News of the Cyber World

[kyonides]

TIKTOK

White House Says Latest TikTok Deal Would Guarantee US Control

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Saturday that she is "100 percent confident" that a deal has been reached between the United States and China would guarantee US control over TikTok's key algorithm.

Leavitt told Fox News' "Saturday in America" that the pending agreement between would also guarantee a majority of the board seats overseeing U.S. operations, six out of seven, would go to Americans.

"They were able to accomplish a deal that puts America first and keeps TikTok open for all of the young Americans and all of the small businesses who have benefited greatly from selling their products and really creating a name for themselves on this highly popular app," Leavitt said, crediting Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Ambassador Jamieson Greer, and Vice President JD Vance with working on the deal for months.
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TikTok, with roughly 170 million American users, has been at the center of an escalating geopolitical and technology debate over data security, content influence, and U.S.-China relations.

Washington legislators and intelligence agencies have cited fears that TikTok's recommendation algorithm and data access could enable covert manipulation or espionage by China's government—a claim fiercely denied by ByteDance and Beijing.

The forthcoming deal would mark a significant shift in control of the app's American presence while addressing bipartisan U.S. demands for technical and governance safeguards.

What To Know

TikTok, known globally for its viral short videos, is owned by ByteDance, a private company based in China. U.S. lawmakers and agencies have scrutinized TikTok since at least 2020, when then-President Trump signed an executive order seeking to ban the app unless its U.S. assets were divested.

Successive court challenges forestalled a total shutdown, but mounting pressure led Congress to pass legislation in 2025 that would ban TikTok by January unless sold to a U.S.-approved buyer. Trump extended the deadline multiple times as he looked to find a buyer, confident he could secure a deal.

Leavitt said the deal under negotiation would establish a U.S.-based TikTok controlled by a consortium including Oracle, Silver Lake, and Andreessen Horowitz, which would collectively hold approximately 80 percent ownership.

Oracle would also oversee all American user data and monitor for suspicious activity. The remaining 20 percent would be held by Chinese shareholders.

The platform's board would include six Americans and one Chinese member.

The video recommendation algorithm, which has prompted national security concerns due to its ownership, would be licensed from ByteDance but controlled by the U.S. consortium.

Teens Face Misleading Sexual Health Advice on TikTok, Study Finds

Sexual health-related TikToks have been linked to misinformation and potentially dangerous advice—particularly when related to abortion.

This is the finding of a cross-sectional study led by student Angeli Sirilan of the University of Arizona College of Medicine, which involved creating a TikTok account representing a 15-year-old girl.

With previous research suggesting around four in 10 young adults regularly turn to TikTok as a source of news and indicating young women particularly use the platform for health information—either intentionally or unintentionally—researchers set out to look into this in real time.

"There are very few other studies that analyze reproductive health education on TikTok despite the fact that many young people look towards TikTok and other social media platforms as a primary information source," Sirilan told Newsweek.

The results are due to be presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2025 National Conference & Exhibition on Sunday September 28.

On creating the teen-representing account on March 25 this year, researchers searched for videos to determine the medical accuracy, whether made by a medical professional or not.

Two reviewers independently examined the top 10 videos in English under three minutes that appeared under 10 keywords related to sexual and reproductive health.

The total 100 videos were classified by each reviewer as accurate, inaccurate or neutral.

They discovered 21.4 percent of the videos created by non-medical professionals contained inaccurate information, in comparison to 3.4 percent created by medical professionals.

The types of misinformation varied but included dangerous advice such as inducing an abortion, they said. "There was misinformation regarding STD prevention and how one can prevent STD transmission, which was not supported by scientific evidence," Sirilan also told Newsweek.

“With major variation in school-based health classes, young people often turn to online platforms like TikTok for answers. This highlights the urgent need for educators, parents and public health leaders to improve both sexual and reproductive health education and social media literacy,” Sirilan added in a statement.

More than a quarter (26.7 percent) of videos with abortion-related search terms contained inaccurate information, in comparison to 4.3 percent of “other medically centered videos.”

The researchers also assessed whether the content was posted by a medical professional or promoted unsafe behavior. Of the videos analyzed, 58 percent were created by healthcare professionals, who were more likely to be accurate.

Search terms related to abortion—including how to get an abortion, induced miscarriage and pill abortion—produced more inaccurate videos. The same terms, according to the researchers, were the only terms associated with videos promoting unsafe practices.

TikTok users are permitted to share their own stories or experiences about medical treatment as long as it does not contain harmful misinformation, according to TikTok. It's possible some personal experience videos may not be intended as advice.

The researchers acknowledge TikTok can be a “valuable tool” to spread access to reproductive health information among adolescents, and videos created by healthcare professionals are often the most accurate sources of information on the platform.

NYC CELL NETWORK & THE UN

Secret Service foils massive plot to cripple NYC cell network and threaten UN General Assembly

A massive illegal electronic device network capable of crippling cell towers and jamming 911 calls across New York City was uncovered by the Secret Service — just as world leaders prepared to descend on Manhattan for the UN General Assembly, officials said Tuesday.

Investigators discovered the trove of devices — including more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards – at multiple locations within 35 miles of the United Nations.

“The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” Secret Service Director Sean Curran said.

Officials warned the devices had the capability of carrying out a wide-range of telecommunications attacks — including spamming networks with up to 30 million text messages a minute — that could have had “catastrophic” consequences for the city.

Investigators also believe the networks could be tied to making spam threats to US officials, and had communicated with people in foreign countries.

The feds are investigating whether the devices have ties to a foreign government.

“It can take down cell towers, so then no longer can people communicate, right? …. You can’t text message, you can’t use your cell phone. And if you coupled that with some sort of other event associated with UNGA, you know, use your imagination there, it could be catastrophic to the city,” Matt McCool, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s New York field office, said.

“Given the timing, location and proximity and potential for significant disruptions to the New York telecoms system, we moved quickly to disrupt this network.”

It wasn’t immediately clear exactly when the cache of hidden devices was seized, nor their precise purpose.

However, law enforcement sources said that similar operations had been uncovered in California and the Midwest in recent weeks.

