Thousands of X users impacted by X outage, ‘Dark Storm’ claims responsibility
Elon Musk confirmed a cyberattack caused widespread issues on the social media platform X. He noted that it involved significant resources, possibly from a large group or even a country.
A hacking group known for advanced cyber warfare tactics, Dark Storm Team, reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.
The outage affected thousands of users worldwide.
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Elon Musk said a cyberattack caused widespread technical issues on his social media platform X on Monday, March 10. A hacking group reportedly claimed responsibility for the outage. Musk posted his suspicions about the outage to X when the site was temporarily back up on Monday morning.
“There was (still is) a massive cyberattack against X,” Musk wrote. “We get attacked every day, but this was done with a lot of resources. Either a large, coordinated group and/or a country is involved.”
There was (still is) a massive cyberattack against 𝕏.
We get attacked every day, but this was done with a lot of resources. Either a large, coordinated group and/or a country is involved.
“But there was a massive cyber attack to try to bring down the X system, with IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area,” Musk said.
Shortly after Musk’s confirmation, a hacking group known as “Dark Storm Team” claimed responsibility for the distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on the platform in a post on Telegram, according to Newsweek.
Hacker groups and cybercriminals often use Telegram to communicate, share information and claim responsibility for attacks.
What is Dark Storm Team?
The pro-Palestinian group formed in 2023 and known for its advanced cyber warfare strategies and breaches of high-security systems.
According to Orange Cyberdefense, Dark Storm Team has unconfirmed but “highly” likely links to Russia and “strong partnerships with other groups.”
The issues temporarily died down before nearly 40,000 users reported outages about four hours later, followed by a third significant outage.
Some X users said they saw error messages from Cloudflare, a content delivery network and cybersecurity services provider, which said, “Web server is returning an unknown error.”
How a French lawmaker’s report led to a cybercrime investigation of X
French prosecutors are investigating Elon Musk’s social media platform X over allegedly biased algorithms. That’s according to multiple reports released on Friday.
The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office revealed it received a complaint from a French lawmaker on Jan. 12, claiming X was using “biased algorithms.”
The office said its J3 cybercrime unit was currently looking into the report.
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French prosecutors are investigating Elon Musk’s social media platform X over allegedly biased algorithms. The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office revealed on Friday, Feb. 7, it received a complaint from a French lawmaker, claiming X was using “biased algorithms” to shape discourse on the platform by distorting “the operation of an automated data processing system.”
The office said its J3 cybercrime unit is currently looking into the report, filed on Jan. 12, by French lawmaker Eric Bothorel, who is a member of President Emmanuel Macron’s party in Parliament.
Musk has reportedly used his social media, previously known as Twitter, to support right-wing leaders and issues in countries like Germany and Britain.
His support has led to concerns over foreign interference in elections set to be held in those European nations.
What past work has the J3 unit conducted?
The J3 unit also led an investigation last year into Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who was arrested at a Paris airport on drug trafficking and distribution of child sexual abuse images.
Pavel, who is out on bail, denies the charges, but his company Telegram said it is working closely with authorities to remove illegal content from its platform.
The J3 unit has used innovative and strict laws to crack down on Big Tech owners.
Has X been targeted in any other country?
X was also blocked for more than five months in Brazil last year, after the country claimed it allowed the spread of misinformation, before X eventually complied with a Brazilian Supreme Court order.
Biden allows Ukraine to strike Russia with long-range US missiles
With North Korea entering the war, the Biden administration is now allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles inside Russia. And President-elect Donald Trump returned to New York for a UFC showdown this weekend while also making more presidential picks. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Nov. 18, 2024.
Biden allows Ukraine to strike Russia with long-range US missiles
It’s been nearly three years since Russia invaded Ukraine, and while the U.S. has supported Ukraine since the start, President Joe Biden is now easing limitations on how U.S.-supplied weapons can be used.
The policy shift comes as President Biden’s time in office winds down and President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to limit U.S. support for Ukraine. Trump has also promised to quickly put an end to the war with Russia but has yet to say how.
Biden’s decision comes as Russia unleashed a barrage of its own missiles in Ukraine Sunday, Nov. 17. Ukrainian authorities said 10 people, including two children, were killed and dozens injured in a Russian strike on a residential building in Sumy, near the Russian border.
Earlier in the day, Russia launched its largest attack against Ukraine since August, once again targeting power plants and energy infrastructure across the country. Ukrainian authorities said at least five people were killed in those strikes.
On the social site Telegram, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said about 120 missiles and 90 drones were fired into the country, with Ukrainian air defenses downing more than 140 targets.
