All-Source Intelligence Fusion

All-Source Intelligence Fusion Substack examines the overlapping realms of technology and national security, elucidating the entanglements between tech firms, intelligence agencies, and national security operations. It delves into issues like censorship, surveillance, information warfare, and the commercialization of intelligence data, highlighting actions of global governments and corporations.

Technology and National Security Surveillance and Privacy Artificial Intelligence in Defense Information Warfare Government and Corporate Censorship Intelligence Agencies' Operations Data Brokerage and Persona Management Corporate and Military Surveillance Contracts Campaigns and Political Influence Legal and Ethical Implications of Surveillance

The hottest Substack posts of All-Source Intelligence Fusion

And their main takeaways

The U.S. Government silently disabled anonymous public access to billions of dollars of military AI contracts

1464 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Military Contracts Surveillance Transparency
  1. The U.S. Government has made it harder for the public to access information about military AI contracts by requiring a Login.gov account and surveillance consent.
  2. Anonymous access to contract details was shut down, impacting transparency on billions in military spending, especially for contracts known as Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs).
  3. Despite these changes, access to the data was briefly restored, and there are ongoing discussions about improving transparency and reporting for OTAs.

Gaza checkpoint shell company outs itself as led by former CIA paramilitary chief

1607 implied HN points • 26 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence Security Military Government
  1. A shell company called Safe Reach Solutions is led by a former CIA paramilitary chief, Philip F. Reilly. This company is involved in operating a vehicle checkpoint in Gaza.
  2. Reilly has a strong background in intelligence and military operations, having held various significant roles, including leading controversial drone strike programs.
  3. The article suggests that the U.S. intelligence community uses access journalism to manage and divert attention from their covert activities in conflict zones.

Microsoft's whitepaper for the U.S. Army's 'fighting google' and integration with Maven through Project Convergence

651 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Military Technology Contracts Artificial Intelligence Government
  1. Microsoft is working with the U.S. Army to integrate augmented reality technology into military operations, focusing on a project called IVAS. This technology aims to give soldiers enhanced situational awareness on the battlefield.
  2. There have been complications with the IVAS technology, including issues like discomfort for users, which led to funding cuts from Congress. The Army is exploring better alternatives for combat effectiveness.
  3. Microsoft is involved in a competitive environment with other tech companies like Anduril and Palantir for military contracts. These partnerships and innovations are crucial for enhancing the capabilities needed in modern warfare.

Anonymous access to Other Transaction Agreement summaries was just re-enabled

590 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Transparency Contracts Procurement Military
  1. Anonymous access to Other Transaction Agreement summaries is back online. This means people can again view some important government contract information without logging in.
  2. The General Services Administration has not explained why Other Transaction Agreements are missing from the USASpending.gov website. This lack of information makes it harder to understand government spending.
  3. There are concerns that the U.S. government's efforts for transparency in military contracts are not keeping up with their advanced technology plans. More openness is needed to build trust in how funds are used.

Gaza checkpoint contractor is shell company of Wyoming-based 'generational wealth management' firm

1139 implied HN points • 23 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Security Corporations Contracts Intelligence
  1. Safe Reach Solutions is a contractor for a Gaza checkpoint and is linked to a Wyoming-based wealth management firm called Two Ocean Trust. This connection raises questions about its legitimacy.
  2. The company operates as a shell, meaning it may not have a lot of transparency about its operations or leadership. Its website doesn't even list its legal name or any employees.
  3. Another contractor, UG Solutions, is run by a former U.S. Special Forces soldier. This adds a layer of military experience to the operations at the checkpoint.
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Day 7 of Gaza ceasefire: U.S.-manned Netzarim corridor vehicle checkpoint set to open today

508 implied HN points • 25 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics International relations Military Affairs Human Rights Government Contracts Security Measures
  1. A vehicle checkpoint controlled by the U.S. is set to open in Gaza, allowing some displaced people to return home. This is part of a ceasefire agreement that started recently.
  2. Two American companies, UG Solutions and Safe Reach Solutions, are involved in managing the checkpoint. They are not very well known but have connections to security operations.
  3. There are concerns and questions about the backgrounds of these companies. One of them is linked to a shell company, and there are calls for more transparency about who is really behind these operations.

