Techmeme: Russia has rerouted internet traffic in occupied Ukrainian territories through Russian networks since June 2022, blocking uncensored information and services (New York Times)

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August 9, 2022, 2:55 PM

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WABetaInfo:

WhatsApp rolls out privacy features to let users leave Groups silently, choose who can see when they are online, and block screenshots of View Once messages — Like Love Haha Wow Sad Angry — WhatsApp is building new ways to increase user privacy and security in order to improve their experience while using the app.

Source: Mark Zuckerberg. More: TechCrunch, The Verge, Meta, The Verge, The Guardian, BBC, Gizmodo, iPhone in Canada Blog, PCMag, 9to5Mac, Android Headlines, iPhone Hacks, CNN, MSPoweruser, Huawei Central, and Engadget

Tweets: @metanewsroom and @stevekopack

Filipe Espósito / 9to5Mac:

WhatsApp now lets users delete a private or group chat message up to 2.5 days after sending it; before, users had one hour, eight minutes, and 16 seconds

More: 9to5Google, XDA Developers, TechCrunch, HotHardware, Android Police, AppleInsider, Thurrott, iThinkDifferent, KnowTechie, The Economic Times, The Verge, MacRumors, Tom's Guide, Fossbytes, Silicon Republic, BetaNews, BGR India, Livemint, and XDA Developers

Tweets: @whatsapp, @andymstone, @palesa_moloto, and @techcrunch

Reuters:

AppLovin offers to buy Unity for $58.85 per share, an 18% premium to Unity's Monday closing price, in a $17.54B all-stock deal; AppLovin's stock drops 10%+ — Gaming software company AppLovin Corp (APP.O) made an offer on Tuesday to buy its peer Unity Software Inc (U.N) in a $17.54 billion all-stock deal …

CoinDesk:

An anonymous Tornado Cash user sent ETH to high-profile crypto users, such as Jimmy Fallon and Brian Armstrong, from a sanctioned address, likely to troll them — An anonymous crypto user sent small amounts of ether from a sanctioned Tornado Cash address to celebrities and prominent crypto figures on Tuesday.

More: The Block. Tweets: @depression2019, @josephdelong, @iamjosephyoung, @haileylennonbtc, @pt, @wongmjane, @trustlessstate, @depression2019, @lawmaster, @ampersandarrow, @raaleh, @depression2019, @safuxbt, @loomdart, @asvanevik, and @neerajka

Chainalysis:

A breakdown of the $7.6B+ in ETH sent to Tornado Cash since August 2019: 49.6% was from DeFi, 17.7% was from sanctioned entities, and 10.5% was stolen funds

More: Something Interesting, BTC Times, Infosecurity, CryptoSlate, and The Hacker News

Tweets: @tonyajoriley, @chainalysis, @chainalysis, @chainalysis, and @chainalysis

Kollen Post / The Block:

The US Treasury sanctions crypto mixing service Tornado Cash and 44 related ETH and USDC wallets, citing their use in high-profile hacks, such as by North Korea

Source: U.S. Department …. More: Coin Center, The Block, Threatpost, CoinDesk, CoinDesk, Circle Blog, Cointelegraph, Washington Post, Decrypt, Reclaim The Net, CryptoPotato, NullTX, Security Affairs, Crypto Briefing, Bloomberg, crypto.news, CryptoSlate, New York Times, Bloomberg, and Fortune

Tweets: @semenov_roman_, @ustreasury, @secblinken, @jerallaire, @neerajka, @vitalikbuterin, @jchervinsky, @tornadocash, @semenov_roman_, @econoar, @thestalwart, @frankresearcher, @ncweaver, @blockanalia, @cobie, @statedeptspox, @semenov_roman_, @lefterisjp, @smdiehl, @ourielohayon, @tier10k, @0xfoobar, @ericgeller, @chainalysis, @undersectfi, @kevincollier, @adrianoferia, @koeppelmann, @cobie, @matthew_d_green, @albertwenger, @qondintini, @sethforprivacy, @kebrightbill, @haileylennonbtc, @goldman, @neerajka, @nicoleperlroth, @prestonjbyrne, @sethforprivacy, @williamjluther, @derekmross, @prestonjbyrne, @masonic_tweets, @migueldeicaza, @liron, @gossithedog, @howelloneill, @josephdelong, @mayazi, @molly0xfff, @coinmamba, @michaeltant3, @eamonjavers, @ivanthek, @loomdart, @adamscochran, @adamscochran, @ericgeller, @ericgeller, @cobie, @juthica, @robustus, @ivanthek, @ncweaver, @antoniomjuliano, @adamscochran, @concodanomics, @pierre_crypt0, @marionawfal, @dogetoshi, @sniko_, @0xfoobar, @fredericjacobs, @cobie, @degenspartan, and @smdiehl

Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert / Insider:

Meta's BlenderBot 3 chatbot, released in the US on August 5, repeats antisemitic stereotypes, claims Donald Trump is the current US president, and more — - Meta's new machine-learning chatbot, BlenderBot 3, is the company's most advanced AI chatbot to date.

