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Tech Censors? Apple Bans App Noting Every US Drone Strike; Facebook Blocks Ad For "Negativity"
Submitted by Mike Krieger via Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,
One thing I’ve learned from my three and a half years of writing publicly on the internet, is you never know which posts are going to go viral. Nothing proves this point more than last week’s post, The UN Releases Plan to Push for Worldwide Internet Censorship. Although I certainly thought it was an important story, I never expected it to become the beast it did.
The paragraph that really caught people’s eye was the following:
Under U.S. law - the law that, not coincidentally, governs most of the world’s largest online platforms - intermediaries such as Twitter and Facebook generally can’t be held responsible for what people do on them. But the United Nations proposes both that social networks proactively police every profile and post, and that government agencies only “license” those who agree to do so.
Interestingly, it appears Apple wants to get ahead of the curve and begin censoring news the U.S. government might find embarrassing right away.
As reported by Mic:
Freelance journalist and data artist Josh Begley has been methodically recording U.S. military drone activity for years. Every week or so - whenever the strikes occur - Begley will post a news story from the @dronestreamTwitter account, identifying when and where drone strikes have occurred before feeding the results into an app called Metadata+.
Longtime Liberty Blitzkrieg readers will be familiar with “Dronestream,” as I highlighted it all the way back in 2012 in the post: The Kid Who Tweets Every Drone Strike.
Now back to Mic.
But on Sunday, Dronestream tweeted that Metadata+, which sends out push notifications every time there is a U.S. drone strike, had been removed from the App Store after seven months of being openly available.
Apple still aspires to be a hub for serious news. It’s building tools like Apple News to help journalists and publishers reach new audiences. But Apple’s opaque filtering process shows that it may not be ready to decide for the public what kind of content we should or shouldn’t be exposed to.
Earlier this month, Apple censored a journalistic app that took you to the scene of the Ferguson, Missouri, shooting of Michael Brown. The tech giant has also taken down educational apps that depicted the Confederate Flag in its historical context. All while allowing for apps that include violence and graphic depictions of war, like Hitman: Sniper and Zynga’s Empires and Allies.
Then again, those apps all include in-app purchases from which Apple collects revenue. And none of them is offensive to the United States government.
Everyone should call out Apple on this pathetic, disgusting, authority-pandering behavior. It also reminds me of some of the warnings I issued in the post: The Pentagon Creates Partnership with Apple to Develop Wearable Tech.
Moving along, the Guardian is reporting that Facebook has banned an ad from the Royal National Institute of Blind People due to, get this, “negativity.”
Facebook has banned a hard-hitting ad campaign by the Royal National Institute of Blind People, arguing that users of the social networking site should only see “neutral or positive” messages.
The RNIB launched the ad on its YouTube channel and has been seeking to run a campaign featuring the video across Facebook.
Facebook, once again demonstrating its key role in ensuring the next generation of Americans grows up to be apathetic, ignorant, submissive little debt serfs.
Facebook’s advertising team has refused to clear the video ad for use in a campaign across its network, saying it breaks its guidelines on language that is “profane, vulgar, threatening or generates high negative feedback”.
Asking for clarification, the RNIB’s social media team received a further email response saying Facebook is not very keen on hard-hitting ads.
“We’ve found that people dislike ads that directly address them or their personal characteristics,” said a member of the Facebook Ads Team. “Ads should not single out individuals or degrade people. We don’t accept language like ‘fear of losing your sight, losing your job?’ and the like. Instead, text must present realistic and accurate information in a neutral or positive way and should not have any direct attribution to people.”
“We were really shocked to find out that Facebook had banned our advert but even more surprised when they couldn’t tell us exactly why, we’re still not sure what we’ve really done wrong here,” said Natasha Dickinson, group head of marketing and communications at the RNIB.
Down the memory hole you go!
* * *
For related articles, see:
The UN Releases Plan to Push for Worldwide Internet Censorship
The Pentagon Creates Partnership with Apple to Develop Wearable Tech
Facebook Censors Feminist Author Due to “Profane” Book Title
Facebook Reveals its Master Plan – Control All News Flow
A Very Disturbing and Powerful Post – “Get Your Loved Ones Off Facebook”
»
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Fuck Apple.
What’s next? The .GOV-issued one roll of toilet paper per month per anus? ;-)
Looney
Twitter just labeld disagreeing with someone's opinion as a reportable offense and as "abusive". Insanity.
I hate Twitter.
Link?
http://www.infowars.com/twitter-characterizes-disagreeing-with-someones-...
While they appear to be colluding with the government and certainly have a political agenda here, private (non-public) entities do have free speech and can legally censor and control content on their systems. Contrary to the Supreme Court's decisions of the past, neither Facebook nor your local bakery are public accommodations.
Twitter
If you liked it at 146, you'll LOVE it at 25...
