ISIS: It’s a name that strikes terror in the hearts of freedom loving people around the world. They murder, torture, rape, and pillage innocent human beings wherever they go. Now they target social media.
Terrorist group Isis and their sympathizers are threatening Twitter, their employees and even co-founder Jack Dorsey. The social media giant has received hate email and death threats because they block accounts with ties to Isis. They released a post on website JustPaste.it telling Twitter, “…your virtual war on us will cause a real war on you.” They cursed Twitter for closing their accounts. ?They claim by taking this act, Twitter became targets for their supporters scattered among them, even hinting their might be Isis supporters close to them. But Twitter’s policy clearly states direct, specific threats of violence will not be tolerated on their site. So the extremist group decided to get around that by using Twitter as a recruitment tool. Twitter soon caught on and blocked them, despite the extremist group trying to get back on. It’s been a cat and mouse game for months, because every time Twitter shut an account down, an Isis sympathizer would restart one. A Twitter spokesperson said their security and law enforcement are investigating such threats.
Hurrah for Twitter! I’m glad Twitter is taking a stand to such brutality and tyranny. I encourage Jack Dorsey and other Twitter leaders to stay strong. The bully picks on those who can’t and don’t fight back, and thank goodness for Twitter fighting back. To say Isis and their supporters are bullies is a major, major understatement. These extremists often use social media to lure people to their sadistic cause. They lure men, even from Europe and the US to fight for them. They lure women and teenage girls to marry into their group. They even put up a vlog of them serving ice cream to children. We’re not dealing with barbarians eating rats living in mountains. Isis is a well organized, sophisticated organization led by very educated and charismatic sociopaths who will do anything to grow their twisted cause. Thank goodness Twitter is putting a stop to it. Shouldn’t we encourage other social media conglomerates to do the same?
In China, a major censorship crackdown is underway. Here in America, Google found itself in hot water and reversed a controversial decision. Is online censorship near?
Earlier this week, it was announced Google would ban sexually explicit content from their Blogger site. Days later, they reversed that decision, claiming it would have negative effects on those who express themselves with nudity and adult content. This ban would affect those with Blogger accounts for 10 years. Instead, Google’s Blogger will crack down on commercial porn. I wonder did Google reverse this decision because they know Blogger users could easily go to Tumblr and other social media sites.
Then there’s the latest Chinese crackdown on the Internet. New laws are being passed to further tighten their government control over the Web. To make way, more than 60,000 online accounts are being deleted. But it’s Chinese Internet conglomerates that lead this censorship charge, such as Alibaba Group Holdings and Tencent Holdings. But they’re telling the Chinese people the crackdown is to combat terrorism, porn, ID theft and other social ills. Effective March 1, laws will go up throughout China to prohibit ‘deceitful’ identity and demand online users to submit personal information while registering for online services. If you’re approved by the registry, then you’ll be able to use the Internet…under a watchful eye.
These are just two reasons I wonder if online censorship is closer than we think. I’m thankful Google reversed their original decision. I’m convinced they did it because a lot of Blogger users cried foul and some probably even threatened to take their business elsewhere. But China has one of the strictest online policies in the world. I’m concerned about social online ills as much as anybody, but forcing the people to register is hardly going to change anything. Whose to say an online hacker or predator won’t slip through the cracks even after he/she registers? Can China’s strict online policies come to the US? Or is that too far-fetched?
Today, You Tube launched a spin-off called You Tube Kids. This app is meant to educate and entertain young children. It’s also meant to shelter them from adult oriented content found on regular You Tube.
Parents can download this child friendly app through Google Play or Apple Store. As of right now, You Tube Kids is only available in the USA. It’s simpler for kids to manage this app than it would be to manage the original You Tube, thanks to larger images, voice commands, and other tools designed for child usage and attention. You can either search videos or browse four categories: shows, music, learning, exploring. There is a heavy basis on educating the youngest of minds, with focus on early literacy, math tutorials and science tutorials. Shows and companies contributing content include Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, National Geographic for Kids, Mother Goose Club, and Thomas the Tank Engine. You Tube Kids is designed for kids under 10 years of age. Even infants can benefits from You Tube Kids.
You Tube and Google did it again, this time making better lives for children. How many times have you got on You Tube and stumbled onto an ‘age restricted website’? Do you want young children stumbling onto that? There are even some channels and videos that aren’t age restricted I would not allow anybody under 10 to see. I think this would be a powerful safe haven from that. Look at the crisis of education in America today. Do you want yet another generation of American children to place last in every subject, except for obesity and drop outs? I think You Tube Kids can help our children get interested in learning early, as in the first 2 years of their lives. So by the time they start school, they will want to learn and do well, and that yearning for knowledge will carry on throughout their education, even through high school, college and beyond. I’d like to see more character building channels on this new app. Let’s teach kids to be kind to each other and love each other. I’m tired of reading about kids literally getting bullied to death. How do you feel about You Tube Kids?
