Welcome to Hillicon Valley, The Hill’s newsletter detailing all you need to know about the tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. If you don’t already, be sure to sign up for our newsletter by clicking HERE. 

Follow our cyber reporter, Maggie Miller (@magmill95), and tech team, Chris Mills Rodrigo (@chrisismills) and Rebecca Klar (@rebeccaklar_), for more coverage.

The Facebook Oversight Board upheld the suspension on former President TrumpDonald TrumpVeteran accused in alleged border wall scheme faces new charges Arizona Republicans to brush off DOJ concern about election audit FEC drops investigation into Trump hush money payments MORE’s account on Wednesday, but the board’s long awaited decision largely kicked the issue back over to Facebook. The open-ended ruling drew widespread criticism from Democrats, Republicans, advocates and, not surprisingly, Trump himself.

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Meanwhile, the Biden administration rescinded a Trump-era gig-worker rule, and Twitter is giving users a chance to rethink rude replies. 

TRUMP’S STILL BANNED — FOR NOW: Facebook’s ban on former President Trump’s account will continue following a decision issued by its independent Oversight Board on Wednesday.

“The Board found that, in maintaining an unfounded narrative of electoral fraud and persistent calls to action, Mr. Trump created an environment where a serious risk of violence was possible,” the board wrote in a statement.

While the board did uphold the suspension, it also found that the indefinite suspension was not appropriate. 

The panel is requesting that Facebook review the decision to develop a “proportionate response that is consistent with the rules that are applied to other users of its platform.”

“Within six months of this decision, Facebook must reexamine the arbitrary penalty it imposed on January 7 and decide the appropriate penalty,” it said.

Read more about the decision. 

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TRUMP’S DEFENSE: The former president defended his supporters as “law-abiding” the day of the Capitol insurrection.

In comments submitted to the Oversight Board on the former president’s behalf, Trump said his supporters were “law-abiding” when they stormed into the Capitol building and that nothing he posted on Jan. 6 could “reasonably be interpreted as a threat to public safety.”

Read more about the comments. 

BOARD DIRECTOR KNOCKS LACK OF TRANSPARENCY: The director of Facebook’s independent Oversight Board on Wednesday knocked the platform over what he called a lack of transparency in its decision to suspend former President Trump.

Facebook “did not handle the case in a manner that was transparent or consistent or predictable for the user,” Thomas Hughes said on MSNBC’s “Hallie Jackson Reports.”

His views were shared by Helle Thorning-Schmidt, a former prime minister of Denmark and member of the Oversight Board who highlighted the opaqueness of Facebook’s policies in Trump’s case.

“What is important is that if Facebook has a newsworthiness part of their decision, they must make that transparent, because it’s not transparent,” she said on a call with reporters.

TRUMP’S TAKE: Former President Trump on Wednesday accused tech giants of stifling free speech after the board released its ruling.

“What Facebook, Twitter, and Google have done is a total disgrace and an embarrassment to our Country. Free Speech has been taken away from the President of the United States because the Radical Left Lunatics are afraid of the truth, but the truth will come out anyway, bigger and stronger than ever before,” Trump said in a statement just hours after the decision was announced.

Read more about Trump’s statement. 

SO… WHO IS HAPPY? (SPOILER ALERT: NO ONE): The Oversight Board’s ruling pushing the decision back to the Silicon Valley giant fueled calls for government regulation and oversight from both sides of the aisle. 

Democrats and advocates have criticized the process and the board’s decision to leave open the ability for Trump to return, while Republicans have centered their criticism around accusations that Facebook is censoring conservatives through the ban. 

“The decision by Facebook’s self-funded panel upholds a minimal marker for truth and decency. Facebook must now decide what it values more: profits or holding Donald Trump accountable for espousing hate, disinformation, and violence,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said in a statement. 

House Energy and Commerce Chair Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) tweeted it is “clear that real accountability will only come with legislative action.” 

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Advocates who largely panned the Oversight Board’s process from the outset said Wednesday’s ruling underscored the need for Congress to take action to revamp regulation on Facebook and other tech giants. 

