An Alexa for Kids?

On September 8, 2019 By marlaynebIn Consumer behavior, TechnologyLeave a comment

Untitled

Article and image: https://www.cnet.com/news/google-assistant-and-amazon-alexa-could-be-next-targets-for-child-privacy-laws/

Article by: Richard Nieva, Ben Fox Rubin

After our discussion in class about Google being sued $170 million for targeting advertisements to children, I was reminded that children are affected by their own use of the internet. I found this article a few days after our class discussion and I found it very interesting because smart assistant devices are very popular in the United States. Even though this summer was filled with Apple, Amazon and Google getting in trouble for their devices recording users without their knowledge. This article discusses the new Echo Dot Kids Edition version of Alexa that Amazon plans to sell soon. It discusses how after Google and YouTube were sued for ad targeting, that tech companies are exploiting whoever they can and they get away with it because people don’t always think about their children being data mined to sell things. It raises the point that “children are highly vulnerable internet users” to quote Ashley Boyd, Vice President of Advocacy at Mozilla. Children are unable to understand terms and conditions and they shouldn’t be held accountable to consent to Amazon saving their conversations indefinitely. It’s unfair to assume that a five-year-old using YouTube understands that every time they click a video or answer a question before a video is susceptible to being saved to a server to create a profile, they probably don’t know exists nevertheless how to use it.

Another interesting point brought up in this article is intellectual property regarding audio files. Sound is a topic that many people discuss and especially with the rise of the internet and servers storing data indefinitely. Copyright has been talked about because people want to own quotes and conversations, but when you post a podcast, who owns the content? This article talks about how the collection and use of audio files is something that needs to be discussed because kids shouldn’t have to unknowingly have their conversations kept on record. Once that conversation is kept, it can be distributed to whoever Google or Amazon pleases because they own the file. We need to further discuss intellectual property and how to stop big tech companies from commercializing and capitalizing on what we do and say.

Lastly, this article talked about a campaign called Commercial-Free Childhood which piqued my interest because kids cannot dispute what they don’t know. I think it’s important that there is a group that exists for a generation of kids who grow up with technology, not knowing that it can be used against them or that a company can know anything and everything about who they are from the first day they started to use Alexa, Siri, or YouTube.

Apple Changes the Game

On September 5, 2019 By tue65232In TechnologyLeave a comment

https://www.forbes.com/sites/boblegters/2019/06/17/three-surprising-ways-the-apple-card-is-changing-the-credit-card-market/#2a1193c935e8

Apple has changed the game once again! Apple recently released their Apple Credit Card and they are saying that it the first of its kind. The card is a smart card, it is housed on your iPhone but you also receive a physical card except that the card will not have any card numbers on it or a security code on it so that it provides the consumer with more privacy and security.

The Forbes articles discusses the three surprising ways the Apple credit card is changing the market and it is different than any other card that is currently in the public’s hands. One of the ways that the credit card will change the market is that the credit card is tech savvy; the company “focused on providing a digital-first experience that puts the customer front and center”. I think for that reason in particular, the card will be extremely appealing to millennials because at this point, technology is what the younger generation is used to.

The second and third reasons go hand and hand and they are credit card issuers will start to add additional features to try to mirror the Apple card and the credit card issuers will rethink the ways they are currently doing business. For years, Apple have led the change for technology and we continuously see many companies play catch up and try to mirror features on Apple products and I don’t expect that not to happen with this new Apple item.

I always enjoy seeing Apple come up with new products that change the game for that particular market. Apple is extremely good at telling consumers what they need even when the consumers don’t realize it at the time.

Twitter expands political ad limitations: Latest update aimed at state-controlled news media

On September 5, 2019 By Lloyd SullivanIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

https://marketingland.com/twitter-expands-political-ad-limitations-latest-update-aimed-at-state-controlled-news-media-266021

This article talks about a new policy Twitter is enforcing on their platform regarding advertising limitations. Specifically Twitter is no longer allowing state-controlled news sites to displaying advertisements on the platform. This is in response to the misuse of social media platforms by foreign powers (Russia) to influence the results of the 2016 election.

Twitter made the destinction that any state owned news media not dedicated to reporting the news as in purely entertainment, will not be subject to the new advertising policy. Public broadcasters are also covered in this category. State owned news media have 30 days to cease all advertising on Twitter before the new policy takes action. This new policy will have an interesting impact on digital marketers for state owned news media companies, as they will have to turn to create new ways to advertise to their audience on Twitter without using the platform. As for the potential impact of decreasing political advertising campaigns as a whole I feel their won’t be much of a difference in the long-run as long as other platforms don’t follow Twitter’s example.

