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User Privacy
Click Bait Digital Platform Misinformation Phising Attacks Privacy Reddit Social Media Apps Social Media threats User Privacy

Reddit to Pay Users for Popular Posts

Reddit, the popular social media platform, has announced that it will begin paying users for their posts. The new system, which is still in its early stages, will see users rewarded with cash for posts that are awarded "gold" by other users.

Gold awards are a form of virtual currency that can be purchased by Reddit users for a fee. They can be given to other users to reward them for their contributions to the platform. Until now, gold awards have only served as a way to show appreciation for other users' posts. However, under the new system, users who receive gold awards will also receive a share of the revenue generated from those awards.

The amount of money that users receive will vary depending on the number of gold awards they receive and their karma score. Karma score is a measure of how much other users have upvoted a user's posts and comments. Users will need to have at least 10 gold awards to cash out, and they will receive either 90 cents or $1 for each gold award.

Reddit says that the new system is designed to "reward the best and brightest content creators" on the platform. The company hopes that this will encourage users to create more high-quality content and contribute more to the community.

However, there are also some concerns about the new system. Some users worry that it could lead to users creating clickbait or inflammatory content to get more gold awards and more money. Others worry that the system could be unfair to users who do not have a lot of karma.

One Reddit user expressed concern that the approach will lead users to produce content of poor quality. If they know they can make money from it, people are more likely to upload clickbait or provocative stuff.

Another Reddit member said that users with low karma may be treated unfairly by the system. According to the user, "Users with more karma will be able to profit more from the system than users with less karma." This will make users with lower karma less likely to produce high-quality content, which is unjust.

Some of the issues raised by the new method have been addressed by Reddit. According to the corporation, it will actively monitor the system to make sure users aren't producing low-quality content to increase their gold medal total. In addition, Reddit states that it will endeavor to create a system that is equitable to all users, regardless of karma.

According to a Reddit spokesman, "We understand that there are some concerns about the new system. We are dedicated to collaborating with the community to make sure that the system is just and that it inspires users to produce high-quality content."

The platform has undergone a dramatic change as a result of Reddit's new strategy of compensating users for popular postings. The system's actual functionality and whether it will improve the platform's content quality have still to be determined. Reddit is devoted to advancing and inventing, as evidenced by the declaration of the new system.
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Technology Updating
CSAM Cyber Security Cyberattacks CyberCrime Cybersecurity NSPCC Online Safety Bill Snapchat Social Media Apps Technology Updating

Grooming Cases Reach Unprecedented Heights Amidst Regulatory Delays

 


Campaigners are calling for no more delays in the online safety bill, which is being pushed by the Government, as thousands of crimes related to online grooming have been reported during the wait for updated online safety laws. 

There has been a lengthy wait before the long-awaited bill can become law, but the proposed legislation went through repeated changes and delays on its way to becoming law in the autumn. Additionally, ministers have come under fire in recent days from tech companies for what they think is an attempt by the government to undermine encryption technology.

A call has been made by the NSPCC to support the bill after the charity announced that in the last six years, UK police forces have recorded 34,000 cases of online grooming crimes, affecting children and young people. In 2017, the charity began calling for more robust online safety regulations to be put in place in order to protect users. 

NSPCC statistics show that 6350 incidents of sexual communication with children were reported last year, an increase of 82 per cent since the offence of sexual communication with children was introduced in 2017/18, according to data obtained from 42 UK police forces. 

Moreover, the figures say that in 83 percent of the cases of social media grooming over the last six years, when the gender of the victim could be determined, the victims were girls, the charity noted. According to the police data, more than 150 apps, games and websites were also used for the purpose of targeting children. If children are to be protected from abuse and neglect, then the NSPCC believes that the Bill is indispensable. 

As a result of this law, firms and big tech bosses will have to adopt stricter responsibilities for protecting young users if it passes. Nevertheless, the NSPCC wants assurances that new technologies, including artificial intelligence, will be regulated by the legislation as well.

A study of the data shows that 73% of the reported crimes involved either Snapchat or an associated website, where 5,500 of the incidents involved children between the ages of 5 and 12. A few weeks away from the end of the summer recess, parliament will resume sessions to wrap up the debate on the bill, which is expected to be passed soon after. 