Kevin Breuninger / CNBC:

President Biden signs the CHIPS and Science Act into law, including $52B+ for US companies producing semiconductors, as well as billions more in tax credits — - President Joe Biden signed into law a bipartisan bill that aims to boost U.S. competitiveness with China.

More: The White House, CNET, Axios, NPR, CRN, The Verge, Computerworld, Engadget, Voice of America, Livemint, The Shortcut, BBC, Washington Post, Fox Business, CBS News, Reuters, Associated Press, Tech Xplore, and Mercury News

Tweets: @potus, @mattgaetz, @whitehouseope46, @therecount, and @costasamaras46

Prarthana Prakash / Bloomberg:

Micron plans to spend $40B by 2030 to expand US chip manufacturing capacity, helped by government grants and credits, and expects to begin production after 2025

More: SiliconANGLE, Reuters, PCMag, CNBC, The Economic Times, Wall Street Journal, and Barron's Online

Tweets: @dnystedt and @dnystedt

Aisha Malik / TechCrunch:

Spotify now includes separate feeds for Music and Podcasts & Shows on the home screen of its Android app to better highlight recommendations; coming to iOS soon — Spotify announced today that it's launching a new Home experience that includes separate feeds for “Music” and “Podcasts & Shows.”

More: Spotify, Thurrott, and Droid Life. Tweets: @alexhern

Elizabeth Napolitano / CoinDesk:

The DOJ says former BitMEX Head of Business Development Gregory Dwyer pled guilty to violating US federal anti-money laundering rules and agreed to a $150K fine — A federal court in New York previously sentenced the firm's co-founders to probation time and fines.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice. More: Wall Street Journal, PYMNTS.com, Bloomberg Law, Coinspeaker, InfoRiskToday.com, CoinGape, Blockworks, and CryptoSlate

Tweets: @silvermanjacob, @ander_hk, and @sdnynews

Yang Jie / Wall Street Journal:

A profile of SMIC co-CEO Liang Mong Song, a Taiwanese chip wizard who previously led Samsung's chip development and was one of the key people behind TSMC's rise — When Asian semiconductor makers make dramatic advances, there's often a common element: Berkeley-educated Liang Mong Song

Tweets: @kanthan2030, @jchengwsj, and @jchengwsj

Bloomberg:

ByteDance acquired Amcare Healthcare, one of China's largest private hospital chains, source says for about $1.5B, deepening its foray into health care — ByteDance Ltd. has acquired one of China's largest private hospital chains for about $1.5 billion, deepening a foray into health care via …

More: TechCrunch, South China Morning Post, Silicon Republic, Caixin Global, and Pandaily

Tweets: @quicktake, @faycortez, @faycortez, @business, @lmatsakis, @bobjherman, @caseynewton, @economictimes, and @bb_hong_tw

Bloomberg:

Sources: Beijing has grown frustrated with a years-long failure to develop semiconductors that can replace US chips, capped by anti-graft probes into top execs — China's top leadership has grown increasingly frustrated with a years-long failure to develop semiconductors that can replace US circuitry …

Tweets: @pelstrom and @tommackenzietv

New York Times:

Russia has rerouted internet traffic in occupied Ukrainian territories through Russian networks since June 2022, blocking uncensored information and services — Internet traffic in Kherson is being diverted through Russia — Internet routing data for a service provider …

More: Slashdot. Tweets: @satariano, @satariano, @profamirattaran, @satariano, @dcu, @nytimes, @martijn_grooten, @780thc, @martijnrasser, @suhasiniraj, and @satariano

Reuters:

South Korea's telecoms regulator plans an investigation into Apple, Google, and One Store over suspected violations of the country's in-app payment law — South Korea's telecommunications regulator on Tuesday said it plans to launch an investigation into app store operators such as Apple Inc …

More: MacRumors, iThinkDifferent, Engadget, Yonhap News Agency, The Mac Observer, AppleInsider, 9to5Mac, FOSS Patents, iMore, TechCrunch, and iClarified

Sophie Fullerton / Washington Post:

YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram travel influencers are documenting trips to Syria, helping burnish the regime's image, often sponsored by brands like Surfshark — Sophie Fullerton is a political scientist and human rights researcher based in New York. — Last November, around the same …

Tweets: @florida_sophia, @doylech, @florida_sophia, @kenroth, @azadehmoaveni, @talaramadan, @philklay, @florida_sophia, @shellykittleson, @im_pulse, @florida_sophia, @neilcybart, @glcarlstrom, and @fared_alhor

Brandy Betz / CoinDesk:

CreatorDAO, a DAO providing capital and operational support to creators for a cut of future earnings, raised a $20M seed led by a16z and Initialized Capital — Paris Hilton and musicians The Chainsmokers also invested in the project. — CreatorDAO, a decentralized autonomous organization …

More: CreatorDAO, The Block, and Fortune. Tweets: @coindesk

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About This Page

This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 2:55 PM ET, August 9, 2022.

