News of the Cyber World

[kyonides]

AI Section

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Intuit Laying Off 10% of Workforce

AI Doing Its Worst: Intuit to Lay Off 10% of Workforce

Intuit, the financial software giant behind QuickBooks and TurboTax, has revealed plans to lay off approximately 1,800 employees worldwide, representing 10 percent of its workforce, as part of a strategic shift towards AI and other priority areas.

Fortune reports that Intuit CEO Sasan Goodarzi has announced a significant restructuring of the company’s workforce, affecting 1,800 employees globally. This decision, communicated through an internal email obtained by Fortune, is part of Intuit’s broader transformation strategy aimed at increasing investments in generative AI technologies.

Goodarzi emphasized that these layoffs are not cost-cutting measures but rather a strategic realignment of the company’s resources. “We do not do layoffs to cut costs, and that remains true in this case,” he stated in the email. The CEO outlined plans to hire approximately 1,800 new employees with specific skill sets in engineering, product development, and customer-facing roles, maintaining that the overall headcount is expected to grow in the 2025 fiscal year.

The restructuring appears to be driven by Intuit’s ambition to reimagine its products from traditional workflows to AI-native experiences. A key focus of this transformation is the development of Intuit Assist, a generative AI-powered financial assistant. The company is also prioritizing money movement, mid-market expansion for small businesses, and international growth.

The restructuring also involves geographical consolidation, with Intuit closing two sites in Edmonton and Boise, affecting over 250 employees. Some of these employees will be relocated to other Intuit sites, while others will leave the company. Intuit is consolidating 80 tech roles to growing technology hubs in Atlanta, Bangalore, New York, Tel Aviv, and Toronto. Furthermore, more than 300 roles across the company are being eliminated to “streamline work and reallocate resources toward key growth areas,” according to Goodarzi’s email.

Intuit has committed to providing generous severance packages for departing employees. U.S. employees will receive a minimum of 16 weeks of pay, plus two additional weeks for every year of service. They will have 60 days before leaving the company, with a last day of September 9. Similar support will be provided to employees outside the U.S., taking into account local requirements. The company has described this as the most generous severance package it has ever offered.

AI Safety Agency & the Government-Big Tech Collusion

Exclusive — Head of AI Safety Agency Could Facilitate ‘Government-Big Tech Collusion’ Like Coronavirus Pandemic, 2020 Election

A Senate Commerce Committee document exposes how the head of an AI safety agency at the Commerce Department could stifle competition, consolidate AI developments in the hands of a few big tech companies, and facilitate “government-Big Tech collusion seen during the pandemic and the 2020 election,” Breitbart News has learned exclusively.

The document, which was obtained by Breitbart News, details that in response to Biden’s October 2023 executive order on AI, Commerce Committee Secretary Gina Raimondo created the Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (AISI) within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to establish AI safety standards and guidance for the private sector and government agencies.

In April 2024, Raimondo announced that Paul Christiano would head the AI Safety Institute (AISI), and NIST employees threatened to resign over Christiano’s appointment because they feared his association with Effective Altruism and longtermism could “compromise” the institute’s objectivity and integrity.

Venture Beat reported in March 2024 that Christiano’s hiring was reportedly rushed through the hiring process without anyone knowing until he was chosen as the head of the agency.

Disgraced former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was an effective altruist, whose fraud and conspiracy led to the collapse of his digital currency exchange and $11 billion in estimated lost funds.

Venture Beat described effective altruism as:

… an “intellectual project using evidence and reason to figure out how to benefit others as much as possible” — has turned into a cult-like group of highly influential and wealthy adherents (made famous by FTX founder and jailbird Sam Bankman-Fried) whose paramount concern revolves around preventing a future AI catastrophe from destroying humanity. Critics of the EA focus on this existential risk, or “x-risk,” say it is happening to the detriment of a necessary focus on current, measurable AI risks — including bias, misinformation, high-risk applications and traditional cybersecurity.

The Senate Commerce Committee document also detailed how Christiano also believes that AI could result in a “10-20 percent chance of [an] AI takeover” that results in humanity perishing, and a “50-50 chance of doom shortly after you have AI systems that are human level.”

Lawsuit Claims Peloton Fooled You

Lawsuit: Peloton Violated Customer Privacy by Selling Data to Train AI

Peloton, the once-booming exercise equipment company, is facing a lawsuit that claims it illegally sold customer data for use in training AI systems. The company is sweating its legal trouble as a California judge has denied its attempt to dismiss the lawsuit.

The Register reports that the fitness technology giant Peloton is facing a significant legal challenge after a California judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit accusing the company of violating state privacy laws. The case, filed in June 2022 in California federal court, alleges that Peloton allowed a third-party company, Drift, to intercept and record chat conversations between Peloton representatives and customers without obtaining proper consent.

