YouTube: Latent Power and a Potential Flash Point within Russia?
August 8, 2022
I read the estimable Murdoch write up called “How YouTube Keeps Broadcasting Inside Russia’s Digital Iron Curtain.” And how about this subtitle?
Access to the video site allows Russians access to one of the few sources of independent information about the Ukraine war
(Keep in mind that you will have to pay to view the article on the WSJ.com site.)
I have suggested that Russia’s regulators see the Google as a giant piggy bank with a ceramic head resembling Godzilla’s. How powerful is Google’s YouTube? The write up suggests that the Alphabet Google YouTube DeepMind thing is pretty powerful. Well, actually what’s powerful is YouTube and its millions upon millions of videos.
Here’s the key statement in the “real” news article:
“Some banks are too big to fail, and some apps are too big to be blocked,” stated Nu Wexler, a former coverage communications staffer at Google, Meta and Twitter. “The Russian government knows they would face a backlash if they were to block a popular app like YouTube in the country.”
Why not enjoy the videos on Rutube, Rumble, or the high quality streamgun.vod site? The reason, according to one attendee at a law enforcement, crime analyst, and intelligence professional centric conference boils down to YouTube being Number One with a bullet.
The idea is that in some of the cheerful outposts in Siberia as well as the toasty towns in Sochi, YouTube is the primary source of entertainment. Okay, but I suggested vodka was the big dog. Wrong, I learned. Despite the quality of Russian state television and the outstanding Russian motion pictures, YouTube kept the young folks busy.
I have yet to see credible data which suggests that YouTube, not Russia billboards, is the information gun in Russia. There is, of course, TikTok and some of the low cost pirate streaming services. YouTube has triumphed it is alleged.
Here’s a factoid from the write up I saw:
YouTube had greater than 85 million month-to-month distinctive viewers in Russia in June, in line with analytics firm.
And how about this allegedly accurate item?
The video website was utilized by 47% of a pattern of Russians surveyed in April by the unbiased Russian pollster Levada Center, making it the nation’s second-most common social community behind native service VKontakte.
Maybe Rutube can displace the GOOG’s YouTube? Maybe:
Russian officers have stated state cash could be invested into Rutube, a unit of the state-owned vitality big Gazprom PJSC that options pro-Moscow content material. It had 9.7 million month-to-month distinctive viewers in Russia in June, SimilarWeb stated.
Net net: No wonder the Alphabet Google YouTube DeepMind operation finds pesky laws enacted by nation-states annoying. YouTube is able to do what Ukraine cannot: Displace that which it finds annoying and a threat to its data collection and advertising efforts. Google is in a position to trigger social unrest in Russia by pulling out of the country’s datasphere. That’s power. What if YouTube were used to incite citizen unrest in Russia and maybe a couple of other countries?
Interesting idea and worth consideration by some I suppose.
Stephen E Arnold, August 8, 2022
Closing the COPPA Loophole
August 3, 2022
We need updated legislation to protect children from their own phones and tablets, according to the Washington Post, because “Your Kids’ Apps Are Spying on Them [paywall].” Reporter Geoffrey A. Fowler writes:
“Apps are spying on our kids at a scale that should shock you. More than two-thirds of the 1,000 most popular iPhone apps likely to be used by children collect and send their personal information out to the advertising industry, according to a major new study shared with me by fraud and compliance software company Pixalate. On Android, 79 percent of popular kids apps do the same. Angry Birds 2 snoops when kids use it. So do Candy Crush Saga and apps for coloring and doing math homework. They’re grabbing kids’ general locations and other identifying information and sending it to companies that can track their interests, predict what they might want to buy or even sell their information to others.”
The article elaborates on the problem with details from that Pixalate study and other research. It emphasizes:
“Children’s privacy deserves special attention because kids’ data can be misused in some uniquely harmful ways. Research suggests many children can’t distinguish ads from content, and tracking tech lets marketers micro-target young minds. This is why kids are at the center of one of America’s few privacy laws, the 1998 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA. It said that companies aren’t supposed to gather personal information about kids under 13 without parental permission.”