The next year of AI target analysis

467 implied HN points • 23 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Military Analysis Intelligence Data
  1. AI is being used to improve how military targets are tracked and analyzed. This means we could see continuous updates on things like tanks, instead of just occasional snapshots.
  2. Companies like Anthropic and Google are investing big in AI for defense purposes. They're aiming to compete with others, like OpenAI, for military contracts and capabilities.
  3. The U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is working on integrating AI systems to enhance their intelligence efforts, but it's facing some challenges with existing technologies.

From CIA station chief to AI chatbots to Trump-adjacent lobbying

529 implied HN points • 20 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Lobbying Intelligence Technology Foreign Policy National Security
  1. Enrique de la Torre, a former CIA station chief, has now joined a lobbying firm with ties to the Trump administration. This shows a trend of government officials moving to private sector roles.
  2. De la Torre criticized the CIA's new AI system for profiling world leaders, calling it inadequate compared to his ideas. This highlights ongoing discussions about the effectiveness of technology in government work.
  3. His views on U.S. foreign policy, especially in Latin America, suggest he will push for strong stances against countries like Cuba and Venezuela in his new role. This aligns with certain hawkish perspectives in U.S. politics.

$142 million AI drone warfare contract from 'Project Maven' was silently erased from public record

1485 implied HN points • 26 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Contracts National Security Artificial Intelligence Military technology
  1. The U.S. government removed records of a $142 million contract for AI drone warfare called 'Project Maven.' This deletion happened without any public announcement.
  2. Interestingly, another related contract worth $52 million was also deleted from public records. These actions raise concerns about transparency in government spending.
  3. The defense spokesperson stated that the deletions were justified for national security reasons. This suggests that some information might be kept secret for safety.

Pentagon confirms erasure of Project Maven-related contract records

712 implied HN points • 05 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Defense Surveillance Legislation National Security
  1. The Pentagon deleted public records of a $200 million AI surveillance contract called Project Maven, raising concerns about transparency.
  2. They justified this erasure by citing national security rules that allow withholding information from public databases.
  3. Some agencies, like the CIA, are exempt from certain federal procurement regulations, making it unclear how broadly these rules are applied.

The quiet integration of 'Project Maven' and the Pentagon's cloud with 'Minotaur' maritime border surveillance

590 implied HN points • 06 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance Military Intelligence Technology Border control
  1. Project Maven is being integrated with the Minotaur Mission System to help border surveillance. This setup is used by the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection.
  2. The Minotaur system combines different types of surveillance data, making it easier to detect illegal activities. It links sensors, cameras, and radar into one automated system.
  3. Amazon Web Services is involved in providing cloud support for Minotaur, highlighting the role of big tech in military surveillance programs.

Former Obama CIA Chief Backs Nikki Haley

773 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Election Intelligence Government National Security Campaign
  1. Former Obama CIA Chief Michael Morell publicly supports Nikki Haley's presidential campaign with both donations and endorsements.
  2. Morell organized efforts to shape the 2020 presidential election by discrediting a report on Hunter Biden, a move tied to intelligence officials interfacing with the Biden campaign.
  3. Several high-ranking former intelligence and national security officials, including Michael Morell and Douglas Feith, are backing Nikki Haley's campaign for president despite limited voter support.

Anomaly detection firm tied to numerous former CIA officials affiliated with Beacon Global accidentally published its confidential data brokerage and persona management agreements

854 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence Security National Defense Surveillance Government Contracts
  1. Orbis Operations, led by former CIA officials, accidentally published confidential data agreements.
  2. Anomaly detection techniques used by intelligence agencies and corporations focus on detecting anomalies and insider threats.
  3. National security data brokers like Orbis fuse various data sources for surveillance and intelligence gathering.

