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

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.
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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.

On the former head of Google Cloud AI joining U.S. Central Command

101 implied HN points • 19 Apr 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Military Technology National Security Government Ethics
  1. Former head of Google Cloud AI, Andrew Moore, has joined U.S. Central Command as an advisor on AI, Robotics, and Cloud Computing.
  2. Moore has had a history of moving between Google and Carnegie Mellon University in roles related to AI and technology.
  3. Moore's new role at CENTCOM involves contributing to integrating artificial intelligence into battlefield tasks for Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Former Google CEO promotes integration of Google and Anduril tech for use by Pentagon

81 implied HN points • 10 May 23
🕹 Technology Tech Integration AI Military Tech Surveillance
  1. Former Google CEO is promoting the integration of Google and Anduril technologies for use by the Pentagon.
  2. The event highlighted the importance of surveillance technologies like Fitbits and GPS watches in military strategy.
  3. Concerns were raised about conflicts of interest and private industry's involvement in military and intelligence events.

Pollster for Niger coup support is a surveillance platform for U.S. Special Operations Forces

61 implied HN points • 27 Aug 23
🌍 World Politics Surveillance Intelligence
  1. A poll on Niger's coup support was conducted by a company that serves as a surveillance platform for U.S. Special Operations Forces.
  2. Premise Data, the pollster, has connections to U.S. military training and operations in various countries.
  3. Other U.S. intelligence contractors, like Two Six Technologies, also use polling as a cover for covert operations.

The company locking down military and municipal social media out of an abandoned mall in Oklahoma

40 implied HN points • 01 Jun 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Military Government Social media National Security Artificial Intelligence
  1. BaseConnect is a military-focused social media startup providing services for city governments to suppress public criticism.
  2. CEO Tony Weedn aims to turn BaseConnect into Oklahoma's first billion dollar startup and is expanding operations to help cities manage their social media presence.
  3. The company has received millions in contracts, including a secure newsfeed for military bases to hide COVID-19 updates from competitors.

Pentagon quietly re-awarded its $9 billion Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability contracts to U.S. tech giants

40 implied HN points • 18 May 23
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing Government Contracts Tech Giants
  1. Pentagon re-awarded $9 billion cloud contracts to U.S. tech giants like Google and Oracle.
  2. The replacement for canceled JEDI program is Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) with better risk mitigation.
  3. The contracting process has been a major obstacle with reversals in payouts and lack of transparency.

Pentagon certified Palantir as only supplier for artificial intelligence targeting tool known as "Maven Smart System"

40 implied HN points • 13 May 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Military Technology Contracts National Security AI
  1. Pentagon certified Palantir as the sole supplier for an AI targeting tool called 'Maven Smart System'.
  2. Palantir's work on the Pentagon's Project Maven involves AI surveillance and targeting.
  3. Project Maven has transitioned to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency with Palantir as the main contractor.

Cellphone location-tracking firm follows in Palantir's footsteps with Large Language Model

20 implied HN points • 20 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Surveillance Artificial Intelligence Data Analysis Government Contracts
  1. Babel Street announced the launch of its "Insights GPT" large language model.
  2. Babel Street aims to transition from a cellphone location-tracking firm to an artificial intelligence company.
  3. The Insights GPT platform may have significant government surveillance use cases, such as summarizing data on the Chinese Communist Party.

On Bellingcat and Echosec

20 implied HN points • 15 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Surveillance technology
  1. Bellingcat's usage of Echosec mostly stopped in 2015 due to costs and service changes
  2. Bellingcat's open source intelligence work is influential in civil society and intelligence agency practices
  3. Private intelligence firm Flashpoint advertised Echosec as a useful tool for journalists despite potential usage discrepancies with Bellingcat

Exclusive: British government funded a plan for international censorship of critiques of NATO

6 HN points • 25 Sep 23
🌍 World Politics Censorship NATO Intelligence Agencies Funding Disinformation
  1. A leaked report reveals a British government-funded plan for international censorship of critiques of NATO.
  2. The plan includes redefining disinformation to include factual criticism of the U.S. military and NATO.
  3. Recommendations include exerting coordinated action to pressure social media and digital market actors to moderate such speech.

Head of CIA OSINT emphasizes centrality of Twitter and Telegram surveillance

4 HN points • 28 Sep 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence Surveillance Data Analysis National Security Congress
  1. The head of CIA OSINT highlights the importance of surveillance on Twitter and Telegram for gathering open source intelligence.
  2. CIA's focus on AI technology has improved data analysis efficiency for vast amounts of surveillance data.
  3. The CIA incorporates controversial surveillance technologies like facial recognition and cellphone tracking data into their open source intelligence methodology.

'The Apps Are Not What They Seem'

1 HN point • 01 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Intelligence
  1. Byron Tau's book 'Means of Control' examines the evolution of data brokers aiding US counter-terrorism.
  2. Tau highlights covert practices like using consumer apps for intelligence by US Special Operations Forces.
  3. The book delves into how a few people in high-tech companies shape significant counter-terrorism programs.

Exclusive: Inside 'Trident Spectre', the yearly tech experimentation program for Navy SEALs

1 HN point • 13 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Military Intelligence Surveillance Defense Artificial Intelligence
  1. Trident Spectre is a technology experiment program for Navy SEALs focused on deterrence and experimentation with various capabilities.
  2. The Trident Spectre exercise includes classified sessions, international participation, and testing in a 'high fail' environment at Fort Story.
  3. Trident Spectre encourages teamwork and innovation, seeking unexpected effects similar to the accidental discovery of Viagra.

U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division purchased more Clearview AI licenses

0 implied HN points • 24 Aug 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Law enforcement Facial Recognition Biden administration Controversy
  1. The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division bought more Clearview AI licenses for the third time under the Biden administration.
  2. Clearview AI has commercial relationships with both U.S. federal law enforcement agencies and international backlash from countries like Greece and France.
  3. Despite criticism over its origins and usage, Clearview AI received significantly more federal contracts during the first two and a half years of the Biden administration compared to the Trump administration.

Google received another half million from the Pentagon to process aerial imagery

0 implied HN points • 16 Aug 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Military Contracts Technology Intelligence
  1. Google received an additional half million dollars from the Pentagon for processing aerial imagery.
  2. The contracts between Google and the Pentagon involve controversial mechanisms that bypass bureaucratic hurdles.
  3. Google's involvement in defense contracts has connections to high-level individuals like former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.