John Scott-Railton Profile picture
Apr 16 7 tweets 6 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
BREAKING: mercenary #spyware developer #QuaDream is closing on heels last week's @citizenlab report.

Per Israeli media just now. 1/

By @omerka & @meirorbach
Story:calcalist.co.il/calcalistech/a… Image
2/ The sudden closure of #QuaDream follows hard times for the Israeli #spyware company, with our report being described as the "nail in the coffin."

[text = machine translated from Hebrew]        The immediate backgr...
3/ Thing about spyware companies: key threat also the people & the IP.

Like arms dealers they may try to rebrand elsewhere.

But we at @citizenlab have the ability to spot their tech & will endeavor to track it wherever it pops up.

And make sure that accountability follows.
4/ As long as certain jurisdictions remain permissive for #spyware #proliferation, the problem isn't going away.

That includes EU countries (looking at you #Cyprus, #Bulgaria, #Macedonia...).
5/ What does #QuaDream closing mean re: recent US actions on #spyware proliferation?

I think QuaDream would have been covered & banned from selling to US after abuse finds.

But worth pondering how @POTUS' Executive Order can follow bad tech & people under new corp identities.
6/ Another currently unsolved problem: how to make sure the best talent doesn't keep going to reckless & dangerous mercenary #spyware companies.👇
7/ Update: Reporting in English on the #QuaDream closure.👇

By @omerbenj

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More from @jsrailton

Apr 17
NEW: 40 officers of China's national police charged for schemes to harass US Residents critical of 🇨🇳#China.

Fake accounts & insiders at a US company...

It's clear: the US is a massive target for #transnatinoalrepression by autocracies.

h/t @RonDeibert
justice.gov/opa/pr/40-offi… Two criminal complaints fil... SHARE JUSTICE NEWS Departm...ImageImage
2/ Great that @TheJusticeDept @EDNYnews are leaning into transnational #repression pointed at dissent in the US.

Which includes recruiting useful & sometimes-unwitting US persons.

#China is the juggernaut in this space, but so many autocrats are now running same playbook. Image
3/ It's also good to see the insider problem at US companies continues to be a focus.

Whether it's #SaudiArabia with #Twitter (speaking of countries that run big online harassment operations targeting dissidents including in the US...) or #China with #Zoom.
Read 4 tweets
Apr 17
Want a window into Twitter's totally unsolved bot problem?

Search for "as an AI language model"

h/t @lcamtuf ImageImageImageImage
Using the "as an AI language model" search term it takes moments to spot repeat themes.

Hate speech.
Nationalism.
Religion.
Sexual content.
Efforts to artificially boost specific topics.
The wave of "as an AI language model" accounts are stupidly unsophisticated.

But legion.

So ask yourself: how likely is it that #Twitter is catching the more sophisticated entities doing AI based replies & content?

And manipulating the conversation. Image
Read 6 tweets
Apr 16
Hearing I'm not showing up in #Twitter searches.

After meditating on how much I've criticized the new owner, I did some experiments.

Like searching for my name in Twitter web w/out logging in.

Only impersonators show up... 1/ Image
2/ Friends, help me figure out out what's going on.

And whether Twitter is mucking with my account.

Search for me & share what you find in a reply.

Because right now it sure looks like #Twitter has decided to hide my account & tweets from results. Image
3/ I can think of several explanations for why *many people that search for me* on #Twitter don't see my account.

None of them say good things about the platform.

So, how would one even go about getting an answer?

Well here's the thing...
Read 5 tweets
Mar 31
Yesterday was busy, but this caught my attention:

@SecMayorkas announced that @CISAgov will be developing a community protection program for orgs in the US that are targeted for digital repression by autocrats overseas.

Happy to see it.

This has been a huge gap. 1/
2/ So many human rights groups & others seek safety in the US from autocratic repression.

Yet tech has helped autocrats extend their reach across borders & export fear in to the US.

Meanwhile, these groups are chronically under resourced.

Defending themselves is hard.
3/ Even well-resourced companies have trouble when targeted with sophisticated hackers.

Think of how much harder it is for orgs that don't even have someone to fix the printer.

However bad you think the problem is... it's worse.

And borders no longer confer digital protection.
Read 5 tweets
Mar 31
I had a candid conversation about commercial #spyware proliferation. And transparency.

With @ODNIgov director Avril Haines, DHS @SecMayorkas & @Youtube CEO @nealmohan

Moderated by @MarietjeSchaake at the #SummitForDemocracy

Full: youtube.com/live/gN6lJI4Ef…
2/ For a decade civil society sounded the alarm about commercial #spyware.

Great to see @POTUS' Spyware EO & yesterday's joint statement from 11 govs.

I think it's big progress!

But we're also not going to refrain from telling uncomfortable facts & calling for transparency.
3/ DHS @SecMayorkas asks me question of his own: impact putting NSO on the Entity List.

I was surprised by it's outsize impact.

Now that we know new bad players, we wonder: who gets listed next?

I also note Rep @jahimes questions about further actions that can be taken.
Read 5 tweets
Mar 30
NEW: 11 countries ink joint statement on countering commercial #spyware proliferation & abuse.

Cite "fundamental" national security & foreign policy interest 1/

🇦🇺#Australia 🇨🇦#Canada 🇨🇷#CostaRica 🇩🇰#Denmark 🇫🇷#France 🇳🇿#NewZealand 🇳🇴#Norway 🇸🇪#Sweden 🇨🇭#Switzerland 🇬🇧#UK 🇺🇸#US We, the governments of Aust...The misuse of these tools p...To advance these interests,...engaging additional partner...
2/ I'd say the joint statement on commercial #spyware is unprecedented.

A few years ago spyware like #Pegasus was was treated as a human rights issue.

But the dizzying speed of proliferation made big problems for governments, forcing them to prepare positions & action.
3/ The statement's commitment guardrails for accountable domestic #spyware use is important.

But devil will be in the implementations. Civil society will be watching.

(Note: issue wasn't covered in White House Spyware Executive Order on Monday, so nice to see USA commit here) Image
Read 9 tweets

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