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Deutsche Verbraucherschützer haben das Vorgehen der EU gegen chinesische Billigwarenanbieter wie Temu und Shein als unzureichend kritisiert. "Die Vorschläge sind eine vertane Chance", sagte die zuständige Referentin der Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (vzbv), Stefanie Grunert, dem Magazin "Spiegel" nach Angaben vom Samstag. "Wir befürchten, dass Produkte auf den Plattformen teurer werden, ohne dass sie sicherer werden."

Die EU-Kommission hatte am Mittwoch Pläne für verschärfte Kontrollen vorgestellt, die für sicheren Onlinehandel sorgen sollen. Neu ist dabei die Idee, eine Bearbeitungsgebühr für Päckchen von Shein, Temu und Co. einzuführen.

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Nach Angaben der EU-Kommission kommen im Schengenraum täglich bis zu zwölf Millionen Kleinteile, etwa Spielzeug, bei Verbrauchern an, die meisten aus China. Die Zahl hat sich von 2023 auf 2024 verdoppelt.

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Der vzbv fordert, Plattformen mehr in die Verantwortung zu nehmen, unsichere Produkte sollten erst gar nicht verkauft werden dürfen. Onlinemarktplätze sollten neue Angebote mit der EU-Datenbank über gefährliche Produkte abgleichen, bevor sie für den Verkauf freigegeben werden.

Der Bundesverband E-Commerce und Versandhandel fordert seinerseits, vorhandene Regeln besser durchzusetzen. Robert Gentz, Co-Chef des Onlinehändlers Zalando, befürwortete laut "Spiegel" die vorgeschlagenen "pragmatischen Lösungen". Eine Shein-Sprecherin sagte dem Magazin, das Unternehmen begrüße "alle Bemühungen, die das Vertrauen und die Sicherheit europäischer Verbraucher in den Onlineeinkauf stärken" und werde die Empfehlungen prüfen.

Here is the original poll in German.

German voters are overwhelmingly concerned about foreign election interference according to a new poll published by the Brussels-based digital industry association Bitkom.

Overall, the poll found that 88% of the more than 1,000 eligible voters surveyed expressed fear that outside forces, whether governments, groups or individuals, would actively attempt to sway the vote through social media campaigns.

Ranked highest among those suspected of nefarious activity was Russia (45%), followed by the US (42%) and China (26%). There was also concern voiced over East European actors (8%).

Those voters polled also provided insight into how they form their political opinions, with 82% citing conversations with friends and family, 76% television and 69% the internet.

Some 80% of respondents felt the next government should address the problem of potential internet and social media misinformation by prioritizing digital policy.

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Umfrage vom Bitkom e.V.:

• 88 Prozent glauben, dass ausländische Regierungen oder Akteure die Wahl per Social Media manipulieren
• Ein Drittel der Internetnutzerinnen und -nutzer ist auf Desinformation zur Wahl gestoßen
• 71 Prozent wollen ein Digitalministerium
• Für mehr als ein Drittel ist Digitalpolitik bei der Wahlentscheidung wichtig

An der Spitze dieser Manipulationsversuche steht nach Ansicht der Befragten deutschen Wahlberechtigten Russland, 45 Prozent nehmen an, dass die Einflussversuche in Russland ihren Ursprung haben, dicht gefolgt von den USA (42 Prozent) und deutlich vor China (26 Prozent). 8 Prozent vermuten osteuropäische Staaten sowie 7 Prozent Nordkorea als potenzielle Quelle für Manipulations- oder Desinformations-Kampagnen. Fast die Hälfte (47 Prozent) hält insbesondere „Deepfakes“, also realistisch wirkende, aber gefälschte Videos, Fotos oder Tonaufnahmen, für eine Gefahr in diesem Wahlkampf. Drei Viertel (75 Prozent) sehen die Demokratie in Deutschland auf Fake News und Desinformation insgesamt nicht gut vorbereitet. Für mehr als die Hälfte (56 Prozent) reichen die Maßnahmen der Politik gegen Desinformation und Fake News nicht aus.

