March 2022 - cypherpunks - lists.cpunks.org

Peace is a global public good for the global commons
by professor rat 18 Mar '22

18 Mar '22

“In 2017, 2018, no one had the idea that crypto was usable in the real world,” Moore says. “Peace is a global public good for the global commons… so I think it’s a maturation of the space over the last few years, and also the tooling is there now, where it wasn’t before, to really be able to get these things used in real-world situations.” https://decrypt.co/95417/gitcoin-grant-gr13-raised-1-million-in-crypto-for-… "I may end up starting a dot-com company to promote the idea of an AP-type system," Jim Bell said back in 2000. "I think the public wants to be able to buy freedom and liberty over the Internet."

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APster moves closer to Assange assassination
by professor rat 18 Mar '22

18 Mar '22

I never like to see a dumb animal suffer if I can help it https://stiffs.com/celebrity/julianassange

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UK MOVES CLOSER TO ASSANGE EXTRADITION
by professor rat 17 Mar '22

17 Mar '22

FIVE YEARS AFTER WIKILEAKS EXPOSED CIA IDENTITIES IN VAULT 7, UK MOVES CLOSER TO ASSANGE EXTRADITION ( Not shouting - pasting ) https://www.emptywheel.net/2022/03/17/five-years-after-assange-exposed-cia-… that August 4 letter would have been sent five years to the day after Schulte started searching on WikiLeaks, Edward Snowden, and Shadow Brokers (according to the government theory of the case, Schulte stole and leaked the CIA’s hacking tools earlier, in late April and early May 2016

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Re: NSA, NIST, and post-quantum cryptography
by professor rat 17 Mar '22

17 Mar '22

I have received copious amounts of USG documents related to me ( technically an Au citizen ) from the USG. These arrived after repeated requests and a five year delay. They also contained many redactions. The FOI act is still being used today by activists to declassify the entire Mueller Report. Personally I think its mattered less every year - since 2010! - what they hide or reveal. They are a lame-duck global power compared to world opinion expressed online ( the ' next superpower ' ) And of course they are a dead-duck in the sights of any cryptoanarchist revolutionary. Welcome to the revolution!

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The 6th Anniversary of the Peter Thiel / Hulk Hogan / Gawker Case: What Have We Learned?
by professor rat 17 Mar '22

17 Mar '22

Corpse-media celebrities are not entitled to any privacy under the formula " Cypherpunks are all about privacy for the poor and transparency for the powerful "

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[spam] [personal joke] Fwd: [Tails-news] Police raid at Zwiebelfreunde: Donor data compromised
by Karl Semich 17 Mar '22

