iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Kenton Thibaut @kentonthibaut.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Excited to share “AI Cooperation under the Shadow of China’s Digital Silk Road” tinyurl.com/3jkap6x5 examining how the PRC advances AI ties across the Global South & offers actionable recs for democracies to compete through partner agency, interoperability, sustainable financing,& capacity-building.

tinyurl.com

AI cooperation under the shadow of China’s Digital Silk Road

China’s Digital Silk Road has become a central channel through which Beijing engages Global South countries on digital infrastructure and, increasingly, artificial intelligence.

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Kenton Thibaut @kentonthibaut.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

I’m speaking at @Lauder Institute’s Global Futures Symposium on Feb 19-20 in Philadelphia. I’m discussing the PRC's integration of AI for adversarial use, and potential data security issues related to use of PRC AI applications. Register here! lauder.wharton.upenn.edu/futures-symp...

lauder.wharton.upenn.edu

Global Futures Symposium

The Lauder Institute’s inaugural Global Futures Symposium (GFS): National Security Meets the Global Marketplace will take place on February 19-20, 2026 in Philadelphia, PA.

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Kenton Thibaut @kentonthibaut.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

Take a gander below at this WaPo writeup of some of my work on PRC actions in the info space re: Venezuela

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Sze-Fung Lee 李紫楓 @imleeszefung.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

A Tactical Framework to Counter and Prevent Transnational Repression w/ @atlanticcouncil.bsky.social by me & @marcuskolga.bsky.social @kentonthibaut.bsky.social nthibaut.bsky.social @nosumacero.bsky.social y.social @lisandranovo.bsky.social Threads⚡️x 7 www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-res...

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Kenton Thibaut @kentonthibaut.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

China’s state-driven connectivity financing is brittle. We should lean into blended finance + specialized intermediaries-they unlock private capital, manage risk & build sustainable infrastructure on democratic terms. Watch our @atlanticcouncil.bsky.social event 👇 www.youtube.com/live/Mhi0tOa...

youtube.com

Creative investment approaches to compete with China in the Global South

YouTube video by AtlanticCouncil

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CBS News Confirmed @cbsnewsconfirmed.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

TikTok v RedNote? As TikTok's fate is once again at stake in the U.S., @kentonthibaut.bsky.social, Senior China Fellow at the Atlantic Council's Data Forensic Research Lab, explains how rival app RedNote stacks up in terms of personal security.

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Kenton Thibaut @kentonthibaut.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

In this @dfrlab.bsky.social piece, Dylan Plung of NBR & I highlight the case of China IO targeting Japan to argue open societies need comprehensive digital strategies integrating domestic modernization, cybersecurity, & FIMI resilience. We provide specific recs for how to do it: shorturl.at/worXz

dfrlab.org

Japan’s technology paradox: the challenge of Chinese disinformation

Japan serves as an important case study to illustrate an unappreciated aspect of fostering information resilience against malign influence

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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 25/03/2025

The popular DNA test kit company 23andMe announced yesterday that it has filed for bankruptcy and is looking for a buyer. And while the company has promised to continue protecting customer data amidst a possible sale, Wirecutter’s tech experts think you should delete your data now.

nyti.ms

23andMe Just Filed for Bankruptcy. You Should Delete Your Data Now.

23andMe is up for sale—which means your data is, too.

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Kenton Thibaut @kentonthibaut.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

Development can be profitable AND strategic. We argue that investing in connectivity offers MASSIVE financial opportunities for the US, while countering China's growing digital footprint. We outline specific recs to make the Development Finance Corporation fit for this purpose: shorturl.at/IKxV3

dfrlab.org

Connecting the other half of humanity is the deal of the century

China is investing billions in global internet infrastructure through its Digital Silk Road Initiative, advancing its interests over the US.

