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☆ How TikTok’s Chinese parent company will rely on an American right to keep the app alive
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In recent months, the company has foreshowed it plans to challenge the law on First Amendment grounds. Krishnan said even the national security argument will not withstand legal scrutiny because the Chinese government could easily purchase the same data on Americans through the open market. TikTok’s looming legal challenge will be one of several that could eventually reach the US Supreme Court that could completely redefine online speech. Other high-profile cases that will determine whether social media companies can moderate content on their platforms are also likely to be decided this year. “The rules for online speech are being written by the Supreme Court this year,” Persily said.

Persons: CNN —, Joe Biden, ”, Shou Chew, TikTok, Ramya Krishnan, Nate Persily, Persily, “, Christopher Wray, ” Wray, ” TikTok, ” Persily, Krishnan Organizations: CNN, Communist Party, Columbia University, Stanford, Stanford Cyber Policy, American, FBI, NBC, Supreme Locations: China, Montana, TikTok, American

☆ FBI on alert for threats to the Jewish community ahead of Passover, director says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Josh Campbell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Federal law enforcement is on alert for any potential threats to the US Jewish community ahead of the start of the Passover holiday, FBI Director Christopher Wray told a group of nationwide security officials Wednesday. Speaking at an event hosted by the Secure Community Network, a Jewish community nonprofit safety and training organization, Wray said threats to the US Jewish community had already been elevated before Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, but the number of FBI hate crime cases tripled in the wake of the incident. The Jewish civil rights advocacy group tracked 8,873 antisemitic incidents in the United States in 2023 – the highest number of incidents reported since the organization began tracking data in 1979. “We’ve seen – since October 7 – a rogues’ gallery of foreign terrorist organizations call for attacks against the United States and our allies,” said Wray, including calls by global terrorist groups “to target Jewish communities both in the United States and Europe.”In addressing Jewish community security officials, Wray also called out state-sponsored threats. “After the last few days, in particular, the threat posed by Iran itself is very real,” he said.

Persons: Christopher Wray, “, –, ” Wray, Wray, ”, Michael Masters, “ We’ve, CNN’s Jack Forrest, Nicole Chavez Organizations: CNN, Secure Community Network, Defamation League, ” Locations: Israel, United States, Europe, Iran, Syria, “

☆ US intelligence report states Netanyahu’s viability to lead Israel is in jeopardy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Michael Conte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The US intelligence community assesses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “viability as a leader” to be “in jeopardy,” according to its annual report on the national security threats facing the United States that was presented to Congress on Monday. The intelligence report notes that the Israeli population broadly supports the destruction of Hamas. It offers an around-the-world unclassified snapshot of how the intelligence community views the panoply of national security threats facing the United States. Beijing, according to the report, has more than tripled its export of goods with potential military use to Russia since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. China has provided “economy and security assistance to Russia’s war in Ukraine through support to Russia’s defense industrial base, including by providing dual-use material and components for weapons,” the report states.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, ”, ” Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Biden, Netanyahu, Israel, “, Chris Wray, I’ve, ” Wray, Sen, Mark Warner of, Republican Sen, Jim Risch of, ” Warner, ” Risch, “ I’ve, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Bill Burns, Burns, Ukraine “, you’re, ” Burns Organizations: CNN, ISIS, Hamas, Senate, Congressional, Republican, Warner, Democratic, National Intelligence, CIA Locations: United States, Israel, Gaza, Mark Warner of Virginia, Jim Risch of Idaho, Ukraine, Russia, Beijing, Moscow, China

☆ US and allies disrupt Russian cyber espionage operation against US and Europe, FBI chief says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The FBI and its international allies disrupted a network of over 1,000 hacked internet routers that Russia’s military intelligence agency was using for cyber espionage operations against the United States and its European allies, FBI Director Christopher Wray said Thursday. The US has new intelligence on Russian military capabilities related to its efforts to deploy a nuclear anti-satellite system in space, CNN reported Wednesday. Wray’s announcement is the latest move by the FBI to use court orders to try to stifle complex hacking operations from Russian spy agencies. US intelligence agencies also use hacking operations to try to thwart Russia, China and other rival governments. But unlike the FBI’s court-authorized work, details of those US cyber operations rarely, if ever, are made public.