Child YouTuber Blurs the Lines of Advertising for Other Children

On September 4, 2019September 4, 2019 By grosso611In YouTubeLeave a comment

Branded content has become one of the most talked about topics on the internet in last couple of years. For many adults, it’s very easy to spot these advertisements imbedded in YouTube videos and social media posts, but people have been wondering if children can distinguish advertisements and real life as well. Truth in Advertisement, a watch dog on internet ads, argues they can’t, and has really pressed hard on monitoring one channel in particular, Ryan ToysReview.

Ryan ToysReview is an unboxing web series on YouTube that’s branded to kids with the slogan “toy reviews for kids by kids.” The host Ryan Kaji, a 7-year-old boy, reviews the toys on his channel where millions of people tune in to watch each week. The channel has gained an enormous following by obtaining 21 million subscribers and over 30 billion views on his videos. While some may see this channel has harmless fun, Truth in Advertising sees it as a potential threat to children who watch it.

Nearly 90 percent of Ryan’s videos contain some sort of advertisement according to Truth in Advertisement. The sponsors have included Walmart, Hasbro, Netflix, Chuck E. Cheese, and even Nickelodeon. While most videos have disclaimers and notes claiming the positive reviews are advertisements, many people are concerned about a child’s ability to distinguish a genuine review and a paid one. Coincidentally, Truth in Advertisement filed the complaint the same day Google agreed to pay a fine of $170,000 when they were caught selling children’s data to advertisers. While the effects of these advertisements to children are unclear, it is interesting to see how these discussions will shape the guidelines for children’s media on the internet in the future.

Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/04/business/media/ryan-toysreview-youtube-ad-income.html

Netflix Premier’s New Travis Scott Documentary

On September 4, 2019September 18, 2019 By Alexa SouthardIn Music, NetflixLeave a comment

One of Netflix’s latest original documentaries zeroes in on rapper and performer Travis Scott. It is a perspective look on his recent accomplishments, his roots, and his lifestyle. The release of Astroworld, which is the artists’ latest and Grammy nominated album, was the turning point in his career, and the documentary revolves around its’ creation and legacy. His high energy and talent is another highlight in the film, and it is shown through his enthusiasm while recording and performing. The most shocking part to me was the intensity of the shows they portrayed in the documentary, and the fact he was charged with inciting a riot at one of them. Interviews with fans showed their passion for the artist, as well as the extreme conditions of the concerts which sometimes induce injury from mosh pits.

Parts of the documentary also delve into Scott’s personal life, including his upbringing in his hometown of Missouri City, Texas, and his role as a father in the present day. Travis, who’s real name is Jacques, and nickname from family members is “Jack”, has shown exceptional musical talent from the time he was a young child. The documentary shows his father’s role and influence in Scott’s early and present life, and is the reason he was involved in music at such a young age. He played the drums, and enjoyed rapping. Fastfowarding many years later, Scott is shown during his humble beginnings as an artist, pulling a crowd of only about 15 people. The support of his family has always played a role in his motivation, as his dad proudly watched him perform at the 2019 Super Bowl. Scott himself is portrayed as a very attentive father, as toddler daughter Stormi accompanies her father on tours, and is seen playing and interacting with her father.

The film shows his highs, like the birth of his first child, his legendary performances, and fame, and his lows, including not winning a Grammy, and his arrest. Scott believes his calling is to be an inspiration for the youth that listens to his music, and he has many talking points about never giving up, and focusing on the future. His involvement with other artists in his Cactus Jack label is integral, and he includes the Houston talent in the documentary. Astroworld and Scott’s influence has even inspired the mayor of Houston to restore an amusement park in the city in his honor, and he has even coined his own holiday in his hometown. The film has interesting visual components, including the production of graphics in the intro, and the opening interview being filmed on a rollercoaster ride. All in all, the documentary is an interesting and inspiring form of media that emphasizes the modern life, accomplishments, and music career of Travis Scott, one of today’s hottest performers in the media and music sectors.The article practically summarizes all of the highlights of the film. Both interested me because I enjoy his music, and am interested in having a career in the music industry.

https://www.complex.com/music/2019/08/travis-scott-netflix-documentary-look-mom-i-can-fly-takeaways

