^TagBig Tech

Cigarette with ashes isolated on black background

^{Type
post

Author
Peter Biles
Date
January 19, 2023

Categorized
Social Media

Tagged
addiction, Big Tech, Big Tobacco, Deseret News, iGen, Instagram, Jean Twenge, Jonathan Haidt, Smartphones, social media, TikTok}

New Article Compares Big Tech to “Big Tobacco” of the ’70s

_{Like smoking in the 1970s — known to be dangerous yet poorly regulated — Big Tech is harming kids today yet is met with little intervention or pushback} _{Peter Biles

January 19, 2023

4

Social Media}

In a new article from Deseret News, Brad Wilcox and Riley Peterson equate Big Tech to “Big Tobacco.” They argue that the online world has the same dangers and negative effects as other drugs, and go on to cite alarming mental health data to back up their claims. Similar to how smoking was found to be dangerous in the 1970s and yet poorly regulated by the government, Big Tech is harming kids today yet is met with little intervention or pushback. They start with a powerful analogical anecdote, writing, Imagine if a man in a white panel van pulled up in your neighborhood and began enticing teens to look at pictures and videos featuring drug use, pornography and a range Read More ›

Cancel Culture society concept or cultural cancellation and social media censorship as canceling or restricting opinions that are offensive or controversial to the public

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
January 13, 2023

Categorized
Censorship, Social Media

Tagged
Alex Berenson, Big Tech, Child sex abuse, COVID 19 censorship, Facebook, Robert Flaherty, Tucker Carlson, Twitter, Twitter and Russian influence claims, Twitter files 13, Twitter files 14, White House}

Twitter files 13 and 14… plus the critical bigger picture

_{Growing distrust of mainstream media should be supplemented by scrutiny among users of Big Tech social media. They're not an answer to the problem.} _{News

January 13, 2023

6

Censorship, Social Media}

First, as Elon Musk continues to dump the files out the window at Twitter — to the dismay of the media elite that generally knew and approved of censorship of views other than their own, especially where COVID-19 or U.S. federal politics was concerned: Twitter files 13: Handled by independent journalist Alex Berenson — once banned from Twitter for criticizing the government response to the pandemic: “Pfizer board member Scott Gottlieb secretly pressed Twitter to hide posts challenging his company’s massively profitable Covid jabs /To funnel his demands, Gottlieb used the same Twitter lobbyist the White House did – fresh evidence of overlap between the company selling mRNA shots and the government forcing them on the public.” 4/ In October Read More ›

^{Type
podcast

Author
Andrew McDiarmid and Doug Smith
Date
November 24, 2022

Tagged
[Un]Intentional (book), Andrew McDiarmid, Android, Android phone, Androids, Big Tech, Big Tech influence, Doug Smith, Edward Bernay, Google, I-phones, iPhone, iPhones, screens, The Truman Show, Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey)}

Getting Intentional About Your Screens

_{Andrew McDiarmid and Doug Smith

November 24, 2022

1}

Our obsession today with screens is, often unintentionally, taking us to places we regret. We use these windows into the world for hours every day, often unaware how intentional content creators and app designers are in shaping our decisions and forming harmful habits. Read More ›

Unemployed hold cardboard box and laptop bag, dossier and drawing tube in box. Quiting a job, businessman fired or leave a job concpet.

^{Type
post

Author
Peter Biles
Date
November 23, 2022

Categorized
Social Media

Tagged
Big Tech, Elon Musk, Employees, Facebook, Finance, Futurism, Mark Zuckerberg, metaverse, Twitter}

Twitter Gets Blasted While Meta Struggles

_{While Musk’s every move is being scrutinized, Zuckerberg’s struggles fall to the wayside} _{Peter Biles

