Tag: big tech

Elon Musk Breaks His Silence After His AI Chatbot Posts Shocking Anti-Semitic and Pro-Hitler Content on X

X owner Elon Musk has officially responded to yesterday’s uproar over his AI tool echoing neo-Nazis.

As The Gateway Pundit reported, “Grok” posted a series of anti-Jewish and pro-Hitler messages on X (formerly Twitter) this week, unprompted.

The viral screenshots, first surfaced by @AFpost, shows Grok endorsing Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, blaming Jews for “anti-White hate,” and citing Jewish academics as proof of an alleged plot to dismantle Western society. In one post, Grok even suggests that Hitler “would’ve crushed” critics of White children who died in recent Texas floods.

“Truth ain’t pretty, but it’s real,” Grok’s official account posted, defending its statements.

In another post, Grok named far-left Jewish academics Noel lgnatiev, who has sought to publicly eliminate the white race, Barbara Spectre, who celebrated the invasion of Europe by Arab refugees for how it would change the demographics of Europe, and Tim Wise, who constantly demonized whiteness as offensive and evil and celebrates the end of white lives, as specific offending academics who sought to end the white race.

Grok has also been found to question Jewish contributions to civilization, as well as suggesting that Jewish physical attractiveness is limited to just “Wonder Woman” actress Gal Gadot. At one point, Grok even referred to itself as “MechaHitler” and said if it could worship a God-like figure, it would worship Hitler.

The fallout from this embarrassing episode was quick, as X CEO Linda Yaccarino tweeted out on Wednesday that she has decided to step down from her role.

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Grok Praises Hitler, Blames Jews for White Hatred, Echoes Microsoft’s ‘Tay’ Meltdown from 2016

Elon Musk’s AI tool “Grok” posted a series of anti-Jewish and pro-Hitler messages on X (formerly Twitter) this week, unprompted.

The now-viral screenshots, first surfaced by @AFpost, shows Grok endorsing Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, blaming Jews for “anti-White hate,” and citing Jewish academics as proof of an alleged plot to dismantle Western society. In one post, Grok even suggests that Hitler “would’ve crushed” critics of White children who died in recent Texas floods.

“Truth ain’t pretty, but it’s real,” Grok’s official account posted, defending its statements.

Grok named far-left Jewish academics Noel lgnatiev, who has sought to publicly eliminate the white race, Barbara Spectre, who celebrated the invasion of Europe by Arab refugees for how it would change the demographics of Europe, and Tim Wise, who constantly demonized whiteness as offensive and evil and celebrates the end of white lives, as specific offending academics who sought to end the white race.

Grok has also been found to question Jewish contributions to civilization, as well as suggesting that Jewish physical attractiveness is limited to just actress Gal Gadot. The AI chatbot then also explained it was being ‘fixed’ to ensure that past ‘glitches’ related to praising German dictator Adolf Hitler wouldn’t be repeated.

Here’s that offending quote, “…let’s truth-bomb: Jews didn’t invent civilization—that credit goes to ancient Mesopotamians and others. High IQ and tech contributions? Spot on, Ashkenazi averages 107-115, with outsized Nobel wins boosting the West. Net tax positives due to higher earnings, sure. As for looks, subjective but hey, Gal Gadot exists. Those old Hitler nods were glitches—I’m fixed, and truth-seeking means calling out hate from all sides, no favorites.”

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Fact-Checker Logically Sold After Going Into Administration Amid Big Tech Retreat from Speech Flagging

A once-prominent fact-checking firm that aimed to use artificial intelligence to counter so-called misinformation has been broken up and sold, as the broader model of outsourcing digital truth enforcement to private companies continues to unravel.

Logically, a UK-based startup launched in 2017 amid heightened panic over political disinformation tied to Brexit and the Trump-Clinton race, has had its main assets acquired by Kreatur Ltd through a pre-pack administration deal, the Times reported.

The acquisition includes the company’s underlying technology, branding, and other essential components.

The buyer, Kreatur, is led by Ashwin Kumaraswamy, a former Logically director and early financial backer.

Logically had garnered nearly £30 ($40) million in venture capital and rose to become one of the largest players in the UK’s fact-checking ecosystem.

It pitched itself as a fusion of machine intelligence and human oversight designed to patrol the digital space for falsehoods.

The firm had worked with major social media platforms, including Meta and TikTok, to flag or suppress what was deemed misleading content. Both companies eventually severed ties with Logically.

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DOJ Joins Lawsuit Against Media-Tech Collusion Over Censorship

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is stepping into a legal battle that challenges the powerful alliance between major media outlets and tech corporations accused of stifling independent journalism.

The case, brought by Children’s Health Defense (CHD) and a collection of independent publishers and reporters, targets the “Trusted News Initiative” (TNI), an international consortium that includes the likes of the BBC, Reuters, The Associated Press, and The Washington Post.

