Why you should be concerned about your US tech vendors.

Cass Troy

— 8 min read
Why you should be concerned about your US tech vendors.
I'm sorry I'm making you look at Ted Cruz, but the hell else do I put in here for a story about a data vendor?

I know I'm going to lose a lot of people on this one but bear with me, because it is actually very important.

Today Ted Cruz announced his plans to subpoena Bonterra, a communications firm that runs CRM software like Every Action, which many lefty orgs use for their donor management. Ostensibly, this is some discrimination case because they claim Bonterra wouldn't work with a conservative organization. Whatever, that part barely matters. The important things are that

  1. They want you to be bored by a mundane case about a data services provider so that you do not paying attention.
  2. This is the first broad subpoena of a data vendor that could fundamentally compromise the sensitive information for huge numbers of non-profits (mostly providing progressive services) AND THEIR DONORS
  3. It is unclear how far reaching this request will be, and whether the vendor will even be required to alert clients once that information is handed over. To a Senate hearing. Which will make it all public record.

Maybe you are like, "oh I'm not a non-profit," or, "I don't use that software," or, "I am a l33t h4XX0r and only keep my data in PostgreSQL and written in binary in a moleskine journal." But this should still very much concern you, because it will have ramifications for anything you do that touches any electronic device that uses data services in the United States. (Do you have a smart phone? That's you! Respect to all the flip phone users in the house.)

What can you do? Fuck y'all, I don't know, I just collect this pastiche of horrible stuff for you, but people should push back, and be aware, and stop trusting the same five companies with all of your data because monopolies are bad, yo.

Now here's all the other terrible news. March is going to be a doozy.

In the last week:

This week ahead:

Early warning:

Resources:

Cassandra Report has updated their resource library that includes links to guides from trusted sources that cover things like digital security, physical security, medical care, transportation, and legal support.

doomsayer.me/resources

LGBTQIA+ News

Reed, Erin. 2024. “Marco Rubio May Have Just Banned Trans Foreigners Seeking Visas From US Entry.” July 25, 2024. https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/marco-rubio-may-have-just-banned.

Rummler, Orion. 2025. “‘We Won’t Be Safe If We’re Silent’: Young Trans Leaders Want to Build a Network of Their Own.” The 19th. February 18, 2025. https://19thnews.org/2025/02/transgender-youth-students-trump/.

Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ [@realchrisrufo]. 2025. “EXCLUSIVE: @GrossmanHannah and I Have Obtained Logs from the NSA’s Secret Transgender Sex Chatroom, in Which NSA, CIA, and DIA Employees Discuss Genital Castration, Artificial Vaginas, Piss Fetishes, Sex Polycules, and Gangbangs—All on Government Time. This Is Insane. 🧵.” Tweet. Twitter. https://x.com/realchrisrufo/status/1894064757142937904.

hunter schafer gallery. [@schaferfiles]. 2025. “Hunter Schafer Posted a 8 Minute and 34 Seconds Long Tiktok Story about Trump Government and How It Changed Her Passport Gender from Female to Male. Please Listen Carefully and with Attention to Everything She’s Saying. Part One. Https://T.Co/KVw1LwVCm9.” Tweet. Twitter. https://x.com/schaferfiles/status/1892961863622688984.

Reed, Erin. 2024. “No More Compliance: Historic LGBT Clinic Whitman-Walker’s Erasing Of Trans People A Step Too Far.” July 25, 2024. https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/no-more-compliance-whitman-walkers.

Abortion News:

“ACLJ Sends Demand Letter to Hospital To Prevent 5 Ultrasound Technicians From Being Forced To Assist in Abortions.” n.d. American Center for Law and Justice. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://aclj.org/pro-life/aclj-sends-demand-letter-to-hospital-to-prevent-5-ultrasound-technicians-from-being-forced-to-assist-in-abortions.

Butler, Kiera. n.d. “The Anti-Abortion Movement Is Splintering.” Mother Jones (blog). Accessed February 25, 2025. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/the-anti-abortion-movement-is-splintering/.

CNA. n.d. “Pro-Life Coalition Launches $30 Million Pro-Life Venture Fund to Protect Unborn.” Catholic News Agency. Accessed February 20, 2025. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/262311/pro-life-coalition-launches-30-dollars-million-pro-life-venture-fund-to-protect-unborn.