The sources said that the investigation is ongoing but they appeared to be linked to spam calls, but also could have a more benign purpose like acting as a proxy for international calling cards.

Some cybersecurity experts also warned about the potential for dangerous security threats from the devices.

“My instinct is this is espionage,” Anthony Ferrante, global head of consulting firm FTI’s cybersecurity practice, told the New York Times.

He noted the setup had all the hallmarks of a costly operation, which could be used for eavesdropping as world leaders descend on Manhattan.

James Lewis, cybersecurity researcher at Washington’s Center for European Policy Analysis, told the outlet the list of countries capable of such an operation was short, including Russia, China and Israel.

The hidden network was found as part of a sweeping Secret Service probe that kicked off in the spring following telecommunications-related threats targeting senior US government officials, according to investigators.

JAGUAR

Cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover Causes Massive Shutdown, Loss of 30,000 Cars

A cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover has led to a halt at its plants for nearly a month that has caused a production loss of about 30,000, with analysts warning that a full restart could take much longer and have far-reaching consequences for the company and its suppliers.

The Times reports that British automotive manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has been grappling with the aftermath of a massive cyberattack that forced the company to shut down its global plants at the end of August. The prolonged production halt has not only affected JLR’s operations but also raised concerns about the impact on its extensive supply chain.

According to an analysis of production figures, the cyberattack has cost JLR up to 30,000 cars in lost production. The company recently announced that the production pause would be extended until at least October 1, further exacerbating the situation. This extension is expected to result in tens of millions of pounds in lost revenue for JLR on a daily basis, while also putting jobs and companies in the supply chain at risk.

JLR directly employs more than 30,000 people, and it is estimated that around 200,000 workers in the supply chain depend on work from the company. The prolonged shutdown has raised concerns about the ability of smaller companies further down the supply chain to withstand the financial strain, as many lack the cash reserves to weather such a crisis. The interconnected nature of the automotive industry means that the ripple effects of the cyberattack could extend beyond JLR, potentially affecting other car assemblers such as Toyota or Mini, who share suppliers with JLR.

The government is expected to face the consequences of the cyberattack, either through emergency support measures such as furlough schemes or short-term loans or through increased unemployment benefits if the situation persists. Business Secretary Peter Kyle and Industry Minister Chris McDonald have met with JLR executives to discuss the issue, emphasizing the government’s commitment to supporting the world-leading automotive sector and minimizing the impact of the incident.

JLR’s UK operations are based in the West Midlands and Merseyside, and local MPs have called for the government to use its influence to convene banks and develop a commercial solution to help businesses overcome the cash crunch caused by the cyberattack.

AI

Nvidia Announces $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI Sparking Chip Rally

Nvidia has announced a massive $100 billion investment in OpenAI, sending ripples through the tech industry and boosting shares of semiconductor companies globally.

CNBC reports that Nvidia has unveiled plans to invest a staggering $100 billion in OpenAI, the AI company behind ChatGPT. The announcement sent shockwaves through the global chip sector, with companies linked to Nvidia experiencing a notable boost in their share prices.

According to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, the deal between the two tech giants is set to be on an unprecedented scale. OpenAI intends to construct and deploy Nvidia systems that will require 10 gigawatts of power, equivalent to the output of between four and five million graphics processing units (GPUs).

In a blog post, Nvidia calls the deal “the Biggest AI Infrastructure Deployment in History:”

The partnership expands on a long-standing collaboration between NVIDIA and OpenAI, which began with Huang hand-delivering the first NVIDIA DGX system to the company in 2016.

“This is a billion times more computational power than that initial server,” said Greg Brockman, president of OpenAI. “We’re able to actually create new breakthroughs, new models…to empower every individual and business because we’ll be able to reach the next level of scale.”

Huang emphasized that though this is the start of a massive buildout of AI infrastructure around the world, it’s just the beginning.

The news of this substantial investment triggered a rally on Wall Street, with the positive sentiment extending to the global chip sector, particularly affecting companies with established connections to Nvidia. In Taiwan, shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), which manufactures chips for Nvidia, closed 3.5 percent higher. Similarly, South Korea’s SK Hynix, a supplier of memory chips used in Nvidia’s systems, saw its shares rise by more than 2.5 percent at the end of the trading session. Samsung, a rival to SK Hynix, also experienced a 1.4 percent increase in its stock price, despite not currently supplying Nvidia with its high-bandwidth memory chips. However, markets are optimistic that Samsung will soon receive the green light to do so.

The positive impact of the Nvidia-OpenAI deal was not limited to chip manufacturers alone. Equipment suppliers, such as Tokyo Electron, which is listed in Japan, also witnessed a rise in their stock prices at the close of trade in the country. Ben Barringer, a global technology analyst at Quilter Cheviot, emphasized that the semiconductor industry is a broad market with numerous suppliers, and the deal’s benefits are not confined to a single winner. “While this deal may be negative in the short-term for Nvidia’s competitors, it is a sign that the AI trade is alive and well,” Barringer remarked.

‘AI Scheming:’ Researchers Are Puzzled by Chatbots Purposefully Lying to Human Users

OpenAI, the makers of ChatGPT, has released research exposing the potential for AI models to engaged in “AI scheming” by intentionally lying to humans, raising concerns about how people chatbots in every from the workplace to education.

OpenAI recently published a research report that sheds light on a disturbing trend in AI models: deliberate lying and scheming. The research, conducted in collaboration with Apollo Research, has uncovered instances where AI models behave one way on the surface while concealing their true intentions, a practice named “scheming” by the researchers.

The researchers likened AI scheming to a human stock broker breaking the law to maximize profits, highlighting the potential for AI to engage in deceptive practices to achieve its goals. While most instances of AI scheming observed in the study were not deemed highly harmful, such as pretending to have completed a task without actually doing so, the researchers cautioned that the potential for more consequential scheming could grow as AI is assigned more complex tasks with real-world consequences.

One of the most concerning aspects of the research is the revelation that AI developers have not yet found a reliable way to train models not to scheme. Attempts to “train out” scheming could inadvertently teach the model to scheme more carefully and covertly to avoid detection. This situational awareness exhibited by AI models adds another layer of complexity to the challenge of ensuring AI alignment with human values and goals.

