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UN says US fears over Huawei’s 5G are politically motivated
The secretary general of the UN's internet and telecoms agency has suggested US concerns about 5G networks built using Huawei equipment have more to do with politics and trade, rather than legitimate worries over security. "There is no proof so far," Houlin Zhao, head of the International Telecommunication Union, said regarding claims about Huawei's security. He noted it's in telecoms' best interests to make sure their infrastructure is secure as they might otherwise feel the wrath of authorities.
Australia's new law threatens social media companies with jail, fines
Australia's controversial bill that seeks to punish social networks and any other hosting service for failing to remove violent content from their platforms is now a law. The country's politicians drafted the Sharing of Abhorrent Violent Material bill (PDF) after the Christchurch mosque shooting in New Zealand by a gunman who's believed to be an Australian white nationalist. Under the new law, content hosting platforms have to "expeditiously" pull down audio and video recordings or streams depicting "abhorrent violent conduct." In addition, they have to notify authorities whenever they find illegal materials.
Australian bill could imprison social network execs over violent content
Australia may take a stricter approach to violent online material than Europe in light of the mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand. The government is introducing legislation that would punish social networks that don't "expeditiously" remove "abhorrent" violent content produced by perpetrators, such as terrorism, kidnapping and rape. If found guilty, a company could not only face fines up to 10 percent of their annual turnover, but see its executives imprisoned for up to three years. The country's Safety Commissioner would have the power to issue formal notices, giving companies a deadline to remove offending material.
Man arrested for selling Netflix and Spotify accounts
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) announced today that they arrested a man accused of selling stolen login credentials online. The unnamed man, a 21-year-old living in Sydney, Australia, operated a website called WickedGen.com that advertised having almost one million usernames and passwords for Netflix, Spotify, Hulu and other services. Police believe he generated AU$300,000 (about $211,000) selling the stolen logins.
There are only two Blockbusters left in the world, and one is closing
And then there was one. A Blockbuster video rental store located in a suburb of Perth Australia announced that it will be closing its doors for good at the end of the month, according to local newspaper the Eastern Reporter. It was the last remaining Blockbuster on the continent. Once it ceases offering rentals at the end of March, there will only be one Blockbuster in the world remaining. The final store is located in Bend, Oregon.
Boeing’s autonomous fighter jet could arrive next year
Boeing has unveiled an autonomous fighter jet which is expected to take to the skies in 2020. The aircraft is designed to fly alongside crewed jets during combat, performing early warning tests, intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance.
'State-backed hackers' targeted Australia's main political parties
Politicians and their parties are high-value targets for foreign agents looking to disrupt elections, as we've seen in the US and elsewhere in recent years. Now, Australia is in the crosshairs. The main political parties there were the targets of a state-sponsored cyber attack, according to Prime Minister Scott Morrison. It's not clear what, if any, information they obtained from the parties' systems.
THQ Nordic buys developer of 'Kingdom Come: Deliverance'
THQ Nordic, the games publisher that's made a name for itself picking up long-forgotten games studios, has added Warhorse Studios to its fold in a €33.2 million acquisition. The deal comes exactly a year after Warhorse launched controversial title Kingdom Come: Deliverance, which sparked a heated debate about the issue of whitewashing in video games. Despite this narrative, though -- and the fact that the game was born of a Kickstarter project -- the game has since sold some two million units across all platforms. So THQ Nordic has evidently made a smart addition to its motley catalogue of studios.
Detainee wins major literary prize for book written through WhatsApp
Messaging apps aren't just useful for everyday communication -- in at least one case, they've enabled an influential book. Kurdish-Iranian author Behrouz Boochani has won Australia's top literary award, the Victorian Prize for Literature, with a book (No Friend But the Mountains) he wrote using WhatsApp. He'd used the unconventional approach to ensure his message would get through. As an inmate of Australia's controversial Manus Island detention center, he was concerned guards would seize his phone and confiscate his work -- he messaged his translator, Omid Trofighian, over the course of five years to ensure his story would get out.
