Techmeme
December 15, 2021, 9:35 AM

Top News

Wall Street Journal:
Microsoft and cybersecurity company Mandiant say hacking groups linked to China, Iran, North Korea, and Turkey are exploiting the Log4j flaw  —  Researchers call it one of the most dire cybersecurity threats to emerge in years and could enable devastating attacks
Catalin Cimpanu / The Record:
CISA orders US federal civilian agencies to patch systems affected by the Log4j vulnerability by December 24  —  The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has told federal civilian agencies to patch systems affected by the Log4Shell vulnerability by Christmas Eve.
Tim Starks / CyberScoop:
Jennifer Elias / CNBC:
Leaked memo: Google tells employees they must comply with vaccine policies by January 18 or lose pay and eventually be fired  —  - In a memo circulated by leadership, Google told employees that they must comply with vaccine policies or they face losing pay and then losing their job.
Natasha Lomas / TechCrunch:
The UK's CMA issues an interim report voicing concerns over Apple and Google's “vice-like grip” on the mobile ecosystem, hinting at future antitrust action  —  The UK's antitrust watchdog has given the clearest signal yet that interventions under an upcoming reform …
Rest of World:
A look at Chinese fast fashion online retailer Shein, as 2020 sales reportedly hit $10B thanks to knockoff items, a nimble supply chain, and social media  —  By connecting China's garment factories with Western Gen-Z customers, Shein ushered in a new era of “ultra-fast” shopping.
Financial Times:
Sources: the US will ban eight Chinese companies, including DJI, for their alleged involvement in the surveillance of Uyghur Muslims  —  American investors will be banned from groups accused of involvement in Xinjiang abuses  —  The Biden administration will place eight Chinese companies including DJI …
Amanda Silberling / TechCrunch:
Twitter rolls out automatic video captions, with support for over 30 languages, but not for previously uploaded videos  —  Starting today, Twitter is rolling out auto-generated captions on videos.  This feature will make videos more accessible for Deaf and hard-of-hearing users.
Martin Matishak / The Record:
The US Department of Homeland Security launches “Hack DHS”, a bug bounty program that pays hackers between $500 and $5,000 per flaw found in its systems  —  The Homeland Security Department has launched a bug bounty program that will allow hackers to report vulnerabilities …
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge:
A look at the industry-backed smart home standard Matter, slated for mid-2022, and whether it can achieve its promises to fix smart home interoperability  —  The smart home should be a natural evolution of our homes, bringing better appliances, better systems, better experiences.
Elizabeth Culliford / Reuters:
Zoom joins the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, founded by Meta, Microsoft, Twitter, and YouTube to combat terrorist and extremist content  —  Video-conferencing platform Zoom has joined a counterterrorism organization formed by major U.S. tech companies including Meta Platforms Inc …
Ron Miller / TechCrunch:
Forethought, which makes AI-powered customer support software, raises a $65M Series C led by Steadfast Capital, bringing its total funding to $92M  —  In 2018, Forethought, a startup looking to put AI to work across customer service, won the TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield and soon after landed …
Maria Deutscher / SiliconANGLE:
Israeli cloud data protection startup Ermetic raises a $70M Series B led by Qumra Capital, bringing its total funding to $100M  —  Cloud cybersecurity specialist Ermetic Ltd. today disclosed that it has closed a $70 million funding round by Qumra Capital.  —  The Series B round also included …
Mary Ann Azevedo / TechCrunch:
São Paulo-based Open Co, created when online lender Geru and financial analysis firm Rebel merged, raises $115M led by SoftBank Latin America Fund  —  For decades, Brazil has had a huge credit problem.  It is Latin America's largest country and has one of the highest interest rate spreads in the world.
Sam Byford / The Verge:
Oppo unveils foldable Find N with 7.1" internal and 5.49" outer display, Snapdragon 888, up to 12GB RAM and 512GB SSD, coming to China on Dec. 23 for ~$1,200  —  An open and shut case?  —  After teasing its first folding phone last week, Oppo is revealing the Find N in full today.

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Emily Birnbaum / Politico:

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