News of the Cyber World

[kyonides]

Meta, Amazon & Scammers

Meta and Amazon Do Little as Scammers Devastate Small Businesses with Copycat Listings of Inferior Products

Small businesses across various industries are facing an onslaught of attacks from online scammers who use their videos, logos, and social media posts to assume their identities and sell cheap knockoffs or simply take customers’ money. Meanwhile, Meta, Amazon, and other tech giants are doing little to help them.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the rise of social media, online sales platforms, and AI technology has made it easier for even the smallest businesses to reach customers across the globe, but it has also opened up new opportunities for scammers. Copycats are using advanced tactics, such as outbidding legitimate brands for top positions in search results and leveraging artificial intelligence to avoid language or spelling errors that often signal fraud.

Jen Rose, a ceramist from Dallas, has seen hundreds of fake listings pop up on Amazon and other shopping platforms, using her face and images to steal customers from her handmade Bee Cups. “They are taking my images that show my face and my employees,” said Rose, who receives about 25 emails a day from people complaining about receiving plastic cups or requesting refunds.

Darn Tough Vermont, a maker of merino socks, has also been targeted by scammers promising large discounts on their products. The ads carried Darn Tough’s logo, images, and wording, making it difficult for customers to differentiate between real and fake listings. Ryan Dahlstrom, global director of digital commerce for Darn Tough, spent half of his day, five days a week, tracking down and taking down these scams.

Jim Carter, an industrial designer who started Ideam in 2020, saw his sales of Cascade Wild Bird Feeders tumble from $54,000 to just $537 last August as one-star reviews for impostor bird feeders piled up. Carter estimates they have lost more than $400,000 in sales and spent nearly $100,000 fighting fakes.

Policing copycats is particularly challenging for small businesses with limited financial resources and few employees. While online giants such as Amazon and Meta Platforms say they use technology to identify and remove misleading ads, fake accounts, or counterfeit products, small businesses are at a significant disadvantage. It’s clear that tech giants are not stepping up to protect small businesses from the seemingly unlimited number of scammers, many originating from foreign countries.

Google on Canadian Journalism

Google’s Plan to Influence Canadian Journalism with $100 Million Slush Fund

Google has selected the Canadian Journalism Collective (CJC) to oversee the distribution of $100 million annually to eligible Canadian news organizations.

CBC reports that in a move to comply with the Online News Act, which requires tech companies to enter into agreements with news publishers, Google has chosen the Canadian Journalism Collective (CJC) to manage the distribution of $100 million to Canadian news outlets. The CJC, a federally incorporated non-profit organization founded in May by a group of independent publishers and broadcasters, will be responsible for ensuring that eligible news organizations receive their share of the funds in a fair and transparent manner.

The steering committee of the CJC consists of 12 independent media outlets representing various sectors of the Canadian news ecosystem, including French language, community, and Indigenous news, as well as publications that cater to Black and minority Canadians. Some of the organizations involved in the collective include Pivot, The Resolve, IndigiNews, Village Media, and the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations.

Sadia Zaman, the CJC’s independent board director, expressed the collective’s commitment to distributing the funding inclusively, stating, “We look forward to working with the full diversity of the Canadian news ecosystem, including traditional print and broadcast organizations, and independent local news publishers, including those who serve Indigenous, Black and racialized communities and francophone communities.”

To be eligible for a share of the $100 million, newsrooms must meet certain criteria, such as being designated as qualified Canadian journalism organizations under the Income Tax Act, producing news content of public interest, operating in Canada, and employing at least two journalists. The funds will be distributed proportionately based on the number of full-time journalists employed by each organization.

Small print and digital outlets can expect to receive approximately $17,000 per journalist they employ, according to an official from the Canadian Heritage Department. However, there are caps on the amount of money certain organizations can receive. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) and other broadcasters are limited to a maximum of $7 million and $30 million, respectively, from the annual fund. The remaining $63 million will be shared among other qualifying news outlets, such as newspapers and digital platforms.