Signal says it can't allow government access to users' chats
Last week, the Australian government passed the country's controversial Access and Assistance Bill 2018 into law, legislation that allows government agencies to demand access to encrypted communications. Companies that don't comply with the new law could face fines of up to AU$10 million ($7.3 million). A number of companies that stand to be affected have spoken out about the legislation, and Signal has now joined in, explaining that it won't be able to fulfill such requests if asked.
Amazon allows Australians to shop from its US store again
Amazon has announced that it will no longer block Australians from accessing its US and other international websites just in time for its Black Friday sales. The e-commerce giant started redirecting Australian customers trying to access international storefronts back to the local version of the platform back in July. Amazon said it made the change to comply with Australia's GST collection laws that applied a 10 percent tax to imported online goods worth less than A$1,000 (US$726). After getting a lot of flak from the move, though, the company has decided to lift the ban just a few months later.
Apple fires back at Australian encryption bill
In a seven-page letter to the Australian government, Apple criticized the country's proposed Access and Assistance Bill 2018. Apple claims, among other complaints, that the legislation raises cybersecurity concerns and give the state power to abuse users' privacy.
Teen Apple hacker avoids prison in Australia
The teenage hacker who pleaded guilty to infiltrating Apple's computer systems and stealing sensitive data won't have to serve time. While he's now an adult, he was 16 when he first hacked the company by exploiting a virtual private network used by authorized personnel between June 2015 and November 2016. He was locked out of the system in November but was able to get through again in April 2017.
After Math: Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
This has been quite the "disruptive" week with TechCrunch's marquee event going on at the San Francisco Moscone Center, and not just for startups. InfoWars was disinvited from yet another social media platform, Walmart is drastically expanding its self-driving Tesla truck order, and the world's largest wind farm just opened for business.
Uber will suspend low-rated riders in Australia and New Zealand
Uber is putting its passenger ratings to use, imposing temporary bans on riders with lower scores. The company introduced this policy in Brazil earlier this year and will begin imposing these bans on passengers in Australia and New Zealand later this month. Uber's ratings are out of five stars and passengers in these countries with ratings of four or lower will be banned from the service for six months.
Google Assistant comes to LG ThinQ TVs in the UK and Canada
LG's deep collaboration with Google continues, as it just announced that Google Assistant is coming to ThinQ smart TVs in seven more markets and five languages. It's now available in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, with support coming by the end of 2018 to France, Germany, South Korea and Spain. LG will also expand Amazon Alexa support to Australia and Canada. Google Assistant first arrived to ThinQ AI TVs in the US earlier this year.
Huawei and ZTE banned from supplying 5G tech to Australia
Australia is distancing itself from Huawei and ZTE, imposing a ban much more detrimental to the companies' business than the one the US handed down. According to Financial Times and Reuters, the country has banned the Chinese telecoms from supplying local mobile carriers with 5G tech equipment due to national security concerns. Huawei has confirmed the move in a statement posted on Twitter, where it also said that it's been "safely and securely deliver[ing] wireless technology in [Australia] for close to 15 years."
Australian teen pleads guilty to hacking Apple
An Australian teenager pleaded guilty today to charges over repeatedly hacking into Apple's computer systems, The Age reports. He reportedly was able to access authorized keys, view customer accounts and download 90GB of secure files before being caught. Once alerted to the repeated intrusions, Apple blocked the teen and notified the FBI of the breaches. The agency in turn contacted the Australian Federal Police who raided the teenager's home last year, seizing two Apple laptops, a mobile phone and a hard drive.
Australian law could force tech firms to hand over customer data
Australia has been relying on criminal telecommunications legislation dating back to the days of the landline, so proposed laws unveiled today are designed to bring the country's legal enforcements in line with the many nefarious opportunities the internet presents for hackers. But it's raised eyebrows among some industry experts.
Google's Home Max speaker arrives in Australia
Google's high quality Home Max speaker is coming to Australia. The company's most expensive audio product, which boasts sound 20 times more powerful than the standard Google Home, will be available in the country from August 9. The Australian release supports Assistant's latest features, such as Multiple Commands, as well as Home Max's biggest draw, Smart Sound, which automatically adapts to the environment of a room.