Persons: Christopher Wray, ” Wray, Wray, “ we’ve, Weeks, Russia’s Organizations: CNN, FBI, Munich Security Conference, Justice Department, Russian Embassy, US, “ Locations: United States, Russian, Washington , DC, Munich, Russia, China, Beijing, Ukraine, “ Russia

☆ Wray’s stunning warning points to a new age of US vulnerability
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“The CCP’s dangerous actions, China’s multi-pronged assault on our national and economic security, make it the defining threat of our generation,” Wray said. Xi promised Biden China wouldn’t interfere in the 2024 presidential election at that meeting, CNN reported exclusively this week. The high-level diplomatic contacts continued last week when national security adviser Jake Sullivan met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Bangkok. “This is the cyberspace equivalent of placing bombs on American bridges, water treatment facilities and power plants,” he said. “If you have a cyberattack on that sort of technology, it could affect all signals at once,” Geddes said.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Rick Geddes, ”, Wray, Xi, ” Wray, Joe Biden, Biden, Biden China wouldn’t, Jake Sullivan, Wang Yi, Donald Trump, Kevin McCarthy, Mike Gallagher of, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Paul Nakasone, Gallagher, Geddes, ” Geddes Organizations: CNN, Cornell, Chinese Communist Party, Communist Party, CCP, South China, –, Capitol, Republican, Democrat, US Cyber Command, “ Locations: Washington, Beijing, United States, China, Taiwan, South, Xi Jinping’s China, California, Biden China, Bangkok, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, Illinois

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday warned Congress about a range of threats against the U.S., from Chinese hackers to heightened terrorist risks after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The FBI director has long warned about the Chinese government’s hacking capabilities. Cyberattacks and disinformation warfare can work in tandem, Wray warned. He also noted that AI can enhance foreign adversaries abilities to collect personal data and feed it into disinformation and influence operations. Heightened Terrorist Risk“We are, since Oct. 7, in a heightened threat environment from various forms of terrorist risk,” Wray warned, alluding to Hamas’ attack on Israel last year.

Persons: Christopher Wray, ” Wray, ” TikTok, Wray, ”, “ Organizations: Wednesday, U.S, Chinese Communist Party, FBI, Intelligence Locations: Israel, U.S, China, PRC, Iran

☆ FBI director warns that Chinese hackers are preparing to ‘wreak havoc’ on US critical infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday warned that Chinese hackers are preparing to “wreak havoc and cause real-world harm” to the US. Chinese government-backed hackers, Wray said, are targeting things like water treatment plants, electrical infrastructure and oil and natural gas pipelines, Wray said. The Chinese hackers are working “to find and prepare to destroy or degrade the civilian critical infrastructure that keeps us safe and prosperous,” Wray said. The hearing comes in the wake of a big push by US and Chinese officials to ease tensions in the relationship between the two superpowers. We have made it easy on them,” Jen Easterly, who leads the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told lawmakers.

Persons: Christopher Wray, “, ” Wray, Wray, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, “ China’s, Jen, Paul Nakasone, ” Nakasone, CNN’s Evan Perez Organizations: CNN, Chinese Communist Party, National Security Agency, Infrastructure Security Agency, FBI, Justice Department Locations: China, Taiwan, America

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chinese government hackers are busily targeting water treatment plants, the electrical grid, transportation systems and other critical infrastructure inside the United States, FBI Director Chris Wray will tell House lawmakers on Wednesday in a fresh warning from Washington about Beijing's global ambitions. “China’s hackers are positioning on American infrastructure in preparation to wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities, if or when China decides the time has come to strike,” Wray will say. The comments align with assessments from outside cybersecurity firms including Microsoft, which said in May that state-backed Chinese hackers have been targeting U.S. critical infrastructure and could be laying the technical groundwork for the potential disruption of critical communications between the U.S. and Asia during future crises. The following month, Mandiant said that suspected state-backed Chinese hackers had used a security hole in a popular email security appliance to break into the networks of hundreds of public and private sector organizations globally. The Chinese government has lashed out at the committee, demanding that its members “discard their ideological bias and zero-sum Cold War mentality.”

Persons: Chris Wray, Wray, “, ” Wray, Mandiant, they’re, Mike Gallagher of Organizations: WASHINGTON, Chinese Communist Party, Microsoft, U.S, Republican Rep Locations: United States, Washington, China, Asia, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin

☆ FBI director says bureau is working ‘around the clock’ against potential attacks inspired by Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

FBI Director Christopher Wray said Tuesday that the bureau is working “around the clock” to “identify and disrupt” potential attacks by individuals inspired by the Hamas attacks on October 7. “Given the steady drumbeat of calls for attacks by foreign terrorist organizations since October 7th, we’re working around the clock to identify and disrupt potential attacks by those inspired by Hamas’s horrific terrorist attacks in Israel,” Wray said in his opening remarks before the Senate Judiciary Committee at a hearing Tuesday. His comments echo previous warnings of threats to the United States. He made similar remarks to other congressional committees. The law enables the US government to obtain intelligence by targeting non-Americans overseas who are using US-based communications services.