A severe impasse in the UK is threatening the future of end-to-end encryption due to its ongoing implications. Increasing numbers of tech companies are offering encrypted messaging services to app users in order to satisfy their demands for more privacy since this means that the message can be viewed only by the sender and the recipient, rather than anyone else. The records cannot even be accessed by the tech companies themselves in most cases. 

Even though most of us would agree that privacy is, in general, something we all cherish above all others, there is a grave element of risk that cannot be ignored when trying to achieve it. However, depending on which platform you go to, these privacy features can be accessed by everyone, and the platforms claim they offer extra protection for people such as victims of domestic abuse, journalists, political activists, and others. It is also claimed by them that if a backdoor is added to their services, it will undermine the security of their system for everybody. 

Despite the fact that the tech industry and legislators have a consensus that something needs to be changed, the tradeoff between privacy and security has prevented any meaningful progress from being made. 

As stated in the latest draft of the Online Safety Bill, it demands a backdoor through which the authorities will have the ability to access social media services for the sole purpose of unlawful surveillance. 

Nevertheless, there are concerns among tech companies that ostensibly loosening any protection against data scraping might provide hackers and data thieves with a window of opportunity to perpetrate havoc on our sensitive information by exploiting any loopholes. It is generally considered that social media platforms prefer developing their own safety precautions as opposed to taking a proactive approach to prevent the spread of child sex abuse material (CSAM). In addition, updates are used to tighten up their grip on the spread of other forms of harmful and age-restricted content, so that children do not encounter harmful content.

Even with the efforts of each individual company, the statistics indicate that the epidemic of online child grooming continues to worsen – an epidemic exacerbated by social media's unintentional role as a smokescreen for online child maltreatment. 

The chief executive of the NSPCC, Sir Peter Wanless, commented that the study demonstrates that there is a considerable amount of child abuse on social media as well as the human cost associated with fundamentally unsafe products. There are many offences against children online, so it is imperative that we remember how important the Online Safety Bill is and why children need the ground-breaking protection it will provide. 

As a result of the ongoing butting heads between Silicon Valley giants and government regulators, there has been speculation that the Communications Regulatory Authority, or Ofcom, might get involved and bring about changes that will impact the entire industry. If the right balance can be struck between both relevant entities, it will be interesting to see if both parties can benefit. There is no doubt about it, though, that it is a matter of equivocally needing all hands on deck in order to get the job done.
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Twitter
Adam Mosseri Elon Musk Facebook Instagram Meta Social Media Apps Technology text-based conversation app Threads Twitter

Will Threads be a 'Threat' to Twitter?


About Threads

Meta, Instagram’s parent company launched Threads, which will be a text-based conversation app, rivaling Twitter.

Threads, released on Wednesday evening, a day before its scheduled release, allows users to join up directly from their Instagram accounts; it is a platform that allows users to publish short posts or updates that are up to 500 characters. They can include links, photos, or videos up to 5 minutes long.

More than 2 billion monthly active users will be able to import their accounts into Threads once it is made available to everyone.

Threads now have 70 million signups, according to a Friday morning post by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and that number is certain to rise over the next few days. (In comparison, Instagram has 1.3 billion users that log on every day. Twitter has 259 million daily active users at the end of 2022. 13 million accounts in total are on Mastodon.)

A Threat to Twitter

Adam Mosseri, the CEO of Instagram, claimed that under Musk, Twitter's "volatility" and "unpredictability" gave Instagram the chance to compete. According to Mosseri in an interview, Threads is made for "public conversations," which is an obvious reference to how Twitter executives have described the service's function throughout the years.

In regards to its threads’ competitor space, Mosseri says “Obviously, Twitter pioneered the space[…]And there are a lot of good offerings out there for public conversations. But just given everything that was going on, we thought there was an opportunity to build something that was open and something that was good for the community that was already using Instagram.”

For some time now, Meta has been getting ready to introduce Threads, which it calls a "sanely run" substitute for Twitter. The response to Musk's recent limitation on how many tweets people may watch per day, according to internal business documents I've seen, served as the impetus for this week's app release. Furthermore, they assert that Meta expects "tens of millions" of users to use Threads within the first few months of its release.

