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John Scott-Railton Profile picture
@jsrailton
Mar 4, 2021 • 8 tweets • 9 min read • Read on X
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Wild story: Meet Kurt Jantz (rap name Forgiato Blow aka 'Donald Trump's Nephew').

By his telling, he's the grandson of Auto Trader's founder.

Jantz flew to DC in a private jet on January 6th... 1/

Pics: Parler, Facebook. ImageImageImage
2/ Jantz and entourage then went to the #Capitol and filmed the pro-Trump "We Outside" rap video restricted grounds.. in the middle of the siege.

Lyrics like:
"my president is Trump never be sleepy Joe.."
"free all my people at last or Imma have to hit em with the gas"" ImageImageImageImage
3/ Jantz jetted home. His spokesperson told @donie @CNN he didn't enter the #Capitol building.

He did keep up the flow of music videos, which bring us to him dancing with Roger Stone at CPAC.

4/ This was for a music video mocking the investigation. Featuring #ProudBoys leader Enrique Tarrio

Refrain: "the feds did a sweep they was knocking at the front door, patriots pulling up they was knocking on the #Capitol"

Check out @donie's piece.👇
ImageImageImage
5/ Why is this interesting? Jantz is a (niche) cultural figure recasting the #Capitol siege in a positive light... away from the huge stigma it has for most...marketing it and making it look cool while taunting the feds in the process.
6/ Lest you think Forgiato Blow is completely marginal: he did a remixed Ice Ice Baby video with @vanillaice & @RickRoss in 2019. He also toured with Vanilla Ice for a minute.

More: koncrete.com/florida-rapper… ImageImageImageImage
7. Please, someone do a piece on the #MAGAhadeen aesthetic. Forgiato Blow is just the volume-knob-to-11 of the #tacticool look that is all over a certain kind of American's wardrobe right now. ImageImageImageImage
8/ Can someone help me figure out whether Kurt Jantz is actually a @usairforce veteran? ImageImageImage

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More from @jsrailton

John Scott-Railton Profile picture
Jul 8
THE #EU parliament #spyware debate has kicked off, follow along with me.

( triggered by the hacking of a MEP investigating spyware w/Pegasus)

It kicks off as expected with Commissioner @dubravkasuica (Croatia) trying frame the issue as a national one (govs should investigate...not the parliament).

This is likely to be unpopular among MEPs concerned by spyware abuses.

Next up? MEP & spyware victim @KrzysztofBrejza 1/Image
2/ Next: MEP @KrzysztofBrejza, himself a spyware target is clear: mercenary spyware is a risk to democracy & institutions.

I've experienced it myself. Spyware is dangerous when in the hands of the wrong ppl.

A very powerful statement.Image
@krzysztofbrejza 3/ Strong statements by @alexagiussaliba: Every citizen has the right to privacy.

This issue needs to be clearly investigated.

Spyware is incredibly invasive. Image
Read 11 tweets
John Scott-Railton Profile picture
Jul 3
BREAKING: 🇪🇺EU lawmaker investigating spyware abuses was hacked with Pegasus.

Infected during key moments of the PEGA committee.

More proof that it's spyware open season in Europe.. yet nothing is being done 1/

Our @citizenlab forensic investigation: citizenlab.ca/research/membe…Image
Image
2/Your're a MEP on the PEGA committee.

You spend a year hearing bleak testimony from spyware victims.

Journalists..dissidents... politicians. Lives upended by hacking.

They you learn that you're also a victim.

Meet @SteliosKoul.

By @AntoanetaRoussi politico.eu/article/probe-…Image
3/ @SteliosKoul's iPhone was hacked with a Pegasus zero-click attack.

No link to click. No attachment to open.

One minute your phone is private, the next it's a spy in your pocket.

Access to all your files, camera, microphone.

Listening to meetings & your private life.Image
Read 11 tweets
John Scott-Railton Profile picture
Jun 8
BREAKING: NSO Group caught trying to hack across @WhatsApp. Again!

In defiance of 🇺🇸US Courts.

WhatsApp disrupted the Pegasus campaign & says it violates US Federal injunction they won against NSO.

Asks Federal judge to hold NSO Group in contempt.

Many implications... 1/Image
Image
2/ Back in 2019 @WhatsApp sued NSO Group for hacking 1.4k of their users.

NSO tried every possible tactic to dodge the case.

But lost spectacularly in 2024 and got hit with huge damages & later a permanent injunction against hacking WhatsApp.

reuters.com/technology/cyb…Image
@WhatsApp 3/ Despite bruising losses in American court...

And getting 🇺🇸US sanctioned...

NSO chose optimism & has been trying to persuade everybody that they are reformed & should be delisted

I think is the eventual goal = get Pegasus spyware into US policing.
timesofisrael.com/seeking-to-get…Image
Read 8 tweets
John Scott-Railton Profile picture
May 7
It is hard to denounce China's Great Firewall when European politicians are preparing to demand the same thing.

It always starts with a call to protect children.

But it ends with adults needing permission to share their political views.

Embarrassingly short sighted.
2/ Parents want to protect their children, but once you build & implement bones of a system like this, with government developed 'verification' apps you've loaded the gun & pointed it at free expression.

You also suppress innovation.
3/ The funny thing? Every dictatorial regime has struggled to fight VPNs..

So what happens? You wind up with motivated & well-resourced people circumventing your controls...

And a society where everyone simultaneously feels less private & like they should be self-censoring.
Read 5 tweets
John Scott-Railton Profile picture
May 2
PAY ATTENTION: China just figured out a global veto on who gets to speak.

#RightsCon is a massive tech & rights conference.

Thousands attend from everywhere.

It was scheduled for next week in #Zambia with their gov's full cooperation.

Then, 🇨🇳#China made a call. 1/Image
2/ Last Monday, the #Zambian endorsed #RightsCon. Again.

Then, pressure from #China came down hard.

Almost immediately, things went sideways.

Starting at the border...

rightscon.org/rc26-statement/Image
Image
3/ People were already flying in from all over the globe to #Zambia... thousands were to follow.

Suddenly the tone at customs changed.

Customs officials were telling exhausted & puzzled attendees that their conference was cancelled.

Meanwhile? Official silence.

Weird, right?Image
Read 8 tweets
John Scott-Railton Profile picture
Apr 9
BREAKING: You checked the weather this morning.

And you just told a surveillance company where you sleep.

Meet #Webloc, used by ICE, cops & foreign govs to track 500m+ phones.

No warrant required.

Our latest @citizenlab investigation + how to protect yourself 🧵/1Image
Image
2/ Heard of ADINT aka ADvertising INTelligence?

Your apps don't just show ads.

They stream of info about your GPS location + a unique identifier to HUNDREDS OF BROKERS EVERY SECOND.

The industry swears the data is "anonymous" but it's actually a Spies-eye-view. Of everyone.Image
3/ Companies peddle the BS that advertising data is 'anonymous'

They want to keep you in the dark.

Because, behind the scenes...your weather app is a blinking tracking beacon.

And then players like @penlink turn that beacon into a data flow.

And sell it to governments.
Read 15 tweets

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