“I Accidentally Uncovered a Nationwide Scam on Airbnb” – Vice. A writer discovered through experience about a scam many on the short-term rental site, Airbnb, have experienced: a last-minute cancellation leading to a much inferior property and an interminable process for lodging complaints and obtaining a refund. Airbnb seems lax about enforcing its own policies … Continue reading Further Reading (8 November)
“Russian operatives sacrifice followers to stay under cover on Facebook” – Reuters. Facebooks is using the tactics Russian hackers have used to spread disinformation against them. In order to sow discord, the Internet Research Agency’s (IRA) hackers need to be outrageous and memorable but doing so makes it easier for Facebook’s security team to track … Continue reading Further Reading
“How to report on a data breach” – Columbia Journalism Review. A veteran tech journalist who has written about a number of the recent, major data breaches (Target, MySpace, Equifax, LinkedIn, eBay, JP Morgan Chase, Yahoo, and Sony) offers tips to other journalists that can serve those interested in the policy side of these issues, … Continue reading Further Reading
“China Masters Political Propaganda for the Instagram Age“ – The New York Times. The regime in Beijing has learned more effective techniques to inculcate patriotism and belief in the Communist Party than their forebearers used, including prompting studios to make more appealing films about recent Chinese history, coopting popular cartoons, and developing apps. Of course, … Continue reading Further Reading
“Congress and Trump Agreed They Want a National Privacy Law. It Is Nowhere in Sight.“ – The New York Times. As we have periodically informed you, stakeholders in Congress are not close to reaching agreement on a privacy bill even with the effective date of the CCPA looming. Now it remains to be seen whether … Continue reading Further Reading
Michael Kans 