As described by Mosseri, Thread is a “risky endeavor,” especially considering that it's a brand-new program that users must download. After receiving access to Threads earlier, users were able to rapidly fill out account information and follow lists by having Meta automatically pull information from my Instagram account.

In many important aspects, Threads is surprisingly similar to Twitter. Posts (or, as Mosseri refers to them, "threads") from accounts you follow are displayed in the app's main feed along with accounts that Instagram's algorithm has recommended. Reposting something allows you to add users’ opinions, and main feed answers are clearly shown. Though it might be added later, there is no feed that solely contains the people you follow.

Since Twitter has been around for a while and has amassed a distinctive network, it presents another element that Threads must deal with. It is evident from Meta's behavior that, despite Musk's theatrics over the previous few months, unseating Twitter would not be easy. It would be a mistake, in Mosseri's opinion, to "undervalue Twitter and Elon." The community on Twitter is tremendously powerful and vibrant, and it has a long history. The network effects are very powerful.

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threat
Automated Threat Monitoring Pentagon Privacy Social Media Apps threat

Pentagon's Secret Service: Monitoring Social Media for Criticism of Generals

 

According to reports from The Intercept, the Army's surveillance unit has been scanning social media platforms for posts that criticize or demean generals and other military leaders. The unit is said to be specifically targeting tweets and comments that contain derogatory language or threats. While the intention behind this surveillance is to protect military personnel, it also highlights the increasing scrutiny of online speech by government agencies.

The justification for such monitoring lies in the potential risks posed by online threats and the need to ensure the safety of military personnel. Social media platforms have become hotbeds for hate speech, harassment, and even radicalization. It is only natural for authorities to be vigilant in their efforts to identify and mitigate any potential dangers.

However, concerns arise when the surveillance extends to monitoring and policing online criticism or dissent. Freedom of speech is a fundamental pillar of any democratic society, and citizens should be able to express their opinions, even if they are critical of those in power. This practice by the Pentagon's secret service raises questions about the erosion of civil liberties and the chilling effect it may have on public discourse.

Critics argue that such surveillance can stifle dissent and discourage individuals from voicing legitimate concerns. It also raises concerns about the potential misuse of personal data and the infringement of privacy rights. There is a fine line between monitoring for security purposes and encroaching upon individuals' rights to free speech and privacy.

As technology advances, it is essential to strike a balance between security measures and the preservation of civil liberties. Clear guidelines and oversight mechanisms should be in place to prevent overreach and abuse of power. Transparency is key, and the public should be informed about the extent of these surveillance practices, as well as the criteria used to identify and target social media posts.

Moreover, it is important to invest in comprehensive strategies to address the root causes of online extremism and harassment. Focusing solely on monitoring and surveillance without addressing the underlying issues is a short-term solution at best.

The revelation that the Pentagon's secret service is actively trawling social media for mean tweets about generals brings into focus the delicate balance between national security and individual freedoms. While ensuring the safety of military personnel is paramount, it is crucial to safeguard citizens' rights to free speech and privacy. Striking the right balance between security measures and civil liberties is vital for maintaining a healthy and democratic society. The public's trust in these surveillance practices can only be earned through transparency, accountability, and a commitment to protecting individual rights in the digital age.
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TikTok
Douyin Federal Trade Commission Policymaking process Privacy Shou Zi Chew Social Media Social Media Apps TikTok

Pleading TikTok to "Think of the Children" Misses the Point


In nearly every congress hearing on big tech, be it on privacy, monopoly, or in the case of last week’s TikTok hearing on national security, at least one lawmaker is seen to be concerned about something along with the lines of “But think of the kids!” 

In a recent hearing, a number of officials, including New Jersey Democrat Frank Melone, cited studies demonstrating that TikTok disseminates offensive material for children and teenagers. The site sends content about self-harm and eating disorders to children and young people every 2.6 minutes, or every eight minutes, according to a new study from the Center for Countering Digital Hate. The concern is furthered by the fact that TikTok is a popular platform choice among young users. According to a 2022 Pew Research Survey, the app was utilized by 67 percent of the teens polled, followed by YouTube. 

