The United Nations voted on Friday to extend human rights to the internet, despite frantic last-minute lobbying by diplomats representing Russia and China. The vote theoretically extends human rights enjoyed offline to the internet. But China and Russia opposed the vote, primarily on the grounds of the resolution’s call for an open and accessible internet, and to uphold people’s rights to freedom of expression.
Diplomats from China and Russia tabled four amendments in order to remove passages to ensure citizens’ access to the internet, and references to freedom of speech. Countries that lined up to support the amendments included the usual autocracies, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, but also democracies India, Kenya and South Africa, which could have been expected to support the UN’s aims.
However, these amendments were rejected and the resolution passed. The Promotion, Protection and Enjoyment of Human Rights on the Internet (PDF) motion asserted “the need for human rights to underpin internet governance and that rights that people have offline must also be protected online”.
It continued: “The exercise of human rights, in particular the right to freedom of expression, on the internet is an issue of increasing interest and importance as the rapid pace of technological development enables individuals all over the world to use new information and communication technologies.”
The motion also called for governments to support online privacy as a fundamental right, and to allow citizens “to hold opinions without interference and the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association”.
The resolution, which was promoted by pressure group Article 19, comes as governments across the world ratchet up their control of, and surveillance over, the internet. The UK, for example, will shortly pass the Investigatory Powers Bill, which will require internet service providers to maintain records of citizens’ internet use that police and other government authorities will be able to access.
Russia, meanwhile, has recently passed draconian laws that could see bloggers jailed for expressing opinions online. The new law requires bloggers to register with the government, enabling the authorities to track dissenting voices.
Russian president Vladimir Putin described the internet earlier this year as “a special CIA project” that justified his government’s crackdown on internet freedoms.
BlackBerry plans three new Android smartphones this year
BlackBerry is planning to release three new Android smartphones this year as the firm continues to shift away from the BlackBerry 10 operating system. BlackBerry launched its first Android handset, the BlackBerry Priv, last year and, while it was well reviewed, it hasn’t reignited sales of BlackBerry devices.
CEO John Chen admitted that he probably set his sights too high with the expensive Priv device, and the company has so far refused to reveal sales figures. For some reason that hasn’t stopped BlackBerry, and a report at VentureBeat details three upcoming Android-powered devices from the firm.
First is the BlackBerry Neon, a mid-range smartphone that ditches the keyboard in favour of a 5.2in Full HD touchscreen. Tucked underneath the aluminium frame is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 chip, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and a 2,610mAh battery. Full specs haven’t yet been revealed, but you can also expect 13MP and 8MP cameras when the BlackBerry Neon arrives in August.
The BlackBerry Argon is next, and will set its sights on the enterprise mobile market when it arrives in October. Despite a business focus, the Argon is also fully touchscreen and has the same 5.5in 2560×1440 QHD display as the BlackBerry Priv. Upping the ante, and probably the price compared with the BlackBerry Neon, the Argon will have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and a 3,000mAh battery.
Rounding off the BlackBerry Argon’s high-end specs is a fingerprint sensor, a USB Type-C charging port, and 21MP and 8MP cameras. The BlackBerry Mercury (above, via Mondo BlackBerry) rounds off the trio of leaked devices, but won’t make its debut until Q1 2017, according to the report.
Unlike the Neon and Argon, the Mercury will reportedly have a physical keyboard but will arrive in a candybar design similar to the BlackBerry Passport. A square-ish 4.5in Full HD display will come with a Snapdragon 625 CPU, a 3,400mAh battery and an 18MP rear-facing camera.
HummingBad malware infects 85 million Android devices
An Android-based malware campaign masterminded from China has snared as many as 85 million Android devices and is making the gang behind it an estimated $1m every quarter.
Security software and services company Check Point claimed that it has had its eye on the Yingmob gang for five months, describing it as sophisticated, well-staffed and highly profitable.
Its tool of choice is a piece of malware called HummingBad, and the group works alongside an official advertising analytics company, according to Check Point’s From HummingBad to Worse report (PDF).
“HummingBad is a malware Check Point discovered in February 2016 that establishes a persistent rootkit on Android devices, generates fraudulent ad revenue, and installs additional fraudulent apps,” Check Point explained in a blog post.
“Yingmob runs alongside a legitimate Chinese advertising analytics company, sharing its resources and technology. The group is highly organised with 25 employees that staff four separate groups responsible for developing HummingBad’s malicious components.”
The malware has parts that look like the YiSpecter problem that went after Apple users and the iOS landscape and mostly affected people in China. Check Point said that this is no coincidence and that the source is the same, suggesting that the gang is happy to pee on its own doorstep.
“Yingmob uses HummingBad to generate $300,000 a month in fraudulent ad revenue. This steady stream of cash, coupled with a focused organisational structure, proves that cyber criminals can easily become financially self-sufficient,” added the firm.
