If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The European Parliament’s primary committees have endorsed a proposal to prohibit anonymous transactions involving cryptocurrencies through self-hosted wallets‚ marking a notable step in the expansion of the European Union’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorist Financing regulations to encompass the digital currency sector and restrict privacy across the board. We obtained a copy of the proposal for you here. These measures significantly impact both cash and cryptocurrency dealings. Under the new guidelines‚ cash transactions exceeding €10‚000 will face limitations‚ while anonymous cash transactions above €3‚000 will be completely banned. In the realm of digital currencies‚ the regulations extend to prohibiting transactions from anonymous wallets‚ irrespective of the platform used – be it mobile‚ desktop‚ or browser. There is a projected timeline of three years for these laws to become fully implemented‚ though some expect swifter implementation. Public opinion on these new AML measures is divided. While some view them as essential steps in curbing financial crimes‚ others express concerns over potential privacy violations and negative impacts on economic activities. This is especially the case since people are now fully aware of incidences of governments going after cryptocurrencies. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act in response to widespread civil liberties protests back in 2022. Furthermore‚ in an unprecedented step‚ the government also moved to seize Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies believed to be used by the protesters. The EU’s move follows a provisional agreement between the European Council and the parliament to extend these laws to the burgeoning crypto market. The post EU Approves Ban on Anonymous Crypto Transactions‚ Limits Cash appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. EU’s next target in the bloc’s self-inflicted “war on disinformation” is – online influencers. The initiative comes with the stated goal to “educate” influencers‚ using regulations‚ about what their responsibilities are in case “harmful” content they share happens to be deemed as having a “potential” adverse impact on their audience. You could hardly get more convoluted in trying to push through rules that are not meant to prevent unlawful behavior – because none is happening – but to‚ regardless‚ steer online narratives in a desired direction. And that’s why you know this is coming from Brussels‚ even if reports had failed to specify. And “from Brussels” is a double entendre‚ since the idea originates from the current‚ 6-month Belgian EU presidency‚ the European Conservative reported. “Harmful content with potential impact” would be the usual collection of poorly or controversially defined disinformation‚ hate speech‚ cyberbullying‚ and the like. What the Belgian presidency is proposing is to spend the bloc’s money on basically “schooling influencers” and developing their “ethical and cognitive skills” (good luck with that)‚ specifically as a way to make them understand how the EU understands disinformation‚ etc. On the one hand‚ the initiative could result in a “cost-cutting” move where influencers get recruited to spread EU policies/politics for free‚ and on the other‚ it might end up in pressuring and censoring those who don’t comply. That said‚ it’s by no means the most asinine among EU’s recent efforts to start focusing regulations – “with potential censorship impact‚” if you will – on influencers‚ given the reach this industry has grown to enjoy. On the contrary‚ the EU looks like it knows what it’s aiming for when it describes influencers as those who can “impact society‚ public opinion or personal views of their audience.” And it would very much like such persons to “align” with its messages. Unlike a French law adopted in 2023 which clearly says that influencers are those who‚ “in exchange for a fee‚ use their reputation to communicate with their audience” – the EU wants to broaden the definition to influencers having “authenticity-based” relationships with their followers. This would allow the EU to attempt to regulate and/or pressure pretty much any successful creator‚ rather than just those who fit in the widely accepted meaning of the term‚ “influencer.” The post How the EU Plans to Regulate Online Influencers Towards “Responsible” Online Speech and Conduct appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The EU is about to start punishing large online platforms for not tackling “election disinformation” to the bloc’s satisfaction. In order to make good on the threat‚ the EU is putting to use its censorship law – the Digital Services Act (DSA). Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton is quoted as saying that platforms like X‚ TikTok‚ Snapchat‚ YouTube and Facebook‚ but also search engines‚ must operate according to the guidelines that are currently being drafted. Reports say that companies behind these platforms and services could be forced to pay fines of up to 6 percent of their global revenue unless they fight “disinformation” related to elections. This figure specifically concerns whatever is designated as AI or deepfakes-based “disinformation.” Tech companies are expected to “take measures and mitigate risks‚” Breton‚ who is DSA’s “enforcer‚” said. The Brussels bureaucrats speak about this as moderation‚ rather than censorship‚ and have decided to consider this year as “pivotal” when it comes to elections. And the EU is in a hurry to start mandating the rules – reports say this could happen in the next few weeks. It will be possible to enforce the guidelines thanks to their inclusion in the DSA‚ and they will come into force as soon as they are adopted. Heaping further pressure on tech companies to censor‚ and regulating them in this way‚ is explained as necessary to prevent things like turnout suppression‚ fake news‚ and‚ of course – and in particular‚ according to EU leaders – Russia’s “malign influence” ahead of elections in the bloc this year. As for how tech companies are supposed to comply‚ one requirement is to create “dedicated teams to scrutinize the risks of online disinformation in 23 different languages‚” the Financial Times is reporting‚ citing two unnamed sources apparently involved in drafting the guidelines. Another anonymous EU official is cited as saying that platforms “need to show” they respect the new regulation – or “explain” that they are taking other actions to “mitigate risks.” And if neither happens‚ the EU will get to punishing them with fines. Another thing these firms will have to “show” is that they are closely cooperating with “cyber security agents” in all of the EU’s 27 member-countries. The post EU To Start Fining Platforms up to 6% of Global Revenue if They Fail To Censor Election “Disinformation” Under New Censorship Law appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

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The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned of disruption to air travel along the path of April 8’s total solar eclipse.According to a statement released by the agency‚ air traffic and airports should prepare for disruption to normal proceedings before‚ during‚ and after the event‚ starting from 10:00 am UTC on April 7 through to 4:00 am UTC on April 10.Though the eclipse itself will only cover the US between around 6:30 pm to 7:40 pm on April 8‚ this extended period is likely because it’s expected that lots of people will be descending upon areas in the eclipse’s path of totality‚ via plane‚ in order to get the rare opportunity of seeing a total solar eclipse. After all‚ the next one in the contiguous US isn’t scheduled to be until 2044.“There may be a higher traffic volume than normal anticipated at airports along the path of the eclipse. Traffic should anticipate delays during peak traffic periods. Parking may be limited – particularly at the smaller‚ uncontrolled airports‚” reads the FAA’s statement‚ with the agency listing over 400 airports that could be affected.It’s not just delays on the roads around airports that could be a problem for people either. The statement also warns that aircraft “should be prepared for potential airborne holding‚ reroutes‚ and/or Expect Departure Clearance Times (EDCTs)”. That’s not just helpful information for pilots – if you’re planning on traveling by air in this area during this timeframe‚ you may well end up delayed.Airports and air traffic aren’t the only ones to have been on the receiving end of a warning about the eclipse. Recent weeks have seen emergency officials put out warnings to residents in the path of totality to stock up on essential supplies‚ including for pets‚ whilst some schools in affected areas have been asked to close.For those heading into the crowds‚ whether by plane or by other means‚ you could be in for a spectacular sight – as long as the weather doesn’t end up being cloudy.“During the 2024 eclipse‚ the Sun will be in or near solar maximum‚ when the magnetic field is more like a tangled hairball. Streamers will likely be visible throughout the corona‚” according to NASA. “In addition to that‚ viewers will have a better chance to see prominences – which appear as bright‚ pink curls or loops coming off the Sun.”“With lucky timing‚ there could even be a chance to see a coronal mass ejection – a large eruption of solar material – during the eclipse.”Sounds pretty great – so don’t forget to pack your eclipse glasses so you can watch in wonder safely.

