Meta, TikTok, other social media CEOs to testify before Senate committee on child exploitation
Sexual predators. Addictive features. Self-harm and eating disorders. Unrealistic beauty standards. Bullying. These are just some of the issues young people are dealing with on social media — and children’s advocates and lawmakers say companies are not doing enough to protect them.
Did your kids buy gear in Fortnite without asking you? The FTC says you could get a refund
The Federal Trade Commission announced late last year that Epic Games would pay $520 million in penalties and refunds to settle complaints revolving around children’s privacy and its payment methods that tricked players into making unintended purchases.
🔢If your password is in this list, you’re an easy hacking target
A sizable number of the most common passwords contained nouns and many included proper nouns like names of people (Nicole, Matthew) and intellectual properties (Pokémon, Star Wars), as well as regular nouns (princess, monkey, baseball).
Fight over Florida’s law targeting social media companies heading to Supreme Court
Attorneys for the state and online-industry groups plan to go to the U.S. Supreme Court in a battle about a 2021 Florida law that would crack down on social-media giants such as Facebook and Twitter, according to new court filings.
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen fears the metaverse. Here’s why
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen is warning that the virtual reality world at the heart of the social media giant’s growth strategy will be addictive and rob people of personal information while giving the company another monopoly online.
Ex-Facebook manager criticizes company, urges more oversight
While accusing the giant social network of pursuing profits over safety, a former Facebook data scientist told Congress she believes stricter government oversight could alleviate the dangers the company poses, from harming children to inciting political violence to fueling misinformation.
Google Maps to default to routes with lowest environmental impact
Google Maps won’t necessarily default to get you to your destination the fastest way possible anymore. The company says instead the navigation algorithm will soon automatically select the most fuel-efficient route. [TRENDING: COVID after the vaccine | Bugsy, the French bulldog, stolen at gunpoint | SpaceX Starship explodes again]It will consider things like inclines and congestion to help you reduce your environmental impact. AdBut don’t worry about things taking too long. Google says it will only steer drivers to the greenest option when the estimated time of arrival is similar to other routes.
Why are all my favorite websites asking me for cookies? And should I just say yes?
What happens with those cookies and how it gives you a better experienceYou’re probably wondering, why do we do this? As we said above, when you agree to share cookies, you’re allowing that website to remember you so that it can match your preferences more quickly and appropriately. Cookies and adsCookies also help websites remember your preferences for ads. AdDo you ever go to websites that don’t ask you if you’re OK with sharing cookies? However, websites you trust, such as ClickOrlando.com, are conservative about how your cookies are used.
How one Lakeland-native found her path in the music industry
I can’t sing, I’m not a great guitar player, I do have guitars, I’m not amazing in that way,” the VEVA Sound president said. “And the whole back end of of the music industry is something I didn’t know about, and something I went to school for. What’s that?’”Now Fairchild, who grew up near Lakeland, is the president of music technology company VEVA Sound. AdThe Nashville music executive said there are plenty of careers in the music industry that don’t involve having a musical ability you typically think of in your favorite artists, including songwriting and sound engineering. There is always room to carve a path in the music industry for any up and coming professionals.
Record budget, Big Tech regulation among big issues lawmakers will face during Florida’s legislative session
ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida lawmakers are getting ready to descend on Tallahassee to debate policy, pass new laws and put together a state budget. Perhaps the biggest hurdle lawmakers will face during the 60-day legislative session is the record $96.6 billion budget put forth by Gov. News 6 political expert Dr. Jim Clark joined anchor Justin Warmoth on “The Weekly on ClickOrlando.com” to break down what to expect over the next two months. State Rep. Anna Eskamani, (D) District 47, also appeared on the program to explain what her legislative priorities are this year and whether she’s considering a run for governor in 2022. Florida’s legislative session kicks off Tuesday, March 2.
Gov. DeSantis offers new details in plan to take on Big Tech
Ron DeSantis provided new details Monday on legislation filed in the Florida House of Representatives aimed at Big Tech companies, such as Google, Facebook and Twitter. The bill is called the Florida Information Protection Act, or House Bill 969. Ad“Big Tech platforms have created a surveillance economy, which enriches those platforms by free-riding on consumer data,” DeSantis said. At the time, he also decried tech companies for “neutering” political candidates’ access to voters, saying that tech companies were only “de-platforming” Republican politicians. “Well, they operate in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said.
