Is TikTok a threat to national security?

On By Janell M.In UncategorizedLeave a comment

1920px-Tiktok_logo.svg

 

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/11/11/is-tiktok-threat-national-security/

Over the past year Tik Tok has become a popular social media app. The mini-video app mimics Vine, a popular video app that ended in 2016. In 2016 Tik Tok was created by Douyin and ByteDance two China based app developing companies, the app only took 200 day before it was offered to the public. Since its launch the app has continued to grow harnessing over 500 million users ranging in ages 18 to 24. However, The company’s growth has raised some privacy concerns that have many users and developers wondering how safe the app actually is.

Tik Tok has now caught the attention of the  Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. The reason that CFIUS is investigating the app is still unclear, but the major issue that put the app on the governments radar was the Chinese government having access to U.S user data. The data that U.S users are giving through the terms of use agreement could give ByteDance more information than normal, If Byte Dance is required to report that information to the Chinese government, many U.S TikTok users could be put at risk

The apps developers censored the Hong Kong protests. Actions like these could make the app a threat to national security. Worst case scenario is that CFIUS could request or demand divestment, which it has done in the past with  apps such as Grindr and PatientsLikeMe. Divestment would mean that Byte Dance  might have to sell off Tik Tok venture. Selling off the apps venture could prohibit international expansion, or making the app unavailable in this country..

 

Tinder, Bumble and now… Facebook Dating?!

On By aalesanIn facebookLeave a comment

Yup! You read correctly, and probably saw apps about it as well! Facebook Dating is a new 2019 feature that the site has inputted into its untrustworthy application.

Facebook Dating Is A New App That Hopes To Match You With ...

https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/how-to-use-facebook-dating-to-find-the-love-of-your-life-or-at-least-a-date/

This article shows you how Facebook Dating works. Facebook Dating isn’t an app within itself, it is built into Facebook. Basically, there is a dating option that takes you to the dating section of Facebook. Just like any other dating app, you pick your preferred gender, an image of yourself, and your location. It states that “Facebook skims your non-dating profile”, which means that Facebook is scanning normal Facebook profiles… This sounds very sketchy and unneeded.

Should We Swipe Right on Facebook Dating? | A Little Nudge

As if Facebook doesn’t already know enough about our lives, it now has to be nosy enough and have information on our relationships. This does not sound like a great idea to me for many reasons. First of all, Facebook is used by older people now which does not make sense for a young adult to be fishing the sea of 30 and 40 year-olds. Second of all, there are so many issues in regards to Facebook information and privacy that I simply would not trust it. Lastly, there are apps that have already grabbed a lot of attention are are doing a bit better than Facebook would. If this was implemented when Facebook was more trendy, I think it might’ve worked.

Goodbye Instagram “likes”

On By KendelIn Instagram1 Comment

 

Instagram will soon begin to remove how many people are liking your photos and who is liking your photos. Typically, on Instagram you can view how many likes someone receives and what exact followers liked the photo but, the company is doing away with this feature for mental health purposes. Users will still be able to see who likes their pictures but the information will be private from everyone else. Recently the company also removed the “following activity” tab which allows users more privacy as well. Famous celebrity, Kim Kardashian also agrees that for the sake of mental health this feature should be removed. ABC states that many anxiety issues have stemmed back to Instagram’s platform. The Head of Instagram also believes that many of the platform’s younger users, “experience bullying and a sense of unnecessary competition because of the likes.” So, the new outlook for Instagram he says is to, “…Make it less of a competition and give people more space to focus on connecting with people that they love, things that inspire them.” The removal of “likes” has already been tested in other countries such as Canada and Japan providing feedback on potential outcomes for removal in the U.S. The company is aware of how this may slightly affect branding with other companies but they are focused on mental health first.

I think this is a really important subject, although it may seem insignificant. I’m curious to know if Facebook or Twitter will take part in this action as well. 

