News of the Cyber World

[kyonides]

Google Antitrust Case: Documents Show Company Only Innovates Under Threat of Government Action

Bloomberg reports that Google faced a turning point in 2018 when the European Union imposed an antitrust order that significantly impacted its operations. This order required Google to present Android phone users with a choice screen offering five search engine options, a move aimed at reducing Google’s dominance in the market. This development catalyzed Google’s strategic plan, dubbed “Go Big in Europe,” which aimed at elevating the quality of its search results across the European market. The strategy to innovate in Europe, which was developed in response to EU antitrust pressure, was revealed as part of the ongoing antitrust case against the internet giant.

The “Go Big in Europe” initiative emerged as a response to the EU’s decision, with Google planning to enhance its search engine’s performance in key European markets like France and Germany. The plan included adding diverse features such as post-game soccer video highlights, more localized content, news pronunciation tools for different languages, and detailed information on local television streaming options. This approach indicated a shift in Google’s strategy, focusing on regional customization and a more nuanced understanding of different European markets.

During the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust trial against Google, internal documents revealed the extensive planning behind the “Go Big in Europe” strategy. Ben Gomes, who was the head of Google’s search team at the time, provided insight into the company’s mindset following the EU ruling. He emphasized that the initiative was part of an ongoing effort to invest in Europe and was not solely a reaction to the EU’s choice screen requirement.

France Claims Russia is Whipping up Antisemitism to Destabilise West

France says it has been the target of a Russian online destabilization campaign that used automated social-media accounts to whip up controversy and confusion about spray-painted Stars of David that appeared on Paris streets and fed alarm about surging antisemitism in France during the Israel-Hamas war.

The 250 or so quickly erased blue stars are now the subject of French police investigations seeking to determine whether the graffiti were antisemitic, as Paris’ police chief and others initially suspected, and if they were organized from outside France.

The stars’ stenciling on walls in Paris and its suburbs last month quickly fomented debate and alarm on social media and concerns about the safety of France’s Jewish community, the largest in Europe.

Since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, triggering their latest and deadliest war, French authorities have counted more than 1,150 antisemitic acts. That’s nearly three times more than all acts against French Jews in 2022, the Interior Ministry says.

In a statement Thursday evening, France’s Foreign Ministry pointed a finger of blame at Russia, saying a Russian network of bots whipped up controversy about the stars with thousands of posts on X, the platform previously known as Twitter. Bots are automated accounts programmed to mimic human users by generating messages or following users on social media, often for nefarious or malicious purposes.

“This new operation of Russian digital interference against France testifies to the persistence of an opportunistic and irresponsible strategy aimed at exploiting international crises to sow confusion and create tensions in the public debate in France and in Europe,” the statement said.

It said the bots were affiliated with a Russian network – Recent Reliable News, also identified as Doppelgänger.

The Russian activity was detected by Viginum, a French state digital watchdog set up in 2021 after hackers targeted Emmanuel Macron ‘s successful campaign for the French presidency in 2017. The core mission of Viginum is to detect and analyze foreign digital efforts to influence online public debate in France.

Viginum determined that a network of 1,095 bots affiliated with RRN published 2,589 posts on X in under two weeks, “contributing to the controversy surrounding the stenciled Stars of David,” the French Foreign Ministry said.

FTC: Data Broker Sells ‘Staggering’ Amount of Sensitive Info on Americans

Ars Technica reports that one of the world’s largest mobile data brokers, Kochava, has found itself at the center of a legal battle with the FTC. The FTC has accused Kochava of amassing and disclosing “a staggering amount of sensitive and identifying information about consumers,” allegedly without their consent. The FTC complaint was unsealed after the company’s unsuccessful attempt to keep it from public view.

According to the FTC’s allegations, Kochava’s database is not only huge but also alarmingly detailed. It reportedly includes information capable of identifying nearly every person in the United States. The FTC claims that Kochava’s customers, primarily advertisers, can access this data to trace individuals’ movements to sensitive locations such as hospitals, places of worship, and domestic shelters with a promised accuracy of a few meters. This level of detail extends over various time frames, ranging from a day to a year.

Furthermore, the FTC alleges that Kochava’s products offer a “360-degree perspective” on individuals, revealing personal details like names, home addresses, phone numbers, and sensitive information such as race, gender, ethnicity, annual income, political affiliations, and religion. The FTC’s amended complaint emphasizes the invasive nature of these practices, stating, “Kochava’s use and disclosure of this precise geolocation information invade consumers’ privacy and cause or are likely to cause consumers substantial injury.”

The FTC also criticizes Kochava for its “audience segments” feature, which allegedly allows advertisers to target customers based on specific sensitive and personal characteristics or attributes identified from its massive collection of data. This includes grouping people by common data points like age or gender, but also by places they have visited, political associations, or even their current circumstances, such as being expectant parents.

A Match Made in Hell: Facebook Strikes Deal to Reenter Chinese Market

The Wall Street Journal reports that Meta Platforms, the company formerly known as Facebook, has embarked on a major strategic move by partnering with Tencent Holdings, a Chinese juggernaut in the global gaming industry. This partnership marks a return for Mark Zuckerberg’s to the Chinese market, a space it exited in 2009 when Facebook was blocked in China. The collaboration is set to kick off in late 2024, focusing on the launch of a new, cost-effective virtual reality headset.

The new VR headset, designed to be more affordable than Meta’s recent Quest 3 model, aims to make advanced virtual reality technology accessible to a broader segment of consumers. The device will feature cutting-edge lenses and a more powerful graphic processing unit compared to its predecessor, Quest 2.

