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If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The controversial federal mandate requiring all vehicles from 2026 onwards to embed an auto-disable or “kill switch” technology was met with resistance on Tuesday as it faced potential defunding. Despite efforts by Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie, the House chose to reject the amendment that could have seen the mandate dissolved, in a vote of 229 to 201, thereby keeping the future of personal movement under the watchful presence of corporations and government. The mandate was originally integrated into the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, prompting Massie to attempt defunding it. The dividing lines were clearly drawn, with 210 Democrats and 19 Republicans voting against the amendment and just two Democrats siding with the 199 Republicans who voted in favor. Eight members abstained from participating in the late-night voting session. The kill switch mandate forms a critical element of the 2021 infrastructure law. Car manufacturers are bound by the legislation to incorporate advanced driving technology designed to proactively assess a driver’s performance and, if deemed impaired, limit or completely prevent the vehicle from functioning. Hailed initially as a safety feature, it also raises privacy concerns, providing unprecedented access to personal information and individual freedom of movement. However, attempts to call attention to the potential overreach of this mandate have been dismissed. Assertions were made that the hyperbole surrounding the term “kill switch” was simply alarmist, as the suggestions under consideration wouldn’t abruptly halt…Thomas Massie Tried, But Failed, To Stop “Kill Switch” Mandate That Could Disable Vehicles

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Yet another United Nations agency – this time the Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) – has joined the contentious efforts to use UN resources in the “war on misinformation.” UNESCO is not lagging behind some of the veterans of this “war” regarding the kind of alarmist language its leadership is choosing to use to justify the policy. Thus, Director-General Audrey Azoulay presented an action plan, saying that online disinformation is “a major threat to stability and social cohesion.” A press release announcing the plan referred to the phenomenon of misinformation as “a scourge” and one that is intensifying. Those behind all this must hope that this is enough to explain what UNESCO – formerly known mostly for protection of world heritage sites and raising funds for underprivileged children – is even doing “fighting disinformation.” But here’s the plan: to somehow not harm freedom of speech, and yet push for social media companies to hire more “moderators” that speak all the major languages and whose job would be “effective control of content.” A lot of attention seems to be given to strengthening censorship capacities in languages other than English; that could explain why, according to UNESCO’s statement, the plan has received support particularly from some countries in Latin America and Africa. Over the past number of years, the whole world could see how efficiently the notion of “misinformation” and the tools to counter it…UN Agency Unveils Action Plan To Regulate Speech on Social Media Platforms

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Australia is coming up with another radical idea that regards the media business, control over what kind of media content people are likely to see/see first, and inclusion of protectionism and favoritism of certain media in actual regulation. The proposal is pretty comprehensive, as it is supposed to force smart TV manufacturers to have legacy media and state funded outlets’ apps pre-installed on the devices. This, observers say, would give such news outlets a clear advantage over most commercial ones – regardless of which content is more relevant or popular. Critics are already comparing this as being in line with something one might expect from the excesses of real or fictional authoritarian regimes and surveillance states. Given the Australian government’s track record on these and similar issues, which was laid bare during the pandemic, it’s unlikely that any such criticism will faze those behind the Prominence Framework for Connected TV Devices proposal. The draft is the work of the Labor party (specifically the pro-censorship Communication Minister Michelle Rowland), and in addition to pre-installed apps, critics are warning that the regulation, if it passes, would include “manipulated search results for news stories.” In Australia, this would boost broadcasters like ABC and SBS, as well as Nine and Seven, which are commercial, while other commercial media companies, for obvious reasons reporting about this in a very negative manner, mention that FreeTV lobbyists have their hand in…Australia Considers Forcing Smart TVs To Pre-Install Apps From Legacy Media

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. After removing a video about the Nashville shooter’s manifesto earlier this week, YouTube is back at it again and has taken down another video that discussed both the manifesto and Facebook’s censorship of it. In the video, which was posted by news, opinion, and entertainment site Not the Bee on Tuesday, host Ashley St. Clair talked about the leaked manifesto being “censored by Big Tech overlord Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook,” criticized Facebook for invoking its rules on “violence and incitement” to censor the manifesto, criticized authorities for withholding the manifesto for months, showed and read the leaked pages from the manifesto, and discussed the manifesto. But YouTube swiftly censored the video, claiming that it violated the platform’s rules on “violent criminal organizations.” YouTube also denied Not the Bee’s appeal to reinstate the video. YouTube and Facebook’s silencing of those who discuss the Nashville shooter’s manifesto follows conservative commentator Steven Crowder’s publication of three leaked pages from the manifesto on Monday. Prior to Crowder making these pages public, the manifesto, which was collected after the March 27, 2023 mass shooting at Nashville’s The Covenant School, had been withheld for more than seven months. While Big Tech has censored multiple posts and videos discussing the manifesto, X owner Elon Musk and free speech video sharing platform Rumble have decried the censorship. Musk responded to the censorship by saying YouTube had “lost their minds,” while Rumble backed…YouTube Continues To Censor News Reporting on the Nashville Shooter Manifesto