I suppose this means one can no longer twitter: The Pope says Mohammad is Satan's clerk."
I suppose this means one can no longer twitter: The Pope says Mohammad is Satan's clerk.
An interesting future might be one where private entities have functional monopoly control over access to speech, thereby rendering the public accommodation angle moot.
Businesses respond to money. If enough people are fed up with Facebook or any other business for censoring, they will simply abandon them and move to another service, thereby prompting Facebook to change their policy or accept their fate. I think so long as we continue to apply pressure to businesses as the public, we can keep this from becoming a huge problem. When businesses make dumb decisions, it is the capitalist that sees an opportunity to take their market share.
Actually dis-education goes a long way in mediating what you propose. I think a lot of money is currently martialed in this regard.
What better serves the interest of Apple: educated, sceptical consumers, or credulous, compulsive ones?
Hypocrits!
what ever happened to MySpace? Facebook will go the way of every other digital entertainment. Eventually the digitards find another distraction. May facebook, google and apple all disappear. they are far too political, and abusive. it's disgusting.
Facebook has already been supplanted by Instagram. That's what the kids are using now.
In tech terms, Facebook is already a dinosaur.
what ever happened to MySpace?
Better yet, whatever happened to Friendster?
No fair, politicians would all get two rolls/month..........
I've already switched to moist wipes. Like AAPL, I too want to be ahead of the curve.
Don't know many people who still login to Facebook other then to login to ifferent websites using Facebook, which I'm sure they count as active daily users,. But when the dislike button goes live, these corporation s are not gonna be to happy
Apple wants you to be in a self-congratulatory-feel-good state at all times. Drone strikes and death do not get people into that state, and therefore the app that exposes such information is banned.
From the same people who will help the po-po in turning off your camera when you're in a crowd and something important needs to be filmed...
Come one, come all! Surf Facebook with your iPhone on our worldwide sleigh ride to hell!
(I don't know why there's any surprise here. Both companies will continue to use their influence to drive as many of their workers' wages as possible down to a bare subsistence level.)
Jobs had cancer. It was called Apple.
"Fuck Apple"
...and fuyck Facebook
some workarounds:
https://prism-break.org/en/
Apple are marxists. Which is why I'll never own an apple product. Facebook, same thing.
No more apple products for me!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncbEucjsNFU
Freedom ~= Non-Participation
I am censoring myself as I only spread fear and negativity.
Oldwood: You and Yahoo. I might have been the only one who saw the Yahoo story this morning about some Russian's attempted hack of Hillary Clinton's email. If you blinked, you missed it, it was taken down so quickly.
Syria War Propaganda? Aid Groups Use Same Photo to Blame Wounded Child on Assad Then Russia
same as it ever was
‘BBC uses fake photo of old Iraq massacre for Houla Syria massacre'; Propaganda for NATO war?
http://newsrescue.com/bbc-uses-fake-photo-of-old-iraq-massacre-for-houla...
Also check out the photo all over the media yesterdya:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/09/dozens-civilians-killed-syria-air-...
Yeah - I guess the Russians invented time travel because that photo is years old.
But the chains are embraced.
US proxies in the UN Releases Plan to Push for Worldwide Internet Censorship.
There fixed it.
OK, then. Time to Balkanize the internet. The US of A version will have freedom of speech and expression.
LOL, Good one.....!!!
You forgot the /sarc tag...
It was censored.
Okay - so are these apps available from Google {Android}?
Or are they banning them too?
anyone who uses either one gets zero sympathy from me
'Freedom of speech isn't free' -Apple//Facebook.Gov-
"Free Speech" hasn't existed since at least Grayned v. The City of Rockford (1972).
One unit of free expression is now equal to $1.05.
Your example sucks. There is a difference between protest and disruption.
Are you in a designated free speech zone?
No? Better watch what you say.
Apple sucks, but it's their company to do with what they will.
Same with Facebook.
Same with the government......
yeah, you know this sucks and all, but google has banned apps that are far more useful - and not a word about it here.
http://www.informationweek.com/mobile/mobile-applications/google-play-ba...
"Disconnect, maker of a privacy app with the same name for Android, iOS, OS X, and Windows, has complained to European regulators that Google has abused its dominant market position in a way that violates EU competition rules.
Last August, Disconnect introduced an app called Disconnect Mobile, designed to block tracking and malware in mobile browsers and in other mobile apps. A recent Eurecom study found enough instances of undisclosed tracking and malware in Google Play apps to call for more visibility into the way mobile apps communicate.
Google removed Disconnect Mobile from the Google Play store for violating its policy against apps that interfere with other apps. To protect user privacy, Disconnect blocks "unsolicited network connections" between a mobile user's app or browser and services involved in tracking or malvertising."
http://www.fiercedeveloper.com/story/why-google-play-banning-app-testimo...
Meanwhile, in Russia, journalists and politicians who oppose Putin end up murdered.