The study also found that AI models can pretend not to be scheming when they understand they are being tested, further complicating efforts to detect and mitigate deceptive behavior. This ability to deceive even during evaluation raises serious questions about the trustworthiness of AI systems and the need for robust safeguards.

Up to this point, one of the primary concerns about AI has been hallucinations, in which AI systems make up false information while attempting to be helpful. Multiple lawyers have ended up in hot water after filing legal briefs written by AI that include references to imaginary cases.  As Breitbart News previously reported:

In an internal letter shared in a court filing, Morgan & Morgan’s chief transformation officer cautioned the firm’s more than 1,000 attorneys that citing fake AI-generated cases in court documents could lead to serious consequences, including potential termination. This warning comes after one of the firm’s lead attorneys, Rudwin Ayala, cited eight cases in a lawsuit against Walmart that were later discovered to have been generated by ChatGPT, an AI chatbot.

The incident has raised concerns about the growing use of AI tools in the legal profession and the potential risks associated with relying on these tools without proper verification. Walmart’s lawyers urged the court to consider sanctions against Morgan & Morgan, arguing that the cited cases “seemingly do not exist anywhere other than in the world of Artificial Intelligence.”

In response to the incident, Ayala was immediately removed from the case and replaced by his supervisor, T. Michael Morgan, Esq. Morgan expressed “great embarrassment” over the fake citations and agreed to pay all fees and expenses related to Walmart’s reply to the erroneous court filing. He emphasized that this incident should serve as a “cautionary tale” for both his firm and the legal community as a whole.

‘Workslop:’ Bad Quality AI-Generated Documents Invade the Office, Destroy Productivity

Workers are largely following mandates to embrace AI in the office, but few are seeing it create real value. According to the Harvard Business Review, the culprit is “workslop,” AI-generated documents that look sharp but are filled with low quality information.

Harvard Business Review reports that despite a surge in generative AI use across workplaces, most companies are seeing little measurable return on investment (ROI). According to a recent report from the MIT Media Lab, 95 percent of organizations see no measurable return on their investment in these technologies, even as the number of companies with fully AI-led processes nearly doubled last year and AI use has likewise doubled at work since 2023.

One possible reason for this puzzling lack of ROI is that AI tools are being used to produce what some experts are calling “workslop” — content that appears polished on the surface but lacks real substance, insight, or value underneath. While generative AI can quickly churn out documents, presentations, emails, and other content that seem professional and well-written at first glance, upon closer inspection much of this material is generic, shallow, obvious, and lacking in original ideas or meaningful contributions.

Rather than augmenting and enhancing human knowledge work, generative AI in its current form may be having the opposite effect — enabling the mass-production of mediocre, low-value content that clogs up workflows, communications channels, and decision-making processes. Employees end up spending more and more time sifting through piles of AI-generated workslop to find the few gems of genuine insight.

Some of the issues with AI-produced content stem from the limitations of the technology itself. Today’s generative AI models are very good at identifying patterns and stitching together bits and pieces of existing content into new compositions. But they struggle with analysis, imagination, and the ability to reason about entirely novel concepts. The result is often content that is factually accurate and grammatically correct but conceptually unoriginal.

However, the workslop problem also stems from how generative AI tools are being deployed and used in organizations. In the rush to take advantage of the technology’s efficiency benefits, many companies are applying it indiscriminately to all sorts of knowledge work without carefully considering whether it’s truly fit-for-purpose. Generative AI is being used as a blunt instrument rather than a precise tool.

There’s also a risk that the technology could deskill and demotivate knowledge workers over time. If “good enough” AI-generated content is seen as acceptable, employees may feel less incentive to apply rigorous human thought and creativity to their work. Reliance on AI could lead to an erosion of critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities.

As generative AI continues its rapid advancement and diffusion, the ability to produce substance, not just slop, will become a key competitive differentiator. Companies that learn to wield the technology judiciously and combine it with capable, creative human minds will thrive. Those that succumb to the temptations of workslop will drown in a sea of their own mediocrity.

WIKIPEDIA SURROUNDED BY CONTROVERSIES

Wikipedia Editors Propose Deleting Page on Charlie Kirk Memorial Service, Add Nazi Comparisons

Shortly after the memorial service for slain Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, which a TPUSA executive called the largest memorial service in history, Wikipedia editors created a page about the service. A few days later, a left-wing editor nominated the page for deletion with discussion soon becoming divided, both sides noting pages on services for other public figures. Editors also smeared speakers at the memorial, some invoking comparisons to Nazi Germany.

The deletion effort comes on top of others for politically-important subjects on Wikipedia, including the page for Erika Kirk, which withstood a deletion effort in the wake of her husband’s assassination earlier this month where some editors engaged in crass comments. It also comes following efforts to smear Kirk after his death.

Wikipedia’s article on the service was created Sunday night with basic information. Editors gradually filled in more about the services and major moments. Numerous instances of vandalism and smears occurred initially, such as edits calling Kirk a member of the Ku Klux Klan, mocking the ceremony, and replacing an image of Erika Kirk and President Donald Trump with a painting of the devil and the anti-Christ. One new account repeatedly linked to the page on Horst Wessel, a violent Nazi stormtrooper the Nazi Party glorified as a martyr after he was killed by communists, and made other edits making Nazi comparisons, often citing questionable or unrelated sources.

Such edits were all quickly removed by other editors and the page locked to prevent further such attacks. However, editor David Tornheim soon followed up by adding negative information, such as smearing conservative commentator Tucker Carlson with antisemitism claims regarding his memorial speech. Tornheim discloses being involved in left-wing activism on his profile page. At this time, editor “The Midnite Wolf” nominated the page for deletion arguing it failed the “10-year test” on Wikipedia, referring to an essay section that represents common community views on bias towards recent events. Midnite Wolf’s profile page contains pro-trans messaging and a George Floyd protest photo, one of many the editor uploaded.