Under the terms of the agreement, Tencent will exclusively handle the sales of Meta’s VR headsets within China. According to the agreement, Meta will earn a larger share from the sales of the hardware, while Tencent will primarily benefit from content and services revenue, including subscriptions and game sales.

Texas Tesla Erupts in Fire Days After Fresh Battery Installed

WFAA reports that in the early hours of Friday morning in Plano, Texas, a Tesla vehicle unexpectedly caught fire, raising fresh concerns about the safety of electric vehicle batteries. According to the car’s owner, the incident occurred shortly after midnight in the residential area of the 2700 block of Sacred Path Road. The owner reported hearing a hissing noise from the vehicle’s battery, which had been installed just the day before. Upon checking the car, they discovered flames shooting out from the battery.
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A video from the scene captured the severity of the situation, showing firefighters opening one of the doors of the engulfed Tesla, with flames visibly shooting out of the vehicle. Firefighters used multiple hoses to combat the fire, initially focusing on the car’s interior before redirecting their efforts to the battery itself.

Fortunately, the incident did not result in any injuries, and firefighters from the Plano Fire Department were able to quickly respond to the scene. They employed a unique technique to manage the situation, covering the vehicle with a tarp and then moving it into the street to fully extinguish the fire. This approach underscores the unique challenges that electric vehicle fires pose to emergency response teams, given the high energy density and potential volatility of lithium-ion batteries used in these vehicles.

Buying X/Twitter Has Left Elon Musk Teetering on the Brink of Insanity

CNBC reports Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has recently been the subject of discussions concerning the impact of his Twitter acquisition on his mental health. According to Ben Mezrich, author of Breaking Twitter, the takeover of the social media giant has had a profound effect on Musk’s well-being.

Mezrich highlighted a particularly troubling incident where Musk locked himself in his office, prompting Twitter employees to consider calling for a wellness check. This incident underscores the intense pressure and stress that Musk was under while managing the social media site.
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Mezrich pointed out several incidents that contributed to Musk’s distress, including a public episode where he was booed at a Dave Chappelle comedy show. This event was a shock to Musk, as he later expressed on social media, noting the mixed reaction from the audience. “It’s almost as if I’ve offended SF’s unhinged leftists … but nahhh,” Musk remarked following the incident.

Another particularly striking detail is Musk’s profanity-laden jibe directed at Zuckerberg during the signing of the Twitter deal. This revelation came to light during Mezrich’s appearance on a podcast, where he recounted the scene of Musk signing the Twitter takeover papers.

Hunter Biden Sues Former Overstock.com CEO for Defamation

The complaint filed in the Central District of California alleges Byrne made defamatory comments in June and on October 8, 2023, about an alleged connection between the president’s son and Iran.

“Plaintiff brings this action for defamation against Byrne because he has made, published, and repeated false and defamatory statements about Plaintiff, knowing full well that the statements are false, for the purpose of subjecting Plaintiff to harassment, intimidation, and harm,” the complaint claimed.

Byrne suggested, according to the complaint, that Hunter Biden contacted the Iranian government and offered to have President Joe Biden unfreeze money in exchange for a bribe.
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The lawsuit stated Byrne reposted the allegation on X after Hamas perpetrated terror on Israel.

“The clear implication of Byrne’s October 8, 2023 posts was that Plaintiff’s allegedly criminal and corrupt actions had contributed to the terrorist attacks by Hamas,” the complaint said.

The lawsuit is the latest in legal actions brought against Hunter Biden, who previously sued the IRS and Rudy Giuliani.

Market for U.S. Treasuries Disrupted by Ransomware Attack – on China

Market participants claim a ransomware attack on the ICBC has disrupted the market for U.S. Treasuries, according to a report by Financial Times.

China’s largest bank was hit by ransomware software, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association told members on Thursday. As a result, the ICBC was unable to settle Treasury trades on behalf of other market participants, banks and traders said.

Several people familiar with the situation said that the ransomware software involves paralyzing computer systems until a payment is made.

“This is a large party on [the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation], so certainly of major concern,” an executive at a large bank that clears U.S. Treasuries said. “And potentially impacting liquidity of US Treasuries.”

On Thursday afternoon, the ICBC began restoring services, according to some people who were briefed on the matter.
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Last year, the government of Costa Rica declared a state of emergency following a massive ransomware attack that locked down computer networks across multiple government agencies, paralyzed tax collection, and left the private information of Costa Rican citizens vulnerable.

GM’s Cruise Confirms Human ‘Remote Assistants’ Have to Help Drive Robotaxis Every 4-5 Miles

CNBC reports that Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt recently confirmed that the company’s self-driving cars are remotely assisted by humans two to four percent of the time on average when operating in complex city environments. In terms of how far robotaxis drive, remote assistance sessions are initiated approximately every four to five miles.

Many sessions are short requests for confirmation before the car proceeds, Vogt explained. The autonomous vehicle often initiates the call itself before needing help, such as when its path is obstructed. In a number of cases, the issue is resolved by the self-driving car before the human advisor even examines the situation.

Vogt stated: “Cruise AVs are being remotely assisted (RA) 2-4 percent of the time on average, in complex urban environments. This is low enough already that there isn’t a huge cost benefit to optimizing much further, especially given how useful it is to have humans review things in certain situations.”

According to a Cruise spokesperson, during driverless testing there was one remote assistant for every 15-20 autonomous vehicles on the road. The remote advisors give “wayfinding guidance” to help the vehicles navigate difficult scenarios, but do not actively control or drive the cars.

Cruise says its remote assistants go through comprehensive training and ongoing performance reviews to ensure safety. The company has lost approximately $1.9 billion so far this year as it continues to develop and validate its self-driving technology.