At the heart of the lawsuit is the claim that Peloton’s use of Drift’s software violated the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA). According to the complaint, web chats between Peloton and its customers were first routed through Drift’s systems, which then used these conversations to improve its own AI systems. The plaintiff argues that this practice constitutes a breach of privacy, as Peloton “did not obtain visitors’ consent to either the wiretapping or sharing of their private conversations.”

This recent denial marks Peloton’s second unsuccessful attempt to have the case dismissed. In March 2023, the judge dismissed the original complaint for failure to state a claim. However, the plaintiff’s lawyers filed an amended complaint with a narrower scope, focusing specifically on one violation of CIPA – “aiding and abetting” Drift’s alleged violations of the law.

The crux of the plaintiff’s argument is that Peloton aided and abetted Drift because the latter used the intercepted communications to enhance its own software-as-a-service and machine learning capabilities. Under CIPA, this usage classifies Drift as an eavesdropper rather than a party to the conversation, as the harvested content was not solely used for Peloton’s benefit.

It’s worth noting that Drift, while mentioned in the lawsuit, is not a party to the complaint. The company, which was acquired by sales software firm Salesloft in February 2023, has not responded to inquiries about the case.

Is an AI Health Company Coming Up Next?

Arianna Huffington and OpenAI’s Sam Altman Join Forces to Launch AI-Powered Health Startup

Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington and OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman have announced their collaboration on a new AI-driven health startup, Thrive AI Health, aimed at revolutionizing personalized healthcare and wellness — at the potential cost of your privacy.

Decrypt reports that the announcement of Thrive AI Health, made through an op-ed published in Time magazine on Monday, marks a creepy new advancement of AI into the health and wellness sector. This initiative comes at a time when AI is increasingly being recognized for its potential to transform various aspects of healthcare, from early disease detection to personalized treatment plans — but also presents dangers to patient privacy.

Huffington, known for co-founding the Huffington Post and later launching Thrive Global, has been at the forefront of leveraging technology for improving health and productivity outcomes. “AI has become central to [our] mission to improve health and productivity outcomes, and I’m incredibly passionate about the opportunity to leverage AI to deliver hyper-personalized behavior change,” Huffington stated on Twitter.

The new startup, Thrive AI Health, is a joint effort between Thrive Global and the OpenAI Startup Fund. It aims to create an AI-powered health coach that will be integrated into Thrive Global’s existing platform and mobile app. This AI coach is designed to offer personalized recommendations and real-time nudges to users, focusing on five key behaviors: sleep, nutrition, physical activity, stress reduction, and overall well-being.

At the helm of Thrive AI Health will be DeCarlos Love, who brings extensive experience from his previous roles at tech giants Google and Apple, where he worked on AI, sensors, and health and fitness wearables. This appointment signals the startup’s intention to blend cutting-edge technology with health expertise.

The core technology behind Thrive AI Health leverages generative AI to create highly personalized behavior change strategies. As described by Altman and Huffington in their op-ed, “It will learn your preferences and patterns across the five behaviors: what conditions allow you to get quality sleep; which foods you love and don’t love; how and when you’re most likely to walk, move, and stretch; and the most effective ways you can reduce stress.” This level of personalization, combined with the AI’s ability to retain long-term memory, promises to create a comprehensive and tailored health coaching experience.
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AI the Necromancer

Necromancy: AI Company Resurrecting Classic Hollywood Stars to Read Audiobooks

Artificial intelligence (AI) is resurrecting Hollywood stars — including Judy Garland, James Dean, and Burt Reynolds — with the approval of the late actors’ estates.

The AI voice-cloning software company ElevenLabs is creating AI-generated voices of deceased actors to read audiobooks for its recently launched Reader app, according to a report by CNN.

Garland’s AI-generated voice, for example, will reportedly read an audiobook of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”

“We deeply respect their legacy and are honored to have their voices as part of our platform,” ElevenLabs’ Dustin Blank said. “Adding them to our growing list of narrators marks a major step forward in our mission of making content accessible in any language and voice.”

ElevenLabs said it made deals with the late celebrities’ estates.

Notably, the company made headlines earlier this year when it was reported that its AI technology was used to create a fake robocall from President Joe Biden urging New Hampshire residents not to vote in the state’s Democrat presidential primary.

Northern Illinois University David Gunkel professor, who tracks AI in media and entertainment, said, “ElevenLabs’ new partnerships are all well within the realm of what the law allows.”

“An estate will get a considerable amount of money from licensing and agreements,” Gunkel added. “It’s not unlike a company negotiating a copyright deal to use a popular song by Queen in an ad. The record company also could in theory say no, no matter how much money they’re offered.”