Source: https://abcnews.go.com/US/instagram-likes-disappearing-photos-videos-us/story?id=66878288

Tackling Deepfakes

On By Maura GallagherIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Twitter has spoken out on how it plans to take on what it describes as “synthetic and manipulated media.” They have released draft guidelines on how it plans to handle deepfakes, but it wants its users to chime in and help shape their potential polices. Twitter deems- any media that has significantly altered or fabricated with the intention to mislead people or misconstrued the original message- as its definition for synthetic and manipulated media, these are often through deepfakes and shallow-fakes.

The current guidelines allow Twitter may place notice, warn people before they share or like, or add a link citing why it is believed the media to be false. If Twitter thinks a deepfake has harmful intentions it can remove the tweet entirely, the site already banned porn deepfakes last year. But none of these guidelines are finalized, and users have until November 27th to give feedback using through surveys and hashtags. The Twitter teams will review the feedback and incorporate it into its guidelines, releasing the finalized version 30 days before they go into full effect.

This is the first time I have seen or heard any social media platform to start taking action against deepfakes and other forms of media manipulation and I am quite honestly impressed. To see Twitter taking a notion on a problem, that might not be too dangerous now, but could cause issues in the foreseeable future is important. Deepfakes and other related media are starting to become more common, but since they haven’t caused major chaos nobody does anything until its too late. To be ahead of the game and prevent any major disasters is so important in the digital age filled of fake news and bad intentions. I also commend Twitter utilizing it user base and allowing the people to tell them what they think should be put in place as guidelines, it means they care about taking the right measures to ensure their people feel protected.

Article

NY regulator vows to investigate Apple Card for sex bias

On By Patrick CabahugIn Political, UncategorizedLeave a comment

https://apnews.com/8754cf30526b4b94a3ba6e1cfc1d5054

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York regulator is investigating Goldman Sachs for possible sex discrimination in the way it sets credit limits. The bank denies wrongdoing.

The investigation follows a series of viral tweets by entrepreneur and web developer David Heinemeier Hansson about algorithms used for the Apple Card, which Goldman Sachs manages in partnership with Apple.

Hansson said the card offered him a credit limit 20 times greater than it gave to his wife, even though she has a higher credit score. He called the algorithm a sexist program.

A spokeswoman for the New York Department of Financial Services confirmed Saturday that the agency will investigate.

The agency is “troubled to learn of potential discriminatory treatment in regards to credit limit decisions reportedly made by an algorithm of Apple Card, issued by Goldman Sachs,” said spokeswoman Sophia Kim. She said the department “will be conducting an investigation to determine whether New York law was violated and ensure all consumers are treated equally regardless of sex.”

“Our credit decisions are based on a customer’s creditworthiness and not on factors like gender, race, age, sexual orientation or any other basis prohibited by law,” said Goldman Sachs spokesman Andrew Williams. He added that the bank could not comment on decisions about individual customers.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In several tweets that were often liked thousands of times and frequently retweeted, Hansson didn’t disclose his or his wife’s income, but wrote that they have been married a long time, file joint tax returns and live in a community-property state. He tweeted that appeals when she got a far lower credit limit fell on deaf ears.

When Apple Card finally raised her credit limit without addressing the scoring system, he tweeted, it was essentially trying to “bribe one loudmouth on Twitter, then we don’t have to actually examine our faulty faith in THE ALGORITHM.”

Apple introduced the Apple Card earlier this year in a partnership with Goldman Sachs. A press release announcing the card called Goldman Sachs “a newcomer to consumer financial services” that was “creating a different credit card experience.” It pledged not to share or sell information to other parties for marketing and advertising.

“Simplicity, transparency, and privacy are at the core of our consumer product development philosophy,” said Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO David M. Solomon.

What Apple is doing is a shock to me and should not be tolerated. The  NY regulator is making the right choice in investigating Apple for misconduct against women.