Kelly Adkins is the business and finance reporter for the Medill News Service, M.S. Journalism, of Northwestern University, covering the tech and money beat. Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs committee chairman, Gary Peters (D-MI) converses with expert witnesses at the Nov. 8 hearing on “The Philosophy of AI: Learning from history, shaping our future.” Photo: Kelly Adkins WASHINGTON — Artificial intelligence (AI) experts on Wednesday urged Congress to jump into the intimidating world of regulating AI and avoid some of the pitfalls of the past, when the government failed to rein in transformative technology. On the morning of November 8, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee hosted a hearing titled “The Philosophy of AI: Learning from history, shaping our future.” “This is not the first time that humans have developed staggering new innovations. Such moments in history have not just made our technologies more advanced, they’ve affected our politics, influenced our culture, and changed the fabric of our society,” the chairman of the committee, Sen. Gary Peters, D-MI, said in his opening remarks. Past waves of technological change disrupted society in different ways. Today, AI promises widespread automation, which was also a consequence of the British Industrial Revolution and, in the US, mechanization and agriculture in the 1800s. In his testimony, Dr. Daron Acemoglu, an economist and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), said during that time, automation ultimately created millions of jobs. In modern days, however, his work found downsides to automation. “Automation accounts…Senate Homeland Security Committee Considers Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Signal, the encrypted messaging service, has taken a significant stride in safeguarding user privacy. In a move released recently through a new beta build in their active community forums, the company declared its testing usernames as a fresh way to exchange contact information privately. This much-called-for move has been unveiled after a series of internal evaluations, according to Jim O’Leary, VP of Engineering at Signal. Acknowledging the critical contribution of the app’s user community, O’Leary noted, “After rounds of internal testing, we have hit the point where we think the community that powers these forums can help us test even further before public launch.” This unprecedented move for Signal, the encrypted messaging app known for end-to-end security, marks a radical shift from its long-standing requirement for users to register using a phone number, a practice that invites privacy and hacking dangers. Signal users have always had to share their personal phone numbers to communicate with other users, a strategy that exposed users to significant security risks. These hazards could even extend to one’s number being shared over an unencrypted cellular network or given away to others. Despite the straightforward concept behind the username feature, its implementation has not been smooth sailing for the messaging app. Signal’s privacy commitment requires it to steer clear from storing or gathering any unnecessary sensitive information, such as usernames. This has presented a considerable challenge to the app’s engineers….Signal (Finally) Tests Usernames To Replace Phone Numbers

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Justin Hendrix is CEO and Editor of Tech Policy Press. Arturo Bejar Former Director of Engineering for Protect and Care at Facebook, testifies in the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, November 7, 2023. On Tuesday, November 7, former Facebook engineer Arturo Bejar testified to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law in a hearing chaired by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). Bejar testified about Meta’s knowledge of the harm its platforms cause to children and teens, and its failure to take action. Bejar discussed evidence he presented to top executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, Adam Mosseri, and Sheryl Sandberg, regarding the prevalence of harmful experiences on Facebook and Instagram. He criticized the company for engaging in a strategy of distraction, denial, and deception, and for disregarding recommendations to make the platforms safer. Bejar also highlighted the need for legislative reform and transparency from social media companies. Senators expressed concerns about the addictive nature of social media, the spread of harmful content, and the need for legal liability for these platforms. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) pledged to seek a vote on the bills passed by the committee before the end of the year, and emphasized his view of the importance of holding social media companies accountable through a private right of action. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) discussed Facebook’s failure to address the harm caused to kids. Sen. Blumenthal expressed his support for the Kids Online Safety Act and the need for transparency and accountability from social…Transcript: Senate Hearing on Social Media and Teen Mental Health with Former Facebook Engineer Arturo Bejar

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Sign Up To Keep Reading This post is for Reclaim The Net supporters. Gain access to the entire archive of features and supporters-only content. Help protect free speech, freedom from surveillance, and digital civil liberties. Join Already a supporter? Login here The post The UK’s Online Surveillance Mechanisms Are Starting To Mirror Authoritarian Nations (and Other Countries Could Follow) appeared first on Reclaim The Net.The UK’s Online Surveillance Mechanisms Are Starting To Mirror Authoritarian Nations (and Other Countries Could Follow)