Are the TikTok deepfake videos of Tom Cruise doing magic and playing golf a threat to global democracy? Not exactly. “[T]he reality is that they took a lot of time, technical expertise, and the skilled performance of a real actor,” reports VICE News. “Rather than predicting a dark future of disinformation for the masses, they’re simply another example of what can…
Tag: Celebrities
Authorities Arrest SIM Swapping Gang that Targeted Celebrities
Eight men were arrested across England and Scotland this week as part of a coordinated crackdown against a SIM swapping gang that has hijacked the identities and social media profiles of US celebrities. From a report: The UK National Crime Agency, which made the arrests on Tuesday, said the gang targeted well-known sports stars, musicians, and influencers, primarily located in the…
Fake Pro-China Accounts Are Reaching Millions on Twitter
“A pro-China network of fake and impostor accounts found a global audience on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to mock the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” reports the Associated Press, “as well as the deadly riot in Washington that left five dead, new research published Thursday found.” Slashdot reader schwit1 shared their report:
Messages posted by the network, which also praised China,…
They Stormed the Capitol. Their Apps Tracked Them
In 2019 two New York Times opinion writers obtained cellphone app data “containing the precise locations of more than 12 million individual smartphones for several months in 2016 and 2017.” (It’s data that they say is “supposed to be anonymous, but it isn’t. We found celebrities, Pentagon officials and average Americans.”) Now they’ve obtained a remarkable new trove of data, “this…
Do Children Really Need To Learn To Code?
Long-time Slashdot reader theodp writes: In India, parents are being aggressively sold the idea that their children must start coding at 4 or 5 or be future failures, prompting Neelesh Misra [a writer, audio storyteller, and founder of a media and organic products company] to ask Do Children Really Need to Learn to Code? [Alternate URL here] In a New York…
Why on Earth Is Someone Stealing Unpublished Book Manuscripts?
A phishing scam with unclear motive or payoff is targeting authors, agents and editors big and small, baffling the publishing industry. From a report: Earlier this month, the book industry website Publishers Marketplace announced that Little, Brown would be publishing “Re-Entry,” a novel by James Hannaham about a transgender woman paroled from a men’s prison. The book would be edited by…
The U.S. Health Department Tried to Offer Early Vaccines to Shopping Mall Santas
America’s national health agency “halted a public-service coronavirus advertising campaign funded by $250 million in taxpayer money after it offered a special vaccine deal to an unusual set of essential workers: Santa Claus performers.” The Wall Street Journal reports: As part of the plan, a top Trump administration official wanted the Santa performers to promote the benefits of a Covid-19 vaccination…
Patreon Is Banning QAnon, Joining Facebook, YouTube and Others
Patreon is the latest tech company to take action on the QAnon conspiracy theory, announcing in a blog post Thursday morning that creators promoting the movement would be banned from the platform. Business Insider reports: Patreon, a membership platform that lets fans support creators and celebrities financially through subscriptions, previously hosted 14 QAnon influencers on the platform, according to a recent…
Twitter Says You Cannot Tweet That You Hope Trump Dies From COVID-19
Twitter told Motherboard that it will suspend people who openly hope Trump dies from the coronavirus, which he recently tested positive for and, as a result, was moved to Walter Reed hospital “out of an abundance of caution.” Twitter referred to an “abusive behavior” rule that’s been on the books since April. From the report: “Content that wishes, hopes or expresses…
26% of US Adults Get Their News From YouTube, Study Finds
In a study the Pew Research Center released today, 26% of U.S. adults said they now get their news from YouTube. That includes 23% via videos posted by news organizations and 23% from independent YouTube channels. Researchers surveyed 12,638 U.S. adults for the report. VentureBeat reports: “The study finds a news landscape on YouTube in which established news organizations and independent…