“If somebody like the biggest pharmaceutical company in the world said to us today, ‘Hey, we’re going to have our own oversight board and it’s going to decide if our products are safe and honest and efficacious,’ we would say, ‘No way.’ Because that kind of authority must be founded on objective criteria for public contest, subject to repair, because they are governed by public laws, and only public laws can enforce transparency and accountability,” said Shoshana Zuboff, a Harvard Business School professor.

Read more about the criticism. 

BREAK THEM UP: Several high-profile Republican lawmakers on Wednesday suggested they would support antitrust reforms in the wake of Facebook’s Independent Oversight Board decision.

House Republican Whip Steve ScaliseStephen (Steve) Joseph ScaliseLoyalty trumps policy in Stefanik’s rise, Cheney’s fall Likely Cheney successor appears on Bannon show to tout GOP unity Twitter accidentally suspends account of Stefanik’s communications director MORE (La.) said in a statement that if “Big Tech believes they have the power to silence a president of the United States, then we need to take a serious look at antitrust laws to limit their monopolistic power.”

“If Facebook is so big it thinks it can silence the leaders you elect, it’s time for conservatives to pursue an antitrust agenda,” Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), chairman of the powerful Republican Study Committee, tweeted.

While some Republicans — most prominently Sen. Josh HawleyJoshua (Josh) David HawleyCheney drama exposes GOP’s Trump rifts Pollster Frank Luntz: ‘I would bet on’ Trump being 2024 GOP nominee Why isn’t Washington defending American companies from foreign assaults? MORE (Mo.) or Rep. Ken BuckKenneth (Ken) Robert BuckHillicon Valley: Trump’s Facebook ban to stay in place, board rules | Facebook board’s Trump decision pleases no one | Republicans float support for antitrust reform Republicans float support for antitrust reform after Trump Facebook ban upheld Facebook board decision on Trump ban pleases no one MORE (Colo.) – have backed antitrust investigations into the U.S.’s largest technology companies and pushed to give enforcement teeth, the larger GOP has been hesitant to back reforms.

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Read more here.  

RESCINDED: The Labor Department on Wednesday announced the withdrawal of the Trump-era independent contractor rule that allowed businesses to classify workers as independent contractors as opposed to employees.

The administration’s move, effective Thursday, allows for workers considered “gig workers” to have minimum wage and overtime compensation protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Employee classification has major implications for companies like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash, which depend on gig workers.

“By withdrawing the Independent Contractor Rule, we will help preserve essential worker rights and stop the erosion of worker protections that would have occurred had the rule gone into effect,” Labor Secretary Marty WalshMarty WalshThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Emergent BioSolutions – Facebook upholds Trump ban; GOP leaders back Stefanik to replace Cheney Hillicon Valley: Trump’s Facebook ban to stay in place, board rules | Facebook board’s Trump decision pleases no one | Republicans float support for antitrust reform Biden administration rescinds Trump gig-worker rule MORE said in a statement. “Legitimate business owners play an important role in our economy but, too often, workers lose important wage and related protections when employers misclassify them as independent contractors.”

Read more here. 

BE NICE: Twitter is rolling out prompts that ask users to review their tweets before sending replies that are “potentially harmful or offensive,” the social media company said Wednesday in a blog post.

The prompts also offer options for users to edit or delete the post, unless they choose to send it out as is.

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The rollout follows tests of the feature Twitter launched last year that encouraged users to pause before hitting send on such replies. 

When testing the feature, Twitter said 34 percent of people revised their initial response or decided not to send it at all after the prompt.

Read more here. 

 

Lighter click: Science, what’s up?

