CLIPS: 24 February, 2022
Our mission is to cover tech policy. We believe the best exchange of ideas on tech policy comes in free and fair Democracies. We stand with the people of Ukraine and support their right to self determination. - Szelena Gray, Editor
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Cyberwarfare, Disinformation & Russia’s Unjustifiable Invasion of Ukraine
President Biden issued a statement yesterday after Russia launched missiles into Ukraine from the Belarussian border. The terrifying lead up to this conflict has involved a proliferation of disinformation and cyberattacks, which hasn’t led mainstream coverage but has been noted by tech journalists.
COVERAGE
Protocol, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine creates a disinformation dilemma for tech
Axios, Russian disinformation frenzy seeds groundwork for Ukraine invasion
AP News, Cyberattacks accompany Russian military assault on Ukraine
ITPro, Russian cyber attacks on Ukraine: What we know so far
The Independent, Ukraine government websites downed by cyberattacks amid Russian invasion
Washington Post, Here’s what cyber pros are watching in the Ukraine conflict
The Economist, Will war in Ukraine lead to a wider cyber-conflict? | The Economist
The Guardian, Russia-backed hackers behind powerful new malware, UK and US say
CNN, US braces for Russian cyberattacks as Ukraine conflict escalates. Here's how that might play out
The Verge, Twitter accounts sharing video from Ukraine are being suspended when they're needed most
RESPONSES
Action Center on Race and the Economy (ACRE) tweeted, “Disinformation has always played a key role in generating conflict. State propaganda and disinformation on social media platforms are instrumental in this imperialist violence.”
The Tech Oversight Project tweeted “FOR THE FOLKS IN THE BACK: @Google and @Apple caved to Vladimir Putin and suppressed democracy in Russia.”
BBC News correspondent Joe Tidy tweeted, “I fear also that we are too early to write off the impact of cyber-attacks. We have only seen the start of operations from Russia and if things don’t go their way on the ground, serious cyber offensives become more likely.”
In a statement, the Center for American Progress advised Pres. Biden to impose harsh economic sanctions on Russia following the invasion. From the statement: “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a horrific act of aggression against a peaceful democratic neighbor… The United States, together with our allies, must now impose economic costs on the Kremlin. We need to go after the oligarch money that has corrupted politics and the economy. We need to provide support to Ukraine’s economy and its military. And we need to keep pushing Russia to climb down and come to the negotiating table.”
In response to a tweet from Rep. Jim Jordan, David Corn from MotherJones tweeted, “From the guy who defended Trump withholding military assistance to Ukraine so Trump could pressure Zelensky to manufacture dirt on Biden. Now ain’t the time for your tears.”
Political Scientist Jasmin Mujanovic tweeted, “Boot Russia off of SWIFT immediately. Eject Moscow fully out of the Council of Europe. Use NATO's cyber capacities to interfere w/ Russia's comms networks in the field. Initiate additional emergency arms transfers to Ukraine's defenders; anti-air & anti-armor key.”
CNN correspondent Betsy Klein tweeted, “Senate Intel Chair Mark Warner tells @NewDay he is ‘gravely concerned’ in the immediate 24 hours/over the next 72 hours that ‘Russia has not yet fully unleashed all of its cyber capabilities. Russia is fighting a hybrid war, both kinetic and using cyber tools.’”
Garry Kasperov, chairman of the Human Rights Foundation, tweeted a series of recommendations following the Russian invasion: “1. Support Ukraine militarily, immediately, everything but boots on the ground. All weapons, intel, cyber. 2. Bankrupt Putin's war machine. Freeze & seize Russia's finances & those of him and his gang. 3. Kick Russia out of every intl & financial institution. PACE, Interpol, etc. 4. Recall all ambassadors from Russia. There is no point in talking. The new unified message is ‘stop or be isolated completely’. 5. Ban all elements of Putin's global propaganda machine. Turn them off, shut them down, send them home. Stop helping the dictator spread lies & hate.”
