Security News for the Week Ending February 16, 2024

FCC Bans Robocalls Using AI-Generated Voices

This comes after someone generated thousands of robocalls pretending to be Joe Biden telling people not to vote. Unless they get express permission from the recipient of the call, which would, of course, defeat the purpose of the call. The FCC wrote the rule in a way that allows state AGs to prosecute callers. Now, all they have to do is get Russia to extradite the callers. Basically, nice concept, but not effective. Credit: Steptoe & Johnson

Apple Vision Pro Was Porn-Free – For 3 Weeks

Porn has always driven the Internet because there is a lot of demand for it which equates to a lot of money to be made. Apple said that they did not want the Vision Pro to become known as a great porn tool. Some users, after buying the $3500 toy and discovering that the VR porn that they already had didn’t work, called it a $3500 chastity belt. But not to worry. Three weeks after the release of the Vision Pro, the first “adult content” has been released under the guise of “explicit sex education”. I haven’t seen it, but I will take their word for it. Apparently, whether Apple likes it or not, Vision Porn is born. Credit: Vice (how appropriate).

Russian Interference ‘Poses a Clear Threat’ to EU Elections

The VP of the European Commission, speaking as the keynote at the Munich Cyber Security Conference, says that Russian interference in the EU’s forthcoming parliamentary elections could endanger society. The Russians have figured out it is too hard to hack election machines, so instead they are hacking voters brains. Turns out that is a lot easier to do. Credit: The Record

Apple Defends “Parts Pairing” as Oregon Considers Right to Repair

Oregon is considering one of the more expansive right to repair laws and one of the things they are considering outlawing is parts pairing. Parts pairing is designed, in theory, to increase security, but in reality, it mostly increases manufacturer revenue and user cost to repair. Curiously, Google is supporting the Oregon bill while Apple, well, not so much. Stay tuned on this one. Credit: Tech Crunch

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