1. Good Monday Morning

It’s May 24th. Here is your long weekend alert for next week. There will be no Spotlight next Monday. We’ll be back on June 7th.

Today’s Spotlight is 1,223 words — about a 4 minute read.

2. News To Know Now

Quoted: “But I want to be careful to say we are not in the business of what should or shouldn’t circulate. We don’t think it’s our role to adjudicate information versus misinformation.” — Prabhakar Raghavan, Senior Vice President at Google to Stephen Levy

a) Video game players are helping scientists learn more about COVID-19. More than 300,000 gamers have completed a total of 330 years worth of research by playing a portion of the game that presents real scientific data. EVE Online players get points for a minigame by drawing polygons around clusters that help researchers give human input to algorithms. (IGN)

b) BuzzFeed News found President Joe Biden’s Venmo account after less than 10 minutes of looking for it. The company also founda network of his private social connections. The account has been further locked down since BuzzFeed easily uncovered other accounts linked to the president’s family and senior White House officials. This is what we mean when we suggest that social engineering can be done simply from clues people post in social media games.

c) Lots of product news surfaced during Google’s annual I/O event last week, but the gee-whiz factor was biggest around the company’s “hyper-realistic” 3D video call portal. There is no more staring at a camera and glancing at the screen. Instead, you’ll interact as if the caller was on the other side of a window. Here’s the video.

3. Search Engine News

Google’s search engine news included an update about its natural language processing for search. As we often explain to people, typing a query for “rice” might mean that you’re interested in the food, the university, the politician, or any of its other meanings. Likewise, a search for Paris Hilton may yield information about the hotel or the heiress.

Last week the company announced a new model called MUM that it says is “1,000 times more powerful” than its current system and can pull information from multiple languages into the same results. Remember that we’ve been telling you for several months about three Google AI ethicists who have been fired or unexpectedly resigned over controversies regarding these models.

Google is also allowing website managers to use new codes that help it define what is displayed in a video clip shown on the website — and allow that clip to be played directly on the Google results page without someone visiting the website.

4. In The Spotlight — Driver Privacy and Surveillance

In the age of tech-driven surveillance, there is a growing gap between what people expect and what they endure. Amazon monitors delivery drivers with GPS devices that track their every move. Insurance companies monitor your driving habits to determine rates and coverage eligibility, and in-car cameras focus on your behavior behind the wheel.

Now Congress is considering legislation that would require driver-monitoring tech in every car, with the aim of preventing accidents and saving lives. But would this new technology be a violation of personal driver privacy? And how do we balance that surveillance-privacy gap?

Delivery driver complaints about Amazon have received most of the public’s attention about this issue because the retail tech giant always steals the oxygen from a room. There’s good reason to agree with drivers that the company’s AI-powered cameras and Mentor app is a form of digital surveillance that workers shouldn’t be subjected to.

But Amazon isn’t the only company to have a say in how your personal information is used. Insurance companies monitor driver behavior and rates, too. So does law enforcement with traffic stop cameras, which can capture license plate numbers on thousands of cars every day.

My home state requires vehicles have their emissions checked in some parts of the state. Yet when I pass through a tollbooth, emissions collectors there can send me an automatic waiver of the test. I still have to pay because no state is good at reducing revenue opportunities, but that’s just a simple example of how driver surveillance can create new opportunities for data collection.

Auto safety improvement and technology continue to fuel a decrease in collision fatalities. But because driver behavior is so closely monitored by camera and other means of data collection, when it comes to car accidents, drivers understand that their vehicle’s every move will be scrutinized for fault or liability.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that distracted driving caused 3,142 deaths in 2019. Monitoring devices that help understand issues like this are important, but knowing who can access them and for what purposes remains problematic.

We’re all happy about the improved safety, but may not want to sacrifice driver privacy or at least may want to decide how much driver privacy is sacrificed. Government and workplace mandates about surveillance and driver privacy are something we don’t yet know how to successfully manage.

5. Debunked — Choose Your Vaccine

Snopes has in-depth look at a meme making the rounds that cherry picks negative data about pharmaceutical companies that might make it incorrectly seem that COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe. It’s a sophisticated way to try to get past fact checkers. The facts are accurate, but the entire thing is a big logical fallacy that Snopes calls misleading.

