhoods. Under constant surveillance, every tiny infraction or misdemeanor becomes actionable."
"Equating surveillance with safety considers only a fraction of what 'safety' for everyone looks like. You cannot protect people from harm if part of what you offer them is a different kind of harm."
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/08/police-surveillance-wont-make-us-safer-broken-windows-on-steroids.html
#Surveillance #Privacy

2024-08-21 19:39:43 GMT

"These big companies think they can enter small villages like ours, take our land, and destroy it."
"The villagers have accused Microsoft of illegally encroaching upon Tungakunta Lake and using it as a dump yard"
https://restofworld.org/2024/microsoft-data-center-india-mekaguda-industrial-waste/
#BigTech

2024-08-21 02:42:31 GMT

The Cost of Trying to Make Palestinian Lives Matter in the Newsroom -
"There is often a high price to be paid when journalists try to tell Palestinian stories."
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/palestine-journalists-discrimination/
#Palestine #Gaza #Genocide #Media #Journalism
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/997/702/408/526/999/original/855089815877628f.jpg

2024-08-20 23:31:38 GMT

"In highly-censored regimes, circumvention tools like Tor — a browsing system which provides anonymity and unrestricted internet access — are often targeted by censors. In this article, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) introduces Tor bridges and explains how this technology can be used by journalists to access Tor."
https://safety.rsf.org/tor-bridges-a-way-to-keep-using-tor-in-countries-that-block-it/
#Privacy #Censorship #Anonymity
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/996/875/502/418/558/original/93d83b902cd22b9f.jpg

2024-08-17 03:26:53 GMT

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The person running their fitness program is the tech billionaire using his teenage son's blood plasma in pursuit of youth, no red flags whatsoever, sign me up

2024-08-17 03:24:25 GMT

This is how every cult starts and then we have to sit through a 6-part Netflix docuseries about who got murdered when attempting to escape
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/975/206/760/107/533/original/9b7354bff2ed7cd0.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/975/213/189/145/142/original/7ba50e9f275341b2.png

2024-08-16 22:22:30 GMT

Thank you to everyone who has been making submissions to Surveillance Watch, it has been updated with additional companies, sources and investors: https://www.surveillancewatch.io/
#Spyware #Surveillance #Privacy
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/974/026/621/361/141/original/be6c69bd4e5f33b1.mp4

2024-08-15 23:50:33 GMT

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It's not ideal or perfect, but the entire project was built with ~$5K and with such limited resources we had to compromise on some choices. Lots of improvements needed for better usability, accessibility and privacy - but some things cost to do right, and we just ask for some support and patience. It is not a simple undertaking.

2024-08-15 16:10:45 GMT

"The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to collect and analyze photos of the faces of migrant children at the border in a bid to improve facial recognition technology, MIT Technology Review can reveal. This includes children down to the infant"
https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/08/14/1096534/homeland-security-facial-recognition-immigration-border/
#Surveillance #Privacy

2024-08-14 22:29:08 GMT

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Are you on the latest version, 129.0.1?

2024-08-14 21:39:50 GMT

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Gosh, I wonder if there's a reason: https://blog.torproject.org/surveillance-as-a-service-global-impact-of-israeli-defense-technologies-on-privacy-human-rights/
&
https://www.versobooks.com/products/2684-the-palestine-laboratory?srsltid=AfmBOood8zUqt8GNGx5uUiYcetOgz6HiZWATXJV_r9IyyoItycL2b4j4

2024-08-14 17:39:30 GMT

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Great to know, thank you! 🙏

2024-08-14 17:21:49 GMT

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That would be great, thank you so much! 🙏

2024-08-14 17:20:39 GMT

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Loads fine on Firefox & Brave as well, admittedly not on Tor & Mullvad - we're extremely limited by resources so there's only so much we can do as volunteers here. It's not perfect.

2024-08-14 16:11:36 GMT

Pleased to announce the launch of Surveillance Watch, an interactive map and resource that documents the hidden connections within the opaque surveillance industry: https://www.surveillancewatch.io/
By mapping out the intricate web of surveillance companies, their subsidiaries, partners, and financial backers, we hope to expose the enablers fueling this industry's extensive rights violations, ensuring they cannot evade accountability for being complicit in this abuse.
#Privacy #Surveillance #InfoSec
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/961/246/640/547/605/original/101554a1ef75c901.png

2024-08-10 23:42:36 GMT

"Between October 7 and November 14, a total of 9,500 takedown requests were sent from the Israeli authorities to social media platforms, of which 60 percent went to Meta with a reported 94% compliance rate."
"Alongside government takedown requests, free expression in Gaza has been further restricted by platforms unjustly removing pro-Palestinian content and accounts—interfering with the dissemination of news and silencing voices expressing concern for Palestinians."
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/07/digital-apartheid-gaza-unjust-content-moderation-request-israels-cyber-unit

