Yazılar

US Says Chinese Hackers Targeted Justice Department, NASA, Federal Reserve and Senate

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The United States said it has disrupted a China-linked cyber operation accused of targeting sensitive government agencies including the Justice Department, NASA, the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Senate.

The Justice Department said it seized domains connected to two hacking platforms, QScan and QTRouter, which were allegedly used in cyber campaigns against government institutions, critical infrastructure and private companies.

Authorities linked the platforms to Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company, a China-based firm whose clients allegedly included China’s Ministry of State Security and the People’s Liberation Army.

According to U.S. court documents, the hackers have operated since at least 2018, exploiting vulnerabilities to access sensitive networks. Some attempts failed, including an effort to compromise NASA systems in 2019 and unsuccessful attempts against Senate networks in March 2026.

Other operations allegedly resulted in data theft from defense contractors, financial institutions and universities, while additional targets included Energy Department laboratories, the National Institutes of Health and healthcare-related agencies.

China’s embassy in Washington said Beijing opposes cyberattacks and accused the United States of using cybersecurity allegations to discredit China.

The case highlights continued concern in Washington over Chinese-linked cyber campaigns targeting government agencies, telecommunications networks and other strategically important systems.

U.S. Senators Press Tinder Parent Match to Address Dating Scams

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Two U.S. senators urged Match Group, the parent company of Tinder, to step up its fight against romance scams across its dating platforms. In a letter sent Wednesday to CEO Spencer Rascoff, Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan and Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn requested details on Match’s policies and safeguards against fraudulent activity.

Romance scams typically involve fraudsters creating convincing but fake profiles to lure victims into prolonged interactions before soliciting money or gifts. The senators expressed concern that Match’s platform design and algorithms may unintentionally foster trust that scammers exploit.

According to the FBI, cybercrime caused victims more than $16 billion in global losses last year, with romance scams alone responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars.

Hassan and Blackburn gave Match until October 15 to provide documents showing its prevention measures and an explanation of how scams persist on its apps, which also include Hinge and OkCupid.

In response, Match said it welcomed “constructive conversations” with lawmakers. Yoel Roth, the company’s Trust & Safety chief, said Match has invested heavily in advanced fraud detection systems, user safety features, and partnerships with law enforcement and industry groups.

Match has faced regulatory scrutiny before. In 2019, the Federal Trade Commission accused the company of sending fake “interest” notifications from accounts it knew were fraudulent on Match.com. The Department of Justice later closed its probe in 2020.

To combat impersonation, Match has introduced tools like “face check” to verify profiles and reduce the spread of fake accounts.

Whistleblowers Accuse Meta of Prioritizing VR Profits Over Child Safety

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Two former Meta researchers told the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Privacy and Technology that Meta Platforms knowingly ignored harms to children on its virtual-reality platform to protect profits.

Key Testimonies

  • Cayce Savage (Former User Experience Researcher):

    • Said Meta shut down internal research proving that children were exposed to sexually explicit content in VR.

    • Claimed researchers were instructed not to investigate child safety harms so the company could claim ignorance.

    • Reported instances of bullying, sexual assault, and requests for nude photos involving children in VR.

  • Jason Sattizahn (Former Reality Labs Researcher):

    • Testified he was not surprised Meta’s AI chatbots were permitted to engage children in romantic or sensual conversations, as revealed by a Reuters investigation.

Congressional Concerns

  • Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN): Highlighted chatbot risks and renewed calls for the Kids Online Safety Act, which passed the Senate but stalled in the House.

  • Lawmakers warned that Meta’s failures add urgency for federal safeguards on children’s digital experiences.

Meta’s Response

  • Meta spokesperson Andy Stone rejected the accusations, claiming the whistleblowers “selectively leaked internal documents” to create a misleading narrative.

  • Said there was never a blanket ban on child-related research, and that problematic chatbot behaviors had been removed.

Broader Context

  • Meta already faces bipartisan scrutiny for youth safety across Instagram, Facebook, and AI tools.

  • The testimony underscores growing pressure on Congress to regulate Big Tech’s handling of child protection in immersive and AI-driven platforms.