Persons: Christopher Wray, “, we’re, ” Wray, ”, Wray, we’ve Organizations: FBI, Foreign Intelligence Locations: Israel, United States

☆ FBI chief to urge Senate panel to renew US global surveillance power
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Andrew Goudsward | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FBI Director Christopher Wray attends a House Homeland Security Committee hearing examining worldwide threats to the U.S., on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 15, 2023. “Stripping the FBI of its 702 authorities would be a form of unilateral disarmament,” Wray will tell the Democratic-led Senate Judiciary Committee during an oversight hearing, according to excerpts of his testimony released by the FBI. A bipartisan team of U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation last month to impose new limits on searches of Americans' communications and prohibit so-called "backdoor" searches which invoke foreign intelligence justifications to spy on Americans. Wray plans to tell the Senate panel that the FBI will be “good stewards of our authorities,” citing reforms he said the FBI has already made in response to criticism of law enforcement’s use of the law. Reporting by Andrew Goudsward Editing by Don Durfee and Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Elizabeth Frantz, ” Wray, Wray, Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s, Hunter, Andrew Goudsward, Don Durfee, Kim Coghill Organizations: Homeland Security, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Foreign Intelligence, Democratic, FBI, U.S, U.S . Capitol, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington , U.S, United States, Iran, China

☆ Israel’s cyber defense chief tells CNN he is concerned Iran could increase severity of its cyberattacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

So far, suspected Iranian hackers appear to have had minimal impact on their publicly claimed targets in Israel in the last month. But Portnoy said those hackers have been relatively quiet in the latest Israel-Hamas war (Israeli airstrikes have decimated internet infrastructure in Gaza.) “There is a gap between their [cyber] capabilities and their rhetoric,” the official told CNN, referring to Iran-backed hackers. “Even the successful, real cyberattacks are probably not going to be about the actual attack,” John Hultquist, Mandiant’s chief analyst, told CNN. This campaign is “maybe the most sophisticated we have seen from Iran on a technological level,” Sergey Shykevich, threat intelligence group manager at Check Point, told CNN.

Persons: “, ”, Gaby Portnoy, ” Portnoy, Portnoy, –, Christopher Wray, ” Wray, ” Eric Goldstein, CrowdStrike, ” John Hultquist, “ It’s, Solomon, Israel, Adam Meyers, CrowdStrike’s, ” Meyers, Sergey Shykevich Organizations: CNN, Israel National Cyber Directorate, Lebanese, Hezbollah, Palo Alto Networks, Hamas, Infrastructure Security Agency, FBI, Boston Children’s Hospital, ” CNN, Iranian, United Nations, “, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Locations: Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, East, Iranian, Syria, Iraq, Tehran, –, Palo, Gaza, Palestine, China, Russia

☆ Jordanian arrested in Houston spoke about ‘martyrdom,’ made statements that support ‘killing individuals of particular religious faith,’ judge’s order says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Alisha Ebrahimji | John Miller | Sabrina Shulman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Details, including the specific target, time or place for the gathering, were not immediately clear in the court documents. Abuayyash applied for asylum in the US after his nonimmigrant visa expired in 2019, according to the affidavit. He’s authorized to work in the US until August 2025, and is not allowed to “possess or use firearms or ammunition,” it states. Abuayyash was “plotting to attack a Jewish gathering,” a law enforcement source told CNN. This headline has been updated to attribute a quote to the judge’s order.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Sohaib Abuayyash, Abuayyash, He’s, Abuayyash “, Christina A, Bryan, Defendant, “, CNN’s Josh Campbell, Christopher Wray, ” Wray, Houston who’d, ” Christina Garza Organizations: CNN, Hamas, FBI, Court, Southern, Southern District of, United States, DHS, National Counterterrorism Center, Homeland Security, Governmental Affairs Locations: Houston, United States, Israel, Palestinian, Southern District, Southern District of Texas

☆ A new wave of antisemitism threatens to rock an already unstable world
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Jennifer Smith | Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Outbursts of antisemitism have often been harbingers of societies in deep trouble and omens that extremism and violence are imminent. Biden on Monday unveiled new measures to tackle antisemitism on college campuses and senior officials underscored the need to combat anti-Jewish hate. A widening problem in the United StatesIn recent years, antisemitism has often been driven in the United States by far-right groups. But reaction to the deepening crisis in Israel and Gaza has shown that antisemitism is also boiling on the far-left. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday tried to pinpoint the moment at which opposition to Israeli policies crosses into antisemitism.

