TikTok: Your Source for News? I Hope Not
October 24, 2022
I read “A Quarter of US Adults under 30 Now Get Their News from TikTok” reports:
Among American adults, reliance on TikTok for news content has roughly tripled since 2020, rising from 3% to 10% in the past two years. More than a quarter of US adults under 30 now regularly use TikTok for news, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center. This defies a larger national trend. Fewer Americans are consistently looking for news on social media, especially Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and Snapchat, according to Pew data since 2020.
Let’s assume these data are accurate. Furthermore, let’s assume that TikTok can display weaponized information.
What downstream consequences will this weaponization by a China-affiliated company have? Here are some ideas my team and I generated at a local chicken joint today )(Saturday, October 22, 2022):
- Digital content may spark directed mob behavior among cohorts consuming TikTok news
- The TikTok content consumer may find it increasingly difficult to accept ideas from a source other than TikTok
- The already declining ability to think critically may be accelerated
- Consumers of TikTok news may experience difficulty focusing on mental tasks requiring concentration and attention.
What if the research is flawed? My hunch is that most research is. It is entirely possible that those responsible for doing the work have had their mental faculties eroded. On the other hand, unacknowledged biases may have distorted the questions, the methodology, and the analysis.
But what if the research is spot on like a laser targeting site? Oh, that’s a question to research. Perhaps TikTok videos have an answer?
Stephen E Arnold, October 24, 2022
Need a Spy? New Zealand Has Found a Resource
October 24, 2022
Israel’s armed and covert operatives are among the world’s most elite forces. It is not surprising when New Zealand’s government wanted to secretly spy and collect people’s data that they hired ex-Israeli operatives. Otago Daily explains whom New Zealand government tracked in the story: “Govt Enlists Ex-Israeli Spies To Covertly Collect Data.”
The New Zealand government, specifically the immigration department, hired Cobweb Technologies, a company formed by ex-Israeli spies. Meta (aka Facebook) kicked Cobwebs Technologies and six other foreign companies accused of creating fake accounts to spy on 50,000 people. The people spied on were journalists, politicians, human rights activists, and other persons of interest in over one hundred countries. The fake accounts also joined closed forums and communities to coerce members into sharing their private information.
Meta stated that Immigration NZ is only one of six countries that were Cobwebs Technologies’ customers. The department was a customer of the company for two years. Using social engineering, Cobweb Technologies uses its know-how to scan the Internet, mostly social media platforms, for targets’ public information.
New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment stated that Cobwebs Technologies’ acts were legal, controlled, and important:
They helped it meet its “legislative responsibilities”, in an undefined but “specific” area where there were active threats, the ministry told RNZ in its OIA response. Revealing more would “enable and embolden” groups overseas seeking to undermine it.
‘We are aware of activity overseas showing an intent (and ability) of such groups to do exactly this, specifically in response to the public release of information of the kind we are withholding, including tactically altering their behavior, increasing their operational security or deliberately injecting misinformation to reduce the effectiveness of collection methods. If even a moderate event in this particular area were to eventuate, the consequences for New Zealand could be significant and costly to fix,’ MBIE said.”
What exactly was New Zealand Immigration learning from Cobwebs Technologies? If it was about potential terrorist attacks on the country, then it was for national defense. If it was to spy on people who were not a threat, but did not agree with the country’s political agenda then it was a crime. How do you define each?
Whitney Grace, October 24, 2022
2Italy: Cracking Down on Copyright Violations
October 24, 2022
It is easy to break copyright on the Internet, but it is near impossible to enforce it unless you have time, money, and inclination. According to Giovanni Franchini’s blog post: “Copyright, The Antitrust Authority Condemns Fechner and Photoclaims’ ‘Illegal Letters’. Stopping The Scam,” German lawyer Robert Fechner sent copyright violation letters on behalf of the Photoclaim company to unsuspecting Italian citizens. The Italian Competition and Market Authority decreed that Fechner’s notices were illegal and to cease any further actions. The official documentation is as follows:
“In condemning the Fechner-Photoclaim system, the Authority states: ‘the payment requests sent by the lawyer Fechner, on behalf of Photoclaim, do not appear to comply with the high degree of diligence required by professionals in the legal protection of online copyright sector and are capable of considerably limiting the freedom of choice of the recipient micro-enterprises and inducing them to hire decisions of a commercial nature that he otherwise would not have made. Such conduct therefore integrates an unfair commercial practice, in violation of Articles 20, paragraph 2, 24 and 25, of the Consumer Code ‘“
Fechner and Photclaim sent violation notices en masse to people in the hopes of collecting fees. When one company received the notice, it decided to investigate and notified the Italian Competition and Market Authority. The Italian Competition and Market Authority then decided to conduct its own investigation, and asked Photoclaim and Fechner to comply with the process, but was met with resistance. Fechner and Photoclaim used their knowledge of international bureaucracy and law to drag the scam out as long as possible.