Attorney-at-paw? Filter makes lawyer look like cat in court
ALPINE, Texas – A West Texas judge has a word of caution to those attending court hearings via Zoom: Always check for filters before logging on. I'm not a cat,” Presidio County Attorney Rod Ponton said. “I can see that,” replied Ferguson, whose district covers five counties in West Texas, including the town of Marfa from which Ponton was calling. The short video clip, which was shared online by Ferguson, ends with others coaching the attorney on how to remove the cat filter. Now I’m famous for appearing in court as a cat,” he told The Associated Press.
Florida politicians take aim at social media companies
Ron DeSantis and other politicians announce they want to take on social media companies like Facebook and Twitter. pic.twitter.com/KUfFQUZgNx — Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 3, 2021Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson said it is evident social media platforms are censoring conservatives. “No one should be excluded, but let’s be clear they are targeting conservatives.”DeSantis is proposing legislation that would, in part, fine social media companies $100k per day if they de-platform a political candidate during an election. Ad“The claim of anti-conservative animus on the part of social media companies is itself a form of disinformation: A falsehood with no reliable evidence to support it,” researchers wrote in the report. If Florida eventually passes legislation trying to regulate big tech companies, the state should be prepared for legal challenges, Kramer said.
Want to be happier overall? Yale has a class for that -- and it’s available online, for free
We’re asking about your happiness, by the way, because a class at Yale University called “The Science of Well-Being” is now being offered online -- for free! The class is based off a course called “Psychology and the Good Life,” which became the most popular class ever taught in Yale University’s 317-year history, earning national and international media attention, according to Business Insider. Psychology professor Laurie Santos introduced the in-person version of the class at Yale, and she also teaches the online course. We wanted to check out the sign-up process, and see if it really was as easy as Business Insider made it sound. A lot of the reading is complementary, Business Insider pointed out.
Parler squeezed as President Trump seeks new online megaphone
Though stripped of his Twitter account for inciting rebellion, President Donald Trump does have alternative options of much smaller reach. Amazon kicked Parler off its web-hosting service, and the social media app promptly sued to get back online, telling a federal judge that the tech giant had breached its contract and abused its market power. It was a roller coaster of activity for Parler, a 2-year-old magnet for the far right that welcomed a surge of new users. 1 free app on iPhones late last week after Facebook, Twitter and other mainstream social media platforms silenced President Donald Trump’s accounts over comments that seemed to incite Wednesday’s violent insurrection. Organizers of pro-Trump forces are already regrouping in other forums, such as the conservative-friendly social media site Gab, as new actions are planned ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.
Do UV lights kill COVID-19 in air conditioning systems?
ORLANDO, Fla. – Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of thousands of dollars has been spent by Central Florida government agencies to install ultraviolet light systems inside their heating and air conditioning systems. Diagram shows how researchers say UV light kills the DNA inside the coronavirus. Berland said his researchers have shown when UV light is exposed to the coronavirus on surfaces, it can kill its DNA, preventing it from reproducing. News 6 found at least three public agencies approving funds for UV light installation in their HVAC systems. “Marion County was ahead of the curve in implementing UV-C air purification technology at every air handling system in the county,” said county spokesman Alex AuBuchon.
Skim Reaper: Ormond Beach police using UF device to combat identity theft
ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – The Ormond Beach Police Department is combating identity theft one swipe at a time. The red light on the device alerts that the card was read twice, indicating there is a skimmer. The “Skim Reaper” did not detect any skimmers this time, but police said fraudulent activity is one of their most prevalent crimes, with 217 cases reported so far this year. So, with that, we can do what we can with the physical capture which is the use of the Skim Reaper which we purchased recently,” said Sgt. News 6 introduced the “Skim Reaper” when it was just a prototype in 2018.
Do smartphone apps really find you the best deal while holiday shopping?
News 6 tested two of the most downloaded apps that promise to help consumers find the best deals, ShopSavvy and BuyVia Scanner. Using the ShopSavvy app on a smartphone, we scanned the product’s bar code, or UPC symbol, and the app scanned prices at other stores online. ShopSavvy's price scanning app showed the price of a Baby Yoda toy at several retailers. “These apps can be really useful,” said Chris Minnick, who teaches app development at the University of Central Florida. News 6 scanned an InstaPot at one local retailer, and the ShopSavvy app showed it was $119.99 at Target.