Former Communist Journalist Turned FBI Informant Revealed Party Secrets
My latest for Journalist and Spy: Louis Budenz was an American journalist and communist spy. A member of the Communist Party USA, he shared gossip with Soviet intelligence. He later renounced communism and debriefed the FBI on the party's inner workings. https://t.co/DT7nW6B0fK
Hungarian State Media Pivots to Impartiality Post‑Orbán
Curious to see what happens to the Hungarian media landscape following the end of Orbán’s regime. So far, employees with state media orgs have fired prominent staff; expressed a desire to host guests opposing Orbán; and demanded editorial impartiality. https://t.co/csOfvJb62s...
China’s Crackdown Targets Journalists Exposing Overseas Intimidation
Journalists reporting on China should be aware of ways the authorities may respond to their work. Here's what happened to @ICIJorg and its network following a 2025 exposé on Beijing’s tactics to threaten, coerce and intimidate regime critics overseas. https://t.co/kGXs8PegQC
FBI Intercepted Vicky Peláez's Moscow Intel Discussion
Updated my post about journalist and spy Vicky Peláez yesterday to include some quotes from @gordoncorera’s book, including that the FBI listened in as she discussed Moscow’s feedback on her husband’s intelligence reports. https://t.co/zac1WolBJS
UAE Police Rely on Snitches to Track WhatsApp War Photos
If you're wondering how the authorities in the UAE catch those who share pictures of Iranian drone and missile attacks on WhatsApp: police ask, people snitch. https://t.co/POJq6fBEej https://t.co/njFeJQXZpE
Reuters Saudi Reporter Warns of WhatsApp Impersonation Scam
The chief Saudi correspondent for @Reuters warns that someone's impersonating him on WhatsApp with links and requests for information; at least one individual in the UAE was contacted by this number already. https://t.co/OkG01CK0TK
Lofoten Hydrogen Ferry Project Fails to Meet Promises
An investigation by journalists with NRK in Norway and SVT in Sweden found that a multimillion-dollar, prestige ferry project in Lofoten, Norway relies on hydrogen fuel cell technology that "cannot live up to what it promises." https://t.co/2Sr1sxyPXw
No Known Danish or Swedish Cases of Biometric Device Seizure
Have there been any cases in Denmark or Sweden where the authorities have gained access to a journalist’s device using Touch ID or Face ID? Ref: the FBI and WaPo in January. https://t.co/v0vfip6VUz
China's Ongoing Assault on Overseas Civil Society
I wrote an article a few years ago about how China targets civil society abroad, still very relevant today. https://t.co/0Ic7yxpWrM
Apple’s Lockdown Mode Remains Unbreached Spyware Shield
Apple’s Lockdown Mode feature is the best defense we have against spyware on iOS, macOS, watchOS, and iPadOS. Apple launched the feature four years ago and has not yet seen a device with Lockdown Mode on be compromised. https://t.co/0lF1BbEWZE
Hungary Charges Journalist with Espionage over Lavrov Leak Claim
Wild story from Hungary where the authorities charged journalist @panyiszabolcs with espionage following an article claiming the country's foreign minister shared EU information with Sergei Lavrov, his Russian counterpart. https://t.co/NzCU3HsnSG
JFK Terminal 1 Lines Begin After Boarding Pass Check
JFK T1 lines appear normal, both start after the entry point where the agents first check your boarding pass and ID.
Instagram Should Default to Encryption, Not Cancel It
Instagram should’ve made end-to-end encryption the default for everyone, not shut it down because “very few people were opting in.” https://t.co/dc2xX4WNbt https://t.co/HLmKFqGLOD
Unclear if Firms Warned Apple About Stolen iPhone Hack Toolkit
We still don't know if Trenchant and L3Harris notified Apple once it learned its iPhone-hacking toolkit had been stolen/leaked. The toolkit was later used to target people in China and Ukraine. https://t.co/XBCHssnaQO https://t.co/y6g1IuwfVZ
Russian Spy Nomma Zarubina Sent to U.S. Prison
Nomma Zarubina, who once drunk-texted an FBI agent saying "Catch me baby. So many spies," is heading to U.S. prison for spying for Russian intelligence. https://t.co/UnZ15LNWq6