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Good Monday Morning

It’s September 11th. Google’s long awaited trial for anticompetitive behavior begins tomorrow. It’s the latest in a series of Big Tech trials that have previously targeted Microsoft, AT&T, and IBM.

Today’s Spotlight is 920 words — about 3 1/2 minutes to read.

3 Stories to Know

1. A federal judge has temporarily halted a new Arkansas law requiring parental consent for minors to create social media accounts. The injunction comes after tech trade group NetChoice, representing companies like TikTok and Meta, questioned the law’s constitutionality.

2. IBM plans to use AI to revamp programs written in COBOL, a programming language that’s over 60 years old but still crucial to many global systems. The tool aims to rewrite the code in modern programming languages since many COBOL practitioners are no longer in the workforce.

3. Google has launched its “Privacy Sandbox” feature in Chrome, which tracks users to generate ad topics for advertisers. It’s part of a digital future Google promised would not include tracking cookies. Despite widespread criticism, Google argues that this is a step toward a more private web. We’ll cover browser security in an upcoming Spotlight issue.

Displays showing car privacy data dilemma

Spotlight on Car Data Privacy Dilemma

 

Data privacy concerns are growing in the automotive world. As cars become more connected and feature-rich, they also become fertile ground for data collection, raising alarms among privacy advocates.

The Extent of Data Collection

A recent report from Mozilla’s Privacy Not Included project reveals a startling lack of privacy and security standards across major car brands. These modern vehicles are not just modes of transportation; they are “data-harvesting machines” that collect sensitive personal information, from the obvious like location and driving habits to the more intimate like race, weight, and even sexual activity. Brands like BMW, Ford, Toyota, Tesla, and Subaru are among those gathering this extensive range of data.

Worth noting: sexual activity is often inferred from a combination of other data such as location, time spent in the car, and other sensor data, rather than being directly observed.
 

Nissan & BMW Singled Out

Nissan stands out as a particularly egregious offender. The company reserves the right to sell your data to third parties, including law enforcement agencies. This raises serious questions about consent and the potential for misuse of personal information.

BMW recently dropped its controversial subscription-based heated seats to refocus on selling software services. The company’s experiment with installing physical features that unlock with subscriptions rather than digital subscriptions was met with owner outrage. While this latest move was met with relief, it underscores the industry’s broader shift toward monetizing car features, often at the expense of user privacy.
 

Tesla’s Onboard Cameras Worry ACLU

The ACLU has raised concerns about Tesla’s in-car cameras that capture images inside the car, adding another layer of surveillance to their already extensive data collection.

In a move toward transparency, Forbes has introduced a groundbreaking tool called Vehicle Privacy Report. This tool aims to unveil the automotive industry’s secretive data collection practices and could be a game-changer in raising consumer awareness and pushing for more transparent policies. Think of it as a burgeoning Carfax for car data privacy concerns.

Practical AI

Quotable: “While some (including OpenAI) have released tools that purport to detect AI-generated content, none of these have proven to reliably distinguish between AI-generated and human-generated content.”

— Newly published FAQ section at ChatGPT parent OpenAI

ChatGPT Bot Blocked: 12% of the top 1,000 websites have blocked OpenAI’s GPTBot just two weeks after OpenAI released blocking guidelines. Major sites like Amazon and Quora are among those restricting access as are news sites CNN and The New York Times.

Tool of the Week: Facebook has launched a new tool for users to manage some of how their data is used in generative AI models. The tool allows users to access, correct, or delete their third-party information used for AI training.

Did That Really Happen — CashApp is Not Bankrupt
 

PolitiFact debunked a claim circulating on social media that falsely said CNN claimed that Cash App was filing for bankruptcy. The claim directed people to file their claims with a bankruptcy court.

Following Up — Meta Not Following Ad Policies

We wrote just before Labor Day about the free-for-all in some political digital advertising. Shortly after that, Wired published an expose about Meta failing to follow its rules regarding PragerU ads targeting children. Some ads were removed, but many remain.

Protip — Speed Up Your Android & iPhones

Revitalize your Android phone by clearing its browser cache and cookies. Learn the quick steps for Chrome, Samsung Internet, and Firefox to boost speed and enhance privacy. Go here if you have an iPhone.

 Screening Room — Airport Dads Meet Uber Reserve

Science Fiction World — Telescopes Attacked
 

Two of the world’s most advanced telescopes, Gemini North in Hawaii and Gemini South in Chile, have been temporarily shut down due to cyberattacks. The nature and origin of the attacks are still under investigation. 