6. Following Up — 60 Minutes Misses

Those Google AI ethicists should have been in the news even more last week. CBS’ 60 Minutes ran a long piece about racial bias in facial recognition. The segment’s producers showed interviews with four men, but didn’t interview the three Black women who did the original work on the topic. And yes, one was part of that now famous Google AI ethics team.

7. Protip — Just Press Slash for Google

Great keyboard shortcuts are the best. New in 2021 is using the slash key (probably under the question mark key on your keyboard) to return to the search query box when using Google. No scrolling necessary. How cool is that?

Screening Room – Apple’s Take on Privacy 

9. Science Fiction World — Drones Over Europe

I’ve been fascinated while watching Manna Aero’s drone delivery tests going on in Ireland. There is news this weekend that Irish regulators have signed off on the first light unmanned aircraft operator certificate throughout Europe.

CEO Bobby Healey told Morning Brew that the company was operating in a town with 3,000 homes. Consumers pay $1-$6 per for fast delivery of groceries, food, and even books.

 10. Coffee Break — Breathtaking Pictures

As more Americans begin traveling during the upcoming Memorial Day gateway to summer, here are The Atlantic’s winners for Best International Landscape Photos awarded just before the pandemic.

11. Sign of the Times

1. Good Monday Morning

It’s May 17th. Eurovision is the largest live music event in Europe. It’s a week of festivities that culminates with Saturday night finals, where multiple countries compete for musical glory and bragging rights. This year’s event starts Tuesday and builds all week until the final round on Saturday in Rotterdam. Last year’s contest was canceled due to the pandemic. Check out their YouTube playlist because there won’t be US broadcast or cable coverage this weekend.

Today’s Spotlight is 1,122 words — about a 4 minute read.

2. News To Know Now

Quoted: ““If we receive €200 worth of Bitcoin within 24 hours, your information will be permanently deleted from our servers … [or] your information will be published for all to see.” — ransomware email sent to a therapy patient in Finland late last year as related in Wired’s “They Told Their Therapists Everything, Hackers Leaked It All.”

a) The Wall Street Journal reports that attorneys general from 44 states have written Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to halt plans for a version of Instagram created exclusively for children. Zuck previously discussed those plans while testifying before a House committee earlier this year, prompting Democratic lawmakers to also call for a halt.

b) It’s no secret that Gen Z is obsessed with Snapchat and TikTok. A new study from eMarketer shows these users are going to be spending more time on an app than they ever have before. This year, there will be over four million more active GenZers using TikTok as opposed to Instagram- and by 2023, TikTok might pass Snapchat.

c)  Amazon, Apple, and Google are joining forces to support a new connected home initiative called Matter that will create standards for third parties to certify their devices for use with Alexa, Siri or Google Home Assistant. The standard is brand-new although the concept was first tried in 2019 under the name CHIP. CNET has details.

3. Search Engine News

Prominent MSNBC news anchor Rachel Maddow posted on Twitter that Google search does not label ads. Google search liaison Danny Sullivan quickly responded that ads are “always labeled” and then released an informative video (below) in response to her confusion.

It is important for business leaders to understand that even smart users, like the Oxford-educated Maddow, can easily misunderstand the nuances involved in search and make very broad assumptions.  

4. In The Spotlight — Facial Emotion Recognition

While society grapples with facial recognition use by law enforcement, private companies are applying this technology for novel and convenient uses.

Disney World is currently testing face-scanning at park events even when people wear face masks. Universal Studios in Beijing announced in 2019 that they will also have a touchless entry system where guests scan their faces instead of swiping an ID card. Multiple entertainment venues in Abu Dhabi are also using the technology to provide hands free access into facilities. 

Not everyone is happy with this concept. Portland was the first U.S. city to ban private companies from using facial recognition, but the Electronic Freedom Foundation actually opposes a complete ban on private companies using the technology. “It does not follow [police department use] that all private use of face recognition technology undermines human rights,” the organization wrote several months ago. 

And much like imaging systems can often be fooled by the slightest changes in an image file, people have developed many ways to fool facial recognition, including makeup. Protests in Hong Kong and the U.S. last year accelerated the desire to counter facial recognition used to surveil citizens. One method builds on an old World War Two naval camouflage technique. Vogue has more information about how people are using that concept seventy years later to stymie efforts to track people.