2024-08-07 19:53:38 GMT

"The group believes in white ethnostates and encourages terrorism and violent measures to achieve its aims."
https://protos.com/neo-nazi-solicits-crypto-donations-to-build-us-based-team-for-civil-war/
#Crypto

2024-08-07 17:03:58 GMT

"Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) is taking Elon Musk's X to court. According to Irish broadcaster RTE, the commission has launched High Court proceedings against Twitter International over concerns on how Europeans' public posts on X are being used to train the company's artificial intelligence tools."
https://www.engadget.com/ai/x-accused-of-using-eu-user-data-to-train-grok-without-consent-133042114.html
#AI #Privacy

2024-08-05 10:02:42 GMT

What tech-enhanced genocide looks like:
"The Israeli army is using Amazon’s cloud service to store surveillance information on Gaza’s population, while procuring further AI tools from Google and Microsoft for military purposes, an investigation reveals."
https://www.972mag.com/cloud-israeli-army-gaza-amazon-google-microsoft/
#Gaza #Palestine #Israel #Genocide #AI #BigTech #Surveillance #Amazon #Google #Microsoft

2024-08-03 15:57:09 GMT

"Israel has long used pollution and destruction of basic resources as a weapon against Palestinians. Water was already extremely polluted in Gaza before the genocide, with the WHO reporting in 2019 that 97 percent of the water from its aquifer was too polluted to meet standards for consumption."
https://truthout.org/articles/gaza-has-14-times-more-debris-than-total-created-in-all-conflicts-since-2008/
#Gaza #Palestine #Israel #Genocide

2024-08-02 11:49:06 GMT

I'm not sure why big tech salaries are always so glorified in the media. Sure you're making eye-watering amounts of money, but it also often requires you to be very willing to sell out on your basic values and complicity in surveillance and privacy violations. In the end, would the money really be worth it?
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/892/256/426/836/476/original/f45612e5fc686a26.png

2024-07-31 21:42:48 GMT

"Journalists are civilians and should never be targeted. Israel must explain why two more Al Jazeera journalists have been killed in what appears to be a direct strike."
https://cpj.org/2024/07/al-jazeera-journalists-ismail-al-ghoul-and-rami-al-refee-killed-in-gaza/
#Media #Gaza #Palestine #Journalism #Genocide

2024-07-25 23:35:33 GMT

"A monthslong investigation unpacks a false warning and an Israeli airstrike in the deadliest war for journalists on record."
https://theintercept.com/2024/07/24/gaza-journalists-israel-airstrike-babel-haji/
#Media #Journalism #Gaza #Palestine #Genocide #Israel

2024-07-24 23:26:19 GMT

"My faith isn’t a shield or an excuse for destruction. And my presence at Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address would be weaponized as false proof that I support him and his government’s conduct during this war, which I vehemently oppose."
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/netanyahu-address-congress-jacobs-israel-rcna163137
#Congress #Israel #Gaza #Palestine #Genocide

2024-07-23 02:01:35 GMT

"CPJ documented 99 journalists and media workers killed worldwide in 2023 — nearly three quarters of whom were Palestinian journalists who died in the Israel-Gaza war. This 2023 global total is the highest since 2015 and an almost 44% increase from 2022."
https://cpj.org/reports/2024/02/israel-gaza-war-brings-2023-journalist-killings-to-devastating-high/
#Journalists #Media #Gaza #Palestine
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/833/330/772/231/031/original/ad449184829400c4.jpg

2024-07-12 04:13:25 GMT

$250m+ in funding down the drain for not just a dumb but actually harmful and deeply problematic pet project:
https://protos.com/worldcoin-misses-its-2023-goal-of-one-billion-users-by-994-million/
#crypto #scams

2024-07-10 03:12:04 GMT

"Tesla's self-driving cars seem like a marvel of machine learning. But in reality, the company relies on a small army of human 'data annotators' who continuously improve how the cars drive by reviewing camera footage from thousands of Tesla drivers"
What a shocker 🙀
https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-prioritizes-musk-vip-data-self-driving-2024-7

2024-07-09 23:21:05 GMT

Laying off the people that helped you get to where you are and then celebrating profitability shortly after is some kind of achievement indeed 🙄
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/759/094/086/046/049/original/3d601cdea6eb8071.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/759/094/430/302/969/original/79deb159af5c6083.jpeg

2024-07-09 18:48:29 GMT

“A U.S government agency tasked with supporting the nation’s nuclear deterrence capability has bought access to a data tool that claims to cover more than 90 percent of the world’s internet traffic, and can in some cases let users trace activity through virtual private networks”
https://www.404media.co/u-s-nuke-agency-buys-internet-backbone-data/