 Coffee Break — Rebranding Doritos & Twinkies as Health Food

Marketing guy Matt Rosenman has one of the year’s viral video series as he hilariously imagines rebranding food that is bad for us as health food. Watch a master marketer spin a pastry as good for you.

Sign of the Times

Articles

Good Monday Morning


It’s August 28th. Spotlight is off next week for Labor Day. Enjoy your long weekend plans.

Today’s Spotlight is 1,254 words — about 4 1/2 minutes to read.

 3 Stories to Know

1. Test Scores Shared: Gizmodo reports that the College Board testing service shares SAT scores and GPAs with Facebook and TikTok via advertising tracking pixels. The College Board later confirmed the practice but denied sharing personally identifiable information, a common digital advertising practice.

2.Hackers Selling Info: Personal information is available for sale according to 404 Media which reported that hackers are using Telegram to sell credit header files for $15 per person. The data, sourced from credit bureaus, is advertised in criminal chat rooms for illicit activities including swatting and violence.

3. EU Targets Tech: The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) imposes new regulations on the 19 biggest tech companies with over 45 million monthly users in the EU. The DSA mandates the removal of posts containing illegal goods and bans targeted advertising based on sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, or political beliefs. Noncompliance risks fines of up to 6% of global revenue.

Clarifying facial recognition: Last week, we reported on six nonwhite people wrongfully arrested solely due to facial recognition. At least two were jailed for up to one week. While the technology can and should initiate investigations, it shouldn’t be the sole basis for arrest as it was in those cases.

Spotlight on Politics Online: What’s Changing

 

Legal, technological, and social shifts have significantly changed the online political landscape since 2020.

1. Tech Trying to Protect Against Disinformation

Recent lawsuits have put tech giants Google and YouTube, both subsidiaries of Alphabet Inc., under scrutiny. Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., filed a lawsuit against YouTube, accusing the platform of censoring his content that questions the safety of vaccines. Research has identified Kennedy as one of the nation’s top sources of vaccine disinformation.

Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee (RNC) sued Google, alleging that the search engine’s email system was suppressing conservative voices. A judge recently dismissed the RNC’s claims, stating that there was insufficient evidence to support the allegations of bias. 

2. AI and Political Bias

Allegations of political bias in AI technologies like ChatGPT have sparked considerable debate A recent study by Mandiant, a U.S. cyber firm owned by Google, reveals that AI is increasingly being used in online influence campaigns.

The study found that while AI can amplify messages and target audiences more effectively, its impact on changing public opinion is limited. These findings raise reasonable questions about the technology’s impartiality and ethical use. The involvement of Alphabet-owned entities in platform control, legal defenses, and research studies underscores the expansive influence of major tech players in shaping this discourse.

3. The Importance of Academia

The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) has been vocal in opposing a bill toughening social media speech requirements in that country by claiming it poses a threat to religious freedom. However, that organization has been implicated in a misinformation campaign targeting the Labor Party by posting false narratives to influence public opinion. This incident underscores the global challenges of combating digital misinformation and the need for effective countermeasures.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., Joan Donovan, a leading expert on media manipulation and disinformation, was recently forced to leave her role at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center. Her departure came after administrative decisions ended her Technology and Social Change project. Donovan’s work has been a cornerstone in the study of online misinformation and has influenced both policy and platform moderation.

Her forced exit from Harvard raises questions about the future of academic research in this critical area, emphasizing the need for scholarly engagement to combat misinformation effectively. 

4. Meta Wants Fewer Political Posts

Meta’s Threads platform is taking steps to foster a friendlier online environment. By downgrading news and politics in its feed, the platform aims to create a space where users can connect and engage without the constant influx of divisive content.

This aligns with recent Pew Research findings that reveal Americans’ differing views on the impact of social media on U.S. democracy. The research underscores our deep ideological divide and highlights the evolving landscape of online discourse. There will be continuing changes as next year’s presidential election cycle gathers steam, and we’ll share that news as it happens.

Practical AI

Quotable: “AI builders are using Hugging Face all day, every day … Maybe in five years, you’re going to have like 100 million AI builders. And if all of them use Hugging Face all day, every day, we’ll obviously be in a good position.”

—Clement Delangue, Hugging Face CEO, whose company raised $235 million last week at a $4.5 billion valuation.