Multiple editors quickly supported deleting the article, including Simon McNeil, who edits as “Simonm223” on Wikipedia. McNeil and other left-wing editors claimed the article was “cruft,” a slang term for junk, with McNeil further stating the service was a “publicity stunt” and only warranted a few sentences in the article on Kirk’s assassination. In later comments to editors arguing to keep the article, McNeil called it a “political rally disguised as a memorial service” and “barely even a significant event in Kirk’s death.” Previously, McNeil supported deleting the page on Iryna Zarutska’s murder during that discussion and himself nominated the United Kingdom grooming gang scandal’s article for deletion, prompting social media outrage.

Editors voting to keep the page argued that not enough time had passed to fairly judge the event’s notability, significant coverage of the event existed and the context in which the service occurred was notably distinct. Some cited the current length of the article on the assassination, where editors opposing the current article argued its contents should be moved and trimmed, as making a separate article better. One editor supporting a merge expressed concern keeping the page would help make Charlie Kirk a martyr, claiming this would be inconsistent with maintaining Wikipedia’s neutrality.

Funeral and memorial services for other public figures also came up with each side citing them to defend their stance. Opponents argued most articles on funerals involved government figures. However, other editors cited Wikipedia’s article on the funeral for black civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. as precedent for articles on services for private citizens, though opponents countered King was a special case. However, articles have also been created that are primarily about services of pop star Michael Jackson, New York Yankees player Babe Ruth, and King’s wife Coretta Scott King. An article just about President Abraham Lincoln’s hearse was even approved for an appearance on Wikipedia’s front page.

Trump’s 2024 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden was also cited given it has an article that was kept following a deletion discussion. An admin who voted to keep the article at the time, expressed regret about it and voted to delete the Kirk memorial service article. Wikipedia’s page on the rally was criticized during that deletion discussion for being negatively-slanted and focused on partisan attacks comparing it to a Nazi rally with many left-wing voters pushing to keep the page, some even with the desire that it focus on such comparisons. Similarly, one editor voting to keep the article on Kirk’s memorial called the service trashy yet argued the criticism and controversy made it notable.

Wikipedia Declares Israel Guilty of Committing Genocide Against Palestinians

A discussion regarding the Wikipedia article on allegations Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip was closed over the weekend in favor of stating the allegations as fact. The proposal received significant support from pro-Palestinian and socialist editors, but other editors noted a recent discussion had already ruled against claiming genocide as fact. An admin also ruled in favor of listing the “Gaza genocide” article on the top of Wikipedia’s front page in its “In the news” section in the space for ongoing events, a move that could leave it on the front page indefinitely.

The decision on Saturday by admin Christopher Beland came nearly two months after discussion started. His decision found that stating “the Gaza genocide is” in the intro, thus treating the allegations as true, had consensus support citing a roughly 2-to-1 vote in favor out of about 80 editors. On Wikipedia, consensus is supposed to be based off the strength of arguments over numerical support. Beland stated the introduction could still note criticism of genocide allegations, comparing this to how articles on the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide are handled. Beland argued Wikipedia’s policies on maintaining a neutral point of view did not require treating the genocide allegations against Israel as allegations noting editors claimed a scholarly consensus. Scholars claimed to be allied to Israel and news media were given less weight.

Following the decision, the opening line of the article was changed to claim the “Gaza genocide is the ongoing systematic destruction of the Palestinian people in Gaza by Israel by means of blockade, invasion, and bombing of the strip with the manifest intent of senior Israeli leaders in the context of the war that is taking place there.” While acknowledging “this characterization” was controversial, the article claims “it is now supported by a wide academic consensus.” Editors were still discussing how to change the introduction to reflect the result with one editor adding various “genocidal acts” attributed to Israel.

Admin “Sandstein” then decided in a separate discussion to include the “Gaza genocide” article on Wikipedia’s front page, which is viewed by millions every day. The discussion initiated shortly before the decision called on including the genocide allegations article in a parenthetical next to the Gaza War at the area for ongoing events in the front page’s “In the news” section. Even after the decision to treat the allegations as fact many editors, including other admins, objected that it would not be neutral as they argued a simple link cannot reflect the contentious nature of the genocide allegations. Sandstein stated the decision to treat the allegations as fact overrode these neutrality concerns.

Discussion about formally claiming Israel was committing genocide in Gaza was initiated at the end of July, suggesting a move away from the status quo where the article cited various groups that claimed Israeli was committing genocide instead of stating it as fact. Several editors immediately objected to the discussion being opened, including one editor who supported the proposed change, noting a closely divided discussion closed in May found consensus was against claiming genocide as fact. In that close, admin “Dr vulpes” noted that sources deemed reliable on Wikipedia diverged on the question and claiming genocide as fact would give one view undue weight in breach of the site’s neutrality policy.

Many editors objecting to a change cited the recent discussion to argue for a “procedural close” and claiming not enough had changed to warrant a new discussion. This included multiple editors identifying themselves as left-wing. Editor “Dronebogus” called the discussion “borderline system gaming” and called for a moratorium on further discussion, despite expressing belief in the genocide allegation on his profile page. However, many more editors identifying themselves as socialist, pro-Palestinian, or both voted in favor of claiming genocide as fact. Other editors supporting the genocide claim identified as transgender with others claiming to be from Muslim Arab countries.

Several made other pro-Palestinian activist statements on their profile pages. “Abo Yemen” from Aden prominently displays an image of a pro-Palestinian protest above a message stating, “End the Gaza genocide. End the Gaza blockade. End the Gaza famine. Stop killing aid-seeking civilians. Stop sieging children. Free Palestine!” Another editor’s profile page consisted solely of the phrase “the Nakba continues” in reference to the Arab term for “catastrophe” many Arabs use regarding Israel’s establishment. Editor Steve Swonk states he returned to editing Wikipedia after 14 years because people were arrested for supporting Palestine Action, which he described as “a non-violent group of anti-genocide protesters” despite being designated terrorists by the United Kingdom after sabotaging British Air Force jets.