So if COPPA prohibits this data grab, why is it happening? Because of the “actual knowledge” loophole. App makers must simply pretend they do not know children are using their software. Preschool-type games featuring cute cartoon animals? Grade 3 homework helpers? We are supposed to believe those are meant for ages 13 and up. To make matters worse, Apple’s and Google’s app stores make it difficult for parents to find apps that do comply with COPPA. Instead, due diligence means combing through each and every app’s obfuscatory privacy policies.
Fowler notes several ways tech companies could prohibit apps they sell from gathering data on children, if only they wanted to. Sadly, they are unlikely to put children over profits unless forced to by an updated COPPA. One has been proposed by Senator Ed Markey, one of original bill’s authors, and Representative Kathy Castor. Will this or a similar bill ever become law? Or have tech giants amassed so much power we cannot even protect our kids from data scroungers?
Cynthia Murrell,August 3, 2022
TikTok: Is Joe Rogan the Person to Blow the Whistle on Chinese Surveillance?
August 3, 2022
TikTok has been around since 2015 as A.me and Douyin. If you want to scrape below the shiny surface of the TikTok rags-to-riches story, there something called Musical.ly which surfaced in 2014. In 2018, the Musical.ly management team decided that selling to ByteDance was a super great idea. Then TikTok was created to entertain and log data. Few talk about the link to certain entities in the Chinese political structure. Even fewer think that short videos were bad. Sure, there were allegations of self harm, addiction, erosion of self worth, and students who preferred watching vids pumped at them by a magical algorithm. Nobody, including some Silicon Valley real news people with an inflated view of their intellectual capabilities said, “Yo, TikTok is a weaponized content delivery and surveillance system.” Nope. Just cute videos. What’s the problemo?
Who is now concerned about TikTok? The NSA? The CIA? The badge-and-gun entities in the US Federal government? Well, maybe. But the big voice is now a semi-real sports event announcer. “Joe Rogan Warns Americans about TikTok: China Knows Every … Thing You type.” Hey, Joe, don’t forget psychographic profiling to identify future insider operators, please.
The article reports:
Rogan listed the other data being collected by the popular platform. “‘User agent, mobile carrier, time zone settings, identifiers for advertising purpose, model of your device, the device system, network type, device IDs, your screen resolution and operating system, app and file names and types,’” he said. “So all your apps and all your file names, all the things you have filed away on your phone, they have access to that.” He continued: “‘File names and types, keystroke patterns or rhythms.’”
Hot intel, Mr. Rogan.
Where did this major news originate? From Mr. Rogan’s wellness infused research?
Nope. He read the terms of service.
The estimable newspaper pointed out:
… the tech news site Gizmodo reported that leaked internal documents from TikTok showed the extent to which the app sought to “downplay the China association.” The documents, labeled “TikTok Master Messaging” and “TikTok Key Messages,” detail the social media giant’s public relations strategy during a period of mounting scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers over its parent company ByteDance and its ties to the Chinese Community Party.
Gizmodo? Is this Silicon Valley type “real news” outlet emulating Cryptome.org?
According to the cited New York Post story:
TikTok has pledged to “publish insights about the covert influence operations we identify and remove from our platform globally to show how seriously we take attempts to mislead our community.”
That sounds good just like a cyber security firm’s PowerPoint deck. Talk, however, is not action.
Maybe Mr. Rogan can use his ring announcer voice to catch people’s attention? I am not sure some of the TikTok lovers will listen or believe what Mr. Rogan discovered in the super stealthy terms of service for TikTok.
That’s real open source intel. Put Mr. Rogan on a panel at the next OSINT conference, please. I mean TikTok has a 10 year history and it seems to be quite new to some folks.
Stephen E Arnold, August 3, 2022
Google and Kids: The School Push Squeezes Some New Concessions… Allegedly
August 1, 2022
I read “Chrome Use Subject to Restrictions in Dutch Schools over Data Security Concerns.” The write up reports:
Several schools and other educational organizations are having to restrict usage of Google’s software, including its Chrome browser and Chrome OS offerings over security and privacy fears. The Dutch Ministry of Education has ordered the country’s education industry to implement the changes following over fears that Google’s software is in conflict with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other privacy-related regulations in the country.
