More reporting/commentary is coming in about the explosions of devices (pagers, walkie talkies, solar) that was first covered on this substack Sept. 17-19 HERE. AP, Business and Human Rights and Pam Martens of Wallstreet on Parade have both weighed in.
Pam Martens: Approximately 30 seconds after we first heard the initial news reports that Israel had planted explosives in pagers which it could simultaneously detonate with a code, we stated out loud: “That’s going to unleash mass suspicions about the safety of the entire global supply chain.” Is anyone looking at their cellphone or iPad in the same way this week?
I am not familiar with the Puck but the article about the CIA FBI debacle around Havana Syndrome indicates that some high raking officials are wearing directed energy detection devices.
NEWS AND NOTES
ACTIVISTS CORNER W/ CECE DOUCETTE: WCCA-TV Tech Safe Episode 41:
Guest Patti Wood of Tech Safe Schools, the BabySafe Project (Yale) and Americans for Responsible Technology! 28-min. WCCA
AI: A bottle of water per email: the hidden environmental costs of using AI chatbots AI bots generate a lot of heat, and keeping their computer servers running exacts a toll. [] Water usage depends on the data center’s location See graph: Milliliters of water required for AI chatbots using GPT-4 to generate a 100-word email by location of data center. Also energy use graphs How much energy can AI use? Breaking down the toll of each ChatGPT query - The Washington Post
AI: OpenAI’s slow-motion train wreck Mira Murati’s departure is the just the last episode in a long-running drama GARY MARCUS
AI; Top Goldman Sachs Stock Researcher Warns AI Bubble May Be About to Explode "Despite its expensive price tag, the technology is nowhere near where it needs to be in order to be useful." FUTURISM
AI ENERGY NUCLEAR: It’s a renaissance nuclear advocates dreamed of for years, and tech money has made it possible.“It's the first time -- at least to my knowledge -- in this country that a big, well-capitalized company has come in outside of the nuclear industry and made this big commitment to nuclear electricity,” said Steve Nesbit, who served as president of the American Nuclear Society and was a longtime nuclear engineer at major utility Duke Energy. Some lawmakers including Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) have questioned whether the U.S. should advance nuclear energy without a solution to nuclear waste and legacy pollution. But the Microsoft deal comes as more lawmakers and the White House are bullish on nuclear. “An American nuclear energy resurgence is beginning,” Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) said in a statement. Earlier in September, the White House launched a task force to help boost energy production for AI data centers. The Biden administration convened industry executives for a roundtable on the task force — including chiefs of Nvidia, OpenAI and Microsoft — but without environmental leaders. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Monday suggested that companies band together to utilize small modular reactors as AI and data centers drive up clean power demand. POLITICO
AI: Hacker plants false memories in ChatGPT to steal user data in perpetuity Emails, documents, and other untrusted content can plant malicious memories. When security researcher Johann Rehberger recently reported a vulnerability in ChatGPT that allowed attackers to store false information and malicious instructions in a user’s long-term memory settings, OpenAI summarily closed the inquiry, labeling the flaw a safety issue, not, technically speaking, a security concern. So Rehberger did what all good researchers do: He created a proof-of-concept exploit that used the vulnerability to exfiltrate all user input in perpetuity. OpenAI engineers took notice and issued a partial fix earlier this month. ARS TECHNICA
AI POLITICS: Markey Introduces AI Civil Rights Bill The legislation would put strict guardrails on how algorithms are used. BROADBAND BREAKFAST
AUTOMOBILES SURVEILLANCE: Ford patents drug trafficking tech to save drivers from becoming ‘blind mules’ The patent, published mid-September, is titled Unknown Cargo Detection and Evidence Collection System for a vehicle and associated method. The trigger could be someone standing too close to the vehicle, an abnormal distribution of weight in the vehicle, or an unfamiliar GPS frequency traveling with the vehicle itself. The system is designed to use the sensors and cameras on the vehicle to capture audio and visual evidence of the events that follow and record them for the future. MSN
BROADBAND INDUSTRY: Is There a Spectrum Shortage? Part of the reason for the recent spate of articles is that the FCC has lost the ability to hold spectrum auctions. In March 2023, Congress declined to renew the agencies ability to hold auctions, which has been the common way to decide how to allocate spectrum – to those who are willing to pay the most to use it. [] Another reason why U.S. cellular carriers have excess spectrum capacity is that the many projected uses for 5G that were touted a decade ago never materialized. They had originally predicted that a lot of the devices in our homes and outdoor sensors would all be subscribed to cellular - but it never happened. In the home, everything moved to free WiFi, which became overabundant when ISPs increased home broadband speeds, and the FCC released a gigantic pile of new WiFi spectrum in the 6 GHz band. Connecting outdoor sensors to cellular never took off because it required deploying batteries that have to be replaced. This is not to say that we won’t ever have a shortage of spectrum. Is There a Spectrum Shortage? Example: Unleash Fixed Wireless Service in 12 GHz to Help Close the Digital Divide
