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Yazidis Want Big Tech Held to Account Over ISIS Atrocities  (Simon Rushton, The National)
Yazidi activists are demanding social media companies are held accountable for their alleged role in the genocide of the mid-2010s. ISIS, as it was sweeping through Iraq and Syria, persecuted the Yazidi population and trafficked its women and girls as part of a campaign against the religious group. WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube were all used to help sell girls and women into slavery and death, the Yazidi campaigners say. A 120-page document alleges the tech giants did not act robustly enough to stop ISIS members using their platforms to trade women and girls kidnapped when it controlled the Yazidi heartland of Sinjar, Iraq, eight years ago. “This will bring justice for Yazidi victims,” said Wahhab Hassoo, 26, a student who resettled in the Netherlands in 2012. He says his family paid $80,000 for the release of his niece from ISIS after she was abducted in 2014 and offered her “for sale” in a WhatsApp group. “We are asking governments to do an investigation because we believe these platforms have contributed to the genocide,” Mr Hassoo said. The report, produced with the help of lawyers in the US, accuses social media companies of failing to stamp out hate speech against the Yazidis on their platforms, pointing to weaknesses in content moderation and demanding tougher government regulations.

Nelson Far-Right Fanatic Who Had Terror Handbook Jailed  (BBC)
A man who possessed a “terrorist handbook” and had an “obsession” with far-right ideologies has been jailed. Conrad Howarth, from Nelson in Lancashire, pleaded guilty to gathering terrorist material and also possessing extreme pornography. The 41-year-old was jailed at Manchester Crown Court for four-and-a-half years.
Counter-terror officer Det Ch Insp Clare Devlin said right-wing terrorism “will not be tolerated”. “The evidence seized in this investigation was concerning and demonstrated Howarth’s obsession with far right wing ideologies,” he said. Howarth, of Pinfold Place, admitted a charge of collecting, recording, possessing or viewing information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. Police said they found the extreme pornography on a laptop when searching his home.”

Canada’s First Convicted Terrorist Deemed Too Dangerous for Parole  (Stewart Nell, Global News)
The first Canadian convicted under anti-terrorism laws enacted after the 9/11 attacks has lost his bid for release after the Parole Board ruled he wasn’t ready to leave prison. The decision followed a hearing at which Mohammad Momin Khawaja struggled to explain how he had reformed since he was arrested when police disrupted a 2004 bomb plot. He also appeared to downplay his actions, claiming he thought at the time that he was supporting a “good cause,” and was simply responding to “social injustice” and “suffering.” “It is the Board’s opinion that you will present an undue risk to society if released, and that your release will not contribute to the protection of society,” read the decision released Wednesday. Khawaja, 42, is serving a life sentence for five terrorism offences stemming from his involvement with Al Qaeda supporters who were planning bomb attacks in the United Kingdom. He has been imprisoned for 18 years. At a hearing on Feb. 3, the Correctional Service of Canada said it opposed his application for day parole, saying he “would present an undue risk if released at this time.” But Khawaja argued he should be allowed to move into an Ottawa halfway house, and said he wanted to study law and volunteer for humanitarian organizations that help refugees.

Partnerships, Proactive Approach Needed to Close Port Cybersecurity Gaps  (Tom Goodman, HSToday)
Through its connection in port, the vessel is tying directly into an unfiltered power source, becoming part of the national grid.

Justice Department Announces First Director of National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team  (DOJ)
The Justice Department on Thursday announced the selection and appointment of Eun Young Choi to serve as the first Director of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET). Ms. Choi is a seasoned prosecutor with nearly a decade of experience within the department, and most recently served as Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General. She will assume her duties full-time effective Thursday.

Companies Have a Lot to Fear from Russia’s Digital Warmongering  (Economist)
Insurance against state-sponsored hacks is becoming harder to find.