AI Books Flood Amazon: People are posting books for sale on Amazon that have been authored by generative AI. Biggest issues: they’re often inaccurate, cannibalize sales of human-written works, and can even falsely be identified as being written by well-known authors.

Tool of the Week: Hugging Face’s AutoTrain helps you train an AI model to learn a task. If you’re dabbling in machine learning, this no-code tool is a fine starting point.

Did That Really Happen — Dodger Stadium & Ted Cruz’s Shark

Flooding in Southern California led to many inaccurate claims. One viral photograph showed what appeared to be a flooded Dodger Stadium. A spokesperson said that the photo was an unfortunate optical illusion and that some areas of the stadium had pooled water of “maybe one inch.”

Another viral photo, an 18-year-old image of a shark superimposed on a highway, was retweeted by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). Despite being told the photo was a hoax, Cruz refused to delete it and wrote, “In LA, you never know …” before expressing a hope that people stayed safe.

Following Up — Revenge (Fake) Porn 

We wrote last week about a Houston jury awarding more than $1 billion in damages to a woman who was the victim of explicit photos of her being released without her permission. 

Now there are details about a program that easily allows non-technical users to easily substitute faces into extreme porn images–using photos non-consensually scraped from online sources. Access to the very NSFW site is only $4 per month and the site’s owners claim a half-million users. (404 Media article – extreme language)

Protip — Gmail Templates

Gmail templates are one of my favorite time-savers. This ZD Net feature shows you how to set up your own.

Screening Room — Apple Helping Fit Animal Prosthetics 

Science Fiction World — Our Mars Lander Filmed Our Mars Helicopter
 

That would be Perseverance filming Ingenuity’s 54th flight on Mars for National Aviation Day. You can see the flight too–it lasts under one minute, which doesn’t sound impressive until you realize IT’S ON ANOTHER PLANET.

Coffee Break —  The Never-Ending Password Change

You won’t get as far as you think you might in Neal Agarwal’s latest interactive, the Password Game.  There are allegedly 35 steps. One day I hope to make it past the teens.

Sign of the Times

What to Know About Chinese Tech Companies – Spotlight #466
Articles

Good Monday Morning


It’s July 17. Despite annual attendance approaching 150,000 people, expect little news when Comic-Con begins in San Diego on Thursday. With actors and writers on strike, studios including Marvel, Lucasfilm, Sony, Netflix, and Universal have reduced their presence or canceled events.

Today’s Spotlight is 1,338 words — about 5 minutes to read.

3 Stories to Know

1. Uber Eats purged 8,000 ghost kitchen listings beginning in March after the number of listings had doubled in only one year. The company’s new rules require that a ghost kitchen menu differs at least 60% from the restaurant’s regular menu. Ghost kitchen brands operated by famous restaurants include Pasqually’s (Chuck E. Cheese), Conviction Chicken (TGI Fridays), and Thrilled Cheese (IHOP).

2.Twitter stopped receiving privacy auditing services from Ernst & Young because of outstanding invoices totaling more than $500,000. As Twitter filed a complaint last week asking a judge to block the FTC from monitoring its data security, Elon Musk and Republican allies on the House Judiciary Committee misrepresented the FTC’s involvement. Twitter signed a consent decree in 2011 to have a third party monitor its data privacy after being accused of deceiving consumers and putting their data at risk.

3. Health data for as many as 11 million Americans is available for sale on the dark web. HCA announced the hack on July 10 and originally reported no clinical health data was included. Industry website Data Breaches later obtained examples of breached data that included a lung cancer assessment.

Spotlight on Chinese Tech Companies

Apptopia top Android Apps w/e July 15. 4 of them are made in China.

It is difficult to keep up with all the news about Chinese tech companies. The hacking of U.S. officials, including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, by Chinese state-sponsored hackers, announced last week, has escalated the situation.

Here’s our look at what’s happening and companies you might want to rethink.

Hacking

Chinese exports have been tempered by the U.S., and the Commerce Department has repeatedly threatened Beijing over its involvement with Russia’s tech industry. Raimondo became a prime target of a Chinese hacking attack that officials say began in May and lasted for weeks. The attacks also targeted high level officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken. It is not the first time U.S. government emails have been compromised. Russian hackers successfully breached multiple agencies in 2015.

