Meta, the parent company for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, plans to introduce new face scanning tech while people are distracted by current political turbulence. The Trump-adjacent corporation plans to package the feature in new smart glasses. An internal Meta document seen by the New York Times (NYT) says:

We will launch during a dynamic political environment where many civil society groups that we would expect to attack us would have their resources focused on other concerns.

The media outlet provides further info on what the tech would allow:

The feature, internally called “Name Tag,” would let wearers of smart glasses identify people and get information about them via Meta’s artificial intelligence assistant.

The cynical internal memo likely references the tumult currently sweeping the US amidst the mass criminality carried out by the brownshirts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Trump’s personal paramilitary goons have been violating laws left and right as they beat and kill their way around the US, under the pretext of an immigration crackdown.

ICE have already made extensive use of face scanning tech. Meta’s glasses would represent another privacy violating move, capturing massive amounts of personal data which may ultimately find its way into the hands of an authoritarian state. Meta has form when it comes to handing over info about customers to governments.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has moved to force a drone manufacturer out of the city-owned Brooklyn Navy Yard, with critics accusing City Hall of deliberately targeting the company over its links to ‘Israel’ and its role in monitoring the Gaza Strip border.

The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation declined to renew the lease of Easy Aerial just six weeks after Mamdani took office, a decision that has been framed by allies of the mayor as an ethical stand and by opponents as politically driven retaliation.

New York City Council member Lincoln Restler openly celebrated the company’s removal, saying public land should not be used by firms whose technology is “being transformed into weapons of war.”

geteilt von: https://feddit.org/post/25887802

Everyone is protecting the perpetrators! - Everyone is ignoring the victims!

Context

AfD: Traitors of the country

The cold: Another war crime of Russia in Ukraine

The link has even more floats, as well as Tilly's (the artist) original concept drawings.

Obama Immigrant Detention Policies Under Fire

the Los Angeles-based Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law and Obama administration officials have just a few days left to settle a lawsuit challenging the detention facilities for more than 2,000 women with children, who came here during last summer's border surge. The families are being held in detention centers in Texas and Pennsylvania. A federal judge in Los Angeles issued a preliminary ruling finding that the administration is violating an 18-year-old court settlement, Flores v. Meese. The settlement requires the government to house migrant children in "the least restrictive environment" or release them to relatives. The judge gave federal officials and the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law time to reach an agreement on how to implement her ruling before she makes it final.

A Chinese naval flotilla came within 10 kilometres of Australia’s exclusive economic zone last year, and top defence officials warn further deployments are likely as Beijing flexes its military power.

The Australian Financial Review revealed in November that Defence was tracking a Chinese flotilla in the Philippine Sea that it believed could be heading towards Australia.

...

It came less than a year after a similar Chinese flotilla conducted live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea, setting off a frantic scramble when 49 flights between Australia and New Zealand were rerouted, some while midair. The ships then circumnavigated Australia, raising questions about Australia’s maritime capabilities amid growing Chinese naval power.

Chief of the Defence Force David Johnston on Wednesday revealed the Chinese flotilla identified in November came within five to seven miles (8.1 kilometres to 11.3 kilometres) of Australia’s exclusive economic zone – the 200-nautical-mile maritime area where Australia holds rights over resources.

“They were just clear of it, but we had very strong surveillance over those platforms while they were proximate to our near waters,” Johnston told Senate estimates after a question from Liberal senator Jessica Collins.

...

Johnston said the flotilla’s closest proximity to Australia was off north-east Queensland.

...

Archive link

title

^stolen joke 😔^

The truth on the other hand, is the unshakable reality that has driven every sanction, every sabotage attempt, and every assassination plot since 1959: Cuba is a threat only to an idea. It is a threat to the imperial doctrine that a small, poor nation in America’s ‘backyard’ must not be allowed to choose socialism, to provide free healthcare and education, and homes to live without the permission of Washington.
For this sin of self-determination, the crime of building a society where capital is not god, Cuba has been punished with the most enduring economic siege in modern history. This is not an ‘embargo’, which I consider to be a sterile, political term. It is a total blockade, designed to constrict and cripple. It is enforced by a plethora of laws with names like the Helms-Burton Act, which terrorises foreign companies from trading with the Island and allows the US to seize ships in international waters. Its goal, as US politician Robert Torricelli once admitted, was to…
‘Wreak havoc’.

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/47527848

On Jan. 29, the “Vremya Pokazhet” talk show on Russia’s Kremlin-controlled Channel One (Perviy Kanal) presented “proof” of what the program’s host said was criticism directed against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by the French press. The covers of two French newspapers — Libération and Le Parisien, both showing the date Jan. 27 — were presented on screen to corroborate his allegations. However, it later emerged that the front pages displayed on Russian television were fabrications created and spread by the “Matryoshka” bot network, according to analysis conducted by the Bot Blocker project.