An op-ed to chew on: Social media’s ban on Trump: Our ‘silence of the lambs’ moment

 

NOTABLE LINKS FROM AROUND THE WEB: 

The Untold Story of How Jeff BezosJeffrey (Jeff) Preston BezosHillicon Valley: Trump’s Facebook ban to stay in place, board rules | Facebook board’s Trump decision pleases no one | Republicans float support for antitrust reform Republicans urge probe into Amazon government cloud-computing bid: report SpaceX’s Elon Musk has become the coolest capitalist of them all MORE Beat the Tabloids (Bloomberg / Brad Stone)

British Political Veteran Steers Facebook’s Trump Decision (New York Times / Adam Satariano and Cecilia Kang)

Twitter is ruining the open for surprise meme with better image crops (Verge / Mitchell Clark)

Officials are investigating two potential “Havana syndrome” attacks on U.S. soil — including one near the White House — following a string of mysterious incidents abroad, CNN reported Thursday. 

The suspected attacks, which first appeared in Havana in 2016, have since surfaced in a number of countries, leaving a number of U.S. diplomats and analysts with neurological symptoms ranging from vertigo to insomnia.

According to CNN, one of the attacks took place near the Ellipse, the grassy oval lawn just south of the White House, harming a National Security Council official. 

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Another U.S.-based incident occurred in a Virginia suburb in 2019 while a White House official was walking her dog.

“The health and well-being of American public servants is a paramount priority for the Biden administration. We take all reports of health incidents by our personnel extremely seriously. The White House is working closely with departments and agencies to address unexplained health incidents and ensure the safety and security of Americans serving around the world,” a White House spokesperson told The Hill. 

“Given that we are still evaluating reported incidents and that we need to protect the privacy of individuals reporting incidents, we cannot provide or confirm specific details at this time.”

The Pentagon, one of the agencies investigating the possible attacks, declined to comment.

According to CNN, Pentagon officials briefed Senate and House Armed Services Committees members on the incidents earlier this month, informing lawmakers Russia was one possible actor behind the attacks.

The potential attacks — especially ones in close proximity to the White House — would be an escalation of a series of events that have already impacted government employees abroad.

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Some 40 government officials have been hit by the attacks, which a government-funded report by the National Academy of Sciences determined was most likely caused by microwave radiation. The bulk of known cases have been State Department of Central Intelligence Agency employees.

The Central Intelligence Agency kicked off a task force to support CIA individuals who may have been affected or face a similar attack in the future, while the State Department in March appointed a senior advisor to oversee its existing task force.

“If I’m confirmed as director of CIA, I will have no higher priority than taking care of people — of colleagues and their families,” CIA director William BurnsWilliam BurnsUS envoy doesn’t foresee ‘imminent collapse’ of Afghan government after withdrawal Russian Ukraine buildup greater than disclosed, satellite images show Top general: Counterterrorism strikes in Afghanistan after withdrawal ‘harder’ but ‘not impossible’ MORE said during his confirmation hearing in February when asked about the attacks.

“And I do commit to you that if I’m confirmed I will make it an extraordinarily high priority to get to the bottom of who’s responsible for the attacks that you just described, and to ensure that colleagues and their families get the care that they deserve including at the National Institutes of Health and Walter Reed.”

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Ralph Puckett, a retired Army colonel, will receive the Medal of Honor for his service during the Korean War. 

Retired Lt. Col. JD Lock confirmed to The Hill on Friday that Puckett, 94, received a phone call from President BidenJoe BidenAmericans for Prosperity launches campaign targeting six Democrats to keep filibuster Washington’s split with Turkey widens — but it is up to Turkey to heal the rift Incomes, consumer spending soared in March as stimulus bill boosted recovering economy MORE around 5 p.m. “congratulating him on becoming the nation’s latest Medal of Honor recipient.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.

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Puckett is broadly known for his service in the Korean War, when Chinese forces launched a wave of assaults on Hill 205.

The withdrawal from North Korea back to South Korea is one of the longest in U.S. military history and cost the lives of thousands of U.S. troops.

During the retreat, Puckett, then the commander of the Eighth Army Ranger Company, was wounded by a hand grenade in the first attack but kept at his post. He is also credited with ordering “danger close” artillery strikes near his own position to blunt the Chinese soldiers’ advances.