Twitter C.E.O Account Hacked

On September 4, 2019 By William StroughIn Online Safety1 Comment

-Eric Thayer, New York Times

Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/30/technology/jack-dorsey-twitter-account-hacked.html

Over the weekend there was a security breach at Twitter HQ. Jack Dorsey, who is the CEO of Twitter, had his Twitter account hacked by hate group Chuckling Squad. The hacker group took over his account and posted bomb threats, racially charged messages, and hashtags promoting themselves. The hacker group was able to get into his Twitter account through a text message service called Cloud Hopper. With Cloud Hopper, all you need is to set up a link between a Twitter account and phone number and you can text a message and Twitter will Tweet it. Messaging services like Cloud Hopper are nice in theory but these services bypass Twitter’s two-factor authentication which many users do not know.

These attacks are not the first to happen to people in positions of power. Donald Trump had his Twitter deactivated by an inside member of Twitter. In a different attack, on the CEO’s of Facebook, Google, and Twitter, their Twitter accounts were all hijacked by a group call OurMine. Attacks like these not only affect the people who had their actual accounts stolen, but also, the millions of users who at any point could also be attacked and lose their Twitter account, or worse.

Companies walk a fine line between sharing user data and protecting and there are ways that users can work this system for their benefit and to hurt someone else. Hacks and compromises like these are only going to keep going and reach greater and greater audiences. Our data is turning into one of the most valuable resources and protecting it should be a top priority for everyone

The Fourth Branch of Govt.

On September 3, 2019 By NicholasIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Social media finds its place beside the legislative, executive and judicial branch as its own entity. Douglas McKinnon, a contributor to the opinion section of The Hill, classifies social media as a big player in influencing the government, considering our ever-expanding digital-dominated era.

Source: https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/459384-politicians-put-too-much-weight-on-governments-social-media-branch

With platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, accounting for billions of active users, the users’ political influence does not go unnoticed. When users comment, post and share, they are transferring information. And in an era where online users are so heavily involved in politics, the content being circulated is often related to some type of societal issue politicians are ignoring, or it’s used as means to expose a problematic member of government. If these posts gain enough traction, they’re bound to be seen, interacted with and even influence the politicians being discussed.

Image source: https://www.newmediacampaigns.com/blog/speaking-on-social-media-and-politics-at-new-hampshire-institute-of-politics

McKinnon theorizes that there are two driving forces as to why politicians are so heavily affected by social media: to defend and secure their own reputation in fear of criticism and to be liked by their fellows, CEOs and other societal members of high status and power.

And this is easily evident when exploring the social media outlets of politicians. An obvious example is President Trump’s continuous bullying tweets at any opposition to his ego.

Image source: https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1168898508608421888

Unsurprisingly, this tweet was sent this morning. It’s unsurprising because Trump rolls out ridiculing sentiments in an attempt to bully other people on the daily. But even on a smaller scale, we find politicians caving into lashing out at their counterparts online. It’s so prevalent that recently, Nancy Pelosi addressed liberal democrats in a closed-door meeting to refrain from using the aforementioned platforms to express grievances with other parties’ beliefs.

Source: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/10/pelosi-progressives-twitter-1405763

But what’s alarming is its existing impact on real world policy and legislation. Though sometimes, good change can transpire online. Social movements such as Black Lives Matter and the Me Too movement has ignited a massive amount of societal awareness and progress, by gaining global coverage on the reality of police brutality and exposing the surplus of Hollywood sex offenders.

Image result for harvey weinstein me too

Image source: https://www.law360.com/articles/1090065

However, with the online trolls, instigators and criticizers alike, it’s not hard to believe comments from these particular individuals have potential to influence government officials and the choices they make. Think about how social media can fuel us to make decisions: whether good, bad or simply impulsive, who is to stay our leaders are not swayed just the same?

What’s Next For SpiderMan?

On September 3, 2019September 3, 2019 By khelt0In Partnerships & Copyright2 Comments

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/21/media/spiderman-sony-marvel-split-scli-intl/index.html

Over the past couple of weeks there has been a lot of discussion about Sony and Disney not being able to come to terms over the SpiderMan character. Speaking for myself and I’m sure plenty of others have really enjoyed Spiderman being a part of the MCU and seeing him be a part of the story. Tom Holland has also done an awesome job playing the role, and the financial gains surely exemplify that. Personally I believe that in the near future that terms will be met due to the prominence of the character, along with the momentum rolling with End Game and Spiderman into the SpiderVerse. I don’t believe that the talk about these ongoing negotiations will slow down any time soon, especially with the growing power of social media. When the news broke there was a hashtag trending “SaveSpiderMan” that showed the support of the fans who were disappointed in the news.

