When US police chiefs shot dead a 32-year-old Black man named Winston Boogie Smith Jr in a Minneapolis garage on June 3, 2021, the city was plunged into a safety crisis. face. George Floyd was murdered by a member of the police force the previous May. As protests broke out across the city, the police couldn’t keep up.
Into the void steps in the footsteps of private security groups, hired primarily to prevent damage to property. But organizations often end up managing protest activity – a task typically reserved for the police and one for which most private security guards have no training.
According to documents obtained by MIT Technology Review, during the protests following Smith’s death, several private organizations provided security in and around the garage where the murder took place. One company, the Conflict Resolution Group (CRG), regularly provides Minneapolis police with information about activists that is sometimes untrue and deeply politicized. Read full story.
—Tate Ryan-Mosley and Sam Richards
Cross-border digital repression is on the rise
Around the world, activists have fled authoritarian countries for their safety. But in their new homes, the threat continues, albeit in the digital realm, through phishing attacks, zero-click spyware hacks, social media takedowns. , SIM card hacks and fake conference invitations.
While physical threats against activists tend to make headlines, digital harassment, which can be accomplished with the click of a mouse button, frequently occurs behind the scenes. — and seems to be on the rise. Read full story.
—David Silverberg
Things to read
I scoured the internet to find you today’s most interesting/important/scary/fascinating stories about tech.
1 Elon Musk is desperately trying to back out of buying Twitter
But the terms of the deal mean it won’t be easy for him to walk away. (WP $)
+ Twitter is said to be ‘ready to go to war’ for the deal to happen. (FT $)
+ Musk himself seems to be quite stuck on its closure, at this stage. (Slate)
+ He will be speaking at the Sun Valley retreat for Silicon Valley elites tomorrow. (Bloomberg $)
+ For its part, Twitter says it removes a million spam accounts every day. (Reuters)
2 License plate readers make it difficult to get an abortion if you don’t have experience
Even if you take an Uber, rent a car or take a bus. (Wired $)
+ Subpoenas for abortion data can be extremely messy, extremely fast. (Bloomberg $)
+ Anti-abortion activists are gathering the data they need to prosecute post-Roe. (MIT Technology Review)
3 The James Webb Space Telescope is ready to send its first images next week
Prepare to dazzle. (IEEE spectrum)
+ NASA criticized Russian cosmonauts posing with anti-Ukrainian flags. (The Verge)
4 Charging an electric car at home is a luxury
And it is one that not everyone can afford. (Inverse)
+ The US has only 6,000 fast charging stations for electric vehicles. (MIT Technology Review)
5 How Chinese influencers make millions from racist videos in Africa
Reflects the scale of demand for this incredible type of content. (The rest of the world)
6 Netflix tech employee complaints are falling on deaf ears
The streaming giant used to have a reputation for being receptive to employee feedback. No more. (The Verge)
+ Showrunners are also hiding the future of their shows. (Vulture $)
7 One way to get a new job: talk about being fired on social media
Create the perfect article, then wait for the recruiter to arrive. (WSJ $)
8 NFT startups are hiring managers to promote positive emotions
Crisis? What crisis?! (Guardians)
+ Crypto banks are all cashless. (NY Mag $)
+ A former manager has accused crypto lender C of running a Ponzi scheme. (Reuters)
