There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
Europol has busted a massive international pedophile network based in Germany, the agency announced on Wednesday.
According to Europol, authorities successful raided an expansive child exploitation network operating across more than 30 countries.
The takedown resulted in numerous arrests connected to the distribution of illegal child abuse content.
The European Union’s law enforcement agency confirmed that the illicit online hub, operating on the Darknet under the name “Kidflix,” was brought offline through a coordinated investigation led by the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office in Germany.
Kidflix, one of the largest paedophile platforms in the world, has been shut down in an international operation against child sexual exploitation.
⏹️ Europol has supported authorities from 38 countries worldwide in shutting down the platform.
Authorities estimate that the now-defunct platform serviced a staggering global user base of approximately 1.8 million individuals.
“Operation Stream has been the largest operation ever handled by Europol’s experts in fighting child sexual exploitation, and one of the biggest cases supported by the law enforcement agency in recent years,” the press release states.
Investigations have already extended to 35 different countries, and so far, law enforcement has apprehended 79 suspects, with around 1,400 additional individuals under scrutiny, more than 100 of whom are believed to be located within Germany.
Launched in 2021, the site quickly became one of the most expansive operations of its kind, with European investigators labeling it the largest ever uncovered on the continent.
The digital repository reportedly hosted over 91,000 videos depicting child exploitation, with new material being uploaded at an alarming rate—averaging about three to four videos per hour.
After paying for access, users were able to stream or contribute content involving the sexual abuse of minors.
“The digital dimension has driven a rapid evolution in online child sexual exploitation, offering offenders a borderless platform to contact and groom victims, as well as to create, store, and exchange child sexual abuse material,” said Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle.
”Some attempt to frame this as merely a technical or cyber issue – but it is not.”
”There are real victims behind these crimes, and those victims are children,” she continued. “As a society, we must act to protect our children.”
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities continuing to pursue leads across multiple jurisdictions.
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been relentless in its cyberattacks, trade manipulation, and war threats against the U.S.. Yet, many Americans still hesitate to recognize China as the enemy it truly is. While the majority of Americans hold a negative opinion of China, only 40% identify it as an enemy. This perspective needs to change.
Unlike allies such as the UK and Canada, which neither cyberattack nor threaten the U.S., China consistently engages in aggressive and harmful actions. It is time for Americans to realign their understanding of China’s intentions and push the administration to adopt policies that reflect this reality. Failure to act decisively will allow China to win.
The PRC has been linked to one of the largest cyber espionage incidents in history. According to a recent report by the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), actors affiliated with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have conducted a widespread espionage campaign targeting U.S. telecommunications networks.
The breaches infiltrated eight U.S. telecom companies and impacted dozens of other countries over a period of at least two years. This operation, labeled “Salt Typhoon,” compromised private communications and customer call records, primarily targeting government and political figures, including President Trump. Additionally, the hackers copied information that had been requested by U.S. law enforcement through court orders, and the breach may have also accessed the communications of everyday Americans. Despite ongoing efforts to address the attack, the breaches remain active in U.S. telecom networks.
Deputy National Security Adviser Anne Neuberger emphasized the need for U.S. companies to address cybersecurity gaps to prevent further Chinese access. The administration has formed a unified coordination group to respond to the hack and has been working closely with telecom CEOs and cybersecurity experts to strengthen defenses. Although classified communications appear to be unaffected, the risk of additional breaches remains high.
The incident highlights China’s continued cyberespionage efforts, with similar campaigns previously targeting Europe and the Indo-Pacific. In response, agencies, including CISA, the NSA, and international partners, have released guidance to bolster communication infrastructure security.
Chinese hackers have been implicated in a long history of cyberattacks targeting U.S. government entities, critical infrastructure, and private companies. Recent breaches in U.S. telecommunications providers underscore China’s evolving cyber strategy, which has shifted from espionage to preparing for potentially disruptive or destructive attacks, particularly in the event of a crisis over Taiwan.
CISA Director Jen Easterly highlighted that Chinese cyber campaigns initially focused on stealing intellectual property and spying on government agencies, have intensified over the decades. Notable attacks include the 2009 breach of Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter Program and Operation Aurora, which targeted major U.S. companies like Google and Morgan Stanley.
More recently, China has been found embedding itself in critical infrastructure, such as pipelines, water systems, and transportation networks, with the capability to launch attacks designed to incite societal panic and disrupt U.S. military operations.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has proposed new cybersecurity regulations for U.S. telecommunications companies in response to the “Salt Typhoon” attacks. Under the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) the FCC has the authority to mandate annual cybersecurity risk management certifications from telecom providers. Companies failing to meet cybersecurity standards could face fines or criminal penalties.
The plan has enjoyed bipartisan support at the FCC, including from incoming Chairman Brendan Carr, a vocal critic of China’s influence. The proposed measures aim to address gaps in voluntary cybersecurity efforts, which have proven insufficient against increasing threats from Chinese hackers.
One of the main reasons the U.S. has been unable to stop Chinese hacking is that it does not officially regard China as an enemy. Instead of cutting off China’s access to U.S. markets and technology, the Biden administration has repeatedly pursued a variety of failed Band-Aid solutions. It shouldn’t take more than one of the major breaches mentioned in this article for the U.S. to wake up to the reality that China is an enemy and that friendly relations with a country that wishes you harm are impossible.
Experts warn that China’s hacking activities are part of a broader geopolitical strategy aimed at undermining U.S. resilience in the event of conflict, particularly in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan, as the world’s largest semiconductor producer, is a key target for Chinese cyber espionage.
Xi Jinping has set milestones for China in 2027, 2035, and 2049, by which he aims to position China as the world’s dominant political, military, and economic power, with the capture of Taiwan as a critical goal. Hacking allows China to accelerate its timeline by stealing U.S. technology, gaining technological and economic advantages over the United States.
Truth2Freedom's Blog 