Pushy Governments: How They Spy on You

Hi Global Recap readers,

Governments are getting creative with their spying methods.

Why hack and prod, when they can force companies to reveal your notifications?

Best of all: Companies have to be hush-hush about it.

🌐 Around the world:

• Maduro orders “immediate” exploitation.

• US slaps visa bans on select Israelis.

• Zelensky abruptly cancels Senate address.

• Putin lands in Saudi Arabia.

• Pushy governments: How they spy on you through your notifications.

Let’s get into today’s news.

🇻🇪 Maduro Orders Immediate Exploitation

Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro has commanded state-owned companies to tap into Essequibo, a contested Guyana region rich in oil, gas, and minerals.

• Keep in mind: Guyana is a sovereign nation.

• Vote: The move comes after a controversial referendum on Sunday, where Venezuelans voted to assert sovereignty over the area.

If you haven’t already, check out our latest video on the topic here:

Click for more

🇺🇸 US Slaps Visa Bans

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a new visa restriction policy, targeting individuals involved in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The move comes after the US repeatedly warned Israel to stop attacks on Palestinians in the area, which have surged in recent months.

Click for more

🇺🇦 Zelensky’s Abrupt Canceling

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky abruptly canceled his video address to the US Senate, where he was set to ask for billions more in aid.

• Why? According to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, this is due to a “last-minute” hiccup.

• Chaos. The meeting proceeded without Zelensky, in which heated discussions about the aid ensued.

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🛫 Putin in Saudi Arabia

Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for a surprise meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) to discuss oil.

• Rare Trip: Putin has rarely left Russia since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022.

• Oil: Putin and MbS control one-fifth of the world’s oil production and are part of the OPEC+ alliance that controls output and prices.

• Gaza: Putin has previously said the Israel-Hamas conflict is the result of failed US policy in the Middle East. Naturally, he’s been cultivating ties with Arab states, Iran, and Palestine.

Click for more

United States

Pushy Governments: How They Spy on You

🔥 Google and Apple Spied On. In his letter to the US Department of Justice, US Senator Ron Wyden revealed that some governments are snooping on smartphone users through their apps’ push notifications.

Click for the letter

👀 How They Do It. Push notifications are the alerts that pop up on your phone when you get a new message, email, or update from an app.

• Process: They are sent by app developers through Google and Apple’s servers, which means the two tech giants have access to the data flowing from the apps to the users.

• According to Wyden: He “received a tip” that foreign government agencies have been demanding this data from Google and Apple to track and monitor their targets.

😱 Why It’s Scary. The push notification spying is a new and stealthy way for governments to spy on people without their knowledge or consent.

It could allow them to:

• identify anonymous users of encrypted messaging apps,

• collect personal information and preferences,

• and interfere with or manipulate the content of the notifications.

🙅 Senator’s Plea. In his letter, Wyden asks the DOJ to stop or modify any policies that prevent Google and Apple from disclosing such requests from foreign governments. This would help users to be informed about foreign spying, thus safeguarding their smartphone privacy and security.

🏢 Companies Break Silence.

• Apple said that it was prohibited by the federal government from sharing any information about the push notification spying.

• Google said that it shares Wyden’s commitment to keeping users informed.

🤔 Questions Remain. As of now, it is unclear how long the push notification spying has been going on, or which governments are involved; Wyden hasn’t detailed either.