Weekly Roundup 10.9.2020
Posted in Announcements
In celebration of GNOVIS’ 20th anniversary, we thought it would be fun to bring back an old staple of the blog: the weekly roundup. Moving forward, we will send CCT social a weekly newsletter with the best CCT-related content across the web- from links to interesting news stories to compelling social media posts, to other oddities found online (as well as a shameless plug for our own excellent content, of course).
This week’s highlights include the Big Tech antitrust report, content moderation, the future of conservation tech, and how one hacker found their way to Tony Abbott’s passport number:
2020 Election
A new challenge for transition planners: Building a government over Zoom: Sick of realizing you’re on mute during a work call? So is the Biden transition team. Alice Miranda Ollstein and Megan Cassella examine the challenges faced by a campaign as it plans for a potential transfer of power via video conferencing.
Tech Policy
The Big Tech antitrust report has one big conclusion: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are anti-competitive: The long-anticipated report from Democratic congressional lawmakers about the dominance of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google was released this week. Lawmakers indicated that these companies have engaged in anti-competitive behavior, and that the US needs to update its antitrust laws to allow for more competition in the tech industry.
The European Court Just Ruled that Bulk Data Retention Schemes are Illegal: The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued a judgement siding with rights advocacy organization Privacy International, in four cases brought against data retention plots across Europe. Privacy International considers the ruling a significant victory for individual privacy rights.
Silicon Valley
Wild Wild Tech: Do Apple iPhones Spoil TV and Movies?:
There are few places with names as iconic as Hollywood and Silicon Valley, but in this podcast episode Wild Wild Tech explores one of the many ways the two interact: product placement. Turns out Apple wants to be seen less of “a computer for the rest of us” and more for the best of us.
Social Media
When you browse Instagram and find former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s passport number: While the rest of us have been spending quarantine making banana bread, this millennial with too much time on their hands instead stole the former Australian Prime Minister’s passport number—from an Instagram post. This is the most delightfully wild ride of a read and will have you literally laughing out loud, but even if you just skim, let this be your takeaway: do not post your boarding pass photos on Instagram. Travelers beware.
Twitter’s response to Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis highlights inconsistencies in company’s handling of abuse: After Twitter reminded users of its policy banning tweets advocating for harm or death in light of Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis, users called out the platform for failing to address death threats directed at women of color, particularly female congresswomen of color.
Twitter investigating racial bias after users noticed the platform sometimes prefers White faces: Users noticed that Black faces were less likely to be shown on Twitter image previews than White faces, when an image features both a Black face and a White face.
GNOVIS
Swiping Right on Tigers: Check out Nicholas Budler’s new blog post where he examines the future of conservation technology and how social media can increase awareness, highlight underrepresented voices and usher in a new era of change.