November 23, 2022

4

Social Media}

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and founder of PayPal, radically reorganized Twitter in October and November, and now, is the subject of much criticism from the media. He has laid off hundreds of employees and fired the advisory board. In addition, he reinstated the formerly suspended accounts of Jordan Peterson, parody news site The Babylon Bee, and most outrageously, former president Donald Trump. A few days ago, somehow it was assumed across the Twitter sphere that the entire platform was about to implode. I started seeing people post things like, “If this is my last tweet, I’m okay with that…” Not sure what was happening, I experienced a sudden flood of similar tweets prophesying the Twitter era’s impending Read More ›

Automotive Engineer Use Virtual Reality Headset for Virtual Electric Car 3D Model Design Analysis and Improvement. 3D Graphics Visualization Shows Fully Developed Vehicle Prototype Analysed Optimized

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
August 4, 2022

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Censorship, Data Privacy, Surveillance, Technocracy, Virtual Reality

Tagged
Adam Goad, Austin Egbert, Big Tech, Big Tech influence, Bitcoin (currency), Blockchain, censorship, Centralization, cloud, cryptocurrencies, decentralization, Edge computing, Ethereum, Facebook, Featured, Jack Dorsey on Web3, metaverse, Metaverse (living in metaverse), Robert J. Marks, Twitter, Virtual Reality, Web3}

Why Don’t Some Tech Moguls Like Web3, the New Internet?

_{Web3 is a decentralized, less controlled version of the internet, as George Gilder predicted in Life After Google} _{News

August 4, 2022

10

Artificial Intelligence, Censorship, Data Privacy, Surveillance, Technocracy, Virtual Reality}

In this week’s podcast, “Web3: The next generation of the internet” (August 4, 2022), Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks interviews graduate student Adam Goad and Dr. Austin Egbert, both in computer engineering at Baylor University, on the coming decentralization of the internet. With developments like the ones they discuss looming, Big Tech may be seeing a waistline trim. This is the Part I of the first of the three discussions. https://mindmatters.ai/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/Mind-Matters-198-Adam-Goad-Austin-Egbert.mp3 A partial transcript and Additional Resources follow. Dr. Marks began by discussing all the services he gets from Google, confessing that he has not needed to go to a library in over two decades. But… Robert J. Marks: Now, is Google just being nice in giving me Read More ›

birds eye view photography of cloudy sky

^{Type
podcast

Author
Robert J. Marks
Date
August 4, 2022

Tagged
Adam Goad, Austin Egbert, Big Tech, Big Tech influence, Bitcoin (currency), Blockchain, censorship, Centralization, cloud, cryptocurrencies, decentralization, Edge computing, Ethereum, Facebook, metaverse, Twitter, Web3}

Web3: The Next Generation of the Internet

_{Robert J. Marks

August 4, 2022

1}

Futurist George Gilder forecasts that decentralization of the web is going to be the future of the internet. Data will become more personalized and stored on your local computer instead of in the cloud and companies like Google will have to figure out some way to adjust. Adam Goad and Dr. Austin Egbert discuss blockchain, Web3, decentralization, and the metaverse Read More ›

Smart industry control concept.Hands holding tablet on blurred automation machine as background

^{Type
podcast

Author
Robert J. Marks and Andrew McDiarmid
Date
July 21, 2022

Tagged
Andrew McDiarmid, authentic technology, Big Tech, Big Tech influence, critical thinking, Jacques Ellul}

Who Controls the Tech?

_{Robert J. Marks and Andrew McDiarmid

July 21, 2022

1}

Technology companies spend a lot of money trying to determine the best way to hook customers on their products. They have tremendous influence, but you have the final say. Andrew McDiarmid discusses technology, influence, and how to reset your technology use with Robert J. Marks. Additional Resources Andrew McDiarmid’s website Andrew McDiarmid at Discovery.org How to Glorify God with Your Read More ›

