I.
Researchers at Google used AI to prove that Signal’s “encryption protocol works as intended.” I’ve been a big fan of Signal for many years, and it’s even part of The New York Times’ tips page that I helped launch in 2016. The app is a more privacy-friendly alternative to WhatsApp with support for PINs, disappearing messages, usernames for phone number privacy, and backups.
II.
A report published by Amnesty International last month details how authorities in Morocco use spyware to surveil activists and journalists. While Morocco has long denied using spyware, the researchers found plenty of data to illustrate the “range of tools and techniques used to target dissent” and “the web of international vendors providing them.”
III.
I never really understood the “Check Your Kids’ Halloween Candy” meme until I listened to this episode of Outlaw's Digest about the 1974 incident that sparked fears of Halloween candy for decades to come. (Ronald Clark O'Bryan killed his 8-year-old son with a Pixy Stick laced with cyanide to collect on his life insurance.)
IV.
When I’m not busy indoor skydiving in Munich this weekend, I’ll be digging into this in-depth story about Willy Van Mechelen. He “was one of the most celebrated police officers in Belgian history, responsible for solving infamous kidnappings, robberies, and murders. Then Antwerp’s lucrative drug trade came calling.”