9 Questions for Facebook After Zuckerberg’s Privacy Manifesto Wired Top Stories On Wednesday, Mark Zuckerberg laid out a vision for a very different Facebook—with a lot of unknowns about how to get there. Zuckerberg’s new privacy essay shows why Facebook needs to be broken up MIT Technology Review Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t understand what privacy means—he … Read more
Large-scale cyberattack is spreading through Russia and Ukraine (updated) The Social Software Weblog A large-scale cyberattack is working its way through a number of Ukrainian and Russian targets today. So far, in Russia, oil producer Rosneft and metal company Evraz have been affected by the attack. In Ukraine, Boryspil airport, the banking system,… Massive ransomware attack is … Read more
Meet the woman who created a Google doc on how to tactical vote Mashable! by Liza Hearon The resistance is alive in Britain, and it’s armed with a spreadsheet. A super detailed, exquisitely crafted Google spreadsheet called “How to Vote to Stop the Tories” started doing the rounds on social media almost immediately after a snap … Read more
#DeleteUber: Users angry at Trump Muslim ban scrap app AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (IN DEPTH) Uber provided rides at JFK airport while other taxi drivers held strike over Trump’s ban on Muslim travellers. 2 big names in video games take on Trump’s immigration ban Mashable! by Adam Rosenberg The Trump administration’s immigration ban has prompted a … Read more
Americans and Cybersecurity Pew Internet Rss Feed: Reports by Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech (jmiks/iStock.com)Cyberattacks and data breaches are facts of life for government agencies, businesses and individuals alike in today’s digitized and networked world. Just a few of the most high-profile breaches in 2016 alone include the hacking and subsequent release of … Read more
Online Shopping and E-Commerce Pew Internet Rss Feed: Reports by Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech (Photo by Erik Isakson) Facebook: 59,229 Government Requests for Account Data in First Half of 2016 All Facebook by David Cohen Government requests for Facebook account data were up 27 percent in the first half of 2016 compared … Read more
Report: Nearly 25% of Americans admit sharing fake news The Next Web by Bryan Clark Nearly a quarter of Americans surveyed admitted to sharing fake news. You can interpret this two ways: that’s not as terrible as I first thought; or, three-quarters of Americans are liars (or completely oblivious). Facebook Finally Gets Real About Fighting Fake News … Read more
Trust is the new click Nieman Journalism Lab by Michael Kuntz In 2016, the media’s usual battle for attention felt more like a war. Fueled primarily by an unprecedented political season, consumers were bombarded with a ceaseless litany of “breaking news,” recycled headlines, fake stories, and social feeds just begging for their next click. From an … Read more
Some Fake News Publishers Just Happen to Be Donald Trump’s Cronies The Intercept by Lee Fang The extraordinary phenomenon of fake news spread by Facebook and other social media during the 2016 presidential election has been largely portrayed as a lucky break for Donald Trump. By that reckoning, entrepreneurial Macedonian teenagers, opportunists in Tbilisiand California millennials have exploited … Read more
Digital News Initiative: second funding brings €24M to 124 projects across Europe The Official Google Blog by Ludovic BlecherHeadDNI Innovation Fund We are thrilled to announce the second round of funding of the Digital News Initiative Innovation Fund, Google’s €150m commitment to spark new thinking and give European news organisations of all sizes the space … Read more
How Livestreaming Is Transforming Activism Around the World Wired Top Stories by Lexi Pandell In some countries, livestreaming an event can get you thrown in jail. Explore the promise and peril of using your smartphone to fight the power worldwide. Snap’s Spectacles Are the Beginning of a Camera-First Future Wired Top Stories by David Pierce Cameras aren’t … Read more
The Political Environment on Social Media Pew Internet Rss Feed: Reports by Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech In a political environment defined by widespread polarization and partisan animosity, even simple conversations can go awry when the subject turns to politics. In their in-person interactions, Americans can (and often do) attempt to steer clear of … Read more
Twitter is banning multiple alt-right accounts The Next Web by Abhimanyu Ghoshal Following the release of new features to tackle abuse on its network yesterday, Twitter has begun suspending the accounts of users associated with the alt-right political movement, reports USA Today. That includes the one belonging to Richard Spencer, who heads up the National Policy … Read more
Unsecured Internet of Things gadgets get hacked within 40 minutes of being connected to the net Boing Boing by Cory Doctorow The Atlantic’s Andrew McGill set up a virtual server on Amazon’s cloud that presented to the internet as a crappy, insecure Internet of Things toaster; 41 minutes later, a hacked IoT device connected to it … Read more
The story of Snopes Boing Boing by David Pescovitz All lies lead to the truth. For over 20 years, Snopes.com has been the Web’s primary bullshit detector and debunker, from death by Pop Rocks to political lies. We need Snopes more than ever. For a Webby Awards exclusive feature, I commissioned talented journalist Rob Walker to … Read more