Gravitational wave detectors on Earth have already revolutionized astronomy and in the next decade‚ we will have LISA‚ the first gravitational observatory in deep space. But there is scope to build a detector in between these two types‚ both in terms of location and frequencies. This can be done by building it on the Moon.The idea for a lunar gravitational wave detector was first proposed during the Apollo program. Now‚ in a new paper‚ scientists explore three options for building gravitational wave observatories on the Moon‚ including turning the Moon itself into a detector. As they note‚ there are plenty of challenges and the technology is not quite there yet but the potential is enormous – as would be the antenna itself. Gravitational wave detectors can measure the tiny distortions of space-time by gravitational waves caused when massive objects move and merge. One of the proposals‚ from senior author Jan Harms of the Gran Sasso Science Institute‚ is the Lunar Gravitational Wave Antenna‚ which aims to use the deformation of the Moon as a gravitational wave passed through it using highly sensitive seismometers. “The gravitational wave would come... from very far away‚ like the early universe. [I]t would come to the Moon and it would cause it to vibrate like a bell‚" Harms told IFLScience. "Then essentially you can put sensors on the surface of the Moon to measure its deformations or vibrations."Another proposal suggests using mirrors and lasers rather than seismometers to measure the smallest deformations‚ while the third doesn’t focus on the Moon as the detector but as an ideal location to build a detector just like the Ligo and Virgo detectors we have on Earth. The laser interferometers LIGO and Virgo use are big L-shaped vacuum tubes through which a laser beam is sent. It should take the light the same amount of time to travel down both tubes. However‚ if a gravitational wave is passing through‚ one will be shorter by an amount less than an atom‚ enough for the detector to confirm the event.To reach such delicate precision‚ the mirrors that reflect the lasers are attached to devices called super attenuators that can reduce the shaking of the planet by a trillion times. The Moon may have moonquakes‚ but it's the most seismically quiet place in the Solar system‚ so the precision would be even higher.                                      To maximize the sensitivity of these devices‚ they also have to be cooled to extreme temperatures. The Moon has some incredibly cold regions‚ like the bottom of craters at the poles where sunlight never reaches. However‚ this is also one of the challenges identified in the research: if placed in craters that are always in darkness‚ how to power a detector? Moon missions are usually powered by solar panels and we saw what happened when that goes wrong with Japan's SLIM lunar lander earlier this year.  Controlling the experiment at a distance will also be an issue unless we are planning many permanent lunar bases. There are also challenges in creating seismometers‚ laser systems‚ and high-quality mechanics that would work to the high precision necessary. So‚ these detectors are not ready now but the team is confident that the challenges can be overcome. It might not be a quick turnaround but it is certainly possible‚ and there is a very compelling scientific case to do so.“This effort to realize detectors is really closing the gap between what we want to do on Earth and what we can do in space. This is going to open an immense science case that we cannot have in any other way‚” Harms told IFLScience.Gravitational wave detectors on the Moon would detect gravitational waves in the deciHertz range instead of the 1 to 100s Hertz range Earth-based ones do. These waves are those produced by the mergers of binary neutron stars months or even years before colliding. It could also help us find more precise locations of massive black hole binaries. Also‚ given that lunar gravitational wave detectors would be long-lived and not start-and-stop experiments‚ they could provide wider searchers for gravitational wave events and help test general relativity even more.The study is published in the journal Philosophical Transactions Of The Royal Society A.