Das sind Ergebnisse einer repräsentativen Befragung unter mehr als 1.000 deutschen Wahlberechtigten ab 18 Jahren, die im Zeitraum 6. bis 23. Januar 2025 im Auftrag des Digitalverbands. Bitkom durchgeführt wurde.

Cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/29237278

Archived

The website of the Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek, whose chatbot became the most downloaded app in the United States, has computer code that could send some user login information to a Chinese state-owned telecommunications company that has been barred from operating in the United States, security researchers say.

The web login page of DeepSeek’s chatbot contains heavily obfuscated computer script that when deciphered shows connections to computer infrastructure owned by China Mobile, a state-owned telecommunications company. The code appears to be part of the account creation and user login process for DeepSeek.

In its privacy policy, DeepSeek acknowledged storing data on servers inside the People’s Republic of China. But its chatbot appears more directly tied to the Chinese state than previously known through the link revealed by researchers to China Mobile. The U.S. has claimed there are close ties between China Mobile and the Chinese military as justification for placing limited sanctions on the company. DeepSeek and China Mobile did not respond to emails seeking comment.

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The code linking DeepSeek to one of China’s leading mobile phone providers was first discovered by Feroot Security, a Canadian cybersecurity company, which shared its findings with The Associated Press. The AP took Feroot’s findings to a second set of computer experts, who independently confirmed that China Mobile code is present. Neither Feroot nor the other researchers observed data transferred to China Mobile when testing logins in North America, but they could not rule out that data for some users was being transferred to the Chinese telecom.

The analysis only applies to the web version of DeepSeek. They did not analyze the mobile version, which remains one of the most downloaded pieces of software on both the Apple and the Google app stores.

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Archived

The website of the Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek, whose chatbot became the most downloaded app in the United States, has computer code that could send some user login information to a Chinese state-owned telecommunications company that has been barred from operating in the United States, security researchers say.

The web login page of DeepSeek’s chatbot contains heavily obfuscated computer script that when deciphered shows connections to computer infrastructure owned by China Mobile, a state-owned telecommunications company. The code appears to be part of the account creation and user login process for DeepSeek.

In its privacy policy, DeepSeek acknowledged storing data on servers inside the People’s Republic of China. But its chatbot appears more directly tied to the Chinese state than previously known through the link revealed by researchers to China Mobile. The U.S. has claimed there are close ties between China Mobile and the Chinese military as justification for placing limited sanctions on the company. DeepSeek and China Mobile did not respond to emails seeking comment.

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The code linking DeepSeek to one of China’s leading mobile phone providers was first discovered by Feroot Security, a Canadian cybersecurity company, which shared its findings with The Associated Press. The AP took Feroot’s findings to a second set of computer experts, who independently confirmed that China Mobile code is present. Neither Feroot nor the other researchers observed data transferred to China Mobile when testing logins in North America, but they could not rule out that data for some users was being transferred to the Chinese telecom.

The analysis only applies to the web version of DeepSeek. They did not analyze the mobile version, which remains one of the most downloaded pieces of software on both the Apple and the Google app stores.

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Auf der Social-Media-Plattform TikTok kursiert gerade mal wieder eine gefährliche "Mutprobe". Dabei nehmen angeblich Jugendliche überdurchschnittlich hohe Mengen des Medikaments Paracetamol. Die Schmerztabletten sind in der Regel gut verträglich, doch in hohen Dosen könne das Medikament die Leber irreparabel schädigen und sogar zum Tod führen, sagt der stellvertretende Hauptgeschäftsführer vom Verband Pharma Deutschland, Elmar Kroth.

Die Gefahr bestehe auch darin, dass erst ein bis zwei Tage nach einer Überdosierung des Arzneimittels Beschwerden aufträten, die auf eine Leberschädigung hinwiesen. Dann könne es für die Anwendung eines Gegenmittels bereits zu spät sein. Den Angaben zufolge verbreitet sich der ursprünglich aus den USA kommende Trend derzeit in Belgien und der Schweiz.

