Data protection and privacy rights?are critical issues for both sides of the Atlantic. The European Union passed some of the strongest legislation ever to protect the dignity and integrity of data collection and management.
Such laws already exist in some European nations or sections of these nations. But effective January 2017, these laws that are expected to ensure privacy rights and protect freedoms will be enforced in all 28 EU nations. European Union Parliament passed these laws Tuesday. One law stiffens fines on companies who use and exploit their customerss data without customers’ knowledge or approval. This legislation will enforce the right to be forgotten law. Another law will require corporations to report any security breaches within 72 hours after the breach took place. Children under 16 will need parents’ permission to use social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat. This law is enforced only in nations that don’t have a minimum age limit of 13. This new legislation will apply to any company doing business within the EU, whether they’re based in the EU or not (hint hint, Silicon Valley, USA). Not everybody likes these policies. Google and Facebook has been at odds with the EU for years, which collect data for advertising purposes (as far as we know).
Here is one thing Americans as well as Europeans agree on: Europe is doing more to protect online privacy than the US is. The fact the US doesn’t require corporations to report security breaches immediately is beyond my comprehension. Look at the security branches we’ve had just over the last two years. Then you have the age limit factor. I like all of this legislation, but I’ve got mixed feelings about this one. I understand why they want to put age limits on social media, sort of like we do for R-rated movies or TV-MA rated shows. There’s a lot of adult content on social media (that’s putting it mildly) that should not be watched by children under a certain age. But is it really for the European Union to decide what kids can and can’t download? Shouldn’t parents have priority in that decision?
A few days ago, I wrote a blog of how Twitter evaluated 2015. The tweets of 2015 seemed more culture and celebrity oriented. But this is 2015 according to Facebook. According to Facebook, the past eleven months and ten days were very dark and grim.
Most if not all top 10 events talked about on FB this year have been tragic, disturbing and depressing news stories. On the list include the Charleston, SC shootings and confederate flag debate, Baltimore riots, both terrorist attacks in Paris (remember Charlie Hebdo in back in January), and the global war against ISIS. Other top ten Facebook issues include the devastating earthquake in Nepal, debt crisis and riots in Greece, and Syrian war and refugee crisis. The other two issues were somewhat lighter, but divided us as a nation. The first was the Supreme Court’s legalization of same-sex marriage in all 50 states. The top issue of Facebook talk was the US presidential election. While the US presidential election isn’t a catastrophe (well, depending on who you ask), but it’s already divided so many Americans. As contentious as the election is already, this issue is going to divide a lot more Americans in 2016 too.
Was 2015 that grim of a year? In a sense, yes. The top ten list didn’t include blizzards in Boston, droughts in California, a measles outbreak, a German pilot crashing his own plane with 150 passengers on board, and hundreds were trampled to death in a Mecca stampede. But there were some light and even inspiring events that happened in 2015. We had a heck of a Super Bowl. Pope Francis visited the United States. The US and Cuba thawed it’s 56-year-old icy relationship. So lots of good stuff happened. In previous years, events like the Super Bowl, Olympics, World Cup, even the Harlem shake dance craze (that reminds me, the whip nae nae was extremely popular in 2015) made the top ten. So what is it about this year? Was this past year darker than the others? Or is our mood just darker?
On Wednesday, December 2nd, Syed Farook and his wife?Tashfeen Malik opened fire at a work related Christmas party in San Bernardino, California. Fourteen innocent people were killed; dozens more were wounded, a town is scarred, and a nation is crying out, “Oh no. Not again.”
Facebook executives discovered Tashfeen Malik, one of the shooters, posted a macabre message the very morning of the deadly attack. It was posted under an alias account which has since been removed. It turns out Malik posted her dedication and allegiance to terrorist group ISIS, or Islamic State of the Levant. Some terrorist experts say Malik’s posting may have revealed she and her husband were deeply influenced by ISIS, and not officially a part of this terrorist group. But a federal law enforcement official confirmed Malik pledged allegiance to the group under a false name, then deleted ?the message right before the shootings began. Law enforcement officers aren’t allowed to go into detail because of anonymity; they couldn’t talk about it anymore because of the investigation. But this Facebook posting gives a clear motive for why her and her husband shot up the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino (Farook attended the party as an employee).
But ISIS and other terrorist groups have used social media as a recruiting tool for years. That’s how they’ve been able to recruit thousands from the United States and other Western nations. They even show You Tube videos of themselves serving ice cream to children in impoverished neighborhoods in Syria and Iraq. They use social media to reach out to people who have very little going for them or who are in a very venerable position. Then these terrorists tell them whatever they want to hear. They use a combination of demonic charm/charisma and social media to continue their deadly and destructive work. It’s not social media that’s bad. It’s the person behind the keyboard you need to watch, and when will it ever end?
We at Computer Geeks would like to extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of those who perished in the senseless tragic recent shootings in San Bernardino, California.
