Internet and Social Media (41)

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Find narratives by ethical themes or by technologies.

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  • Privacy
  • Accountability
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  • Human Control of Technology
  • Professional Responsibility
  • Promotion of Human Values
  • Fairness and Non-discrimination
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  • 7 min
  • The New York Times
  • 2021
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Facebook and all of its apps go down simultaneously.

On October 4th, 2021, Facebook’s servers experienced an outage which left its apps, including the commonly used Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp, out of commission for several hours. The problem is said to be caused by a incorrect configuring of Facebook’s servers, which ultimately led to a Domain Name System error in which the numerical IP addresses determined by the computer became inaccessible. The myriad effects of this outage spread across the globe as businesses were effected by the lack of access to these social networks. Additionally, certain other internet services linked to Facebook became inaccessible.

  • The New York Times
  • 2021
  • 10 min
  • The New Yorker
  • 2020
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The Second Act of Social Media Activism

This article contextualizes the BLM uprisings of 2020 in a larger trend of using social media and other digital platforms to promote activist causes. A comparison between the benefits of in-person, on-the-ground activism and activism which takes place through social media is considered.

  • The New Yorker
  • 2020
  • 10 min
  • The Washington Post
  • 2019
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Are ‘bots’ manipulating the 2020 conversation? Here’s what’s changed since 2016.

After prolonged discussion on the effect of “bots,” or automated accounts on social networks, interfering with the electoral process in America in 2016, many worries surfaced that something similar could happen in 2020. This article details the shifts in strategy for using bots to manipulate political conversations online, from techniques like Inorganic Coordinated Activity or hashtag hijacking. Overall, some bot manipulation in political discourse is to be expected, but when used effectively these algorithmic tools still have to power to shape conversations to the will of their deployers.

  • The Washington Post
  • 2019
  • 5 min
  • Time
  • 2021
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4 Big Takeaways From the Facebook Whistleblower Congressional Hearing

In 2021, former Facebook employee and whistleblower Frances Haugen testified to the fact that Facebook knew how its products harmed teenagers in terms of body image and social comparison; yet because of their interest in their profit model, they do not significantly attempt to ameliorate these harms. This article provides four key lessons to learn from how Facebook’s model is harmful.

  • Time
  • 2021
  • 6 min
  • CBS News
  • 2021
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Facebook algorithm called into question after whistleblower testimony calls it dangerous

In light of the recent allegations of Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen that the platform irresponsibly breeds division and mental health issues, AI Specialist Karen Hao explains how Facebook’s “algorithm(s)” serve or fail the people who use them. Specifically, the profit motive and a lack of exact and comprehensive knowledge of the algorithm system prevents groundbreaking change from being made.

  • CBS News
  • 2021
  • 5 min
  • Inc
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Clubhouse Is Recording Your Conversations. That’s Not Even Its Worst Privacy Problem

Clubhouse, a new, exclusive social network app which appeared during the coronavirus pandemic, has some frightening data collection practices which are outlined in detail in this article. Essentially, while the company was not monetized at the time of this article, it collects data not only on users on the platform, but also any contacts of that user.

  • Inc
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