1. Monthly archive
  2. January 2019

January 2019

Facebook, Twitter Turn to Right-Leaning Groups to Help Referee Political Speech

The world’s biggest social-media companies, under fire for failing to police content on their sites, have invited an array of outside groups to help them figure out who should be banned and what’s considered unacceptable. That solution is creating a new set of problems—public fights, complaints and legal battles. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have made a concerted push to seek out input from hundreds of groups, a growing number of which lean to the right. The companies have become receptive to behind-the-scenes lobbying as well.

Investing in Indigenous Connectivity Is an Investment in Our Future Online

The newly-released 2018 Indigenous Connectivity Summit (ICS) Community Report shows a strong correlation between Indigenous connectivity and the well-being and sustainability of rural and remote Indigenous communities, especially when solutions are local. The report summarizes outcomes of the 2018 Indigenous Connectivity Summit that brought nearly 140 Indigenous leaders, policy makers, network operators, and community members to the Arctic community of Inuvik, Nrthwest Territories last Oct. Like most New Year’s resolutions, connectivity solutions are neither quick nor cheap.

The Real Crisis Is Not at the Border

The decisions by networks to go all-in on Donald Trump in 2016 may sound a distant echo today. But it’s one that is still being heard and felt in the wake of the networks’ decision to air President Donald Trump’s Jan 8 speech about a border crisis that doesn’t exist and a wall that the vast majority of US taxpayers don’t want to pay for. News outlets need to have a deeper reckoning about their role in enabling President Donald Trump’s lies and spreading his racist propaganda.

Minnesota Commerce Department files complaint over Frontier Communications service

The Minnesota Department of Commerce filed an investigative report on Frontier Communications with the Minnesota Public Utilities Committee. The report says it found Frontier has failed to provide adequate, reliable phone and internet service to its Minnesota customers. The report, which the Connecticut-based company disputed, recommends Frontier be required to refund or credit customers for service outages and unauthorized charges, add staffing to improve customer service and increase investments in infrastructure and equipment.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s 2019 pledge: Talking about the ‘future of technology’

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg pledged to hold public discussions in 2019 “about the future of technology in society,” a reflection of mounting apprehensions — among regulators and web users alike — with the social-networking giant and its peers in Silicon Valley. In a note posted to his personal Facebook page, Zuckerberg said he plans to convene experts and others every few weeks, with the goal of exploring “the opportunities, the challenges, the hopes, and the anxieties” posed by the tech industry.

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