This is not the first time an individual’s voice is being trained by AI — a practice that has become an ever-increasingly powerful tool, raising eyebrows of people concerned with how far the technology will go.

As Breitbart News reported last week, an AI version of sports commentator Al Michaels will deliver “personalized” recaps to Peacock subscribers during the 2024 Olympics.

In December, it was reported that a voice clone of the late legendary Hollywood actor Jimmy Stewart, who was known for his distinctive drawl, can now put users of the subscription-based wellness app Calm to sleep.

Was Your Paper or Exam Written by ChatGPT?

Report: Universities Fail to Catch Most ChatGPT-Generated Cheating on Exams

Universities reportedly fail to catch answers generated by OpenAI’s popular AI chatbot ChatGPT in exams, which typically result in students obtaining higher scores than their peers who turn in real work.

A staggering 94 percent of university exam submissions — for a psychology degree — created via ChatGPT go undetected as having been AI-generated, according to a report by New Scientist.

University of Reading professor Peter Scarfe and his colleagues conducted an experiment by using ChatGPT to create answers to 63 test questions in the school’s psychology department, then submitted the AI-generated answers as 33 fake students turning in exams that students were allowed to take at home.

The individuals grading the exams were not informed that among real students existed 33 fake students handing in AI-generated work. As a result, Scarfe and his colleagues found that a mere six percent of AI-generated submissions were successfully flagged.

“On average, the AI responses gained higher grades than our real student submissions,” Scarfe said. “Current AI tends to struggle with more abstract reasoning and integration into information.”

Moreover, it was found that AI-generated answers had an 83.4 percent chance at scoring higher than students who turned in real work.

The researchers insist that the experiment they conducted is the largest and most vigorous study of its kind to date.

While the study only checked work involving the University of Reading’s psychology degree, Scarfe says the results are concerning for academics as a whole.

“I have no reason to think that other subject areas wouldn’t have just the same kind of issue,” the professor said.

Imperial College London senior teaching fellow Thomas Lancaster said, “The results show exactly what I’d expect to see. We know that generative AI can produce reasonable sounding responses to simple, constrained textual questions.”

Lancaster also pointed out that unsupervised exams have always been susceptible to cheating.
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Cyber-Crime

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For AT&T Customers

AT&T Admits Cybercriminals Stole Phone Records of ‘Nearly All’ Customers

Telecommunications giant AT&T says cybercriminals have stolen phone records belonging to “nearly all” of its customers. The compromised data includes millions of phone numbers, calling and text records, and information revealing its customers’ locations.

AT&T said it will begin contacting around 110 million of its customers to notify them of a data breach that resulted in cybercriminals obtaining their phone records, a company spokesperson told TechCrunch on Friday.

The spokesperson added that AT&T customer records were stolen from the cloud data giant Snowflake, which reportedly blamed recent data thefts on its customers for not using multi-factor authentication to secure their accounts.

AT&T also announced “unlawful access of customer data” on its website.

“Our investigation found that the downloaded data included phone call and text message records of nearly all of AT&T cellular customers from May 1, 2022 to October 31, 2022 as well as on January 2, 2023,” the company said.

While “the access point has been secured,” the stolen data includes AT&T landline (home phone) customers, as well as customers of other cell carriers that rely on AT&T’s network or have interacted with AT&T wireless numbers, AT&T added.

Stolen records also included counts of those calls or texts and total call durations for specific days or months, as well as information that can be used to determine the approximate location of where a call was made or text message sent during the six-month period.

“We do not believe the data is publicly available,” AT&T said.

The stolen data does not include the content of any calls or texts, nor the time stamps for the calls or texts, the company added. It also does not include any details involving Social Security numbers, dates of birth, or other personally identifiable information.

AT&T said it is working with law enforcement in their efforts to arrest the cybercriminals involved in the breach, and that “at least one person has been apprehended.”

iPhones at Risk in 98 Countries

Out of Control Cybercrime: Apple Warns iPhone Users in 98 Countries of Potential Spyware Attacks

Apple has once again sounded the alarm for iPhone users worldwide, issuing threat notifications about possible mercenary spyware attacks targeting individuals across 98 countries.

TechCrunch reports that tech giant Apple has launched its second major alert campaign of the year, warning iPhone users of potential mercenary spyware attacks. This latest round of notifications, sent out on Wednesday, reaches users in 98 countries, surpassing the scope of a similar campaign in April that targeted 92 nations.

Since 2021, Apple has consistently alerted users to potential threats, reaching individuals in over 150 countries. These notifications serve as a crucial line of defense against sophisticated cyber attacks that often target specific individuals due to their profession or personal circumstances.