The payment of the funds is contingent on Google formally receiving an exemption from the federal broadcast regulator. Google expressed hope that the next steps will be completed quickly, allowing Canadian publishers and journalists to begin receiving the proceeds of this new contribution model soon.

Google Avoids Jury Trial

Bottomless Pockets Win Again: Google Avoids Jury Trial in Advertising Antitrust Case

Google has successfully circumvented a jury trial in an antitrust case by sending a $2.3 million check to the DOJ, which a judge deemed sufficient to cover potential damages.

Ars Technica reports that Google has managed to avoid a jury trial in an antitrust case by sending a $2.3 million check to the U.S. Department of Justice. The preemptive payment was deemed adequate by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema to cover any damages that might have been awarded by a jury. As a result, the case will now proceed with a bench trial, overseen by Judge Brinkema, set to begin in September.

The unusual move by Google came in response to the U.S. government’s request for a jury trial, which is atypical in antitrust cases. The U.S. argued that a jury should determine damages because government agencies were allegedly overcharged for advertising. However, Google’s payment of $2,289,751 was seen as sufficient by the judge, who stated, “I am satisfied that the cashier’s check satisfies any damages claim.”

The U.S. government, along with eight states, initially sued Google in January 2023, alleging that the company “corrupted legitimate competition in the ad tech industry” through a series of acquisitions and by forcing publishers and advertisers to use its products. The lawsuit claimed that federal agencies had purchased over $100 million in advertising since 2019 and sought to recover treble damages for alleged overcharges.

Despite the U.S. government’s opposition to Google’s motion to strike the jury demand, arguing that the payment did not fully compensate for the claimed damages, Judge Brinkema sided with Google. She likened the receipt of the unconditional payment to “receiving a wheelbarrow of cash,” regardless of whether Google prevailed in its arguments to strike a jury trial.

While the U.S. government lost its bid to obtain more damages than Google offered, the lawsuit also seeks a declaration that Google illegally monopolized the market. The complaint requests a breakup, requiring Google to divest its Google Ad Manager suite, including its publisher ad server, DFP, and ad exchange, AdX.

Apple & OpenAI

‘Woke Death Star AI:’ Apple Forms Partnership with OpenAI, Elon Musk and Conservatives Fire Back

Apple’s has announced announced a partnership with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT technology to devices ranging from iPhones to Mac computers. Elon Musk has responded by threatening to ban Apple devices from his companies’ premises if the integration moves forward. Mike Benz, the founder of anti-censorship organization the Foundation for Freedom Online, harshly criticizes the partnership, tweeting, “Apple merging together with Microsoft’s ChatGPT today on a Woke Death Star AI is basically like Coke + Pepsi merging to create an inescapable death drink.”

Business Insider reports that at the Worldwide Developer’s Conference on Monday, Apple unveiled its plans to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT, powered by GPT-4, across its software, including the enhanced Siri virtual assistant. The integration, set to be available for free in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia later this year, aims to provide users with access to ChatGPT’s broad knowledge base and generate answers directly through Siri, pending user permission.
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However, the announcement was met with fierce criticism from Elon Musk, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his concerns. Musk, who co-founded and initially helped finance OpenAI, has been vocal about his distaste for the company and its CEO, Sam Altman. In his posts, Musk threatened to ban Apple devices at his companies, calling the integration an “unacceptable security violation.”
[X Post]
Musk’s primary concern appears to be Apple’s partnership with a third-party AI that it “doesn’t understand” and “can’t themselves create.” He questioned Apple’s inability to develop its own AI and expressed doubts about OpenAI’s ability to protect users’ security and privacy once their data is handed over.

In response to Musk’s allegations, Apple stated in its announcement that “protections are built in for users who access ChatGPT,” ensuring that device IP addresses remain private and that OpenAI will not store user requests. The company also clarified that users who choose to connect their accounts will be subject to ChatGPT’s data-use policies.