Account Sharing is Now Piracy

On By marlaynebIn Consumer behavior, Content Restriction, NetflixLeave a comment

piracy

Article: https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/netflix-isnt-cool-with-password-sharing-anymore-why-piracy-is-about-to-be-next-battle-in-streaming-war.html

Image: https://reprog.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/well-that-about-wraps-it-up-for-copyright/

Netflix paved the way with their streaming platform and was synonymous with account and password sharing. Personally, I share an account with my sister and have been able to enjoy content that way. With the new development of Disney+, HBO Max, NBC, and Apple TV, Netflix is trying to cut down on password sharing. At first, Netflix tended to turn a blind eye at password sharing because their revenue came from views an they had more enough accounts to have a profitable income. Jason Aten at Inc.com talks about how Netflix will now consider account sharing as piracy. Aten says that Netflix has hit a saturation point of subscribers so they really need users to stop freeloading accounts in order for them to make a profit. At this point, Netflix is probably losing money from the number of people sharing single accounts. With Disney+ taking to the market soon, Netflix has to figure a way to make a profit from their platform. The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment is the group behind this movement, they are made up of Warner Bros, Disney, Netflix, Sony and Paramount. Their plan to target the technology, not the users for “pirating”. Their goal is to create a solution that could track location of the device and device tracking itself. This is a huge concern of privacy, so it’s interesting to see where ACE will take this.
I found this article interesting because there are so many platforms to pay for now. People are cutting cable and now continuing to pay for services that add up to a monthly bill the size of a cable package. I’ve seen opinion pieces on how piracy will probably come back since it is becoming more and more difficult to stream things on a budget. This move could bring real privacy issues if major companies are able to track the location of devices we watch their content on. It’s a bit scary that ACE is advocating for Creativity and Entertainment is major studios actively making it hard for people to reach content. It is also scary that account sharing is considered piracy now because that can needlessly put people in prison for sharing their passwords. I know it’s frustrating when a company has such hard competition and needs to up the ante but eliminating the ability to share accounts seems like they’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. Maybe DVDs and physical media will make a comeback from all the legal hoops streaming sites are making their customers jump through.

Amazon orders two seasons of Critical Role

On By Joshua RussellIn Amazon, StreamingLeave a comment

CriticalRoleShow_Front

Image link : https://animatedviews.com/2019/critical-role-art-exhibition-and-live-show/

Amazon Prime has announced that two seasons of animated series Critical Role will be made available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. The series, created by voice actor Matthew Mercer, was originally a web series that premiered on YouTube and was streamed live on Twitch. In the series Mercer and several other veterans from the voice acting industry play Dungeons and Dragons. Fans of the series funded a Kickstarter campaign to animate the very first episode of the series but was so successful that they were able to fund an additional 9 episodes. Now Amazon is providing funding for an additional season and both be available for streaming. Voice actors Laura Bailey, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Liam O’Brien, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel and Travis Willingham will all be reprising their roles in this new series, as well as serving as producers on the show.

To me this is a great decision for several reasons. I have always enjoyed animation, and I feel this form of storytelling has largely been left unexplored or underutilized in its current form. I am glad Amazon is willing to risk an animated series where other companies may be more hesitant. Though Netflix often is credited as the innovator in the streaming world, I am glad to see that Amazon is willing to bring unique and creative content to their platform. I think this move is also a testament to how far web-based content has come. Years ago, the idea that YouTube was a creative but not very viable outlet for content. Now with this move and the rise of the YouTube celebrity, web-based content is demonstrating that it is a media market with a vast potential. Finally, as a fan of Mercer and his show, I am glad to see that it is getting the mainstream attention it deserves.

Article link :https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/critical-role-animated-series-picked-up-two-seasons-amazon-prime-1252313

Temple University Partners With Head-space App To Provide Better Mental Health To Student-Athletes, But Is This Partnership Really Worth Praising?

On By tuj52701templeeduIn Consumer behavior, Partnerships & Copyright, Uncategorized1 Comment

On Sept. 23, Temple Athletics Department announced a new partnership with Headspace, a popular self-guided meditation app, that will provide more than 500 student-athletes free accessibility to the app. The app subscription typically costs $12.99 a month but offers a $9.99 annual student discount rate.

HeadSpace has more than 50 million users in 190 countries, and can reduce feelings of anxiety, stress, fatigue, sadness and irritability, as well as increase concentration, endurance, wellbeing and better decision-making.

However, there are a handful of students who feel as though Temple’s partnership with head space is inconsiderate to vast majority students who struggle with mental health issues on Temple’s campus, where many of them are unable to book an appointment, or find it difficult to book an appointment at Tuttleman’s counseling services.

