Renegade Facebook Employees Are Trying to Stamp Out Fake News: Here’s What We’re Reading
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Here’s what we’re reading today:
1. Secret group in Facebook is trying to force Zuckerberg’s hand
“Facebook employees have formed an unofficial task force to question the role their company played in promoting fake news in the lead-up to Donald Trump’s victory in the US election last week, amid a larger, national debate over the rise of fake and misleading news articles in a platform used by more than 150 million Americans.
“The task force, which sources tell BuzzFeed News includes employees from across the company, has already rebutted a statement made by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at a conference last week that the argument that fake news on Facebook affected the election was ‘a pretty crazy idea.'” – BuzzFeed News
2. First-time home buyers can’t get no respect
“First-time buyers in Toronto’s hot property market must be wondering when they will catch a break.
“A second major bank announced Tuesday it was raising its mortgage rates — a day after the province introduced a tax refund designed to help first timers step on to the property ladder.” – Toronto Star
3. Backdoor in U.S. phones sent data to China
“For about $50, you can get a smartphone with a high-definition display, fast data service and, according to security contractors, a secret feature: a backdoor that sends all your text messages to China every 72 hours.” – New York Times
+1: The RCMP is using the media “to create a moral panic” over encryption – Motherboard
4. D.C. doesn’t want to sign up for Trump’s cabinet
Trump’s transition team has hit a major set back as Mike Rogers, a widely respected voice on national security, announced he was leaving his position as a senior security advisor. This comes just days after Mike Pence replaced Chris Christie as head of the transition efforts. Ben Carson also turned down a position as secretary of Health and Human Services. – Washington Post
+1: National security experts are weary of joining up with Donald Trump. – BuzzFeed News
5. The world is running out of coconut
“In this day and age, coconuts seem to be, somehow, everything at once. You can buy oil from coconuts—not to be confused with butter from coconuts—and flour and sugar and milk and aminos and vinegar from coconuts. The coconut market is booming.
“But the long-term outlook for coconuts? Not as good.” – The Atlantic
