Did you catch the Big Tech headlines in the last week?
A whistleblower came forward and explained how Facebook knows its platform is harmful society, but it hides this knowledge from the public.
Of course, that might get in the way of making a buck!
Then we found out Google is secretly providing your search history to the government.
Whoops!
So we are going to cover these important topics today. As with anything else, I do not like presenting problems without offering some solutions. So we will present those in the end.
Let’s get started.
The Facebook Whistleblower
In case you missed it, on Sunday, 60 Minutes aired an interview with a former Facebook data scientist named Frances Haugen. She blew the whistle on the social media giant.
She explained, Facebook makes more money when you engage with more content on their site. In order to keep you on the platform, Facebook’s algorithms ensure you are only presented with content that is engaging to you, (online filter bubbles).
Unfortunately, most of that content is negative, as people are more drawn to negative and anger-inducing content than positive.
Sad, but true.
So Facebook places users in a vicious negative cycle. This is done by analyzing content you previously, “liked, shared, etc”.
Most of us already know that.
However, this quote from 60 Minutes reveals something new.
Facebooks own research shows that it amplifies hate, misinformation, and political unrest but the company hides what it knows. One complaint alleges, that Facebooks’ Instagram harms teenage girls.
Apparently, Haugen copied tens of thousands of internal papers and has submitted this to the Federal Government. I would encourage everyone to watch the 60 Minutes report.
Facebook Responds
Facebook’s director of policy communications responded to the 60 Minutes report saying,
“Every day our teams have to balance protecting the right of billions of people to express themselves openly with the need to keep our platform a safe and positive place. We continue to make significant improvements to tackle the spread of misinformation and harmful content. To suggest we encourage bad content and do nothing is just not true.“
Someone’s lying folks!
I know for a fact, Facebook deems inconvenient content as “misinformation”. Anything that does not conform to the upper tiers of management is blocked.
Haugen brings some of this to light in the above interview concerning the elections.
This wasn’t the end of it…
Haugen Testified Before The Senate
On Tuesday, Frances Haugen appeared before The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
She shared all of her findings with the government and explained,
“The documents I have provided to Congress prove that Facebook has repeatedly misled the public about what its own research reveals about the safety of children, the efficacy of its artificial intelligence systems and its role in spreading divisive and extreme messages. I came forward because I believe that every human being deserves the dignity of the truth.”
If you want some more tidbits from the hearing, check out the clip below.
It will be interesting to see what comes of Haugen’s actions.
Is government going to be the answer?
I don’t think so.
This is only one problem of Big Tech.
Next, we are going to take a look at search giant Google.
Government Secretly Orders Google To Identify Users Who Entered Certain Keywords
Just days ago, Forbes released an article explaining,
The U.S. government is secretly ordering Google to provide data on anyone typing in certain search terms, an accidentally unsealed court document shows. There are fears such “keyword warrants” threaten to implicate innocent Web users in serious crimes and are more common than previously thought.
As it turns out, Google deals with thousands of such warrants every year.
Your information could be caught and presented to law enforcement over something that you were never involved in!
This is highly disturbing.
Forbes adds,
It’s not dissimilar to so-called geofence warrants, where investigators ask Google to provide information on anyone within the location of a crime scene at a given time.
That’s right, you just being in the general vicinity of a crime can add your name to a suspected perp list.
How does it happen?
You are “geofenced” when you allow your location to be shared with Google maps or other apps. Additionally, when you use Google search, everything about that interaction is logged.
- Your IP
- Your location
- Your search
- The time
- The websites you visit
Those are only a few examples of the data that is collected about you.
If you are logged in, even more information is logged.
Creepy staulker stuff!
Now I want you to think about something.
Facebook And Google Are Rich And Powerful
Facebook knows their platform is dangerous to you, but they don’t care. Google is collecting your data and turning it over to the government.
For the average Joe, this is bothersome.
Yet, to Facebook and Google, it’s not bothersome at all.
Why?
- Facebook is a trillion-dollar company.
- Google is a trillion-dollar company.
So why on earth would they care about a little fish like you?
They are profiting off of you.
I can hear you now…
Ha! I have them fooled, I have a free Facebook and a free Google account.
It’s not free people.
Facebook and Google have become rich and powerful off our backs.
We provided them with a massive user base that collects and harvests our data. This data is then sold off to other companies.
