12.1.2015
Good to Know: Today is World Aids Day. If you’re on Snapchat today, your Snaps could go a long way. Bono’s RED organization, which fights AIDS, is partnering with Snapchat on special filters. Apply one of their three filters to your Snaps, and Bill and Melinda Gates will pump US $3 into RED for each Snap sent. #GivingTuesday
THE SKINNY
Shut It Down …
This past Sunday, the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) bowed out of collecting American’s phone records.
Wait, What?
The NSA collecting phone records on millions of Americans was a thing until the USA Freedom Act came along. The act is the U.S. Congress’s solution to make things better after ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked info about the intelligence agency’s government surveillance practices. Part of the law requires that the NSA put an end to phone data collection in the name of protecting American’s privacy.
What’s the Catch?
Just because the NSA is ending this practice, doesn’t mean that it’s also getting rid of some of the data already collected. See, the nonprofit organization Electronic Frontier Foundation is currently suing the NSA over whether its phone program was even legal in the first place. The NSA says a case can’t be made unless it holds onto some previously collected data. So for now, the NSA won’t be hitting “delete” on that info. Those fighting for Americans’ privacy are concerned that the government will figure out ways around the law to continue collecting info about people’s domestic calls.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
You Always Have Options …
Getting financial institutions to lend money to people in emerging markets doesn’t quite work the same way as it would in “developed” worlds. Silicon Valley startups are on the case. These startups are looking at alternative data points collected via smartphones to help establish people’s creditworthiness in these markets. Makes sense since mobile banking and smartphone adoption in areas like South Africa (34%), Kenya (15%), and Nigeria (27%) are on the up and up. Companies are looking at things like what time of day people are making phone calls, their texting behavior, their Facebook network, etc. All of this sounds off privacy alarm bells for consumer advocates. But, looks like people aren’t worried about that. Philanthropic investment firm Omidyar Network discovered that people in emerging markets will happily share that type of info in exchange for funds and lower interest rates. #Tradeoffs
It’s A Party, It’s A Party, It’s A Par-tay …
Turns out that Argentina produces some pretty creative hackers, and tech companies are interested. Rumor has it that business execs, government reps, contractors, etc. jetted off to the South American country this past October to scout out the talent during the 11th annual EkoParty, Latin America’s biggest hacking conference. Argentina’s hackers are turning their hobbies into profitable businesses by selling their exploitative tools as “spy tools” to governments like Iran. Sometimes, it pays to be bad.
THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’
It’s holiday season, which means online retailer Amazon is grabbing headlines. The e-commerce company has a new hybrid drone prototype expected to make deliveries in about 30 minutes. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration seems supportive and is trying to be more flexible with commercial applications of the technology.
Facebook’s shopping feed is off to a rough start with limited product selection and browsing options. In a nutshell, there’s quite a bit of room for improvement.
Mobile technology company NextBit is on a Euro tour with its new Robin Android smartphone. It’s all about the “cloud.”
Some Brazilians aren’t cool with people’s hateful online posts so they’ve come up with a deterrent. An Afro-Brazilian civil rights organization Criola is putting some of their fellow Brazilians’ offensive comments on blast via billboard displays in their neighborhoods. Yikes!