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Misinformation exploits outrage to spread online

Science. 28 Nov 2024. Vol 386, Issue 6725. pp. 991-996. DOI: 10.1126/science.adl2829 – “Misinformation remains a major threat to US democratic integrity, national security, and public health. However, social media platforms struggle to curtail the spread of the harmful but engaging content. Across platforms, McLoughlin et al. examined the role of emotions, specifically moral outrage (a… Continue Reading

How ChatGPT Search (Mis)represents Publisher Content

Columbia Journalism Review – “ChatGPT search—which is positioned as a competitor to search engines like Google and Bing—launched with a press release from OpenAI touting claims that the company had “collaborated extensively with the news industry” and “carefully listened to feedback” from certain news organizations that have signed content licensing agreements with the company. In… Continue Reading

Best Business Journalism of the Year

Bloomberg: “In Catholicism, envy is one of the seven deadly sins. In professional journalism, it’s a virtue, albeit too seldomly expressed. Which is why every year, Bloomberg Businessweek commits this cardinal act for all to witness, with our annual Jealousy List. Below, we’ve asked our editors and contributors to identify that one story in 2024… Continue Reading

The Atlantic’s 2024 gift guide

Welcome to The Atlantic’s 2024 gift guide. With the help of an eclectic group of writers and editors, we offer 65 ideas for bringing more merriment, adventure, and wonder to the ones you love. Some items may be available at a holiday discount. Jump to Gifts for The Person Who Has Everything Adventurers Art Lovers… Continue Reading

Never give a cop your phone and other security tips

The Silicon Underground –  “The political climate in the United States means everyone, but especially marginalized groups, need to be thinking about phone security. It’s not just something security professionals and people who handle sensitive information for a living need to worry about anymore. In light of that, I present five phone security tips I… Continue Reading

Becoming a Gettysburg Guide Is Almost Impossibly Hard

Newser: “On Saturday, the National Park Service will administer the exam one must pass to become a guide at Gettysburg National Military Park—and to say that it’s difficult would be a wild understatement. The Wall Street Journal reports the 180-question, three-essay test “requires an encyclopedic knowledge of the 1863 battle, as well as a firm… Continue Reading

FTC Bans Location Data Company That Powers the Surveillance Ecosystem

“The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed order bans use or sale of data associated with military installations, churches, healthcare facilities, or other sensitive locations. The Federal Trade Commission will prohibit data broker Mobilewalla, Inc. from selling sensitive location data, including data that reveals the identity of an individual’s private home, to settle allegations the data… Continue Reading

FTC – Examining the Data Practices of Social Media and Video Streaming Services

Examining the Data Practices of Social Media and Video Streaming Services, September 2024. In December 2020, the Federal Trade Commission issued 6(b) Orders to nine of the largest social media and video streaming services—Amazon, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Snap, ByteDance, Discord, Reddit, and WhatsApp (“Companies”). At the time, a bipartisan group of Commissioners issued a joint… Continue Reading