Mimicry is pretty common in the animal kingdom. It might involve species mimicking the coloration of trees to better hide from predators‚ or it can involve species mimicking each other to act as a defense mechanism. In some cases‚ predators mimic the surroundings to better ambush unsuspecting prey items. One new potential example of mimicry in crab spiders‚ where the male and female together resemble a complete flower‚ could be the first cooperative mimicry to be observed.In a tropical rainforest in Xishuangbanna‚ Yunnan Province‚ China‚ researchers saw both a male and female crab spider (Thomisus guangxicus) together. This is not unusual as courtship and breeding behavior takes many days between male and female crab spiders. However‚ the combination of the male spider on the back of the female spider made the researchers question whether this was an example of cooperative mimicry.“We think they are together because of the courtship behavior‚ but as we observe‚ the behavior lasts for several days. According to previous studies‚ female crab spiders tend to eat males during or after mating‚ and so far‚ the most reasonable explanation is the female hunger hypothesis‚” Shi-Mao Wu‚ co-author of the study‚ told IFLScience.The larger white female species seems to mimic the fused petals of the flowers of the native Hoya pandurata plant‚ a type of milkweed. Meanwhile‚ the male perched on top appears to resemble the flowers’s pistils and stamens. The team say that the complex flowers are only truly mimicked when both male and female appear together. “There is no doubt that the two spiders are perfectly integrated into the environment‚ so we suspect that they can more easily avoid natural enemies‚ especially predation‚ during this long mating process‚ which may improve male survival‚” continued Wu. The team think this could be the first case of cooperative mimicry in the world‚ according to New Scientist. These spiders may mimic flowers both to avoid predation by birds‚ but also to ambush prey themselves. Some species of crab spiders can even change color to better match their surroundings. Crab spiders in the genus Thomisus are known for their incredible mimicry and ambush skills.Image Credit: JossK/Shutterstock.com“Our preliminary observations do not find them together on other plants‚ but we do not rule out this possibility. We conjecture that their mating on the flowers of this species is more advantageous due to their cooperative mimicry‚” finished Wu. The paper is published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.

Dogs have an innate ability to recognize nouns‚ forming mental representations of the objects they hear referenced with words. And while our furry friends may have kept this remarkable power hidden up to now by generally refusing to fetch items on demand‚ a new study on canine brain activity has given them away.Until now‚ most research into dogs’ linguistic skills had tested their ability to retrieve specific objects‚ with disappointing performances making it difficult to assess the extent to which pooches recognize reference words. To gain a deeper understanding‚ the authors of the new study used non-invasive electroencephalography (EEG) to measure the animals’ brain activity when hearing nouns from their learned vocabulary.The researchers had 18 dog owners call out the words for toys that their pets knew by name‚ before holding up either said item or a mismatched object. Observing the dogs’ EEG readings‚ the study authors noted that this brain activity differed depending on whether the displayed toy matched the recited word or not.For instance‚ when the dogs were presented with a mismatch‚ their brains reacted by producing a signal resembling what’s known as the “N400 effect” in humans. This particular brain response generally arises when we hear or read words that don’t line up with our expectations and is seen as “a well-established neural correlate of semantic processing‚" the authors write.   In a statement‚ study author Marianna Boros explained that the presence of this signal in the dogs’ ECG readings indicates that “they activate a memory of an object when they hear its name.”“Your dog understands more than he or she shows signs of‚” added co-author Lilla Magyari. “Dogs are not merely learning a specific behavior to certain words‚ but they might actually understand the meaning of some individual words as humans do.”The strength of this effect was generally stronger for words that dogs were more familiar with‚ thus supporting the conclusion that the animals really do understand nouns. Furthermore‚ the researchers found that this ability is not dependent on the size of a dog’s vocabulary‚ indicating that semantic processing is inherent to the species and doesn’t arise as a product of extensive training.“It doesn’t matter how many object words a dog understands - known words activate mental representations anyway‚ suggesting that this ability is generally present in dogs and not just in some exceptional individuals who know the names of many objects‚” said Boros.Despite the advanced linguistic skills illustrated by the dogs’ brain activity patterns‚ the study authors explain that the animals probably don’t process words in the same way as human adults‚ or even babies. For instance‚ they write that “when learning the meaning of a word‚ infants grasp that words refer to categories‚ not individual objects.” In contrast‚ the dogs involved in this research displayed “one-to-one mapping of object names to individual objects‚ but not mapping to categories.”Nonetheless‚ they say that the ability to understand words for specific items “assumes that dogs have to evoke the mental representation of the object upon hearing its name and thus link the two in a referential manner.”The study is published in the journal Current Biology.