China-Based Hackers Caught Using Facebook For Targeted Spying on Uighurs (nbcnews.com) 79
NBC News reports:
Facebook said Wednesday that hackers based in China used the social media platform as part of a campaign to hack and spy on diasporas of Uyghurs, the minority group the country has been accused of putting in "re-education" camps. The hackers used Facebook to identify, track and send malicious links to Uyghur activists, dissidents and journalists living in the U.S., Australia, Canada and Turkey, among other countries, Facebook said.
Facebook stopped short of directly blaming the Chinese government for sponsoring the campaign. "We can see geographic attribution based on the activity, but we can't actually prove who's behind the operation," the company's head of cybersecurity policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, said in a phone call with journalists. But Facebook did say the hackers are part of the same operation that the cybersecurity company Volexity cited in 2019 as being affiliated with the Chinese government. It published research that revealed that the country's hackers had gone to extreme measures to hack and spy on Uyghurs. They used sophisticated, previously unknown tools to load malicious code into multiple Uyghur news sites so that they would hack and spy on nearly any smartphone that visited.
"Who else would have the resources, the time and effort to go after these people? If you told me it was Iceland I'd be pretty surprised," Volexity CEO Steven Adair said in a phone call Wednesday...
Facebook's head of cyberespionage, Mike Dvilyanski, said on the call that while it had found and removed fewer than 500 accounts that sent malicious links to Uyghurs, it was "an extremely targeted operation... We were seeing them create personas on Facebook that are designed to look like journalists that focus on issues critical to the Uyghur community, that are designed to look like activists that might be standing up for the Uyghur community, designed to look like members of the community," Dvilyanski said. "Then use that as a way to trick them into clicking into these links to expose their devices."
The article also cites "multiple investigative reports" showing China "maintains re-education camps that detain an estimated 1 million Uyghurs...
"With omnipresent cameras, face recognition technology and intense collection of residents' data, it's one of the most heavily surveilled areas in the world."
Facebook stopped short of directly blaming the Chinese government for sponsoring the campaign. "We can see geographic attribution based on the activity, but we can't actually prove who's behind the operation," the company's head of cybersecurity policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, said in a phone call with journalists. But Facebook did say the hackers are part of the same operation that the cybersecurity company Volexity cited in 2019 as being affiliated with the Chinese government. It published research that revealed that the country's hackers had gone to extreme measures to hack and spy on Uyghurs. They used sophisticated, previously unknown tools to load malicious code into multiple Uyghur news sites so that they would hack and spy on nearly any smartphone that visited.
"Who else would have the resources, the time and effort to go after these people? If you told me it was Iceland I'd be pretty surprised," Volexity CEO Steven Adair said in a phone call Wednesday...
Facebook's head of cyberespionage, Mike Dvilyanski, said on the call that while it had found and removed fewer than 500 accounts that sent malicious links to Uyghurs, it was "an extremely targeted operation... We were seeing them create personas on Facebook that are designed to look like journalists that focus on issues critical to the Uyghur community, that are designed to look like activists that might be standing up for the Uyghur community, designed to look like members of the community," Dvilyanski said. "Then use that as a way to trick them into clicking into these links to expose their devices."
The article also cites "multiple investigative reports" showing China "maintains re-education camps that detain an estimated 1 million Uyghurs...
"With omnipresent cameras, face recognition technology and intense collection of residents' data, it's one of the most heavily surveilled areas in the world."
These people are clearly oppressed and victims (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:These people are clearly oppressed and victims (Score:5, Informative)
...of human rights abuses. Like the Hutus and the Tutsi in Rawanda, but not that bad yet? Shouldn't we intervene?
How would you do that?
China is responsible for ~14% of the military expenditures in the World. And much more if you do a purchasing power parity adjustment (how much bang you get per buck). No power in the World, not even the US, can challenge them on their own turf (not even considering the risk of nuclear war). And if we look at other major powers China is spending (without the power parity adjustment) as much as the three next countries on list put together. And the balance of power is going to change in Chinas favor over the coming years due to higher economic growth until the extreme aging of their population start to kick in.
In other words: If anyone (the US) militarily intervenes the result would be a major catastrophe. There are of course other options. But military intervention would definitely be stupid.
Re: These people are clearly oppressed and victims (Score:2)
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I would craft a UNSC resolution whereby a veto meant not intervening. China could not force it through, and it is a signatory. Send in groups from the other members.
China is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. Any motion that was not in what China perceives to be their interest would be vetoed.
In any case, the UN has no real enforcement power. Any nation foolish enough to think they can send troops in to China to enforce human rights would be quickly shown to be mistaken.
Ask China to cooperate by sending in UN commanded troops of its own.
Telling China to solve their problems with the Uighurs by sending troops in to Uighur territory is not a practical suggestion.
Re: These people are clearly oppressed and victims (Score:2)
What makes you so sure?
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How would that happen. China is a permanent member of the Security Council with veto rights. The UN has tried investigating the US several times, and time and time again the US says fuck off.
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Shouldn't we intervene?
The answer is a clear and obvious "no". jlar provides the reasons why.