Callum Hood, research director at the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said in a press statement “Without legally mandated security through design, transparency, and accountability, the algorithm will continue to put vulnerable users at risk.” 

Although, Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok noted that these are the issues that almost all major social media platforms have faced in recent years. These concerns are echoes of complaints that Meta has made in the past, particularly in connection to Instagram. 

When it comes to commenting on how harmful could a platform be to children, it often seems more of an attention-seeking tactic, highlighting some of the most common worries that American parents have. What kind of monster would not want to ensure that children are protected from exploitation and hazardous content? The attention paid to young users also presents one of the few open doors for bipartisan collaboration. 

But only a day before Chew was scheduled to testify before Congress, another gunshot forced students at Denver East High School to flee their classrooms. A pandemic-era program that provided free school meals to all children was phased away earlier this year in favor of a system based on income, which will put more obstacles in the way of the kids who need it the most. Due in large part to entrenched problems with economic inequality and a deteriorating social safety net, about one-third of children in the US live in poverty. 

Children are impacted by things like a lack of gun safety regulations and a lack of funding for social or educational initiatives, but these concerns frequently result in impasses in legislative and policymaking processes. Moreover, pleading with lawmakers to "think about the children" rarely has an impact. When it comes to Big Tech, the focus on "the kids" frequently oversimplifies and diverts attention from the more delicate issues of privacy, widespread data collection, the outsized power of certain companies to dominate smaller competitors, and the transnational nature of extremist content and misinformation. Instead, we need to ask deeper questions: How long should companies be able to keep data? What should it be used for? Can private companies that want to educate the next generation of consumers ever be incentivized to set time limits or restrict access to content for young users? Overall, how do our systems allow damage? 

There are certain ways that would get the concerns regarding children's well-being to light, practically protecting them. Although, it is rare to find favor in Congress. While officials may express concerns about how TikTok in the US differs from its Chinese counterpart, Douyin, in terms of the experience for young users, little has changed in legislation to address the online harms experienced by US children in the five years since the Tide Pod challenge or even the 18 months since Frances Haugen first testified before Congress, despite her frequent appearances on television hearings. 

In regard to these cases, Senators Edward J. Markey and Bill Cassidy are proposing a bipartisan bill for 2021 that would prohibit internet companies from gathering user data from users between the ages of 13 and 15 and establish a juvenile marketing and privacy branch at the Federal Trade Commission. However, the bill is yet to be voted on in the Senate.  

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User Safety
Cyber Security Online Safety Password Theft Social Media Apps User Privacy User Safety

Change Your Passwords on These Five Platforms Right Away

 

Have you ever gotten an email advising you to change your security details because one of your accounts has been compromised? Well, you are not alone 

Regular users are suffering the most damage as hacking grows more sophisticated. According to VPN Central's Deyan Georgiev, certain social media accounts are particularly open to hacker attacks. 

Which accounts are hackers primarily aiming for? 

In order to determine the average monthly searches for terms like "account hacked," "hacking," and "hack," VPN Central looked at 10 platforms and their average monthly searches for cybercrime. 

According to research, the following websites were often searched for when looking for information about hacking: 

Facebook: 67,940 searches 
Instagram: 36,220 searches 
Spotify: 25,920 searches 
Twitch: 10,800 searches 
Amazon: 6,170 searches 

If you have accounts on these platforms, be sure to regularly change your password and enable multi-factor authentication. 

Prevention tips 


Avoid choosing a weak password: Even though "123456" and "password" have consistently been ranked as the weakest, most easily guessable passwords for years, people still use them as passwords. This is astounding. Avoid using obvious patterns when you're asked to establish or alter a password for a website. Choose something with at least 12 characters, made up of letters, numbers, and other symbols, advise SplashData and TeamsID. 

Use multi factor authentication: A growing number of online services that deal with sensitive data (including Gmail, online bank accounts, and Slack, a popular group chat tool among businesses) give you the option of adding an extra step before inputting your password to access your account. A code is often delivered to the phone number you have on file. Although it takes a little longer to access the site, it significantly discourages anyone from trying to access your account. 