There’s still an ongoing investigation of last Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris that killed over 120 people. Saturday, I talked about how technology helped people reunite with loved ones. But now, after reading a disturbing report, I’m left asking myself a question. Did technology help the terrorists?
Some online articles say terrorists use PlayStation 4 consoles to plan and coordinate the Paris attacks. They would have used the consoles to secretively communicate, away from law enforcement’s prying eyes. Belgian authorities found a PlayStation 4 as they arrested several suspects involved in the attacks. Legal and technological experts agree PlayStation is far more difficult to keep track of than communication through smartphones. One expert explains, “It?s still difficult for investigators to monitor IP-based voice systems compared to say, a simple cellphone…”. But it’s not just verbal communication that worries law enforcement agencies around the world. In a game called Super Mario Maker, someone can send a message through using the gold coins, and that message can thwart even the most experienced law enforcement officials and intelligence agents. In May 2015, an Austrian teenager was indicted on terrorism charges. Guess how he was caught? They found plans to make a bomb not on his smartphone or social media pages, but on his PlayStation.
Let’s make one thing clear. I’m not saying PlayStation is bad and is the root to all evil. Like all video games, it can be used for good. PlayStation can also be used to bring people together, enhance problem solving skills, and it’s games often enforce teamwork. So once again, it’s not the game or the console. It’s the human being behind the console. And I hope international law enforcement agencies don’t use this as an excuse to further spy on our technology products. But they probably will. Let’s not give up our civil liberties. Benjamin Franklin once said, “Those who give up liberty for a little safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” So how do we keep the balance between fighting terrorism and keeping liberty?
Last night, November 13, 2015, France experienced it’s worst attack in modern history. On what should have been a great start to the weekend, terrorists attacked a concert venue, soccer stadium, outdoor cafes and other venues throughout the city. As of this writing, 120 innocent people died in this heinous attack. Dozens more are critically injured.
Social media outlets are doing all they can to help. Some victims caught the carnage on their smartphones and other devices, then released their footage to the world. On Twitter, appeals are being made to help find family members and friends. Thousands are using hashtag #PorteOuverte (open door). This hashtag lets people know their place is open for those left stranded and traumatized by this attack. You see, Paris and the rest of France is under martial law. All travel is grounded. Nobody is getting in, nobody is getting out. So such places are helpful, and in some cases, necessary. Within hours, #PorteOuverte was re-posted over a half million times. Facebook has a “Paris Terror Attacks” feature. It lets you let your FB friends know you’re okay. It allows people to check FB friends who were in Paris during the attacks who haven’t checked in as safe. One Facebook spokesperson summed it up best: “Communication is critical in these moments both for people there and for their friends and families anxious for news.”
To show you how powerful media is during times like, nobody will ever forget journalist Geraldo Rivera getting emotional after learning his daughter was unharmed. His 21-year-old daughter Simone was at the Paris soccer stadium when the attack unfolded. Some may criticize social media for promoting all that’s wrong with the world today. In the last 24 hours, we’ve seen social media be beacons of light at a very dark hour. We at Computer Geeks send our prayers, thoughts and good vibes to those in Paris at this turbulent time.
New York Attorney General Eric?Schneiderman gave a decree. He ordered online fantasy sports businesses like Draft Kings and Fan Duel to stop taking bets from his state. He said such practices are illegal.
Note that Attorney General Schneiderman ordered this in a state where sports is king, and in one of the most populated states in America. On Tuesday, November 10, as news got out, Draft Kings countered. They sent emails to fantasy players telling them their right to fantasy sports is in danger and urged them to contact Attorney General Schneiderman to protect their rights. Schneiderman isn’t backing down. He claims fantasy online sports is a multi-billion dollar scheme to rip-off sports fans, and he doesn’t want it in his state. A Fan Duel spokesperson said fantasy sports were games of skill and legal under New York state law. Here’s how fantasy sports work: Fantasy sports players assemble their own teams based on professional athletes’ statistics and performance. Then they compete against other fantasy sports players. Often times, leagues are set. ?For example, if you’re constructing a fantasy football team, you’d want NFL quarterback Tom Brady on your team. If it’s fantasy baseball, you’d want a pitcher like Zack Greinke. Back in 2006, fantasy sports were legally sanctioned because they’re based more on skill than luck. But because multi-million dollar prizes are being offered, some legal and political leaders want to crack down.
Over 500,000 regularly play fantasy sports in New York state alone. So I dare Attorney General Schneiderman to tell a half million of his constituents they can’t play fantasy sports anymore. I’m sure they’ll appreciate that. Didn’t Congress deemed it legal? Than why is Schneiderman interfering? These fantasy players are grown adults who choose to play these games. Who is he to interfere? If the New York Attorney General wants to use this to warn against gambling addiction, that would be one thing. But I don’t like him telling people they can’t play fantasy sports because they might get ripped off. Is this a Big Brother Orwellian move here?