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Nitazenes were developed in the 1950s by a Swiss chemical company as a new type of painkiller, but the drug was so potent that it was never approved as a medicine. Even trace quantities can cause an overdose.

Decades later, nitazenes have re-emerged in the underground drug market: they have been detected in counterfeit prescription medicines, including fake oxycodone and benzodiazepines pills, and in street drugs, including cocaine, heroin and ketamine.

The UN drugs agency and countries around the world have warned of the major health risks posed by nitazenes. The super-strength opioid has already caused hundreds of deaths in Europe, the UK and North America.

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In April 2019, Estonia became the first country in Europe to identify isotonitazene in drug seizures. New types of the drug followed and, over the years, Estonia recorded a rise in the proportion of nitazene deaths: half of all drug-related deaths over the past two years were caused by nitazenes, according to the most recent official figures.

Estonia is no stranger to synthetic opioids: it faced one of the first fentanyl epidemics in the world in the early 2000s, lasting nearly two decades and causing almost 1,500 deaths. After Estonian police cracked down on fentanyl labs in 2017, the drugs largely disappeared. But they were soon replaced by an even deadlier substance.

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This investigation has linked a recent Estonian nitazene seizure case to China using publicly available documents. A court verdict from August 2024 shows a man was jailed after ordering two shipments of protonitazene. Postimees was granted permission to inspect court files related to the case, which showed one batch of drugs was ordered from a US phone number listed on a Chinese website which hosts online advertisements offering pharmaceuticals for sale.

Archived versions of the website, which say it is based in Nanjing city, show that it previously advertised three types of nitazenes, including protonitazene. These drugs have a “99 percent purity” level, according to the ads, and are transported in 1kg and 5kg bags or 25kg drums. Archived versions of the site say the pharmaceutical company is focussed on “serving foreign customers” and that its products have been sent to more than 30 countries. The court judgment said the drugs were shipped from a DHL distributor in Germany before arriving in Estonia.

Authorities in Norway have also seized nitazenes originating in China. Seven packages containing the drugs and totalling more than 150g were seized during 2023, according to public records requests to Norwegian Customs. The largest of the packages, 90.4g, was shipped via FedEx to Oslo’s main airport from Hong Kong.

Bellingcat and Postimees have uncovered another link between Chinese-made nitazenes and Europe. One package of yellow powder, which was labeled as “nail paste”, was intercepted in Stockholm in August 2019. The package, which testing showed contained almost 49g of isotonitazene, had been couriered from Shanghai, according to documents obtained through a public request to Swedish customs.

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/29144929

During his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing, Trump’s nominee for FBI director Kash Patel vowed to investigate human trafficking if confirmed. However, a new review from AccountableUS - a rights group - found Patel has profited millions from a company notorious for the practice.

At Issue:

• Patel’s financial disclosure revealed he owns between one and five million dollars in Elite Depot Ltd. stock. Elite Depot is the ultimate controlling party of Shein, the Chinese fast fashion realtor. Patel noted that he could participate in matters related to the financial interests of the company if he received a written waiver from Trump.

• Elite Depot’s board is comprised of Shein executives but also the company’s investors. Two of these investors—IDG Capital and Sequoia Capital—faced scrutiny from lawmakers last year for their reputed ties to the Chinese Communist Party and its military apparatus.

• In recent years, Shein has drawn bipartisan criticism over their business practices, including the use of forced Uyghur labor. Just this week, the Trump administration considered adding Shein to the Department of Homeland Security’s “forced labor” list. In May 2023, members of Congress asked the SEC to require Shein certify that their products did not use forced Uyghur labor. Throughout 2024, politicians, including former senator and current Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Senator Tom Cotton, and a coalition of state AGs, stated their concerns about Shein’s business practices.

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During his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing, Trump’s nominee for FBI director Kash Patel vowed to investigate human trafficking if confirmed. However, a new review from AccountableUS - a rights group - found Patel has profited millions from a company notorious for the practice.

