UN, international orgs create advisory body for submarine cables | China launches first Long March 12 from new commercial spaceport | Canadian media sue OpenAI in case potentially worth billions
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The UN Agency for Digital Technologies said it is partnering with the International Telecommunication Union and International Cable Protection Committee to create the International Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience. The Record by Recorded by Future
China launched its first Long March 12 rocket Saturday, marking an advance in its crewed moon plans and the debut of a new spaceport that will boost the country’s access to space. The two-stage, 62-meter-tall Long March 12 lifted off at 9:25 a.m. Eastern Nov. 30 from the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site. Space News
Canada’s biggest news organisations have sued OpenAI, accusing it of using their articles without permission to help train its artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT in a case that could cost the American company billions.
Media including The Globe and Mail newspaper and public broadcaster CBC have accused OpenAI of breaching copyrights. The Australian
ASPI
AI shaping the future of war
Korea On Point
Fitriani
With technology advancing at an unprecedented pace, militaries worldwide are exploring the potential of artificial intelligence to strengthen their capabilities. While advanced nations like the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia — through their AUKUS alliance — have announced plans to integrate resilient and autonomous AI into national programs by the end of 2024, developing countries in Asia and Africa are also incorporating AI, albeit on a more basic level. Across the board, AI is reshaping modern warfare, transforming everything from strategic planning and decision-making to battlefield tactics.
The World
UN, international orgs create advisory body for submarine cables after incidents
The Record by Recorded Future
Jonathan Grieg
The United Nations and other international agencies have created an advisory body focused on the protection of submarine cables following several recent incidents. On Friday, the United Nations Agency for Digital Technologies said it is partnering with the International Telecommunication Union and International Cable Protection Committee to create the International Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience.
Australia
Social media reforms to protect our kids online pass Parliament
Prime Minister of Australia
The Hon Anthony Albanese MP and The Hon Michelle Rowland MP
The Albanese Government has delivered on its commitment to support parents and protect young people by setting a minimum age of 16 years for social media, with legislation passing Parliament today. The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 is a landmark measure that will deliver greater protections for young Australians during critical stages of their development. The laws place the onus on social media platforms – not young people or their parents – to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 years of age from having accounts, and ensures systemic breaches will see platforms face fines of up to $49.5 million.
Australia passes social media ban for children under 16
Reuters
Byron Kaye and Praveen Menon
Australia approved on Thursday a social media ban for children aged under 16 after an emotive debate that has gripped the nation, setting a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest regulations targeting Big Tech. The law forces tech giants from Instagram and Facebook owner Meta to TikTok to stop minors logging in or face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million).Australian-style social media ban for under-16s ‘a retrograde step’, say UK charities
The Guardian
Sammy Gecsoyler
Child safety experts have warned the UK government against enacting an Australian-style social media ban for children under 16, which they called a “retrograde step” that would “do more harm than good”. On Thursday, Australia became the first country in the world to ban under-16s from using social media platforms.
How will Australia's new cyber security legislation help fight the growing threat of cyber crime?
ABC News
Anne Barker
Federal parliament has passed a suite of laws this week that aim to strengthen Australia's national cyber security and its resilience against the mounting number and variety of cyber threats. The person with overall carriage in making these laws work is Australia's National Cyber Security Coordinator, Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness.
Chinese tech firms lobby influence raises alert in Canberra
The Canberra Times
Eleanor Campbell
The Coalition has voiced concerns about Beijing-aligned tech companies lobbying politicians and departments without declaring their activities on a register set up to combat foreign interference.
Meta to force financial advertisers to be verified in bid to prevent celebrity scam ads targeting Australians
The Guardian
Josh Taylor
Fake celebrity investment scams may soon be harder to push on Facebook and Instagram, with Meta introducing a requirement that financial advertisers are verified. Beginning in early February, Meta will require advertisers seeking to run ads about financial services to verify information about who are the beneficiary and payer. Businesses will be required to provide their Australian financial services licence number or declare an exemption. Individuals will need to provide a government-issued ID.
Christmas sales period is here, but so are scammers
ABC News
Lucy Carter
At first glance, Vogue Melbourne looks every inch an upmarket Australian boutique. The website features photos of models in fashionable clothes and slogans like “Be You Be Beautiful”. It boasts 100,000 satisfied customers, an extensive catalogue of items and claims to accept a range of reputable payment options. Look a little closer though and things aren’t quite what they seem.
China
China launches first Long March 12 from new commercial spaceport in boost for country’s lunar plans
Space News
Andrew Jones
China launched its first Long March 12 rocket Saturday, marking an advance in its crewed moon plans and the debut of a new spaceport that will boost the country’s access to space. The two-stage, 62-meter-tall Long March 12 lifted off at 9:25 a.m. Eastern (1425 UTC) Nov. 30 from the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site. The rocket climbed into the night sky above the coastal spaceport, with amateur live streams from the area capturing the event.