The warning message sent to affected users is both clear and urgent: “Apple detected that you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID.” The company emphasizes the seriousness of the threat, stating, “This attack is likely targeting you specifically because of who you are or what you do. Although it’s never possible to achieve absolute certainty when detecting such attacks, Apple has high confidence in this warning — please take it seriously.”

While Apple has not disclosed the identities of the attackers or specified which countries were targeted in this latest campaign, reports indicate that users in India are among those who received the warnings. This comes in the wake of similar notifications sent to Indian journalists and politicians in October, highlighting the global nature of these cyber threats.

The involvement of highly sophisticated spyware like Pegasus, developed by the Israeli firm NSO Group, adds another layer of complexity to the situation. Amnesty International, a prominent human rights advocacy group, recently reported finding Pegasus on the iPhones of several well-known Indian journalists, demonstrating the real-world impact of these cyber attacks.

Cryptocurrency Thefts

Cryptocurrency Thefts Surge to $1.38 Billion in First Half of 2024

A new report from blockchain research firm TRM Labs has unveiled a startling increase in cryptocurrency theft, with hackers more than doubling their illicit gains in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year. Crypto crooks have stolen an astounding $1.38 billion so far this year.

CNBC reports that the cryptocurrency world has been rocked by a dramatic surge in successful hacking attempts, according to a recent report from TRM Labs. The blockchain research firm’s findings reveal that between January 1 and June 24, 2024, cybercriminals managed to pilfer a staggering $1.38 billion worth of digital assets. This figure represents more than twice the amount stolen during the same timeframe in 2023, which stood at $657 million.

The report highlights a concerning trend in the crypto space, where a small number of large-scale attacks are responsible for the lion’s share of stolen funds. In fact, the top five hacks alone accounted for a whopping 70 percent of the total amount stolen in the first half of this year. This concentration of high-value thefts underscores the sophisticated nature of these cyber attacks and the potential vulnerabilities in even well-established cryptocurrency platforms.

Among the primary attack vectors identified in 2024 are compromises of private keys and seed phrases. A seed phrase, which consists of a sequence of random words, stores crucial information needed to access or recover a crypto wallet. The largest single heist of the year so far targeted the Japanese crypto exchange DMM Bitcoin, resulting in the theft of more than $300 million worth of bitcoin.

Hackers have employed various techniques to carry out these attacks, including the use of stolen private keys and a method known as “address poisoning.” This latter tactic involves attackers sending small amounts of cryptocurrency from wallets with addresses crafted to closely resemble those of intended recipients, tricking victims into sending funds to the wrong wallet. The complexity and length of crypto addresses make them particularly susceptible to such deception.

Interestingly, TRM Labs notes that there haven’t been significant changes in the overall security landscape of the crypto ecosystem that could explain the sharp increase in stolen funds. The number of attacks and the types of attack vectors remain relatively consistent with previous years. However, the firm points out that the higher average prices of cryptocurrencies in the first half of 2024 may have contributed to the increased value of stolen assets.

Social Media

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Meta Allows Donald Trump to Go Back to Facebook & Instagram

Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Removes Restrictions on Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram Accounts

Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta has announced it will remove restrictions on former President Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

On Friday, Meta said it will soon withdraw the restrictions it placed on Trump’s accounts, claiming the company has decided to do so because it wants to treat both presidential candidates equally ahead of the 2024 election, according to a report by Axios.

Meta President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg said, “In assessing our responsibility to allow political expression, we believe that the American people should be able to hear from the nominees for president on the same basis.”

While Trump’s previously banned Meta accounts were reinstated in January 2023, the 45th president has still, nonetheless, been subjected to stricter rules placed onto his Facebook and Instagram profiles.

The social media giant designed these unique rules specifically for the purpose of limiting a public figure’s accounts “during civil unrest,” Axios reported, noting that Trump is the only public figure Meta has placed these types of restrictions on so far.

Clegg reportedly noted “these penalties were a response to extreme and extraordinary circumstances.”

Secret Deal Rejected by Musk

‘Illegal Secret Deal:’ Musk Claims European Union Tried to Blackmail X into Censorship

X/Twitter owner Elon Musk has claimed the European Union attempted to blackmail him into permitting secret censorship at the behest of Brussels, and accused other social platforms of taking such deals.

The European Union moved to make its new Digital Services Act (DSA) felt on Friday, accusing Elon Musk-owned X (formerly Twitter) of breaching these European Union rules, and threatening fines. Musk hit back immediately, saying the DSA itself was the source of “misinformation” and alleging the European Union had tried to broker a secret deal with him to achieve EU-directed censorship.

He wrote in his claim: “The European Commission offered [X] an illegal secret deal: if we quietly censored speech without telling anyone, they would not fine us.” Musk asserted “The other platforms accepted that deal” but that he did not.