Ehrlich, Shoshanna. 2025. “Sending Those Who Choose Abortion to Jail or to Their Death: The Growing Visibility of ‘Abortion Abolitionists.’” Ms. Magazine. February 21, 2025. https://msmagazine.com/2025/02/21/abortion-abolition-pro-life-national-ban-slavery-women-prison-death-penalty/.

Ertelt, Steven. 2025. “Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton: We Will Stop Abortionists From Illegally Selling Drugs in Our State.” LifeNews.Com (blog). February 20, 2025. https://www.lifenews.com/2025/02/20/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-we-will-stop-abortionists-from-illegally-selling-drugs-in-our-state/.

“Missouri ‘Born-Alive’ Bill Could Open Door to Abortion Medication Lawsuits.” 2025. KSMU Radio. February 19, 2025. https://www.ksmu.org/news/2025-02-19/missouri-born-alive-bill-could-open-door-to-abortion-medication-lawsuits.

“Missouri GOP Wants to Create State Registry Tracking Abortion Seekers: ‘eHarmony for Babies.’” n.d. Jezebel. Accessed February 25, 2025. https://www.jezebel.com/missouri-gop-wants-to-create-state-registry-tracking-abortion-seekers-eharmony-for-babies.

Rebouché, Rachel. 2025. “Shield Laws Are the Fault Line in the Battle Over Abortion Access,” February 20, 2025. https://www.thenation.com/?post_type=article&p=542851.

“Sending Those Who Choose Abortion to Jail or to Their Death: The Growing Visibility of ‘Abortion Abolitionists’ - Ms. Magazine.” n.d. Accessed February 21, 2025. https://msmagazine.com/2025/02/21/abortion-abolition-pro-life-national-ban-slavery-women-prison-death-penalty/.

“Southeastern Iowa Lawmaker Introduces Bill to Make Medication Abortion Illegal.” 2025. Wqad.Com. February 18, 2025. https://www.wqad.com/article/news/politics/iowa-politics/iowa-abortion-pills-medication-illegal-new-bill-jeff-shipley-introduced/526-65773c36-bd84-403f-b41c-7b68da7b31c4.

“Texas Banned Abortion. Then Sepsis Rates Soared. — ProPublica.” n.d. Accessed February 25, 2025. https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-abortion-ban-sepsis-maternal-mortality-analysis?utm_content=buffer52d9e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_campaign=propublica-bsky.

The Daily Signal, dir. 2025. Trump’s Pardoned Pro-Lifers: Calvin Zastrow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBX4VSWxGsk.

Hate Group News:

Conter, Marissa. n.d. “White Supremacy Stickers Found in Bremerton Neighborhood, Family Suspects It Was Targeted.” Kitsap Sun. Accessed February 25, 2025. https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2025/02/23/racist-propaganda-stickers-posted-around-bremerton-neighborhood/78479859007/.

Ferrara, David. n.d. “Armed Men Are Guarding the Streets of Lincoln Heights, Stopping Cars and Vetting Passersby.” The Enquirer. Accessed February 20, 2025. https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2025/02/19/sheriff-says-no-to-neighborhood-militias-as-armed-men-stop-cars-in-lincoln-heights/79097948007/.

Hartmann, Thom. 2025. “See No Nazis, Hear No Nazis: Is the Media Covering for Trump’s Fascist Base?” January 24, 2025. https://hartmannreport.com/p/see-no-nazis-hear-no-nazis-is-the-a34.

Makuch, Ben. 2025. “Neo-Nazi Group Plots Rebuild as Trump’s FBI Chief Takes Helm, Audio Reveals.” The Guardian, February 24, 2025, sec. US news. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/24/neo-nazi-trump-fbi-chief.

“Mayor Johnson to Form Task Force to Rid CPD of Extremist Groups, After 8 Month Delay.” n.d. WTTW News. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://news.wttw.com/2025/02/21/mayor-johnson-form-task-force-rid-cpd-extremist-groups-after-8-month-delay.

Monacelli, Steven. 2025. “ICE Prosecutor in Dallas Runs White Supremacist X Account.” The Texas Observer. February 19, 2025. https://www.texasobserver.org/ice-prosecutor-dallas-white-supremacist-x-account/.