This is not the first time Musk has clashed with Apple and its CEO, Tim Cook, though the two seemed to have reconciled during Musk’s visit to Apple HQ in November 2022. Since parting ways with OpenAI, Musk has launched his own rival AI company, xAI, and a ChatGPT competitor named Grok.

MS Copilot

Black Eye for AI: Microsoft Forced to Delay Intrusive ‘Recall’ Feature from Copilot+ PCs

Microsoft has announced that its controversial Recall AI feature will not be launching with the first batch of Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs on June 18, as previously planned.

Engadget reports that in a recent update on the Windows Blog, Microsoft revealed that the Recall AI feature, which has faced criticism over privacy concerns, will now shift from being a “preview experience broadly available for Copilot+ PCs” to a preview that is only accessible through the Windows Insider Program. The company stated that it will only release the feature for all Copilot+ PCs after receiving feedback from its Insider Community of testers.

Microsoft’s decision to adjust Recall’s release stems from its desire to “ensure the experience meets [its] high standards for quality and security.” The Recall AI feature, which was announced at an event in May, allows users to find anything they have previously viewed on their computer, including web pages, images, documents, emails, presentations, and chat threads. It achieves this by capturing screenshots of a user’s activity every few seconds and storing them in the “Recall timeline.”

Despite Microsoft’s assurances that Recall processes data locally and keeps user information secure, the feature has faced significant criticism and privacy concerns. In response to these concerns, the company announced additional privacy and security changes to Recall earlier this month, including making it an opt-in feature. When setting up a Copilot+ PC, users will be asked whether they want to enable Recall, and they will need to verify their identities through a Windows Hello authentication method, such as facial recognition or fingerprint scan, to access the encrypted Recall timeline. However, some critics argue that this is not foolproof, as anyone with knowledge of the user’s PIN will still be able to view their Recall snapshots.

Microsoft’s decision to delay Recall’s launch suggests that the company acknowledges the need for further improvements to address privacy and security concerns. While an exact date for Recall’s availability in the Windows Insider Program has not been provided, the company stated that it will be accessible to testers in the coming weeks. Microsoft plans to publish a new blog post with instructions on how to access the preview version when it becomes available. It is important to note that testers will need a Copilot+ PC to access the feature, as it requires advanced CPUs with neural processing units (NPUs) for AI tasks.

TikTok is a Virtual Strip Club!?

‘Virtual Strip Club:’ Utah Sues China’s TikTok over Platform Sexualizing Children

The state of Utah is suing China’s TikTok, alleging the popular app’s “Live” feature is “a virtual strip club” for minors that lets adults pay children “to strip, pose, and dance provocatively” in exchange for money.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox ® and Attorney General Sean D. Reyes ® announced the lawsuit last week, alleging the Chinese app “has consciously allowed young people to be sexually exploited on the TikTok platform in exchange for money.”

The governor and attorney general go on to claim that the app’s feature known as TikTok LIVE “lets adult users give TikTok currency to young users in exchange for sexual solicitation and exploitation while the company takes a cut of each payment.”

The lawsuit describes TikTok as “a virtual strip club involving minors” that has become “a seedy underbelly of sexual exploitation,” and cites “TikTok’s own internal studies and the admissions of its employees.”

“TikTok LIVE has allowed adults to pay young users to strip, pose, and dance provocatively for currency that can be cashed out for real money,” Gov. Cox and Attorney General Reyes say.

“LIVE is far from a safe place for users — particularly children — and these dangers are no accident,” the complaint states. “The harmful and unconscionable acts on LIVE stem directly from TikTok’s inapp virtual economy, which has already facilitated billions of dollars in transactions.”