Musk said, further: “We look forward to a very public battle in court, so that the people of Europe can know the truth.”
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Brexit leader Nigel Farage — who long railed against closed-door European Union deal making and obscure practices in his successful campaign to get Britain out of the bloc and away from the influence of Brussels — responded to Musk’s allegation on Friday evening, stating approvingly: “Elon Musk reveals the truth about the EU. What a guy.”

As stated by Reuters today, the European Union has accused X of being insufficiently transparent, and notes the rules require social media platforms to tackle “illegal content” and “risks to public security”. The European Union has also said it is dissatisfied with X’s blue check system, saying it does not “correspond to industry practice”.

Per the report, if X/Musk refuses to bow to the European Union’s demands, the bloc could attempt to fine the company six per cent of its global turnover and “require significant changes” of the way the company is run. Twitter could be banned from operating in Europe at all, theoretically.

As reported last year on the launch of the DSA:

Under the European Union’s recently adopted Digital Services Act (DSA), which the bloc has described as providing “an unprecedented level of public oversight” on the internet, the European Commission will place at least 19 online platforms under its strictest level of censorship by August 25th.

Announcing the measure, European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton said: “With great scale comes great responsibility,” adding: “They will not be able to act as if they are too big to care.”
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The driving force behind the legislation, Thierry Breton, a former French tech executive, has previously warned new Twitter boss Elon Musk that the microblogging site could run the risk of being banned in the European Union should it restore the free speech roots of the company.

Although the bill claims to try to protect free speech, Breton himself has backed Big Tech taking censorship into their own hands, seemingly expressing support for Twitter’s decision to ban then-President Donald Trump in 2021, saying that tech companies “have recognised their responsibility, duty and means to prevent the spread of illegal viral content”.

Lawsuit Against X Dismissed

Court Dismisses $500 Million Severance Lawsuit Brought Against Elon Musk’s X

X (formerly Twitter) and its owner Elon Musk have successfully petitioned a California court to dismiss a $500 million unpaid severance lawsuit, marking a temporary victory in the embattled company’s ongoing legal challenges.

Mashable reports that a California district court judge has dismissed a class action lawsuit against X and Elon Musk, which alleged unpaid severance to approximately 6,000 former employees. The court’s decision hinged on the determination that X’s severance plan was not governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), effectively nullifying the plaintiffs’ primary argument.

The lawsuit, initially filed in July 2022, came in the wake of Musk’s mass layoffs following his acquisition of Twitter in October 2022. These layoffs resulted in a staggering 70 percent reduction in the company’s workforce. The plaintiffs claimed that laid-off employees were offered only a single month of severance pay, falling short of the benefits outlined in the company’s pre-existing severance plan.

The complaint alleged that Musk’s actions violated the merger agreement, which stated that employees would receive severance and benefits “no less favorable than” those offered immediately prior to his takeover. Specifically, the plaintiffs accused X and Musk of violating ERISA through denial of benefits, breach of fiduciary duty, and failure to provide complete and accurate information about the severance plan.

However, X and Musk’s legal team successfully argued that the company’s severance plan did not fall under ERISA jurisdiction. The court agreed, finding that X’s plan lacked an “ongoing administrative program” for determining severance claims and benefits, which is a key requirement for ERISA governance. Instead, X’s plan relied on set formulas and mathematical calculations rather than case-by-case discretionary analysis.

It’s important to note that while this ruling represents a significant victory for X and Musk, it does not necessarily absolve them of potential legal obligations regarding severance pay. The judge explicitly stated that the plaintiffs could amend and refile their complaint with alternative claims, such as breach of contract or promissory estoppel. This leaves the door open for further legal action, albeit under different legal frameworks.

Other Topics

FTC on Websites & Apps

Silicon Valley Hates You: FTC Study Reveals Widespread Use of ‘Dark Patterns’ in Websites and Apps

A recent study conducted by the FTC and international consumer protection networks has uncovered alarming statistics on the prevalence of “dark patterns” in subscription-based websites and apps. Dark Patterns are a collection of manipulative design techniques created by Silicon Valley to make it difficult to separate yourself from subscription services.

TechCrunch reports that in an era where digital subscriptions have become increasingly common, consumers are facing a hidden threat: manipulative design techniques known as “dark patterns.” A comprehensive study released on Thursday by the FTC in collaboration with two international consumer protection networks, has shed light on the pervasive use of these deceptive practices in the digital subscription industry.

The study, which analyzed 642 websites and apps offering subscription services, revealed that an overwhelming majority – nearly 76 percent – employed at least one dark pattern. More alarmingly, almost 67 percent of the examined platforms utilized multiple dark patterns, raising serious concerns about consumer protection in the digital marketplace.