Facebook Whistleblower Files Two SEC Complaints
Building on her initial revelations in October, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen filed two complaints with the Securities and Exchange Commission this week, claiming Facebook “misled investors about its efforts to tackle misinformation about climate change and COVID-19.” She alleged that parent company Meta failed to follow through on public promises to remove and cease algorithmically promoting misinformation, and that very little action or awareness was being generated to fight this problem. Facebook’s Climate Science Information Center has been criticized by advocacy groups as increasingly inadequate to address rapidly-spreading climate misinformation.
In related news, the Center for Countering Digital Hate this week released a report that showed Facebook had failed to label content pushed by “Toxic Ten” publishers (who they found accounted for 69% of digital climate change denial). Groups argue that Facebook’s failure to take even this “minimal” action underscores a reluctance to proactively combat misinformation when it interferes with their business model, and expressed hope that the SEC would sanction Facebook to mandate disclosure of data on misinformation and extremism, and produce a tangible strategy for combating misinformation online.
COVERAGE
The Verge, Facebook whistleblower accuses company of failing to address climate change misinformation
The Hill, Facebook whistleblower alleges company misled investors on climate, COVID-19 misinformation: report
Washington Post, Facebook whistleblower alleges executives misled investors about climate, covid hoaxes in new SEC complaint
Ars Technica, Facebook misled investors on scope of misinformation problems, whistleblower says
Computing, Whistleblower says Meta fails to address climate misinformation
Reuters, Facebook did not label posts from top climate change deniers, report says
The Hill, Facebook labeled half of climate denial posts from 'Toxic Ten': report
Washington Post, Frances Haugen's lawyers accuse Facebook of misleading investors about covid and climate misinformation in Securities and Exchange Commission complaints
RESPONSES
Nathaniel Persily, Director of the Stanford Cyber Policy Center, said that using whistleblower complaints to address the misinformation problem was “creative.” In an interview with the Washington Post, he elaborated: “You cannot pass a law in the US banning disinformation… So what can you do? You can hold the platforms accountable to promises they make. Those promises could be made to users, to the government, to shareholders.”
In a statement, Friends of the Earth wrote: “Whether it’s fueling insurrection, trans-youth bullying, teen body image issues, or climate denial, Facebook’s algorithm enables the small fringe to tear apart our communities and our values… Congress must now step in and require the type of safety reporting that is found in industries from car manufacturers to agriculture. It must force Facebook to disclose its data on platform safety and extremism, with ecosystem-wide reports on disinformation harms.”
Accountable Tech tweeted a quote from one of the SEC complaints, saying: “Climate change misinformation was prominently available on Facebook...despite Facebook executives’ committing to fight the 'global crisis' during earnings calls.”
Kairos tweeted, “This is a good reminder that tech issues and climate issues are deeply interconnected. Because when Facebook fails to run their platform well, it affects all of us.”
Jason Kint tweeted, “[S]ince the SEC appears to have been rolled in 2019 when they timed their Facebook settlement with the FTC’s $5B settlement let’s hope they regain their actual accountability function despite Facebook’s unique governance and influence machine.”
Researcher Ryan Maue tweeted, “Facebook (Meta) has long been a target of activists who see the platform as detrimental to climate policy action. For a (formerly) nearly $1 Trillion tech company, you'd think the problem of ‘climate change disinformation’ would be easy to solve.”
In a Twitter thread, the Center for Countering Digital Hate drew attention to their report on climate denial content, remarking: “The threat that the climate crisis poses is real, deadly, and happening right now. But climate denial propaganda and disinformation is undermining the global effort to deal with climate change. Facebook is the platform of choice for those spreading climate denial.”
The Campaign for Accountability tweeted, “Today, the @CCDHate released new research that appears to lend additional credibility to the SEC complaints' claims about climate disinfo… Whether this continued enforcement failure constitutes an actionable harm to investors is up to the SEC to decide -- but there's no question that the proliferation of this content has harmed society as a whole.”
Advocacy Director at Reset, Alaphia Zoyab, said in a statement on the CCDH report: “This research shows how Big Tech has friended Big Oil and does its dirty work of enabling the spread of disinformation about climate science. Facebook’s toxic algorithms need to be reined in.”