The robotics company working with OpenAI to eat every warehouse worker's lunch

651 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Robotics Artificial Intelligence Automation Investment Competition
  1. Brett Adcock's humanoid robot company aims to replace human workers in warehouses with subscription-based robots that can work 20 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  2. Figure AI collaborates with OpenAI to combine robotics and AI, aiming to create 'embodied AI' by leveraging OpenAI's strengths in language models and Figure's expertise in robotics.
  3. Adcock positions Figure AI to compete with Elon Musk's humanoid robotics effort 'Optimus' and dismisses other competitors due to limitations in hardware or software capabilities.

California Judiciary cancelled its purchase of ChatGPT Plus

793 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Government Startups Data processing Social media
  1. The California Judiciary cancelled its purchase of ChatGPT Plus after submitting a $4,080 purchase order on January 2nd.
  2. The procurement was intended for a proof of concept to see if ChatGPT could aid in website tasks, but was cancelled due to the lack of comparable quotes.
  3. Justice Guerrero announced plans for artificial intelligence at a Judicial Council meeting, focusing on developing model rules for state courts regarding AI usage.

Brief: Pentagon's new AI chief is former Google Trust & Safety exec who previously helped guide U.S. special operations

569 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Digital Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Social media
  1. Radha Iyengar Plumb, a former Google Trust & Safety exec, will become the Pentagon's new Chief Digital and AI Officer in April, replacing Craig Martell.
  2. Iyengar Plumb has had a diverse career, transitioning from a professor to roles at RAND, the National Security Council, Google, Facebook, and now the Pentagon.
  3. Executives like Iyengar Plumb moving between tech companies like Google and roles in the defense and intelligence community highlights the intersecting realms of technology and national security.

Inside the Pro-Israel Information War

860 HN points • 08 Dec 23
🌍 World Politics Israel Palestine Media Advocacy Campaigns
  1. There is a concerted effort to shape online discourse and silence pro-Palestinian voices by pro-Israel forces in Silicon Valley.
  2. Pro-Israel groups are heavily involved in shaping media coverage and advocating for Israel in the public discourse.
  3. Efforts to suppress pro-Palestinian speech, influence media outlets, and lobby lawmakers are prominent in the pro-Israel information war.

CEO of Gig-work Surveillance Firm Resigns

752 implied HN points • 18 Dec 23
💼 Business Tech Surveillance Leadership Finance Legal
  1. CEO of Gig-work Surveillance Firm, Maury Blackman, resigned after years of court battles and exposure of clandestine surveillance.
  2. Premise Data, an analogue of Uber for data-gathering, faced revenue stagnation despite investments and high-profile board members.
  3. Blackman's resignation led to Matt McNabb taking over as CEO, revealing a history of controversial events and legal issues within Premise.

Fort Meade's new contract monitoring Twitter

854 implied HN points • 22 Sep 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance Social media Government Intelligence
  1. Defense Information Systems Agency has a new $2.5 million social media surveillance contract with Dataminr.
  2. Dataminr, associated with Twitter, has been careful to avoid the 'surveillance' label and instead presents itself as an 'alerting' platform.
  3. Despite past commitments, Dataminr continues to provide access to social media data for surveillance purposes.

Leaked details of new collaboration between U.S. and Australian intelligence, by way of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt

630 implied HN points • 04 Dec 23
🌍 World Politics Intelligence Collaboration Technology Policy Security
  1. Leaked details reveal collaboration between U.S. and Australian intelligence officials and tech industry executives.
  2. The workshop focused on 'human-machine teaming' for AI policy in defense and intelligence sectors.
  3. The event involved key figures from major tech companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, Scale AI, and Palantir.