Facial recognition isn’t only about the size of your nose or the shape of your mouth. New facial emotion recognition scans individuals in stores, during entertainment testing, and even during job interviews. Imagine that all of your micro-expressions are tracked throughout an interaction on a friendliness scale or used to gauge your true feelings about a topic.

The Financial Times has created a special, free interactive feature that uses your face and your expressions to create facial emotion recognition. Make sure that you’re using a device with a camera, and click below to experience this new technology firsthand. 

 5. Debunked — Bags of Gasoline

No one ever went broke overestimating how ridiculous some people can be when faced with inconvenience, but at least one widely publicized image of bags used to store gasoline was from 2019 in Mexico, according to Reuters. No, they don’t know why either.

 6. Following Up — Amazon Wins $300 Million Appeal

We’ve told you about how different countries have targeted tech company earnings as a potential tax revenue source. Australia, Germany, and France have all tried to bill American tech companies, but at least one precedent was set this week when an EU court overturned a $250 million euro tax penalty against Amazon in Luxembourg.

7. Protip — Stop Website Notifications

We don’t want to send you notifications when you’re busy doing other things, but it seems like every third website you visit asks for that permission. There is a simple way to block even those permission requests from displaying if you’re using a Chrome web browser.

Screening Room –  FedEx Delivering for Earth

9. Science Fiction World — Brain Implant Allows Paralyzed Person to Write

We’ve written about neural implants before. They’re not ready, but wow, are they closer than ever. You have to read this article about testing going on now that allowed a person to create handwriting on a screen while imagining that he was writing the letters. There are lots of caveats. It’s not even a prototype yet, but you need to read this uplifting Ars Technica piece.

10. Coffee Break — Which Way Did He Go?

It’s called “a clever combination of reflection, perspective, and viewing.” No wonder none of us could agree what color that dress was. This arrow on a swivel is turned 180 degrees, yet always points to the right. Except if you use a mirror and then it points to the left. I dunno either, but it’s cool. 

11. Sign of the Times

1. Good Monday Morning

It’s May 10. This is George about to hit the send button shortly after President Biden declared a state of emergency regarding the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, which runs from Texas to New Jersey. According to the BBC, Dark Side, an organized crime group, has infiltrated the pipeline’s computer network and caused its shutdown. About half of the fuel used in the eastern U.S. is transported through that pipeline.

Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting and prayer, ends this week.

Today’s Spotlight is 1,380 words — about a 5 minute read.

 2. News To Know Now

Quoted: “The majority (60%) of school apps were sending student data to a variety of third parties … On average, each app sent data to 10.6 third-party data channels.” — a new report by business group Me2B Alliance about K-12 data privacy.

a) As of Q2 2022, all Android app developers operating on the Google Play Store will be required to publish what data is collected and stored by their apps, as well as how that data is used. The new policy was announced at a time when tech companies are under increased scrutiny for mishandling customer information. (Google announcement)

b) WhatsApp will not delete your account if you don’t opt-in to its latest privacy rules that require sharing data with Facebook companies; however, customers who refuse will face account limitations such as decreased video call services and reduced notifications. The company is stressing a May 15 deadline to opt-in to data sharing. (Bleeding Computer)
c) In an attempt to show the power of Facebook’s targeting, privacy messaging app Signal published detailed ads describing a user’s medical conditions and sexual orientation. They claimed that their campaign was halted by Facebook, but later admitted that they never submitted the ads. Worse, those ads couldn’t even be created using Facebook. (Inc.)

Our take: The loudest voice influences public perception regardless of the truth — a problem we’re afraid will happen again as these creative ads resurface in the future as proof of something that never happened.

3. COVID-19 Tech News

Data — Daily Average (7 day trailing)

US Deaths — 706
US Hospitalizations — 37,644
US Vaccinated — 34.4%
Source

Great Trackers

Overview — Johns Hopkins
Vaccine Distribution — Washington Post
Vaccine Finder — CDC Project
Risk Calculator — Brown

New York Times tracker that allows you to customize a daily email with multiple cities and towns that you’re monitoring: Click here to configure.