Israeli strike in Beirut kills Hezbollah’s top spokesman
An Israeli strike on a neighborhood in Beirut killed Hezbollah’s top spokesman, according to the militant group.
Mohammed Afif was an adviser to the late Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, whom Israel killed in an attack on Beirut in September. Afif had been responsible for Hezbollah’s media relations since 2014.
Lebanon’s health ministry said no evacuation warning was issued before the strike, which happened in the middle of the day, and four people were killed.
🔴ELIMINATED: Chief Propagandist and Spokesperson of Hezbollah, Mohammed Afif
Afif was a senior Hezbollah military operative, in contact with senior officials and directly involved in advancing and executing Hezbollah’s terrorist activities against Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces said it carried out a “precise, intelligence-based strike” that “eliminated the terrorist Mohammed Afif, the chief propagandist and spokesperson of the Hezbollah terrorist organization.”
Trump attends UFC event in New York City, makes more picks for 2nd term
Over the weekend, President-elect Trump returned to Madison Square Garden to see the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s pay-per-view event. It was the first time Trump was back at the New York City venue since his rally last month and he received roaring applause from the UFC crowd Saturday night, Nov. 16, including chants of “USA!”
Trump was joined by friend and UFC President Dana White, as well as some of the names he’s recently picked to join his administration, including Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Tulsi Gabbard. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Trump’s oldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, were also in attendance.
The president-elect also shook hands with Joe Rogan, one of the commentators for the event. Trump was a guest on Rogan’s podcast in the days leading up to the election.
Trump’s weekend also involved filling more key positions in his administration, including nominating Chris Wright to lead the Department of Energy. Wright is the chief executive of Liberty Energy, a Denver, Colorado based fracking company.
He also picked current FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr to be the agency’s chairman. Carr recently made headlines after claiming Vice President Kamala Harris’ appearance on Saturday Night Live violated FCC rules.
More nominations from the president-elect are expected to come this week.
Biden becomes first sitting president to visit Amazon rainforest
President Biden made history Sunday, Nov. 17, becoming the first sitting president to visit the Amazon rainforest.
While there, Biden met indigenous leaders and visited a museum at the gateway to the amazon. He also toured the drought-shrunken waters of the Amazon River’s greatest tributary and signed a U.S. proclamation designating Nov. 17 International Conservation Day, highlighting his commitment to the preservation of the region.
He also touched on concerns the incoming Trump administration might change U.S. climate policy.
“It’s no secret that I’m leaving office in January,” Biden said. “I will leave my successor and my country in a strong foundation to build on if they choose to do so.”
Today I issued an official proclamation to support the conservation of nature around the world.
That was the most that Biden publicly referenced President-elect Trump during his South American tour.
The transition was briefly mentioned during Chinese president Xi Jinping’s remarks on Saturday, Nov. 16 during his final meeting with Biden. While he also did not mention Trump by name, Xi appeared to signal his concern over what the new administration could mean for China’s relationship with the U.S. During his campaign, Trump promised to levy 60% tariffs on Chinese imports.
Reports: WBD, NBA settle with 11-year deal; ‘Inside the NBA’ to air on ABC
Warner Brothers Discovery is back in the game when it comes to the NBA. Though the company will no longer be airing games on its TNT network after this season, the Wall Street Journal and other outlets report the two sides have come to an agreement to keep NBA programming in the Warner Bros. family.
The reports said the new deal will settle Warner Brothers Discovery’s breach of contract lawsuit, which it filed against the league after the NBA signed rights deals with Disney’s ESPN, Comcast’s NBC, and Amazon.
This 11-year agreement will see NBA content remain on Warner Bros. Discovery’s digital platforms Bleacher Report and House of Highlights. It also gives Warner Brothers Discovery the right to distribute games overseas in places such as northern Europe and parts of Latin America, excluding Mexico and Brazil.
Reports said Warner Brothers Discovery also struck a deal with Disney to license its popular TNT show “Inside the NBA,” featuring former-players-turned-commentators Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley starting next season. The show will air throughout the season on ABC and ESPN.
The deals are expected to be officially announced this week.
Netflix says 60 million households tuned in live for Tyson vs. Paul
Netflix also said 50 million households watched the co-main event that saw Katie Taylor retain her championship against Amanda Serrano. The streaming giant said that would make it the most-watched professional women’s sporting event in United States history.
Netflix said more information, like total viewers, will be released later this week.
Netflix’s future live sporting events will include NFL games on Christmas Day and WWE weekly programming starting next year.