I am not surprised. I noted that the article presents some familiar wordage; for example:
… The ministers discussed these issues with the representatives of Google, Microsoft, and Zoom, and that these companies assured the ministers that their future versions will be more transparent, and more compatible, with the country’s (and the EU bloc’s) privacy and data protection laws.
I like the “assured the ministers” phrase. It reminds me of “Senator, thank you for the question. I will forward the information to your office. And I am sorry, really, really sorry. We are constantly trying to improve.”
Improve what?
Well, in my opinion it is the collection of fine grained data, actionable intelligence, and insight into what those kiddies are doing. But that’s just my point of view. The giant technology firms just want to do good. No, really.
Do good.
Those assurances sparked an update to the original article and guess what?
… Chrome and Chrome OS are not banned in the education sector of the country, and that schools may continue using them provided that they perform certain actions themselves to strengthen data security and ensure student privacy.
Progress.
Stephen E Arnold, August 1, 2022
Surprise: NSO Group Pegasus Is in the News Again
July 28, 2022
On July 27, 2022, the winger wonder Pegasus cast a shadow over the desks of the House Intelligence Committee. The flapping of the mythical creatures wings could not be stilled. Gavel pounding, heavy breathing from lobbyists in the gallery, and convoluted statements by elected leaders did not cause the beastie to fly away. Nope. Pegasus with its NSO Group logo branded on its comely haunch was present. Even mythical creatures can leave behind a mess.
And it appears as if the mess is semi-permanent and odiferous.
“We’re Likely Only Seeing the Tip of the Iceberg of Pegasus Spyware Use Against the US” states:
US lawmakers heard testimony from Citizen Lab senior researcher John Scott-Railton; Shane Huntley, who leads Google’s Threat Analysis Group; and Carine Kanimba, whose father was the inspiration for Hotel Rwanda and who was, herself, targeted by Pegasus spyware. This, of course, is the now-infamous malware that its developer, Israel’s NSO Group, claims is only sold to legitimate government agencies — not private companies or individuals. Once installed on a victim’s device, Pegasus can, among other things, secretly snoop on that person’s calls, messages, and other activities, and access their phone’s camera without permission.
I like the Hotel Rawanda reference. Younger elected officials may not know much about intelware, but they definitely know about the motion picture in my opinion. Hutus Tutsis and a big box office. A target of Pegasus. Credibility? Yep.
The hearings continue of July 28, 2022. According to the article:
Schiff called NSO’s software and similar eavesdropping tools “a threat to Americans,” and pointed to news reports from last year about cellphones belonging to US diplomats in Uganda being compromised by Pegasus. It is my belief that we are very likely looking at the tip of the iceberg, and that other US government personnel have had their devices compromised, whether by a nation-state using NSO’s services or tools offered by one of its lesser known but equally potent competitors,” Schiff said.
Google — the go to source for objective information — is allegedly tracking 30 firms “that sell exploits or surveillance capabilities to government-backed groups.
Just 30? Interesting, but, hey, Google knows surveillance cold I suppose.
A handful of observations:
- NSO Group’s Pegasus continues to capture attention like a Kentucky Derby winner which allegedly has banned substances rubbed on its belly. Some of those rub ons have a powerful scent. Even a boozy race track veterinarian can wince when checking a specific thoroughbred’s nether region.
- The knock on effect of NSO Group’s alleged management oversight means that scrutiny of intelware companies is going to spotlight the founders, funders, and stakeholders. I think this is like a deer standing on railroad tracks mesmerized by the bright white light heading down the rails at 60 miles per hour. In the train versus deer competitions in the past, trains hold a decided advantage.
- Individual companies in the specialized software business face an uncertain future.
How uncertain?