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Bloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 15/03/2025

President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order aimed at reducing the scope of eight federal agencies as part of his campaign to downsize the US government.

bloomberg.com

Trump Signs Order Seeking to Reduce More Federal Agencies

President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order aimed at reducing the scope of eight federal agencies as part of his campaign to downsize the US government.

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Ryan Goodman @rgoodlaw.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

5 former Secretaries of Defense call on Congress to exercise oversight responsibility on Trump-Hegseth firing of senior military leaders: The "dismissals raise troubling questions about the administration’s desire to politicize the military and to remove legal constraints on the President’s power."

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Kenton Thibaut @kentonthibaut.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Americans flocked to Xiaohongshu (RedNote) in January due to the TikTok ban. But what's the difference between Xiaohongshu, TikTok, & Douyin? What narratives proliferate on it? What are tradeoffs between propaganda wins & information control for the CCP? Ryan DeVries & I explain: shorturl.at/UjRJE

shorturl.at

What the TikTok ban and Xiaohongshu's brief popularity reveal about US-China relations and their tech sectors

Influx of US users to RedNote amid TikTok ban limbo presents propaganda opportunities and censorship challenges for China

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

OMB director Russ Vought has officially begun carrying out his section of Project 2025. Technical thread to follow, but it’s really important - this is a major path through which the Trump administration will illegally impound funding, refusing to carry out some of our spending laws.

Delegation of Apportionment Authority

I hereby delegate to the Program Associate Directors the authorities delegated by the President to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget for apportioning funds pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 1513(b).

This delegation supersedes any previous delegation of such authority and will remain in place until revised or revoked. The Program Associate Directors may re-delegate this authority as necessary in writing. This delegation does not limit the authority of the Director to exercise the delegated authority.

Russell T. Vought,

Director, Office of Management and Budget.

Externally, the Director must ensure that OMB has sufficient visibility into the deep caverns of agency decision-making. One indispensable statutory tool to that end is to ensure that policy officials- the Program Associate Directors (PADs) managing the vast Resource Management Offices (RMOs)-personally sign what are known as the apportionments. In 1870, Congress passed the Anti-Deficiency Act® to prevent the common agency practice of spending down all appropriated funding, creating artificial funding shortfalls that Congress would have to fill. The law mandated that all funding be allotted or "apportioned" in installments. This process, whereby agencies come to OMB for allotments of appropriated funding, is essential to the effective financial stewardship of taxpayer dollars. OMB can then direct on behalf of a President the amount, duration, and purpose of any apportioned funding to ensure against waste, fraud, and abuse and ensure consistency with the President's agenda and applicable laws.
The vast majority of these apportionments were signed by career officials- the Deputy Associate Directors (DADs)-until the Trump Administration placed this responsibility in the hands of the PADs and thereby opened wide vistas of oversight that had escaped the attention of policy officials. The Biden Administration subsequently reversed this decision. No Director should be chosen who is unwilling to restore apportionment decision-making to the PADs' personal review, who is not aggressive in wielding the tool on behalf of the President's agenda, or who is unable to defend the power against attacks from Congress.

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Benjamin Wittes @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org · 23/02/2025

#DontAbandonUkraine: The Complete Thread bsky.app/profile/benj...

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Kashmir Hill @kashhill.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

In the world of privacy coverage, there has always been a central question of who is a greater threat to it: the government or corporate America. Now with DOGE, the two are merged into one: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/19/u...

nytimes.com

Struggle Over Americans’ Personal Data Plays Out Across the Government (Gift Article)

Employees from Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency are gaining access to vast amounts of information held by federal agencies, even as lawsuits try to stop them.