The character SpiderMan was created by Stan Smith back in the 1960’s and Marvel owned the rights to the character until the 80’s and it bounced around until it made it’s home at Sony. Sony owned the rights to the show since 1999 and when the first Spiderman released in 2002 with Tobey Maguire it shook the entertainment industry. When Marvel had the original rights in the 60’s super hero movies weren’t as popular as they are today. Im sure they regret making that decision now that they see how big the character grew and what it is today. When Sony and Marvel shared the rights starting in 2015 the character had a big role in 4 movies up onto today. I am curious to know if there is more behind this fall out, and curious to see how it will turn out.

Is Threads the next big thing?

On September 3, 2019 By Jared GiovanIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Recently, news has surfaced that Facebook is testing a new Instagram app titled Threads. The news surfaced after Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook is planning to shift users away from private messaging, among various other privacy changes. The app is designed to be used alongside Instagram and invites users to share various personal details with “close friends” including location, battery life, speed, text, video, and photo messages. The app constantly updates these various details and once users opt-in, Threads regularly updates their status for them. Users’ status updates will be showcased in a feed with a green dot showing which users are currently active. If the app is released to the public, it could be seen as a competitor to Snapchat as the picture messaging app already allows users to share their location, pictures, and videos with “close friends”.

Even though it is not currently released to the public, Threads raises various security and privacy concerns. Not only will the app give Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg a constant stream of personal data on its millions of users to analyze and mine, but it also normalizes the practice of sharing personal data. Sian Brooke, a researcher from the Oxford Internet Institute, states that, “You change your behavior if you’re constantly being looked at. If you know people see where you are, what you’re consuming, you’ll change what you’re doing, change what is normal in a group”.

In my opinion, I think the app sounds a lot like other apps that are already released and would need to have something unique that would set itself apart from other popular apps like Snapchat. Even though users would have to opt-in to the automatic updating features, I think that it restricts users’ privacy and would contribute to the normalization of sharing personal data/information. It’ll be interesting to see if the app ever gets released and what the app will “officially” contain. If Threads ever gains as much popularity as Mark Zuckerberg’s other apps, automatic personal data sharing could become the norm.

https://hub.packtpub.com/facebook-is-reportedly-working-on-threads-app-an-extension-of-instagrams-close-friends-feature-to-take-on-snapchat/

YouTube Accused of Children’s Privacy Violations

On September 3, 2019September 5, 2019 By rachelshelley22In Online Safety, Uncategorized, YouTube1 Comment

Article from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/30/technology/youtube-childrens-privacy-fine.html

Members of the Federal Trade Commission have voted to fine YouTube, a subsidiary of Google, $150-200 million dollars. These large fines are in result of the accusations that YouTube is illegally collecting personal data about children on its site.

This settlement would set a new record for the largest civil penalty ever obtained by the FTC, specifically in a children’s privacy case. The previous record holder was $5.7 million against the owners of TikTok, a video-sharing app. It is important to note that while the FTC has voted for the settlement to be approved, the Justice Department will review the request and ultimately make the final decision on the case.

This issue concerning the protection of children’s personal information comes at a time when legislators and lawmakers in the United States and the European Union are starting to aggressively challenge the power that these tech giants like Google and Facebook have and exercise over the societies in which they have large presence. Companies life Facebook often receive fines for abusing user data, but since they are so large and successful, a couple million dollars doesn’t exactly slow their efforts. Congress recently introduced a series of privacy and transparency bills in attempts to create more protection for Americans’ social media data and other important personal information.

One reason this fine is so large compared to others in the past is because the case has renewed complaints from consumer advocates that YouTube has failed to acknowledge. These complaints should require that the agency make substantive changes to its data-mining practices.

While this is a major consequence for any company, there has been response to this case stating that this fine for YouTube is more or less a slap on the hand. Legislators need to take a tougher stand to protect children’s privacy, especially since in today’s society children grow up with access to these and many other Social Media platforms.

Today, the issue within large tech companies and user privacy always finds its roots in data-mining and manipulation of personal information. I am especially interested in data, analytics, and marketing which is why I chose to read and summarize this particular article. I believe this debate is one that is far from over. Large companies and legislators like the FTC will always butt heads over privacy policies, and the lack-thereof.