Regulations and bans seem to be on the menus in a number of countries. Also, there are a finite number of big dollar contracts for specialized software and smaller firms are going to have to get big fast, sell out to a larger company with multiple lines of law enforcement, defense, and intelligence revenue, or find a way to market without marketing “too well.”
And the “too well”?
Since NSO Group’s spotlight appearances, smaller intelware companies have had to be very careful abut their sales and marketing activities. Why? There are reporters from big time newspapers nosing around for information. There are online podcasts which have guests who talk about what specialized software can do, where the data originate, and how a “food chain” of information providers provide high value information. There are the tireless contributors of Twitter’s #OSINT threads who offer sometimes dumb and less frequently high-value nuggets about specialized services vendors. Finally, there are the marketers at specialized services firms themselves who use email blasts to tout their latest breakthroughs. Other small specialized software vendors prowl the niche law enforcement and intelligence conferences in search of sales leads. In some cases, there are more marketers than there are individuals who can license a data set, an analytics package, or the whole enchilada needed to monitor — how shall I phrase it — comprehensively. These energetic marketers learn that their employer becomes a journalist’s subject of interest.
Net net: When I reflect on the golden years of specialized software and services marketing, testing, and deploying, I have one hypotheses: NSO Group’s visibility has changed the game. There will be losers and a very few big winners. Who could have foreseen specialized software and services working like a bet on the baccarat tables in Monaco? Who anticipated NSO Group-type technology becoming “personal” to the US? I sure did not. The light at the end of the tunnel, once the train clears the deer, is that the discipline of “marketing without marketing too much” may become mainstream in France, Germany, Israel, Switzerland, and the US. I hear that train a-comin’ do you?
Stephen E Arnold, July 28, 2022
Should Scientific Collaboration Be Easier?
July 28, 2022
One of the Internet’s greatest benefits is that it offers scientists and other smart people the chance to collaborate across the globe. The United Nations and other researchers state that collaboration is essential to solving global warming, biodiversity loss, and curing pandemics. However, The Conversation says it is not that easy in the article, “It’s Getting Harder For Scientists To Collaborate Across Borders-That’s Bad When The World Faces Problems Like Pandemics And Climate Change.”
Collaboration with non-Western countries, such as the tuberculosis research network between South Africa, China, India, Russia, and Brazil led to advancements in basic and applied research. Unfortunately, Earth’s most powerful countries, increases in their nationalism, Russia’s war with Ukraine, and the COVID-19 pandemic have made it difficult for researchers to work together.
Russia has stopped working with all collaboration efforts from the arts to climate science in the Arctic. China has stopped working with the United States on projects involving quantum computing and microelectronics. Russia, China, and other countries have turned science into a tool for international politics.
Stopping international research collaboration is bad:
“But reducing or stopping international research comes with its own risks. It slows down the production of knowledge needed to address long-term global problems and reduces the potential for future scientific collaboration… First, the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 led to an increased openness in global scientific exchange. In particular, there was growth in the number of students from developing and non-Western countries going to universities in the West. This movement formed networks of researchers from many countries. Second, massively collaborative scientific efforts – such as the Human Genome Project – as well as the ever-growing importance of expensive, large research laboratories and instruments have fueled international collaboration. Finally, the digital revolution has made it much easier to communicate and share data across borders. This all resulted in collaborative and fruitful research in many fields including gene technology, climate science and artificial intelligence. While Western countries dominated the scientific landscape of the 20th century, globalization has benefited many non-Western countries.”
The European Union, China, and United States are competing for technological and scientific leadership. The US and European Union explained that the loss of scientific and technological leadership leads to fewer economic opportunities and threatens democracy.
The US does want to limit China’s international influence and scientific progress. The US launched a large anti-espionage effort called the China Initiative to uncover connections US-Chinese links in corporate and academic sectors. Nothing was substantiated, but three US-based scholars were convicted when they failed to disclose Chinese ties. The China Initiative was criticized, then President Biden ended it in 2022.
The US, however, still has trade sanctions on Chinese countries to curtail China’s science and technology industries. The European Union is doing the same. China wants its science, technology, and scholarly industries to serve its interests. All three powers are wary of any collaboration.