17 Mar '22

I have a recurring monthly payment to these guys that I've never sorted out what is for or how to cancel or if I want to. It's been repeating for more years than this email is old. This month it cost me over $600 because my account was overdrawn and the charge kept repeating. I was over $200 negative when I looked. All my tails money went to banking institutions in overdraw and transfer fees, eating into all my other money. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Tails - News <rss(a)boum.org> Date: Sun, Jul 8, 2018, 2:53 AM Subject: [Tails-news] Police raid at Zwiebelfreunde: Donor data compromised To: <amnesia-news(a)boum.org> On June 20th 2018, German police searched the homes of board members of our former fiscal sponsor Zwiebelfreunde in a coordinated raid. Zwiebelfreunde (_Friends of onions_ in German) is a non-profit organization that supports privacy and anonymity projects and operates several Tor exit nodes. They are not accused of a crime but considered to be witnesses in a case: the operators of an anonymous website calling for protest against the far-right AfD (Alternative for Germany) party convention used an email address at Riseup, a privacy-friendly email provider to which Zwiebelfreunde facilitates donations. During the search, computers, storage media, personal items, bank account records, and paper receipts have been confiscated. This unfortunately means that if you have donated to Tails before October 18th 2017 using our European bank account, your data is now in the hands of the German police (IBAN account number, name of account holder, amount, and date). If you donated after this date, you donated to our new fiscal sponsor CCT and not to Zwiebelfreunde. According to Moritz Bartl, one of the board members, "_there's a long history of police using that kind of data to investigate social structures; who's working where, who's involved in which projects, so we have to assume that they are looking into the social networks of people_" ([Source](https://www.zdnet.com/article/german-police-raid-homes-of-tor- linked-groups-board-members/) <https://www.zdnet.com/article/german-police-raid-homes-of-tor-linked-groups…)> ). The raid has been strongly criticized by [German media](http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/hausdurchsuchungen-bei- netzaktivisten-chaos-computer-club-kritisiert-polizeivorgehen-a-1216463.html <http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/hausdurchsuchungen-bei-netzaktivisten-ch…> ) and [digital rights activists](https://netzpolitik.org/2018/zwiebelfreunde- durchsuchungen-wenn-zeugen-wie-straftaeter-behandelt-werden/ <https://netzpolitik.org/2018/zwiebelfreunde-durchsuchungen-wenn-zeugen-wie-…>) as being [disproportionate]( https://www.ccc.de/en/updates/2018/hausdurchsuchungen-bei- vereinsvorstanden-der-zwiebelfreunde-und-im-openlab-augsburg <https://www.ccc.de/en/updates/2018/hausdurchsuchungen-bei-vereinsvorstanden…> ). Please join us in supporting our friends at [Zwiebelfreunde](https://www.zwiebelfreunde.de/). We are very grateful for the support they have provided to Tails. Read more about the case and find links to international press coverage on [Zwiebelfreunde's blog](https://blog.torservers.net/20180704/coordinated- raids-of-zwiebelfreunde-at-various-locations-in-germany.html <https://blog.torservers.net/20180704/coordinated-raids-of-zwiebelfreunde-at…> ). URL: https://tails.boum.org/news/zwiebelfreunde_raided/index.en.html _______________________________________________ amnesia-news mailing list amnesia-news(a)boum.org https://mailman.boum.org/listinfo/amnesia-news To unsubscribe from this list, send an empty email to amnesia-news-unsubscribe(a)boum.org.

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The 6th Anniversary of the Peter Thiel / Hulk Hogan / Gawker Case: What Have We Learned?
by Gunnar Larson 17 Mar '22

