Surveillance Capitalism

Business Insider: The EU may Force Facebook to Stop Transatlantic Data Transfers

September 14, 2020

According to Ireland's Data Protection Commission, Facebook's main mechanism to transfer data from the EU to the US may conflict with EU privacy laws, raising concerns that EU citizens privacy rights would not be respected.
Guardian: Poisoning of Russian Opponent Navalny May Halt Nord Stream 2 Project

September 08, 2020

The future of the largely contested baltic pipeline, Nord Stream 2, may be in limbo, as political rivals, allies and numerous countries, including the United States, are calling on German Chancellor Angela Merkel to end the the nearly completed project between Germany and Russia after the recent poisoning of Russian opposition leader Navalny.
Reuters: CDC Announces Potential Distribution of Covid Vaccine in October

September 07, 2020

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has begun preparing the distribution of a potential coronavirus vaccine to high-risk groups as soon as late October.
Morrison: Competition Needed in ESG Consultancy Market

September 07, 2020

Writing in National Review Online, Richard Morrison explains why, as consulting firms engaged in advising for-profit companies about how to comply with environmental, social and governance ("ESG") standards do so from a progressive perspective, there is a need to encourage more free-market conservative ESG consultants to develop competing standards and enter the field.
China AI Export Restrictions May Sideline Sale of TikTok to U.S. Buyers

September 02, 2020

New Chinese Government restrictions on the export of artificial intelligence algorithm technologies, including TikTok's "personalized content recommendation" tool, are raising doubts about the completion of a sale Company's U.S. operations.
MSN: Facebook Accused of Attempting to Undermine Online Regulation Efforts

August 26, 2020

United Kingdom transparency advocates are accusing Facebook of hiring a team of lobbyists to fight recent government attempts to improve the monitoring and regulation of online speech, including former government officials who worked on policies relating to the oversight and taxation of online technology platforms.
TikTok Removes 380,000 Videos in US for Violating Hate Speech Policy

August 24, 2020

Since the beginning of 2020, in keeping with the company's hate speech policy focusing on the removal of speech considered to be race-based harassment or promoting hate group organization, TikTok has removed 380,000 videos and banned 1,300 accounts.
China's National Security Law Impacts American University Classrooms

August 24, 2020

In order to warn and protect non-U.S. Chinese students subject to China's new National Security Law prosecuting citizens for sedition or collusion with a foreign power, several American Universities, like Harvard and Yale, have added warnings to course materials that Chinese government may consider to be politically sensitive.
Facebook Pulls Millions of Posts in Hate Speech Purge

August 18, 2020

After several prominent companies suspended advertising on Facebook in a new "Stop Hate for Profit" campaign, Facebook has pulled 22.5 million posts it classified as hate speech between April and June as per the latest findings published in its transparency report.
Leetaru: Censoring Political Speech Reminiscent of Earlier Hollywood Censorship Standards

August 10, 2020

Writing in Politico, Kalev Leetaru comments how, reminiscent of Hollywood movie morality code censorship in the 1930’s and 40’s, evolving and ambiguous online speech policies are forcing politicians to self-censor or risk deletion by social media gatekeepers..