The IRS Will Let Taxpayers Opt Out of Facial Recognition Requirements, But There’s a Catch
The IRS issued a statement that it will allow taxpayers to forgo the video verification requirement this tax season if they sign up for a live virtual interview with tax agents where biometric data will not be collected. The agency also announced longterm plans to pivot to Login.gov for next year’s tax season. The updated verification options arrived just as U.S Sens. Merkley (D-OR) and Blunt (R-MO) introduced their bipartisan No Facial Recognition at the IRS Act. Designed to reduce fraud, the IRS’ contract with ID.me continues to generate backlash as reports find that the platform’s verification tools have repeatedly locked Americans out of their accounts, even blocking veterans from accessing benefits. Now privacy advocates are concerned that the live virtual interview option does not go far enough to address the widespread opposition to facial recognition, noting that the measure is prejudicial against those who cannot wait for a virtual interview.
COVERAGE
The Verge, The IRS will use Login.gov in the future, but for this tax season, video interviews are here to stay
CNN, IRS now lets taxpayers opt out of facial recognition after backlash
Washington Post, Opinion | The IRS needs a big investment to staff up and modernize
NPR, The IRS is allowing taxpayers to opt out of facial recognition to verify accounts
TechRadar, IRS will let tax payers opt out of facial recognition, but there's a big catch
Business Insider, ID.me Locked Veterans and Families Out of VA Benefits, Documents Show
New York Times, IRS Will Allow Taxpayers to Forgo Facial Recognition Amid Blowback
RESPONSES
Fellow at EPIC, Jake Wiener tweeted, “The @IRS is going back on its word with a new plan to make facial recognition "optional". That's not good enough. The agency must abandon facial recognition altogether.”
Surveillance Technology Oversight Project tweeted, “The #IRS’s ‘transition away’ from http://ID.me must go further than an opt-out.Third-party facial verification services are UNTRUSTWORTHY! The federal government cannot continue these contracts.”
In a dialogue with ID.me founder Blake Hall, Founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, Dr. Joy Buolamwini tweeted, “Trust not perfection is at issue. @Blake_Hall, your actions have undermined trust. Why did you claim @IDme does not use 1:many facial recognition and then backtrack the claims after an employee leak?”
Citizens for Ethics (CREW) tweeted, “A bunch of federal agencies, including the IRS and DHS, contract with a company that harvests American's private data. The least the federal government could do is let us know what they do with the data.”
Senior Reporter on Surveillance at Business Insider, Caroline Haskins tweeted, “I spent hours, days going through the VA helpline logs (text quality was terrible). People couldn't get disability $, GI Bill $, pension $, school & hospital records — all due to issues with id verification, most often http://ID.me”
Fight for the Future tweeted, “Making facial recognition 'optional' when the other option is to wait for 5 hours to speak to a human isn't much of a choice at all. Without a full on ban, thousands will still be impacted by harmful #FacialRecognition.”
Former Facebook council and ethics advocate Bari A. Williams tweeted, “‘"Facial recognition has been found to do consistently worse at identifying people of color, though taxpayers will still be able to use the technology for verification if they so chose.’ What could possibly go wrong?”
Test Proctoring Company Attacks Digital Rights Groups
Fight for the Future responded to a subpoena from controversial proctoring platform Proctorio, which sought to gain access to communications between FFTF, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and researcher Ian Linkletter (who was sued in 2020 after posting tweets critical of the company). This news comes as part of an ongoing lawsuit against Proctorio by EFF on behalf of student Erik Johnson, whose tweets criticizing the company were removed. As remote learning has increased during the pandemic, digital rights groups have been highly critical of invasive facial recognition and monitoring software like Proctorio, and have argued Proctorio's actions here further set a chilling precedent for corporate censorship of First Amendment rights online (especially as FFTF wasn’t a party in the lawsuit, but simply a watchdog criticizing Proctorio’s legal practices).
COVERAGE
The Verge, Proctorio subpoenas digital rights group in legal spat with critical student
Vice, Proctorio Is Going After Digital Rights Groups That Bash Their Proctoring Software
RESPONSES
FFTF lambasted Proctorio’s subpoena in a Twitter thread, saying that the company was abusing the legal system to harass activists.
FFTF also launched a new campaign calling on the Dept. of Education to “investigate whether any federal money is being spent on discriminatory eproctoring software like Proctorio’s,” and committed to keeping their website ProctorioIsWorseThanAProctology Exam.com updated.