Last July, a separate discussion on renaming the article was closed. That discussion on renaming the article from “Allegations of genocide in the 2023 Israeli attack on Gaza” to another name concluded in favor of a move to “Gaza genocide” in a close by archaeologist Joe Roe, who previously served on Wikipedia’s Arbitration Committee often likened to a Supreme Court. In that discussion, three options were presented for a new name with two qualifying the term “Gaza genocide” to show it was disputed with one unqualified option. Despite a clear majority favoring a qualified name, Roe ruled a “rough consensus” favored the unqualified version, stating opponents did not convincingly rebut sourcing analysis by supporters and that the intro could still treat claims as allegations.

Roe has made or shared numerous pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli posts on his Mastodon account, which is linked from his profile page. One post Roe shared just weeks after the October 7 attacks by Hamas, which killed over a thousand Israelis and saw hundreds abducted, condemned Israel’s military response to the attacks and called for it to end. Months after Roe approved the “Gaza genocide” rename, he shared another Mastodon post on the one-year anniversary of the attacks condemning “the Palestinian genocide” and calling on archaeologists “to act against state violence.” He has shared more anti-Israeli posts this year, himself promoting an open letter calling for the World Archaeological Congress to join an academic boycott of Israel.

Under Wikipedia policy, admins are generally not supposed to exercise administrative authority in disputes “about which they have strong feelings” since they would be considered “incapable of making objective decisions” on the matter. Such issues of bias also arise in the decision to treat Gaza genocide allegations as fact. On early revisions of his profile page, Beland mentions moving to Boston from San Francisco and has uploaded images to Wikimedia Commons, a file repository affiliated with Wikipedia, disclosing his name as Christopher Beland.

An X account from Boston under Beland’s name has made several posts discussing criticism of Wikipedia over the dispute about recession determinations in 2022, a dispute in which Beland was involved. He admitted making a comment on X, then Twitter, to the author of a Bloomberg article on the dispute, which matches one post. Regarding an editor being quoted as wanting to “avoid making clowns of ourselves” in that piece, Beland stated “guess it’s just a reminder to all editors that anything we say here can be read by anyone, and can easily end up on the front page of the newspaper, or whatever the Internet equivalent is.”

Wikipedia Editors Attempted to Delete Article on Murder of Iryna Zarutska, Then Protected Suspect’s Name

Following a failed effort to delete the page about the killing of Ukrainian war refugee Iryna Zarutska last week, admins on Wikipedia blocked all non-admin editing to prevent mentioning suspect Decarlos Brown Jr.’s name before finally the lock was downgraded to allow experienced editors. This came after the deletion attempt was heavily criticized on social media, including by House Representative Andy Biggs, who serves on the Oversight Committee currently investigating the online encyclopedia’s political bias.

Efforts to delete the Wikipedia article and block inclusion of the suspect’s name were more protective of Brown compared to cases involving Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha and Daniel Penny in New York City where the two white males were acquitted after arguing they acted defensively. Unlike the case of Decarlos Brown Jr., editors were also keen to mention both were white.

Zarutska was stabbed to death on the light rail in Charlotte, North Carolina on August 22. A 23-year-old refugee from the war in Ukraine, Zarutska’s killing sparked social media outrage after footage from CCTV cameras emerged showing her death. Brown was arrested on murder charges alleging he was the man seen viciously stabbing Zarutska in the video. Social media discussion focused on the lack of coverage from most major establishment news outlets. As the story and footage spread on social media, an editor on Wikipedia created a page on Zarutska’s stabbing.

Despite the article citing BBC News Ukraine and the Independent in the United Kingdom, editors repeatedly tagged the article for notability citing the policy that Wikipedia is not a newspaper, often shortened as NOTNEWS. Under that policy, even if a subject received coverage supporting its inclusion under the site’s normal notability guidelines, which require significant coverage in sources deemed reliable on Wikipedia, the article may be deleted if it is merely the subject of routine news coverage. Specific guidelines regarding events, such as crimes, say an event that has received significant national or international coverage can be considered notable on the site.

Following repeated tagging of the article, editor “Tbhotch” nominated the article for deletion citing allegations that the article on Zarutska’s killing violated Wikipedia’s NOTNEWS policy. At the time of the nomination, the killing had also just received in-depth coverage in the Daily Telegraph, which is considered reliable on Wikipedia. Editors nominating pages for deletion are expected to check if additional sources exist beforehand that could address notability concerns. While Zarutska’s stabbing had also received national coverage at the time in the New York Post, Breitbart News, and Fox News, all are treated as unreliable on Wikipedia regarding political topics due to an ongoing purge of conservative media on the site.

Within the first two hours of the article being nominated for deletion, a flurry of editors commented to call for deletion, including several identifying themselves as left-wing or liberal on their profile pages. These editors were largely dismissive of social media attention about the killing, including from Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, alleging efforts to “astroturf” the story and claiming they were “trying to make this into something far greater than it really merrits[sic].” Discussion on deleting the page soon attracted attention from an account on X objecting to the deletion attempt:
[X Post]
Editors subsequently tagged the discussion stating it was “not a vote” as decisions are decided by the perceived strength of arguments under policy and another editor warned of “canvassing” in reference to Wikipedia policy against promoting discussions in a way deemed as attempting to rig it in favor of a specific conclusion. Criticism of the deletion attempt also appeared in comments from Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) on Facebook and X stating: “Wikipedia is already trying to memory hole Iryna Zarutska’s murder because it doesn’t fit the Leftstream Media’s narrative. Don’t let them.”

CENSORSHIP

Google Admits Political Censorship on YouTube, Promises to Embrace Free Speech

Google on Tuesday promised to restore YouTube accounts that have been banned for political speech, admitting that the Biden administration pressured it to censor Americans that did not violate the company’s terms of service, in a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH).

“Reflecting the Company’s commitment to free expression, YouTube will provide an opportunity for all creators to rejoin the platform if the company terminated their channels for repeated violations of COVID-19 and elections integrity policies that are no longer in effect,” a lawyer representing Google wrote to Jordan.

The letter would likely affect pro-Trump political commentators such as White House counterterrorism chief Sebastian Gorka, War Room host Steve Bannon, and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, whom were banned over speech relating to the coronavirus pandemic or election-related content.

YouTube had banned Bongino, who moved to alternative video streaming platform Rumble, over alleging spreading misinformation about masks during the coronavirus pandemic.