No More Likes on X

Elon Musk Hides Likes on X/Twitter to ‘Better Protect Your Privacy’

Elon Musk’s X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has announced plans to hide all users’ “likes” in an effort to “better protect your privacy,” a move that has sparked concerns about potential blackmail, abuse, and the inability to validate post engagement — making it easier than ever for bots to distort and disrupt the platform.

The Register reports that the decision to make “likes” private, which was initially available only to Premium users last year, will now be applied to all X/Twitter users. The platform’s engineering team shared the news on their account, stating that the change would be implemented sometime this week. Once the switch is flipped, the Likes tab on user profiles will disappear, though users will still be able to see a list of posts they have personally “liked.”

This change means that X/Twitter users will no longer be able to see who has liked a specific post or what posts a particular person has liked. However, users will still have access to metrics from their own posts and a full list of people who have liked their content.

The decision has raised concerns about the potential for blackmail and abuse. While X/Twitter owner Elon Musk may not have to worry about being blackmailed with his now-secret likes, others might not be so lucky. In the past, Twitter accounts belonging to prominent politicians have been caught liking pornographic posts. With such engagement now secret to all but the original poster, the possibilities for misuse of this information by bad actors are alarming.

X/Twitter’s director of engineering, Haofei Wang, has encouraged users to embrace the change, stating that “public likes are incentivizing the wrong behavior.” Wang suggested that many people feel discouraged from liking “edgy” content due to fear of retaliation from trolls or to protect their public image. He added that with the new system, users should freely “like” posts, as it will improve their “For you” algorithm.

Tesla Section

Video: Tesla’s ‘Full-Self Driving’ Feature Creates Deadly Situations on the Road

Elon Musk’s heavily touted Tesla Full-Self Driving (FSD) feature has been the subject of scrutiny as recent videos showcase the system’s struggles in navigating complex and unexpected road situations.

Futurism reports that Tesla’s Full-Self Driving (FSD) feature, despite its ambitious name, has been facing challenges in delivering on its promise of autonomous driving. Recent videos shared by Tesla enthusiasts and critics alike have highlighted instances where the system falters when confronted with real-world scenarios that deviate from ideal driving conditions.

In a video posted by Scott Woods, a Tesla fan and personality behind the Whole Mars Catalog account on X (formerly Twitter), a Tesla equipped with FSD can be seen navigating the roads between Sausalito and San Francisco. While the vehicle manages to handle most of the journey without human intervention, it encounters a perplexing situation when confronted by a construction worker wearing bright orange safety gear and holding a stop sign.

The Tesla, seemingly unsure of how to proceed, begins to steer towards the left as if attempting to circumvent the road worker, a clear violation of traffic laws. The vehicle remains stopped in the middle of the road, straddling the yellow median line, as the construction worker repeatedly gestures for the Tesla to move off the road. It is only when another vehicle approaches from the opposite direction that Woods intervenes, manually steering the Tesla to the right to allow the other vehicle to pass.

This incident has drawn criticism from Tesla skeptics, with entrepreneur and Tesla critic Dan O’Dowd sharing the video on X, directly addressing Tesla CEO Elon Musk and asserting that “your defective software should be banned from public roads.”

Tesla Shareholders Reapprove Elon Musk’s Massive Compensation Package

Tesla shareholders have voted to reapprove CEO Elon Musk’s colossal pay package, despite a Delaware court judge voiding it earlier this year.

The Verge reports that the vote, widely regarded as a referendum on Musk’s leadership during a tumultuous period for the electric vehicle giant, saw investors also approve the relocation of Tesla’s legal home from Delaware to Texas and the reappointment of board members James Murdoch and Kimbal Musk, Elon’s brother.

Tesla has faced numerous challenges in recent months, including declining sales, softening demand, and falling revenue. The company has also undergone significant layoffs, affecting at least 10 percent of its workforce. Additionally, Tesla’s vehicle lineup is aging and in need of an overhaul, while the success of Musk’s ventures into AI and robotics remains uncertain.

