Reuters
Investigative technology reporter for Reuters; former technology correspondent for Financial Times; former staff writer at the Los Angeles Times; author of All the Rave: The Rise and Fall of Shawn Fanning’s Napster and Fatal System Error: The Hunt for the New Crime Lords Who Are Bringing Down the Internet
Countering Extremism: Social Media and Surveillance in California Mass shootings in Paris, Colorado Springs and San Bernardino have generated more pressure than ever on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. They're being asked to monitor messages worldwide, alert federal officials and take threats and hate-speech off line — without becoming agents of government or ideological censors. At the local level, the LAPD and county sheriffs rely on community partnerships to find out when ideas might turn into violent action — at the risk of religious profiling that's illegal and counter-productive. We look at challenges that can't be avoided.
Cost of Cybercrime A Romanian court has sentenced the hacker known as “Guccifer” to four years in jail. He’s the guy who hacked into George W. Bush’s personal email account and posted the former president’s paintings on the internet. Meanwhile, a new study says that cybercrime could be costing the global economy $400 billion. And another group claims that a Chinese military unit has been attacking Western government agencies and defense contractors.
Day Three of the Government Shutdown On Day Three of the government shutdown, moderate Republicans are showing signs of anger at Tea-Party colleagues who are adamant about using the government shutdown to accomplish their goals. We’ll hear where they come from and what they want.
Online Black Market ‘Silk Road’ Shut Down On the Silk Road website, drugs, hackers and hit men were available on sale to anonymous buyers for more than two years. Now the FBI has busted what it claims is the mastermind. The FBI says the Silk Road is the “most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet today.” We’ll hear about the alleged mastermind, arrested in San Francisco.
Are 'Dark Networks' a Threat or a Haven Online? Revelations about the government’s electronic surveillance have raised alarms about privacy. Today's Wall Street Journal reports that the National Security Agency’s capacity is even broader than has reported before—enabling it to reach " roughly 75% of all US Internet traffic ."Is there any way to use the Internet secretly? Yes, there is. It's the Darknet, available through software that allows anonymous browsing—and, increasingly—provides opportunities for organized crime. On Silk Road, for example, customers can find LSD, cocaine and heroin as if they were shopping on Amazon — anonymously. Why hasn't the government cracked down? Are there legitimate reasons for Internet users to conceal their identities?
China and Cyberwarfare: Public and Private China's daily assault on US computers has resulted in "the greatest transfer of wealth in history." Not to mention military secrets and systems controlling gas pipelines. That's according to General Keith Alexander, who heads the US Cyber Command and the National Security Agency. China's widespread computer hacking includes corporate espionage, but the government denies the charge. In response, it brings up reports that the US disabled Iran's nuclear program with the infamous Stuxnet virus. Still, it has agreed to ease tensions with a regular schedule of bilateral meetings. The subject is also on the agenda for Friday's summit in Rancho Mirage, California, between President Obama and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.
Senate Panel Grills Apple and Google on Privacy Last month, two British researchers revealed that Apple's iPhones and 3G iPads both track and store the locations of users. Google software does the same thing. That led to concerns about the protection of privacy, and an over-crowded hearing today on Capitol Hill. Joseph Menn is technology correspondent for the Financial Times and the author of Fatal System Error : The Hunt for the New Crime Lords Who Are Bringing Down the Internet.
Cyber Security and Internet Freedom This has been the biggest year ever for cyber crime, from Stuxnet, the worm that was deployed to disrupt Iran's nuclear program, to China's attack on Google. Now defenders of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks have launched "Denial of Service" attacks on Visa, MasterCard, PayPal and Amazon. Institutions, including governments, are on the defensive and they're trying to beef up cyber security. But how does cyber crime happen? Is it all technology, or is the human element just as important? Will cyber security mean suppressing free speech?
BlackBerry Smart Phones and the Clash of Cultures Facebook was banned in Pakistan; Google moved from China to Hong Kong. Now BlackBerry smart phones may be kicked out of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Manufacturer Research in Motion encrypts BlackBerry e-mails from its base of operations in Canada, but the UAE wants software modifications to help it intercept communication. Joseph Menn is technology correspondent for the Financial Times .
Apple Does It Again, but Does the iPad Live Up to Its Hype? Apple's new iPad blew out of stores on Saturday. Some 300,000 of them went home with consumers according to Apple. Now that reviewers have gotten their hands on them, what's the consensus? Is the iPad just a hip accessory for the technologically hip or is it set to change the way we use computers? How much does the its success depend on the development of its killer apps , those gaming and social networking applications? The publishing world has jumped on the bandwagon, offering up newspapers, magazines and books for sale on the new device. How will the iPad affect print media?
Apple Does It Again, but Does the iPad Live Up to Its Hype? Apple's new iPad blew out of stores on Saturday. Some 300,000 of them went home with consumers according to Apple. Now that reviewers have gotten their hands on them, what's the consensus? Is the iPad just a hip accessory for the technologically hip or is it set to change the way we use computers? How much does the its success depend on the development of its killer apps , those gaming and social networking applications? The publishing world has jumped on the bandwagon, offering up newspapers, magazines and books for sale on the new device. How will the iPad affect print media?
More Information Implicating China in Attacks on Google Computers used to hack into Google and as many as 30 other American companies have been located at two schools in China, both with military connections. Now it's reported that US analysts have identified the author of critical programming. Who is he? What's the role of the Chinese government? Joseph Menn reports from San Francisco for the Financial Times .
The Latest on the Writers' Strike TV's late-night talk shows are going back on the air with and without writers who are still out on strike against the major producers. We update the strike and hear about alternative ways of producing and distributing entertainment.
Rupert Murdoch and the Wall Street Journal Will the Wall Street Journal fall into the hands of a " power-mad, rapacious right-wing vulgarian? " That's how The Atlantic magazine says many people view Rupert Murdoch , whose bid for Dow Jones , including the Wall Street Journal, was a shot heard around the worlds of American business, international finance and journalism. After what Murdoch's done with Fox News , the New York Post and other properties, at least some conservatives are rubbing their hands. The Journal's own reporters are among those pleading with other billionaires to make a competing offer. What does Murdoch want? What would his takeover mean for coverage of corporate America and stories like the rising power of China?
Left, Right & Center Live: Decisions, Decisions A special live broadcast of Left, Right & Center from INFORUM at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco
Are state-mandated gender quotas legal? California becomes the first state to impose gender quotas on corporate boards, but will the new law make it through legal review? It’s a close race for the 25th Congressional seat in Ventura County, as Democrats try to flip the district from red to blue. A wine from the Central Coast plays a lead role in “Somm 3,” and artists debut performances inspired by the Thomas Fire and subsequent mudslides.
The Future of the Supreme Court With all eyes on Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, red and blue state voters are taking the long view.
The Asian American voter in OC In Orange County the population is changing. While the numbers of most ethnic groups have grown slowly over the past 10 years, the number of Asian Americans is up 41 percent since 2010. And don't think the politicos haven't noticed. What kind of impact will Asian American voters have on Orange County's representation in Congress? Will they help keep the county Republican, or could they turn Orange County blue?