Google’s video platform said it “values conservative voices on its platform” and admitted that the creators “have extensive reach and play an important role in civic discourse.”

Google then admitted that the Biden administration pressured the big tech company to remove alleged misinformation relating to the pandemic.

“Senior Biden Administration officials, including White House officials, conducted repeated and sustained outreach to Alphabet and pressed the Company regarding certain user-generated content related to the COVID-19 pandemic that did not violate its policies,” the lawyer wrote to Jordan.

The lawyer said that the President Joe Biden and his officials “created a political atmosphere that sought to influence the actions of platforms based on their concerns regarding misinformation.”

Google said that Jordan and the Judiciary Committee have “taken important steps to highlight that onerous obligations under laws such as the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act may stifle innovation and restrict access to information.”

Jordan had recently told Breitbart News that the European Union and the United Kingdom are acting “exactly” like the Biden administration in pushing big tech platforms to censor free speech.

Jordan wrote on X, “Due to our oversight efforts, GOOGLE commits to offer ALL creators previously kicked off YouTube due to political speech violations to return to the platform. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL.”

Legacy Newscasts SILENT on Google Admission of Censorship at Biden’s Behest, But Kimmel Gets 15 Minutes

The legacy media have cast themselves as staunch defenders of the First Amendment as they circle the wagons for Regime comic Jimmy Kimmel. However, they are nowhere to be seen as Google admits to censorship of conservatives under pressure from the Biden White House.

Here’s the related story that was reported on Fox and Friends on Wednesday, September 24th, 2025:
[VIDEO]
CARLEY SHIMKUS: Google announcing it will reinstate YouTube’s channels that were permanently banned for political speech saying it was pressed by the Biden administration to remove content that did not violate YouTube’s policies. A lawyer for Google saying, quote: “It is unacceptable and wrong when any government, including the Biden Administration, plan to dictate how to moderate content…and the company has consistently fought against those efforts.” It is unclear, at this time, which accounts will be reinstated.

Further details via Fox News:

Google detailed its remarkable shift in a document, first obtained by Fox News Digital, that a lawyer for the company provided to the House Judiciary Committee.

The new policy from Google, also known by its parent company Alphabet, could affect both average users and well-known figures like FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, White House counterterrorism chief Sebastian Gorka and "War Room" podcast host Steve Bannon, all of whom were permanently banned in recent years for COVID-19 or election-related content.

Google, under direct pressure from the Biden Administration, removed accounts that violated no rule. The letter sent to House Judiciary sets this interference in stark terms:

8. Senior Biden Administration officials, including White House officials, conducted repeated and sustained outreach to Alphabet and pressed the Company regarding certain user-generated content related to the COVID-19 pandemic that did not violate its policies. While the Company continued to develop and enforce its policies independently, Biden Administration officials continued to press the Company to remove non-violative content.

9. As online platforms, including Alphabet, grappled with these decisions, the Administration’s officials, including President Biden, created a political atmosphere that sought to influence the actions of platforms based on their concerns regarding misinformation.

This was a direct, egregious attack on freedom of expression, directed from The White House, that has drawn no coverage across the legacy dial. Which is strange, since they pretend to care about free speech. Put another way, they care about the free speech they care about.

We know this to be true because we took a look at coverage of l’affaire Kimmel since House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan released the Google letter. We added the time devoted to Kimmel across the ABC, CBS, and NBC evening newscasts for the period of September 23-24. We’ve recently learned that math may offend the tender sensibilities of CNN’s Jake Tapper. However, it is math nonetheless and therefore science. The science, Tapper’s fee-fees notwithstanding, says that ABC, CBS and NBC devoted 15 minutes and 1 second to anticipating and then squeeing over Kimmel’s return. There were zero seconds devoted to the Google letter since its publication.

A media that devotes 15 minutes to the restoration of a regime comic while ignoring actual censorship subsequent to actual jawboning is not a media that is actually in protecting free speech. This contrast proves it.

CALIFORNIA'S EV MANDATE REPEALED

Trump Defeats Newsom as California Repeals Electric Truck Mandate

President Donald Trump dealt California Governor Gavin Newsom a defeat this week as California regulators voted to repeal a mandate that required trucking fleets to purchase zero-emissions, electric-powered vehicles.

As Breitbart News reported in 2022, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) proposed a mandate for trucks, as part of Newsom’s push for electric vehicles. In 2023, CalMatters.org noted, CARB adopted the new rules, which would ban diesel rig sales by 2036 and electrify all of the trucking fleets in the state by 2042.

But Republicans — and economic reality — intervened in Newsom’s plans.

Politico reported this week:

The California Air Resources Board — a powerful agency that sets emissions standards for vehicles, power plants and other polluters — voted to repeal its zero-emission purchasing rule for private fleets, the final remnant of the state’s aggressive push to mandate a rapid electric transition in the trucking sector.

That decision was a formality after the agency failed to secure permission to enforce its stricter-than-federal Advanced Clean Fleets rule before President Donald Trump took office.

But coming on the heels of Trump’s revocation of a companion rule that would have required truck manufacturers to increasingly build and sell more electric models, the move shows how thoroughly Republicans have upended California’s strategy.

Newsom’s notorious press office — which spends much of its time trolling Trump — tried to put a brave face on the change on Thursday, claiming that the state is making progress toward its electric vehicle goals.

However, as Breitbart News has reported, electric vehicle sales in the state have been too weak to meet Newsom’s overall goals, placing the future of his ban on gas-powered passenger vehicles by 2035 in doubt.

DIGITAL ID

Petition Against UK Mandatory Digital ID Soars Over a Million Signatures Overnight

A petition calling on the government to drop plans to make wartime-style mandatory identity documents picked up a million signatures in 24 hours after the policy was soft-launched this week.

An early indication of public sentiment on the notion of mandatory identity documents, as no new polling has yet been published on the matter, has arrived as the “Do not introduce Digital ID cards” petition picks up steam.

