cent.com: More information is available online than ever. Libraries are stepping in to make sure everyone can access it. “…NYPL has rolled out a host of services aimed at closing the digital divide, which is exactly what it sounds like: the gap between those who can easily get online and those who can’t. The famous… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: April 2019
Why is there so little left of the early internet?
BBC Future – It took nearly five years into the internet’s life before anyone made a concerted effort to archive it. Much of our earliest online activity has disappeared. “…The Million Dollar Homepage shows that the decay of this early period of the internet is almost invisible. In the offline world, the closing of, say,… Continue Reading
Congress Is About to Ban the Government From Offering Free Online Tax Filing
ProPublica: “Just in time for Tax Day, the for-profit tax preparation industry is about to realize one of its long-sought goals. Congressional Democrats and Republicans are moving to permanently bar the IRS from creating a free electronic tax filing system. Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee, led by Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., passed… Continue Reading
The Future Of The Internet Is Old People
BuzzFeedNews – “There will soon be more people aged 65+ in the US than in any other demographic, and it will stay that way for decades. I’ve spent months collecting data on the online habits of older people, with a particular focus on how they interact with false content. I just published a new story… Continue Reading
The Market for Data Privacy
Ramadorai, Tarun and Uettwiller, Antoine and Walther, Ansgar, The Market for Data Privacy (March 13, 2019). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3352175 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3352175 “We scrape a comprehensive set of US firms’ privacy policies to facilitate research on the supply of data privacy. We analyze these data with the help of expert legal evaluations, and also acquire… Continue Reading
Does Google meet its users’ expectations around consumer privacy? This news industry research says no
Neiman Lab – A significant majority of consumers do not expect Google to track their activities across their lives, their locations, on other sites, and on other platforms. “…Our findings show that many of Google’s data practices deviate from consumer expectations. We find it even more significant that consumer’s expectations are at an all-time low… Continue Reading
Consumers largely unaware of fake reviews problem on Amazon
Search Engine Land: “Multiple sources have concluded Amazon has a growing fake-reviews problem. Yet the majority of consumers appear to be unaware of it, according to new consumer survey data from CPC Strategy (part of Elite SEM)…Fake reviews problem not subsiding. Multiple third party analyses (Washington Post, ReviewMeta, Fakespot) have concluded that some product categories on Amazon are… Continue Reading
10 tools and tricks to verify Instagram posts
Poynter – Because faking your life on Instagram is easy, verification can be hard. Below are 10 tips to get a grip on reality. Continue Reading
Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing Transcripts, As Data
R Street: “We have created a new resource for those who want to learn more about Supreme Court confirmation hearings. This spreadsheet—and a web version (displayed below)—contain the text of every Supreme Court confirmation hearing for which Senate Judiciary Committee transcripts are available (beginning in 1971 with hearings for Lewis Powell and William Rehnquist and… Continue Reading
Leaks of Classified Info Surge Under Trump
FAS – Secrecy News: “The number of leaks of classified information reported as potential crimes by federal agencies reached record high levels during the first two years of the Trump Administration, according to data released by the Justice Department last week. Agencies transmitted 120 leak referrals to the Justice Department in 2017, and 88 leak referrals in 2018,… Continue Reading
UK to introduce world first online safety laws
Gov.UK – The Government today unveiled tough new measures to ensure the UK is the safest place in the world to be online. “In the first online safety laws of their kind, social media companies and tech firms will be legally required to protect their users and face tough penalties if they do not comply.… Continue Reading
State of America’s Libraries Report 2019
“The State of America’s Libraries report is a summary of library trends released during National Library Week, April 7 – 13, that outlines statistics and issues affecting all types of libraries. Never have our nation’s libraries played such a pivotal role in strengthening communities through education and lifelong learning. Libraries are a microcosm of the… Continue Reading