At Issue:

• Patel’s financial disclosure revealed he owns between one and five million dollars in Elite Depot Ltd. stock. Elite Depot is the ultimate controlling party of Shein, the Chinese fast fashion realtor. Patel noted that he could participate in matters related to the financial interests of the company if he received a written waiver from Trump.

• Elite Depot’s board is comprised of Shein executives but also the company’s investors. Two of these investors—IDG Capital and Sequoia Capital—faced scrutiny from lawmakers last year for their reputed ties to the Chinese Communist Party and its military apparatus.

• In recent years, Shein has drawn bipartisan criticism over their business practices, including the use of forced Uyghur labor. Just this week, the Trump administration considered adding Shein to the Department of Homeland Security’s “forced labor” list. In May 2023, members of Congress asked the SEC to require Shein certify that their products did not use forced Uyghur labor. Throughout 2024, politicians, including former senator and current Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Senator Tom Cotton, and a coalition of state AGs, stated their concerns about Shein’s business practices.

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/29143627

Archived

Here is the original version in Russian.

At least 12 regions in Russia have set up interactive museums in schools dedicated to the so-called “special military operation” museums in schools, where students participate in quizzes about the war in Ukraine and view battle-damaged buildings through VR headsets, according to a report by the independent exiled Russian publication Verstka.

The IT company “Digital Space” («Цифровое пространство»), which previously developed VR simulators for school subjects such as physics, chemistry, and biology, was behind the software for these exhibits.

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These “museums” can operate on regular computers, interactive screens, or VR headsets, depending on the school’s resources. The company’s website states that museums dedicated to the “special military operation” have been installed in schools and youth centers across 12 Russian regions, but social media reports and procurement data suggest that their actual number is growing.

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The company's representative, Andrey Chizhov, stated that since 2023, the firm has supplied equipment and software to approximately 250 Russian schools.

The “museum’s” exhibits include 3D models of weapons and military equipment, video messages from Vladimir Putin, articles on so-called “Nazism in Ukraine,” and a timeline of the war, which concludes with a slide claiming: “Kharkiv is a Russian city, the enemy will be defeated,” with the date listed as “coming soon,” rather than a specific time.

They also highlight certain “benefits” of taking part in the war — such as reduced interest rates on real estate purchases through Russia’s military mortgage program.

Students can also use VR headsets for 360-degree virtual tours of exhibits such as a war-damaged house in Siverskodonetsk (known as Sievierodonetsk until 2024) and the interior of captured Ukrainian military equipment.

The technology also allows school students to complete interactive quests with questions such as “Why did the Russian army withdraw from Snake Island?” and “Which of the following sources can be considered reliable?” — with the following options: independent outlet Meduza, independent outlet Novaya Gazeta, or state-run TASS (with TASS being implied as the “correct” response).

Meduza and Novaya Gazeta have been highly critical of the Kremlin and have faced severe restrictions in Russia as a result.

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[Today, both Meduza and Novaya Gazeta are published from exile. Novaya Gazeta’s editor-in-chief, Dmitry Muratov, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 alongside Maria Ressa, a journalist from the Philippines, for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression].

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TASS, meanwhile, is a state-owned news agency. It is fully owned and operated by the Russian government and reports directly to the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications, which falls under the authority of the Russian Presidential Administration.

The creation of “special military operation” museums in Russian schools began in the spring of 2023, following a directive from Vladimir Putin. At the same time, Putin ordered that war-related artifacts be transferred to schools across the country for display and that students be educated about the history of the war.

Archived

Here is the original version in Russian.

At least 12 regions in Russia have set up interactive museums in schools dedicated to the so-called “special military operation” museums in schools, where students participate in quizzes about the war in Ukraine and view battle-damaged buildings through VR headsets, according to a report by the independent exiled Russian publication Verstka.

The IT company “Digital Space” («Цифровое пространство»), which previously developed VR simulators for school subjects such as physics, chemistry, and biology, was behind the software for these exhibits.

[...]