The Italian Competition and Market Authority finally called BS on Fechner and Photoclain, fined them, and told them to go away. The bad actors wanted to make a profit off of supposed copyright violations, but they failed to understand what copyright does. Copyright protects an individual’s or group’s rights and the originators of a unique body of work. It prevents others from copying or stealing the work for their own gain. If theft is suspected, then the copyright holders have the right to take legal action, demand a fee for usage, etc.
This scam is similar to fake tech support calls or Amazon/eBay violation scams. The bad actors demand fees, then threaten legal action to scare the victims into paying money. Fechner and Photoclaim went a roundabout way to steal money. Maybe they could learn a thing or two from Nigerian bad actors.
Whitney Grace, October 24, 2022
TikTok: Tracking Humanoids? Nope, Never, Ever
October 21, 2022
I read “TikTok Denies It Could Be Used to Track US Citizens.” Allegedly linked to the cheerful nation state China, TikTok allegedly asserts that it cannot, does not, and never ever thought about analyzing log data. Nope, we promise.
The article asserts:
The social media giant said on Twitter that it has never been used to “target” the American government, activists, public figures or journalists. The firm also says it does not collect precise location data from US users.
Here’s a good question: Has notion of persistent cookies, geospatial data, content consumption analytics, psychological profiling based on thematics have never jived with TikTok data at the Surveillance Soirée?
The answer is, according to the Beeb:
The firm [TikTok] also says it does not collect precise location data from US users. It was responding to a report in Forbes that data would have been accessed without users’ knowledge or consent. The US business magazine, which cited documents it had seen, reported that ByteDance had started a monitoring project to investigate misconduct by current and former employees. It said the project, which was run by a Beijing-based team, had planned to collect location data from a US citizen on at least two occasions.
Saying is different from doing in my opinion.
Based on my limited experience with online, would it be possible for a smart system with access to log data to do some high-value data analysis? Would it be possible to link the analytics’ output with a cluster of users? Would be possible to cross correlate data so that individuals with a predicted propensity of a desired behavior to be identified?
Of course not. Never. Nation states and big companies are fountains of truth.
TikTok. Why worry?
Stephen E Arnold, October 21, 2022
Characteristics of a Dinobaby
October 21, 2022
Someone called my attention to the Buzzfeed article “Millennial Managers Are Sharing Toxic Things Their Older Bosses Did That They Won’t Do To Employees, And I Relate To A Lot Of These.” The list of millennial management precepts makes it very clear why I am a relic. The 25 characteristics are interesting. The table below provides my dinobaby view of five of these statements about the cohorts now in the workplace.
|
Millennial Mgmt |
Dinobaby Approach |
| No micromanagement | Micromanage when warranted |
| Open communication | Sometimes |
| Rat on colleagues | Not this dinobaby |
| Ask staff for ideas and examples | Yes, dinobabies do this |
| Communicate what is needed to get promoted | Follow organization’s policies and procedures |
I cannot imagine how difficult it would be for this dinobaby to work with staff and managers who absolve themselves of the responsibility for knowing what the company expects, inculcating the organization’s policies and procedures in the work, and getting the best from each person. Eliminating managers and allowing employees to do their own thing is a recipe for disaster.
What if the organization has no rules of the road, is managed by a crazed genius, and lacks policies, procedures, and planning? Don’t take a full time job. Be a consultant and work on a short term contract. Avoid problem firms.
Stephen E Arnold, October 21, 2022
Cy4Gate Named As Big Player In AI Industry
October 21, 2022
There are famous industry awards: Academy Award, Golden Globe, Emmy, Pulitzer, Newbery Award, Caldecott Medal, Nobel Prize, Peabody Award, etc. These are associated with entertainment, science, and literature. Lesser-known industry awards are hardly heard of outside of their relevant fields, but they still earn bragging rights. Cy4Gate recently won bragging rights in AI: “Cy4Gate Mentioned As A Representative Provided In 2022 Gartner innovation Insight For Composite AI Report.”