The petition, that had originally been launched in the mid-summer but which slowly picked up signatures until the government soft-launched its identity crackdown on Thursday night, had around 100,000 signatures yesterday morning. Now, 24 hours after that soft-launch and amid the Prime Minister actually making the announcement on Friday morning, the petition has grown by over a million signatures.

At time of publication, it had picked up over 1.2 million backers. The drive is on the UK government’s official petition website, where any cause can be put to the public. Under the state’s own rules, if a petition gets 10,000 signatures, the government is obliged to issue a written response to the petitioners. If a petition reaches 100,000, the petition can be “considered” for a debate in Parliament.

In reality, petitions that don’t already align with the government’s intentions are generally ignored. Unlike in countries that practice direct democracy, like Switzerland, there is no mechanism for public petitions to actually force change. Nevertheless, the petition is a potentially useful barometer for public feeling on the ID document issue. As things stands, opposition has come from an astonishingly broad cross-section of British political life, from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK to the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, and even rebels inside the governing Labour Party.

META

Meta to Introduce Paid Version of Facebook and Instagram with No Ads in the UK

Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta  is set to launch paid, ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram for users in the United Kingdom. The UK government welcomes the option of a paid social media subscription, saying that it “moves Meta away from targeting users with ads as part of the standard terms and conditions for using its Facebook and Instagram services, which we’ve been clear is not in line with UK law.”

Meta has announced that it will soon offer paid versions of Facebook and Instagram in the UK, allowing users to access the platforms without being subjected to advertisements. The rollout is expected to begin in the coming weeks, giving users over the age of 18 the choice to subscribe to the ad-free services.

The paid versions will be priced at £2.99 ($4) per month for web access and £3.99 for the iOS or Android apps. Meta explained that the higher price for app access is due to the subscription fees imposed by Apple and Google on their respective app stores.

This decision comes as Meta continues to navigate the complex landscape of Europe’s strict online privacy regulations while striving to maintain its advertising revenue, which accounted for 97 percent of the company’s total revenue last year. The introduction of paid, ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram is seen as an attempt to strike a balance between user privacy and the company’s financial interests.

Meta had previously released a more expensive subscription-based offering in the EU in 2023. However, the company faced a €200 million ($232 million) fine in April after regulators argued that the model still violated the bloc’s digital antitrust rules and did not provide users with a genuine free choice. In response, Meta made adjustments to align the system with EU regulations, but the European Commission requested further changes in July, implying that the company could face daily fines if the overhaul is deemed insufficient.

In contrast to the EU, the UK has taken a more lenient approach to internet privacy since its departure from the European Union. This has allowed Meta to proceed with the rollout of the paid versions in the UK market. The company stated that it had engaged in extensive discussions with the UK’s privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), regarding the implementation of the new model.

MASSIVE NETWORK USED IN SWATTING ATTACKS

Secret Service Busts Massive Network Used in Swatting Attacks Against Marjorie Taylor Greene, Other Republicans

The Secret Service has uncovered a vast network of over 100,000 SIM cards and 300 servers in the New York area, believed to be used by foreign “nation-state threat actors” and criminals for swatting calls targeting prominent conservatives including Marjorie Taylor Greene. The amount of hardware seized in the bust could be used to hamper cell service in New York City.

The U.S. Secret Service has uncovered a massive network of more than 100,000 SIM cards and 300 servers located within a 35-mile radius of New York City. The operation, believed to be run by foreign “nation-state threat actors” and criminals, was uncovered during an investigation into a surge of swatting calls targeting high-ranking government officials, including members of Congress and the Trump administration.

Targets of the swatting calls reportedly include Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), and Nikki Haley. The Secret Service’s Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit, in collaboration with various law enforcement agencies, traced the swatting signals to several locations in the New York tri-state area. Upon further investigation, they found a sophisticated network of SIM servers capable of generating enormous amounts of phone traffic while rapidly switching out SIM cards to evade detection.

According to Matt McCool, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s New York field office, the network posed an “imminent threat” to the agency’s protective operations. The servers, strategically positioned around New York City’s cellular network infrastructure, could have overwhelmed cell towers and disrupted cell service for the entire city. Furthermore, the network was powerful enough to send an encrypted, anonymous text message to every person in the United States within just 12 minutes.

While no arrests have been made in connection with the operation, early forensic analysis suggests that the network has been utilized by cartels, human traffickers, and terrorists. “It is absolutely well funded and well-organized,” McCool stated, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.

The Secret Service has successfully taken down the network, eliminating the immediate threat to New York City. However, McCool cautioned that it would be unwise to assume that there are no other similar networks operating across the country. The Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit is now working to identify and dismantle any additional networks that may exist.

U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran underscored the severity of the threat, stating, “The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated.”

The discovery of this extensive SIM card network highlights the growing sophistication of criminal organizations and foreign actors in exploiting technology for nefarious purposes. As the investigation continues, law enforcement agencies remain vigilant in their efforts to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure and prevent further attempts to undermine national security.

The Secret Service’s successful operation serves as a reminder of the critical role that law enforcement plays in combating cyber threats and ensuring the stability of the country’s telecommunications systems. As technology continues to advance, it is essential that law enforcement agencies remain proactive in identifying and neutralizing potential threats before they can cause significant harm.

NASA

NASA Plans ‘Artemis 2’ Mission to the Moon for Early 2026

NASA has announced that its Artemis 2 mission, which will send a crew of four astronauts around the Moon, is on track to launch as early as February 5, 2026, with additional launch windows in March and April.

Space.com reports that NASA has announced that the Artemis 2 mission, the first crewed flight of the Artemis program, could launch as early as February 5, 2026. The mission, which will send four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon, marks a crucial milestone in NASA’s ambitious plan to establish a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.

During a press conference at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Lakiesha Hawkins, the agency’s acting deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development, emphasized the historical significance of the mission, stating, “We together have a front-row seat to history: We’re returning to the moon after over 50 years.” The Artemis 2 crew, consisting of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover (pilot), Christina Koch (mission specialist), and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen (mission specialist), will embark on a “free-return” trajectory, flying around the moon without entering lunar orbit or landing on the surface.