The most current version of the site as always is available at our home page. To view an earlier snapshot click here and then modify the date indicated.

From Mediagazer

Washington Post:

Internal email: 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi told staffers Bari Weiss pulled the CECOT segment after the Trump administration refused an interview

CNN:

A list of times the Trump administration tested the limits of the First Amendment during his second term, stoking alarm among civil rights experts and critics

Robert D. McFadden / New York Times:

Lou Cannon, a veteran Washington Post reporter who wrote several influential biographies of Ronald Reagan, has died at 92

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Reuters:

Unity announces it has struck a deal to create Unity China, a joint venture valued at $1B, with partners including Alibaba, China Mobile, Oppo, and Douyin Group

More: GamesIndustry.biz. Tweets: @therealjoshye

Manish Singh / TechCrunch:

Mountain View-based customer engagement and retention service Clevertap raised a $105M Series D led by CDPQ, valuing it at ~$775M, up from $385M in October 2019

Paul Sawers / TechCrunch:

Truework, which helps lenders verify borrowers' income and employment by integrating with payroll services like Zenefits, raises $50M Series C led by G Squared

More: FinSMEs

Mike Truppa / The Block:

Reddit partners with Ethereum Layer 2 scaling platform Arbitrum to bring its Community Points system to the Arbitrum Nova blockchain; FTX and others will advise

More: FTX US, Decrypt, Cointelegraph, CoinDesk, Crypto Briefing, and CR1337's Blog

Tweets: @amytongwu, @tr401, @toptickcrypto, @wublockchain, @neerajka, @silvermanjacob, @amytongwu, and @sbf_ftx

Lily Hay Newman / Wired:

GitHub partners with code-signing service Sigstore to add support for signing npm software packages, helping improve the security of open source projects

More: DEVCLASS. Tweets: @npmjs, @mylesborins, @lorenc_dan, @infernosec, and @lilyhnewman

Coco Liu / Bloomberg:

Filing: Alibaba reduced its workforce by 9,241 employees in the three months to June, for just over 245,000 total, after letting 4,375 go in January-March 2022

Earlier Picks

Nikita Mazurov / The Intercept:

Amazon's registries for weddings, birthdays, new babies, and more are publicly visible by default, a sensitive personal data one-stop shop for identity thieves

Tweets: @aaschapiro, @marshacollier, and @theintercept

Brad Stone / Bloomberg:

Amazon's planned acquisitions of iRobot and One Medical are emblematic of Andy Jassy's hunt for a so-called fourth “pillar”, beyond AWS, Prime, and Marketplace

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

Snapchat rolls out parental controls through a new Family Center feature, letting parents see who teens are talking to, but not view the content of the messages

More: New York Times, CNN, Gizmodo, iThinkDifferent, Digital Trends, iDownloadBlog.com, PCMag, The Mac Observer, PetaPixel, 9to5Mac, Pocket-lint, KnowTechie, Bloomberg, Neowin, Mashable, NPR, The Economic Times, Engadget, and Protocol

Andrew Romero / 9to5Google:

Oppo and OnePlus halt sales in Germany after a court found in July 2022 the two companies used 5G technology without paying for the appropriate Nokia patents

More: The Verge, PhoneArena, Android Police, GSMArena.com, XDA Developers, Android Headlines, Android Authority, Fossbytes, Neowin, TechRadar, BGR India, Gizchina, TechNode, and Android Central

Che Pan / South China Morning Post:

Report: Samsung plans to make an additional $3.3B investment in Vietnam in 2022 to produce semiconductor components by July 2023 and open an R&D center in Hanoi

More: PingWest

Kate Park / TechCrunch:

Crypto.com says it secured registrations to operate as a virtual asset service provider in South Korea, and acquires two local startups for undisclosed amounts

Source: CNBC. More: Crypto.com, CryptoPotato, Bitcoinist.com, Inside Bitcoins, and DealStreetAsia

Tweets: @cryptocom, @kris, and @ericnode

Carly Page / TechCrunch:

Twilio discloses “unauthorized access” on August 4 by a “sophisticated” unknown actor using an SMS-based phishing attack on staff to gain info on some accounts