Reminder, as the Irregulators already documented, Americans have already paid to provide coverage. See: Book of Broken Promises – The IRREGULATORS | An Independent, Expert Telecom Team The Primary Findings: America’s households and businesses have been charged at least nine times for broadband/fiber optic services, including the wiring of schools, libraries, and hospitals — about $4000-$7000 per household, and the total is way over ½ trillion dollars by 2016. You can thank just a few companies: AT&T, Verizon and Centurylink, who control the state-based utilities, along with the cable companies, Comcast and now-Spectrum et al. And this is the low number. More importantly, Verizon, AT&T and CenturyLink control the state telecommunications utilities, such as Verizon NY or AT&T-California, a fact that has been erased. And the copper wires, as well as most of the fiber optic wires, are part of these state utilities, including those used for FiOS or the wires to the cell sites, or all of the other ‘business data services’. Book of Broken Promises – The IRREGULATORS | An Independent, Expert Telecom Team
CHILDREN UK: The town pushing to delay smartphones for children https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg2r4rxjd9o
CHILDREN: Molaks Urge Fifth Circuit Not to Dismiss E-Rate Hotspot Case The FCC moved to throw out the case, involving cyberbullying, earlier this month. BROADBAND BREAKFAST
CHILDREN INDUSTRY DENIAL SOCIAL MEDIA AUSTRALIA: Disconnecting Australian Children from Social Media On Tuesday, September 10, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced plans to introduce legislation to enforce a minimum age for social media access—likely around 14 to 16—before the end of 2024. The law aligns with Australia’s leadership, whose 2021 Online Safety Act installed an eSafety commissioner, and comes from the parliamentary inquiry into “the influence and impacts of social media on Australian society” announced on May 10. Albanese is no fan of social media. While the proposed law is likely to prove politically popular in Australia, and internationally will please proponents of Jonathan Haidt’s call to ban children’s use of smartphones, significant concerns exist about its likely success and the feasibility of implementing it. First, most social media platforms already have terms stating a minimum age for those signing up. For Meta, this is 13. [] Second, obtaining cooperation from international platforms to comply with an Australia-specific law or technology will be difficult. [] Third, the law presumes that children’s use of social media platforms is more harmful than beneficial. It is far from clear that this is the case. Yes, online bullying and access to adult and other undesirable content are negative, but access to safe content and the ability to engage with others online in a social context is very valuable for some children too. [] Fourth, as is illustrated with other online bans (e.g., content removal), the undesirable behavior does not go away; it simply shifts to other unsupervised places. [] Finally, a ban removes the opportunity to use education constructively to teach children how to use social media responsibly and keep themselves safe online. [] Rather than racing to implement legislative bans, one wonders what could be achieved by putting more effort into researching social media’s actual effects on all groups in society. Until such evidence exists, the risk is that regulation is responding primarily not to measured evidence of real harms but to anecdotal accounts, uncertainties, prejudices and biases. Sometimes, doing nothing and learning more before acting is better than acting too hastily. Bad regulation once passed is rarely rapidly repealed. AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
CHILDREN SCREENAGERS: Dissecting Insta's New Teen Accounts A week ago, Instagram announced changes to its rules for “Teen Accounts.” All new teen users will be defaulted into these accounts, and current teen users will transition over the next two months. Naomi Gleit, Instagram’s head of Products, discussed these changes, and one comment surprised me. She mentioned that teens aged 13 to 16 will need parental permission to have a public account, hoping this would encourage dialogue between teens and parents about social media use. However, I feel this still puts too much responsibility on parents when we need broader societal solutions. While I’m glad to see these changes, they’re late and not the full answer. In today's blog I summarize the changes made and give my perspective on their impact and what more needs to be done. SCREENAGERS
CHILDREN SOCIAL MEDIA Bipartisan lawmakers unveiling measure requiring social media mental health warnings Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) introduced a bill Tuesday that would require social media platforms to have mental health warning labels. The legislation — dubbed the Stop the Scroll Act — aims to inform users of the potential mental health risks of social media and provide access to mental health resources, according to a press release. MSN
CHIPS: President Joe Biden is poised to sign a bill weakening some environmental restrictions on federally-funded microchip projects. The bill will ease requirements put on new microchip manufacturing projects by the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires extensive federal environmental reviews. Industry says those reviews will result in extensive delays to chip manufacturing, while some environmentalists and even Biden’s fellow Democrats are protesting, saying they’re crucial for meeting the Biden administration’s own stated climate goals. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), a co-author of the legislation, pushed back on those criticisms, saying to POLITICO the bill’s NEPA exemptions are “very narrow.” POLITICO
