News of the Cyber World

[kyonides]

X/Twitter Reverses Bans of British Activists Katie Hopkins and Tommy Robinson

“Thank you Elon Musk. and thank you to all the Twitter family who have brought Tommy & I back to X,” said Hopkins, who was permanently banned from the platform in 2020, when the company was still led by former CEO and free speech failure Jack Dorsey.
...
Facebook banned Robinson across multiple social media platforms following pressure from Hope not Hate, as well as British members of parliament.

The bans occurred amid pressure from the British government (currently run by the so-called “conservative” party) on social media platforms to do more to combat “hate.” The British digital minister Margot James MP said today that she wants “world-leading tech regulation” for Britain, including massive fines against platforms like Facebook that don’t promptly remove alleged “hate speech.”

The list of populist and right-wing figures banned from Facebook in the wake of Panodrama’s release include Tommy Robinson, the populist news site Politicalite and its editor Jordan James, and UK Independence Party (UKIP) candidate McGuigan, as well as prominent party members Reece Coombes, Darrell Goodliffe, Damien Heads, and Richard Inman.
...
Hopkins previously faced a temporary suspension from the social media platform following pressure on Twitter from the Center for Countering Digital Hate, the same far-left British organization that assisted NBC’s recent hitpiece against The Federalist and ZeroHedge, which resulted in Google pulling ad revenue from the latter and threatening the former with the same.

Apple Pays $25 Million to Settle Claims It Discriminated Against Americans in Favor of Hiring Foreign Workers

Engadget reports that Apple has settled claims brought by the DOJ, agreeing to pay $25 million over allegations of discriminating against U.S. citizens and permanent residents during its hiring process. This case is particularly noteworthy as it is the largest settlement the DOJ has obtained under the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act, but even taking that into consideration, it is less than a drop in the bucket for Apple, which enjoyed profits of about $100 billion in 2022.

The dispute centered around the Permanent Labor Certification Program (PERM), a federal program that allows U.S. employers to sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency. Under this program, employers are required to ensure open advertisement of job positions to all potential applicants, irrespective of citizenship status.

However, Apple was accused of failing to meet these requirements. The company did not list PERM positions on its recruitment website and made the application process more challenging for these roles by requiring paper applications, a step not required for other non-PERM positions. This led to a significant reduction in applications from U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

As part of the settlement, Apple will pay $6.75 million in civil penalties and create an $18.25 million fund to compensate victims of this discrimination. Apple’s response acknowledged the oversight and the company’s supposed commitment to compliance with government requirements and to continuing its significant employment in the U.S.

Australian Ports Impacted by ‘Significant Cyber Security Incident’

Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said on social media platform X the government was coordinating a response to the incident and that authorities were working with DP World Australia “to understand the impacts”.

O’Neil said the national crisis management framework employed during the Covid-19 pandemic was being used in response to the incident.

DP World Australia did not respond immediately to a request for comment from AFP.

National Cyber Security Coordinator Darren Goldie said on X, formerly Twitter, that the “interruption is likely to continue for a number of days and will impact the movement of goods into and out of the country”.

“DP World Australia has advised it has restricted access to its Australian port operations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Fremantle while it investigates the incident,” he said.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre, which leads the government’s digital security responses, was advising the port operator and “providing technical advice and assistance”, he said.

The National Emergency Management Agency and National Coordination Mechanism, which streamlines a crisis response, will meet together on Sunday, Goldie said, adding that federal police have launched an investigation.
...
Cybersecurity experts have said inadequate safeguards and the stockpiling of sensitive customer information have made Australia a lucrative target in the eyes of hackers.

Medibank, Australia’s largest private health insurer, said in November 2022 that hackers had accessed the data of 9.7 million current and former customers, including medical records related to drug abuse and pregnancy terminations.

Just two months earlier, telecom company Optus fell prey to a data breach of similar scale in which the personal details of up to 9.8 million people were accessed.

‘100% Electric’ Google Bus Loses Power, Smashes into Multiple Cars on San Francisco Street

SFist reports that an electric Google commuter bus lost power in San Francisco, barreling into several parked cars near the intersection of Castro Street and 20th Street. Eyewitnesses took to social media to document the aftermath of the incident, which saw at least four vehicles sustaining major damage.

The incident unfolded around 8:45 a.m. on Monday, as the Google bus reportedly lost power while navigating the steep incline of Castro street’s hill, causing it to roll backward and collide with the cars. A video posted online showed the startling aftermath, with one local resident recounting, “A Google bus lost its power while going up the hill and rolled back, hitting 9 cars this morning outside of my place.”

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) confirmed the incident, which affected the 24 bus line service through the neighborhood. Despite the chaos, service was restored to full operation by the afternoon.

The accident not only caused physical damage but also left one individual with injuries severe enough to require hospitalization.