Iranian influence operation using ChatGPT blocked | Chinese chipmaker sues Pentagon over military ties allegations | EU probes Meta over removal of transparency tool CrowdTangle
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OpenAI has taken down accounts linked to an Iranian group, Storm-2035, that used its ChatGPT chatbot to generate content aimed at influencing the US presidential election, although the operation failed to gain significant engagement. The Guardian
Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc., a leading Chinese chip equipment manufacturer, is suing the Pentagon for its inclusion on a blacklist linking it to the Chinese military. Bloomberg
The European Commission requested more information from Meta regarding its discontinuation of the CrowdTangle tool, concerning Meta's compliance with election transparency requirements. TechCrunch
ASPI
The UN cybercrime convention: a victory for state sovereignty
The Strategist
Gatra Priyandita and Bart Hogeveen
On 8 August, UN member states agreed to what was once deemed implausible: a universal cybercrime convention. A Russia-led effort to challenge existing Euro-centric standards for law enforcement cooperation turned into an agreement that preserves human rights protections instead and focuses on actual cybercrime. But the new convention, which still awaits adoption by the UN General Assembly, may come at a price, as binding treaties and state sovereignty appear to surface as the guiding principles of global cyber governance.
Putting the NZ back into ANZUS: Why a fleeting reference means a lot
The Strategist
ASPI Staff
Confirmation that a cyber-attack on either nation could constitute an armed attack under the ANZUS Treaty provides useful clarity. But even more significant is the acknowledgment by Luxon of the ANZUS Treaty itself. After the breakdown of the ANZUS Treaty as a trilateral alliance in 1985 with the downgrading of the relationship between the United States and New Zealand, the Treaty has rarely been named by the New Zealand political class. The recognition that a cyber-attack could constitute an armed attack against the territorial integrity of either state under the ANZUS treaty is a welcome step that brings the Australia-New Zealand alliance into alignment with other liberal alliances.
Australia
Australia, New Zealand vow joint response to cyber threats under ANZUS
The Australian
Ben Packham
Australia and New Zealand have moved to modernise the nations’ defence alliance, declaring a major cyber strike on either country would be treated as an armed attack under the ANZUS Treaty, requiring a joint response “to meet the common danger”. In annual leaders’ talks on Friday, Anthony Albanese and New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon also pledged to purchase the same military hardware whenever possible, opening the prospect that Wellington could buy Australian-built general purpose frigates. Prime Minister Luxon pressed Mr Albanese on his policy backflip to restart deportations of New Zealand-born criminals after a furore over the government’s “Direction 99” policy that allowed foreign offenders to keep their visas.
Asic taking down average of 20 scam websites a day
The Guardian
Josh Taylor
More than 7,300 websites have been taken down in the first year of operation of the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s service targeting investment scams, the regulator has revealed. Since the beginning of the program in July 2023, Asic said it had shut down thousands of scam websites that offer fake investment trading platforms and cryptocurrency investments that are often spread online through social media containing false celebrity endorsements.
New mandate makes public servants accountable for AI stuff-ups
The Mandarin
Julian Bajkowski
As tech vendor hype and corporate hand-wringing over AI approach the so-called “peak of inflated expectations”, the Digital Transformation Agency, now part of the Department of Finance, has issued orders for all agencies to name who they will make responsible for AI use and governance within 90 days after September 1. The accountability regime means that public servants keen to deploy the technology will have someone to check over what they are doing. That’s a sensible first step in limiting the mess that overenthusiastic new users can make.
China
Top Chinese chip gear maker sues Pentagon to void sanctions
Bloomberg
One of China’s most prominent chip gear makers is suing the Pentagon for linking it to the People’s Liberation Army, seeking to get off a blacklist that bars business with American firms. Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment (AMEC) alleged that the defense agency harmed the company’s business and reputation by adding the Shanghainese entity to the so-called Section 1260H list of firms linked to China’s military. Pentagon officials took months to respond to a request for additional information, then justified their decision with evidence of an award from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, AMEC said in its lawsuit.