Russia, Iran, China targeting US voters with election disinformation
Foreign actors are ramping up sophisticated disinformation campaigns ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, according to intelligence officials. The campaigns, led by Russia, Iran and China, seek to erode trust in American democracy through targeted influence across multiple platforms.
In 2016, Russian efforts to interfere in the U.S. election were often clumsy. Officials said they relied on divisive content that was easy to spot.
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On Tuesday, Oct. 29, foreign influence campaigns are more advanced, with Russia reportedly supporting Donald Trump, Iran favoring Kamala Harris and China concentrating on state-level interference.
Michael Casey, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, confirms ongoing interference attempts. He said foreign influence now stretches beyond social media to chat groups, messaging apps and niche forums.
Using platforms like Telegram, Gab and networks run by American expatriates, these efforts are diversifying. Expats like former Florida police officer John Mark Dougan allegedly helped spread fabricated news and deepfakes.
Iran has also set up websites like Not Our War and Afro Majority to target veterans, Black Americans and conservative voters in specific states. China continues more subtle tactics to undermine the U.S. on a local level.
Security officials urge Americans to be vigilant as the election approaches. They suggest verifying content sources and avoid sharing inflammatory information without scrutiny.
Telegram alters privacy policy, says it will give user info to authorities
Telegram is making major changes. The social media platform once known for its strong privacy stance has announced a significant update in its user data policy.
The platform will now share users’ phone numbers and IP addresses with law enforcement agencies in response to valid legal requests, marking a departure from its previous approach.
To maintain transparency, Telegram plans to publish quarterly reports detailing instances where user data is shared with authorities.
These changes come after French authorities arrested CEO Pavel Durov in August. Paris prosecutors have levied 12 offenses against Durov, including allegations of allowing child exploitation and drug trafficking and refusing to cooperate with authorities investigating criminal activities on Telegram.
There have also been growing national security questions. Ukraine’s National Coordination Centre for Cybersecurity (NCCC) has banned Telegram on all government, military, and critical infrastructure devices, citing national security concerns.
In response to mounting pressure, Durov also announced that Telegram, aided by artificial intelligence, will remove problematic content from the platform’s search feature.
Telegram’s recent decision to share user data with authorities has sparked widespread concern among its user base of nearly a billion users worldwide.
Ukraine bans Telegram app for some as fears of Russian spying grow
Ukraine announced on Friday, Sept. 20, that it is banning the use of the Telegram messaging app for government officials and members of the military over fears Russia is using it to spy on Ukrainians. Ukraine’s security council said it has found evidence Russian special services accessed Telegram messages, including deleted ones, as well as personal information.
The head of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov said the move is not a matter of supporting free speech but of protecting national security. Right now, the ban does not apply to personal devices.
It’s estimated that more than 70% of Ukrainians get their news from the app, including alerts for incoming missile attacks and evacuations, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regularly uses the app to broadcast announcements.
There are an estimated 33,000 Telegram channels in Ukraine alone, and it’s also been called “the last window into Russia,” as it’s one of the few platforms to circumvent a Russian crackdown with sources such as The New York Times and independent Russian outlets available on the app.
However, it’s also become a safe haven for terrorists and criminals, some of whom orchestrated terrorist attacks in Paris and Berlin. The lack of oversight also has Ukrainian officials worried.
The platform is reportedly teeming with pro-Russian propaganda, sparking concerns it could destabilize Ukrainian society as Russia is reportedly working on software to reveal the identities of anonymous users and access private chats
The platform was founded by Russian native Pavel Durov, who left the country in 2014 after refusing the Kremlin’s demands to shut down opposition communities on the app.
Durov was arrested in France in August on charges related to child pornography, drug trafficking and fraud transactions on the Telegram app, but was later released on bail. He was instructed not to leave the country.
DOJ charges 2 white supremacy group leaders in Telegram terrorism probe
Two white supremacists have been charged by the Department of Justice with leading a digital terrorist group and inciting a series of hate crimes. Dallas Humber, 34, of Elk Grove, California, and Matthew Allison, 37, of Boise, Idaho, face a 15-count indictment that includes charges of soliciting hate crimes, conspiring to support terrorism, and soliciting the murder of federal officials.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California describes Humber and Allison as leaders of the “Terrorgram Collective,” a transnational terrorist organization.
Prosecutors say the group used the messaging platform Telegram to promote their extremist ideology, which calls for violence to start a race war and dismantle government institutions.