This data is used to target us with ads that follow us around the web. Our searches and content are then manipulated in order to keep us on their platforms to purchase the products and services promoted to us.
So you can count on Facebook and Google to continue doing, what they are doing. They will continue to seek more profit for themselves and their shareholders. What is good for you and your family, is not good for their pocketbook.
We are talking about utter greed that has led to absolute corruption.
Study and news with a fresh Christian perspective in your inbox.
So how exactly are they doing it?
Google Tracks 78% Of The Web
According to whotracks.me, Google tracks 78% of the entire web! That means they see everything going on. What you are clicking on, what you are not clicking on, and who is doing it.
Ohh and over 90% of all internet searches are conducted on Google!
This is like playing God.
With this power, they are able to understand what you will, and will not purchase. What content you like, and which content is rising and falling.
Then, they can intervene to change that.
All Christian and conservative websites know this is true. They have either been blocked or had their content demoted by Google, and platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Some of you are thinking, I don’t use Google search, so they are not tracking me.
Wrong!
Google tracks data in several ways, here are the most common.
- Google Static
- Google Tag Manager
- Google Analytics
- Google Fonts
- DoubleClick Google
Most of these are different types of services and trackers found around the web.
The websites YOU visit have these trackers embedded within their pages to keep tabs on their traffic, and to sell you products and services.
Google collects all of this information which they are then able to profit from. By the way, Facebook tracks 18% of the web, while Amazon tracks 17%.
What You Can Do About It
If you have issues with Big Tech collecting your data, without your knowledge, and profiting from it, then these are some things you can do to mitigate this problem.
Search Engines
Since Google collects, saves, and shares your search history.
Stop using Google.
Instead, switch to search engines like DuckDuckGo that do not collect logs! Since they do not collect logs, they are not tracking anything about your search. Your search is private.
So that’s an easy fix right there.
However, how can you stop the Google, Facebook, and Amazon trackers that are embedded into the webpages you visit everyday?
There are several ways to mitigate this.
Adblockers
Consider using blockers for ads and trackers.
Personally, I never click on ads. They are extremely annoying and keep me from focusing on what I am reading or researching. Hence, why we have never placed a single ad on this site.
Now let me share something with you.
I recently tested two services to block ads and trackers.
I actually tried both of these services this week to see how much of my web traffic consisted of ads and trackers.
Guess how much?
20-30%!
I kid you not.
That means, 20-30% of the content on web pages I visited consisted of ads and trackers. By the way, I used the free plans with these services.
However, I went ahead and purchased Adguard for my iPhone.
Check this out.
In 24 hours, it blocked 3,600 ads and trackers!
On my Mac, the service blocked 3,400 ads and trackers in the last 24 hours.
The web is faster, and I don’t have Big Tech tracking me around the web.
Big win!
I spent the better part of two days trying to figure out which services I should try and use. So I am passing along this information to give you a head start!
If you are not into apps or changing the DNS on your router. Consider browsers such as Brave and DuckDuckGo that have built-in ad and tracker blocking. They have this for desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
There are many other solutions out there.
If you go with any one of these solutions, you will mitigate much of the tracking that is currently taking place. You will regain some of your online privacy, and stop contributing to the fat cats who do not care about you and your family.
Consider…
Before we move on though, the websites you visit are placing ads so they can make a living. By cutting off ads and trackers, you are removing their ability to make a buck. Consider buying their product, service, or donating to their cause if it’s really something you believe in.
Telegram
So now you have some information to help you stop being tracked around the web!
Hurray!!!
Now how about social media?
I don’t think people are ever going to get away from it at this point.
So why not try another platform instead of the ones causing us all heartburn?
I would encourage Facebook and Twitter users to jump on Telegram. It’s fairly similar to Twitter, while also replacing your instant messenger client on your phone. We even set up a Telegram channel.
Telegram is encrypted, which means your messages are between you and the party you send information to.
Amazing concept huh?
Telegram has no ads, only the ones content creators produce. Telegram is actually funded with cash from the founder and CEO. The guy sounds genuinely concerned about the state of our world and technology. This is what he had to say.
Conclusion
So there we have it.
Big Tech is harming you, it’s out in the open, and you now have some rock-solid solutions to consider. Once we are presented with these truths, only we as individuals can act to make changes to protect ourselves and our families.