Chinese chip tool maker AMEC sues US defence department over ‘military company’ designation
South China Morning Post
Xinmei Shen
Chinese chip equipment maker AMEC has filed a lawsuit against the US defence department over suggestions it is tied to the Chinese military, demanding that it be removed from a blacklist that has damaged its business. Shanghai-based AMEC, a maker of etching systems used by semiconductor foundries, said the DOD’s move of designating it as a “Chinese Military Company” at the start of the year was made without legal basis and had caused it “serious and irreparable” harm, according to a complaint filed to the US District Court for the District of Columbia last Wednesday.
USA
Texas Instruments wins $4.6 billion in Chips Act grants, loans
Bloomberg
Mackenzie Hawkins
Texas Instruments Inc. is set to receive $1.6 billion in Chips Act grants and $3 billion in loans, marking the latest major award from a program designed to boost American semiconductor manufacturing. The funding will help pay for one factory in Utah and two in Texas — projects that will cost about $18 billion through 2029. The effort is expected to generate around 2,000 manufacturing jobs and thousands more in construction. Texas Instruments makes a wide variety of chips and has the biggest customer base in the semiconductor industry. The Chips Act is the US’s most ambitious foray into industrial policy in more than a generation. It set aside $39 billion in direct grants to persuade companies to make chips on American soil.
US eases tech curbs to boost Aukus security pact with UK and Australia
Financial Times
Demetri Sevastopulo
The US is easing its restrictions on sharing sensitive technology with the UK and Australia, removing barriers to trilateral defence co-operation as the allies try to counter China in the Indo-Pacific. The US Department of State is amending its International Traffic in Arms Regulation rules to facilitate military-related technology sharing with the allies, erasing some hurdles for Aukus, the submarine and advanced technology development accord the allies agreed in 2021. The reform would mean the UK and Australia did not need to apply for licences to obtain American technology for roughly 80 per cent of their defence-related trade with the US.
National Public Data confirms breach exposing Social Security numbers
Bleeping Computer
Ionut Ilascu
Background check service National Public Data confirms that hackers breached its systems after threat actors leaked a stolen database with millions of social security numbers and other sensitive personal information. The company states that the breached data may include names, email addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers (SSNs), and postal addresses. The company acknowledges the “leaks of certain data in April 2024 and summer 2024” and believes the breach is associated with a threat actor “that was trying to hack into data in late December 2023.”
Nancy Pelosi criticizes California AI bill as ‘ill-informed’
TechCrunch
Anthony Ha
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi issued a statement late yesterday laying out her opposition to SB 1047, a California bill that seeks to regulate AI. She has expressed concerns about the bill, which she described as more harmful than helpful. Since this is a state bill, Pelosi and others in Congress don’t have any official say. State Senator Scott Wiener, who sponsored the bill, issued his own statement in response, saying the bill requires only the largest AI developers to perform basic safety testing on massively powerful AI models.
Americas
X operations in Brazil closes over Musk's fight with judge
The New York Times
Jack Nicas
Elon Musk said he closed the Brazilian office of his social network X on Saturday because a Brazilian Supreme Court judge ordered the company to suspend certain accounts or face the arrest of its legal representative in Brazil. X said its service would remain available to users in Brazil. The move is a sharp escalation in Mr. Musk’s monthslong feud with the Brazilian judge, Alexandre de Moraes, whom he has accused of silencing conservative voices online. Mr. Moraes has said he is cleaning up the internet by removing misinformation and attacks on Brazilian institutions.
North Asia
Japan government tightens grip on chip supply-chain network
Bloomberg
Yoshiaki Nohara and Ryotaro Nakamaru
Japan has decided to apply foreign trade regulations to chipmaking equipment as part of its efforts to secure stable supply chains. Foreign investors are now required to give prior notice when conducting direct investment in equipment tied to chipmaking, including when acquiring a 1% or bigger stake in a listed company or buying shares in an unlisted company, the ministry said in a statement. The move also aims to address the risk of technology leakage and keep commercial technologies from being used for military purposes, it said.
