Public Trust In Tech Companies Reaches New Lows...

Fortune and Harris' new survey of consumer trust in the major tech companies showed that no company surveyed (Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft) can claim that more than half of consumers entrust them with personal data. 

The online survey of more than 2,000 consumers in mid-October found that Amazon topped the list, with 49% of respondents saying they trusted the company with personal data (e.g., browsing history, location data, contacts, and photos). 

How The Big Ones Faired...

Google was approved by 41% of respondents, Microsoft was trusted by 40%, and Apple was approved by 39%. Facebook came in last place, with only 22% of Americans surveyed agreeing they trust them with their personal information, and Apple was fourth despite its efforts to position itself as the most privacy-friendly tech company. 

48% of those polled said that their perception of the company had become much more or somewhat negative over the past six months, while 17% said that their perception has been much more or somewhat positive. 

The public’s distrust of big technology comes at a time when Congress is considering a new, comprehensive federal privacy law. 

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Stewart Reese
Silicon Valley Newsroom

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Teachers And School Admin Begin A New Aggressive Online Safety Program, Learning How To Track Down Bullies, and Stop Cyber Attacks...

The Partner Schools Global Network (PSGN) are giving schools support by training teacher and administrative the importance online child protection awareness and cyber well-being. They provide services such as the Online Safety Program, which helps schools to prepare for and respond to cyber crime attacks and identify risk indicators. 

For the first time ever, a school has a secure portal to identify and respond to cyber attacks. Letting all online bullies and trolls to stay far away, we know who you are. 

Communicating online is a great way for children to build social connections, share thoughts and ideas, while learning about their interests. With this pandemic, children's social life have been set to a halt , while online harassment, bullying and cyber harassment are increasing at an alarming pace. Their goal is to create a safe place for kids, which allows parents to keep track of their kids' online activities.

Without over bearing control over the content of online media, kids would be exposed to even more damaging cyber threats.

Parents have found it challenging to suprvise their children online while keeping the idea of privacy alive, since there are numerous ways to harass and stalk kids online. Tragic incidents in the world have made us more aware of how real this online, "make believe" world full of trolls, catfishes, even some scammers is, more alive than it ever has been in the world before.

Truth is, as time continue to go, it will only become more and more present, even apart of ever aspect of daily life task, with inventions like AR, VR, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Watching the amount of our children's friends dwelling away from sleep over to, text them at the dinner table, online chat rooms.

Technology surely isn't going anywhere. If anything, we will become totally dependent on these technologies, which are only becoming more and more powerful. With enlightened knowledge , we can truly feel connected. Be sure you take advantage of all the ways to protect your child online. Overall, we need to adapt technology to our lives in a manner that is both secure and sustainable.

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Author: Kirsten K. Knoll

Palo Alto Newsroom
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As 2020 Elections Approach, Both Political Parties Prepare To Blame Losses On Social Media...

Social media is facing more criticism by experts who warn that  it is used to spread misleading stories and is undermining democratic processes. But how accurate are these claims? 

It's all  about what  you choose to believe. What makes users uncomfortable is  the lack of factual details or even evidence that support the claims being made.

Democrats claim the sites do not properly censor 'fake news' that is often about their candidates, while Republicans say the tech companies themselves censor conservatives. 

Facebook however has been working on addressing some of their privacy concerns  by working with   media organisations to fact check more accurate stories on the site.  As an example, last month the social media giant made the decision to stop allowing fake news stories to be posted in its Trending section.

But critics say social media is being blamed by people who lose elections, using them as a poor excuse for bad a campaign or candidate.   In some cases, users have even resorted to calling for an investigation into election fraud using Facebook 's social media channels.

 The company is currently facing complaints from members of the public who say the company has become a breeding ground for false claims , especially after the last election in the UK.

We can expect to see  similar complaints from the public who believe that Facebook is not doing enough to prevent the spread of inaccurate or misleading information on their platform ahead of the  upcoming general election.

 As such , the company has promised to spend a lot of time and resources to address the issue .  This will include a massive campaign to ensure that all stories posted on Facebook are verified. 

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Author: Stephen Hannan
New York Newsroom

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