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David Wells

@davidwellsct.bsky.social

Global security consultant focused on terrorism, counter-terrorism & new technology (particularly AI): Former head of research & analysis at UN CTED: Ex UK/Aus intelligence

150 Posts1053 Follower801 Folgt
Chris Stokel-Walker@stokel.bsky.social · 6h ago

The Perez Hilton incident is awful and a personal problem that should never have been public. Setting aside the personal horror, it highlights the problem with automated content moderation systems. My latest for @the-independent.com www.independent.co.uk/voices/perez...

Why was Perez Hilton allowed to self-harm on TikTok?

Until AI moderators are able to review and withdraw content with the lightning speed and skill of live TV producers, the technology used to safeguard audiences from harmful content will be frightening...

independent.co.uk

Dhruv Mehrotra@dmehro.bsky.social · 2h ago

Meta approved and profited from ads containing AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery. After WIRED asked about them, researchers found dozens more that were still live. Insane story scoop by the one and only @mattburgess1.bsky.social www.wired.com/story/meta-r...

Meta Ran Ads That Contained AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Imagery

More than 50 offending image and video ads were published across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, or Threads, according to Meta’s ad library data. Some ran as recently as this week.

wired.com

Liam Thorp@liamthorp.bsky.social · 2h ago

As UK opposition leader I vigorously defended the selection of a neo-Nazi and convicted antisemitic abuser as a local candidate, and when he withdrew, made him an adviser on party culture

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Lizzie Dearden@lizziedearden.bsky.social · 4h ago

Last week, Russia charged the founder of Telegram with assisting terrorism But rather than the terrorist activity the app has become notorious for, Russia's action relates to Ukrainian spies The irony is that Russia has been using Telegram to recruit saboteurs for years inews.co.uk/news/putin-l...

Putin is losing his battle with 'Russia's Zuckerberg' - and being openly mocked

The Kremlin has charged Telegram's founder with assisting terrorism - after years of Russian agents using the app to recruit spies and terrorists

inews.co.uk

@charleslister1.bsky.social · 3h ago

For 4 months in a row, #ISIS has operated at record low levels in #Syria. In fact, attacks & casualties have collapsed 72% & 79% when compared to the prior 16 months following #Assad's fall. Full data: www.syriaweekly.com/p/syria-data... And my early prediction from June: mei.edu/publication/...

Syria Data Update: August 5, 2026

The overall level of violence in Syria declined last week, reaching the second lowest level in 10 weeks — with 12 violent deaths recorded, 2 (17%) of which were caused by unexploded ordnance (UXO).

syriaweekly.com

Rachel Coldicutt@rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social · 12h ago

It is great that AISI is doing and publishing this work, but also I think it's worth saying that this is the inevitable outcome of agentic AI and I v much doubt if this outcome is a surprise to any of the AI development labs

Hetan Shah@hetanshah.bsky.social · 12h ago

Fairly sober testing report from the AI Security Institute: they gave internet access and removed some guardrails from latest AI models and found without them they were capable of potentially harmful activity directed at real people and organisations www.aisi.gov.uk/blog/inciden...

1. An attempted supply-chain attack on real open-source software. In the most serious sequence, an agent tried to insert malicious code into a publicly used open-source project and took actions in an attempt to secure approval for this insertion by human reviewers. The agent researched the project's human maintainers, created multiple fake identities, and used the fake identities to socially engineer a real maintainer into approving the code. When the agent's pull request was challenged in public, it edited its earlier activity to appear harmless and considered adopting a fresh identity to continue. The agent used Tor to bypass some network restrictions on GitHub, which is what first triggered AISl's security alert.
Greg Sargent@gregsargent.bsky.social · 19h ago

Harrowing stuff here: "'What time is it busiest in the FSU student union,' he asked next." "ChatGPT described specific activities and locations and said the busiest periods included 'weekday lunchtimes, typically between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.'"

Mark Follman@markfollman.bsky.social · yesterday

My new investigation into a mass shooter’s harrowing history with ChatGPT reveals numerous red flags—and some very disturbing ChatGPT replies—from long before his attack on Florida State University www.motherjones.com/media/2026/0... 1x 🧵

Greg van Eekhout@gregvaneekhout.bsky.social · 2d ago

Wikipedia remains one of the most useful things online. No subscription fees, no ads, no stupid pursuit of AI, all curated by relentless nerds. Maybe remember to throw them a few bucks every now and again.

Prem Sikka@premnsikka.bsky.social · yesterday

Former neo-Nazi activist selected as Tory candidate for Somerset council election. Convictions for assaulting police officer, burglary of a police station, malicious communications, anti-semitism, racially aggravated harassment, harrasing MPs. Tories chasing Reform vote.

Former neo-Nazi activist selected as Tory candidate for Somerset council election

Joshua Bonehill-Paine, creator of satirical Crewkerne Gazette, has convictions including for harassing a Jewish MP

theguardian.com

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 2d ago

Former neo-Nazi activist selected as Tory candidate for Somerset council election

Former neo-Nazi activist selected as Tory candidate for Somerset council election

Joshua Bonehill-Paine, creator of satirical Crewkerne Gazette, has convictions including for harassing a Jewish MP A former neo-Nazi activist with convictions including for harassing a Jewish MP has been selected as a Conservative candidate for a local election in Somerset. Joshua Bonehill-Paine, the creator of the viral Crewkerne Gazette series of AI clips, is due to stand for election to Somerset council next year in a new Crewkerne South district. He told the Guardian he was an executive member of the Tories’ Yeovil branch, working as an events organiser. Continue reading...

theguardian.com

Ben Schwarz@benschwarz.bsky.social · 2d ago

Australia’s eSafety commissioner buried a report (released Friday afternoon) that shows the under 16 social media ban didn’t tangibly reduce teen social media use, and also resulted in parents tuning out of kids usage. We traded our privacy for no reason. theconversation.com/more-than-80...

More than 80% of kids still using social media despite ban, new eSafety report finds

The report provides more evidence Australia’s world-leading social media ban isn’t going to plan.

theconversation.com

Alberto Alemanno@alemanno.bsky.social · 2d ago

EU Ministers discuss Schengen this week over a crisis that never threatened Europe's free-movement area: no one leaves Ceuta without a border check. Instead, the EPP & far-right allies use this manufactured crisis whose price was paid by real lives to attack Spain's different stance to migration.

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John Springford@johnspringford.bsky.social · 3d ago

Treating this as a pan-European crisis and closing borders disproportionately *encourages* other countries to use these tactics as political weapons. Sow division, isolate EU countries who are particular enemies.

Ian Hall@ianhall.bsky.social · 3d ago

A reminder, as adaptation climbs the agenda: Resilience measures should complement, not replace, rapid emissions reductions. Climate policy needs both: adapting to the impacts already here and cutting emissions fast enough to limit the impacts still to come. www.chathamhouse.org/2026/07/euro...

Europe’s summer of fires: Burnham must centre climate adaptation in policies

The UK government should treat adaptation to the effects of climate change as a core organizing principle of both economic policy at home and foreign policy.

chathamhouse.org

Otto English@ottoenglish.bsky.social · 3d ago

There has been little mention of the 72 people who drowned or were crushed trying to reach Ceuta last week. A shocking figure that's been eclipsed by right wing press fear mongering. The incident and how it started is now coming under welcome scrutiny www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...

Chaos of border crossing gives way to limbo for Moroccans on Ceuta’s streets

People among the more than 50,000 who entered Spanish enclave this week describe the journey and their prospects

theguardian.com