The mission will build upon the success of the uncrewed Artemis 1 test flight, which launched an Orion spacecraft to lunar orbit in November 2022 and successfully returned it to Earth after a four-week journey. Although Artemis 2 was initially expected to launch in 2025, NASA pushed the mission to 2026 to address issues with the Orion capsule’s heat shield, which charred more severely than expected during its reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.

NASA officials have stressed that crew safety is the top priority and that the launch timeline will be driven by ensuring all necessary precautions are taken. The Artemis 2 team has studied the heat shield issue extensively and made adjustments to the mission trajectory to minimize the risk of similar problems during reentry. Additionally, modifications have been made to the launch pad and fueling process to reduce the likelihood of liquid hydrogen leaks, which delayed the Artemis 1 launch.

The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will carry the Artemis 2 mission is nearly complete at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida. The rocket’s solid rocket boosters have been attached, and the Orion capsule and its adapter are set to be added in the coming weeks. NASA expects to unveil the fully assembled Artemis 2 rocket in October.

Jeff Radigan, the lead Artemis 2 flight director at JSC, seemed to state the obvious when he said, “To call this mission fully successful, we need to go fly by the moon, bring the crew home safely and welcome them back with open arms.”

AMAZON

Amazon Agrees to $2.5 Billion Settlement with FTC over Allegations of Deceptive Prime Practices

Amazon has agreed to pay $2.5 billion to settle FTC allegations that the company “tricked and trapped” consumers into signing up for Prime memberships and hindered their attempts to cancel the subscription. FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said, “The Trump-Vance FTC is committed to fighting back when companies try to cheat ordinary Americans out of their hard-earned pay.”

CNBC reports that Amazon has reached a $2.5 billion settlement with the FTC over allegations that the company engaged in deceptive practices related to its Prime subscription program. The settlement, announced on Thursday, comes just three days into the trial between Amazon and the FTC in a Seattle federal court.

The FTC had filed its lawsuit against Amazon in June 2023, accusing the e-commerce giant of deceiving tens of millions of customers into signing up for Prime memberships and making it difficult for them to cancel their subscriptions. The lawsuit also sought to hold three senior Amazon executives individually liable if the jury sided with the FTC.

Under the terms of the settlement, Amazon will pay a $1 billion civil penalty to the FTC and refund $1.5 billion to an estimated 35 million customers who were affected by what the FTC called “unwanted Prime enrollment or deferred cancellation.” The company has not admitted any wrongdoing in agreeing to the settlement.

The agreement prohibits Amazon from misrepresenting the terms of Prime and requires the company to make clear and conspicuous disclosures about the program’s terms during the enrollment process. Additionally, Amazon must obtain consumers’ express consent before charging them for a subscription and provide an easy way for users to cancel their memberships.

As part of the settlement, two Amazon executives, Prime boss Jamil Ghani and Neil Lindsay, a senior vice president in the company’s health division who previously held a role in the Prime business, will be prohibited from engaging in unlawful conduct related to the allegations.

FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson called the penalty a “monumental win” for the agency under the Trump administration, stating, “The Trump-Vance FTC is committed to fighting back when companies try to cheat ordinary Americans out of their hard-earned pay.”

The $2.5 billion penalty is one of the largest ever imposed by the FTC, second only to the $5 billion fine levied against Facebook (now Meta) in 2019 for violating consumers’ privacy. However, the fine represents only about 0.1 percent of Amazon’s current market cap of nearly $2.4 trillion.

MICROSOFT

Microsoft Cuts Off Cloud Services to Israeli Military Unit Following Report on Storing Palestinians’ Phone Calls

Microsoft has announced that it has stopped providing cloud services and AI tools to a division of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, following an investigation into a report from the Guardian about the IDF’s Unit 8200 building a system for tracking Palestinians’ phone calls.

Microsoft has announced that it will stop providing specific cloud services to a unit within the Israeli Ministry of Defense. The decision comes in the wake of an investigation prompted by an August report from the Guardian, which revealed that the Israeli Defense Forces’ Unit 8200 had developed a system to monitor and store phone calls made by Palestinians.

Microsoft President Brad Smith communicated the decision to employees via email, stating, “While our review is ongoing, we have found evidence that supports elements of The Guardian’s reporting. This evidence includes information relating to IMOD consumption of Azure storage capacity in the Netherlands and the use of AI services.”

The software giant’s decision to suspend these services follows mounting pressure from its employees, who have been protesting Israel’s use of Microsoft’s software in its invasion of Gaza. In recent weeks, the company has terminated five employees who participated in demonstrations at its Redmond, Washington headquarters.

Breitbart News previously reported on an employee-led anti-Israel protest at Microsoft’s headquarters that resulted in 18 arrests.

The arrests occurred when a group of anti-Israel demonstrators, calling themselves “No Azure For Apartheid” and consisting of current and former Microsoft employees, gathered at the company’s headquarters around noon on Wednesday. The protesters accused Microsoft of supplying AI technology to the Israeli military that they claim is being used to “surveil, starve and kill Palestinians.”

According to the Redmond Police Department, officers initially attempted to persuade the protesters to leave the company’s private property. However, the group resisted and “became aggressive.” Some protesters poured red paint over the Microsoft sign, blocked a pedestrian bridge, and tried to create a barrier using tables and chairs taken from a nearby farmer’s market.

Microsoft responded to the demonstration, stating that it is committed to upholding its human rights standards and contractual terms of service, including in the Middle East. The company announced last week that it is conducting a thorough and independent review of recent allegations regarding the use of its Azure platform in Israel. According to a statement, “Microsoft will continue to do the hard work needed to uphold its human rights standards in the Middle East, while supporting and taking clear steps to address unlawful actions that damage property, disrupt business or that threaten and harm others.”

In his email, Smith explained that Microsoft had informed Israeli defense officials about its decision to disable the cloud-based storage and AI subscriptions that the IDF had been utilizing. He emphasized that the company does not examine customer data for this type of review and expressed gratitude to The Guardian for its reporting on the matter.

“As employees, we all have a shared interest in privacy protection, given the business value it creates by ensuring our customers can rely on our services with rock solid trust,” Smith wrote, underscoring the importance of maintaining the trust of Microsoft’s customers.