Scientists want to work together, but governments and dictators ruin the fun for everyone.
Whitney Grace, July 28, 2022
Ka-Ching: The Old Sound of New Revenue for the European Union
July 21, 2022
New billing cycle begins. Two benefits. The first is more revenue from fines on US big tech money spinners and the second is a good old school slide tackle with the cleats up. Ouch.
“DMA: Council Gives Final Approval to New Rules for Fair Competition Online” states:
The [Digital Marketing Act] DMA ensures a digital level playing field that establishes clear rights and rules for large online platforms (‘gatekeepers’) and makes sure that none of them abuses their position. Regulating the digital market at EU level will create a fair and competitive digital environment, allowing companies and consumers to benefit from digital opportunities.
And the bold face? That was part of the cited announcement. Ka-ching, slide, oh, broken shin, too bad, mon ami.
The write up elaborated that the Silicon Valley type of logical and efficiency centric companies will no longer be allowed to:
- rank their own products or services higher than those of others (self-preferencing)
- pre-install certain apps or software, or prevent users from easily un-installing these apps or software
- require the most important software (e.g. web browsers) to be installed by default when installing an operating system
- prevent developers from using third-party payment platforms for app sales
- reuse private data collected during a service for the purposes of another service.
Now the ka-ching part. Fines can be up to 20 percent of worldwide revenues. That means that the fines levied by Russia’s estimable agencies are small, brown, shriveled potatoes.
Then the slide tackle: The high tech “way above the clouds in self confidence and entitlement” will have to “inform the European Commission of their acquisitions and mergers.”
Well, so what? That’s an email, right?
Not so fast. A failure to “inform” means the 20 percent fee kicks in. A sluggishness, a bad attitude, and the old let’s apologize tactic will beget additional legislation.
What if the big dude-oids don’t follow the rules?
Just between you and me, okay, renting an apartment in France can be complicated. Now imagine how complicated it will become when the EU creates an environment in which regulatory authorities take a close interest in any touch point with a member. How about flying into Frankfort and being escorted to a return flight to the US? What about a private jet with a happy Silicon Valley-type logo on its tail being refused access to air space? What about some of those interesting employer-employee requirements: Lunch for a French staff in Paris is trivial to employment regulations not codified in a single law.
The write up resonates with that most musical sound: Ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching. Why? The agreement was adopted.
Stephen E Arnold, July 21, 2022
US Elected Officials Leap to the Aid of Consumers, Voters, and Those Who Have Not Spent Enough for Influence Peddlers
July 20, 2022
Over the years, I have enjoyed the very, very slow realization that search results are NOT objective, that user privacy is NOT a priority, and that Congressional investigations are NOT particularly rigorous. Remember those statements, “Senator, thank you for the question.” The statement is followed by jibber jabber that makes clear the person representing a giant firm does not know [a] much about what the business does, [b] is not sure about what the impact of those processes have, and [c] are mostly concerned with nest feathering and reputation grooming.
I thought about my past secret pleasures when I read “Internal Documents Show Facebook and Google Discussing Platform Strategies: The House Judiciary Committee Released New Documents Tuesday.” The write up reports as actual factual behavior:
The documents were obtained by the House Judiciary Committee as part of its lengthy investigation into anticompetitive behavior from Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook’s parent company Meta. The investigation wrapped up in 2020, but the newly published emails, memos, and reports provide new evidence backing the committee’s calls to advance tougher competition rules for the tech industry.
Okay, about a two year or more delay between having documents and fortuitously, sincerely, responsibly sharing the information.
Let’s see. I think the people releasing the documents in this expeditious manner affect high-tech companies. These are, in my opinion, exemplars of ethical capitalism which have contributed to [a] the destruction of small retail and service businesses, [b] fostered disunity with echo-chamber content recommendation scripts, [c] egregious management actions with regard to those who disagree or who generate babies in a legal department, [d] twisting procedures to create new revenue opportunities, and [e] just being all around great people at high school reunions, Aspen Institute gatherings, and at NCAA basketball playoff games.