DATA CENTERS MEXICO: Mexico: Data centre industry led by big tech raises concerns over water access to communities Mexico: Data centre industry led by big tech raises concerns over water access to communities A datacentre is, in essence, a warehouse filled with computers working around the clock. The servers require vast amounts of electricity, and some combination of air and water to keep them cool. Querétaro was already a hub for datacentres in Mexico, but this year Amazon, Google and Microsoft announced or launched their own installations there. From the industry’s perspective, Querétaro offers safety and seismic stability close to Mexico City. Del Prete denies that the state government has provided public land or fiscal incentives to attract datacentre providers. But what datacentres need most is reliable access to two essential elements: electricity and water. And water, in particular, is a tense issue in Querétaro.- Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (business-humanrights.org)
ECONOMY/JOBS: AT&T and Verizon won't stop cutting jobs
FIRES: INSURANCE PROBLEMS IN CALIFORNIA So insurance companies could increase their sales in distressed/wildfire risk areas not up to at least 85% of their market share as announced, but by just 5%. For any insurance company that has already abandoned most homeowners in fire zones, that’s a pretty negligible promise. But in return they’ll still get the right to dramatically hike premiums for all of us with the use of secret algorithms in black box catastrophe models, and charge consumers for the unregulated cost. Enough is enough. SUBSTACK
5G; Environmental Health Trust New 5G Briefing People everywhere are raising their voices in opposition to 5G. Get 5G FAQs HERE. Be sure to download a briefing on 5G and ways that various towns and cities have developed zoning and ordinances to restrict cell towers in close proximity to homes. Also the 5G poster HERE
5G; CHD New Community Resource Platform, **Stop5G.org**! This initiative is designed to empower local communities and safe technology organizations to effectively oppose proposed cell tower or small cell installations. Our goal is to provide the tools and resources necessary for communities to make informed decisions about their technological environments, offering expert consultation, strategic advocacy, community organizing skills, and legal support to help you mount a successful opposition. We encourage you to share this valuable resource far and wide with your contacts. INLCUDES Stop A Proposed Cell Tower, Challenge An Existing Cell Tower, Challenge A Smart Meter Mandate Stop 5G
5G/6G INDUSTRY 5G Americas Studies 6G Vision Outlined by ITU Framework : The strategic vision for developing 6G mobile telecommunications systems is outlined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) IMT-2030 Framework, which sets the foundation for innovation, performance standards, and global cooperation. Today 5G Americas, the voice of 5G and beyond for the Americas, announced the publication of its latest white paper, ‘ITU’s IMT 2030 Vision: Navigating Towards 6G in the Americas’, which studies the ITU IMT-2030 vision and its implications for the Americas. 5G AMERICAS (note that 5G Americas’ Board of Governors Members include Airspan Networks Inc., Antel, AT&T, Ciena, Cisco, Crown Castle, Ericsson, Liberty Latin America, Mavenir, Nokia, Qualcomm Incorporated, Rogers Communications, Samsung, T-Mobile US, Inc., and Telefónica.) COURTETSY TOM V.
5G/6G Commissioner Starks Remarks at 6G Symposium Federal Communications Commissioner Geoffrey Starks spoke at the 6G Symposium about the benefits and challenges of 6G, and what the FCC has done to advance the development of 5G. "I believe 6G presents both an environmental challenge as well as an opportunity. Like 5G, 6G has the potential to increase our energy efficiency and reduce our emissions in areas like manufacturing, agriculture, and transportation. But we simply cannot take this for granted. We’ve got to do the hard work ... When I look ahead, I see real promise for new strategies that will make 6G our most energy-efficient generation yet." https://www.benton.org/headlines/commissioner-starks-remarks-6gsymposium
5G; Verizon plan to install 5G poles along popular Jersey Shore beach stirs uproar Jersey Shore residents will clash with Verizon Wireless at a town meeting over the installation of 5G poles along the oceanfront FOX
5G: NY State Supports Our Opposition to New 32-ft.-Tall 5G Tower AND CB1 Slams City's Plan for Towering 5G Transmitters on Downtown Sidewalks LinkNYC kiosks, which have been on the city’s sidewalks since 2016 as pay phone replacements, offer charging stations, free nationwide calling, and a tablet to access city services. The proposed Link5G poles, described by Gothamist as resembling giant tampon applicators, would stand atop new 9-and-a-half foot LinkNYC kiosks for a total height of 32 feet, with a 32-inch LED screen attached. Advertising on the screens is meant to help pay for the program. The new poles would provide space for 5G network carriers to install their transmitting equipment. CB1 Slams City's Plan for Towering 5G Transmitters on Downtown Sidewalks
5G INDUSTRY NEVADA: Verizon supplies 5G and IoT to remote-controlled EV hire service in Las Vegas Verizon Business has signed a deal with Germany-based automotive technology startup Vay Technology to supply 5G to its rental fleet of remotely operated electric vehicles (EVs) in Las Vegas. The enterprise division of the US carrier is also providing custom IoT data plans, it said, to manage “massive amounts” of data from the vehicles’ sensors and cameras. Verizon supplies 5G and IoT to remote-controlled EV hire service in Las Vegas
