Washington Post: A Republican contractor’s database of nearly every voter was left exposed on the Internet for 12 days, researcher says. “A Republican analytics firm’s database of nearly every registered American voter was left vulnerable to theft on a public server for 12 days this month, according to a cybersecurity researcher who found and downloaded the trove of data. The lapse in security was striking for putting at risk the identities, voting histories and views of voters across the political spectrum, with data drawn from a wide range of sources including social media, public government records and proprietary polling by political groups.”
stupidness
Techdirt: Another Day, Another Bogus YouTube Takedown Because Of A Major Label
Techdirt: Another Day, Another Bogus YouTube Takedown Because Of A Major Label. “We’re constantly hearing about bogus takedowns thanks to bogus copyright claims, some more amusing than others. Last week we had Ariana Grande’s benefit concert in Manchester getting blocked by ContentID, despite being on her own channel. And now (via Sarah Jeong) we’ve got the band the Dandy Warhols rightfully complaining on Twitter that the video for the single ‘You Are Killing Me’ off of their 2016 album has been blocked on YouTube via a copyright claim from Universal Music Group.” Dandy Warhols aren’t on the Universal label. There should be financial consequences for this kind of stuff.
The Next Web: New Facebook tools allow politicians to keep better tabs on constituents
The Next Web: New Facebook tools allow politicians to keep better tabs on constituents. “Facebook is rolling out a new tool for politicians to feel more connected with those they were elected to represent. In the coming weeks, the company will start sharing article data based on what an elected official’s constituents are reading and sharing. Facebook believes this could lead to politicians who better understand the people they’re elected to represent.” I’m kind of appalled. Facebook has a lot to fix before they start rolling out stuff like this.
Washington Post: Shareholders of Google’s parent company squash plan to disclose its gender pay data
Washington Post: Shareholders of Google’s parent company squash plan to disclose its gender pay data. “For the second year in a row, shareholders of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, voted down a proposal asking the tech giant to publish a report on possible pay disparities between its male and female employees. The vote comes at a time when the company is grappling with a federal lawsuit tied to this very issue and as the tech industry faces heightened scrutiny over gender pay, a lack of diversity and dysfunctional work environments.”
Digital Trends: Remember The Facebook Poke? Well, It’s Back In The Form Of A ‘Hello’
Digital Trends: Remember The Facebook Poke? Well, It’s Back In The Form Of A ‘Hello’. “We hate the be the bearers of bad news, but it’s true, friends. The Facebook poke might be making a reappearance. It’s the renaissance we never asked for. While it will be rebranded, at its core, the new greeting is not much different than its predecessor. It’s now called a Hello, and it basically lets people know that you want to talk, but aren’t quite creative (or invested) enough to actually, you know, say something.”
The Telegraph: Swiss village bans tourists from taking pictures – prompting group to cancel photography trip
I can’t decide if this is brilliant PR or rock stupid. From The Telegraph: Swiss village bans tourists from taking pictures – prompting group to cancel photography trip. “A little known village in Switzerland has banned people from taking photos in an attempt, it says, to save jealous travellers around the world from a fear of missing out (or FOMO).”
TorrentFreak: Elsevier Wants $15 Million Piracy Damages From Sci-Hub and Libgen
Oh for crying out loud. From TorrentFreak: Elsevier Wants $15 Million Piracy Damages From Sci-Hub and Libgen. “‘Pirate’ sites Sci-Hub and LibGen face millions of dollars in damages in a lawsuit filed by Elsevier, one of the largest academic publishers. Elsevier has requested a default judgment of $15 million against the defendants for their ‘truly egregious conduct’ and ‘staggering’ infringement.”