According to the indictment, Humber and Allison spread propaganda, offered detailed instructions for committing crimes, and created a list of “high-value targets” for assassination.
This list included names of federal, state, and local officials, along with leaders from private companies.
The planned attacks targeted individuals based on race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, and gender identity, according to the DOJ.
Some attacks inspired by their group were carried out or disrupted, including a shooting outside an LGBTQ bar in Slovakia, a planned attack on an energy facility in New Jersey, and a stabbing near a mosque in Turkey.
If convicted, Humber and Allison could face up to 220 years in prison. Allison is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
Telegram has been in the spotlight ever since its CEO, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France, accused of enabling criminal activity on the app.
Last week, Durov released a statement saying changes were coming to the app to allow for more oversight but also criticized his arrest for what bad actors do on his platform as a “misguided approach” to a solution.
Telegram modifies privacy stance, will monitor private chats after CEO’s arrest
Telegram has quietly updated its FAQ page, removing language that previously stated private chats were shielded from moderation. This change comes nearly two weeks after the platform’s CEO, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France, accused of allowing illegal activities, such as child exploitation and drug trafficking, to go unchecked on the messaging app.
Durov’s arrest follows allegations from French authorities that Telegram refused to cooperate in investigations related to criminal activity on the platform.
The charges include facilitating the distribution of child sexual abuse material and drug-related offenses. Durov, who had previously maintained that Telegram had “nothing to hide,” has now pledged to address these issues more proactively.
In his first public statement since the arrest, Durov acknowledged the platform’s rapid growth — now boasting over 950 million users —has led to challenges in moderating illegal content.
“However, we hear voices saying that it’s not enough. Telegram’s abrupt increase in user count to 950M caused growing pains that made it easier for criminals to abuse our platform,” Durov wrote in a statement. “That’s why I made it my personal goal to ensure we significantly improve things in this regard. We’ve already started that process internally, and I will share more details on our progress with you very soon.”
The platform’s FAQ section on illegal content, which once stated that all chats were private and beyond the scope of moderation, now includes instructions on how users can report illegal activity through the app’s “Report” buttons.
While the company has updated its stance on reporting illegal content, it remains unclear how these changes will address broader concerns raised by French authorities. Telegram has long promoted itself as a platform that prioritizes user privacy and limited moderation.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov charged with multiple crimes in France
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has been charged with crimes related to illegal activity on his messaging app. French authorities detained Durov on Saturday, Aug. 24, when the Russian-born tech executive’s plane touched down near Paris.
They held and questioned him for four days and officially charged him with complicity in distributing child abuse material, drug trafficking, fraud and refusing to cooperate with law enforcement.
Prosecutors said Durov did not respond to requests for materials related to investigations involving child sex crimes, drug trafficking, and hate crimes committed by others on Telegram.
According to the prosecutor’s office, the court ordered Durov to pay bail of nearly $5.5 million, prohibited him from leaving France, and required him to report to a police station twice a week.
French media quoted a lawyer for Durov who said, “It’s totally absurd to think that the person in charge of a social network could be implicated in criminal acts that don’t concern him, directly or indirectly.”
I have seen false information regarding France following the arrest of Pavel Durov.
France is deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship. It will remain so.
French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X: “France is deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship. It will remain so. In a state governed by the rule of law, freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights.”
Telegram CEO Durov released from custody amid investigation
After four days of questioning, Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has been released from French police custody and has not yet been formally charged. Prosecutors said he will be transferred to court where he will appear in front of a judge before a possible indictment.
Durov’s detention was part of an investigation into Telegram’s alleged criminal violations, including child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking and organized crime. The investigation has drawn international attention and raised questions about his messaging app’s global operations, compliance with legal standards, and content moderation practices.
Telegram faces increasing scrutiny from European authorities, highlighting the ongoing struggle between privacy-focused messaging platforms and government demands for accountability.
Despite the legal challenges, Telegram maintains it is complying with EU laws, stating that its moderation practices are “within industry standards and constantly improving.”
Telegram’s navigation through complex political landscapes reveals its pivotal role in regions grappling with censorship and conflict. The platform has faced pressure from Russian authorities to compromise user privacy.
In Ukraine, Telegram plays a vital role in disseminating war-related information, with media outlets and officials using it to share updates and issue critical alerts.
Telegram is banned in Iran, however, leaders of Iranian-backed Hamas have frequently posted on the messaging site regarding the ongoing conflict with Israel.
With nearly a billion users worldwide, Telegram’s global influence is undeniable, making the outcome of this legal challenge potentially far-reaching for digital communication and privacy.