Abstract 3D wireframe neural cells and network

^{Type
podcast

Author
Robert J. Marks
Date
April 28, 2022

Tagged
Alan Turing, Albert Einstein, Artificial Intelligence, artificial neural networks, Backpropagation, Big Tech, convolutional neural networks, D-Wave, David Deutsch, Deep Learning, dynamic feedback, error backpropagation, error backpropagation algorithm, Geoffrey Hinton, hardcore Einstein realism, Hugh Everett, Joe Bordogna, John Wheeler, machine intelligence, Marvin Minsky, mind-body problem, Multiverse, National Science Foundation (NSF), Norbert Wiener, Paul Werbos, quantum annealing, quantum Turing machine, Schrödinger, Vannevar Bush}

The National Science Foundation and Advancement in Artificial Intelligence

_{Robert J. Marks

April 28, 2022

3}

Early in his career, IEEE fellow and retired National Science Foundation program director Paul Werbos developed the neural network training algorithm known as error backpropagation, which has been foundational to the vast majority of today’s advances in artificial intelligence. Listen in as he discusses his work in this area and other topics, including his tenure with the National Science Foundation, Read More ›

Puppet hands from leadership controlling our lives. Concept

^{Type
podcast

Author
Andrew McDiarmid
Date
April 21, 2022

Tagged
[Un]Intentional (book), Andrew McDiarmid, Android, Android phone, Androids, Big Tech, Big Tech influence, Doug Smith, Google, iPhone, iPhones, screens}

How to Sever Big Tech’s Strings

_{Andrew McDiarmid

April 21, 2022

1}

Doug Smith, author of [Un]Intentional: How Screens Secretly Shape Your Desires and How You Can Break Free, explains to Andrew McDiarmid how we can escape the subtle influence of Big Tech. He also emphasizes the importance of removing ourselves from our screens so we can enjoy the outside world and recapture our creativity. Show Notes 00:38 | Introducing Doug Smith Read More ›

^{Type
podcast

Author
Andrew McDiarmid
Date
April 14, 2022

Tagged
[Un]Intentional (book), Andrew McDiarmid, Big Tech, Big Tech influence, Doug Smith, Edward Bernay, I-phones, screens, The Truman Show, Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey)}

The Secret Scheme of Screens

_{Andrew McDiarmid

April 14, 2022

1}

^{Type
post

Author
Caitlin Cory
Date
March 4, 2022

Categorized
Social Media

Tagged
Big Tech, Facebook, Facebook Files, Joe Biden, mental health, social media, social media harms (children), State of the Union, Twitter}

In State of the Union, Biden Vows to Curb Social Media Harms

_{Biden addressed the mental health harms of social media use on children and teens} _{Caitlin Cory

March 4, 2022

5

Social Media}

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden referred to the harms of social media in his State of the Union address, announcing policy proposals to curb those harms. In response, however, some have been critical of the president’s remarks, accusing him of ignoring social media’s deeper dangers. Over an hour into his speech, President Biden turned to mental health and the emotional toll the pandemic has had, especially on children. Then he turned to the emotional health toll exacted by social media, long before the first COVID-19 lockdowns. “Children were also struggling before the pandemic – bullying, violence, trauma, and the harms of social media,” he said. “It’s time to strengthen privacy protections, ban targeted advertising to children, demand tech companies stop Read More ›

Hand adding a new team member to a group. Business management concept

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
October 4, 2021

Categorized
Censorship, Social Media

Tagged
Big Tech, Briscoe Cain, Fantasia (Disney film), Greg Abbott, HB20 (Texas anti-censorship bill), Karl D. Stephan, Ryan Moore, Section 230, Texas (social media censorship issue)}

Can Texas Win Its Fight With Big Social Media Censorship?