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Ariane Tabatabai @atabatabai.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

For my 1st piece since leaving government, I partnered w/ @richardmnephew.bsky.social on a piece for @warontherocks.bsky.social. We take stock of where we are on Iran, and where we should go, including steps to prevent a nuke & reconstitution of the proxy network. warontherocks.com/2025/02/trum...

warontherocks.com

Trump Has a Rare and Short Window to Solve the Iran Problem — Here’s How - War on the Rocks

Donald Trump is likely the last president that will get a chance to stop Iran from building a nuclear arsenal. Will he succeed? Tehran has been on the

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Eric Geller @ericjgeller.com · 06/02/2025

I missed this yesterday, but new Attorney General Pam Bondi used her first day on the job to disband the FBI's Foreign Influence Task Force, which has been a key part of government efforts to stop adversaries from meddling in U.S. democracy: bit.ly/4jK0RC5

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Sarah Bauerle Danzman @sarahbauerled.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Okay, you're ready to step into the fray. This week is focused on two things: 1) getting federal level reps to push back on Elon Musk's hostile takeover of our federal bureaucracy and federal payments system (bonus points for also saying stand up to these stupid and destructive tariffs) and

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Kenton Thibaut @kentonthibaut.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

It was great to work with @bellingcat.com on this piece. We discussed how Chinese companies obfuscate shady goings-on via networks of LLCs registered abroad. I also discussed data gathering practices of some companies, which are used to build datasets of valuable targets for Chinese intel agencies.

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Atlantic Council @atlanticcouncil.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

This week, Chinese AI startup DeepSeek’s R1 rattled the US after it was found to match OpenAI’s o1 model across a number of core tasks. DFRLab’s @kentonthibaut.bsky.social examines what DeepSeek’s breakthrough says and doesn’t say about the ‘AI race’ with China:

atlanticcouncil.org

What DeepSeek’s breakthrough says (and doesn’t say) about the ‘AI race’ with China

DeepSeek’s achievement has not exactly undermined the United States’ export control strategy, but it does bring up important questions about the broader US strategy on AI.

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Kenton Thibaut @kentonthibaut.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

In this piece for @lawfare.bsky.social, I argue that focusing tech policy solely on Chinese security risks overlooks systemic flaws in the U.S. tech ecosystem that could end up undermining national security in the long run. Many thanks to the colleagues who provided great feedback for the piece!

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Kenton Thibaut @kentonthibaut.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

As we wait to see the Trump admin's plans re: AI & national security, we asked industry experts what nat sec principles & policy choices in Biden's AI NSM should be carried forward, what should change, & where there is natural continuity between Trump & Biden's approaches👇 dfrlab.org/2025/01/17/a...

dfrlab.org

National Security Memorandum (NSM) on Artificial Intelligence: Democracy + Tech Initiative Markup

On October 24, 2024, the Biden Administration released its National Security Memorandum (NSM) on Artificial Intelligence. Read along with AC Tech Programs staff, fellows, and industry experts for comm...

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Kenton Thibaut @kentonthibaut.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

As I say in this Foreign Policy piece, a big problem with the TikTok conversation is it frames the risk to Americans’ data security as a problem that can be solved by a ban. But we still end up leaving a larger & arguably more consequential swath of US data unprotected & available for purchase.

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Kenton Thibaut @kentonthibaut.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

The TikTok "ban" is a great TP for the CCP to undermine U.S. leadership on the open internet, especially as Xiaohongshu trends to #1 in the app store, and its CEO welcomes American "TikTok refugees." 🤦‍♀️ CCP State Media is positively GLEEFUL. We need a better approach. dfrlab.org/2024/02/14/t...

dfrlab.org

TikTok: Hate the Game, Not the Player

How strategic and regulatory confusion around TikTok prevent an effective national security response

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Kenton Thibaut @kentonthibaut.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

"By retrenching on its content policies, Meta is reneging on previous statements that it wanted to create a safe and open space for people on its platforms...the pullback...will inevitably be felt offline." @markscott.bsky.social on Meta's decision to axe fact-checking: tinyurl.com/3v9vrkc8

dfrlab.org

Analysis: Meta's fact-checking pullback will have global consequences

The social media company's widespread overhaul of its content moderation polices will have a real-world negative impact, embolden authoritarian regimes, and put its own users at risk

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