Persons: –, Israel, Kathy Hochul, Cornell, Molly Goldstein, ”, “, United States —, Joe Biden, Biden, ” John Kirby, Christopher Wray, ” Wray, Donald Trump, Israel’s, Chuck Schumer, Monday, “ I’m, ” Jonathan Greenblatt, Kasie Hunt, CNN Max, ’ Organizations: CNN, Cornell University, Ivy League, Cornell, Police, New York Gov, Democrat, Cornell Center for Jewish, Beverly Hills, National Security, Jewish American, Israel Defense Forces, Defamation, ADL, Department of Justice, West Bank, New York Democrat, Defamation League Locations: Gaza, United States, New York, Israel, Beverly, Europe, America, Russia’s, Dagestan, Ukraine, al Qaeda, United States of America, Charlottesville , Virginia, Palestinian, Chicago, “ State, Russia

☆ FBI Sees Jump in Threats Against Jews, Muslims
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has seen a rise in threats against Jews and Muslims in the U.S. since Hamas’s brutal assault on Israeli civilians, Director Christopher Wray said, warning of the possibility of copy-cat attacks as the war intensifies. The FBI has been sharing intelligence about possible violence with state and local law enforcement, he said, though officials said most of the threats haven’t proved credible. Many of the threats are made online and specifically reference the fighting in Israel, officials said, adding their greatest concern remains the possibility of attacks by people acting alone, who go undetected until they strike. “The threat is very much ongoing and, in fact, the threat picture continues to evolve,” Wray said. The director's remarks come as he is set to discuss national security threats with partners from the “five eyes” intelligence agencies, from the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand this week in the first public meeting of the alliance.

Persons: Christopher Wray, ” Wray Organizations: Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Locations: U.S, Israel, Canada, Australia, New Zealand

WASHINGTON (AP) — Last year, a teenager in a small Michigan town killed himself after an online chat turned to demands that he pay money to keep intimate photos secret. He was one of dozens of people targeted online by two men extradited from Nigeria to face charges, FBI director Christopher Wray said Saturday. The arrests came after the FBI joined with police in Michigan to investigate the death of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay, one thousands of American teenagers targeted in a sharp rise in online “sextortion” cases in recent years. He was preparing to go a trip to Florida with his father the night before his death, she said. HIs family has since spoken out about his death, urging other parents to talk with their kids about “sextortion” schemes.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Jordan DeMay, “, ” Wray, Wray, DeMay, Samuel Ogoshi, Samson Ogoshi, Samuel Ogoshi's, Samson Ogoshi's, Jennifer Buta Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, FBI, Associated Press, International Association of Chiefs, Police, U.S Locations: Michigan, Nigeria, U.S, Jordan, Upper, Marquette County, Lagos, Ivory Coast, Florida

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ray Epps, a former Marine who became the target of a Jan. 6, 2021, conspiracy theory, has been charged with a misdemeanor offense in connection with the U.S. Capitol riot and is expected to plead guilty, according to court papers filed Tuesday. Epps' attorney, Edward J. Ungvarsky, said in an email that the case was filed with an anticipation that Epps would plead guilty to the charge. Although Epps' lawsuit mentions Fox’s Laura Ingraham and Will Cain, former Fox host Tucker Carlson is cited as the leader in promoting the theory. “The only time I’ve been involved with the government was when I was a Marine in the United States Marine Corps,” Epps said. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and other members were convicted of seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6 attack.