When the answer is so obvious, what is the agenda behind asking the question?
Re: These people are clearly oppressed and victims (Score:1)
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Shouldn't we intervene?
Easy to say. Hard to do.
Muslim indifference (Score:2)
Why is it that Muslims throughout the ME shake their fist and chant death to America but give China a pass while they horrifically oppress their Muslim Uighur brothers and sisters?
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They're talking about the oppression they suffer, not the oppression their "Uighur brothers and sisters" suffer.
ME ethnicities are not white, not Christian, not English as a second language, not a democracy, not a Republic, which alienates them from the USA and yet the USA demands their oil while protecting their infidels (Israel) and punishing devout believers (Iran).
With the rise of green energy, the "demanding their oil" bit, may stop soon.
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Wherever most of it comes from, the Us does import _some_.
https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/h... [eia.gov]
Re: Muslim indifference (Score:1)
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I see your point. It does still count as an import.
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America does not import oil from the Middle East. Most of it comes from Canada,
You think the 'death to America' chanting types care or know? Supposedly rational sensible people here didn't even know...
Re: Muslim indifference (Score:1)
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The commonality seems to be America interferes in their country or bombs it's people or supports it's enemies. Something China hasn't really been into so much, yet.
Re:Muslim indifference (Score:5, Informative)
Uyghur muslims are as un-important to the middle easy as far-east asians or muslims in India. Politically costly to support, no religious drum-banging. The real question to ask however is why the whole world does not support these people? They are human beings, irrespective of religion or ethnicity. I would chastise any group for its oppression of any other group, like the Hutus genocide of the Tutsis in Rawanda, the Slavics on the Bosniaks in Yugoslavia, etc etc... I am neither from the Baltics, African, or Chinese.
It is the power of human deductive reasoning to determine when wrong is wrong.
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The real question to ask however is why the whole world does not support these people?
Simply because Rwanda and Yugoslavia were weak countries of little economic significance, so they could be pushed around.
China on the other hand is neither weak nor insignificant. Any significant action against China would have serious consequences for whatever countries participated. So they can get away with pretty much whatever they want, and the rest of the world may well complain but won't take any serious action.
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Obviously China wouldn't veto a resolution to leave it alone. Anyone want to veto this resolution?
Someone else: "I veto!".
China: Damnit! This technically complies with the charter!!!
World: Humanity rocks.
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That is not how international law works.
But even if it did, you now have permission to do something about it. Assume you are the US president. What is your course of action?
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That is not how international law works.
But even if it did, you now have permission to do something about it. Assume you are the US president. What is your course of action?
A round of golf.
Oh wait, the new President...
Afternoon nap maybe?
Re: Muslim indifference (Score:1)
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China denies landing permission for the planes with the peacekeeping monitors.
Your move.
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Frankly, the entire world's response to this has been pretty tepid. You know why that is, right? Here's a hint in a previous Slashdot article.
https://entertainment.slashdot... [slashdot.org]
Relevant quote:
The film, which opens in North American theaters and on HBO Max on Wednesday, debuted in 38 overseas markets to an impressive $121.8 million, including $70.3 million in Chinese receipts. That's the biggest debut for a Hollywood film in China since 2019.
It would be... financially inconvenient... to make too much over this Uighur thing. Oh, yeah, and sorry Tibet, but we can't even portray your monks in movies anymore... Nothing personal, just business... in China.
Re: Muslim indifference (Score:2)
You are right, I have wondered that too.
Every where else they have jumped in with their terrorists & suicide bombers even for stuff like cartoons
End result will be that Europe & other places will all emulate China sooner or later, to end this type of terrorism from the grass roots.
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--"Why don't those other places try vocational training and jobs? Try to integrate them into a modern society?"
--"Plan B can still be genocide. A least give them a chance to reform first."
Almost all countries have those things you say - vocational training, education, jobs trying to integrate them into a peaceful modern society.
The problem is that doing it requires going against their religion. Trying to get their kids into normal schools get real fruitless as most of them send their kids to "Madarssas" whi
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Uighurs in China who speak up risk having their organs harvested.
* https://www.businessinsider.co... [businessinsider.com]
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Why is it that Muslims throughout the ME shake their fist and chant death to America but give China a pass while they horrifically oppress their Muslim Uighur brothers and sisters?
Uighurs in China who speak up risk having their organs harvested.
Not an excuse for all the Muslims not in China.
Did you respond to the wrong comment perhaps?
Or just wanted to jam your talking point in somewhere near the top.
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>> Uighurs in China who speak up risk having their organs harvested.
> Not an excuse for all the Muslims not in China.
I suspect they treat it as a lesson. Objecting to abuses to, or by, a nation that would treat your objections as an excuse to remove your vital organs is unlikely to be effective. Objecting to, or in, a nation where protesters will gather to condemn racism is not only safer, but usually more effective in gaining political goals.
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It's infinitely more likely for a Middle East Muslim to be bombed by America, than have his or her organs harvested by China.
Yet they still chant death to America and not Death to China.
Are you saying the do it to gain sympathy from the very Americans whose death they are calling out for?
