Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC, Army Remove From Apps Russian Code Cloaked As American
Reuters: Exclusive: Russian Software Disguised As American Finds Its Way Into U.S. Army, CDC Apps
Thousands of smartphone applications in Apple and Google's online stores contain computer code developed by a technology company, Pushwoosh, that presents itself as based in the United States, but is actually Russian, Reuters has found. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States' main agency for fighting major health threats, said it had been deceived into believing Pushwoosh was based in the U.S. capital. After learning about its Russian roots from Reuters, it removed Pushwoosh software from seven public-facing apps, citing security concerns. (Pearson and Taylor, 11/14)
PCMag: Russian Code Found In US Army, CDC Apps
Pushwoosh is a Russian company with headquarters in Novosibirsk, Siberia. It's registered to pay taxes to the Russian government, and is therefore subject to the same rules as other Russian companies—notably the sharing of user data with the Russian government upon request. ... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) admitted it thought Pushwoosh was a US company and has now removed the company's code from multiple public-facing apps. (Humphries, 11/14)
More news from the CDC —
Daily Mail Online: Public Health Purge At The CDC Sees 3,000 Staff Who Were Hired During The Covid Crisis Laid Off
More than 3,000 scientists and public health experts hired to assist the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) pandemic response are being let go. Their contracts are set to expire over the coming weeks across the US and they will not be renewed, as part of the country's winding down of Covid spending. The CDC Foundation — an independent body that supports the CDC's work — recruited 4,000 epidemiologists, communication experts , and public health nurses during the pandemic. (Andrews, 11/14)
