If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Worldcoin‚ the eye-ball scanning protocol co-founded by Sam Altman‚ is cracking open a wider integration network by adding support for platforms such as Minecraft‚ Reddit‚ Telegram‚ Shopify‚ and Mercado Libre to its World ID offering. This comes on the back of the cohesive upgrades it has already sealed with Discord‚ Talent Protocol‚ and Okta’s Auth0. Digital ID systems‚ like the one used by WorldCoin‚ raise significant privacy concerns due to the sensitive nature of the biometric data they collect and store. The other issue is that identity becomes immutable. Consider a scenario where your digital identity becomes inaccessible‚ perhaps due to regulatory action or technical issues. In conventional financial systems‚ including traditional cash and most cryptocurrencies‚ you can simply create a new wallet and start over. However‚ with systems tied to unique biometric identifiers‚ such as iris scans‚ you can’t easily replace your identity. Unlike a plot from a science fiction movie‚ obtaining a new iris scan is not a feasible option. Worldcoin was unleashed on the world approximately four months ago and recently revved up its protocol to reach World ID 2.0. The company underlines that this upgrade simplifies the task of distinguishing between bots and “verified” humans in the digital world. As explained by Tiago Sada‚ the head of product for Tools for Humanity and a prime mover in the Worldcoin project‚ to TechCrunch‚ Reddit moderators can now employ these fresh integrations to assign unique permissions to users of the World ID. The article frames a possible benefit of this digital ID system as fighting spam. Furthermore‚ Shopify merchants could leverage World ID for anti-fraud measures or fleeting promotions. Accentuating the bespoke potential of their platform‚ Sada conveys‚ “This is not just about the first wave of applications‚ but a new developer platform where developers can build.” He expresses his enthusiasm for the innovative solutions the developer community will bring. World ID‚ involves creating a profile and proving identity through an iris scan. The highest level security‚ christened as “World ID Orb+”‚ involves facial recognition security in addition to the previous steps. However‚ Sada confirms that the system is not infallible. Users can generate more than one World ID across multiple devices until they opt for an Orb scan‚ which limits them to a single ID. Despite the limitations‚ Sada believes the system can help curb misuse of various platforms‚ such as manipulative voting or maintaining multiple fraudulent accounts. Worldcoin is broadening its presence in Mexico and Singapore‚ with plans to increase its footprint in Asian countries. However‚ it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the project. The Kenyan government‚ citing privacy concerns‚ has banned Worldcoin from scanning their citizens’ eyes. The post Eye-Ball Scanning Digital ID Company Worldcoin Integrates With Reddit‚ Telegram‚ and More appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. During a hearing titled “Censorship Laundering Part II: Preventing the Department of Homeland Security’s Silencing of Dissent” this week‚ Democrats once again denied or downplayed the large amounts of evidence showing that the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) had pressured Big Tech to censor. Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) opened the hearing by providing an overview of some of the most egregious examples of government agencies pressuring Big Tech companies to censor. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/censorship-laundering-part-2-1.mp4 Several of the witnesses‚ including journalist Michael Shellenberger‚ President and General Counsel of the New Civil Liberties Alliance Mark Chenoweth‚ and Senior Fellow at The Council to Modernize Governance‚ Gary Lawkowski‚ spoke out about against the federal government leaning on Big Tech to censor and provided further examples of this. But several Democrat lawmakers downplayed this evidence and testimony and insisted that the platforms were making their own content moderation decisions. Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) asserted that “claims about CISA being a giant censorship entity completely misses the mark” and claimed that platforms were never compelled to take down content. To support his claims‚ Ivey showed several quotes from CISA members who denied that the censorship occurred and invoked disclaimers that CISA included in their emails. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/censorship-laundering-part-2-2.mp4 “This is not government censorship or censorship by proxy‚” Ivey said. “Social media companies are privately owned and make content decisions based on their terms of service.” https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/censorship-laundering-part-2-3.mp4 Ivey even accused one of the district courts in Missouri v. Biden‚ a major social media censorship case that accuses the Biden administration of violating the First Amendment‚ of issuing opinions “based on false information or misinformation.” He concluded his opening comments by framing the attempts to halt government censorship pressure as having a “chilling effect” on CISA and the researchers who have been flagging content for censorship. