In The News

CNN: Man Filmed Being Dragged Off United Flight Causes Outrage

James Griffiths and Serenitie Wang April 12, 2017
The video of a man bloodied by security guards for refusing to give up his seat on a plane bound for Louisville, Kentucky, is proving to be a global social media sensation. Twitter users are mocking the company by creating new mottos for United Airlines and memes, and Weibo users have made the video its “number one trending topic” with “tens of thousands of outraged posts,” report James...

Reuters: Twitter Refuses US Order to Reveal User Behind @ALT_uscis

David Ingram April 7, 2017
Some Trump appointees are notable for their plans to overhaul the missions and policies of the agencies they lead, particularly environmental protection, education and health care. Some federal employees are reacting to new dictates with alternative social-media accounts to mock and critique administration policies. Twitter announced it filed a lawsuit blocking a summons demanding the names...

Newsweek: How Trump Is Fueling ISIS

Kurt Eichenwald March 6, 2017
Terrorist groups issue propaganda to identify and recruit marginalized citizens of developed nations. The United States is now making such recruiting easy with attempts to ban immigrants from six Muslim-majority nations and interrogating Muslims, even citizens, who enter the United States. “…. counterterrorism experts have understood that countering … propaganda has been among the most essential...

Argentina Omits Falkland Islands from Map; Online Uproar Swiftly Follows

Federico Rivas Molina January 11, 2017
Many Argentines were outraged when the Social Development Ministry of Argentina posted a New Year’s greeting on Twitter, and a map of the country failed to include Antarctica and the Falkland Islands, or Islas Malvinas, in Spanish. Veterans of the 1982 Falklands War, in which Argentina unsuccessfully attempted to claim sovereignty over the islands, were particularly upset. The incident coincides...

Algorithms Are Making US Small-Minded

Sydney Finkelstein January 3, 2017
Computer programs tackle requests and problems with sets of rules and algorithms provided by humans, but the goal to please audiences may limit creativity and lead to bland predictability. “The ubiquity of incredibly powerful algorithms designed to reinforce our interests also ensures that we see little of what’s new, different and unfamiliar,” writes Sydney Finkelstein for BBC News. “The very...

“Dear World … Why Are You Silent?”: Aleppo Residents Make Social Plea for Help

Tu Thanh Ha December 15, 2016
Ordinary people describe the dangers, fear and long waits in Aleppo’s warzone over social media. Arranging ceasefires and agreements is a challenge because of multiple factions on either side. Buses ready to deliver civilians to safety were blocked by pro-government forces. “Citing rebel and United Nations sources, the Reuters news agency said the ceasefire unravelled after Iran, one of Syrian...

Forget Fake News – The Real Filter Bubble Is You

Will Self November 29, 2016
Banning false news on popular social media sites amounts to censorship. Will Self, writing for New Statesman, questions any manipulation of news on such sites – curating news for positive or negative stories, writing algorithms that match stories to readers or selecting specific articles for trending news. “Back in the days when everyone read the print edition of the New York Times this sort of...