Expanding the Legacy
Clearview AI Phishes in Murky Waters, Catching Multiple Fines
Smile. You’re on camera. On Tuesday, the Dutch Data Protection Authority issued a €30.5 million fine to Clearview AI, a US corporation that scrapes the internet to gather photos and data of people. The company is not just interested in miscreants but casts a wide net and essentially wants to include everybody, preferably all earthlings.
High Noon at X Corral: Brazilian Justice Faces Off Elon Musk
On Monday, the federal supreme court of Brazil voted unanimously to uphold the ban on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Last week, Alexandre de Moraes, one of the court’s justices, ordered the shutdown of X for its failure to comply with Brazilian law and its refusal to appoint a legal representative in the country. The platform went blank over the weekend as service providers scrambled to block access. Justice De Moraes also decreed that anyone using ‘technological subterfuge’ such as a virtual private network (VPN) to evade his ban would risk a fine of €8,000 per day.
Far Left and Far Right Seduce East German Voters
Political life in Germany was thrown into disarray after the ruling coalition of Chancellor Olaf Scholz was dealt a crushing defeat by voters in Thuringia and Saxony. In the former, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) cruised to victory and in the latter it’s down to a toss-up between the nationalist party and the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Officially designated an extremist party, the AfD will find it difficult to monetise its stunning victory. Securing 32.8%of the vote in Thuringia, the party needs a coalition party to in order to form a government. However, no other party is willing to engage or cooperate with the AfD. Local observers point out that, based on yesterday’s vote, assembling a majority in the state legislature seems impossible without breaching the cordon sanitaire that seeks to deny the AfD a path to power.
Fighting for the Spoils: Warlords Duking It Out in Sudan
The deafening drumbeat of war and civil strife reverberating around the world, from Haiti to Taiwan, drowns out smaller, but no less deadly, conflicts elsewhere such as in Sudan. Here, powers of ill repute such as Russia, Iran, and a few other unsavoury warmongers are stoking a struggle between two factions intend on looting whatever is left of the perennially troubled country - the third largest in Africa after Algeria and the grotesquely misnamed Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Dangerous Stirrings in a Silent Majority
Scenes of wild water bursting the doors of a shop somewhere in Austria. The message/tweet posted on X: “expect more of this, watch climate change in action.” Social media is awash with alarmists, attributing all the world’s weather phenomena to global warming, often accompanied by a rallying cry for immediate remedial action. Don’t eat meat; don’t use fossil fuel; shun airplanes; shower less; install solar panels; turn down the heating or cooling - an apparently endless stream of commandments assail the average citizen.
Rudderless Lebanon Becomes Plaything of Regional Powers
Caught in a closing pincher between Israel and Hezbollah, the people of Lebanon lack agency - and a government. Their fate rests with the Party of God, a terrorist organisation and proxy of Iran’s ayatollahs that constitutes the de facto power in Lebanon. The country has been without a president for well over two years. Twelve successive votes in parliament failed to produce a head of state. Caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati, a liberal, is effectively powerless as the country sinks further into economic chaos and social despair whilst forces far beyond its control prepare for war.
UK Riots About More Than Just Immigration
About three quarters of Britons consider far-right extremism, racism, and religious polarisation serious issues. About half also believe that the UK is currently unsafe for muslims. However, the riots that shook the country last week do not at all represent the values espoused by Britons (73%). The rioters’ ways and means may be almost universally despised and rejected, that does not necessarily mean that most people feel safe and well in their green and pleasant land. Research by More in Common has found that popular opinion cannot be conveniently divided into opposing camps. The research group tries to map and understand the forces that undermine social cohesion and find common ground.
Trump Campaign Entering Panic Mode
The prospect of a Trump 2.0 presidency keeps EU officials in Brussels busy with contingency planning. Meanwhile in the US, the prospect of a Harris presidency also causes concern, mostly over the way Mr Trump’s and his more ardent followers may respond to another ‘steal’. Some Republicans have already threatened a civil war should their candidate fail to win the election. “I’m afraid if we lose this one, it’s going to take a civil war to save the country, and it will be saved,” assured Senator George Lang of Ohio when he introduced JD Vance, Mr Trump’s running mate.
A Critique of Pure Drivel
Dear AI Bot, You recently assembled a list of seven tips for copywriters who want to improve their skills. The post on LinkedIn mentions that you received assistance from the ‘LinkedIn-community’. I assume said community comprises expert copywriters who may wonder why you decided to insert that rather silly hyphen. Has nobody bothered to explain the rules governing the use of that punctuation mark. I guess not.
Trapped in Space Waiting for Elon
US astronauts Barry Wilmore (61) and Sunita Williams (58) are having a ‘Major Tom’ moment aboard the International Space Station (ISS). They arrived on June 6 for an 8-day mission but became stuck in space after their Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft suffered a malfunction with its helium-powered thrusters. Already stranded for two months, the astronauts may have to wait until February - another six months - for a ride home. Yesterday, NASA suggested it may turn to SpaceX for help.