Persons: — Ray Epps, Epps, Edward J, Ungvarsky, Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden, Fox, Christopher Wray, ” Wray, ” Epps, ” “, Fox’s Laura Ingraham, Will Cain, Tucker Carlson, Carlson, “ Epps, “, I’ve, Stewart Rhodes, grandad, ___ Richer, David Bauder Organizations: WASHINGTON, Marine, U.S, Capitol, Fox News Channel, Trump, FBI, CBS, Fox, Fox News, Justice Department, U.S . Marine Corps, United States Marine Corps, Associated, Associated Press Locations: Washington, Mesa , Arizona, Rocky, Arizona, Boston, New York

☆ FBI Director Christopher Wray issues warning about number of Russian spies in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —FBI Director Christopher Wray warned Thursday that the number of Russian spies operating inside the United States is “still way too big,” despite efforts to kick them out. “The Russian traditional counterintelligence threat continues to loom large,” Wray said during public remarks at the Spy Museum in Washington. “The Russian intelligence footprint, and by that I mean intelligence officers, is still way too big in the United States and something we are constantly bumping up against and trying to block and prevent and disrupt in every way we can.”The threat of Russian spies operating on US soil is nothing new. Russia employs not only “traditional intelligence officers” but also cut-outs, Wray said on Thursday, citing a Mexican national arrested by US authorities in 2020 and accused of assisting Russian intelligence. “I will say that, over the last several years, the US has made positive significant strides in reducing the size of the Russian intelligence officer footprint in the United States, kicking them out, in effect,” Wray said.

Persons: Christopher Wray, ” Wray, “, Vladimir Putin, Russia –, Wray, Johns Organizations: Washington CNN —, Spy Museum, Mexican, Johns Hopkins ’ School, International Studies Locations: United States, Russian, Washington, Russia, Seattle, United Kingdom, Dutch

☆ US officials worry about ‘chilling effect’ on combating election disinformation after order limiting Biden administration contact with social platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Brian Fung Sean Lyngaas | Brian Fung | Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

The resulting uncertainty, they say, risks slowing the government and social media companies’ ability to respond to election-related disinformation that appears on tech platforms. Last week, the State Department canceled a routine meeting on election security with Facebook, according to a person familiar with the matter. On Wednesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray defended the close contacts between the US government and the social media companies. The injunction does contain some exceptions allowing more limited contact between affected agencies and social media companies. “Well, the government doesn’t necessarily have those capabilities to do that back-end work that the social media companies do.

Persons: Biden, ”, Chris Krebs, Krebs, Katie Harbath, Donald Trump, Christopher Wray, ” Wray, Trump, Harbath, Yoel Roth, Twitter’s, Gowri Ramachandran, “, ” Ramachandran, they’re, Ramachandran, Russia’s, ” Harbath, you’re, ’, Evelyn Douek, Jocelyn Benson, ” Benson, Adam Mosseri, Meta, ’ ”, Nick Clegg, Donie O’Sullivan Organizations: Washington CNN, Infrastructure Security Agency, CNN, State Department, Facebook, Justice Department, FBI, of Homeland Security, Health, Human Services, Twitter, “, Senate Intelligence, Department of Homeland Security, National Intelligence, Big Tech, Brennan Center for Justice, New York University, Stanford Law School, Meta, YouTube, Meta Global Locations: Louisiana, Missouri, State, Michigan

☆ How Trump turned the ‘law and order party’ into an enemy of the FBI
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Trump has pleaded not guilty in the classified documents case and in another prosecution in New York related to a hush money payment to an adult film star. “President Trump endured an unprecedented raid at his home in Mar-a-Lago. (A special counsel is still investigating classified documents found in Biden’s possession, while the Justice Department closed a case on the possible mishandling of documents found at Pence’s Indiana home.) Ron DeSantis and other Republicans have promised a comprehensive gutting of the FBI, Justice Department and other government agencies in response to what they claim is a wholesale effort to stop Trump winning the 2024 election. Some independent investigations looking at the Trump era have found wrongdoing or mistakes in the FBI.

Persons: Donald Trump pulsated, Christopher Wray, –, Wray, Biden, that’s, Wray’s, James Comey, Hillary Clinton, ”, George W, Harriet Hageman, Liz Cheney, Cheney, Jerrold Nadler, Justice Department –, Trump, Hunter Biden, Wesley Hunt, Biden didn’t, Biden’s, ” Hunt, Mike Pence, “, ” Wray, Jim Jordan –, Trump –, ” Jordan, Ron DeSantis, Richard Nixon, Comey, Matt Gaetz, DeSantis, Chris Wray, There’ll, ” DeSantis, Trey Gowdy, J, Edgar Hoover –, John Durham, William Barr, ’, Barr, David Weiss –, “ Weiss, COWARD, Bill Barr, ” Trump, didn’t Organizations: CNN, Republican, Trump, Democrats, FBI, Judiciary, Bush’s, Department, Wyoming Rep, Rep, Justice Department, GOP, Biden, Texas Republican, Pence’s Indiana, The Biden, Florida Gov, Justice, White, NBC, Fox News, DOJ, Committee, Foreign Intelligence, Delaware US Locations: Wyoming, York, New York, Moscow, Florida, Mar, Pence’s, Delaware, Ohio, Rehoboth , Delaware, Trump, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Durham