Gartner is a renowned research company and anyone who gets a compliment from them is at the top of their game. Cy4Gate won recognition in AI as a “Representative Provider for Composite Artificial Intelligence solutions. Composite artificial intelligence is a combination of several machine learning algorithms (i.e.e deep neural network, natural language processing, computer vision, and speech recognition) to make big data analysis more effective and efficient without the need for relevant computation capabilities. Cy4Gate earned this notoriety for its years of development and research in AI applications.
“Since its establishment, Cy4gate has considered as decisive the use of AI in innovative ways, to ensure its products the ability to perform at excellent levels even in highly complex, uncertain and ambiguous contexts. Within these application areas, the enormous amount of data generated by the consistent increase of interconnected devices can be profitably used to adopt appropriate and timely decisions, and to reduce margins of error.”
Cy4Gate’s products, specializing in cyber security and intelligence, are believed to have a competitive advantage over their rivals. Other AI companies in the cyber security and intelligence field rely on single AI algorithms instead of combining them into composite artificial intelligence. Based on their advances and recognition, Cy4Gate established a new division of the company: the Data and Artificial Intelligence Center of Competence. It is part of the engineering department.
Whitney Grace, October 21, 2022
IBM Data Governance Tools
October 21, 2022
Confused about data governance? Just rely on IBM. That is our takeaway from a write-up at TechRepublic, “An Overview of IBM Data Governance Solutions.” Author Aminu Abdullahi begins by describing IBM’s top data tools, though whether “top” here means most popular or most heavily promoted is unknown. First up is Cloud Pak, a cloud-based AI platform made to gather and analyze data from multiple sources. OpenPages both guides users in protecting sensitive data and manages compliance issues. To wrest BI insights from data, users can turn to InfoSphere Optim. Then, of course, there is everything Watson. The post explains the framework that pulls it all together:
“As an organization grows, it’s important to have a plan to protect and manage data. The IBM data governance framework is a set of best practices that helps businesses create an overarching strategy for managing the life cycle of their data. IBM’s data governance practice framework includes four types of control:
- Ensure: Controls for guiding work.
- Assure: Controls for doing work.
- Insure: Controls for operating.
- Reassure: Controls for continuity.
These controls allow companies to identify, protect, manage, monitor and report on their data. They do this by working with their business leaders, functional heads and IT teams across the organization to create unified standards for how companies should use information from creation through disposal. For example, the Identify phase will help establish roles and responsibilities for stakeholders within the organization; Protect will provide guidelines for how to store all types of data securely; Manage can help ensure high-quality information; Monitor can give insight into what’s happening with information assets. Finally, Report covers tools that generate comprehensive reports on all aspects of data management. The framework helps build an environment where accountability and responsibility are clear across the enterprise.”
So IBM is a one-stop shop for responsible and profitable data management, if you will. The post concludes by noting these tools have received rave reviews from current users. We wonder, though, how many of those users have any basis for comparison. We ask, “Can’t Watson do this?”
Cynthia Murrell, October 21, 2022
Forty Firms and the European Union Demonstrate Their Failure to Be Googley
October 20, 2022
In the last 25 years, an estimated 300,000 people have worked for the Google as FTEs (full time equivalents). My view is that the current crop of European Union officials as well as the senior managers of several dozen online shopping services firms are not Google-grade human resources. Why do I make this distinction between those who are Googley and those who do not make the grade. Being Googley is not like the French Foreign Legion. In that organization, a wanna be Legionnaire must do push ups, master the lingo of the new homeland, and be ready to die for France. At Google one must be clever, have the “right stuff” intellectually, and be adept at solving problems, playing with a mobile phone, and manipulating a Mac simultaneously. Being Googley means understanding the ethos of the forever young online search system. That system, as I understand it, accepts the constraints of the GoTo, Overture, and Yahoo online advertising concept. Furthermore that system accepts that Oingo became a key component in matching advertising to user interests. Thus, to be Googley means that smart software, minimal interaction with humanoids who are by definition are “not Googley,” and reliance on charging for entering and leaving a digital saloon. Extra cash is required to enjoy the for fee options in the establishment; for example, a mouse pad with the Google logo silkscreened thereupon.
I read “EU Companies Claim Google Still Abusing its Shopping Power.” The article explains that a number of companies believe the Google is not behaving in a warm, friendly, collegial manner. Are these firms’ allegations correct?
I don’t know.
