Welcome to Tech Beat, your briefing on the stories shaping our world.
Russia's disinformation playbook in the Baltic states is getting more sophisticated. A new report finds campaigns targeting Estonian and Latvian elections are less about candidates or ballot integrity and more about muddying the security debates voters actually care about, from fabricated NATO casualty reports to drone-related conspiracy content.
Across the Atlantic, a significant political shift is underway in Canada, where the Parti Québécois has won the Quebec provincial election, returning separatists to power for the first time in years. The party is now promising a third referendum on independence from Canada, reopening a constitutional question many thought had been settled.
And in a story that sits squarely at the intersection of conflict and technology, members of Mexican and Colombian cartels have reportedly been filmed fighting in Ukraine as part of the country's International Legion. The striking detail here is the motivation — these recruits are said to be seeking hands-on training in drone warfare, effectively using a live conflict zone as a classroom for skills they plan to bring home.
Three very different stories, one common thread — technology, power, and the people caught between them. Keep surfing. Tech Beat out.