“I had been wounded three times by then, and I was lying there in my foxhole unable to do anything,” Puckett later said for an oral history project. “I could see three Chinese [soldiers] about 15 yards away from me, and they were bayoneting or shooting some of my wounded Rangers who were in the foxholes.” 

In his life after the military, Puckett began mentoring Army Rangers. 

Puckett has already racked up a slew of awards, including the Distinguished Service Cross and two Silver Stars for valor when he served in Vietnam. He was also awarded five Purple Hearts for injuries suffered in combat and two Bronze Stars for valor.

U.S. Navy officials said Sunday that thousands of weapons including sniper rifles, assault weapons and other guns were seized onboard a ship that was likely bound for an illicit delivery to Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Navy officials confirmed the seizure of a vessel in the Arabian Sea in a press release Saturday, describing it as a dhow or traditional regional sailing ship. The operation reportedly took place on Thursday.

Those onboard were reportedly allowed to depart after the cargo was seized. They were also provided with food and water by Navy sailors.

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“After all illicit cargo was removed, the dhow was assessed for seaworthiness, and after questioning, its crew was provided food and water before being released,” read the news release.

“The cache of weapons included dozens of advanced Russian-made anti-tank guided missiles, thousands of Chinese Type 56 assault rifles, and hundreds of PKM machine guns, sniper rifles and rocket-propelled grenades launchers. Other weapon components included advanced optical sights,” it continued.

A U.S. defense official told The Associated Press in a statement that while nothing was confirmed, the package of weapons appeared similar to others seized from vessels known to have been supplying Houthi rebels in Yemen. The official also added that interviews with crew members of the USS Monterey indicated that they had determined the vessel to have originated in Iran.

Iran is thought to be supporting Houthi rebels in Yemen with weapons and other means as the rebels continue their battle with the Saudi Arabia-supported Yemeni government. The U.S. withdrew support for Saudi-led offensive efforts in the region earlier this year.

An independent researcher briefed on the weapons recovered told the AP in a statement that the package resembled other firearms recovered in previous seizures of vessels from Iran bound for Yemen.

“The unique blend of materiel recovered by the USS Monterey appears to be consistent with the materiel from previous interdictions, which have been linked to Iran,” added Tim Michetti .

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisRon DeSantisACLU sues Florida over law targeting ballot initiatives Montana governor approves restrictions on transgender athletes in schools Advocates sound alarm as restrictive voting laws pile up MORE (R) has signed legislation raising the state’s age to purchase nicotine and tobacco products to 21, lining up with federal law.

DeSantis signed the law, which is slated to go into effect in October, on Friday. The signing comes after Florida state House members passed the legislation by a 103-13 vote last month. 

The bill’s supporters argue that the measure shows that Florida is willing to work with regulators to prevent underage use, but health groups argue that the legislation could block local regulations on the sale of tobacco and vaping products.

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“Florida kids deserve effective protections, not to be left even more vulnerable to the industry and its predatory practices. And our localities have the right, freedom, and responsibility to protect them, especially when the state won’t,” the American Cancer Society said in a statement to the Tampa Bay Times last month. 

There has been pressure nationwide to block the sale of e-cigarettes and tobacco to anyone under the age of 21 amid rising rates of vaping among teenagers. The U.S. House and Senate approved raising the age to purchase e-cigarettes and tobacco to 21 in 2019. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 34 deaths in patients who had used e-cigarettes and vaping products in 2019.

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Former Attorney General William BarrBill BarrDOJ faces big decision on home confinement Democrats, activists blast Trump DOJ effort to get journalists’ phone records Trump admin got phone records of WaPo reporters covering Russia probe: report MORE reportedly threatened to resign if FBI Director Christopher Wray was fired by former President TrumpDonald TrumpSanders: Reinstating SALT deduction ‘sends a terrible, terrible message’ GOP braces for wild week with momentous vote One quick asylum fix: How Garland can help domestic violence survivors MORE.