Right Wing Watch [@RightWingWatch]. 2025. “Antisemitic Christian Nationalist Pastors Andrew Isker and Joel Webbon Say Jews Are Not Entitled to a ‘Seat at the Table’ in America Because ‘This Country Belongs to Jesus.’ Https://Peoplefor.Org/Rightwingwatch/Andrew-Isker-Says-Jews-Do-Not-Deserve-Seat-Table-Because-Country-Belongs-Jesus Https://T.Co/JLrXaLM1uc.” Tweet. Twitter. https://x.com/RightWingWatch/status/1894127903119446280.

Valdez, Aaron. n.d. “Consulting Firm to Review Evendale Police’s Actions during Neo-Nazi Demonstration.” The Enquirer. Accessed February 25, 2025. https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2025/02/22/police-to-be-reviewed-after-white-supremacist-protest-near-cincinnati/79463591007/.

Government News:

admin. 2025. “DOGE Agent: Gavin Kliger.” Revolving Door Project (blog). February 20, 2025. https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/doge-agent-gavin-kliger/.

Brodkin, Jon. 2025. “FTC Investigates ‘Tech Censorship,’ Says It’s Un-American and May Be Illegal.” Ars Technica. February 20, 2025. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/02/ftc-investigates-tech-censorship-says-its-un-american-and-may-be-illegal/.

“CNN Made FOIA Request About DOGE—Only to Learn FOIA Staff Was Fired | Common Dreams.” n.d. Accessed February 25, 2025. https://www.commondreams.org/news/cnn-foia-office-of-personnel-management.

Cohn, Jenny. 2025. “DOGE Staffer Gavin Kliger Has Amplified Nick Fuentes & Called for a Pardon of Derek Chauvin. As of 2/7/25, Kliger Was Still Employed By….” Post. Bluesky. https://bsky.app/profile/jennycohn.bsky.social/post/3lisdhf4n7k2f.

“Conjuring the End: Techno-Eschatology and the Power of Prophecy.” 2025. Opinio Juris (blog). January 30, 2025. https://opiniojuris.org/2025/01/30/conjuring-the-end-techno-eschatology-and-the-power-of-prophecy/.

“DOGE Employee Edward Coristine Lands at CISA with DHS Email.” 2025. Nextgov.Com. February 20, 2025. https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2025/02/doge-employee-edward-coristine-lands-cisa-dhs-email/403126/.

Left Right Center MI [@leftofcentermi]. 2024. “Talking w/ Jack Posobiec, State Rep. Josh Schriver Said He ‘Came to Christ’ in College, Which Helped Him Make a ‘180’ w/ His Life. Prior to Politics, Schriver Spent His Adult Life Working w/ Kids as a ‘Behavior Consultant,’ Childcare Assistant, Teacher, & Character Called Bumbo. Https://T.Co/lcygNqZIAy.” Tweet. Twitter. https://x.com/leftofcentermi/status/1772459037969293719.

Silverman, Jacob. 2024. “Prominent DOGE Staffer Is Grandson Of Turncoat KGB Spy.” August 24, 2024. https://www.jacobsilverman.com/p/prominent-doge-staffer-is-grandson.

“Trump Allies Circulate Mass Deportation Plan Calling for ‘Processing Camps’ and a Private Citizen ‘Army.’” 2025. POLITICO. February 25, 2025. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/25/documents-military-contractors-mass-deportations-022648.

“Trump Allies Circulate Mass Deportation Plan Calling for ‘Processing Camps’ and a Private Citizen ‘Army’ - POLITICO.” n.d. Accessed February 25, 2025. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/25/documents-military-contractors-mass-deportations-022648.

whisperer, doge. 2025. “Christopher Stanley, Former Senior Director for Security Engineering at X and Principal Security Engineer at SpaceX, Now Serves as a Musk….” Post. Bluesky. https://bsky.app/profile/dogginglover.bsky.social/post/3lid446df4224.

Zetter, Kim. n.d. “DOGE Now Has Access to the Top US Cybersecurity Agency.” Wired. Accessed February 19, 2025. https://www.wired.com/story/doge-cisa-coristine-cybersecurity/.

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