In a Twitter thread, director Evan Greer said: “Proctorio has attempted to frame principled opposition to their business practices as part of some grand conspiracy to defame them. That's outrageous. We will not be silenced or intimidated. We will continue organizing toward a ban on invasive eproctoring.”
The ACLU tweeted, “Companies shouldn't abuse the civil litigation process to silence their critics. Fight for the Future shouldn't be deterred from speaking out about Proctorio’s practices and working to demand action.”
Mike Masnick tweeted, “If you didn't think educational snooping company Proctorio wasn't bad enough already, now it's engaging in lawfare to try to intimidate its critics with bogus fishing expedition subpoenas.”
In a Twitter thread, Cory Doctorow wrote: “[T]he remote learning boom has emboldened the absolute worst in the ed-tech sector. It's not just that these companies are price-gouging our schools and normalizing surveillance for kids… They're reinforcing everything terrible about educational assessment, and (incredibly), making it even worse.”
Support For Workers Grows Ahead of The Amazon Union Vote
Following a ruling from the National Labor Relations Board that Amazon had inappropriately interfered with their union vote, Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama will get a second election in March. Likewise, federal labor officials on Thursday officially set a vote at four Staten Island warehouses for March. As efforts to unionize loom large, Amazon has been the subject of continued scrutiny. Recently, immigration reform groups have pressured Amazon to divest from Omni Air, ICE’s deportation airline. New reports have also revealed partnerships between ICE, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland security aimed at surveilling immigrant communities.
In 2021 during the initial unionization push, Andre M. Perry, Molly Kinder, Laura Stateler, and Carl Romer wrote an article for Brookings on the racial dimensions at the heart of this issue in the predominantly Black city of Bessemer, Alabama. Noting that Black workers are overrepresented in risky essential jobs, they urge policymakers to create legislation that supports labor movements to guarantee workers better labor conditions.
COVERAGE
Reuters, Union says Amazon continues to interfere with election at Alabama warehouse
Common Dreams, Leaked Audio Exposes Amazon's Anti-Union Scare Tactics
Vice, LEAKED AUDIO: Amazon Union Buster Warns Workers 'Things Could Become Worse'
Business Insider, Amazon Workers Told That Unionization Could Mean 'Minimum Wage'
New York Times, Union Election Is Set at Amazon's Staten Island Warehouse
Fortune, Amazon Labor Union announces election date for next month for Staten Island
CNET, Amazon and New York Labor Group Agree to Union Election Date in March
The Guardian, US Amazon warehouse workers prepare for historic union vote
NPR, Amazon union push: Warehouse workers in New York win vote on unionization
Gothamist, Union Election Set for March 25 at Amazon's Staten Island Warehouse, Organizers Say
The Hill, Record number of immigrants funneled into alternative detention programs
RESPONSES
In a statement to American Prospect, Rev. William J Barber II, president of Repairers of the Breach said, ”Bessemer is our economic Selma. The fight for union rights and living wages is our economic Selma.”
Teamsters tweeted, “#Teamsters stand with @BAmazonUnion workers pushing back against Amazon's anti-union attacks in Bessemer, AL. Amazon is cracking down on worker organizing because it wants its workers to remain voiceless & powerlessSolidarity, brothers & sisters! Stay strong & united!”
Jeffrey Vagle, affiliate scholar at Stanford’s Center for Internet & Society, tweeted, “Amazon anti-union representatives have pulled workers aside to interrogate them about their union activities, surveilled them, barred them from distributing union literature, confiscated literature, and referred to union organizers as ‘thugs.’”
