Share this page!

Enter Twitter Thread URL to Unroll

Needs to be the full URL like: https://twitter.com/threadreaderapp/status/1644127596119195649

How to get URL link on Twitter App

  1. On the Twitter thread, click on or icon on the bottom
  2. Click again on or Share Via icon
  3. Click on Copy Link to Tweet
  4. Paste it above and click "Unroll Thread"!
  5. More info at Twitter Help
John Scott-Railton Profile picture
@jsrailton
May 24 • 4 tweets • 5 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
What in the Half Baked is going on?

A Low-budget Hollywood producer w/ties to #China is now co-director of the entity that holds #NSO Group.

Robert Simonds has no history with #spyware, but a bunch of Adam Sandler producer credits. 1/

By @omerka
calcalistech.com/ctechnews/arti… ImageImageImageImage
2/ Here's Robert Simonds on why🇨🇳#China's @TencentGlobal is a great owner of his @STXfilms.

Why is a Hollywood producer w/a history of biz messes & a #MeToo scandal mixed up with the 🇺🇸US sanctioned notorious #Pegasus spyware maker?

3/ Robert Simonds' sudden involvement with an entity identified by the US Government as posing a counterintelligence & national security threat... screams for federal & congressional scrutiny.

Also, where did the funds come from for his #Pegsus / #NSO Group deal? ImageImage
4/ A longtime @AdamSandler producer getting involved in the worlds most notorious spyware company is a great plot line.

Would totally watch it.

I just want to know who is providing financial backing. Image

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with John Scott-Railton

John Scott-Railton Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @jsrailton

John Scott-Railton Profile picture
May 26
Countdown Florida trying to pass a law absolving Neuralink of responsibility for sudden death. Image
Brain interfaces like #Neuralink = fascinating.

What scares me is that Musk does hype.

Fads.

At the expense of safety, accountability, long-termism, and responsibility.

But the brain is an unforgiving bit of tissue where messups are irreversible.
Brain implants make you beholden to their manufacturer & maintainer.

Evidence shows: when people depend on Musk...he doesn't always treat them well.

Entertain for a moment the scenario of a desperate person worried they will displease him by speaking out & be disconnected.
Read 9 tweets
John Scott-Railton Profile picture
May 25
Yeah @expressvpn just made it up.

The VPN industry keeps pumping out security misinformation to drive business.

Regulatory scrutiny needed.👇
Journalists & dissidents are regularly targeted by dictators wielding #Predator spyware.

Some are at physical risk.

When @expressvpn spreads SEO-optimized falsehoods to drive sales, they actually make it harder for these people to find the right information.

Reprehensible.
The VPN industry has tricked people into believing that VPNs are like a magic security talisman.

Spoiler: you can still get hacked, phished and generally messed with if you have a VPN.

This torrent of marketing drives people away from security advice that works.
Read 7 tweets
John Scott-Railton Profile picture
May 24
Killer whales are hunting & sinking ships near Spain.

And may be teaching others how.

Some researchers speculate it may be a new whale fad.

The Orca equivalent of a TikTok challenge.

@sipappas
scientificamerican.com/article/why-ha… ImageImageImageImage
"two juvenile killer whales went after the rudder while an adult repeatedly rammed the boat... The attack lasted 90 minutes"

They know what they are doing.

Pics of aftermath. You can see an emergency pump running.

Source:
yacht.de/special/seenot… ImageImageImageImage
"Since you wouldn't protect us, we're taking taking matters into our own flippers"

- Killer Whales
Read 11 tweets
John Scott-Railton Profile picture
May 23
Trump had Murdoch.

DeSantis has Musk.

Once more, a rich media owner will try to sway an American election. Image
Hard not to read this as: Musk wants a compliant American president who will let him do *whatever he wants*

businessinsider.com/florida-bill-p…
Meanwhile, DeSantis set himself up to hide his future & past travel from scrutiny.

Reflect on this.

But that's not all..

@fineout
politico.com/news/2023/05/0… Image
Read 7 tweets
John Scott-Railton Profile picture
May 23
Good to see some movement from Germany.

However, the @bka doing business with #NSO Group is embarrassing.

German inertia is an avoidable lead weight on European regulatory efforts & ability to lead on the spyware crisis.

cc @GermanyDiplo & #BKA Präsident Holger Münch
Europe has a mercenary spyware crisis.

And #Germany @GermanyDiplohas has the opportunity to lead & participate in multilateral efforts.

Choosing instead to help keep notorious #spyware companies afloat is... puzzling.

#Überwachungssoftware. .
whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/… Image
Policymaking around commercial #spyware tends to be captured by security establishments.

Understandable.

Yet many countries have grown to recognize the harms to other sectors... and their governments' own security.

Something of which #Germany & @Bundeskanzler is acutely aware.
Read 4 tweets
John Scott-Railton Profile picture
May 22
This morning blue check accounts accounts claimed large explosions at the Pentagon.

... then the White House.

Russian state media amplified the faked Pentagon image from their gold check account.

The images look AI generated, as folks identified. 1/ ImageImageImage
2/ The images, when you zoom in, are literally *all wrong* and it didn't take sharp eyed observers to notice obvious inconsistencies.

3/ Exactly as we have all warned, one of the blue check accounts was designed to impersonate Bloomberg, the news agency.
Read 14 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!

Send Email!

:(