Japan eyes ‘game-changing’ military hardware to tackle its manpower shortage
South China Morning Post
Julian Ryall
Japan has announced plans for a new research centre focused on advanced military hardware to boost its defence capabilities amid a chronic manpower shortage and rising regional tensions. The defence ministry has tasked the research centre with creating “game-changing” weapons, such as hypersonic missiles and drones powered by AI capable of navigating blackout conditions, in a bid to transform the country’s military prowess. Systems that use electromagnetic waves to detect submarines will also be explored. Set to open in October, the centre will operate under the auspices of the ministry’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency.
South Korea’s plan for AI textbooks hit by backlash from parents
Financial Times
Christian Davies and Song Jung-a
South Korea consistently ranks among the highest-performing countries in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment tests. However, the government in Seoul is worried that a traditional emphasis on rote learning is stifling innovation. Education minister Lee Ju-ho said this week that tablets loaded with AI features were “pivotal” to a planned overhaul of the Korean school system. But the proposal has been met with opposition by many parents already anxious about the amount of time their children spend using smartphones and tablets.
Southeast Asia
Vietnamese Court sentences prominent political activist to five years prison
The Diplomat
Sebastian Strangio
Nguyen Chi Tuyen, aka Anh Chi, has become the latest dissenter to be persecuted for criticizing the Communist Party online. Tuyen – known to his friends and social media followers by his nickname Anh Chi – was arrested on February 29 for criticizing the government on social media. He was prosecuted under Article 117 of the penal code, which criminalizes “making, storing, disseminating, or propagandizing information, materials and products that aim to oppose the State.” His main YouTube channel Anh Chi Rau Den — rau den means “black beard” in Vietnamese, amassed nearly 100,000 followers, while his Facebook account Nguyen Chi Tuyen, Anh Chi, has more than 53,000 followers.
South & Central Asia
Far-right spreads false claims about Muslim attacks in Bangladesh
BBC
Jacqui Wakefield and Shruti Menon
While reports on the ground have found violence and looting impacted Hindu people and properties, far-right influencers in neighbouring India shared false videos and information that gave a misleading view of the events. They claimed to show communal violence against Hindus purportedly carried out by “Islamist radicals” with a violent agenda. One of the sharer is Tommy Robinson – a British far-right activist who has been criticised for making inflammatory posts during the UK riots.
NZ & Pacific Islands
Niue Starlink internet users could face strict penalties
PMN
Sariah Magaoa
Pacific island nations are struggling to deal with the demand for Starlink as locals look for faster internet services. Users of the high-speed internet service Starlink are being treated differently in the Pacific, with Niue operators threatened with serious penalties. The Niue Government has banned the use of the Elon Musk-owned service, warning users of the potential consequences of breaching the Communications Act 1989 which includes a fine of up to $200 or up to three months imprisonment or both. The use of Starlink is handled differently throughout the region, with some countries banning it outright and others openly welcoming the service.
Ukraine-Russia
Russian propagandists are still targeting Americans in influence operations, Meta says
NBC News
Kevin Collier
Pro-Russian propagandists are still working to influence Americans ahead of the 2024 presidential elections, Meta Adversarial Threat Report, the final report of its type before November’s election, said that it had dismantled five distinct Russian propaganda campaigns in the last three months. It detailed influence campaigns from groups based in the US and Vietnam. Three of the five campaigns at least partially targeted Americans or English speakers, Meta said, and each of those three was centered around criticizing Ukraine and any support for its defense against Russia.
Europe
EU antitrust regime nears end of Margrethe Vestager era
Financial Times
Alice Hancock and Daria Mosolova
Margrethe Vestager will not return for a third term as the EU’s most powerful antitrust official, as the Danish government prepares to nominate a different candidate as their European commissioner. Officials in Copenhagen told the Financial Times that the Danes would not be choosing Vestager, whose Social Liberal party did poorly in Denmark’s 2022 elections and is no longer part of the ruling coalition. Vestager has overseen competition and antitrust policy in the bloc for 10 years, becoming renowned for hitting big US tech companies with multibillion-euro fines.
