Joseph Menn
White House security staff warned Musk’s Starlink is a security risk
Elon Musk’s team at the U.S. DOGE Service and allies in the Trump administration ignored White House communications experts worried about potential security breaches when DOGE personnel installed Musk’s Starlink internet service in the complex. Those who were managing White House communications systems were not informed in advance when DOGE representatives went to the roof of the adjacent Eisenhower Executive Office Building in February 2025 to install a terminal connecting users in the complex to Starlink satellites, which are owned by Musk’s private SpaceX rocket company.
Chinese government hackers penetrate U.S. internet providers to spy
Chinese government-backed hackers have penetrated deep into U.S. internet service providers in recent months to spy on their users. The unusually aggressive and sophisticated attacks include access to at least two major U.S.
‘Vague’ injunction on social media should be stayed, US Justice Department says
The US Justice Department asked a federal judge to stay his sweeping injunction barring many government interactions with social media companies on free-speech grounds, arguing that it was vague, confusing and likely to be overturned on appeal. “The Court’s July 4 preliminary injunction is both sweeping in scope and vague in its terms,” lawyers led by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton wrote in a filing before US District Judge Terry Doughty in Louisiana, citing rules that require the document to make clear “exactly what conduct is proscribed.” The government team ask
State Department cancels Facebook meetings after judge’s ‘censorship’ ruling
One day after a Louisiana federal judge set limits on the Biden administration’s communications with tech firms, the US State Department canceled its regular meeting with Facebook officials to discuss 2024 election preparations and hacking threats. State Department officials said all future meetings, which had been held monthly, have been “canceled pending further guidance." The cancellation shows the immediate impact of the order by US District Judge Terry A. Doughty, a Trump appointee.
Web browsers drop TrustCor Systems, a mysterious company with ties to US military contractor
Mozilla’s Firefox and Microsoft’s Edge said they would stop trusting new certificates from TrustCor Systems that vouched for the legitimacy of sites reached by their users, capping weeks of online arguments among their technology experts, outside researchers and TrustCor, which said it had no ongoing ties of concern.
Mysterious company with government ties plays key internet role
An offshore company that is trusted by the major web browsers and other tech companies to vouch for the legitimacy of websites has connections to contractors for US intelligence agencies and law enforcement, according to security researchers, documents, and interviews. Google’s Chrome, Apple’s Safari, nonprofit Firefox, and others allow the company, TrustCor Systems, to act as what’s known as a root certificate authority, a powerful spot in the internet’s infrastructure that guarantees websites are not fake, guiding users to them seamlessly. The company’s Panamanian registration records sho
Apple security expert moves to ACLU as 'public interest tech' builds
A senior Apple security expert left for a much lower-paying job at the American Civil Liberties Union, the latest sign of increasing activity on policy issues by Silicon Valley privacy specialists and other engineers. Jon Callas, who led a team of hackers breaking into pre-release Apple products to test their security, started Dec 3 in a two-year role as technology fellow at the ACLU.