Dark patterns are subtle design elements intentionally implemented to influence user behavior, often leading consumers to make decisions they might not have made otherwise. These manipulative techniques can range from making it difficult to cancel subscriptions to pushing users towards more expensive options through visual trickery.

One of the most prevalent dark patterns identified in the study was “sneaking,” a tactic used by 81 percent of the analyzed platforms. This technique involves the inability to disable automatic subscription renewals during the initial sign-up or purchase process. Furthermore, 70 percent of the examined services failed to provide clear information on how to cancel subscriptions, while 67 percent neglected to specify the deadline for cancellation to avoid additional charges.

Another common dark pattern uncovered in the study was “obstruction,” which involves making certain actions, such as canceling a subscription or bypassing a free trial offer, unnecessarily complicated or tedious for users. This tactic often manifests in the form of hidden or grayed-out options, making it challenging for consumers to opt out of services they no longer wish to use.
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SpaceX

Elon Musk’s SpaceX Operations in Texas Raise Environmental Concerns

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has come under scrutiny for its expanding operations in Boca Chica, Texas, as the company’s initial promises of maintaining a “small, eco-friendly” footprint clash with the reality on the ground.

The Houston Chronicle reports that SpaceX’s ambitious plans to send humans to Mars have transformed parts of South Texas into what some are calling a “sacrifice zone” for the company’s space exploration goals. A recent report by the New York Times has shed light on the discrepancies between SpaceX’s initial proposals and the actual impact of its operations in Boca Chica.

When SpaceX first established its presence in the area, the company presented a vision of a smaller-scale operation that would coexist harmoniously with the surrounding environment. They assured local officials and residents that the area would remain largely untouched, preserving “an excellent wildlife habitat” nearby. However, Mark Spier, who served as the top local official for the National Park Service during SpaceX’s expansion, revealed a different story.

“They kept saying, ‘No, we are not going to do that, we are not going to do that,’ and then they came back and said, ‘Yes, we are,’” Spier told the Times, adding that his office being “misled.”

One of the main points of contention is the environmental impact study conducted by the FAA. The study was based on Musk’s original proposal to use Falcon rockets, not the significantly larger Starship. Instead of conducting a new assessment for the Starship project, the FAA opted to modify the existing one. This decision has raised concerns among environmental advocates and local residents.

The FAA’s approach to assessing the environmental impact has also been questioned. The agency decided to consider only the launchpad operations and control center, excluding the rocket factory from its evaluation. This decision was met with objections from Fish and Wildlife officials, who argued that the entire SpaceX complex should be taken into account.

Last Generation VS Tesla

WATCH: Climate Radicals Vandalise Tesla Electric Car Centre

Far-left climate change activists doused a Tesla Cybertruck electric vehicle exhibit in Germany on Saturday in a protest against “how the super-rich deal with global warming”.

In a further demonstration of dubious standards by green agenda radicals, members of the Letzte Generation (Last Generation) youth climate militant collective covered a Cybertruck in orange paint in Hamburg.

“The SUV has been touring Germany as an exhibit and symbolizes how the super-rich deal with global warming: armoured in a luxury vehicle, off to climate hell,” the group wrote on X, owned by Telsa chief Elon Musk.

Protester Hendrik Fauer added: “The truck perfectly illustrates where the anti-social policies of the last decades have led us: A few rich people drive well-armoured into the catastrophe – and take everyone with them.”

The Last Generation also accused Tesla founder Elon Musk of “endangering the health of thousands of people in other ways” citing the supposed dangers posed by Tesla’s Giga Factory in Grünheide.
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Tesla Car Burns

EV Inferno: Tesla Burns to Bare Metal at Pennsylvania Charging Station

A routine car fire call in Upper Allen, Pennsylvania, turned into a complex firefighting operation when crews discovered the blaze involved a Tesla at an electric vehicle charging station. A massive response from multiple fire departments including a hazmat team was required to safely extinguish the blaze.

CBS 21 reports that on Monday evening, the Upper Allen Fire Department responded to what was initially reported as a standard car fire at a local Sheetz convenience store. However, upon arrival, firefighters quickly realized they were dealing with a more challenging situation: a Tesla electric vehicle engulfed in flames at a charging station.
[Local Fox News Station Post on X]
Unlike conventional gasoline-powered vehicles, EVs contain large lithium-ion battery packs that can reignite even after the initial fire appears to be extinguished. This characteristic requires firefighters to adopt specialized tactics and often prolongs the time needed to fully secure the scene.

The Upper Allen Fire Department and crews from nearby departments immediately began battling the flames upon arrival. Their initial efforts focused on controlling the visible fire, but the real challenge came after the main blaze was subdued. Firefighters then had to address the car’s battery, which posed an ongoing risk of reignition. To mitigate this danger, they employed specialized techniques to cool and douse the battery pack.

