Facebook: Platform, Publisher, or Ministry of Truth?
Facebook is being pilloried for its unwillingness to remove a paid advertisement by President Trump’s reelection campaign after Facebook was notified by the Biden campaign that the ad contained false statements about Joe Biden and his son. On the surface, this seems simple, and Facebook’s decision not to remove the ad seems wrong. But there is much more to the story. Continue Reading →

Zuck On The Hill

Mark Zuckerberg and President Trump
Mr. Zuckerberg went to Washington yesterday for private meetings with the President and several lawmakers. The meetings were private and Mr. Zuckerberg did not answer questions about specifics. However, according to the WSJ, Sen. Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) challenged Facebook’s CEO saying, “Prove that you’re serious… sell WhatsApp, and sell Instagram.” There is only hearsay Continue Reading →
Roku
Roku shares closed down almost 14% on Wednesday and analysts are divided as to which new entry to the market pushed the shares off a cliff. Some say it was Facebook’s announcement that it was entering the streaming business with the reintroduction of its Portal device and associated services. Others say it was Comcast’s announcement Continue Reading →
Motorola India Android TV
It’s becoming a trend for smartphone brands to release TVs, as OnePlus, Xiaomi and now Motorola are doing it. OnePlus is due to unveil its own Smart TV this month, so Motorola effectively beat it to the punch. With all the hoopla around Apple TV+ (the service), I think it’s important to remember that Google’s Continue Reading →
I do not exist
Facebook is getting into the dating game. Deepfakes are getting better and better. Put them both together and they present a potential reality as sinister as it is deceitful. Imagine online dating in a world replete with deepfakes. Continue Reading →
Google
Fifty attorneys general are joining an investigation into Google over possible antitrust violations according to the initiative’s leader, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. I understand both the desire and the need for our government to get a handle on the issues surrounding data privacy, but think about this… let’s say that the outcome is a Continue Reading →
Shelly Palmer on Fox 5
How can we protect the 2020 election from deepfakes? Shelly Palmer speaks with Kerry Drew and Robert Moses on Fox 5 New York's Good Day about what Facebook, Microsoft and others are doing to help solve the problem. Original Airdate: September 10, 2019 Continue Reading →
facebook like
CNET reports that Facebook may soon start hiding likes on News Feed posts. The company already tested a similar move on Instagram in August as a way to help break users' fixation with getting likes on their pictures. This is a spectacular idea. Everything about it will be better for everyone, except... are we not so addicted to the endorphin rush caused by accumulating likes that we will see it elsewhere? Continue Reading →