Athena Coalition tweeted, “Amazon official exposed threatening New York workers during union election with: union dues fear mongering, threats to cut benefits + wages to worker and family,implicit threat of terminations”
Fight For 15 tweeted, “These are some of the intimidation tactics companies like @Amazon pay lawyers millions to use when discussing unions, forgetting that THE UNION IS US, the workers. Why would WE bargain a contract lowering OUR pay to the minimum?“
Century Foundation senior fellow, Steven Greenhouse tweeted, “Amazon's Ugly Anti-Union Threat—An Amazon official in NYC warns warehouse workers that Amazon might seek to cut their pay to the minimum wage if they unionize. (That's an absurd threat considering Amazon is having a hard time hiring enough workers at well above the minimum wage)”
Why AT&T’s 3G Network Shutdown Is Causing Alarm
On February 22, AT&T shut down its 3G network after announcing its intention to do so over a year ago. Many devices still rely on the network and have not been replaced (due to COVID and other delays) — up to 10% of all public school buses across the country will lose GPS and communications services, about two million burglar/fire/personal alarms, 3G connected cars, certain medical technologies and more. While the Biden administration announced they’d keep a close eye on the situation, some experts are criticizing AT&T’s decision to not extend the deadline given the severity of the consequences.
COVERAGE
NBC, AT&T is shutting down its 3G network. Why is it happening and how could it impact you?
NewsWorldAmericas
Independent, 3G shutdown - Fear of security system ‘alarmaggedon’ as AT&T 5G rollout sees network close
UPI, AT&T first to sunset 3G network, may affect older alarm systems, buses
Boston Globe, The end of 3G is not just about phones
CNN, AT&T is shutting down its 3G network. Here's how it could impact you
RESPONSES
Harold Feld, senior VP at Public Knowledge, tweeted, “Covid and associated supply chain disruptions have made it difficult for the alarm industry to upgrade their devices. Their trade association (AICC) says they need more time. AT&T won't wait.”
He continued, tweeting, “AICC says hundreds of thousands of alarm systems using AT&T 3G network essential to protecting safety of life and property will become inoperative if AT&T flips the switch. AT&T says that this is the alarm industry's fault for not moving fast enough, Covid be damned.”
Public Knowledge wrote a statement, saying “we urge the Commission also to exercise its general authority under Section 201(b) and its general authority under Title II, Title III and other relevant provisions to protect Boost and rural carrier subscribers from disruption and potential loss of service”
Karl Bode, consumer rights reporter, tweeted, “[good thread on how] AT&T's shutdown of its 3G network could result in a lot of headaches for the home security, medical alert, and other technologies that still haven't found new networks to use”
DOJ Sues To Block The “Big Tech” of Healthcare Merger Deal
The Department of Justice on Thursday sued to block the $13 billion acquisition of health tech firm Change Healthcare by UnitedHealth, in a move critics say would “give UnitedHealth sensitive data that it could wield against its competitors in the insurance business.” Progressive groups praised this move to protect consumers by Jonathan Kanter’s DOJ.
COVERAGE
New York Times, Justice Dept. Sues to Block $13 Billion Deal by UnitedHealth Group
Bloomberg, UnitedHealth to Face U.S. Lawsuit to Block Change Deal
RESPONSES
In a statement, the American Economic Liberties Project wrote: “The Department of Justice has rightly learned that data consolidation poses serious competitive threats. This merger would have allowed UnitedHealth to gather an extraordinary amount of sensitive health care data, further entrenching its monopoly power at the expense of patients, health care providers, and the resiliency of our entire health care system.”
Senior Policy Analyst Krista Brown tweeted, “As we wrote: ‘If the acquisition proceeds and Change is owned by UnitedHealth, the largest health care corp. in the U.S. will own the ability to peek into the book of business for every insurer in the country.’ Glad to see DOJ under Kanter blocking this anticompetitive deal.”
Demand Progress tweeted, “the DOJ will sue to block a $13 billion acquisition of Change Healthcare by UnitedHealth Group, the latest in a string of interventions to block major mergers. This is why we need Kanter & @linakhanFTC in the Biden administration.”
Executive editor at The Prospect, David Dayen, tweeted, “The Justice Department is suing to block a merger between Change Healthcare and UnitedHealth that @OliviaWebbC and @KristaKBrown said last year in @TheProspect would create the ‘Big Tech of health care.’”
Matt Stoller tweeted, “Excellent work by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division in blocking the Optum-Change merger… The basic problem is that Change has a repository of essentially all healthcare payment data, and Optum is part of a massive conglomerate - United Healthcare that includes health insurance, physician's practices, and pharmacy middlemen.This merger would be a disaster.”