As celebrity car enthusiast Jeremy Clarkson explained in 2023, one thing that makes EV fires so dangerous is the “thermal runaway” that occurs within lithium-ion batteries:

Clarkson also pointed out the difficulty in extinguishing fires in electric vehicles, citing an incident where an electric car burned for days due to a phenomenon known as “thermal runaway” in the battery pack.

“The electrical car that Richard Hammond rolled down a hill while filming for the Grand Tour burned for days. And then, after the fire had died down, something in the battery pack called ‘thermal runaway’ caused it to rear back up again. And this went on for weeks,” Clarkson explained.

Multiple agencies responded to assist the Upper Allen Fire Department, bringing additional equipment and expertise to the scene. This collaborative effort underscores the importance of inter-agency cooperation and specialized training in dealing with emerging technologies in firefighting.

Are Certain Chinese Cars Mapping California?

‘Rolling Surveillance Devices:’ Chinese Self-Driving Cars Are Mapping America

As Chinese companies test their autonomous vehicles on American roads, concerns are growing about the vast amounts of data these “rolling surveillance devices” are collecting and the potential national security implications.

Fortune reports that in recent years, Chinese-owned companies have been quietly testing their self-driving cars on American roads, particularly in California. While this may seem like a harmless part of technological advancement, experts are raising alarms about the potential national security risks associated with these vehicles.

Since 2017, self-driving cars owned by Chinese companies have traversed 1.8 million miles in California alone, according to data from the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles. These vehicles, equipped with advanced cameras, sensors, and mapping technology, are capable of collecting massive amounts of data about their surroundings, including detailed video footage and precise geospatial information.

Among the 35 companies approved to test autonomous vehicles in California, seven are wholly or partly China-based. Five of these companies — WeRide, Apollo, AutoX, Pony.ai, and DiDi Research America — were active on California roads last year. Some of these companies also have permission to test in other states like Arizona and Texas.

The concern lies not just in the amount of data collected, but also in how it’s stored and potentially accessed. Some Chinese self-driving car companies appear to store U.S. data in China, according to privacy policies reviewed by Fortune. This situation effectively leaves the data accessible to the Chinese government, experts warn.

Craig Singleton, director of the China program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, described the current situation as “literally the wild, wild west,” highlighting the lack of oversight and regulation in this area. The potential uses of this data range from mass surveillance to detailed mapping that could aid in war planning.

Despite these concerns, there is a surprising lack of scrutiny and regulation surrounding these Chinese-owned self-driving cars. State and federal agencies overseeing the testing of autonomous vehicles acknowledge that they do not currently monitor or have any process for checking what data these vehicles are collecting or how it’s being used.

This regulatory gap is particularly striking given the U.S. government’s stance on other Chinese-owned tech companies like TikTok and Huawei, which have faced intense scrutiny and potential bans due to similar data security concerns.

The data collected by these vehicles could provide valuable intelligence on infrastructure, population movements, and even individual behaviors. In the wrong hands, this information could be used for everything from targeted disinformation campaigns to more sinister purposes like assassination planning, according to some experts.

Adding to the concern is the stark contrast between how China and the U.S. handle such technologies. While Chinese companies are freely testing their autonomous vehicles in the U.S., American companies are not allowed to conduct similar tests in China without partnering with a licensed Chinese company.

Biden Loves Both EV's & Votes

Joe Biden to Dole out $2 Billion to Boost Electric Vehicles in Swing States

The Biden Energy Department on Thursday announced nearly $2 billion will be released to save at-risk or shuttered plants if they convert to electric vehicles across swing states such as Michigan or Pennsylvania.

The Biden administration is using $2 billion that came from the Inflation Reduction Act, which is commonly referred to as a climate change bill, as it attempts to combine manufacturing and climate change policies.

The funds will be used to help with conversions and retooling projects across eight states to make electric vehicles and other related parts.

“This announcement is a hallmark of the Biden administration’s industrial strategy, which is a strategy to bring manufacturing and jobs back to America after years of offshoring,” Jennifer Granholm told reporters on Thursday.

However, some of the 11 facilities that will receive funding are in swing states as Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, and Virginia. General Motors, Stellantis, Volvo, Harley-Davidson, and suppliers such as American Auto Parts will receive the funding, and Biden officials said it would ensure over 15,000 union workers keep their jobs, and create approximately 3,000 jobs.

Granholm said it would help enable over one million “electrified” light-duty vehicles annually, which includes hybrid and electric vehicles.

