Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Monday 1 april 2019
Facebook extends ban on hate speech to ‘white nationalists’

By BARBARA ORTUTAY es. The bloodshed in 2017
AP Technology Writer prompted tech compa-
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — nies to take a firmer stand
Facebook is extending its against accounts used to
ban on hate speech to promote hate and vio-
prohibit the promotion and lence. But apparently not
support of white national- enough. Now, Facebook is
ism and white separatism. trying to do more. As part
The company previously al- of Wednesday’s change,
lowed such material even people who search for
though it has long banned terms associated with white
white supremacists. The so- supremacy on Facebook
cial network said Wednes- will be directed to a group
day that it didn’t apply called Life After Hate,
the ban previously to ex- which was founded by for-
pressions of white national- mer extremists who want to
ism because it linked such help people leave the vio-
expressions with broader lent far-right.
concepts of nationalism Clarke called the idea that
and separatism — such as white supremacism is differ-
American pride or Basque ent than white nationalism
separatism (which are still or white separatism a mis-
allowed). guided “distinction without
But civil rights groups and a difference.” She said the
academics called this view In this March 13, 2019, file photo Facebook, Messenger and Instagram apps are are displayed on New Zealand attack was a
“misguided” and have long an iPhone in New York. “powerful reminder about
pressured the company to Associated Press why we need the tech sec-
change its stance. Face- number of working meet- with the grip of hate and shootings at two New Zea- tor to do more to stamp out
book said it concluded ings with their staff as we’ve the increase in violent white land mosques that killed 50 the conduct and activity of
after months of “conversa- tried to get them to the right supremacy,” she said. “We people was able to broad- violent white supremacists.”
tions” with them that white place,” said Kristen Clarke, need the tech sector to do cast the massacre on live Rashad Robinson, the presi-
nationalism and separat- president and executive its part to combat these ef- video on Facebook. Also dent of Color of Change,
ism cannot be meaning- director of the Lawyers’ forts.” Though Facebook on Wednesday, a man says the racial justice group
fully separated from white Committee for Civil Rights Inc. said it has been work- convicted on state murder warned Facebook to the
supremacy and organized Under Law, a Washington, ing on the change for three charges in a deadly car growing dangers of white
hate groups. D.C.-based legal advoca- months, it comes less than attack at a white nation- nationalists on its platform
Critics have “raised these cy group. two weeks after Facebook alist rally in Charlottesville, years ago and that he was
issues to the highest levels “This is long overdue as the received widespread criti- Virginia, pleaded guilty to glad to see Wednesday’s
at Facebook (and held) a country continues to deal cism after the suspect in federal hate crime charg- announcement. q

Microsoft: Seizure of sites Iranian hackers used for attacks

By MATT O’BRIEN taking over adversary do- Microsoft and other well-
AP Technology Writer mains and analyzing their known brands. They also
Microsoft said it seized 99 traffic to protect against fu- created fake social media
websites used by Iranian ture attacks. profiles to target people.
hackers to steal sensitive Microsoft sued the hacking Microsoft said hackers were
information and launch group in U.S. District Court damaging the company
other cyberattacks. in Washington this month by breaking into its custom-
The company said the and described a hacking ers’ online accounts and
group , which it has been operation that “demon- computer networks.
tracking since 2013, has strates skill, patience and U.S. District Judge Amy Ber-
tried to snoop on activ- access to resources.” man Jackson sided with
ists, journalists, political The hackers’ malicious soft- the company in a March
dissidents, defense indus- ware, according to the 15 ruling, arguing that there
try workers and others in lawsuit, “effectively morphs was good cause to believe
the Middle East, including the trusted, Microsoft- the hacking activity was
some who were “protesting This July 3, 2014 file photo shows Microsoft Corp. signage outside trademarked Windows sys- harming the company, its
oppressive regimes” in the the Microsoft Visitor Center in Redmond, Wash. tem into a tool of decep- customers and the public.
region. Hackers did so by Associated Press tion and theft.” The documents were un-
tricking people in those or- specifically to its govern- while others call it APT35 or Microsoft said the group sealed Wednesday.
ganizations to click on ma- ment. A spokesman for Charming Kitten. typically tries to infiltrate a Microsoft has taken hack-
licious links disguised to re- Iran’s mission to the United Allison Wikoff, a security re- target’s personal accounts, ing groups to court before.
semble well-known brands, Nations didn’t respond to searcher at Atlanta-based not their work accounts, by The Redmond, Washing-
including Microsoft and its an email and phone call Secureworks, said it is one luring them into clicking on ton, company used a simi-
LinkedIn, Outlook and Win- seeking comment Wednes- of the “more active Iranian a link to a compromised lar strategy in 2016 to seize
dows products, Microsoft day. Iran has denied in- threat groups” she has ob- website or opening a mali- fake domains created by
said in court filings. volvement in other hack- served. She said Microsoft’s cious attachment. Russia-backed hackers
Wednesday’s announce- ing efforts identified by Mi- takedown was a big win Hackers, the company who were later found to
ment tied the hackers to crosoft. Microsoft calls the using a practice known as said, used fake domain have been meddling in the
the country of Iran but not hacking group Phosphorus, “sinkholing,” which involves names that resembled U.S. presidential election.q