Saturday, April 26, 2025

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The Twitter documents – how internal discussions went when the Hunter Biden affair was censored

Published 8 December 2022
– By Editorial Staff
Left: leaked film from Hunter Biden's computer, Right: Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter before Elon Musk's takeover.

Elon Musk continues to release new revelations about Twitter’s censorship tools as well as the company’s behind-the-scenes decision-making process. The first thing he chose to address is the how Twitter censored the story of Hunter Biden’s laptop.

It was at the end of November that Twitter’s new owner, Elon Musk, promised to reveal to the public how the platform had practiced strict censorship of its users before his takeover. Twitter began releasing the results of a major in-company investigation this month, which includes thousands of documents that have come to be known as the “Twitter files.”

What has been revealed is that the tools were initially used to remove spam and money fraudsters, for example. But this initial form of censorship slowly evolved and began to assume other forms, with Twitter executives and employees finding more and more ways to use these tools, which were later made available to other companies as well.

For example, some political organizations had a network of contacts who had access to these censorship tools, allowing them to request that certain posts be removed or at least reviewed. In the United States, both Democrats and Republicans had access to it. Requests were made by both the Trump and Biden campaigns in 2020, the documents indicate. Although since Twitter’s values were primarily shaped by employees who were sympathetic to the Democrats, this meant that “the [censorship] system was not balanced.”

“Because Twitter was and is overwhelmingly staffed by people with a political bent, there were more channels, more ways to complain, open to the left (well, Democrats) than to the right,” writes Matt Taibbi, who is one of those reporting on the Twitter documents.

In this context, it’s not particularly surprising that Twitter then did its best to suppress the story of Hunter Biden’s laptop during the ongoing US presidential campaign. It resorted to several methods to ensure that the New York Post article about the then-candidate’s son would not spread, such as by removing links or marking such tweets as “unsafe.” It even went so far as to block links to the article in direct messages, a tool otherwise used for child pornography, among other things.

For example, Kayleigh McEnany, who was then the White House Press Secretary, was blocked from her account merely for addressing the article in a tweet, prompting her to be contacted by the White House.

The employees who had made the decision blamed it on “hacking,” meaning that it was believed that the New York Post had used hacked material for the article, which would have violated Twitter’s “hacked materials policy.”

“‘Hacking’ was the excuse, but within a few hours almost everyone realized it wouldn’t hold up,” a former employee of the platform stated. “But no one had the guts to turn it around.”

There was even an internal discussion on the subject, questioning the decision.

“I have a hard time understanding the political basis for marking this as unsafe,” wrote Trenton Kennedy, the company’s then-Communications Director, for example.

Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna even wrote to Twitter about the censorship to question it, also mentioning in his letter that it was possibly a violation of the US Constitution’s First Amendment. He was actually the only prominent Democrat to question the censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop article, sharing his reasoning in an internal discussion with Twitter executives on why this “does more harm than good.”

“Even if the New York Post is Right-wing, restricting the dissemination of newspaper articles during the current presidential campaign will backfire more than it will help,” Khanna reasoned, asking that the discussion be kept internal between Twitter’s then-CEO, Jack Dorsey, and the Democrats and not discussed with other employees.

 

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Google develops AI to communicate with dolphins

The future of AI

Published today 10:46
– By Editorial Staff

Google has developed a new AI model to communicate with dolphins. The AI model, named DolphinGemma, is designed to interpret and recreate dolphins’ complex sound signals.

Dolphins are known as some of the world’s most communicative animals, and their social interactions are so advanced that researchers at the Wild Dolphin Project (WDP) have spent over 40 years studying them.

In particular, a dolphin population in the Bahamas has been documented for decades through audio recordings and video footage, where researchers have been able to link specific sounds to behaviors such as mating rituals, conflicts, and even individual names.

The ability to communicate with dolphins has long fascinated researchers, but until now the technology to analyze and mimic their sounds has been lacking. However, breakthroughs in AI language models have raised new hopes, and a collaboration between Google, Georgia Institute of Technology and WDP has produced DolphinGemma.

The goal: Common vocabulary between humans and animals

The model is based on the same technology as Google’s Gemini system and works basically like a language model – similar to ChatGPT – but trained for dolphin sounds. It receives whistles, clicks and pulses, analyzes them and predicts what is likely to come next. In practice, it connects to a CHAT system installed on modified Google Pixel phones.

The aim of the project is not to translate the dolphins’ language in its entirety, but rather to establish a basic common vocabulary between humans and animals. In the coming months, the model will be tested in the field, where researchers will try to teach the dolphins synthetic whistles linked to their favorite objects, such as seagrass and seaweed. Specifically, the ambition is for the dolphins themselves to be able to “ask for” what they want to play with, reports Popular Science.

 

The most dangerous thing in your browser

The dark side of browser extensions.

Published today 7:31
– By Naomi Brockwell
You’re browsing the web, trying to make life a little easier. Maybe you install an extension to block annoying popups, write better emails, or even just save a few bucks with coupon codes.

Seems harmless, right?

Extensions are way more permissive and dangerous than people realize.