HAVANA SYNDROME THE PUCK: Meanwhile, last week brought a new development on the intriguing topic of Anomalous Health Incidents, or A.H.I.s, previously known as “Havana Syndrome”—one of the longest-standing, and strangest, mysteries in Washington. Brian Karem, a reporter for Salon, published the results of a FOIA request he’d submitted to the C.I.A. that turned up a heavily redacted whistleblower complaint filed by an agency employee. It alleged that C.I.A. higher-ups were tampering with witnesses, suppressing evidence, and generally forcing a false consensus on the Anomalous Health Incidents. [] After Havana, overseas government employees reported similar experiences in China, Russia, Australia, Austria, the U.K., Taiwan, Georgia, and even on U.S. soil, as I reported in 2020, in the D.C. suburbs. People also reported that even their pets and children had been “hit,” and many State Department and C.I.A. employees were forced to retire early because of the syndrome’s physical toll. Early evidence and speculation seemed to point to a directed energy weapon wielded by the Russians. https://puck.news/antony-blinken-contempt-havana-syndrome-revisited/ https://puck.news/author/julia-ioffe/
HEALTH INDUSTRY: Think of the New Apple AirPods and Watch As Medical Devices The AirPods Pro 2 will soon be medical-grade hearing aids, and new (and recent) Apple Watches will be able to diagnose sleep apnea for their wearers. NY MAG
HEALTH OT FLUORIDE RULING: "In summary, the high-quality studies (i.e., studies with low potential for bias) consistently demonstrate lower IQ scores with higher fluoride exposure [e.g., represented by populations whose total fluoride exposure approximates or exceeds the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality of 1.5 mg/L of fluoride (WHO 2017)]. The consistency in association is observed among studies of varying study designs, exposure measures, and study populations. Although some studies that conducted multiple analyses observed within-study variations in results (e.g., differences between subsets of IQ tests), these variations were unique to individual studies and did not detract from the overall consistency in the findings that higher fluoride is associated with lower IQ scores." - NTP Monograph on the State of the Science Concerning Fluoride Exposure: Neurodevelopment & Cognition: A systematic Review (August 22, 2024) More power to you if fluoridation doesn’t bother you, but not the power to assume it’s safe for your neighbor with kidney disease, his pregnant wife or their diabetic daughter! - K.S.
HEALTH: The Circadian Classroom The Cultural Aversion To Getting Darker (sun exposure) Why sunbathing is strongly looked down upon in many cultures It’s important to consider that melanin’s benefits are backed by a robust tome of scientific literature. It’s anti-venom, anti-inflammatory, and radioprotective. It acts as an antioxidant. It produces free electrons via the photoelectric effect. It’s the very building block needed for biological semi-conduction since it absorbs the entire electromagnetic spectrum. The story of melanin is the story of life. The Cultural Aversion To Getting Darker
HEALTH: HEALTHIER TECH PODCAST How Technology Fuels Hidden Neuroses With Dr. Nicholas Samstag We dive into how technology shapes neuroses and mental health at work with New York psychoanalyst Dr. Nicholas Samstag, who brings sharp insights on unconscious behaviors and growth. In this episode, you will hear: Allowing yourself to not make sense. The symbolic value of dreams that we do and don’t understand. Defining what the real world is and how neuroses fill in the gaps as it shrinks. How tech and the information overload affect neuroses. Considering our relationships with technology. Becoming comfortable with silence to create space for yourself. Psychological IQ and the workplace. Being more psychologically minded. HEALTHIER TECH
HUMAN RIGHTS - BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS INTERNATIONAL WATCHDOG HEADLINES: Kenya: Appellate court rules Meta can be sued in Kenya over poor working conditions & unlawful dismissal The case, filed by some 185 content moderators who worked for Meta contractor Sama, will now proceed in the labour court, with plaintiffs seeking USD1.6b in compensation after mass termination of their employment contracts. Meta also faces another lawsuit in Kenya, filed by a content moderator who alleges the company exploited him and his colleagues and damaged their mental health, requiring them to watch disturbing content for 8 hours a day while receiving inadequate support and low wages. Climate 3 Pacific Island nations have proposed ‘ecocide’ be formally recognised as a punishable criminal offence in a submission to the International Criminal Court. Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa proposed defining the crime as ‘unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment’. If successful the change could allow for the prosecution of individuals responsible for environmental destruction, including heads of state, or executives at companies accused of pollution DUE DILIGENCE IN RUSSIA & BELARUS: Investigations into due diligence oversights in the value chain of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet terminals have raised concerns devices might be reaching Russian military forces. [] , an investigation by Novaya Gazeta Europe found several official Starlink dealers are supplying the terminals to companies in countries bordering Russia without verifying end-user identities or intended use. USA: Boeing workers strike amid poverty wages & safety concerns; thousands of jobs suspended; India: Samsung threatens wage cuts & termination for striking workers; Technology used to protect workers from heat raises concerns about data privacy and working conditions As workers face increased exposure to heat amid the climate crisis, companies are deploying new technologies such as biometric sensor armbands to try to tackle heat-related risks. However, labour advocates have raised concerns about the safeguarding of collected medical data and its potential misuse. The Washington Post names United Cleanup (contractor of the US Department of Energy), Cardinal Glass and Perrigo as users of the technologies about which concerns have been raised, and Epicore Biosystems and SlateSafety as their manufacturers.