E-Commerce: Temu & Shein

Temu and Shein are two of the biggest e-commerce success stories ever, but based on Wired’s analysis of Temu’s costs, the company loses an average of $30 per order and hundreds of millions of dollars per year. This does not include $14 million spent on Super Bowl advertising last January. A company source told Wired that the company is targeting annual spending of $1,500 per household. That is possible because of a legal loophole that allows Temu to ship orders under $800 duty-free to the U.S.

Temu and Shein both exploit that loophole, according to a June House Select Committee report, but the committee focused on allegations that captive Uyghur Muslims were being forced to work for the companies. According to the Australian press, Shein’s clothing contains toxic chemicals and contributes to microplastic pollution.

Engagement & Attention — TikTok, Cap Cut, Lemon8

When Congress and other nontechnical organizations criticize Chinese tech companies involved in social media, they often miss the mark. Due to its superior algorithm, TikTok has been able to reach previously unknown engagement levels compared to Meta and Western social media companies.

In reality, TikTok is a broadcasting platform with social media features. Consider it more like a TV network with a like button. In the real world, TikTok isn’t capable of hacking a phone or spying on your content choices any more than American companies. It is the ability to create and distribute compelling influence operations that poses the real threat. Last year, FBI director Christopher Wray warned against the app for those very reasons, but Luddite-like lawmakers and state officials have ignored staff recommendations and instead raised unrealistic security concerns.

High Tech — Hikvision, Huawei, ZTE

A video surveillance company called Hikvision is often sanctioned by Western governments and has been involved in a number of controversies, including poor security, involvement in Chinese genocide efforts, and espionage. Most recently, Russia invaded Ukraine with support from Hikvision. Just last week, industry trade group IPVM announced that child pornography was being sold online by hackers who exploited the security holes in the company’s products and also used the company’s connectivity features to sell child abuse images on Hikvision’s own networks.

Meanwhile Huawei and ZTE are phone tech firms that have been effectively banned in the U.S., Japan, and Australia, but still remain a popular low cost option in other countries. Both companies have assisted the Chinese government efforts in holding Uyghurs in internment camps. In addition to industrial spying, the companies engaged in espionage efforts in Iran and North Korea.

Next: Chinese tech companies have lost nearly $1 trillion in market capitalization in two years. A good deal of the loss comes from internal Chinese government and financial pressure on those companies that may soon be lifted.

Practical AI

Quotable: “I don’t feel that this kind of technology is yet at a place where I would want it in my family’s health care journey … but it takes the places in health care where AI can be beneficial and expands them by 10-fold.”

— Google Senior Research Director Greg Corrado to the Wall Street Journal about the company’s new medical AI product that reportedly has a diagnosis rate similar to human doctors.

Noteworthy: The FTC has opened an investigation into ChatGPT maker OpenAI to determine the amount of consumer harm from privacy and accuracy concerns.

Tool of the Week: Ask Your PDF summarizes PDFs and other file types and lets you question the chatbot about the data. There are a few extra steps because ChatGPT doesn’t directly accept uploaded documents, but it’s a nice indicator of where we’re going.

 Waiting in the Wings

  • How algorithms are automatically denying medical claims
  • Amazon’s data about you expands beyond shopping

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Trends, Spends & TikTok

Did That Really Happen? — Yes, Rep. Burchett Claimed UFO Coverup

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) appeared on a Fox News segment last week and accused the U.S. government of a decades long cover-up regarding UFOs. Snopes has details and a video of the wacky interview.

 Following Up — IRS Considers Tax Filing Business

Following abuses by major tax preparation companies that led to their ouster from the IRS’ free tax filing portal, the agency announced that it was entering a limited pilot to develop its own software. The IRS originally created a free tax filing portal to avoid directly competing with products from companies like H & Block and TurboTax.

Protip — Printing Directly from Android Phones

Stop emailing files to yourself. Digital Trends shows you how to print directly from your phone. There’s also a 2021 link there for iPhones if you need those directions.

Screening Room —  Progressive’s Dr. Rick

The always funny Progressive pitchman helps new homeowners navigate social media.

Science Fiction World —  Drones, Big Drones

Companies are racing to build new drone equipment that functions like a low-flying satellite above commercial jets while not landing for weeks. Don’t mistake these for your personal use drones. These have wingspans stretching 80 feet or more.

Coffee Break — Take the Font Finder

This really smart interactive feature lets you test your reading speed against different fonts and choose the one that works best for you. I’ve already changed the font in my word processor. 

Sign of The Times

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