2024-07-06 03:53:42 GMT

"The continuous cycle of mass displacement of civilians in Gaza and people being in survival mode and despair must stop"
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/7/6/israel-war-on-gaza-live-27-killed-in-wave-of-israeli-attacks-on-enclave
#Gaza #Palestine

2024-07-05 02:31:06 GMT

"Photographers, concept artists and sculptors who spoke to Engadget said that they were frustrated about Apple’s relative silence around how it gathers data for its AI models."
https://www.engadget.com/artists-criticize-apples-lack-of-transparency-around-apple-intelligence-data-131250021.html
#Apple #AI

2024-07-04 23:48:28 GMT

More accurate marketing: "take photos of yourself, and then be surveilled with facial recognition forever"
#Meta #Privacy #WhatsApp
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/730/888/750/788/334/original/a25102919f67e3b8.png

2024-07-02 16:06:59 GMT

"The sources also expressed concerns that YouTube’s broader approach to managing the conflict has been one-sided. For instance, Hebrew-language videos showing Israeli forces interacting with purported Palestinians in visibly dehumanizing ways have been left up on YouTube"
"We have firsthand experience of YouTube and Google employees telling us that videos clearly inciting violence and racism against Palestinians do not violate the companies policies"
https://www.wired.com/story/youtube-israel-gaza-moderation/
#YouTube #Google

2024-06-30 02:11:11 GMT

- reply

That's terrible, but so glad you are being taken care of, hope you make a swift recovery! 🙏

2024-06-28 22:18:50 GMT

This shows the strong need for @npub1vwv…cqgs to support those facing challenges connecting safely to the internet:
"Using a VPN to access the internet securely and privately has become increasingly risky. Police have been doing random phone checks, arresting people under anti-terrorism laws if they catch them with VPN apps on their phone."
https://www.accessnow.org/myanmar-vpn-ban/
#Censorship #Surveillance #VPN

2024-06-28 21:18:18 GMT

Job opportunity: @npub1gsu…fy6l is looking for an experienced and driven product and visual designer to join the team and take ownership of the user experience and the interface of both the app and the website.
If you're passionate about privacy-first and fully open source platforms and protocols, this is a great remote opportunity for you.
https://dribbble.com/jobs/257375-Product-designer-at-SimpleX-Chat
#FediHire #FediJob #Privacy #Messaging

2024-06-27 11:47:42 GMT

50 journalists from 13 different news organizations worked together to investigate the killing of journalists in Gaza and the arrests made in the West Bank, and calls into question the Israeli government's denials about targeting the press:
https://forbiddenstories.org/projects_posts/gaza-project/
#Gaza #Palestine #Media #Press
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/688/420/564/715/475/original/1b54c8df93bfbbb0.webp

2024-06-27 11:10:57 GMT

"The institute found that Microsoft censors its Bing translation results more than top Chinese services"
https://restofworld.org/2024/microsoft-bing-chinese-censorship/

2024-06-17 01:36:37 GMT

"Before Nakasone left the NSA, he wrote an op-ed supporting the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the surveillance program that was ultimately reauthorized by Congress in April."
"OpenAI says Nakasone will join its Safety and Security Committee."
😂😵
https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/13/24178079/openai-board-paul-nakasone-nsa-safety
#AI #Privacy #Surveillance

2024-06-17 01:13:49 GMT

"Just as surveillance capitalism took over the web, it will take over genAI. Despite multiple challenges, political and legal, around the world, surveillance capitalism continues to be the dominant business model."
http://privacyinternational.org/news-analysis/5331/generative-ai-wont-take-over-world-surveillance-capitalism-already-has
#Privacy #AI #Surveillance

2024-06-14 21:27:13 GMT

Business Insider's union in a letter to management:
"How are we to make arguments about the impact of our work if we have no insight into how our work is being used by OpenAI?”
"Repeated efforts by unit members have been unable to prompt ChatGPT to link directly to our scoops, even when explicitly instructed to do so."
"OpenAI may be downplaying rather than elevating our works."
https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/06/insider-union-chatgpt-hallucinating-links-business-insider-articles-openai-deal/
#AI #ChatGPT #OpenAI #Journalism

2024-06-14 03:31:24 GMT

"If mass surveillance is harmful, the remedy should be stopping them from doing that, not paying pennies to the people who are harmed" - @npub1u3y…38tr
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/13/technology/clearview-ai-facial-recognition-settlement.html
#Privacy #Surveillance #AI