INTERNET: The internet can be toxic—but there are also online oases where mutual care flourishes PHYSICS.ORG
SPACE: The Quest to Build a Telescope on the Moon If the FarView radio telescope is built, it would double as a demonstration of two unprecedented activities: mining and manufacturing in space. NEW YORKER
SURVEILLANCE How travel tech is taking away our freedom [] at the moment it is starting to feel as though our travel freedoms are more at risk of technological suffocation than affirmation. That is particularly the case when it comes to the most fundamental travel freedom of all: the entitlement to cross international borders. The EU’s impending new protocols for entry into the Schengen area have received plenty of attention recently. They comprise both automated passport and biometric identity checks (EES) – which will start to come into force in November – and the requirement to register yourself and pre-authorise your visits (ETIAS), which will be introduced around the middle of next year and for which we will have to pay a fee of €7 (£5.90). []ETA does not accommodate ID cards. Those kids (visitng from France) will need a passport, and since the French document costs €86 (£72) for an adult, €42 (£35) for those aged 15-18 and €17 (£14.30) for the under-15s, they will not only have to jump through all the administrative hoops necessary to get one, but many will end up having to pay, in total, nearly £50 extra to come to the UK. Is that technological progress? I don’t think so. MSN
SURVEILLANCE: The Path to Digital Identity in the United States As more of Americans’ everyday activities move online, the lack of digital identity solutions becomes more of a problem. Countries around the world have forged ahead in offering digital ID, leaving the United States in the dust. There is a better way, one spearheaded by a national initiative to ensure all Americans have access to convenient, accessible, and trustworthy forms of digital ID. This report lays out a path toward achieving that goal. To start, it outlines the benefits of digital ID over physical forms of identification. It then analyzes trends in digital identity around the world, looking at various countries’ digital ID offerings and how the private sector plays a role in making digital ID widely available. It explores the current patchwork of digital identity in the United States and the early efforts at creating a national standard for digital ID implementation. Finally, it recommends policies federal and state governments should take toward the future of digital identity in America. https://www.benton.org/headlines/path-digital-identity-united-states
TOWERS AND ANTENNAS LAS VEGAS: Cell tower preventing renovation of Huntridge Theater, lawsuit says https://www.fox5vegas.com/video/2024/09/24/cell-tower-preventing-renovation-huntridge-theater-lawsuit-says/ also https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/lawsuit-claims-cell-tower-is-delaying-restoration-of-huntridge-theater-in-las-vegas/
WARFARE: Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space Ethics in Technology: October 1 space issues Webinar with Bruce Gagnon at 6:00 pm PST vahid.razavi1@gmail.com AND Global Network Space Issues Webinar: Sunday, Oct 13 at 3:00 pm EST. Speakers include Dave Webb (UK), Tamara Lorincz (Canada), Sung-Hee Choi (South Korea) and Peter Burt (UK) globalnet@mindspring.com
WARFARE, EXPLOSIONS, BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS: Israel/Lebanon: Multiple companies implicated in reported Israel-linked communication device explosions in Lebanon, killing at least 20 people "Hungary, Bulgaria, Taiwan and Japan: Following the exploding radio and pager trail" 20 September 2024 Israel hit Lebanon with two extraordinary attacks this week, detonating booby-trapped pagers and radios belonging to Hezbollah. On Tuesday afternoon, thousands of pagers exploded across the country, killing at least 14 people. On Wednesday, walkie-talkies blew up, including at the funerals of some of those who died the previous day, killing at least 20 people. Thousands more were wounded across both attacks... As is usual in operations carried out abroad, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its alleged involvement in the attacks... Images of the attack aftermath on Tuesday showed branding for Gold Apollo, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, on the exploded pagers. Hsu [Gold Apollo's president and founder] said his company did not manufacture the pagers in question, and that they were made by BAC Consulting KFT, a Budapest-based company which had a licence to use its brand...A Hungarian government spokesperson said earlier this week that the pagers were not manufactured in the country, and that BAC acted as an intermediary. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that BAC was in fact an Israeli front, according to three intelligence officers briefed on Israel’s operation.... Citing a US intelligence source, ABC News reported that Israel had been planning a “supply-chain interdiction” operation for at least 15 years... Bulgaria has also garnered attention after local media reported on Thursday that Sofia-based company Norta Global Ltd was involved in selling the pagers... Norta’s founder, Rinson Jose, who is based in Norway, declined to respond to Reuter's request for comment earlier this week....A Japanese manufacturer said it was launching an investigation after its name was on the hand-held radios that exploded on Thursday. Icom, a telecommunications equipment manufacturer based in Osaka, said it had discontinued the device in question a decade ago. Lebanon: Multiple companies implicated in alleged Israel attack on communication devices