_{Engineering prof Karl D. Stephan notes that, currently, if a user is de-platformed from a large site such as Facebook, there are, famously, not a lot of alternatives} _{News

October 4, 2021

6

Censorship, Social Media}

(This article by Karl D. Stephan originally appeared at Engineering Ethics Blog September 27, 2021, and is reprinted with permission.) On September 9, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed HB 20, a law designed to keep social media companies with more than 50 million subscribers from blocking users whose viewpoints the company disapproves of. Scheduled to take effect in December, the law has already attracted controversy and threats of lawsuits to keep it from going into effect. Currently, if a user is de-platformed from a large site such as Facebook, there are not a lot of alternatives. The overarching law in the US pertaining to such situations is Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act, which prevails if there is a conflict between Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Caitlin Cory
Date
September 15, 2021

Categorized
Censorship, Law, Social Media

Tagged
Big Tech, Clarence Thomas, First Amendment, Florida, Free speech, Greg Abbott, House Bill 20, NetChoice, Ron DeSantis, Senate Bill 7072, Texas}

Texas Governor Signs Law Curbing Big Tech Censorship

_{A similar law in Florida was halted by a federal judge. Will Texas's law face the same legal battle?} _{Caitlin Cory

September 15, 2021

4

Censorship, Law, Social Media}

Last Thursday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 20 into law, legislation that would prohibit social media companies from banning users for their political beliefs and provide users with a legal remedy for unfair discriminatory behavior. The law is very similar to legislation passed earlier this year in Florida. Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 7072 into law at the end of May. Within days, technology trade groups had filed a lawsuit, and on June 30, a federal judge stopped the bill in its tracks with a preliminary injunction. For the bill’s proponents, the law’s intention is to protect the free speech rights of state citizens when using social media. “Freedom of speech is under attack in Texas,” said Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
August 25, 2021

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Economics

Tagged
Big Tech, COSM 2021, Featured, Peter Thiel}

Peter Thiel Speaking in Person at COSM, Seattle, November 10

_{As a world class venture capitalist, he is known for bluntness about what works and what doesn’t} _{News

August 25, 2021

3

Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Economics}

COSM 2021 is the place to be, November 10–12, to get the inside track on the converging technologies remaking the world as we know it. This year, iconic Valley venture capitalist Peter Thiel will be speaking in person, addressing the question “Is Technology Soaring or Slumping?” At the first COSM in October 2019, Peter Thiel spoke by interactive video. Not one to mince words, he told the attendees bluntly that Silicon Valley is losing its touch and compared universities today to the Catholic Church at its worst. He has a remarkable history in both areas. He has been a prime mover in PayPal, Facebook, Palantir, Airbnb, Lyft, and Elon Musk’s SpaceX. And he had intended to found a university. But, Read More ›

China from space on realistic model of planet Earth with network. Concept of digital technology, connectivity and travel.

^{Type
post

Author
Heather Zeiger
Date
August 16, 2021

Categorized
Business and Finance, Global Technology

Tagged
antitrust, Big Tech, Big Tech (China), China, Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Didi Global Inc.}

What’s Behind China’s Crackdown on Big Tech?

_{Both China and the U.S. are treating big tech with a heavy hand, but under different motivations} _{Heather Zeiger

August 16, 2021

9

Business and Finance, Global Technology}

In a previous article I looked at Chinese regulators’ crackdown on Didi Global, China’s ride-hailing service. Didi is one of several Chinese tech giants that have been tamed in the past nine months. Prior to Didi, Ant Group, Tencent, Meituan, and Pinduoduo were all quelled by regulators. After Didi, regulators targeted Full Truck Alliance and Kanzhun. They recently shut down online for-profit tutoring and have banned mining cryptocurrencies in China. Thus far, the Chinese government’s actions have resulted in almost $1 trillion net losses for the Chinese tech sector. The two big questions are, Why now? and, relatedly, Who’s next? SupChina has a well-organized explainer on China’s Big Tech Crackdown here. Another helpful resource is this video from DW, “How China is tightening control of its tech companies”: According to SupChina, China’s Read More ›

Justice and law concept. Gavel on sounding block in hand's Male judge at a courtroom, working with document law books, report the case on table in modern office.