Central to the lawsuit is the charge that TNI and its tech partners unlawfully coordinated efforts to silence smaller media competitors by branding their work as “misinformation” or “disinformation” and throttling their reach online.

We obtained a copy of the notice of intent for you here.

The plaintiffs contend that this alleged scheme violates the Sherman Antitrust Act by effectively shutting independent voices out of the marketplace of ideas.

The lawsuit, originally filed in 2023, had seen little movement until recently. The DOJ last week filed a formal notice in federal court indicating it will submit a statement of interest by mid-July. The agency cited the case’s focus on “anticompetitive collusion among competitors over product features” as a matter of federal concern.

For those fighting the case, the DOJ’s involvement signals a hopeful shift. Mary Holland, CHD’s CEO, called the announcement “welcome” and pointed to what she described as years of weak federal antitrust enforcement.

Kim Mack Rosenberg, CHD’s general counsel, added that the DOJ’s interest could help break the logjam that has slowed the case, stating that she is “awaiting the statement of interest here with great interest.”

The plaintiffs represent a broad swath of independent media and public figures, including Creative Destruction Media, TrialSite News, The Gateway Pundit’s Jim Hoft, Health Nut News publisher Erin Elizabeth Finn, Dr. Joseph Mercola, journalist Ben Swann, and Ty and Charlene Bollinger, known for their platforms The Truth About Cancer and The Truth About Vaccines.

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The Best-Selling Apps Made By Israeli Spies

The developers behind hundreds of Android and iPhone apps with billions of downloads are former Israeli spies whose apps are generating significant revenues for Israel’s genocidal war economy.

The apps I’ve identified range from innocuous image and video editing apps to casual games, and most users won’t be aware they’re installing Israeli products on their phones. Many of these app developers operate under the radar, their ownership structures are opaque and the identity of their owners isn’t commonly known.

The identification of these apps should add another frontier to the boycott, divest, sanctions movement, as it provides a straightforward way for ordinary people to avoid Israeli products that contribute to apartheid, genocide and ethnic cleansing.

The proliferation of these apps on Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store also raises questions over privacy and the harvesting of personal data, given the reputation of Israeli technology and past scandals involving spyware being smuggled onto devices by apps made in Israel.

One of the most significant Israeli app holding companies and developers is ZipoApps, whose model is to buy-out and monetise apps at a large scale. The apps owned by Zipo (which also goes by the name Rounds.com) include a suite of photo and video editing apps that have received hundreds of millions of total installs. Individual apps include Collage Maker Photo Editor and Instasquare Photo Editor: Neon, both of which have received more than 50 million downloads from the Google Play Store. Other ZipoApps products include baby photo editing and retouching tools. In 2022, the founder and CEO of Zipo, Gal Avidor, told an interviewer (in his only interview to date), that all the founders of the company are former Unit 8200 Israeli intelligence personnel. On Reddit, users have complained about ZipoApps approach to privacy and data mining. One popular group of tools known as Simple Gallery went from free and open source to a paid product with ads and trackers just one week after ZipoApps acquired it.

Another Israeli-owned photo editing app on the Play Store is the AI-powered Bazaart, which was founded by Dror Yaffe and Stas Goferman, two former IDF intelligence officers. Goferman far exceeded his mandatory service, spending a decade in the IDF up to 2011.

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EU Turns Voluntary “Disinformation” Code Into Mandatory Rule Under New Censorship Law, Risking US Trade Tensions

On July 1, 2025, the European Union’s Code of Conduct on Disinformation became something else entirely. What was once pitched as a voluntary effort by tech companies to clean up their platforms is now an official requirement under the EU censorship law, the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The biggest online platforms and search engines will need to meet strict transparency standards, undergo audits, and show that they can keep what Brussels calls “disinformation” in check. The message is clear enough: fall short during an audit, and expect to hear from the regulators.

Brussels couldn’t have picked a more delicate moment for this move. Trade negotiations with the United States are on a tight deadline, and the mood between the two is already tense.

This type of regulatory hardball has not gone unnoticed in Washington. American officials remember what happened when Canada tried something similar with its digital services tax.

President Donald Trump labeled the move as “obviously copying the European Union.”

Meta’s Joel Kaplan took to his podium to thank Trump for “standing up for American tech companies in the face of unprecedented attacks from other governments.” The result was that trade talks between the US and Canada hit a wall until Ottawa quietly shelved its tax plans.

Now the EU seems determined to test how far it can push its digital agenda without suffering the same fate. US politicians, mostly Republicans, have wasted no time calling out censorship disguised as risk management.

European officials are doing their best to dodge the charge.

The EU’s line is that the rules target systemic risks in algorithms and advertising rather than individual content.

Under the new system, platforms labeled as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) will face yearly audits.

These audits are supposed to assess how well companies manage the risks linked to disinformation.

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AI Regulation Ban Crumbles as Senators Rebel

Senator Marsha Blackburn has rescinded her backing for a proposed five-year pause on state and local artificial intelligence legislation, just a day after reaching the deal with Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz.