WARFARE: DEVICE EXPLOSIONS, PAGERS, WALLSTREET ON PARADE: Deadly, Exploding Pagers Force the U.S. to Get Serious About Malware from China in U.S. Products that Are Potential National Security Threats “The prohibitions on software would take effect for Model Year 2027 and the prohibitions on hardware would take effect for Model Year 2030, or January 1, 2029 for units without a model year. ”Wait? What? It’s a recognized national security threat but Americans must wait years before corrective action is taken? How does that make any sense? On February 7 of this year, U.S. intelligence agencies revealed that a state-sponsored cyber actor in China, known as Volt Typhoon, had engaged in the following broad-based malicious activity inside the United States: “The U.S. authoring agencies have confirmed that Volt Typhoon has compromised the IT environments of multiple critical infrastructure organizations—primarily in Communications, Energy, Transportation Systems, and Water and Wastewater Systems Sectors—in the continental and non-continental United States and its territories, including Guam. Volt Typhoon’s choice of targets and pattern of behavior is not consistent with traditional cyber espionage or intelligence gathering operations, and the U.S. authoring agencies assess with high confidence that Volt Typhoon actors are pre-positioning themselves on IT networks to enable lateral movement to OT assets to disrupt functions. The U.S. authoring agencies are concerned about the potential for these actors to use their network access for disruptive effects in the event of potential geopolitical tensions and/or military conflicts. CCCS assesses that the direct threat to Canada’s critical infrastructure from PRC state-sponsored actors is likely lower than that to U.S. infrastructure, but should U.S. infrastructure be disrupted, Canada would likely be affected as well, due to cross-border integration. ASD’s ACSC and NCSC-NZ assess Australian and New Zealand critical infrastructure, respectively, could be vulnerable to similar activity from PRC state-sponsored actors.” Monday’s announcement from the U.S. Commerce Department comes just one week after pagers and walkie-talkies were detonated by Israel in an attack against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Dozens of people, including four children, were killed in those detonations and thousands were injured or maimed – overwhelming area hospitals during the two days of attacks on September 17th and 18th. Approximately 30 seconds after we first heard the initial news reports that Israel had planted explosives in pagers which it could simultaneously detonate with a code, we stated out loud: “That’s going to unleash mass suspicions about the safety of the entire global supply chain.” Is anyone looking at their cellphone or iPad in the same way this week?
https://wallstreetonparade.com/2024/09/deadly-exploding-pagers-force-the-u-s-to-get-serious-about-malware-from-china-in-u-s-products-that-are-potential-national-security-threats/
WARFARE DEVICE EXPLOSIONS: More devices exploding across Lebanon: What’s happening? One day after thousands of pagers exploded across Lebanon, more explosions of handheld devices, including walkie-talkies, laptops and radios, have killed at least 14 people and injured 450. On Tuesday, the detonation of pagers belonging to Hezbollah members that had been preloaded with explosives had killed 12 people and injured nearly 3,000. Where in Lebanon did the new explosions happen? Information is still trickling in, but several blasts were reported in the southern suburbs of Beirut as well as in the southern city of Tyre on Wednesday afternoon. Images posted on social media showed vehicles on fire and smoke rising from a residential area as reports came in of walkie-talkie radios and even solar cells exploding. Al Jazeera correspondent Ali Hashem witnessed one car explode during a funeral in southern Lebanon, seemingly set ablaze by an explosion from within rather than being hit by a drone, he noted. “There have been several blasts across southern Lebanon and Beirut southern suburbs … in walkie-talkies and not pagers,” he said. He described chaos on the streets with ambulances racing to pick up the injured and reports of more explosions coming in and spreading panic. Al Jazeera on MSN
WARFARE: DEVICE EXPLOSIONS Lebanon pager blasts: Israel's cyberterrorism signals a new warfare strategy Unable to achieve a strategic victory against Hezbollah, Israel has resorted to a miniaturised form of weapons of mass destruction and collective punishment in the north. The explosion of hundreds of communication devices belonging to members of Hezbollah, including pagers and handheld radios, has resulted in at least 30 deaths and 4,500 injuries, including more than 400 in critical condition in two waves of attack, according to Lebanon's health ministry. The blasts took place nearly simultaneously on Tuesday over a wide geographic area in the Lebanese capital, its suburbs, and in Syria.They were followed by a new wave of explosions on Wednesday, including at a funeral procession for victims of the initial pager explosions. Soon after, Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant declared the start of a "new phase" in its war on Gaza, in which "the centre of gravity is shifting to the north by diverting resources and forces". These deadly attacks by Israel serve as a painful wake-up call for Hezbollah and Lebanon as a state and have several implications. New warfare model Israel's attack on Hezbollah's communications network has been described as a "tactical triumph" and "victory" for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who vowed to expand the war to secure the northern border, where more than 60,000 Israelis fled their homes amid rocket attacks from Hezbollah. By blowing up devices in Beirut supermarkets, moving cars and homes, and in densely-populated civilian areas, Israel has decided to adopt cyberterrorism and its collective punishment policy in Gaza as part of its military strategy against Hezbollah. MIDDLE EAST EYE