CNN —House Republicans unloaded a barrage of criticism directed toward FBI Director Christopher Wray Wednesday, outlining a litany of complaints while Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee. Chairman Jim Jordan opened the hearing launching into a wide array of attacks on the FBI. “House Republicans will attack the FBI for having had the audacity to treat Donald Trump like any other citizen. FBI Director Christopher Wray is sworn in prior to testifying before a House Judiciary Committee hearing. “We did stand up a whole dedicated unit to focus on threats to FBI, individuals, FBI employees and FBI facilities because of the uptick that we saw over that time period,” Wray said.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Wray, Jim Jordan, Hunter Biden, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, “, ”, Matt Gaetz, ” Wray, ” Gaetz, Edgar Hoover, Gaetz, Jonathan Ernst, ’ Wray, Trump . Jordan, Jordan, Jerry Nadler, ” Nadler, Saul Loeb, –, John Durham, Biden, Hunter, ” that’s, ” Jordan, Thomas Massie, Massie, Nadler, Jack Smith’s, – Wray Organizations: CNN — House Republicans, FBI, Catholic Church, Florida Republican, Reuters, GOP, Foreign Intelligence, Republican, Trump ., Ohio Republican, Republicans, Trump, DOJ, FISA, “, White, ” New York Rep, ”, Committee, Getty, CNN, US State Department, Biden, White House, Democratic National Committee, Capitol, Trump’s Locations: Richmond, Florida, Washington , DC, Ohio, United States, Russia, Durham, Ukrainian, Louisiana, Kentucky, Lago, Mar

☆ TikTok could be a valuable tool for China if it invades Taiwan, FBI director says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —The Chinese government could use TikTok to control data on millions of people and harness the short-form video app to shape public opinion should China invade Taiwan, FBI Director Christopher Wray told the Senate Intelligence Committee Wednesday. Wray responded affirmatively to questions from Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, the panel’s ranking member, on whether TikTok would allow Beijing widespread control over data and a valuable influence tool in the event of war in the Taiwan Strait. Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate panel, argued that TikTok presents “a substantial national security threat for the country of a kind that we didn’t face in the past.”Wray’s comments come a day after Gen. Paul Nakasone, head of the US National Security Agency, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he worried TikTok could censor videos to shape public opinion in a way that threatens US national security interests. The company is also negotiating a possible agreement with the Biden administration that could allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States under certain conditions. In a statement this week, a TikTok spokesperson said a US government ban would stifle American speech and would be “a ban on the export of American culture and values to the billion-plus people who use our service worldwide.”– CNN’s Brian Fung and Catherine Thorbecke contributed to this report.

☆ Cloudflare says White House asked tech firm to bypass Iran censorship, but US sanctions got in the way
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

In the case of San Francisco-based Cloudflare, Prince said the White House official suggested the company could be given a “license” to operate in Iran, but Prince replied that it was “too late” for that. Prince did not name the White House official. CNN has requested comment from the White House National Security Council. About 10% of Russian households use that anti-censorship Cloudflare technology, Prince claimed. The phone call from the White House, Prince said, illustrated a difficult “tradeoff” between sanctions meant to punish human rights-flouting regimes and the need to get technology into the hands of dissidents.

But Wray said the FBI continues to be concerned about Chinese government “talent programs” that sometimes pay American professors through secret relationships. “At the same time, you also stated, as you’ve just done, that this effort isn’t about the Chinese people or Chinese Americans. But of course, Chinese Americans are part of the U.S. society that you believe needs to be mobilized against China. He also returned to talking about Chinese government operations that have targeted Chinese Americans. “We view Chinese Americans here as being with us.

A Chinese intelligence officer convicted of conspiring and attempting to steal sensitive trade secrets from a U.S. company was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in federal prison. The Justice Department had asked that Yanjun Xu, 42, get 25 years behind bars for his "very extensive" yearslong scheme to steal secrets from U.S. aviation companies. Luke Sharrett / Bloomberg via Getty Images fileXu is the first Chinese intelligence officer to be extradited to the U.S. to face criminal charges, Justice Department officials said. "Xu targeted multiple employees at multiple international aviation companies over multiple years. They noted that his scheme to steal secrets from GE wasn’t successful and said he was just following his country's orders.

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