Coronavirus & Tech News

COVID trend: Doomscrolling Moved to Desktop – Axios

Google Backtracks, Allows Employees to Work Remotely – CNN

How to Apply for $50 Monthly Emergency Broadband Benefit Program – USA Today

4. Search Engine News

A new Google search test includes emoji embedded deep in the results page. For example, a recipe shows tiny emoji next to each option, and these eye-catching visual cues do a nice job distinguishing each separate link.

Search Engine Roundtable points out that even though Google has had both love and hate for this type of communication, this is something organization leaders should understand as more visuals replace text. It’s not just emoji. Remember that only about half of U.S. states require that cursive is taught so it’s not unique to see communication styles change within a person’s lifetime.

Microsoft Bing also announced last week that its Content Submission program is now available to the public although in beta mode. Content Submission allows websites to “notify Bing directly about URL and content changes” without having to wait for the search engine to visit and note the changes on its own.

Don’t entirely write off Microsoft Bing and its importance. The company still serves more than one billion search visitors every month.

5. In The Spotlight — Fake Reviews

New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a report last week claiming that more than eight million fake comments regarding net neutrality were sent to the Federal Communication Commission and funded by the nation’s largest internet providers. Her report says that a trade group called Broadband for America coordinated the campaign. That company’s biggest members are Comcast, Charter, and AT&T although the report said that there was no evidence of coordination by any of those companies.

According to James, the Trump administration failed to cooperate with her investigation, and former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai refused requests for evidence. The report published by her office last week said that nearly 18 million of 22 million comments had been falsified.

Net neutrality is a principle that requires internet providers to treat all traffic the same way regardless of its source. That means an internet provider that also owns entertainment channels cannot slow down or impede traffic from Netflix or another competitor. Pai oversaw the repeal of net neutrality in the United States more than three years ago.

Amazon is another organization often accused of having fake reviews and comments about its products, especially in its third party marketplace. Researchers discovered a treasure trove of data last week that contains millions of records implicating third party sellers on Amazon who paid for fake reviews. 

Safety Detective found a server online with no encryption or passwords. The data included email addresses, WhatsApp and Telegram phone numbers, payment data, and links to 75,000 Amazon accounts of seemingly fake review sellers.

The company estimates that between 200,000 and 250,000 people worldwide were involved in the fake review scam.

6. Debunked — Those Carter Biden Photos

By now you’ve read that the images of the Bidens and Carters published last week that looked disproportionate were possibly the result of using a wide-angle lens in a smaller space. 

For your debunking purposes, though, be aware that a zoom lens can have an opposite effect. Photographer friends were quick to show me some misidentified photos during the pandemic that appeared to show crowds where none existed. 

There are several great examples in The Guardian that you’ll want to look at.

7. Following Up — Apple’s Tracking Opt-Out

We’ve been writing about the new iOS 14.5 update and its requirement that users explicitly opt-in to being tracked by apps. Facebook has waged a monthslong campaign against Apple and this feature. Industry observers were concerned that as much as 80% or more of the Apple user base would opt out.

We frankly didn’t know why anyone would opt-in and were therefore not surprised to learn that 96% of US users have opted out so far. We think that number is high and will decrease over time, and we love data.

8. Protip — New iOS 14.5 Features

This was a big upgrade. Lifehacker has a feature they’ve helpfully called “How to Set Up Every iOS 14.5 Feature Worth Knowing About,” including the new Siri voices and how to take screenshots without a pop-up.

Read it here.

9. Screening Room – Saucony & Moms

10. Science Fiction World — West Cost Earthquake Warnings

ShakeAlert is an early earthquake warning system that as of last week covers 50 million people living in California, Oregon, and Washington. All mobile devices will receive a warning with up to 10 seconds advance notice of an earthquake of at least magnitude 5.

Read more at NPR.

 11. Coffee Break — Top Music by Town

The Pudding may be the best data visualization website online. One of their latest projects geocodes music listened to on YouTube and then maps the top song in each area. The data can even differ in adjacent communities. There is a different top song in the community where my son and his wife live only 15 miles away.

It’s remarkable work that you’ll want to spend time with.

12. Sign of the Times