Of course, athletics is a time-consuming activity, and it’s understandable how this can be straining to one’s mental health. However, many students in general don’t have the time to seek out mental services due to school and work obligations, and so having app like Headspace made free to them would be extremely immensely.

https://twitter.com/lamoureuxsydney/status/1176538679663198215

Temple responded to the aforementioned tweets to say that students can actually use the app for free in a certain location on campus.

Even so, I understand why other students quite irritated by the special treatment they believe athletes are receiving and this is why I think it’s good that students are taking to Twitter to voice their concerns on the matter. However, there are many platforms that can teach students how to better meditate if they are seriously interested that is similar to the content Headspace provides to it’s users.

https://owlsports.com/news/2019/9/23/general-temple-athletics-to-provide-headspace-app-to-student-athletes.aspx

https://www.refinemagazine.com/the-blog/opinion-temple-mental-health

Apple TV+ Movie “The Bankers”

On By Chris ColeIn Media Covergence, Streaming, TwitterLeave a comment

A few days ago Apple released their trailer for their new movie entitled, “The Banker”. The movie is based on the story of two African American businessmen, Bernard Garrett and Joe Morris, and follows their aspirations of starting a banking empire. Unfortunately, due to societal setbacks, the pair had to employ a working-class white man named Matt Steiner (Nicholas Hoult) to pose as the face of their operation. Mackie and Jackson teach Steiner how to socialize with other rich white men and create deals they can’t due to their skin color. According to HYPEBEAST, The Banker will serve as Apple TV+’s first original film and Oscar contender. Many Marvel fans are excited to see Anthony Mackie (Falcon) and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) as the leads in this movie. As a fan of both actors and a fan of the story, I hope that this film is historically accurate and not merely based on the outline of the story; two black men buy a bank. I say all of this because recently another black biopic was released, Tubman, which was very loosely based on the story of Harriet Tubman. The only thing that was true in the movie was that there was a woman named Harriet Tubman… most of the characters on the screen and the conversations depicted were fabricated. This angered me because Harriet Tubman was an amazing woman who lived an extraordinary life. The movie that came out about her did more of an injustice to its audience by not framing the story around the truth. Given the problems with race that we have today. and have always had, it is important to see the world and its history for what it truly is. For those excited to see the Banker, make sure you check it out when it releases in theaters on December 6 and will release on Apple TV+ in January.

Americans Trust Local News. That Belief Is Being Exploited.

On By niarobIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Americans express greater trust in news from local television and newspapers than national outlets, research shows.

The high amount of trust that Americans have in the local news has long been exploited. Now, this problem is changing in nature due to Americans’ increase skepticism about the national news they consume.

Some misinformation in local news comes from foreign governments seeking to meddle in American domestic politics. We have seen this is the 2016 presidential election when Russian bots invaded the likes of Facebook and Twitter, spreading false and extremist views. Things are changing and becoming more trickier, however. Websites are becoming more creative with the way they trick readers. Many fake news websites impersonate real local news outlets with faux-local names. In Michigan, The Lansing State Journal ( a real news outlet) reported the existence of a network of more than 35 faux-local websites across the state of Michigan with names like Battle Creek Times, Detroit City Wire, Lansing Sun and Grand Rapids Reporter. These sites can easily trick someone into believing they’re real.

As this tactic has become more common, some influential political figures have unknowingly promoted these independent local news sites. For example, a website called the California Republican promised to inform its readers with the latest news, sports and analysis in the Central Valley area. However, it was later found out that California Republican congressman Devin Nunes’, campaign committee team had paid for the website. Similarly, Kelli Ward, a Republican representative from Arizona, promoted an election endorsement from a pseudo-local Arizona news site. This could

When it comes down to it, Americans trust local news outlets more than national outlets.  This is especially true of Republicans, who are the most skeptical of national media news. That is why it’s so easy for local news outlets to manipulate readers and be impersonated. These fake local news sights often align with the readers views, which is another reason why the content is likely to be well-trusted and believed..