WARFARE: DEVICE EXPLOSIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS What to know about the two waves of deadly explosions that hit Lebanon and Syria Both attacks, which are widely believed to be carried out by Israel, have hiked fears that the two sides’ simmering conflict could escalate into all-out war. This week’s explosions have also deepened concerns about the scope of potentially compromised devices, particularly after such bombings have killed or injured so many civilians. An American official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Israel briefed the U.S. on the operation — where small amounts of explosives hidden in the pagers were detonated. The Lebanese government and Iran-backed Hezbollah also blamed Israel for the deadly explosions. The Israeli military, which has a long history of sophisticated operations behind enemy lines, declined to comment. []A Hezbollah official told the AP that walkie-talkies used by the group exploded on Wednesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Lebanon’s official news agency also reported that solar energy systems exploded in homes in several areas of Beirut and in southern Lebanon, wounding at least one girl. While details are still emerging from Wednesday’s attack, the second wave of explosions targeted a country that is still reeling from Tuesday’s pager bombings. That attack appeared to be a complex Israeli operation targeting Hezbollah, but an enormous amount of civilian casualties were also reported, as the detonations occurred wherever members’ pagers happened to be — including homes, cars, grocery stores and cafes. Hezbollah has used pagers as a way to communicate for years. And more recently, Nasrallah warned the group’s members not to carry cellphones, saying they could be used by Israel to track the group’s movements. Pagers also run on a different wireless network than mobile phones, which usually makes them more resilient in times of emergency. And for a group like Hezbollah, the pagers provided a means to sidestep what’s believed to be intensive Israeli electronic surveillance on mobile phone networks in Lebanon — as pagers’ tech is simpler and carries lower risks for intercepted communications. Elijah J. Magnier, a Brussels-based veteran and a senior political risk analyst who says he has had conversations with members of Hezbollah and survivors of the attack, said that the newer brand of pagers used in Tuesday’s explosions were procured more than six months ago. How they arrived in Lebanon remains unclear. [] What kind of sabotage would cause these devices to explode? Tuesday’s explosions were most likely the result of supply-chain interference, several experts told the AP — noting that very small explosive devices may have been built into the pagers prior to their delivery to Hezbollah, and then all remotely triggered simultaneously, possibly with a radio signal. That corroborates information shared from the U.S. official. A former British Army bomb disposal officer explained that an explosive device has five main components: A container, a battery, a triggering device, a detonator and an explosive charge. “A pager has three of those already,” said the ex-officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he now works as a consultant with clients on the Middle East. “You would only need to add the detonator and the charge.” []The sophistication of the attack suggests that the culprit has been collecting intelligence for a long time, explained Nicholas Reese, adjunct instructor at the Center for Global Affairs in New York University’s School of Professional Studies. An attack of this caliber requires building the relationships needed to gain physical access to the pagers before they were sold; developing the technology that would be embedded in the devices; and developing sources who can confirm that the targets were carrying the pagers. Citing conversations with Hezbollah contacts, Magnier said the group is currently investigating what type of explosives were used in the device, suspecting RDX or PETN, highly explosive materials that can cause significant damage with as little as 3-5 grams. They are also questioning whether the device had a GPS system allowing Israel to track movement of the group members. ASSOCIATED PRESS
WARFARE: DEVICE EXPLOSIONS: Israel's war on Lebanon: The trauma of watching the 'Hollywood movie' from afar I try to remember where I bought my phone. Was it from a cellphone place in Beirut, the kind where explosions are now going off as the merchandise ignites? Or did I order it directly from abroad? Is it safe or suspect? No matter: I have to pick up my phone, this potential murder weapon, to reach my friends and family, to make sure they’re OK, forcing them to pick up a potential murder weapon to answer. 'Hezbollah pagers' This device used to connect us is now the very thing that makes us afraid to connect. Does the level of paranoia seem absurd? Not as absurd as several thousand small explosions going off across Lebanon in a single day, then several hundred more the next. []Before the details became clearer - that these devices, including pagers, walkie talkies and solar panels that exploded over the course of two days, killing 39 and wounding over 3,250, had been intercepted and planted with explosives by Israel, not hacked - the terror of common household electronics reached such a level that people were rushing around their households disconnecting UPS batteries and turning off baby monitors. The most absurd thing, however, is how no western headline called this textbook act of mass terrorism by its name. Instead, they called these 4,000-plus explosions “targeted attacks”, and they called these devices, used by doctors, deliverymen and countless other professionals, “Hezbollah pagers”. [] Four-thousand-plus explosions, which took place across the country over the course of two days, igniting against the vulnerable intimacy of people’s bodies, with some of those people young children, or at home with young children, or in grocery stores or pharmacies or driving on highways, their cars suddenly careering out of control. MIDDLE EAST EYE COURTESY J.B.