On the show, host Ruslan Ostashko said that “two major French outlets are criticizing Zelensky for his inability to negotiate.” The big screen behind him then showed covers with the headlines “Why Is the Whole World Waiting for One Man?” and “Why Is Ukraine Continuing the War?

...

In fact, the French newspapers in question never published these covers. A report by the independent Russian fact-checking project “Provereno” (lit. “Checked”) noted that the front page of Libération’s Jan. 27 issue featured French journalist and lawmaker Francois Ruffin. That same day, Le Parisien put on its cover a story about an investigation into the New Year's Day fire in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, which took the lives of 41 people. The fake versions, however, kept elements of the real issues’ design, including their subheadings, layout, and publication details.

...

The information campaign known as Matryoshka has been operating since at least September 2023, and the Bot Blocker project was the first to document and draw attention to its activity. The scheme centers on distributing fake posts featuring anti-Ukrainian content through a network of coordinated accounts.

...

Web archive link

As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have swarmed cities across the United States, American politics has appeared to enter a new phase, one in which armed federal forces turn civilian neighborhoods into active conflict zones. Part of what is driving this political shift is a potent technical infrastructure: ICE operations are now expedited by mobile surveillance and targeting systems, where agents’ most powerful weapon can fit in the palm of their hands.

Recent reporting has revealed ICE is relying on at least two applications to guide its crackdown. The first is ELITE (Enhanced Leads Identification & Targeting for Enforcement), a new geospatial system built by the data analytics firm Palantir for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and designed for use on smartphones and tablets. ELITE “populates a map with deportation targets, brings up a dossier on each person, and provides a ‘confidence score’ on the person’s current address,” according to a user manual published late last month.

The second is Mobile Fortify, a facial recognition application manufactured by the biometrics company NEC that allows immigration enforcement officers to identify both citizens and undocumented migrants. ICE and other DHS agents have reportedly photographed and scanned the faces of Americans in cities like Minneapolis and Chicago — images that are cross-checked with biometric databases, compiled into dossiers, and stored for up to 15 years.

A Sydney man claims NSW Police visited his house to warn him that a a ‘Boycott Israel’ sticker in his front window was “unacceptable”.

The man, who wishes not to be named, claims that officers presented at his inner Sydney sharehouse on the evening of December 17, 2025 – three days after the Bondi attack.

“They were geared up and ready for a confrontation,” the man told Deepcut. “They said they’d had ‘multiple reports of antisemitic material’ being displayed at our house.”

Alongside the ‘Boycott Israel’ sticker were signs reading ‘free Palestine’ and ‘land back’. It was the boycott sticker, the resident says, which police claim drew complaints as it depicted a cross through the Israeli flag.

“The cops said [the sticker was] a cross through the Star of David, that it’s unacceptable and it needs to be removed,” he says.

The Chinese Embassy in Israel announced on Friday that it has used Israel’s news outlet Channel 12 to refute reports claiming “China has banned all new investment in Israel.” The embassy said those reports arose in coverage are inaccurate.

China encourages Israeli personnel to engage with us in various forms of economic and trade cooperation, and hopes that all sectors will actively safeguard bilateral relations and play an active role in advancing China-Israel friendship and practical cooperation.

China remains Israel's top source of imports in 2024. China kept its position as Israel's largest source of commodity imports for the fifth consecutive year in 2024, according to data issued by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Israeli imports from China reached a record high of $13.53 billion in 2024, a 19.8 percent increase from the $11.29 billion in 2023, per Xinhua.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.pt/post/14167668

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.pt/post/14167668

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Lawmakers and the White House offered no signs of compromise Sunday in their battle over oversight of federal immigration officers that has led to a pause in funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

A partial government shutdown began Saturday after congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump’s team failed to reach a deal on legislation to fund the department through September. Democrats are demanding changes to how immigration operations are conducted after the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis last month.

Congress is on recess until Feb. 23, and both sides appear dug into their positions. The impasse affects agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, the Secret Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

cross-posted from: https://piefed.zip/c/technology/p/1086069/google-criticizes-europe-s-plan-to-adopt-free-software

Google has criticized the European Union’s intentions to achieve digital sovereignty through open-source software. The company warned that Brussels’ policies aimed at reducing dependence on American tech companies could harm competitiveness. According to Google, the idea of replacing current tools with open-source programs would not contribute to economic growth.

Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs and chief legal officer, warned of a competitive paradox that Europe is facing. According to the Financial Times, he said that creating regulatory barriers would be harmful in a context of rapid technological advancement. His remarks came just days after the European Commission concluded a public consultation assessing the transition to open-source software.

Google’s chief legal officer clarified that he is not opposed to digital sovereignty, but recommended making use of the “best technologies in the world.” Walker suggested that American companies could collaborate with European firms to implement measures ensuring data protection. Local management or servers located in Europe to store information are among the options.

The EU is preparing a technological sovereignty package aimed at eliminating dependence on third-party software, such as Google’s. After reviewing proposals, it concluded that reliance on external suppliers for critical infrastructure entails economic risks and creates vulnerabilities. The strategy focuses not only on regulation but also on adopting open-source software to achieve digital sovereignty.