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"Infinitely" more likely? Hardly. Do look up the Uighur genocide, it's appalling. According to some numbers, more than 80% of the Uighur population in Xianjing has been murdered in the last 4 years.The report at https://bylinetimes.com/2020/0... [bylinetimes.com] seems credible.
> Are you saying the do it to gain sympathy from the very Americans whose death they are calling out for?
Why not? It is the basis of many political movements, calling for the death of those they see as oppressors and encouraging fear or sympathy fr
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Xianjing isn't in the Middle East. [google.com]
Number of Muslims America bombed in the Middle east = more than 0
Number of Muslims China has harvested organs from in the Middle East = 0
You are infinitely more likely.
3 posts in a row talking about the Middle East, and you still try to shoehorn in your talking points about a completely different region.
Like I originally said. You must be replying in the wrong thread.
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I'm suggesting that 80% genocide and harvesting their organs is an effective way to silence Muslim protest, as horrific as it is. Merely waging war and creating puppet regimes leaves enough of a society in place to host protests.
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Re: Muslim indifference (Score:2)
Because they've been to see for themselves and nothing they see is anything like that reported in the west.
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Perhaps you didn't notice several wars and regime changes in the Middle East either by western countries or backed by western countries.
Direct wars or funding/support:
Afghanistan. Iran overthrown. Iran vs Iraq. Israel vs Palestinians. Iraq war. Syrian civil war. Saudi Arabia vs Yemen.
When was the last time you asked an Iranian how
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Belt and Road Initiative. Most of the countries China is building up are Muslim-majority:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
They like for the Mooselims to be under their thumb, but not under their roof. Much like America.
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saloomy says it well by mentioning fragmentation in Islam. More to this, there are many Muslim groups in China that are fairly content under Chinese rule. Ughyurs are the exception because they aren't content. Terrorist acts were committed by members of this ethnic group and they have consistently rallied for independence. China will not surrender it's sovereignty, so the only situation the minority left Chinese rule with was a crackdown. Han predominately support this and the other Chinese Muslims understa
Re: zenz (Score:2)
Right, and/or CIA backed "NGO"s.
After all the BS on WMDs, how can we trust anything these western governments say?
The only way to get any idea is to go there yourself. I did, and see no evidence of anything like what is reported.
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The only way to get any idea is to go there yourself. I did, and see no evidence of anything like what is reported.
Even taking your comment at face value, the fact that you didn't see it in a nation the size of China with an intelligence and control apparatus the size of China's would prove literally nothing.
Taking your comment at face value would of course be stupid AF. Reputable organizations have reported on China's abuses of human rights time and again.
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Adrian Zenz works for a government backed NGO. It's all the same bullshit. The guys first writings are on the Christian rapture and then later on Uyghurs. He claims to be an anthropologist but he has never seen first hand what he is claiming is happening. Instead he actively claims he "reads between the lines" regarding statistics released by the CCP.
The irony and absurdity of what is going on here is too much. You have a guy who is more of religious fundamentalist than most Americans can stand. He is getti
Saudis (Score:3)
Yes the Chinese are barstards, but the Saudis and their fundamentlism cause far more misery by numbers.
Don't be that guy. (Score:2)
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CIA? (Score:2)
How can they be sure of location? It's next to trivial to fake your location, and the CIA and other USA and western organisations have aot riding on increasing blame on China, faceboook included.
Why would China want to eradicate some of their own anyway? No one have provided any motive. It makes no sense at all.
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Why would China want to eradicate some of their own anyway? No one have provided any motive. It makes no sense at all.
Are you this naïve? Chine does not consider the Uighurs "some of their own". That is the entire point of the genocide.
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"Reeducation" even if it can be harsh/brutal is not genocide, at least not in the sense of Nazi Germany who saw that the ultimate solution was the end the existence of the Jewish race.
The fact that the Nazis were worse does not mean that anything less than Nazism is now excused from being genocide.
China wants to wipe Uighur culture off the face of the Earth. Whether people with Uighur background still exist does not matter to China, as long as those people are unaware of their history.
Re:CIA? To create harmony (Score:2)
|| Why would China want to eradicate some of their own anyway? No one have provided any motive. It makes no sense at all. To create harmony.
A homogeneous society is easier to manage.
It make perfect sense if values, make the country more important than and individuals or group.
America is falling apart because of lies and polarization, China sees that and want to remove anything they think would challenge the CCP.
Religion to some is more important than country. CCP does not like that.
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If you don't know why China would wish to single out a subset of its own people, you clearly don't know very much about China. For starters, there is no single homogeneous Chinese race. Han Chinese are the biggest ethnic group, and even this is comprised of many subgroups. The PRC recognizes something like 56 different ethnic minorities outside of the main Han grouping. Open discrimination and fighting between these ethnic groups is nothing new. What's more concerning about the current rounding up of the Uy
yees (Score:1)
Slave labor (Score:3)
Aside from the organ harvesting, rape, etc. The CCP literally has them picking cotton. [youtube.com]
And the FBI CIA? (Score:2)
That's the very reason (Score:1)
Studying is the key (Score:1)