Consider using a password manager: Most consumers, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), struggle to remember all of their passwords. Stronger passwords are those that are longer and more complex, although longer passwords can also be harder to remember. Use a trusted password manager to keep your passwords and security questions safe. Look for a trustworthy password manager on independent review websites and ask your friends and family which one they use. To keep the information in your password manager secure, choose a strong password.
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US Government
China regularity rules Chinese Government Content Censorship Cyber Security Douyin Social Media Apps TikTok US Government

What Are Some Big Cyber-Security Fears Concerning TikTok?


China claims that the US has inflated national security concerns over TikTok in an effort to suppress the Chinese startup. Due to concerns over cyber-security, US federal entities have been asked to remove the Chinese app from all staff devices within 30 days. Canada and the EU have taken similar actions, and some politicians have called for nationwide bans. 

TikTok executives, who successfully escaped having their popular app banned in the US by then-president Donald Trump in 2020, had to deal with a barrage of inquiries every day about the dangers TikTok presented to cyber security. The topic was largely put to rest in 2021 when President Joe Biden overturned Trump's proposal due to various complicated legal challenges. 

One could almost hear a sigh of relief from both TikTok and the millions of influencers who rely on the social media app to make a career. 

But now, in an ironic nod to the video app's recognizable looping style, we have come full circle. With the stakes even higher now. 

Nearly three years prior to Trump's planned ban, TikTok had been downloaded 800 million times worldwide. As of now, 3.5 billion people have downloaded it, according to app analytics company Sensor Tower. 

With a rise in geopolitical strain between China and Western Countries, it is clear that the future of TikTok is more at risk than ever. 

We are listing some of the prime cyber-security concerns pertaining to TikTok that are continually raised, and how the company addresses them: 

1. TikTok Collects an ‘Excessive’ Amount of Data 

TikTok's critics frequently claim that it collects vast amounts of data. It's common to use a cyber-security assessment from Internet 2.0, an Australian cyber business, from July 2022 as proof. 

Researchers examined the source code of the app and found evidence of "excessive data harvesting" within it. According to analysts, TikTok gathers information about users' locations, the devices they are using, and the other apps they have installed. 

Although, a similar test conducted by Citizen Lab concluded that "in comparison to other popular social media platforms, TikTok collects similar types of data to track user behavior." 

Likewise, a report by the Georgia Institute of Technology in January states "The key fact here is that most other social media and mobile apps do the same things." 

2. TikTok Could be Used as a ‘Brain-washing’ Tool 

TikTok's spokeswoman said: "Our community guidelines prohibit misinformation that could cause harm to our community or the larger public, which includes engaging in co-ordinated inauthentic behavior." 

In November 2022, FBI Director Christopher Wray told the US lawmakers: "The Chinese government could… control the recommendation algorithm, which could be used for influence operations." 

Douyin, a sibling app to TikTok that is exclusively available in China, is heavily censored and purportedly designed to encourage the viral spread of positive and wholesome content, which adds fuel to those worries. 

In fact, all social networking sites in China are closely monitored by an army of internet police, who apparently take down content that criticizes the government or instigates political unrest. 

As TikTok gained popularity, there were high-profile instances of censorship on the app. For example, a user in the US had her account suspended for denouncing Beijing's treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang; following a ferocious public outcry, TikTok issued an apology and restored the account. 

Since then, there have not been many instances of censorship, aside from the contentious moderation choices that all platforms must make. 

Although, while comparing TikTok and Douyin, Citizen Lab researchers concluded that the later does not comprise any political censorship. 

The Georgia University of Technology analysts also looked for jokes about Chinese Premier Xi Jinping and issues like Taiwan's independence. They came to the following conclusion: "Videos in all of these categories can easily be found on TikTok. Many are popular and widely shared." 

Theoretical Risk 

Hence comes the entire picture of theoretical fears and risk. 

Certain critics deem TikTok as a “Trojan horse,” meaning although it may look harmless, it could potentially be utilized as a powerful weapon in times of conflict. 

The app is already banned in India, in an initiative taken against the app and dozens of other Chinese platforms in the year 2020. 

Nonetheless, a US ban on TikTok might have a significant effect on the site since allies of the US frequently support such measures. 

Moreover, it is worth mentioning that risks are a one-way street. Due to the long-standing restriction on access for Chinese individuals, China need not be concerned about US apps.  

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