🤖 Algorithmic control, Russian deepfakes, Crypto vigilante's mission
Good morning. It’s Thursday, October 24. Today we are covering:
Algorithms shift power in the workplace and create occupational hazards
American creating deepfakes targeting Harris works with Russian intel, documents show
Meet ZachXBT, the Masked Vigilante Tracking Down Billions in Crypto Scams and Thefts
iOS 18.2 adds support for web apps with custom browser engine
Fortinet warns of new critical FortiManager flaw used in zero-day attacks
Let’s dive in
Algorithms shift power in the workplace and create occupational hazards
By Gerard Rinse Oosterwijk via Euractiv
Algorithmic Management (AM) is reshaping European workplaces, affecting two-thirds of workers by increasing stress, workloads, and job insecurity while reducing autonomy, especially in sectors like warehousing and telemarketing.
Worker co-determination and extending the Platform Work Directive to all workers are proposed as solutions to mitigate negative impacts, alongside stronger enforcement of data rights and transparency in automated decision-making.
The AI Act classifies workplaces as high-risk environments, and there is a push for stricter occupational health and safety regulations to address the hazards posed by AM tools.
𝕏: Algorithmic Management reshapes workplaces. As @FEPS_Europe we found 76% of workers already experience AM, leading to less autonomy, higher workload, stress & insecurity. Solutions can be co-determination & extending rules Platform Work Directive. - Gerard Oosterwijk (@gerardoosterwyk)
American creating deepfakes targeting Harris works with Russian intel, documents show
By Catherine Belton via The Washington Post
John Mark Dougan, a former U.S. sheriff turned Kremlin propagandist, has been working with Russian military intelligence (GRU) to create deepfakes and misinformation targeting Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign, according to Russian documents obtained by European intelligence.
Dougan’s network, supported by GRU funding, has been responsible for viral disinformation targeting U.S. voters, including a recent fake video about Democratic nominee Tim Walz that garnered nearly 5 million views in less than 24 hours.
The documents reveal Dougan's close ties to GRU agents and Russian far-right ideologue Alexander Dugin, as well as his efforts to build a new AI-powered server to increase the reach of his misinformation campaigns.
𝕏: BBC Verify has extensively reported on an AI-powered influence operation run by Moscow-based former Florida cop John Mark Dougan. Now @washingtonpost says it's seen documents that show Dougan has been directly working with Russian military intelligence. - Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86)
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Meet ZachXBT, the Masked Vigilante Tracking Down Billions in Crypto Scams and Thefts
By Andy Greenberg via WIRED
ZachXBT, an anonymous crypto vigilante, tracked down a $243 million Bitcoin theft, identifying three suspects and helping to recover part of the stolen funds.
Over three years, ZachXBT has led investigations into billions of dollars in crypto scams and thefts, directly aiding in recovering more than $210 million for victims.
Funded largely by crypto donations, ZachXBT's work has resulted in significant arrests and seizures, with law enforcement increasingly relying on his findings to pursue criminal cases.
𝕏: Since 2021, crypto sleuth @zachxbt has helped recover nearly half a billion $ for scam/theft victims. Last month he cracked a $243m heist, the biggest ever to target a single person. - Andy Greenberg (@agreenberg at the other places) (@a_greenberg)
iOS 18.2 adds support for web apps with custom browser engine
By Filipe Espósito via 9to5Mac
iOS 18.2 allows third-party browsers in the EU to add web apps to the iPhone Home Screen using their own custom engines, moving away from reliance on Safari’s WebKit.
This feature is currently limited to EU browsers, while the rest of the world still requires web apps to run on Apple’s WebKit.
iOS 18.2 also introduces Apple Intelligence Writing Tools for developers and features like Image Playground, Genmoji, and ChatGPT integration for supported devices.
𝕏: great improvement from Apple in iOS 18.2 here. You can select default messaging and phone apps now, in a new Default Apps section - Tom Warren (@tomwarren)
Fortinet warns of new critical FortiManager flaw used in zero-day attacks
By Lawrence Abrams via BleepingComputer
Fortinet disclosed a critical FortiManager API vulnerability (CVE-2024-47575), exploited in zero-day attacks to steal sensitive data such as configurations, IP addresses, and credentials for managed devices.
The flaw, rated 9.8/10 in severity, allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by bypassing authentication, impacting multiple FortiManager and FortiManager Cloud versions.
Fortinet has released mitigation steps and patches, though users have expressed frustration over the private disclosure and lack of transparency regarding the vulnerability's impact.
𝕏: FortiGate admins report active exploitation 0-day. Vendor isn’t talking. - Nicolas Krassas (@Dinosn)
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