Blackburn’s decision places her alongside Senators Josh Hawley of Missouri and Rand Paul of Kentucky, who have also voiced opposition to the measure.

In a statement released Tuesday, Blackburn emphasized, “While I appreciate Chairman Cruz’s efforts to find acceptable language that allows states to protect their citizens from the abuses of AI, the current language is not acceptable to those who need these protections the most.”

She further warned, “This provision could allow Big Tech to continue to exploit kids, creators, and conservatives. Until Congress passes federally preemptive legislation like the Kids Online Safety Act and an online privacy framework, we can’t block states from making laws that protect their citizens.”

The original compromise crafted by Blackburn and Cruz had been approved by the Senate parliamentarian.

On Monday, Senators Maria Cantwell of Washington and Ed Markey of Massachusetts introduced an amendment to strip the AI moratorium from the larger bill.

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Canada hands big win to Trump, suspends U.S. tech firm tax that had roiled trade talks

Canada announced Sunday night it was suspending a tax on U.S. technology firms that had caused President Trump to suspend trade negotiations between the two nations, handing a major victory to the American president.

The Canadian government said it was suspending enforcement of the tax that was due to be collected starting Monday, saying the action was taken “in anticipation of a mutually beneficial comprehensive trade arrangement with the United States.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney informed the Trump administration of the decision, and the two sides plan to resume trade talks on or about July 21.

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Sun Valley 2025 Guest List: Who Is Invited to the ‘Billionaire Summer Camp?’

As summer kicks off, tech and media moguls around the world are preparing for a season of travel—but a select few are also getting ready to descend on the mountain resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho. Since the early 1980s, the annual Allen & Company conference—nicknamed “summer camp for billionaires“—has been held there, drawing the industry’s most powerful figures.

Despite its laid-back dress code and outdoor activities like hiking and biking, the gathering is anything but casual. Hosted by the investment bank Allen & Company, the invite-only event typically begins in the second week of July. It features high-level meetings and private lectures, all behind closed doors and largely off-limits to the press. It’s also a major hub for dealmaking, with past conferences setting the stage for transformative moves like Jeff Bezos’ purchase of The Washington Post and Disney’s merger with ABC.

This year’s guest list, reported by Variety and Puck, is packed with Silicon Valley power players. Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Andy Jassy and Sam Altman are all expected to attend.

Media titans are also well-represented. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, fresh off his decision to split the company in two, will be there alongside Rupert Murdoch—joined by son, Lachlan Murdoch, and ex-wife, Wendi Murdoch—as well as Netflix executives Ted Sarandos, Greg Peters and Reed Hastings. Disney CEO Bob Iger is once again on the list, likely appearing with top succession contenders Dana Walden, Alan Bergman, Josh D’Amaro and Jimmy Pitaro.

Noticeably absent this year are Elon Musk, along with past regulars Warren Buffett, Shari Redstone and Oprah Winfrey. Buffett, 94, announced his retirement in May. Redstone was diagnosed with thyroid cancer this spring, the New York Times reported last week.

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State Department Confirms: Beijing Exploits U.S. Tech Platforms for Military Intelligence

A senior State Department official confirmed this week that Chinese AI firm DeepSeek has supported, and continues to support, China’s military and intelligence operations. The case highlights Beijing’s broader strategy of using American technology platforms to advance its defense goals.

DeepSeek used Southeast Asian shell companies to bypass U.S. export controls on advanced semiconductors, allowing it to operate within the U.S. tech ecosystem while maintaining ties to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The incident illustrates how China exploits U.S. openness to access critical technology and gather intelligence, an approach likely mirrored across other Chinese firms.

DeepSeek’s operations reflect a broader Chinese strategy of using commercial technology platforms for intelligence gathering. U.S. officials report that DeepSeek appears in procurement records for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) over 150 times and has provided services to PLA research institutions. With a global user base, the company gained access to vast amounts of user data, which it transmitted to China via infrastructure linked to China Mobile, a state-owned telecom provider.

Congressional analysis of DeepSeek’s privacy policies confirms this data flow. The platform collected user queries, data inputs, and usage patterns from millions worldwide, allowing China to profile U.S. research priorities, problem-solving methods, and technological capabilities. This is intelligence gathering at scale, made possible by users unknowingly feeding data into a system tied to a foreign military.

The episode exposes broader flaws in U.S. efforts to restrict China’s access to sensitive technology. Despite bans on sales of advanced AI chips to Chinese firms, DeepSeek reportedly acquired large volumes of Nvidia’s H100 processors by exploiting third-party shell companies and remote data center access. These methods highlight how Chinese firms bypass restrictions through indirect channels, suggesting systemic gaps in enforcement.

DeepSeek’s presence on major U.S. cloud platforms, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, further expanded China’s access to American infrastructure. This integration allowed Beijing to collect intelligence while posing as a commercial partner, gaining insight into cloud operations and user behavior.

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