There is hardly a bigger target for cyber bullies than celebrities. Their personal life is often out in the open for all to comment on, using anonymous and hidden names. One star is tired of the madness and meanness. Now, this rap star quits social media.
Australian born rap star Iggy Azalea announced on her Twitter feed she is quitting social media. This started while on a Valentine’s Day vacation in Hawaii. While in a one-piece bating suit, paparazzi took photos of her. I’m guessing this was without Azalea’s knowledge or approval, but that’s another subject for another time. But the brutal, ugly and nasty comments poured in, simply because…surprise, surprise, her body isn’t perfect! Cyber bullies target the cellulite on her thighs. On February 18, Azelea announced she was taking time away from social media. She says the hate has made her an angry person, and that the Internet has become an ugly reflection of humankind. Azelea tweeted from now on, her management team will be running her social media accounts.
This post vacation cyber bullying isn’t the first run-in Iggy Azalea had with social media. In the past several months, she’s had online feuds with everyone from Snoop Dogg to Papa John’s Pizza. I think this latest episode was the final straw. I respect Azalea for making this bold move. If this is what it takes to have peace of mind, then good for her. No amount of fame, fortune or celebrity is worth losing peace over. But she’s only partially right about something: the Internet is an ugly reflection of humankind. While many lives has been lost and destroyed because of cyber bullying, think of all the lives that have been saved and made better because of all the good the Internet is doing. Can we dish out less of the bullying and more of the encouragement, please? And who gave the paparazzi permission to take those photos of her anyway?
Ever go from website to website and wonder, “Why is my last website putting an ad on this current one?” Advertisers are working with telecom spies to do just that. Telecom giant AT&T believes it has a solution. But does it require paying for privacy?
In Kansas City, MO, AT&T is experimenting with newer, faster Internet service. This faster service will cost you $70 a month. But if you want to stop the telecom spying and pesky ads following you everywhere, you have to pay an extra $29 a month. So now you’re looking at $99 a month, before taxes. They tried the same thing in Austin, TX back in fall 2013. They even admit that when you choose the cheaper option, your web browsing tailors to advertisers to serve your favorite interests. I’m glad somebody finally has a privacy option, even if it is $360 a year. That’s no loaf of bread, I don’t care how good the economy is, allegedly. However, to get the discount, you can expect to give up a lot of data to telecom and Internet companies and advertisers.
I hate to say it, but that’s the nature of the beast. How do you think you get Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and other social media sites are for free? Someone has to be paying for it. But there has been a huge outcry for privacy rights over the last few years. And many people want to be left alone. So I think this is a good business move for AT&T to provide privacy. But you have to love privacy from advertisers so much you’re willing to pay almost $400 a year for it. I’m willing to bet there are many who will pay. I know the telecom spies and ads can be annoying, but would you rather pay extra? And do you see this paying for privacy trend becoming the new normal?
Months ago, Kevin Bollart from San Diego, California was arrested on revenge porn charges: identity theft, extortion, conspiracy. The United States is cracking down on revenge porn, and now another one goes to jail.
Earlier this week, Hunter Moore, 28, pleaded guilty to revenge porn related charges, including identity theft and aiding and abetting. Moore now faces over five years in prison. His co-defendant, Charles ‘Gary’ Evens, has also been charged. Evens allegedly stole nude photos from victims and made $200 a week from it. By the time of their arrests last year, hundreds of emails were compromised and many nude photos came from disgruntle exes in the name of revenge. Hunter Moore’s website was called IsAnybodyUp. He was inspired by Bollart’s revenge porn scheme, which allowed people to put up other people’s nude, sexually explicit, or other embarrassing photos on their site, for a small fee, without the victim’s knowledge or approval. Moore’s website and reputation became so notorious Rolling Stone magazine called him the most hated man on the Internet. Here is the part that struck me the most: Hunter Moore’s IsAnybodyUp made up to $10,000 a month in ad revenue alone. This revenge porn site got an estimated 30 million views.
There lies the problem. The fact that a revenge porn site got this much money and this many reviews is disturbing. If the demand for such filth is this great, we’re going to see more Hunter Moore’s and Kevin Bollart’s in the future. I’m happy laws and governments are doing something to combat revenge porn. But it starts with us as the consumer. When we stop logging on to such sites that violate peoples’ basic rights and scar them for life, maybe they’ll get the message. When we boycott advertisers that support revenge websites and tell these advertisers why we’re boycotting them, maybe they’ll get the message. Hopefully, Bollart, Moore and Evens are getting that message now. Will this help to prevent the next revenge pornographer?