Fraudulent DMCA Takedown Submitted to Hide Details of Felony Domestic Violence Arrest of Premise CEO Delwin Maury Blackman

590 implied HN points • 20 Nov 23
📰 News Legal issues Crime Journalism Ethics
  1. A fraudulent DMCA takedown request was submitted to hide details of a CEO's felony domestic violence arrest.
  2. The fraudulent request involved purposefully sloppy English and impersonation of the author.
  3. Despite the request's clear falsity, the hosting service complied to minimize legal liability.

Admist uncertain merger with Woz's Privateer Space, Orbital Insight CEO Kevin O'Brien bails to cryptocurrency surveillance firm Chainalysis

366 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
💼 Business Technology Cryptocurrency Finance Surveillance Investments
  1. Orbital Insight CEO Kevin O'Brien moved to the cryptocurrency surveillance firm Chainalysis, leaving behind the collapse and financial struggles of Orbital.
  2. Orbital Insight faced challenges leading to financial decline, including defaulting on rent, a nonfunctional main phone line, and failed attempts at a merger with Privateer Space.
  3. Despite substantial funding and strategic partnerships, Orbital's downfall was partially attributed to market changes, such as Apple's privacy measures affecting their commercial data analysis business.

How Steve Wozniak and Indonesia's CIA collided

569 implied HN points • 21 Oct 23
🌍 World Politics CIA Merger
  1. Orbital Insight's Project Alpha involved a kickoff meeting with Indonesia's State Intelligence Agency and Grandrich Corporation in June.
  2. Orbital Insight's primary revenue source is working with the Indonesian government on a program to track precise locations in the country.
  3. Merger talks are ongoing between Orbital and Steve Wozniak's Privateer, aiming to value Orbital at $20 million in a potentially $90 million merged company.

The NSF is using Clearview AI to investigate grant applicants with common names

508 implied HN points • 17 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Investigations Privacy Concerns Government Contracts
  1. The National Science Foundation is using Clearview AI to investigate grant applicants with common names.
  2. The NSF is focusing on situations involving foreign influence, foreign recruitment, and foreign talent programs.
  3. Privacy concerns are not being addressed in the NSF's purchase of Clearview AI's facial recognition capabilities.

Brief: Google received cloud contract supporting U.S. Special Operations Forces

223 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Military Technology Contracts Cloud Computing
  1. Google received a cloud contract to support U.S. Special Operations Forces as part of a $9 billion program run by the Pentagon, along with Microsoft, Oracle, and Amazon.
  2. The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) with roughly 60,000 personnel works closely with elite units for direct action missions and core activities like counter-insurgency operations.
  3. The cloud computing contracts are seen as linking the CIA's cloud contract and the Pentagon's JWCC initiative, suggesting a bridge between intelligence and military operations.

ICE seemingly inflated its contract with a cellphone location-tracking data broker to work around a "commercial data pause"

467 implied HN points • 06 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Data Privacy
  1. ICE increased a contract with a data broker from $816,700 to over $3.6 million to bypass a 'commercial data pause'.
  2. DHS Inspector General recommended ICE stop using location-tracking data until proper assessments are done.
  3. There were oversight gaps identified in how ICE used cellphone location data, including shared accounts and lack of supervisory review.

Exclusive: Google-backed intelligence contractor is avoiding bankruptcy by attempting to merge with Steve Wozniak's satellite company

467 implied HN points • 01 Oct 23
💼 Business Technology Finance World Politics U.S. Politics International
  1. Orbital Insight, a Google-backed intelligence contractor, is avoiding bankruptcy by planning a merger with Steve Wozniak's satellite company Privateer.
  2. Orbital Insight faced financial troubles including downgrading its value and emergency loans, with its main client being the Indonesian military.
  3. Orbital's expansion plans included military and intelligence contracts worldwide, efforts to court international militaries like the IDF, Saudis, and Emiratis, and possible NATO collaborations.