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/censorship-laundering-part-2-4.mp4 When Ivey questioned Chenoweth on where he would draw the line on governments reaching out to platforms and flagging content‚ Chenoweth said that when the government reaches out to platforms to shut down speech‚ it becomes censorship and that the line should be based around whether the speech is lawful. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/censorship-laundering-part-2-5.mp4 Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) focused her comments on how some of CISA’s censorship programs no longer exist and framed concerns about CISA flagging content for censorship as “fearmongering.” She added: “It is clear that CISA has not engaged in any nefarious or unconstitutional activity. There is simply no evidence of it.” https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/censorship-laundering-part-2-6.mp4 Republicans are also backed up by the courts in their allegations. The court case Missouri v. Biden revolves around allegations that federal government officials influenced social media companies to suppress certain viewpoints. The plaintiffs‚ including the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana and several private parties‚ filed a lawsuit claiming that federal officials coerced or significantly encouraged social media platforms to remove or demote content on various topics‚ such as the COVID-19 pandemic’s origins‚ the efficacy of masks and vaccines‚ the security of mail-in voting‚ the integrity of the 2020 presidential election‚ and more. The case began in the US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana‚ where a preliminary injunction was issued on July 4‚ 2023. This injunction prohibited a broad range of federal government officials from communicating with social media companies for the purpose of urging or encouraging the removal‚ suppression‚ or reduction of content containing protected free speech. The case is currently being looked at by The Supreme Court. The post Watch: Democrats Continue to Deny Evidence of Government Pushing Big Tech to Censor Americans appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. During a recent House Financial Services Committee hearing‚ several government officials shared updates on their work on digital ID and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) — two types of technology that have the potential to give the government unprecedented levels of control and surveillance power. Several Democrats also praised these technologies and criticized lawmakers who are pushing legislation that would shut down CBDCs. Digital IDs received an enthusiastic endorsement from Rep. Bill Foster (D-Il)‚ who positioned them as a way to mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence (AI). He also praised digital ID systems in other countries‚ such as India‚ Estonia‚ and Korea. “A secure digital ID biometrically synced to your smartphone allows individuals to remotely verify that they are who they say they are‚ saving costs‚ reducing likelihood of fraud‚ and to allow individuals to defend themselves against deep fake identity fraud‚” Foster said. He continued by asking the witnesses whether digital ID would have been beneficial during Covid and whether using digital ID for online transactions would be beneficial. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/house-financial-services-committee-digital-id-cbdc-1.mp4 While Foster seemed to be a fan of India’s digital ID system‚ he didn’t mention any of the many controversies swirling around it‚ which include large-scale privacy issues‚ the financial blacklisting of those who refuse to participate‚ and the enforcement of checkpoint-style digital ID authentication in certain areas of society. Foster also positioned the digital IDs in India‚ Estonia‚ and Korea as optional‚ saying that these countries “provide citizens who wish with a secure form of digital identification that can be presented online.” But in Estonia‚ citizens don’t get to choose whether they use digital ID. Before they even have a name‚ babies are plugged into the system and given an identity code. Charles Vice‚ Director of Financial Technology and Access‚ National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)‚ also discussed digital ID. He told lawmakers that his agency is evaluating digital ID technology‚ noted that several credit unions have piloted digital ID‚ and praised the mobile digital driver’s licenses that have rolled out in several US states. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/house-financial-services-committee-digital-id-cbdc-2.mp4 Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) turned the focus to CBDCs and warned that “the US should not risk falling behind” other countries with its CBDC exploration. He also complained that “many of my colleagues on this subcommittee want regulators to encourage innovation‚ yet are pushing legislation that shuts down a CBDC before agencies have adequately researched and explored it.” https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/house-financial-services-committee-digital-id-cbdc-3.mp4 Although Foster criticized lawmakers who are against CBDCs‚ he failed to mention why these lawmakers have concerns about this technology. Some of the points of contention among lawmakers pushing anti-CBDC bills are that CBDCs could pave the way for increased surveillance of citizens’ transactions and be programmed to restrict purchases and dictate what people can buy. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) took a more skeptical tone when he questioned Michael S. Gibson‚ Director of the Division of Supervision and Regulation at the Federal Reserve‚ about CBDCs. He focused on the San Francisco Fed and Boston Fed hiring for CBDC development roles and pressed Gibson on the nature of the Federal Reserve’s CBDC research and whether this research is evolving into something more expansive. “You hire people that write code‚ it starts seeming like you’re developing and building versus researching‚” Davidson said. However‚ Gibson insisted that it’s solely a research effort and that the Federal Reserve is “a long way off from the thinking about implementation of anything related to a CBDC.” https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/house-financial-services-committee-digital-id-cbdc-4.mp4 The divide between Democrats and Republicans during this hearing is reflective of the larger clash in political party ideologies that has manifested during the wider debate on these technologies. Republicans are generally skeptical of these technologies‚ recognize their terrifying potential‚ and have introduced various bills that would restrict or ban them. Democrats‚ on the other hand‚ have framed these technologies as innovative and are pushing for legislation that would accelerate the implementation of digital IDs and CBDCs. The post Watch: Democrat Lawmaker Pushes for “Secure Digital ID Biometrically Synced to Your Smartphone” appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The TikTok account of a popular show hosted by journalist Glenn Greenwald was permanently banned‚ sparking debate over censorship practices on social media platforms. The account‚ primarily used for posting show clips‚ was banned for allegedly violating TikTok’s community guidelines‚ specifically the integrity and authenticity policy. “Your account was permanently banned due to multiple violations of our community guidelines‚” the notice from TikTok said‚ giving little detail about why. “We could not get any kind of an answer on why it is that our account is banned‚ but we know that it’s permanently banned‚” Greenwald said. Display content from Twitter Click here to display content from Twitter. Learn more in Twitter’s privacy policy. Always display content from Twitter Open content directly Greenwald‚ a seasoned journalist with numerous awards‚ expressed frustration over the lack of clear reasons provided for the ban. He emphasized that his show strictly adheres to fact-based reporting and avoids disinformation or conspiracy theories. The content often critiques US foreign policy and censorship regimes‚ which Greenwald suspects might have influenced the ban. This incident has raised questions about the influence of the US security state on social media platforms. Greenwald argues that companies like TikTok‚ Facebook‚ and Google are under pressure from US authorities to censor content‚ a claim that resonates with wider concerns about free speech and media control. The ban on Greenwald’s show highlights the precarious nature of relying on major tech platforms for disseminating information. With the risk of sudden and unexplained bans‚ content creators find themselves vulnerable and at the mercy of these platforms’ opaque policies. This situation underscores the importance of alternative platforms committed to free speech principles‚ as pointed out by Greenwald. “Look at how arbitrary and capricious this is. If your livelihood‚ if your ability to be heard‚ rests on Big Tech‚ you’re just in the palm of their hands‚” Greenwald said. The post TikTok Permanently Banned Glenn Greenwald’s System Update Show Last Week and Refuses To Say Why appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Union personnel prepare to shoe a horse in one of the Army of the Potomac’s temporary blacksmith shops at Petersburg‚ Va.‚ in August 1864. We take a closer look at immigrant inventor Henry Burden of Troy‚ N.Y.‚ and the crucial role he and his horseshoes played in the Union Army’s military success during the war.  historynet magazines Our 9 best-selling history titles feature in-depth storytelling and iconic imagery to engage and inform on the people‚ the wars‚ and the events that shaped America and the world. subscribe today

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