If you want to read these documents, you can navigate to this page, live as of July 20, 2022: https://judiciary.house.gov/online-platforms-and-market-power/additional-documents.htm
My suggestion is that one should access the documents more quickly that the elected officials released them. Like information about the MIC, RAC, and ZPIC activities, data can disappear from a government Web site. Poof. Gone.
I am now officially laughing at this document dump and its timing. Ho ho ho. There are more Amazon documents than information from either Facebook or the Google. Lovable Amazon. Who knew?
Stephen E Arnold, July 20, 2022
NSO Group: Lobbying Is Often Helpful
July 20, 2022
More NSO Group news. “Pegasus Spyware Maker NSO Is Conducting a Lobbying Campaign to Get Off U.S. Blacklist.” The article states as actual factual:
NSO has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in the past year in payments to lobbyists, public relations companies and law firms in the U.S., in the hope of reversing the Biden administration’s November decision, according to public records filed under the Foreign Agent Registration Act and conversations with people familiar with the effort. These firms have approached members of the U.S. House and Senate, as well as various media outlets and think tanks across the U.S., on NSO’s behalf.
Who knew? NSO Group has been able to attract media attention for months.
The write up points out:
NSO is trying to get the matter raised during a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid when the former visits Israel this week. In addition, NSO lobbyists unsuccessfully tried to set up a meeting between representatives of the company and U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, but it did not take place. Asked for comment, an NSO spokesperson declined to comment on the campaign but “thanked” Shomrim for publishing an article on its efforts, which he described as “supportive.”
Interesting. Why won’t world leaders do what a high tech outfit providing specialized services want?
NSO Group has been trying to explain its position; for example, the cited article notes:
In a different letter distributed by the firm this year, NSO states it has “developed a human rights governance compliance program,” saying it would conduct a review of all users to see whether they might use the technology used to “violate human rights.”
In my upcoming lecture for a law enforcement group, I point out that with each passing day it is increasingly difficult to figure out what information is “valid”. As a result, the utility of open source information is eroding. Perhaps the Golden Age of OSINT is darkened with weaponized information?
Interesting?
Stephen E Arnold, July 20, 2022
TikTok: Slipping and Dipping or Plotting and Planning?
July 15, 2022
I read “TikTok Aborts Europe, US Expansion Ambitions Shortly After US Senate Inquiry.” Surprising? Not really. TikTok and its ByteDance Ltd. “partner” is it appears rethinking how to capitalize on its popularity among the most avid, short attention span clickers. The article explains that TikTok is not too keen on selling via its baby super app. The reasons are, according to the cited article and the estimable orange newspaper, are “internal problems and failure to gain traction with consumers.”
With the management savvy of the Chinese government, it seems to me that resolving “internal problems” was a straightforward process. Identify the dissenter and let the re-education camps work their magic. The problem with “traction” is that I don’t see much hard evidence that a super app which bundles promoting, buying and selling is unpopular with consumers. The TikTok generation is pretty happy following an influencer and buying whatever the person pitches: Coffee, wellness stuff, makeup, and “so cute” gym clothes.
For me the news story is too far from the horseshoe stake of credibility. I think we have a PR play engineered to get people to say, “See, TikTok is a company which recognizes that it cannot do everything.”
I am skeptical. Here are three reasons I spelled out to my colleagues at lunch today:
- TikTok denizens are selling and are unlikely to stop. At some point, ByteDance is going to want a piece of the action.
- TikTok is becoming a super app. Its users will demand additional functionality. If it is not delivered, the clever little clickers will create add ins. Will ByteDance sit on its hands and fail to monetize enhancements and extensions to the TikTok app?
- TikTok does not want to be shut down; therefore, cooing and trying to avoid getting in trouble with US and European regulators is a high priority. Why? The data are priceless.
Net net: Will TikTok do the adulting to behave in a non capitalistic manner? Pick one: [a] No or [b] No. This is less of a company versus company action and more of a government playing Go against an opponent playing checkers.
Stephen E Arnold, July 15, 2022
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