USA
Bromance over? Reports say Donald Trump is already ignoring Elon Musk's suggestions
The Economic Times
The once-bromantic dynamic between Donald Trump and Elon Musk appears to be fading. Despite Musk’s significant financial backing of Trump’s reelection campaign to the tune of $200 million, reports suggest that Trump is now ignoring Musk’s suggestions for cabinet appointments. Musk, who has tried to influence Trump’s decisions, acknowledged on social media that many cabinet selections are made without his input, and that ultimately, decisions are in Trump’s hands.
SpaceX launches next-gen US spy satellites, 20 Starlink spacecraft from California
SPACE.com
Mike Wall
SpaceX launched another batch of U.S. spy satellites early Saturday morning (Nov. 30). A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Saturday at 3:10 a.m. EST (0810 GMT; 12:10 a.m. local time). The rocket carried a set of spacecraft for the National Reconnaissance Office, as well as 20 of SpaceX's own Starlink broadband spacecraft.
Americas
Canadian media sue OpenAI in case potentially worth billions
The Australian
Canada’s biggest news organisations have sued OpenAI, accusing it of using their articles without permission to help train its artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT in a case that could cost the American company billions. Media including The Globe and Mail newspaper and public broadcaster CBC have accused OpenAI of breaching copyrights by “scraping large swathes of content” and profiting from the use of this content, according to a statement.
North Asia
Australians now have the 'right to disconnect'. In Japan, employees are dying from overwork
ABC News
Siobhan Marin
In Japan, there's a word for "death by overwork". It's karōshi, and the death is commonly caused by a stroke or heart attack, or a suicide linked to overwork and excessive occupational stress. A 2022 case of karōshi that made headlines — and led to employment reform — was the suicide of a 26-year-old doctor who worked 207 hours of overtime in the month leading up to his death. But this phenomenon isn't limited to Japan.
South & Central Asia
Pakistan VPN ban: how to stay safe online and bypass restrictions
TechRadar
Chiara Castro
VPN usage in Pakistan has never been so high, the government is set to introduce a new policy that could potentially ban the use of "unregistered" services starting November 30, 2024. People in Pakistan have been turning en masse to VPN services throughout 2024 as they look for a way to bypass growing censorship online. WhatsApp is just the latest social media platform currently blocked in the country. The block came two days after authorities restricted Bluesky amid a surge in popularity worldwide. X, Facebook, and Instagram also can't be accessed without a VPN.
Ukraine-Russia
Russia arrests ransomware attacker Wazawaka
Engadget
Danny Gallagher
One of the world’s most notorious hackers could finally be in custody. Bleeping Computer reports that ransomware affiliate Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev also known as Wazawaka, Uhodiransomwar, m1x and Boriselcin has been arrested. Prosecutors have not confirmed if Matveev is under arrest, but reports indicate that Matveev may be the hacker in Russian custody.
Europe
Encircled by geopolitical risks, Armenia builds a lively tech startup scene
Al Jazeera
Home to fewer than 3 million people, the ex-Soviet state has an economy that is barely larger than that of poverty-stricken Haiti. None of that has dampened Armenia’s big ambitions for its tech start-up scene, which is making waves to an extent that belies the country’s diminutive size and difficult circumstances. The number of IT-focused companies in Armenia more than doubled last year, while the number of employees in the sector increased by 30 percent, according to the Armenian government.
Italian watchdog warns publisher GEDI against sharing data with OpenAI
Reuters
Gianluca Semeraro, David Goodman and Marguerita Choy
Italy's data protection watchdog has warned Italian publisher GEDI not to share its personal data archives with ChatGPT owner OpenAI, it said on Friday, citing concern over potential breaches of EU rules. GEDI, owned by the Agnelli family's holding company Exor, announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI in September to bring Italian-language content from the publisher's portfolio of news outlets to users of the Microsoft-backed artificial intelligence startup.
UK
Elon Musk is attacking Britain. Former PMs are building ties
Financial Times
Anna Gross, Hannah Murphy and Stephen Morris
Elon Musk has stepped up his attacks on the UK since the election of Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government, branding the country “a police state”. But he enjoys a warmer relationship with former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Tony Blair, who have both attempted to strengthen ties with the world’s richest man, now one of US president-elect Donald Trump’s closest advisers.
RSC to help firms develop new uses for technology
BBC
The Royal Shakespeare Company is to help tech firms, among others, incorporate new technologies such as virtual reality in live events and multi-platform content. The CreaTech Frontiers project has attracted a £6.75m government investment. It is being led by Birmingham City University, working with the RSC and other universities in the region. The theatre company is expected to lend its expertise in live performance to help organisations in the creative sector find news ways of using cutting edge technologies.