According to Google, this change would represent a problem for users. Walker argues that the market moves faster than legislation and warns that regulatory friction will only leave European consumers and businesses behind in what he calls “the most competitive technological transition we have ever seen.” As it did with the DMA and other laws, Google is playing on fear. Kent Walker suggested that this initiative would stifle innovation and deny people access to the “best digital tools.”

The promotion of open-source software aims to break dependence on foreign suppliers, especially during a period of instability caused by the Trump administration. The European Union has highlighted the risks of continuing under this system and proposes that public institutions should have full control over their own technology.

According to a study on the impact of open-source software, the European Commission found that it contributes between €65 billion and €95 billion annually to the European Union’s GDP. The executive body estimates that a 10% increase in contributions to open-source software would generate an additional €100 billion in growth for the bloc’s economy.

Welcome again to everybody. Make yourself at home. In the time-honoured tradition of our group, here is the weekly discussion thread.

☭ Matrix homeserver and space
☭ Theory discussion group on /c/theory@lemmygrad.ml
☭ Find theory on ProleWiki, marxists.org, Anna's Archive

Former US congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene met the Mayor of Bethlehem on Sunday, she announced in a post on X/Twitter.

Greene lauded Bethlehem for being the birthplace of Jesus, but condemned alleged "Christian persecution" occurring in the area.

"What is the Holy Land without Christians?" Greene rhetorically asked in her post.

According to Greene, Mayor Maher Nicola Canawati described Christians being killed in the bombings in Gaza, as well as churches being attacked. He also said that residents of Bethlehem want to live in peace with Jewish and Muslim neighbors, but that settlers "continue to take their homes."

This year’s Munich Security Conference was milder than last year’s, but Donald Trump has fundamentally changed transatlantic ties.

European and American leaders spent three days pledging cooperation and offering to slap a new coat of paint on the façade of the transatlantic relationship. But the cracks are still showing.

The United States was less combative than a year ago in its showing at the Munich Security Conference, when Vice President JD Vance launched a scorching attack on Europe.

But the gathering showed that while the alliance continues to function, the old order that bound the two sides of the Atlantic for decades has broken down. There is no consensus on how the relationship can move forward given the regular seismic shocks the Trump administration revels in delivering to the system.

MBFC
Archive

• Western officials said China increased its support for Russia's war in Ukraine in 2025 and is likely to deepen cooperation with Moscow further this year.
• The officials described Beijing as the key facilitator of the war, saying Russia's war in Ukraine wouldn't be able to continue without ongoing Chinese support.

Archived

[...]

Russia’s war in Ukraine wouldn’t be able to continue without ongoing Chinese support, particularly the export of dual-use components and critical minerals used in Russian drone production, the officials said. They described Beijing as the key facilitator of the war.

“China could call Vladimir Putin and end this war tomorrow,” US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said during a panel late Friday at the Munich Security Conference. “This war is being completely enabled by China.”

[...]

Chinese officials may have initially been concerned by the economic impact of Russia’s war but they have since come to the view that it benefits Beijing because it means Europe is focused on Ukraine rather than Asia, and relations between Europe and the US have become strained, the people said.

“These frank reflections on China’s integral role in providing the materials that support Russia’s war machine beg the question of how sustainable it is to keep up the pretense that China can be a trusted or serious trading partner for the UK,” said Sam Goodman, a senior policy director at the China Strategic Risks Institute.

[...]

European leaders have argued that only by engaging with Xi can they hope to influence his position on security issues. Still, they have also used their visits to Beijing to pursue closer trade ties.

China has helped blunt the effects of Western sanctions since the earliest days of the war, buying Russian oil and selling dual-use goods to its neighbor. A Bloomberg News investigation last year reported how Moscow had capitalized on its friendly ties with Beijing to skirt Western sanctions and acquire the know-how and capability to build drones to attack Ukraine.

[...]

Trade between the two sides [China and Russia] has increased to $253 billion in 2024 from $152 billion in 2021. Over that period, Russia rose to China’s fifth-largest trading partner from its 10th.

[...]

Exclusive: Figures said to reflect increased Russian military targeting of cities and infrastructure

Civilian casualties in Ukraine caused by bombing soared by 26% during 2025, reflecting increased Russian targeting of cities and infrastructure in the country, according a global conflict monitoring group.

Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) said 2,248 civilians were reported killed and 12,493 injured by explosive violence in Ukraine according to English-language reports – with the number of casualties an incident rising significantly.

An average of 4.8 civilians were reported killed or injured in each strike, 33% more than in 2024, with the worst attack taking place in Dnipro on 24 June. Russian missiles hit a passenger train, apartments and schools, killing 21 and injuring 314, including 38 children.

Iain Overton, executive director of AOAV, said the figures showed “Ukraine fits a wider collapse of restraint that is now visible across multiple wars”, and respect for the distinction of proportionality in war “has broken”.

MBFC
Archive