Meta draws fresh questions from EU over its CrowdTangle shut-down
TechCrunch
Natasha Lomas
The European Commission is seeking more information from Meta following its decision to deprecate its CrowdTangle transparency tool. The latest EU request for information on Meta has been made under the bloc’s Digital Services Act — an online governance framework which empowers enforcers to punish non-compliance with fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover. Back in April the Commission opened formal DSA infringement proceedings against Meta, citing a range of election security concerns — including its plan to depreciate CrowdTangle. However, Meta subsequently discontinued the dashboards when it shuttered access to CrowdTangle itself on August 14.
Meta just closed a vital online research tool. It’s bad news for the fight against misinformation
The Conversation
Amelia Johns, Francesco Bailo and Marian-Andrei Rizoiu
For more than a decade, researchers and journalists have relied on a digital tool called CrowdTangle to track and fight the spread of viral falsehoods online. But earlier August, the owner of CrowdTangle, Meta, shut the tool down. The tech giant has replaced it with its new Content Library, which it says will serve the same purpose and be “more user friendly”. There are concerns that CrowdTangle’s closure comes at a time when misinformation on social media is rife – and is bound to worsen in the lead up to the November presidential election in the United States.
A world-first law in Europe is targeting artificial intelligence
The Conversation
Rita Matulionyte
The European Union has taken a world-leading role in addressing AI risks. In recent weeks, its Artificial Intelligence Act came into force. This is the first law internationally designed to comprehensively manage AI risks. The Act sets requirements for different AI systems based on the level of risk they pose. The more risk an AI system poses for health, safety or human rights of people, the stronger requirements it has to meet. This list includes AI systems that use subliminal techniques to manipulate individual decisions. It also includes unrestricted and real-life facial recognition systems used by law enforcement authorities, similar to those currently used in China.
UK
AI disinformation: lessons from the UK’s election
The Strategist
Sam Stockwell
In contrast to fears of a tsunami of AI fakes targeting political candidates, the UK saw only a handful of examples of such content going viral during the campaign period. While there’s no evidence these examples swayed a large number of votes, there were spikes in online harassment against the people targeted by the fakes. There was also observed confusion among audiences over whether the content was authentic.
Middle East
Iranian group used ChatGPT to try to influence US election, OpenAI says
The Guardian
The operation, identified as Storm-2035, used ChatGPT to generate content focused on topics such as commentary on the candidates on both sides in the US elections, the conflict in Gaza and Israel’s presence at the Olympic Games and then shared it via social media accounts and websites, Open AI said. Investigation by the Microsoft-backed AI company showed ChatGPT was used for generating long-form articles and shorter social media comments. Earlier in August, a Microsoft threat-intelligence report said the Iranian network Storm-2035, comprising four websites masquerading as news outlets, was actively engaging US voter groups on opposing ends of the political spectrum.
OpenAI says Iranian group used ChatGPT to try to influence US election
Washington Post
Gerrit De Vynck
In May, OpenAI first detailed attempts by government actors to use its AI to create propaganda, saying it detected groups from Iran, Russia, China and Israel using ChatGPT to create content in multiple languages. None of those influence operations got widespread traction with internet users, OpenAI said at the time. OpenAI also has acknowledged that it’s possible the company had failed to detect stealthier operations using its technology. The AI company banned the ChatGPT accounts associated with the Iranian efforts and said their posts had not gained widespread attention from social media users.
Gender & Women in Cyber
The good hacker: can Taiwanese activist turned politician Audrey Tang detoxify the internet?
The Guardian
Simon Hattenstone
As the ‘civic hacker’ who became Taiwan’s first transgender cabinet minister, Audrey Tang is used to breaking boundaries. What can the rest of the world learn from her vision of a happy and inclusive web? She is determined that digital technology will once again become a force for good – a supreme listening tool for humanity, bringing us together by celebrating difference and uniting over what we have in common. “There are different ways we can have pro-social social media, not antisocial social media, allowing people to be heard and understood, instead of just driving anger and resentment.” Her works include the efficient response to Covid to countering misinformation about electoral fraud.