These “museums” can operate on regular computers, interactive screens, or VR headsets, depending on the school’s resources. The company’s website states that museums dedicated to the “special military operation” have been installed in schools and youth centers across 12 Russian regions, but social media reports and procurement data suggest that their actual number is growing.

[...]

The company's representative, Andrey Chizhov, stated that since 2023, the firm has supplied equipment and software to approximately 250 Russian schools.

The “museum’s” exhibits include 3D models of weapons and military equipment, video messages from Vladimir Putin, articles on so-called “Nazism in Ukraine,” and a timeline of the war, which concludes with a slide claiming: “Kharkiv is a Russian city, the enemy will be defeated,” with the date listed as “coming soon,” rather than a specific time.

They also highlight certain “benefits” of taking part in the war — such as reduced interest rates on real estate purchases through Russia’s military mortgage program.

Students can also use VR headsets for 360-degree virtual tours of exhibits such as a war-damaged house in Siverskodonetsk (known as Sievierodonetsk until 2024) and the interior of captured Ukrainian military equipment.

The technology also allows school students to complete interactive quests with questions such as “Why did the Russian army withdraw from Snake Island?” and “Which of the following sources can be considered reliable?” — with the following options: independent outlet Meduza, independent outlet Novaya Gazeta, or state-run TASS (with TASS being implied as the “correct” response).

Meduza and Novaya Gazeta have been highly critical of the Kremlin and have faced severe restrictions in Russia as a result.

[...]

[Today, both Meduza and Novaya Gazeta are published from exile. Novaya Gazeta’s editor-in-chief, Dmitry Muratov, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 alongside Maria Ressa, a journalist from the Philippines, for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression].

[...]

TASS, meanwhile, is a state-owned news agency. It is fully owned and operated by the Russian government and reports directly to the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications, which falls under the authority of the Russian Presidential Administration.

The creation of “special military operation” museums in Russian schools began in the spring of 2023, following a directive from Vladimir Putin. At the same time, Putin ordered that war-related artifacts be transferred to schools across the country for display and that students be educated about the history of the war.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/29141151

Archived

Activists from WalkFree, an international human rights group that aims to end modern slavery, estimate that roughly 1.9 million people in Russia are being kept in some form of bondage. St. Petersburg alone has hundreds of so-called workhouses, and thousands more are scattered all across the country. Almost all of them operate illegally, and workers are forced to labor for humiliatingly low wages — or for free. Some of these houses are disguised as religious communities or rehabilitation centers and even receive impressive government contracts. Residents who wish to leave and find a normal job are often severely penalized. Meanwhile, workhouse owners make millions, living lives of luxury.

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“People in desperate circumstances”

Illegal advertisements for workhouses pepper walls all over St. Petersburg. The ads promise “help in a difficult life situation”: free housing, food, and most importantly, daily payouts. Such promises appeal mainly to homeless people, migrant workers, victims of fraud, and ex-cons — those who have nowhere else to turn.

“I'm from Belarus,” Viktor [not his real name] explains. “About six years ago I came to St. Petersburg to earn money. I was in the restoration business, making good money. But I started drinking and using drugs. I got kicked out of work and ended up on the street. I didn't feel like going home. So my friends and I decided to call the number on the business cards.”

As it turned out, promises of help in workhouses always come with very strict demands. All workhouse residents had to work eight-hour shifts every day at whatever location the workhouse assigned for them.

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“Like prison”

Workhouses in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and other large Russian cities are similar to one another. As living quarters, they use detached houses or three-room apartments — and sometimes even basements, according to our homeless interviewees. An average institution houses and employs from 12 to 30 people. “There were bunk beds in the bedrooms, with a distance of about a meter between the beds. Not too cramped, I guess. Like in prison,” Viktor says.

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How much does a workhouse bring in

A workhouse is a highly profitable business with minimal costs. The Insider calculates that a ten-strong crew brings the workhouse a net income of nearly $5,000 a month. According to former workers, all managers and CEOs earn enough money to buy apartments and cars rather quickly, and some “invest in the business,” expanding the network of workhouses and opening new branches.

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