Campaign to Stop Killer Robots fired its government relations manager to protect relationship with Austria, says former employee

366 implied HN points • 08 Nov 23
🌍 World Politics Activism Human Rights Diplomacy Conflict resolution
  1. The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots fired a government relations manager over comments about Israel's actions in Gaza.
  2. The firing occurred just before a significant vote by the United Nations General Assembly on autonomous weapons.
  3. There were conflicts of interest and controversy surrounding the termination, including involvement of Austria and Palestine.

Press freedoms are tightening for journalists who report adversarially on NATO

325 implied HN points • 05 Jun 23
🌍 World Politics Journalism International relations
  1. Press freedoms are tightening for journalists adversarial to NATO, facing alignments demands from Western governments
  2. Legendary journalist I.F. Stone emphasized that freedom of the press includes allowing lies to safeguard the truth
  3. Western press freedoms are deteriorating, with concerns raised by organizations like Reporters Without Borders and the National Union of Journalists

The Covert Gig-Work Surveillance CEO Arrested for Felony Domestic Violence

223 implied HN points • 14 Sep 23
💼 Business Crime Technology Podcasts Surveillance Legal
  1. CEO of Premise Data, Maury Blackman, was arrested for felony domestic violence after a Christmas party.
  2. The incident involving the CEO and his girlfriend was not publicly reported as the victim recanted her initial statements.
  3. Premise Data, Blackman's company, has been accused of covert surveillance activities for U.S. defense and intelligence agencies.

Surveillance firm backed by Google and CIA allegedly defaulted on $370,000 per month rent

203 implied HN points • 19 Sep 23
💼 Business Surveillance Tech Finance Government Security
  1. Orbital Insight, a surveillance firm backed by Google and CIA, allegedly defaulted on $370,000 per month rent
  2. Orbital Insight was sued by its landlord and subtenants for failing to pay rent for its Silicon Valley HQ
  3. The company had significant investments, including from Google Ventures and the U.S. Intelligence Community

Transparency International defends funding from Western spy agencies — but won't say which

203 implied HN points • 09 Sep 23
🌍 World Politics Corruption Whistleblowers NGOs
  1. Transparency International defends receiving funding from Western spy agencies but refuses to disclose which agencies.
  2. The organization faces criticism for potential conflicts of interest due to its funding sources, which include spy agencies.
  3. Transparency International's autonomy allows chapters to operate independently, leading to varied responses to controversial issues like protecting whistleblowers.

Covert gigwork surveillance platform attempts to claw back disclosures of its intelligence clients

142 implied HN points • 18 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Surveillance Legal Battles National Security
  1. Premise Data's CEO is trying to keep the names of the military and spy agencies the company works for a secret.
  2. There is a legal battle over disclosing intelligence clients, with requests for documents to be clawed back and redacted.
  3. The legal dispute involves claims of national security reasons and maintaining marketplace competitiveness for secrecy.

An FBI-partnered chatroom infiltration firm tried to sell me cellphone location data

101 implied HN points • 14 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Surveillance Data Tracking National Security AI Internet
  1. An FBI-partnered firm tried to sell cellphone location data in a chatroom infiltration pitch.
  2. The firm touted the quality and depth of their social media surveillance data compared to competitors.
  3. The firm outsourced cellphone location-tracking to a partner and had key figures from Babel Street in their ranks.

Pentagon is Combining Corporate Records and Social Media Surveillance to Guide Hacking and Influence Operations

101 implied HN points • 27 Apr 23
🌍 World Politics Military Intelligence Surveillance Cyber Operations Information Warfare
  1. Pentagon is combining corporate records and social media surveillance for hacking and influence operations.
  2. Corporate surveillance firms were discussing providing bulk surveillance data for purposes like protecting the NATO brand.
  3. U.S. military and intelligence agencies are developing offensive information warfare industry using social media surveillance, corporate records analysis, and cellphone location-tracking.