Big Tech
Elon Musk said he’d eliminate bots from X. Instead, election influence campaigns are running wild
Rest of World
Russell Brandom
When Musk first moved to acquire X, he emphasized the dire effects of bot accounts, and pledged to remove them as one of his first acts as owner. He appeared to be following through on that promise in April when he announced a “system purge of bots & trolls.” But the fruits of those efforts have been slow to ripen, and both spam and sock-puppet accounts remain common on the platform. When researchers have succeeded in removing bot networks, it has largely been the result of legal force. In July, the US Department of Justice took action against 968 X accounts alleged to be part of a Russian disinformation campaign.
Artificial Intelligence
Sam Altman’s Worldcoin is battling with governments over your eyes
The Wall Street Journal
Angus Berwick
Sam Altman wants to save us from the AI-dominated world he is building. The trouble is, governments aren’t buying his plan, which involves an attempt to scan the eyeballs of every person on Earth and pay them with his own cryptocurrency. Altman’s OpenAI is creating models that may end up outsmarting humans. His Worldcoin initiative says it is addressing a key risk that could follow: We won’t be able to tell people and robots apart. Worldcoin has come under assault by authorities over its mission. It has been raided in Hong Kong, blocked in Spain, fined in Argentina and criminally investigated in Kenya. A ruling looms on whether it can keep operating in the European Union.
Research
Artificial intelligence and public administration: Understanding actors, governance, and policy from micro, meso, and macro perspectives
Journal of Public Policy and Administration
J Ignacio Criado, Rodrigo Sandoval-Almazán, and J Ramon Gil-Garcia
AI has become one of the most prominent topics in public policy and administration studies over the last years. Despite the attention to AI in this field isn’t entirely new, the universality of these group of technologies has radically increased the attention of scholars around the globe. This expansion of AI in the public sector entails the exploration of renovated foundations of analysis, not only to understand the novelty of these technologies, but also to connect these processes of adoption and implementation with other debates in public policy and administration. To do so, in this article we debate the need of an analytical framework of AI in the public sector based on the three levels of public administration: macro, meso, and micro.
Events & Podcasts
The Sydney Dialogue
ASPI
The Sydney Dialogue was created to help bring together governments, businesses and civil society to discuss and progress policy options. We will forecast the technologies of the next decade that will change our societies, economies and national security, prioritising speakers and delegates who are willing to push the envelope. We will promote diverse views that stimulate real conversations about the best ways to seize opportunities and minimise risks.
AUKUS Enablers? Assessing US and Australian defence export control reforms
The University of Sydney
The AUKUS countries are on the verge of an historic moment. Over the past twelve months, lawmakers and officials in Australia, the UK and the US have made notable progress in harmonising their respective defence trade control regimes in the service of accelerating AUKUS technology cooperation. These reforms, once implemented, will mark a significant step towards the creation of a ‘defence free-trade zone’ between the three partners. At the same time, there is disagreement across the Australian and US defence communities about the extent to which these reforms will enable AUKUS projects across the board, or what more might be required to ensure that they deliver their intended effects.
Stop the World:Arbitrary detention on the rise and freedom of press on the decline with Peter Greste and Kylie Moore-Gilbert
ASPI
A special double episode on arbitrary detention and press freedom decline features David Wroe interviewing journalist Peter Greste about his detention in Egypt, the role of governments in combating arbitrary detention, and the recent US-Russia prisoner swap. Tasfia Zeba from ASPI DC speaks with Kylie Moore-Gilbert, co-founder of AWADA, discussing her wrongful detention in Iran, lessons from global experiences, and the importance of imposing Magnitsky sanctions on those responsible.
The Daily Cyber & Tech Digest is brought to you by the Cyber, Technology & Security team at ASPI.