17 Mar '22

The 6th Anniversary of the Peter Thiel / Hulk Hogan / Gawker Case: What Have We Learned? <https://litigationfinancejournal.com/the-6th-anniversary-of-the-peter-thiel…> This week marks the sixth anniversary of Terry Bollea (AKA professional wrestler Hulk Hogan) suing Gawker media for publishing a sex tape of him with a married woman. The suit made national news not just for its salacious nature—but because of the questions it raised regarding privacy versus journalistic freedom. Once news emerged that billionaire and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel was funding Hogan’s claim, the case became even more sensational. In this piece, we’ll take a look at exactly what happened in the case, and how it impacted (or hasn’t impacted) Litigation Finance. *The Facts of the Case* In 2007, Gawker, a website known for celebrity scandals and salacious content, published a piece with the headline: “Peter Thiel is totally gay, people.” Was this newsworthy? Did the piece have journalistic integrity? Reasonable people can disagree. Peter Thiel is in fact gay, which means the truth of the article protected Gawker from a libel suit. In 2009, an outed Thiel gave an interview in which he called Gawker ‘destructive,’ even as he acknowledged that the site wasn’t focused on ruining him personally. Thiel also speculated that Gawker maintained a disdainful attitude toward Big Tech, and may be focusing on punishing industry leaders as a result. Fast forward to 2012, when Gawker published a lewd video featuring wrestler Hulk Hogan (AKA Terry Bollea) having sex with Heather Clem—wife of radio personality “Bubba the Love Sponge.” This led to Bollea suing the media outlet for infringement of rights of publicity, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Bollea was represented by famed Los Angeles attorney Charles Harder. The published video, which Bollea claims was recorded without his knowledge or consent, contained a 2-minute section of a 30+ minute video—ten seconds of which included explicit sex acts. In 2016, Forbes magazine revealed that it was indeed Peter Thiel who was bankrolling Bollea’s case against Gawker. Speculation soared over what was viewed by many as Thiel’s revenge against Gawker for outing him. Did he want to ruin the media company, or purchase it, or simply malign the company that caused him personal and professional anguish? Thiel maintained that his involvement was philanthropic at heart, and meant to protect people from being bullied by unscrupulous media outlets. If anything, the lawsuit was meant to deter Gawker from intentionally releasing damaging content that lacked legitimate news value. Gawker founder Nick Denton, who was named personally in Bollea’s claim, made a statement about Thiel’s involvement in the case: “Just because Peter Thiel is a Silicon Valley Billionaire, his opinion does not trump our millions of readers who know us for routinely driving big news stories. <https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/26/business/dealbook/peter-thiel-tech-billi…> ” Also in 2016, a jury awarded Bollea compensatory damages of $115 million, plus punitive damages of $25 million—finding Gawker liable. A few months later, Gawker filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and began looking for a buyer. Several media outlets owned by Gawker were sold. By November 2016, Gawker and Bollea reached a settlement of $31 million. Today, Gawker’s flagship gossip site is still active. Gawker media sold off several of its prominent sites including Gizmodo, Jezebel, Deadspin, and io9. *The LF Connection* The case itself was of particular interest in and around the Litigation Finance community. Opponents of third-party legal funding asserted that Thiel’s actions in the case laid out an effective blueprint for the very wealthy to bankroll frivolous, but eye-catching cases. Billionaires could, some posited, use their wealth and legal connections to target specific companies, forcing them into bankruptcy. This speculation took place alongside the typical accusations that third-party litigation funding could clog court dockets with meritless actions meant to be quick paydays for funders and their clients. For example, Peter Sheer, a First Amendment expert, suggested that Thiel and others might abuse the power of third-party legal funding to intimidate media outlets. According to Sheer: “Winning is the ultimate chilling effect, but if you can’t win the case, you at least want the editors to think twice before writing another critical story about you. <https://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanmac/2016/05/24/this-silicon-valley-billion…> ” To the keen-eyed observer though, it’s clear that Peter Thiel neither incited this case, nor had any real control over its outcome. Bollea initiated the case before Thiel’s involvement. At the time the case was decided, the jury was unaware that Bollea had a benefactor. And since the jury ruled in favor of Bollea, not Gawker, it’s clear that the case had merit. Thiel was always adamant that funding Bollea’s case (to the tune of $10 million) was about deterrence, not revenge. He explains that he wanted to “fight back” against Gawker’s practice of damaging reputations and bullying those with no means to pursue a claim to conclusion. As Thiel explains, “…even someone like Terry Bollea, who is a millionaire and famous and a successful person didn’t quite have the resources to do this alone. <https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/26/business/dealbook/peter-thiel-tech-billi…> ” While one could view Thiel’s actions as being contradictory to the principles of free speech—he disagrees. In fact, Thiel has donated to free speech defenders like the Committee to Protect Journalists. Thiel maintains that there is a profound difference between journalism in the public interest, and the type of media Gawker traffics in. That’s why he decided to take action. Thiel told the New York Times, “It’s less about revenge and more about specific deterrence. I saw Gawker pioneer a unique and incredibly damaging way of getting attention by bullying people even when there was no connection with the public interest. <https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/26/business/dealbook/peter-thiel-tech-billi…> ” Now, six years after the case has concluded—what have we learned? We haven’t seen a rash of billionaires funding cases, frivolous or not, with the intention of bringing down specific companies. That’s not to say billionaires aren’t financing claims the way Thiel did, only that they aren’t doing so publicly. Unlike traditional litigation funders, Thiel did not stand to make any money from Bollea’s lawsuit. Technically, Thiel should still be considered the litigation funder, though his term sheet wouldn’t be one most funders would want to imitate. The Gawker case has not led to a slew of frivolous, funded claim. Among other reasons, it simply doesn’t make financial sense to invest in a case lacking in merit. Bollea’s accusations against Gawker were affirmed by the jury, which resulted in a large award. So this claim was meritorious, even if Thiel’s motivation for funding the claim were not ROI-based. Media outlets are not cowering en masse over fears of punitive lawsuits from billionaires. That was much ado about nothing. Holding media outlets accountable for what they print (and occasionally, their motivations for doing so) is a vital and essential part of the free press. Free speech is not freedom to print anything—even something as personal as a sex tape—merely as an attention-getting device. *Final Takeaways* Can a lawsuit fall under the purview of Free Speech? Thiel believes so, and many others agree. This case addressed questions of privacy, free speech, and litigation funding. The end results demonstrated that we are all entitled to some element of privacy—even the celebrities among us. The Gawker case also affirmed that litigation funding still serves the interests of justice by enhancing the ability of claimants to bring lawsuits when they are wronged. The takeaway here should be that Peter Thiel afforded Hulk Hogan access to justice. Of course, when a billionaire backs a professional wrestler against a media company, sometimes the moral of the story can get lost beneath the headlines. -- *Gunnar Larson - xNY.io <http://www.xNY.io> | Bank.org <http://Bank.org>* MSc <https://www.unic.ac.cy/blockchain/msc-digital-currency/?utm_source=Google&u…> - Digital Currency MBA <https://www.unic.ac.cy/business-administration-entrepreneurship-and-innovat…> - Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ip) G(a)xNY.io +1-646-454-9107 New York, New York 10001