Breitbart News reported in April:

Alexander Potter of Piper Sandler expects Tesla’s deliveries to slip 0.5 percent to just under 1.8 million vehicles in 2024. Similarly, Philippe Houchois of Jefferies foresees a roughly three percent drop to 1.77 million vehicles. This gloomy outlook comes on the heels of Tesla’s disappointing first-quarter delivery numbers, which missed consensus estimates by the biggest margin ever in Bloomberg data going back seven years. This is particularly startling because Tesla has boasted about massive sales growth as the most prominent EV maker in the country.

The analysts cite slowing growth as a major concern for the electric vehicle maker. “Growth is slowing, and there’s no quick fix,” Potter wrote in his April 9 report. He believes that Tesla should be able to overcome demand issues by 2026, anticipating a lower-cost vehicle, scaled-up production of the Cybertruck, and more than half his price target stems from bullishness on the company’s driver-assistance software.

Despite these obstacles, Tesla shareholders demonstrated their unwavering support for Musk by approving a compensation package that solidifies his position as one of the highest-paid chief executives in modern history. Upon taking the stage with his arms raised in victory, Musk exclaimed, “I just want to start off by saying, hot damn, I love you guys.”

Musk Accused of Sexual Harassment

Former SpaceX Employees Sue Elon Musk for Sexual Harassment and Retaliation

Eight former SpaceX employees have reportedly escalated their legal battle against Elon Musk and his aerospace company by filing a lawsuit in California state court, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation.

Bloomberg reports that the eight former SpaceX employees who filed the lawsuit allege that Musk “knowingly and purposefully created an unwelcome hostile work environment” through his conduct. The plaintiffs claim that Musk shared inappropriate sexual content in the workplace, including “vile sexual photographs, memes, and commentary that demeaned women and/or the LGBTQ+ community.”

As a result of Musk’s actions, some of the plaintiffs allegedly experienced harassing comments from coworkers who “mimicked Musk’s posts” from X/Twitter, further contributing to a hostile work environment. In response to these concerns, the workers collaborated on an open letter in 2022, addressing Musk’s behavior and the company’s culture. They allege that they were subsequently fired in retaliation for their activism.

The complaint suggests that Musk personally made the decision to terminate the employees, despite a human resources official’s recommendation to conduct an investigation first. According to the filing, when the official suggested an investigation, Musk replied, “I don’t care – fire them.” SpaceX has denied wrongdoing and stated that the fired employees violated company policies, maintaining that Musk was not involved in their terminations.

Prior to this lawsuit, the same employees had filed complaints with the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), claiming that SpaceX illegally retaliated against them. Although NLRB prosecutors agreed with the employees, SpaceX challenged the agency’s structure in January, claiming it was unconstitutional. This led to an appeals court injunction that has put the labor board case on hold.

FAA on Airbus & Boeing

FAA Investigating How Titanium Parts with Falsified Records Wound up in Boeing and Airbus Planes

Federal officials are investigating how parts made with titanium sold with falsified documentation wound up in Boeing and Airbus passenger jets.

By DAVID KOENIGAP Airlines Writer The Associated Press
Federal regulators are investigating how parts made with titanium that was sold with falsified quality documentation wound up in Boeing and Airbus passenger jets that were built in recent years.

Boeing and Airbus said Friday that planes containing the parts are safe to fly, but Boeing said it was removing affected parts from planes that haven’t been delivered yet to airline customers.

It will be up to regulators including the Federal Aviation Administration to decide whether any work needs to be done to planes that are already carrying passengers.

The FAA said it is “investigating the scope and impact of the issue.” The agency said Boeing reported the problem covering material from a distributor “who may have falsified or provided incorrect records.” The FAA did not name the distributor.

Boeing and Airbus declined to say how many planes were flying with parts made from the undocumented titanium.