Big Tech
Why Temu and Shein could give Western retailers a run for their money this holiday season
AP News
Haleluya Hadero
Shopping on Temu can feel like playing an arcade game. Instead of using a joystick-controlled claw to grab a toy, visitors to the online marketplace maneuver their computer mouses or cellphone screens to browse colorful gadgets, accessories and trinkets with prices that look too good to refuse. A pop-up spinning wheel offers the chance to win a coupon. Rotating captions warn that a less than $2 camouflage print balaclava and a $1.23 skeleton hand back scratcher are “Almost sold out.”
TikTok layoff videos pose risks for posters and employers
Financial Times
Cristina Criddle
An unexpected online meeting appeared in Heather Haynes’ calendar last April, raising suspicions that she was at risk of redundancy. In response, she propped up her phone and pressed record, capturing the moment she was laid off in a video that would attract 10mn views. “The lack of growth and the decline in our client revenue has negatively impacted our business beyond what we can sustain,” she was told. “It’s forced us to make what are very difficult decisions to eliminate roles within the agency, [including] your role.”
Artificial Intelligence
Love, friendship and AI: Could artificial companions replace real relationships?
Hindustan Times
Akanksha Agnihotri
In a future shaped by artificial intelligence, humanity's evolution sparks intense debate. Many thinkers have explored how AI could transform lives, sometimes for the better but often with ominous consequences. Some predict catastrophic outcomes, such as AI causing human extinction or a future where humans merge with AI to become cyborgs. These visions frequently paint a grim picture of humanity facing off against a unified, all-powerful AI force.
AI-powered ‘death clock’ promises a more exact prediction of the day you’ll die
Bloomberg
Alexandre Tanzi
For centuries, humans have used actuarial tables to figure out how long they’re likely to live. Now artificial intelligence is taking up the task – and its answers may well be of interest to economists and money managers. The recently released Death Clock, an AI-powered longevity app, has proved a hit with paying customers – downloaded some 125,000 times since its launch in July, according to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.
The legal battle against explicit AI deepfakes
Financial Times
Stephanie Stacey and Cristina Criddle
Omny Miranda Martone was not surprised when computer-generated images and videos purporting to show their naked body started to appear on social media in January. As the founder of the Washington-based Sexual Violence Prevention Association, Martone — who uses non-binary pronouns — had spent the previous year working with people who had suffered non-consensual intimate image abuse, widely known as deepfake pornography.
Misc
To pre-empt extremist violence, we need real-time social media data sharing
The Strategist
Emma Gerhardy
Law enforcement and social media platforms must implement real-time data sharing to stop online extremism before it leads to violence. Using appropriate safeguards, we can achieve this without raising concerns about creating a surveillance state. Social media companies have vast behavioural data, but their reluctance to share it with authorities means we’re left scrambling after an attack occurs. The resulting delay facilitates radicalisation and puts lives at risk. Rather than reacting to attacks, we should aim to prevent harm through a coordinated, data-driven approach.
Research
Norm diffusion in cyber governance: China as an emerging norm entrepreneur?
International Affairs
Xuechen Chen and Xinchuchu Gao
In light of China's growing weight as a technological power in the international arena, an increasing body of literature is dedicated to conceptualizing China as a nascent norm-shaper in global cyber governance. However, a nuanced investigation into the process of China's norm diffusion in cyber governance has been lacking. Drawing on the latest advancements from norm diffusion theory, this study provides a nuanced understanding of the complex and multidimensional nature of China's cyber-governance norm cluster and the diffusion mechanisms.
Events & Podcasts
Artificial intimacy, persuasive technologies, and how bots can manipulate us
ASPI
On Stop the World, David Wroe speaks with Casey Mock and Sasha Fegan from the US-based Center for Humane Technology. The CHT is at the forefront of efforts to ensure technology makes our lives better, and strengthens rather than divides our communities. They also produce the podcast, Your Undivided Attention—one of the world’s most popular forums for deep and serious conversations about the impact of technology on society.
Jobs
ASPI Director - Defence Strategy Program
ASPI
ASPI is recruiting for one of its key leadership positions - the Director of its Defence Strategy Program. This is an exceptional opportunity for a talented senior leader to contribute to the work of one of the Indo-Pacific’s top think-tanks with a focus on military strategy and capability, emerging security issues and our region. The incoming Director of Defence Strategy is expected to have strong knowledge in at least some of the issues covered by the team, in addition to superior management (including project and stakeholder management) skills, a proven ability to build senior and global relationships and the capacity to fundraise to support the team’s work.
Science and Technology Fellow
Asia Society India
Asia Society Policy Institute in Delhi – a division of the Asia Society India Centre, is looking for an expert in science and technology diplomacy. The goal of the fellowship is to enhance understanding of India’s role and position on global science and technology governance issues, to strengthen cooperation between India, Asia, and the world. This is an extraordinary opportunity to represent India’s ambitions, experiences, and expertise in global conversations on cutting-edge developments that intersect science, technology, and policy in emerging domains.
The Daily Cyber & Tech Digest is brought to you by the Cyber, Technology & Security team at ASPI.