They might be spying on you, logging your browsing history, injecting malicious code, even stealing your passwords and cookies – all without you even realizing it.

Let’s talk about the dark side of browser extensions. Because once you see what they’re capable of, you might think twice before installing another one.

Real-world attacks: From spyware to crypto theft

This isn’t a “worst-case scenario”. It’s already happening.

  • North Korean hackers have used malicious browser extensions to spy on inboxes and exfiltrate sensitive emails.
  • The DataSpii scandal exposed the private data of over 4 million users—collected and sold by innocent-looking productivity tools.
  • Mega.nz, a privacy-respecting file storage service, had its Chrome extension hacked. Malicious code was pushed to users, silently stealing passwords and crypto wallet keys. It took them four hours to catch it—more than enough time for real damage.
  • Cyberhaven, a cybersecurity company, was breached in late 2024. Their extension was hijacked and used to scrape cookies, session tokens, and authentication credentials—compromising over 400,000 users.

How is this even allowed to happen?

  1. Extensions can silently update themselves. The code running on your device can change at any time—without your knowledge or approval.
  2. Permissions are ridiculously broad. Even if a malicious extension has the same permissions as a good one, it can abuse them in ways the browser can’t distinguish. Once you grant access, it’s basically an honor system.
  3. Extensions can’t monitor each other. If you think that installing a malware-blocking extension is going to protect you, think again. Your defense extensions have no way of knowing what your other extensions are up to. Malicious ones can lurk undetected, even alongside security tools.

A Shadow market for extensions

Extensions aren’t just targets for hackers—they’re targets for buyers. Once an extension gets popular, developers often start getting flooded with offers to sell. And because extensions can silently update, a change in ownership can mean a complete change in behavior—without you ever knowing.

Got an extension with 2 million Facebook users? Buy it, slip in some malicious code, and suddenly you’re siphoning data from 2 million people.

There are entire marketplaces for buying and selling browser extensions—and a thriving underground market too.

Take The Great Suspender, for example. It started as a widely trusted tool that saved memory by suspending unused tabs. Then the developer quietly sold it. The new owner injected spyware, turning it into a surveillance tool. Millions of users were compromised before it was finally flagged and removed.

The danger is in the permissions

One of the biggest challenges? Malicious extensions often ask for the same permissions as good ones. So it’s helpful to understand exactly what each permission is capable of, so that you realize how vulnerable it could make you in the wrong hands.

We spoke to Matt Frisbie, author of Building Browser Extensions, to explain the capabilities of some of these permissions:

Browsing history

Matt Frisbie:

The browser will happily dump out your history as an array.

The browsing history permission grants full access to every site you visit—URLs, timestamps, and frequency. This can help build out a detailed profile on you.

Cookies

The cookie permission exposes your browser’s cookies—including authentication tokens. That means a malicious extension can impersonate you and access your accounts without needing a password or 2FA.

Matt Frisbie:

“If someone steals your cookies, they can pretend to be you in all sorts of nasty ways.”

This is exactly how Linus Tech Tips had their YouTube account hijacked.

Screen capture

Allows extensions to take screenshots of what you’re viewing. Some types trigger a popup, but tab capture does not—it silently records the visible browser tab, even sensitive pages like banking or crypto dashboards.

Matt Frisbie:

“It just takes a screengrab and sends it off, and you will never know what’s happening.”

Web requests

This lets the extension monitor all your browser’s traffic, including data sent to and from websites. Even if the data is being sent over HTTPS, to the extension it’s all in the clear. They can read form data, credit card details, everything.

Matt Frisbie:

“It’s basically a man-in-the-middle… I can see what you’re sending to stripe.com—even if their security is immaculate.”

Web navigation

Provides a live feed of your browsing behavior—what pages you visit, how you get there, and when.

Keystroke logging

Records everything you type—searches, passwords, messages—without needing any special permissions. All it takes is a content script, which runs invisibly on websites.

Matt Frisbie:

“It’s incredibly dangerous and very easy to do.”

Input capture

Watches for changes in form fields, allowing extensions to steal autofilled passwords or credit card numbers—even if you don’t type anything.

Matt Frisbie:

“Anytime an input changes—login box, search bar, credit card entry—this extension can capture what’s changed.”

Geolocation

Extensions can’t access your location in the background. But they can render a user interface—like a popup window—and collect your location when you interact with it. If you’ve granted the extension geolocation permission, it can capture your location every time you open that popup.

Even sneakier? Extensions can piggyback off websites that already have location access. If you’ve allowed a site like maps.google.com or hulu.com to use your location, an extension running on that site can silently grab it—no popup required.

Matt Frisbie:

“If the user goes to maps.google.com and they’ve previously said maps.google.com can read my location… then the extension can piggyback on that and grab their location. No pop-ups generated.”

Other Piggybacking

If you’ve granted a site permission—like location, notifications, or potentially even camera and microphone—an extension running on that same site can sometimes piggyback off that access and silently collect the same data.

Matt Frisbie:

“It is actually possible to piggyback off the page’s permissions. … It really shouldn’t work that way.”

