Spyke

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meta

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Financials - July 2023

You're an absolute ripper, mate! Fair dinkum, I can't thank ya enough for your bonzer effort. You're a true blue legend, and I reckon I owe ya a cold one at the local pub. Cheers! Thought an Aussie thanks was appropriate.

privacy

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Is the Government Running a Dragnet on VPN Users?

"Is the Government Running a Dragnet on VPN Users?" — Naomi Brockwell TV (22 May 2026, ~11 min)

The video centres on a public warning from US Senator Ron Wyden, asking the government to disclose how it treats VPN traffic for surveillance purposes. Naomi Brockwell argues this is a deliberate signal — Wyden's history of asking pointed public questions when he can't disclose classified information suggests he already knows something damning.

Key threads:

  • The 2013 parallel — Wyden did the same thing before the Snowden revelations, asking NSA Director Clapper in a Senate hearing whether the NSA collected data on millions of Americans. Clapper said "not wittingly." Snowden then proved that was a lie.
  • The VPN loophole — VPN providers, particularly US-based ones, may be subject to government data requests or bulk collection programs that aren't publicly disclosed. The implication is that using a VPN could route your traffic through infrastructure that is itself being monitored.
  • The Massie angle — Rep. Thomas Massie is also referenced as being aware of a classified spying program he legally cannot discuss publicly.
  • Should you still use a VPN? — The video argues VPNs still provide value against commercial tracking and ISP snooping, but they are not a silver bullet against government-level surveillance. The real problem is the legal framework that allows warrantless data collection.
  • Surveillance Accountability Act — The video ends by flagging proposed legislation aimed at closing the loophole that enables this kind of bulk collection without judicial oversight.

Bottom line: If you're using a VPN for privacy from government surveillance, this video argues you may be getting a false sense of security — and that Wyden is hinting at something classified that would concern most users if it became public.

ukraine

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21 Jun: NICE. Russians Were NOT PREPARED FOR THIS ATTACK | War in Ukraine Explained

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I don't know for sure but if you read the community channel on the reporting from Ukraine you tube channel there is some insight. What I've gathered over the year or so watching the channel:

  • The youtuber is in Ukraine in Mykolaiv which is very close to the southern front line so has a lot of first hand process.
  • The youtuber searches reputable sources often references sources like institute for war, defmon Twitter, military land, etc.
  • A lot of the insight comes from telegram channels in both Russian and Ukrainian language
  • The impression I get is it is mostly a full time job to come up with the daily 5min video
  • there is a team of volunteers who translate into a heap of languages