US
Stories
Amazon Wants to Start Producing Local “Crime News” to Increase the Value of Their Surveillance Doorbell
“Privacy-stealing, but otherwise largely useless Internet of Things (IoT) gizmo meets dystopian reality TV disguised as news – at your very doorstep!” – now there’s a headline Amazon’s future managing editor for all things “Ring” would never sign off on – and not only because it’s so cumbersome
Facebook Is Opening Up Its Data Trove to Researchers
Researchers will look into the websites Facebook users linked to, and also gain access to Crowdtangle data – a tool that publishers use to monitor content posting on Facebook.
The Algorithmic Accountability Act Will Give Tech Companies the Seemingly Impossible Task of Assessing Bias in Algorithms
A purely legislative initiative is never going to be enough – strong engagement with the tech industry and the people involved is necessary for the measures to work efficiently.
Weedcraft Inc Is Facing YouTube Censorship Issues
The game soon hit the wall of YouTube’s and Facebook’s “aggressive policing.”
Facebook Hires Lawyer Who Wrote One of the Most Privacy-Violating Pieces of Legislation in US History
Behind the hire, there could be reasons related to the growing scrutiny towards Facebook and its subsidiaries like WhatsApp.
Zuckerberg-Backed Education Program Faces Backlash for Its Dystopian Learning Environment and Creepy Data Collection Practices
The education program cuts in-person student-teacher interactions down to just 10 minutes per week and has been criticized by parents for its negative effect on children’s interpersonal skills.
Mainstream Media Organizations Are Republishing and Selling the Mueller Report as Ebooks for Easy Profit
Rehashed versions of the report are coming to an Amazon page near you.
The War Against So-Called “Misinformation” Seems to Always Ignore Mainstream Websites
The conundrum then becomes: who will guard the guards themselves?
Popular Cartoonist Ben Garrison Banned From Instagram
The ban hammer strikes again.
The US Congress Doesn’t Want to Make Filing Taxes Online Free and Simple
The new legislation called “The Taxpayer First Act” will force the IRS to pledge not to make its own software and move these services to third-party contractors.
PayPal Now Wants Sellers to Pay a Fee, Even if the Transaction Gets Refunded
PayPal has said that anyone who disagrees with any of their new terms is free to close their account.
Google Helps Law Enforcement by Handing Over Data Without a Warrant, EPIC Claims
The scanning involves the use of a proprietary algorithm to investigate files and data uploaded by their users.