What I do know is that the companies signing the letter to EU regulators are demonstrating to me that these organizations are not Googley. What does this mean? May I hypothesize about the implications of lacking an understanding of the Alphabet Google YouTube DeepMind organization might be? Of course, you say. So here are my thoughts:
- None of the signatories nor the employees of these signatories will receive first-class tchotchkes at conferences at which AGYD has a booth or stand equipped with freebies
- None of the signatories, their employees, nor their progeny will be hired by AGYD due to manifest non Googliness. (Remember, please, that Googliness is next to Godliness. Who else can solve death?)
- None of the Web sites, online properties, or content objects will be made findable by the “black box” operated by closely guarded algorithms and informed by the superior methods of the smart software. (I must admit I find the idea “if you are findable in Google, you do not exist) a most existentially well formed idea.
- None of the elected officials involved in fining, criticizing, or demonstrating non Googliness will be supported in their re-election efforts by the GOOG’s powerful systems.
AGYD is not a company. It is a digital country. It handles more than 90 percent of the search queries in North America, South America, and Western Europe. YouTube is television for those in Eastern Europe. The Google is bigger than the definitely Google challenged in Europe. Perhaps thinking about the downsides of not being Googley is a useful activity? Just a thought. But it may be too late for the 40 outfits signing a letter attesting to their failure in the Google Comprehension Examination.
Stephen E Arnold, October 20, 2022
Expert Wants the Zuck to Resign: Yeah, Sure
October 20, 2022
I read what I think is an essay for a first year MBA class at an online university. The title? “It’s Time for Mark Zuckerberg to Step Down.” Like Mr. Putin, Mr. Zuckerberg seems to be part of the Facebook furniture. Fortunately the brilliant leader of the footless avatar company does not have nuclear weapons. He has the next best thing: Control of the company and a lot of money.
The write up ignores these facts, suggesting:
Mark Zuckerberg should quit. He should step down from his position as CEO of Meta and let someone else manage Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. He should then use his vast wealth and venture-capital connections to launch a startup that can build out his vision of the metaverse.
I want to point out that the metaverse is to Mr. Zuckerberg what annexed regions of the Ukraine are to Mr. Putin. Under attack, these outstanding leaders retreat, talk with people who know an answer other than yes can have a downside, and make decisions from carpet land. These are top downers, not Millennial / GenX / GenY sensitives.
The article adds:
Americans generally find the company’s business model creepy. This has thrown Meta’s business into panic mode…
Panic mode. I don’t think so. The steps taken by Meta and other tech-centric firms are mostly engineering daring do. Logical steps often make sense to folks like Mr. Zuckerberg and I suppose Mr. Putin. Consequences? Sure. Ever hear of collateral damage?
Interesting stuff, particularly the last line of the analysis:
…he should quit.
Insightful. Maybe Mr. Putin and Mr. Zuckerberg will resign on the same day?
Stephen E Arnold, October 20, 2022
Does Apple Evoke Fear?
October 20, 2022
Fast Company points out how Apple is appealing to America’s overwhelming culture of fear in: “Apple Used To Sell Wonder. Now It Sells Fear.” For forty years, Apple has presented itself as an optimistic brand of the future. Its aesthetic and state-of-the-art technology was and is supposed to improve our lives.
Under Jony Ive’s design lead, Apple has taken to upholding Murphy’s Law by selling fear. Apple’s newest marketing campaign promotes how its technology is used by survivors. Commercials and other advertising feature tales of survival from heart attacks to plane crashes. All these people survived thanks to an Apple product, usually the Apple Watch. The watch even has a new car crash feature that is supposed to make people feel safer:
“Do note that Crash Detection, which is part of the new Apple Watch Series 8, won’t prevent any accidents from happening, of course. But that wasn’t Apple’s point. These examples implied something else entirely: The world is already on fire. You’re already getting burned. Just make sure that you live to tell the tale.”
A great example is the new Apple Watch Ultra which was specifically designed for outdoor exploration with a compass and bright international orange accents that help wearers be noticed in emergencies. Apple also quoted Sir Ernest Shackleton’s alleged advertisement for an Antarctica expedition to appeal to consumers: “…describing a ‘hazardous journey’ with ‘long months of complete darkness, constant danger.’ While ‘safe return [is] doubtful,’ the ad admitted, it promised ‘honor and recognition in case of success.’”
Apple is telling consumers life sucks, but use its products to make it better. Another way to broach the new advertising campaign is Apple wants people to go outside and exercise more as a response to the growing obesity endemic. Maybe it’s Apple’s way of telling people to exercise safely?
Whitney Grace, October 20, 2022
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