Boeing Fined

‘Sweetheart Deal:’ Boeing Faces $243M Fine After Agreeing to Plead Guilty to Criminal Fraud in 737 Max Crash Case

Boeing has reportedly agreed to plead guilty to criminal fraud charges related to the fatal 737 Max crashes, a move that will brand the aerospace giant as a felon but allow it to avoid a trial. The company is likely to face of fine of $243 million — a drop in the bucket compared to its $78 billion in annual revenue, which a victims’ lawyer calls a “sweetheart deal.”

CNBC reports that aerospace giant Boeing has reached an agreement with the Justice Department to plead guilty to criminal fraud charges stemming from the fatal 737 Max crashes. This plea deal, unveiled late Sunday, comes as Boeing attempts to move past its safety and manufacturing crises. The agreement, which is subject to approval by a federal judge, outlines several key provisions that will significantly impact the company’s operations and reputation.

Under the terms of the deal, Boeing faces a potential fine of up to $487.2 million. However, the Justice Department has recommended that the court credit Boeing $243.6 million, which the company had previously paid under a 2021 settlement. This adjustment would effectively reduce the new fine to $243.6 million. The plea agreement also stipulates that Boeing must invest at least $455 million in compliance and safety programs, highlighting the government’s emphasis on preventing future safety lapses.

One of the most notable aspects of the deal is the installation of an independent compliance monitor who will oversee Boeing’s operations for three years during a probationary period. This measure is designed to ensure that the company adheres to strict safety and regulatory standards moving forward. Additionally, Boeing’s board of directors has agreed to meet with family members of the crash victims, a step towards acknowledging the human cost of the company’s failures.

The criminal fraud charges are related to Boeing’s misleading of regulators about the inclusion of a flight-control system on the 737 Max, which was implicated in two devastating crashes. These incidents – a Lion Air flight in October 2018 and an Ethiopian Airlines flight in March 2019 – resulted in the deaths of 346 people. The plea deal comes after U.S. prosecutors stated in May that Boeing had violated a 2021 settlement, which had initially shielded the company from prosecution for three years.

Bye Bye Floppies!

Japan, a Longtime U.S. Cybersecurity Concern, Just Stopped Using Floppy Disks

Japan’s “digital minister,” Kono Taro, announced Wednesday that the Japanese government no longer uses floppy disks to store data.

Japan’s reliance on the outmoded technology has long been a major concern for allied cybersecurity experts.

“We have won the war on floppy disks on June 28!” Kono proclaimed on Wednesday, pointing to that date as the moment when the last regulations governing the use of floppy disks were eliminated and when the final disk drive stopped spinning for good.

Kono, now 61, is a former defense and foreign affairs minister who took charge of the Digital Ministry soon after it was created in 2021. Then-Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide established the agency after the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic greatly increased worldwide reliance on digital communications, forcing Japan to contend with how much of its bureaucracy was still rooted in an analog world.
Japan has a reputation as a tech pioneer and computer science powerhouse, but its government is actually very risk-averse and resistant to change. The bureaucracy was still using floppy disks because it felt they worked well enough for its needs. The system was not broken, so it refused to fix it.

Kono was such a perfect avatar for Japan’s digital transformation — a fusion of respectable maturity and childlike glee at the wonderful toys he gets to play with — that he might as well have been created in a laboratory.

As a matter of fact, a robot duplicate of him was built in a laboratory, and he merrily posed with it for selfies. Kono talked about sending his robot double to dreary budget meetings in his place. Later, he suggested Robo-Kono would be a great spokesdroid for the government’s national identification campaign because it would show people how easily they might be impersonated if they do not carry proper identification.

The ID card, known as the My Number Card, has run into a number of snags since then, but, in May 2024, it crossed an important hurdle when Apple agreed to integrate its functions into the iPhone.

Kono saw the War on Floppy Disks as one of his most important missions, in part because the government’s insistence on using the archaic technology was holding back Japanese private industry.

“There is no analog thing left in our remarkably advanced society. Oops, my fax machine is jamming!” he quipped on social media in August 2022, causing some irritation among fellow ministers who did not like being mocked for their reliance on old technology.

Corporate systems must interface with government systems, so Japan’s cutting-edge digital titans had to grit their teeth and keep using floppies — and fax machines, and reams of dead-tree paperwork, and even the hanko, a traditional carved stamp Japan has been using on important documents for centuries.

“Japan was quite good with analog technology, but when things moved to digital, we were too content with analog things, so we didn’t invest enough,” Kono observed in May 2023.

At that time, Japan had more than 9,000 government regulations requiring the use of outmoded technologies, including one that required certain forms to be submitted with an old-fashioned film-roll color photo of the person who filled them out.

Kono proudly announced on Wednesday that the last of those cobwebbed regulations had been wiped out. The last to fall was a vehicle recycling system that still mandated floppy disks until it was put out of its misery on June 28.