Middle School on Cellphones

Seattle Middle School to Enforce Student Cellphone Lockdowns

A mandatory cellphone locking system will be introduced at a Seattle school from September aimed at advancing academic performance, student engagement, and mental health across the board.

A decrease in bullying is also anticipated to be delivered by the planned “digital de-stress.”

Hamilton International Middle School principal Dr. Eric Marshall approved the plan in an effort to lift the academic environment.

Fox 13 news reports the initiative will use simple canvas pouches as supplied by a company renowned for creating phone-free spaces.

The pouches, which can only be unlocked with a special base at the end of the school day, are reported to allow students to keep their phones in their possession without allowing access and subsequent distractions during school hours.

The Seattle school move follows other efforts across the country to disengage students from their phones during school hours.

ChatGPT Section

Apple Is Paying for ChatGPT Integration with Your Attention, Not Their Dollars

Apple and OpenAI recently struck a deal that will see the tech giant compensate the AI company for the use of its ChatGPT technology through distribution, rather than traditional financial means. This means that the eyeballs of every iPhone user in America are worth much more than billions of dollars to OpenAI.

Bloomberg reports that the recently announced partnership between Apple and OpenAI, criticized by conservatives as creating a “woke AI Death Star” which will integrate the AI-powered ChatGPT into Apple’s Siri virtual assistant and new writing tools across its iPhone, iPad, and Mac platforms, has raised questions about the financial arrangements between the two companies. According to sources familiar with the matter, Apple will not be making direct monetary payments to OpenAI for the use of its technology. Instead, the iPhone maker believes that the exposure and distribution of OpenAI’s brand and technology to its vast user base is of equal or greater value than cash compensation.

This unorthodox arrangement is part of Apple’s broader push into the world of artificial intelligence, as showcased during the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference. Alongside the OpenAI partnership, Apple unveiled its own suite of in-house AI features, collectively known as Apple Intelligence.

While the collaboration with OpenAI is not exclusive, and Apple is reportedly in talks with Google to offer its insanely woke Gemini chatbot as an additional option, the partnership could prove costly for OpenAI in the long run. The AI company relies on Microsoft’s Azure cloud-computing systems to host ChatGPT, and the increased usage resulting from the Apple integration could lead to a significant rise in computing expenses.

Despite the potential costs, both Apple and OpenAI stand to benefit from the partnership in the future. The companies could monetize the integration by converting free users to paid accounts, with OpenAI’s subscription plans starting at $20 a month for additional features. Furthermore, Apple aims to generate revenue from AI by establishing revenue-sharing agreements with AI partners that monetize chatbot results on its platforms, potentially offsetting any losses from the declining relevance of traditional search engines.

The partnership between Apple and OpenAI is not without its issues, particularly when it comes to expanding the AI services to other languages and countries. Apple faces potential hurdles in China, one of its biggest overseas markets, where services like ChatGPT and Gemini are currently barred. The company is considering arrangements with local Chinese providers, such as Baidu  and Alibaba Group Holding, to handle chatbot features in the region.

ChatGPT Gets Even More Evil: OpenAI Appoints Former NSA Chief to Board of Directors

OpenAI, the troubled startup behind the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT, has announced the appointment of retired U.S. Army General and former NSA chief Paul Nakasone to its board of directors, claiming it will leverage his extensive experience in cybersecurity to safeguard its cutting-edge technology.

Bloomberg reports that in a statement released on Thursday, OpenAI revealed that General Paul Nakasone, former head of the National Security Agency (NSA) and the U.S. Cyber Command, will join the company’s board of directors. Nakasone will be a part of the Safety and Security Committee, a specialized group tasked with making critical decisions related to safety and security at OpenAI.

Bret Taylor, chair of OpenAI’s board, emphasized the significance of Nakasone’s addition, stating, “Artificial Intelligence has the potential to have huge positive impacts on people’s lives, but it can only meet this potential if these innovations are securely built and deployed. General Nakasone’s unparalleled experience in areas like cybersecurity will help guide OpenAI in achieving its mission.”

