Dispatch 5: The End. The Beginning.
Welcome to 2025. Here are some stories that jumped out at me over the last month.
📣 security news
US soldier indicted for transfer of phone records - A 20 year old US soldier has been indicted and arrested for involvement in data breaches at AT&T and Verizon. While apparently not involved in the exploitation that led to the compromise, he was ostensibly focused on selling the stolen data on forums and/or using extortive language directed at victim companies.
New research reveals cell site simulator use at DNC - Researchers at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) recently re-analyzed a dataset collected during the 2024 DNC. Wired reporters used specially configured Wi-Fi hotspots and rooted Android devices to collect detailed data about cell signals and cell tower behavior in the area during the event. The updated review revealed IMSI-collecting behavior not normally exhibited by legitimate cell towers.
Yep, this CAPTCHA can run DOOM - In lighter news, you can now try out a fun twist on the ever-more-annoying CAPTCHA.
🛟 safer tech
Editorial board implodes - All but one member of Elsevier's Journal of Human Evolution's editorial board resigned in protest of changes detrimental to the quality and editorial independence of the journal. Cited changes include removing the roles of copy editor and special issues editor, using AI processing on submissions without informing authors and/or the board, and generally cutting editorial capabilities while charging authors nearly $4000 per submission. Almost a year ago, a mass departure occurred at the linguistics journal Syntax motivated by similar grievances.
Robot and robotaxi collide in LA - So who's at fault? A Waymo robotaxi collided with a Serve delivery robot at a Los Angeles intersection. Luckily for the delivery robot, the robotaxi was only going 4 miles per hour. Nobody was riding in the Waymo at the time.
US content moderation overhaul - Meta abandons content moderation in favor of the Community Notes model made infamous by X, "the everything app." Let's review some of the content changes we've seen over the past year:
- In March 2024, Meta shadowbanned political content on Instagram and Threads. Users were opted in by default and had to toggle a setting to be recommended political content.
- In December 2024, Meta removed the ability to follow hashtags on Instagram, a feature which made it easier to surface posts on specific conflicts, political struggles, fandoms, art styles--you name it--on the feed.
- In January 2025, Meta abandoned content moderation and promised to restore political content. Notable changes include moving the remaining trust and safety team to Texas for an appearance of less bias and allowing "allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation."
Also they're called "feeds?" It sort of feels like major social media CEOs are demanding people to open wide for the slop. The CEO of Mastodon has warned users of the decentralized social network to be wary of content entering the fediverse via crossposting from Threads.
🤿 culture dive
RTO and AI fuel growth in tech worker movements - Tech workers are increasingly organizing in response to unpopular policies at their workplaces. Groups like Tech Workers Coalition and Communications Workers of America are supporting tech workers in efforts to organize both at work and in their communities.
WWII archive overwhelmed with requests - The Dutch CABR archive has been flooded with requests since it became available. This archive includes documents pertaining to over 400,000 people suspected or confirmed to have been Nazi collaborators during the war. Although the digital archives are online, they are not available to the public for privacy reasons. Access requires a trip to the Hague and an approval by the archive staff. It will be interesting to see if the data access scheme changes due to demand or if the amount of requests will normalize before that's necessary.