According to Business Insider, Barr’s threat came after he became aware of the White House’s efforts to find a replacement for Wray, who took over the FBI after Trump fired former director James ComeyJames Brien Comey’Fox News Sunday’ to mark 25 years on air Showtime developing limited series about Jan. 6 Capitol riot Wray says FBI not systemically racist MORE.

The efforts to oust Wray reportedly continued into the spring of 2020, when a White House aide presented Barr with a potential nominee to replace Wray, Bill Evanina.  Barr abruptly left a meeting after realizing that the White House was seeking his approval on the issue, according to the news outlet.

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It is not clear when Barr threatened to resign in protest, but the former attorney general’s threat appeared to be effective, as Wray led the bureau through the end of the Trump administration and continues as FBI director to this day.

Last December, Barr became one of the highest-ranking Trump administration officials to both privately and publicly contradict Trump’s unproven claims of widespread election fraud.

Barr left the administration in December, just a few weeks before the end of Trump’s term, amid what many perceived to be a fraying relationship with the president.

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Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed survived a bomb blast Thursday, with his family saying Saturday that he is off life support.

Nashida Sattar, Nasheed’s sister, tweeted that Nasheed said “I’m good” after coming off life support, Reuters reported.

“He is out of life support and breathing on his own,” Nasheed’s brother, Ibrahim Nashid, tweeted. “Managed to exchange a few words. Promised to come back stronger. I believe him.”

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The bomb exploded outside Nasheed’s home on Thursday and critically injured him.

There have been two arrests for the bombing, which is being treated as a terrorist attack, but no further details were given, police said.

Nasheed was the first democratically elected president in the country and served from 2008 to 2012 before he was deposed and pushed out of office by what he called a coup.

Nasheed has been pushing an investigation into opposition leaders for graft allegations and has been speaking out against Islamic extremism in the country, according to Reuters.

The Maldives has been known for its political unrest. In 2015, former President Abdulla Yameen also survived an explosion on his speedboat.

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Si leur désir d’intimité, jugé exagéré compte tenu de leur rôle public, et leurs récents déplacements en jet privé leur ont valu dernièrement de vives polémiques, le prince Harry et la duchesse Meghan de Sussex s’enthousiasment pour leur prochain grand voyage officiel : alors que leurs services viennent de publier quelques détails additionnels sur leur visite prévue en Afrique cet automne avec leur fils Archie, le communiqué contient quelques mots signés du duc de Sussex en personne.

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“Dans quelques semaines à peine, notre famille effectuera sa première tournée officielle en Afrique, une région du monde qui, au cours des deux dernières décennies, a été comme ma seconde maison. Notre équipe nous a aidés à composer un programme qui a du sens et que nous sommes très heureux de partager avec vous. Sur un plan personnel, il me tarde de présenter ma femme et mon fils en Afrique du Sud. Nous vous verrons tous très bientôt“, disent ces quelques lignes. Nombre d’admirateurs du duc et de la duchesse de Sussex ont été sensibles au fait qu’Harry parle ainsi de sa “famille“, tandis que d’autres ont déjà hâte de revoir le petit Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, né le 6 mai dernier et baptisé le 6 juillet. On notera par ailleurs que le prince anglais de 34 ans réitère son amour inconditionnel pour l’Afrique, qu’il a hérité de sa mère Lady Di et cultivé intensivement, au travers de nombreux séjours privés et d’actions philanthropiques ou en faveur de la sauvegarde des espèces.

Illustré par une mosaïque de neuf images mettant tout particulièrement à l’honneur les enfants et la faune d’Afrique, le communiqué indique que les Sussex visiteront en famille l’Afrique du Sud et que le prince Harry se rendra seul au Malawi, en Angola et au Botswana, berceau de son histoire d’amour avec Meghan Markle. Le message publie par surcroît un panel de comptes d’associations oeuvrant pour “un changement positif” sur le continent africain, spécifiquement en matière d’environnement et d’éducation.

