<billions> links - 28 Sep to 5 Oct 2019

[Sam de Silva]

As always - list subscribers are invited to post relevant perspectives / links / articles … 

Social media app TikTok bans paid political ads amid increased scrutiny - 5 Oct 2019 - The video-driven social media app is shunning paid political advertising amid scrutiny of other social networks, particularly Facebook. https://www.sbs.com.au/news/social-media-app-tiktok-bans-paid-political-ads-amid-increased-scrutiny <https://www.sbs.com.au/news/social-media-app-tiktok-bans-paid-political-ads-amid-increased-scrutiny>

Social media in Egypt: From harbinger of a revolution to weapon of authoritarian control - 3 Oct 2019 - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s tough crackdown in the wake of recent protests shows how the state has exploited technologies that were once used to mobilize people during the 2011 revolution. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-social-media-in-egypt-from-harbinger-of-a-revolution-to-weapon-of/ <https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-social-media-in-egypt-from-harbinger-of-a-revolution-to-weapon-of/>

The Same Old Encryption Debate Has a New Target: Facebook - 3 Oct 2019 - Attorney general William Barr seems eager to reignite the encryption wars, starting with the social media giant. https://www.wired.com/story/encryption-wars-facebook-messaging/

Here is AG Barr’s full letter to Facebook asking it not to make messages completely secret - 3 Oct 2019 - AG William Barr asked Facebook to postpone encryption plans in a draft of an open letter originally obtained by BuzzFeed News. Facebook previously announced plans to integrate and encrypt its three messaging services, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger. 	• Officials from the U.K. and Australia joined Barr’s call for Facebook to create a way for law enforcement to access illegal content. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/03/ag-barr-will-reportedly-ask-facebook-to-postpone-encrypted-messaging-plans.html <https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/03/ag-barr-will-reportedly-ask-facebook-to-postpone-encrypted-messaging-plans.html>

Facebook, Twitter and the Digital Disinformation Mess - 2 Oct 2019 - Disinformation, now known as fake news, has tainted public discourse for centuries, even millennia. It’s been amplified in our digital age as a weapon of fearmongers, mob-baiters and election-meddlers to widen social fissures, subvert democracy and boost authoritarian regimes. Companies such as Facebook, Twitter and Google are under pressure to take action. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/facebook-twitter-and-the-digital-disinformation-mess/2019/10/01/53334c08-e4b4-11e9-b0a6-3d03721b85ef_story.html

YouTube moderation bots punish videos tagged as ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian,’ study finds - 30 Sep 2019 - A new investigation from a coalition of YouTube creators and researchers is accusing YouTube of relying on a system of “bigoted bots” to determine whether certain content should be demonetized, specifically LGBTQ videos. https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/30/20887614/youtube-moderation-lgbtq-demonetization-terms-words-nerd-city-investigation <https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/30/20887614/youtube-moderation-lgbtq-demonetization-terms-words-nerd-city-investigation>

At Least 70 Countries Have Had Disinformation Campaigns, Study Finds - 28 Sep 2019 - The researchers compiled information from news organizations, civil society groups and governments to create one of the most comprehensive inventories of disinformation practices by governments around the world. They found that the number of countries with political disinformation campaigns more than doubled to 70 in the last two years, with evidence of at least one political party or government entity in each of those countries engaging in social media manipulation. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/26/technology/government-disinformation-cyber-troops.html <https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/26/technology/government-disinformation-cyber-troops.html>


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