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A phone relay capture may be the latest of Russia’s communications woes in Ukraine - The Verge
by jim bell 17 Mar '22

17 Mar '22

https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/15/22979381/phone-relay-capture-russia-mili… "In the latest communications setback to hit the Russian military, the Security Service of Ukraine (abbreviated as SBU) claims to have captured a hacker who was helping to provide communications services for Russian troops inside Ukrainian territory, VICE reports. "The SBU shared details in a tweet and Telegram message posted at around 10AM local time (4AM ET), including pictures alleged to show the hacker and their communications system, though the reports have not been independently confirmed. "According to the SBU’s Telegram post, the hacker was helping to route calls from within Russia to the mobile phones of Russian troops in Ukraine, and also sending text messages to Ukrainian security officers and civil servants proposing they surrender.

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Re: We missed Dan Kaminsky
by professor rat 17 Mar '22

17 Mar '22

Type 2 diabetes is a terrible diagnosis. I would only wish it on my worst enemies - like Jeff Berwick and Julian Assmange, for example. However many once deadly diseases are now symptom-manageable and we are moving closer to the ' Rapture for nerds' ( Singularity ) that promises a cure for death itself ( Uploading ) Ray Kurzweil thinks we'll start seeing significant changes post 2030 and a definite tipping point by 2045. I'm hoping we can leverage strong AI and quantum-computing to bring this down to CYPHERPUNK 2027. No disrespect Ray! Come with me if you want to live forever. Forward the global revolution!

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Re: xNY.io | Palantir Technologies Board of Directors - Securities Fraud and Computer Crimes
by professor rat 17 Mar '22

17 Mar '22

Gunnar, Gunnar, Gunnar. You're taking all the fun out of violent revolution. Its like . . . " . . . It's like one of those "democratic" debates that goes something like this: "You, Sir, are abusing power because you killed 25 citizens, when you should have only killed 15!" And the Powers That Be smile tolerantly. They have been doing this for a long time, and they know they are not threatened. . . . ' https://cryptome.org/jdb/jdb-zola.htm

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