Wired [read free]: “The platform is the canonical form of internet business: a two-sided market that facilitates connections between end-users and business customers. Uber connects drivers with riders; Amazon and eBay connect sellers with buyers; TikTok and YouTube connect performers with audiences; social media connects people with something to say with people who want to… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Social Media
Pro-China YouTube Network Used AI to Malign US Report Finds
The New York Times: [read free] “…Content from at least 30 channels in the network drew nearly 120 million views and 730,000 subscribers since last year, along with occasional ads from Western companies, the report found. Some of the videos featured titles and scripts that seemed to be direct translations of common Chinese phrases and… Continue Reading
Meta unlawfully ignores the users’ right to easily withdraw consent
Noyb.eu: “Since the beginning of November, Instagram and Facebook users who don’t want to be tracked have to pay a “privacy fee” of up to € 251.88 per year. While one (free) click is enough to consent to being tracked, users can only withdraw their consent by going through the complicated process of switching to… Continue Reading
The New Digital Dark Age
Wired: Online trust will reach an all-time low thanks to unchecked disinformation, AI-generated content, and social platforms pulling up their data drawbridges. “For researchers, social media has always represented greater access to data, more democratic involvement in knowledge production, and great transparency about social behavior. Getting a sense of what was happening—especially during political crises,… Continue Reading
Jan. 6 was an example of networked incitement
Via LLRX – Jan. 6 was an example of networked incitement. The shocking events of Jan. 6, 2021, signaled a major break from the nonviolent rallies that categorized most major protests over the past few decades. What set Jan. 6 apart was the president of the United States using his cellphone to direct an attack… Continue Reading
Asking people to “do the research” on fake news stories makes them seem more believable, not less
Nieman Lab: “A new study asked thousands to evaluate the accuracy of news articles — both real and fake — by doing some research online. But for many, heading to Google led them farther from the truth, not closer… Media literacy proponents often advocate doing your own research — emphasis on the search, since Google… Continue Reading
Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, January 6, 2024
Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, January 6, 2024– Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and… Continue Reading
Meet ‘Link History,’ Facebook’s New Way to Track the Websites You Visit
Gizmodo: “Facebook recently rolled out a new “Link History” setting that creates a special repository of all the links you click on in the Facebook mobile app. Users can opt-out, but Link History is turned on by default, and the data is used for targeted ads. As lawmakers introduce tech regulations and Apple and Google… Continue Reading
CyberWell – Fighting Antisemitism on Social Media
“Antisemitism is on the rise across the world, emboldened by lax enforcement from social media and other digital platforms. Data shows that the fear and concern of social media users, especially Jewish users, are justified – more than 75% of reported antisemitic content remains online. CyberWell evidences the reality of online Jew-hatred in real time,… Continue Reading
What to do (and avoid) after you’ve been scammed
Washington Post [read free] – If you’re not careful, the hours after a scam can lead to more lost money or stress – There’s a booming industry of criminals who target people at their worst moments, squeezing more money or information out of them in exchange for false hope. They’ll promise to get you back into… Continue Reading
Top 20 charts of 2023
Kevin Drum: “Unlike the photos, I had no problem finding ten interesting charts. In fact, I found 20. So at the risk of taking a good thing too far, here are the top 20 most interesting charts of 2023. By the way: by “interesting,” I mostly mean “something you might find surprising.”… 9. Americans don’t… Continue Reading
How to set up legacy contacts for your online accounts
Washington Post [read free]: “If you’ve got a few days this holiday season to help your family with tech chores, embrace an awkward but necessary task: Assign someone to take over a loved one’s online accounts after they die. “Legacy contacts” are trusted individuals who can manage an online account after the owner dies. Maybe… Continue Reading