So… How Do You Protect Yourself?

Here are some smart rules to follow:

  • Understand permissions
    Know what you’re granting access to, and what that permission might be capable of.
  • Be careful granting any permissions
    Whether it’s a browser setting, a site request, or an extension prompt, even a single permission can open the door to surveillance.
  • Use extensions sparingly
    The more extensions you install, the larger your attack surface—and the more unique your browser fingerprint becomes.
  • Use a privacy-first browser instead
    Browsers like Brave build privacy protections—like ad and tracker blocking—directly into the browser itself, so you don’t need extensions just to stay private.
  • Follow the principle of least privilege
    Only allow an extension to run when you click it, instead of “on all websites.”
  • Use code review tools
    Sites like Extension Total and Secure Annex can help you vet extensions before you install them.

Takeaway

We all want our browser to be faster, cleaner, and more functional. Extensions can help—but they can also turn into powerful surveillance tools. Even a single line of malicious code, slipped in through an update or new owner, can put your most sensitive information at risk.

So before you install that next extension, ask yourself:
Do I really trust this extension not to be hacked, sold, or misused—and is the extra risk worth it?

Stay sharp. Stay private. Stay safe out there.

 

Yours in privacy,
Naomi

Naomi Brockwell is a privacy advocacy and professional speaker, MC, interviewer, producer, podcaster, specialising in blockchain, cryptocurrency and economics. She runs the NBTV channel on Youtube.

ChatGPT search sees rapid growth in Europe

Published 23 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Today, the service has over 41 million monthly active users.

The use of ChatGPT’s search service has increased significantly in Europe over the past six months. This rapid growth also means that the service may now be subject to strict EU rules for digital platforms.

From November 2024 to March 2025, Open AI’s Chat GPT Search service had an average of 41.3 million monthly active users, according to the company’s data. In the previous six months, the service had 11.2 million active users, reports Techcrunch.

Due to the growth in users, the service may soon be subject to the EU Digital Services Act, which imposes specific requirements on platforms with over 45 million active users. It regulates many aspects of online services in European countries and could mean greater transparency requirements, the ability to turn off recommendation systems and profiling, sharing certain data with researchers and authorities.

Platforms that do not comply with DSA rules can be fined up to 6% of their global turnover. A platform that continuously refuses to comply with the rules can have its operations suspended in the EU.

Despite its growth, Google remains number one in the search market, handling an estimated 373 times more searches than ChatGPT.

Imminent risk of grooming on “child-friendly” gaming platform Roblox

Published 21 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
About 40 percent of Roblox users are estimated to be under 13 years old.

A new study by UK-based research firm Revealing Reality has highlighted serious safety concerns on the popular gaming platform Roblox, where children are at risk of exposure to sexual content and uncontrolled contact with adults.

The researchers describe the findings as “deeply disturbing” and point to a “troubling disconnect between Roblox’s child-friendly appearance and the reality”.

Researchers created several test accounts registered to fictional users aged 5, 9, 10, 13 and 40+. These interacted only with each other, without contact with external users, to map the safety of the platform. Despite Roblox’s recent updates, including parental controls, the study still revealed a number of serious flaws.

For example, the five-year-old’s account was able to communicate with adult users – and vice versa. This was despite Roblox claiming to have changed its settings to prevent this.

A 10-year-old’s account could easily enter environments with avatars in sexual positions and a virtual bathroom where users urinated and wore fetish accessories. Researchers also found that their test avatars heard sexual conversations between other players, as well as repeated slurping, kissing and grunting sounds when using the voice chat feature.

Roblox themselves claim that all voice chat – which is available to phone-verified accounts registered as belonging to users aged 13 and older AI-moderated in real-time. Despite that, adult users could easily ask for a five-year-old’s Snapchat details.

“An industry challenge”

Matt Kaufman, chief security officer at Roblox, defends himself in a statement, claiming that “trust and safety are at the core of everything we do” and that in 2024 the platform introduced “over 40 new safety enhancements”.

However, the company acknowledges that age verification for children under 13 “remains an industry challenge” and says it would like to see increased cooperation with various authorities.

In feedback collected by the UK’s The Guardian , several parents share other serious experiences, telling of their children being groomed by adult users or developing panic attacks after being forced into sexual content.

“Systematic failure to keep children safe”

Beeban Kidron, internet activist and member of the House of Lords, says the report shows a “systematic failure to keep children safe” and Damon De Ionno, head of research at Revealing Reality, criticizes Roblox’s new tools as inadequate.

– Children can still chat with strangers not on their friends list, and with 6 million experiences [on the platform], often with inaccurate descriptions and ratings, how can parents be expected to moderate?

Roblox, which describes itself as “the ultimate virtual universe”, has over 85 million daily users, of which around 40% are under 13. The platform has recently introduced restrictions on direct messaging to accounts under 13, but the study shows that significant risks remain.

The company encourages parents to use their own monitoring tools, while saying it is working to strengthen security. However, according to Kaufman, “industry-wide collaboration and government intervention” are needed to fully address the problems.

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