The appointment of General Nakasone follows a series of recent changes to OpenAI’s board composition. In March, CEO Sam Altman rejoined the board after an independent investigation cleared him of wrongdoing related to his ouster in November. The company also added several prominent figures to its board, including Sue Desmond-Hellmann, former head of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Nicole Seligman, a former Sony Entertainment executive; and Fidji Simo, CEO of Instacart.

Musk No Longer Suing OpenAI!?

Elon Musk Withdraws Lawsuit Against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman

Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X/Twitter and CEO of Tesla, has voluntarily dismissed his breach of contract claims against OpenAI and its chief executive, Sam Altman.

The Financial Times reports that the lawsuit, filed three months ago in a San Francisco court, accused OpenAI of compromising its original mission to benefit humanity by entering into a multibillion-dollar alliance with Microsoft. Musk alleged that the $86 billion start-up behind the popular chatbot ChatGPT was working on “proprietary technology to maximize profits for literally the largest company in the world.”

OpenAI, however, rejected Musk’s claims, calling them “incoherent” and “frivolous.” The company published a blog post in March that included several of Musk’s emails from the early days of the company, which appeared to show he acknowledged the ChatGPT maker needed to raise large sums of money to fund the computing resources required to develop AI models.

Musk’s relationship with OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, has been strained for some time. Despite co-founding the company in 2015 and donating $44 million to the group, Musk left OpenAI’s board in 2018 due to disagreements with Altman over the direction of its research. A year later, OpenAI established a for-profit division, which attracted significant investment from Microsoft.

In response to the growing competition in the AI industry, Musk launched his own AI start-up, xAI, last year. The company has since raised $6 billion from venture capital and sovereign wealth funds to support its development. Despite his involvement in the AI sector, Musk has repeatedly warned about the potential dangers of the technology, calling it an “existential threat” to humanity in the past.

The dismissal of the lawsuit comes amidst Musk’s criticism of a new partnership between OpenAI and Apple. In a recent post on X/Twitter, Musk stated that if OpenAI’s technology is integrated into iPhones, Apple devices would be banned at his companies. He went as far as to say, “Visitors will have to check their Apple devices at the door, where they will be stored in a Faraday cage.”

Russia & China & the Moon

Vladimir Putin Signs Law to Build Russian-Chinese Base on the Moon

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed a bill that commits Russia to work with its partner in tyranny, China, on building a moon base.

China’s state-run Global Times boasted that Russia joined more than 30 other “countries and international organizations” on the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project, 20 of which have signed agreements of some kind to formalize their involvement.

The Global Times did not name the other partners, although it mentioned that Egypt and Bahrain have signed on to China’s next Chang’e lunar probe mission. Egypt was among the countries that expressed interest when China rolled out its moonbase plan in 2021, along with Russia, Venezuela, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, South Africa, Thailand, and Nicaragua.

China’s Chang’e-6 unmanned probe landed on the dark side of the moon on June 2 to collect soil samples, making China the fourth nation to achieve a lunar landing after the United States, Japan, and India.

Chinese state media reported the Chang’e-7 launch, the one involving Egypt and Bahrain, is scheduled for 2026 and will survey the Moon’s south polar region. Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Thailand, and a group called the International Lunar Observatory Association have also committed to providing payloads for the Chang’e-7 mission.

After that, China hopes to achieve a manned lunar landing by 2030, lay the foundations of a moonbase near the lunar south pole by 2035, and bring the base online by 2045. The lunar base was envisioned as a springboard for missions to Mars and beyond. The base would ostensibly be constructed using basalt mined from the Moon’s surface.

China has touted its lunar base project as an international endeavor since its earliest public statements. The animated video that introduced the lunar base plan in 2021 depicted a NASA Space Shuttle lifting off from the base.