All posts tagged: Politics & Elections

Many rural areas could soon lose cell service

Many rural areas could soon lose cell service

Published by skeptic

Rural and Indigenous communities are at risk of losing cell service thanks to a 2019 law intended to strip US telecom networks of Chinese-made equipment. And while local companies were promised reimbursements as part of the “rip-and-replace” program, many of them have so far seen little of the funding, if any at all. The federal push to block Chinese telephone and internet hardware has been years in the making, but gained substantial momentum during the Trump administration. In May 2019 an executive order barred American providers from purchasing telecom supplies manufactured by businesses within a “foreign adversary” nation. Industry and government officials have argued China might use products from companies like Huawei and ZTE to tap into US telecom infrastructure. Chinese company representatives have repeatedly pushed back on these claims and it remains unclear how substantiated these fears are. [Related: 8.3 million places in the US still lack broadband internet access.] As The Washington Post explained on Thursday, major network providers like Verizon and Sprint have long banned the use of Huawei and ZTE equipment. …

EPA says over half of all new cars must be EVs or hybrids by 2032

EPA says over half of all new cars must be EVs or hybrids by 2032

Published by skeptic

The Biden administration has announced some of the biggest pollution regulations in US history. On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency revealeded the finalization of new, enforceable standards meant to ensure electric and hybrid vehicles make up at least 56 percent of all passenger car and light truck sales by 2032. To meet this goal, automotive manufacturers will face increasing tailpipe pollution limits over the next few years. This gradual shift essentially means over half of all car companies’ sales will need to be zero-emission models to meet the new federal benchmarks. According to the EPA, this unprecedented industry transition could cut an estimated 7 billion tons of emissions over the next three decades. Regulators believe this will also offer a nearly $100 billion in annual net benefits for the nation, including $13 billion of annual public health benefits from improved air quality alongside $62 billion in reduced annual fuel, maintenance, and repair costs for everyday drivers. [Related: EPA rule finally bans the most common form of asbestos.] Transportation annually generates 29 percent of all US …

Sharing AI-generated images on Facebook might get harder… eventually

Sharing AI-generated images on Facebook might get harder… eventually

Published by skeptic

That one aunt of yours (you know the one) may finally think twice before forwarding Facebook posts of “lost” photos of hipster Einstein and a fashion-forward Pope Francis. On Tuesday, Meta announced that “in the coming months,” it will attempt to begin flagging all AI-generated images made using programs from major companies like Microsoft, OpenAI, Midjourney, and Google that are flooding Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.  But to tackle rampant generative AI abuse experts are calling “the world’s biggest short-term threat,” Meta requires cooperation from every major AI company, self-reporting from its roughly 5.4 billion users, as well as currently unreleased technologies. Nick Clegg, Meta’s President of Global Affairs, explained in his February 6 post that the policy and tech rollouts are expected to debut ahead of pivotal election seasons around the world. “During this time, we expect to learn much more about how people are creating and sharing AI content, what sort of transparency people find most valuable, and how these technologies evolve,” Clegg says. [Related: Why an AI image of Pope Francis in a …

Election cybersecurity director was a victim of a ‘swatting’ attack in her home

Election cybersecurity director was a victim of a ‘swatting’ attack in her home

Published by skeptic

The director of the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity infrastructure protection agency confirms she was the victim of a dangerous “swatting” attempt late last month. As first reported on January 22 by cybersecurity news outlet, The Record, local police in Arlington County, VA, arrived at Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly’s residence around 9pm on December 30 after receiving a 911 call that falsely claimed a shooting had occurred in or near her home. What is ‘swatting’? “Swatting” refers to when malicious actors intentionally report nonexistent, often violent crimes at a target’s residence, with the intention of causing an aggressive, potentially harmful police response. The term originates in reference to the SWAT teams most often dispatched to handle the kinds of crimes reported by hoaxers. Although its origins reside in events such as simply calling in false bomb threats, swatting itself has grown in popularity over the years, initially through the online video gaming community. The FBI first referenced the “new phenomenon” as far back as 2008, but tactics have evolved since …

A deepfake ‘Joe Biden’ robocall told voters to stay home for primary election

A deepfake ‘Joe Biden’ robocall told voters to stay home for primary election

Published by skeptic

AI vocal cloning technology is reportedly already muddying the waters ahead of the 2024 election. According to a statement issued by the New Hampshire attorney general’s office on Monday, a robocall campaign deployed over the weekend used an imitation of President Joe Biden’s voice to urge recipients not to vote in the state’s January 23 presidential primary. “Voting this Tuesday only enables the Republicans in their quest to elect Donald Trump again,” an AI-generated Biden told residents over the phone. “Your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday.” The disinformation campaign’s orchestrators are currently unknown, but it comes from “obviously somebody who wants to hurt Joe Biden,” according to former New Hampshire Democratic Party chair Kathy Sullivan, speaking through NBC News’ initial exclusive report. [Related: Deepfake audio already fools people nearly 25 percent of the time.] A growing problem AI-generated content including deepfaked audio, video, and imagery is a growing concern among misinformation experts. Multiple reports have warned that today’s media, internet, and social landscapes are unprepared for a likely imminent deluge of …