En attendant, le duc et la duchesse de Sussex doivent en cette fin d’été réaliser une autre première visite : à Balmoral, celle-là ! Après avoir accueilli de nombreux membres de sa famille, dont, dernièrement, le prince William, la duchesse Catherine de Cambridge et leurs enfants, la reine Elizabeth II attend la venue d’Harry, Meghan et Archie, qui ne sont encore jamais allés ensemble dans son fief écossais.

Triste nouvelle en ce mercredi 4 septembre 2019. Ariane Carletti, connue du grand public en tant qu’Ariane du Club Dorothée et de Récré A2 pour les moins jeunes, est décédée à l’âge de 61 ans.

La disparition de l’ancienne animatrice télé et comédienne, survenue le mardi 3 septembre, a été officialisée par sa famille via un communiqué. “C’est avec une immense tristesse qu’Éléonore et Tristan, ses enfants, et son frère Denis vous font part du décès d’Ariane Carletti, survenu le 3 septembre à l’âge de 61 ans, est-il d’abord rapporté. Comédienne, productrice et animatrice de télévision, Ariane Carletti a consacré toute sa vie au spectacle et aux autres. Elle était devenue l’un des visages les plus populaires de la télévision française aux côtés de Dorothée.” Les proches d’Ariane Carletti indiquent également que “ses obsèques se dérouleront dans l’intimité familiale“.

Jean-Luc Azoulay, producteur du Club Dorothée, a réagi auprès de l’AFP, indiquant qu’Ariane avait été emportée par la maladie : “C’était quelqu’un de formidable, toujours enjouée. Elle luttait contre la maladie depuis plusieurs années et on pensait qu’elle allait pouvoir échapper à tout ça, mais hélas, elle est partie…“

La mort d’Ariane Carletti survient un peu plus d’un an après celle de François Corbier, l’une des autres figures incontournables de Récré A2 et du Club Dorothée. Il avait succombé à un cancer à l’âge de 73 ans. Ariane avait assisté aux obsèques de Corbier avec Dorothée. La tristesse des fans est immense…

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Jesta Hillmann (27 ans) a partagé une photo de sa silhouette post-grossesse sur Instagram. Sur le cliché, la gagnante de l’émission La Bataille des Couples affiche déjà un ventre ultra-plat. Face au miroir, elle soulève son tee-shirt pour mieux laisser entrevoir son corps. La femme de Benoît Assadi écrit : “C’est bizarre un mélange de vieux abdos avec un excès de peau“. Bizarre ? Ce n’est sûrement pas l’avis de ses nombreux followers, admiratifs devant la taille de guêpe de Jesta.

Le 6 septembre 2019, la maman de Juliann avait déjà posté une photographie montrant son corps déjà très aminci. Rapidement, ses abonnés n’avaient pas manqué de féliciter la jeune femme pour sa beauté : “Tu es magnifique. On ne dirait pas que tu as eu un bébé il y a peu“, “On voit les femmes qui s’entretiennent. Encore plus belle qu’avant“.

Une perte de poids remarquable pour celle qui déclarait avoir pris près de 26 kilos pendant sa grossesse. Alors, quel est le secret de Jesta pour retrouver la ligne aussi rapidement ? La réponse aurait pu être révélée le 7 septembre 2019. La finaliste de Koh-Lanta, l’île au trésor dévoilait en story son petit-déjeuner à ses abonnés. L’occasion peut-être de connaître enfin la technique de Jesta. Au menu ? Salade de fruits, yaourt et… De nombreuses pâtisseries ! Pains au chocolat, croissants et surtout Nutella, péché mignon de Jesta.

Le 11 août 2019, celle qui révélait avoir perdu 14 kilos à ses followers déclarait : “J’ai perdu 14 kilos sans rien faire. Avec un bébé on ne s’arrête jamais“. Alors, s’occuper d’un bébé serait-il finalement le secret pour retrouver (mais aussi garder) la ligne ?

Les valises sont presque prtes Demain petite halte Bordeaux puis direction la Bretagne !

Une publication partage par Jesta ASSADI HILLMANN (@jesta_hillmann) le 5 Sept. 2019 4 :38 PDT

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