US Urges Vigilance By Tech Startups, VC Firms on Foreign Funds (yahoo.com) 24
The US is warning homegrown tech startups and venture capital firms that some foreign investments may be fronts for hostile nations seeking data and technology for their governments or to undermine American businesses. From a report: Several US intelligence agencies are spotlighting the concern in a joint bulletin Wednesday to small businesses, trade associations and others associated with the venture capital community, according to the National Counterintelligence and Security Center. "Unfortunately our adversaries continue to exploit early-stage investments in US startups to take their sensitive data," said Michael Casey, director of the NCSC. "These actions threaten US economic and national security and can directly lead to the failure of these companies."
Washington has ramped up scrutiny of investments related to countries it considers adversaries, most notably China, as advanced technologies with breakthrough commercial potential, such as artificial intelligence, can also be used to enhance military or espionage capabilities. [...] Small tech companies and venture capitalists "are not in a position to assess the national security implications of their investments," said Mark Montgomery, former executive director of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, which was assigned to develop a US cybersecurity strategy. "There are way too many examples where what appears to be, at best, potentially only dual-use or non-military-use technology is quickly twisted and used as a national security tool."
Washington has ramped up scrutiny of investments related to countries it considers adversaries, most notably China, as advanced technologies with breakthrough commercial potential, such as artificial intelligence, can also be used to enhance military or espionage capabilities. [...] Small tech companies and venture capitalists "are not in a position to assess the national security implications of their investments," said Mark Montgomery, former executive director of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, which was assigned to develop a US cybersecurity strategy. "There are way too many examples where what appears to be, at best, potentially only dual-use or non-military-use technology is quickly twisted and used as a national security tool."
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I think that's one of the (many) reasons why Tik Tok is seen as such a threat, young people are viewing videos that show them that people in other countries are pretty much the same as they are. They have the same worries and concerns, love and hate the same, hang out with their friends and start families the same as Americans. The world isn't quite so scary when you can see that the Third World isn't actually a dangerous crime-ridden cesspool of violence and poverty, that most Muslim women are not beaten
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I think that's one of the (many) reasons why Tik Tok is seen as such a threat, young people are viewing videos that show them that people in other countries are pretty much the same as they are. They have the same worries and concerns, love and hate the same, hang out with their friends and start families the same as Americans. The world isn't quite so scary when you can see that the Third World isn't actually a dangerous crime-ridden cesspool of violence and poverty, that most Muslim women are not beaten-down slaves, that Chinese kids like skateboarding and dancing, that farmers in Africa and India are using drones to monitor their crops and the Internet to check commodity prices, that housewives in Colombia do their banking on their smart phone.
How are the PTB going to control the population when they're not actually terrified of the rest of the world?
Damn, bro. That made a piece drop into place for me I never had managed to articulate to myself before. Early internet seemed such a hopeful thing. You could literally chat with people all over the world any time you wanted. And yes, it did show us that deep down we are all more alike than we are different. We all want the same things. We all need the same things. Thinking about where government policy and public opinion as created by and promoted by mass media has gone once that started to creep into the p
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I was lucky to have the opportunity to travel a lot as a kid. Plus, growing up in and around Toronto there were always immigrants and 1st and 2nd generation Canadians.
Finding out the world and its peoples are mostly the same takes a bit of magic from life, but if that is exchanged for less xenophobia and distrust it's worth it.
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I grew up in northern Michigan in the '70s, other than cherry pickers for a few weeks in the summer and the impoverished Native American community way out on the Peninsula there were no people who didn't look like my family. The incredible diversity of people and cultures here on the Left Coast still fascinates me after 40 years.
Old plays (Score:2)
Expect those that whose job is to protect the country from external threats, to promote companies and people being cautious at some level with whom you do business with.
The amount of caution is to be determined.
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Americans don't even like Americans, so it's not surprising.
Is Capitalism a zero-sum game? (Score:2)
Re: Yes/No/Maybe (Score:2)
Russia BAD, Israel GOOD. Repeat as necessary.
Old Game (Score:2)
My fourth grade niece would have put her hands on her hips, cocked her head, and said, "DUH!"
This is nothing new and has been going on for centuries. I wonder what specific tech they're worried about losing control of. I hope it's not AI, because that horse is already out of the barn and down the road.
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>yet became exactly the same as the english. a nation of immigrants that hates foreigners.
You dont know the UK. It's white, bald headed white van drivers that hate foreigners, even though they spend their holidays abroad. Sad thing is, there are a lot of them.
The rest of us are normal (49% given the brexit vote, sadly)
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>yet became exactly the same as the english. a nation of immigrants that hates foreigners.
You dont know the UK. It's white, bald headed white van drivers that hate foreigners, even though they spend their holidays abroad. Sad thing is, there are a lot of them.
The rest of us are normal (49% given the brexit vote, sadly)
It's hilarious that you have to make the distinction that it's not ALL english people...it's just those WHITE english people. The actually english people. Globalism makes people same, on the face of it, ridiculous stuff.
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We're already in the thuggery years, thank you very much.
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"These actions threaten US economic and national security and can directly lead to the failure of these companies."
Happens to every country eventually, enjoy the ride while it lasts!
I cant wait for the day the US finally falls off and they become the target for years of straight thuggery painted as civilising.
Kind of a dark fantasy, but who ami I to judge?
they left england, eschewed everything english,
Nope, not even close. The US copied a lot of the laws, freedoms, and judicial system from the English. Also, Jay's treaty was agreed to in 1794. That kept us pretty closely tied to England economically. (and really pissed off the French)
yet became exactly the same as the english. a nation of immigrants that hates foreigners.
Don't know many folks who hate foreigners, and I'm from Texas. We aren't huge fans of large bands of migrants showing up and demanding free shit while enriching
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[America] left england, eschewed everything english, yet became exactly the same as the english..
America was largely a British colony that decided to try and make a better country.
The British version of democracy was to force a parliament on a king. We will call that modern-democracy version 1.0
The American version of democracy was an improvement on the British version, joining states into a single nation and ruling by consensus. Modern-democracy 2.0
The European version of democracy is trying to make the EU an improvement on American version, with nations working together for the greater good. This
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Just call them who they are: (Score:2)
Re: Just call them who they are: (Score:2)
Yeah! Those baaaaad guys constantly bombing countries half way around the world and killing kids by the tentful!
China makes me so angry how they forced us to build our factories there! I remember our peace-loving and democratic capitalists protesting against China by offering fair wages and unionizing their employees!
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Re: Just call them who they are: (Score:1)
Suck my cock you fat redneck murderous psychopath. How you like that cupcake, asshole?
It's called espionage (Score:3)
the warning should be about staffing too, and not just money- how many of the key staffing choices are with people who were sent there with the intent of funneling back technologies, IP, data back to their home nations?
It's not just money.
China and India (largest actors) make it hostile for foreign companies to operate in their countries for a reason, they want home grown industries. And have mandates to get that done by any means necessary. China has simply been at it longer and louder with plenty of overt examples, and some very public covert examples.