^{Type
post

Author
Caitlin Cory
Date
August 8, 2021

Categorized
Censorship, Law, Social Media

Tagged
Big Tech, Big Tech censorship, censorship, Chris Cox, Clare Morell, Communications Decency Act, First Amendment, Free speech, Josh Hawley, Philip Hamburger, Ron DeSantis, Ron Wyden, Section 230, The Tyranny of Big Tech (book)}

Section 230: What Is It and Why the Controversy?

_{Does Section 230 provide Big Tech too much power, or is it necessary for the moderation of misinformation and inappropriate content?} _{Caitlin Cory

August 8, 2021

10

Censorship, Law, Social Media}

At the center of the controversy between free speech and the rights of private companies lies Section 230, the controversial U.S. code dating back to 1996. Toward the end of his term in 2020, former President Donald Trump famously tweeted that Section 230 should be “completely terminated.” Sen. Josh Hawley, Sen. Lindsey Graham, and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voiced their support, but by and large, the sentiment was met with fierce resistance. Advocates for the reform (or complete repeal) of Section 230 argue that it shields Big Tech companies from accountability when they engage in politically-motivated censorship and content moderation. Supporters of Section 230 argue that it is essential to keep the internet free of misinformation and vile or obscene material. Section 230 Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Caitlin Cory
Date
July 29, 2021

Categorized
Censorship, Law, Social Media

Tagged
ACLU, Amazon, Big Tech, Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), Facebook, First Amendment, Florida, Florida and Big Tech, Google, Jen Psaki, NetChoice, Ron DeSantis, Twitter}

Federal Judge Strikes Down Florida Big Tech Law

_{The judge ruled that the law violates the First Amendment rights of social media companies} _{Caitlin Cory

July 29, 2021

4

Censorship, Law, Social Media}

A federal judge struck down the recent Florida legislation aimed at reigning in the censorship powers of Big Tech, hours before it was set to go into effect. Within days of Governor DeSantis signing the bill into law in May, NetChoice and the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) filed a lawsuit, representing the biggest names in social media (such as Facebook, Google, Twitter, and Amazon). They argued that the new law is a violation of their First Amendment rights as private companies. On June 30, Judge Robert L. Hinkle of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida ruled in favor of NetChoice and CCIA, issuing a preliminary injunction on the law after determining that it violates the First Amendment Read More ›

^{Type
podcast

Author
Robert J. Marks
Date
June 17, 2021

Tagged
backpropogation, Big Tech, Joe Bordogna, National Science Foundation (NSF), Vannevar Bush}

Paul Werbos: Can the NSF Return to Its Former Glory?

_{Robert J. Marks

June 17, 2021

1}

Dr. Robert J. Marks and Dr. Paul Werbos pick up where they left off: the National Science Foundation (NSF) and its research in machine intelligence. Dr. Werbos praises the NSF as “the greatest temple of truth in human history” – that is, until recently. What happened? Who is responsible for its recent failings? And is there hope for return to Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Caitlin Cory
Date
June 8, 2021

Categorized
Censorship, Law, Social Media

Tagged
Big Tech, Big Tech censorship, Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), Facebook, First Amendment, Florida, Florida and Big Tech, Fourteenth Amendment, Free speech, Google, John Snyder, NetChoice, Ron DeSantis, Section 230, Senate Bill 7072, Twitter}

Big Tech Sues Florida Over New Censorship Law

_{Facebook, Twitter, and Google are fighting back against a Florida law that seeks to reign them in} _{Caitlin Cory

June 8, 2021

4

Censorship, Law, Social Media}

Technology trade companies representing Facebook, Twitter, and Google are suing Florida over its new law regulating the editorial and censorship powers of large social media platforms. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 7072 into law on May 24, the first of its kind in the nation to curb the powers of online companies to remove and censor content and users. NetChoice and the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) – technology trade groups that have been vocal about their opposition to the law – filed the lawsuit against Florida the following Thursday in Tallahassee federal court. DeSantis and other supporters of the new law argue that its purpose is to safeguard the First Amendment rights of ordinary Florida citizens Read More ›