WARFARE: DEVICE EXPLOSIONS: Hezbollah walkie-talkies exploded too, what to know about Israel’s attacks A day after the explosion of thousands of pagers, the detonation of walkie-talkies and other devices kills 14 people. Hezbollah walkie-talkies exploded too, what to know about Israel’s attacks | Hezbollah News | Al Jazeera COURTESY J.B.
WARFARE: DEVICE EXPLOSIONS: A 30-minute video from Ben Norton of Geopolicicaleconomy.com. He speaks of how this is already backfiring, and hurting western tech companies. https://x.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1838568528548631013 COURTESY J.B.
REPOSTING: WARFARE: AXIOS: 1 big thing: Supply chain terror IEDs created from pagers and walkie-talkies and reports of exploding solar-energy systems herald a possibly limitless front in future war, where everyday items can't be trusted. Why it matters: Supply chain warfare is here to stay. And the targets are soft. Blowing up factories and raiding supply lines is nothing new. What's unprecedented here are the spy-thriller-style backdoors and execution. Driving the news: Fresh footage is streaming out of the Middle East, providing a closer look at attacks attributed to Israel. Yesterday, one clip showed a device blowing up in a market, incapacitating a person and spooking passersby. AXIOS
WARFARE: What caused pagers used by Hezbollah to explode? Wireless security expert explains what might have happened (Northeastern University) This situation is still evolving, but what do you believe are some key takeaways so far? Usually this type of hardware has a failsafe, which means if something fails, the device turns off. Here, the failsafe didn't act, which means that it was disabled. Who disabled it? Where did they get [these pagers] from? Who manufactured them? Who had access to them? It could be the manufacturer that caused the problem. It could have been a third party who intercepted the pagers and did firmware edits. [] they did not just modify the software, they would make it react in the presence of a specific message. They also added a tiny explosive next to the battery, so that the reaction would not just be a battery blowing up, it would be the actual pagers exploding. Do you know of any other situations like this one happening in the past? No, I cannot think of any right now. This is new. [}What I want to emphasize is that cybersecurity is needed not just to protect your identity and your bank account. It's needed to protect your physical integrity. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-09-pagers-hezbollah-wireless-expert.html
WARFARE: It's back to the drawing board for the U.S. Air Force as air superiority is shaken by sophisticated drones, budget pressures back home and a growing appetite for mass, not rarity. [] Cost projections for an NGAD fighter at one point sat around $300 million. [] How do we achieve air superiority in a contested environment? That would be one way to frame the question," Slife said. "A different way to frame the question would be: How do we build a sixth-generation manned fighter platform?" https://www.axios.com/2024/09/25/air-force-ngad-f35-cost and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the chief of U.S. naval operations, wants to squash ship, submarine and aircraft delays as well as widely adopt robotics to prepare for potential war with China in 2027. https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-future-of-defense-b8d28990-75e9-11ef-917d-4be6def720f0.html
EVENTS:
The National Call registration link, Friday September 27, 2024, 1-3pm ET https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwkd-6rrT4jE9EN6ONpE1aPRjG5sRzdc3C6
*After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. The agenda will be sent out later in the week.
ACTION ITEMS:
THE NATIONAL CALL: FEDERAL BILLS ALERT!
Two federal bills are scheduled for a vote this week. Please send this alert to your email lists.
(1) S.1764 Western Wildfire Support Act scheduled for a Thursday vote. Directs federal land management agencies to expedite deployment and permitting of technology for wildfire detection. This technology includes "Sensors, cameras, and other relevant equipment," which will likely require wired and wireless connectivity and electricity.
Call and email your U.S. Senator to: (a) amend S.1764 to expressly exclude wireless technologies from Sections 201 and 206 because of the risk of fires from wireless facilities and (b) ask for a Roll Call vote
(2) HR 8790 Fix Our Forests Act -- Section 303 provides for a pilot study to test 5G to prevent wildfires. Call and email your U.S. Rep to:(a) amend HR 8790 Section 303 to exclude wireless because of the risk of fires from wireless facilities and (b) ask for a Roll Call vote Cell towers are electrical installations and have already caused fires. See Fact Sheet on Wildfire Risk and Cell Towers (above the fold).
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH TRUST: SUPPORT H8082
HR 8082 would cancel the FCC’s 2018 regulations that preempt local zoning authority over cell towers (known as the Small Cell Order and the Moratoria Order).
Please CLICK HERE to urge your members of Congress to:
* Support HR 8082 (Securing Local Communities Input in Broadband Development Act)
* Oppose roughly a dozen other bills that are moving through Congress that will increase proliferation of wireless antennas across the country, including in our National Parks and National Forests. Click here to see all of these bills, plus dozens of others pending in Congress.
With few legislative days remaining before the election and the end of the year, please make your voice heard!
Despite mounting evidence of harm, the federal government has never reviewed the science on the effects of radiofrequency radiation on animals, plants, insects, and microbes. The FCC continues to ignore a federal appeals court order in our lawsuit, Environmental Health Trust et al. v. FCC (2021), to determine safe levels of radiofrequency exposure for humans and the environment.
ACTION: CLICK HERE