2024-06-13 18:06:26 GMT

Mass surveillance tech being marketed as legitimate / useful consumer products should not be normalized. Every other major company and startup is promising to track you for your "convenience."
We need to get better about holding companies and their enablers (VCs, clients, etc) accountable for this repeated and growing abuse.
Our privacy is our dignity.
#Privacy #Surveillance
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/610/627/425/438/252/original/ac5c5676375b95a2.png

2024-06-13 15:44:35 GMT

"Almost four out of every 10 journalists covering the climate crisis and environment issues have been threatened as a result of their work, with 11% subjected to physical violence, according to groundbreaking new research."
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jun/05/climate-crisis-journalists

2024-06-12 21:51:47 GMT

Meta tried to discredit researchers in one of Brazil's top universities who identified fraudulent ads in its platforms:
"Defaming scientists has become a global strategy of Big Techs in order to try to silence critics in universities."
"In the United States, the social network has gone as far as banning researchers from accessing data after they did something that displeased the company."
https://nucleo.jor.br/english/2024-06-12-meta-tried-to-discredit-researchers-who-identified-fraudulent-ads-in-its-platforms/
#Meta #BigTech #Ads

2024-06-12 18:25:07 GMT

"An open-source Intercept investigation documented at least 37 Israeli airstrikes, drone strikes, and attacks by helicopter gunships in the West Bank since June 2023."
"The Israeli military repeatedly stated on social media that the strikes were carried out to kill terrorists. But this investigation identified a different pattern: Nearly half of the people killed in the strikes were children."
https://theintercept.com/2024/06/12/israel-west-bank-airstrikes-drones-palestinians-killed-children/
#Palestine #Israel #WestBank
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/605/047/543/095/845/original/72780d0485a3ba3c.png

2024-06-12 18:10:15 GMT

I understand the intended design but there is no way my eyes can handle this color contrast while reading and scrolling for an extended period of time. I opted to use Brave's Speedreader to make this article more accessible:
https://www.theverge.com/c/24133822/microsoft-excel-spreadsheet-competition-championship
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/604/976/104/830/563/original/5f847235ffbdceac.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/604/976/312/178/215/original/eb94c0838716817c.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/604/978/714/266/917/original/025f2594344669a3.png

2024-06-11 18:18:32 GMT

"Brazil’s Congress should ensure that proposed AI regulations incorporate data privacy protections for everyone, especially children."
That's why @npub1gsu…fy6l wrote about how protecting children's safety requires end-to-end encryption, and how any proposals to undermine it would create detrimental risks that far outweigh any perceived benefits:
https://simplex.chat/blog/20240601-protecting-children-safety-requires-e2e-encryption.html
Full HRW piece on data privacy safeguards to protect children against exploitation:
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/06/10/brazil-childrens-personal-photos-misused-power-ai-tools
#Privacy #Encryption

2024-06-09 19:07:47 GMT

Global union files complaints against Saudi with the ILO; accuses the Kingdom of complicity in forced labour:
https://www.migrant-rights.org/2024/06/global-union-files-complaints-against-saudi-with-the-ilo-accuses-the-kingdom-of-complicity-in-forced-labour/
#KSA #Migrants

2024-06-07 01:52:39 GMT

"We must stop watching Palestinian suffering as a form of emotional tourism. Seeing their pain this way depoliticizes their grievances and turns them into perpetual objects of a hypocritical gaze. Suffering is a political act crying for justice, not a 30-second spectacle of an empathetic discharge."
"If published, I will have to live with a predictable backlash calling me out for violating the imperial instruction of how to be a good Arab."
https://socialtextjournal.org/periscope_article/this-is-a-scream-and-i-dare-you-to-publish-it/
#Gaza #Palestine

2024-06-07 01:34:19 GMT

"Questioning the design and dev progress was apparently against company policy."
"Software engineer was fired for questioning if the AI pin would be ready for launch."
"$230 million in funding and $7 million in sales."
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/06/report-humane-ai-pin-did-7-million-in-sales-wants-to-sell-for-1-billion/
#AI

2024-06-06 22:55:57 GMT

Folkglory is a website dedicated to sharing and exploring Levantine and Arab embroidery and craft-making traditions:
https://www.folkglory.com/
#Design #Culture #Heritage #Jordan #Palestine
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/572/135/303/969/901/original/e57eb7a7c35c6996.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/572/135/837/393/714/original/fb7ad1095a313df7.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/572/136/225/659/692/original/05a2c5907633ea55.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/572/140/813/214/054/original/b8791385d89204f3.jpg

2024-06-06 18:04:43 GMT

"Many of the employees who joined the campaign are on the verge of resigning."
"For a lot of federal employees, this is the first personal action they’ve taken."
https://theintercept.com/2024/06/06/government-federal-employees-biden-gaza-war/
#Gaza #Palestine