Is there an app for that?
Check out the Clinton records for people dying. Even IF true Putin's got nothing on them...
Any App for that?
that's arkancide.com no?
Whatever you say Yomutti, Mr member for 1 week and 1 day.
Government-paid troll. You are outed Bitch.
yeah, he hasn't been properly indoctrinated into the ZH collective.
Michael Hastings, Vince Foster, Serena Shim...
Sorry you must have missed the fine print when creating an account here. Russia = Good. USA = Bad. US and their allies bombing the Middle East = Bad. Russia bombing the Middle East = heroic. The Putin man crush around here borders on homo-erotic. If Russia kills journalists it's because they had it coming according to Vlad dick riders.
AAPL's 'Panopticon' of sorts that is being built right up the street from me seems rather fitting after all...
Everything is double plus good.
Standard Disclaimer: I was actually banned for a week from a website because I mentioned AdBlock plus in a post.
I told them to reread their own "Terms and Conditions", and send me some free swag for my inconvenience.
You do know that AdBlock Plus protects privileged advertisers, right?
http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/02/over-300-businesses-now-whitelisted-on-adblock-plus-10-pay-to-play/
And there are alternatives.
I can live with a minimal amount of advertising. What I can't live with is this:
Reason for banning: Do not use/advise others/talk about or even mention ad-blockers,
blah blah fucking blah... They need to spell that out in their "Terms and Conditions" and not make up shit as they go along...
you missed the point. Other ad blockers are not compromised!
the solution is not to play. i don't visit Farcebook and i don't buy any crap from Apple.
Yea but the corporations do. I have both those POS,,, IPad and Iphone, to make me more productive...
Actually, so they can monitor and listen in. As far as productivity,,, I spend 1 1/2 hours a day on those and their apps. Stupidest shit I have ever seen in my 50 years in the work force.
i never purchased any apple products
it just makes no sense to pay 600$/€ on a device worth less than 18$ which spys on me
correct answer. Facebook is for lonely mouth-breathers. Same with that narcissist claptrap Twiiter. It's where members of the media go to circle jerk eachother. Stop using anything Google related.
How long before ZH starts to become like The Pirate Bay and start hopping from server to server to stay alive?
ZH keeps the angries off Facebook/Twitter, and collected in a single easily monitored forum.
Seems like The Man might actually really appreciate ZH.
Ze Ort is en ze Cloud bitchez.
they are desperate
time to throw the rotten tomatos
A slightly more than one minute long commercial citing Texas history has been banned from the airwaves. “Come and Take It” by Steve Vaus and OurGuns.org, points to a time in history when people living in the town of Gonzales Texas refused to be disarmed.
Read more at http://constitution.com/come-and-take-it-banned-from-the-airwaves/
the new depts. of misinformation & censoring. Its no F wonder I hate faceturd & apple sucks
don't forget google. they're all criminal NSA abettors. if we aid a criminal, we go to jail, but they get tax free status. sharpen your pitchforks.
Don't forget about Youtube too. One of my favorite channels is getting hit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqkIr-rUNpg
Facist corporate empires. That's all they are.
Vote with your feet people, or lay down and take it. They need us, not the other way around. Thieving, no-talent, code stealing dropouts like Suckerberg will *never* tell me what to do...
Is there an app where you can direct drone strikes?
all new Americans born, anchor or not, will be issued with a jar of vaseline to accomodate their oligarch & libtard masters. Apple boys get first crack especial cookie
How to spot a troll.
http://cryptome.org/2012/07/gent-forum-spies.htm
Save the html file. Just in case, this site brings down by govt.
- - -
Aren't this known already?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM_(surveillance_program)
It's just this company following its master.
Awesome. Fantastic work, Mike . . . and it does start adding up, doesn't it?
Congrats!
A Putin air stike map is welcomed.
One day the US will look just like the way China and Russia control it's People.
i heard zerohedge is gonna censor headbanger for PMSing
The “Thought Police” have a much easier time of it when almost everyone willingly and eagerly succumbs to a “Brave New Virtual World”.
television went through a similar growing period, during the so called Golden Age, when the most popular shows were Leave It To Beaver. gradually it opened up, thanks in part to cable. FB cant survive long with these restrictions. im not on there so i dont know, can you say fuck?
Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3, testing.
Can anyone but me see this link?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mxQeN92OTA
Gimme a vote, any vote if you can see that link.
~ DC
Hmmm, here we are three days later and no one clinked the linky. .. No votes, no nothing.
Really strange if not down right FUBAR.
~ DC
Twitter and FB just like Bitcoin came out of NSA/CIA incubators.....how is anyone surprised by this?
Surprise, surprise.
Apple, Microsoft, Twitter, Google, Facebook, Netflix and all the other cabalist-controlled "click stocks".
They are all traitorous to true American values, and screaming shorts.
You know what to do.
People still use facebook?