Family Tech Blog

Tag: politics

  • Is FaceApp Sending all of Your Private Data to Russia?

    Is FaceApp Sending all of Your Private Data to Russia?

    Last week everyone was posting pictures of themselves looking older or younger. They were all using FaceApp, an Android and iPhone app that uses AI to change your face to make you look older or younger, change your gender, and all kinds of different things. Then, suddenly everyone who had been posting pictures of themselves began sharing articles about the privacy dangers of FaceApp. What is true? What does FaceApp do with your pictures? Should we use apps like this? Here are the answers I found.

    Your Pictures Aren’t in Russia

    One of the major concerns due to political news lately is that all of these pictures have been stored by the Russians since the company that makes FaceApp is in Russia. The truth is that these pictures are stored on servers owned by Google and Amazon. Many of the photo apps you use including some of the social media apps you frequent use the same server companies to store your pictures and posts. There is no evidence to suggest that your images are being collected by the Russian government or even companies in Russia.

    Your Photos are Deleted after 48 Hours

    The face app privacy policies state that photos uploaded to their servers are usually deleted after 48 hours. They do state that some photos may be kept for analytical purposes but that they are not sent to the FaceApp companies. These photos are used by the artificial intelligence to make it smarter and help it do a better job of editing photos for people.

    FaceApp Terms Mention Affiliate Companies and Governments

    The policies of FaceApp do allow for them to give your photos to other companies “in their network.” Again, they say that this is for analysis purposes and not data tracking. They also say that they’ll give your photos to law enforcement if requested through legal means. 

    You Can Use FaceApp Without Giving Personal Information

    The company that makes FaceApp says that 99% of their users don’t login to the app. That means there are no ways for them to have your personal or identifying information. The only thing that they collect in those cases are your photos. If you have location settings turned off for your camera then there isn’t much personal data that can be gained from the images. All they actually have is a picture of a non-identified person’s face. Also, FaceApp only uses the photos you tell it to upload. Not your whole camera roll. 

    “…please note that we may transfer information, including personal information, to a country and jurisdiction that does not have the same data protection laws as your jurisdiction.” FaceApp Privacy Terms

    FaceApp Doesn’t Handle Data Differently than any Other Social Media Service

    The only major difference between FaceApp’s privacy policies and those of Facebook and Instagram are how much terminology they use to describe them. Personal data and photos are basically handled the same way by all these companies. You may consider it more of a fair trade off for Facebook and Instagram to collect your data in exchange for the services they provide. You also may be less inclined to be worried because of Facebook and Instagram being from the United States. Either way, your data is being used in the same way by all of these companies.

    Musical.ly is now Tik Tok

     

    Just Share Smart

    These instances of public outcry about the privacy policies of an app or a company are a great time to be reminded of the importance of thinking before you share. The truth is that everything, once shared on the internet, is public domain. It belongs to every citizen of the web and not to you any more. This should govern every choice you make on every site you visit and every app you use. If you wouldn’t want the whole world seeing that photo of you, your child, or your spouse, then you shouldn’t share it. If what you are about to post as a status would put your security in jeopardy then you shouldn’t post it. If you aren’t sure about a company or an app that is asking for your personal information then you shouldn’t give them your personal info. It is very simple. Just think before you fill out an online form. Think before you share a photo. Think before you past your thoughts about anything and everything.

    The issue isn’t where your information is stored. It is the fact that you share photos, phone numbers, credit card numbers, and even your social security number like it is no big deal. You don’t have to be an internet security expert, you just have to pause and think.

     

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  • Why the Repeal of Net Neutrality Matters to Every Parent

    Why the Repeal of Net Neutrality Matters to Every Parent

    Today, the FCC voted to repeal the net-neutrality rules that made access to the internet a Title 2 utility for consumers. This categorization, among other things, allowed the government to keep companies from denying, slowing, or charging extra for access to the internet and the content on the internet because it was considered a public right. The repeal removes those regulations and may allow companies to prioritize the content you can access based on their profit margin. The fears outlined by many non-profits, senators, online content creators, and companies that have taken action against this repeal include speed throttling, site blocking, loss of innovation, and a general prioritization of access by internet service providers.

    Supporters of the repeal have said that government oversight isn’t necessary to maintain a free and open internet and that the free market will keep companies from resorting to these feared measures in order to increase profits and popularity. They state that the internet was free and open before the 2015 Net Neutrality measures were passed and that it will continue to stay open after it’s repealed. 

     

    Screenshot from the 2015 FCC Net Neutrality Press Release

    What does (could) it mean?

    It may not mean a lot right away but it could eventually mean higher prices for internet use and a sort of “cable tv style” bundling of internet access. It could also mean a more difficult (or maybe even impossible) road to success for creative internet and software startups.

    Imagine, for example, that Spotify is getting started and it’s catching on with music fans. Then, imagine that Comast (everyone’s favorite ISP to hate) starts their own music streaming service because they see the opportunity to increase revenue. Since Comcast wants to be more successful they will have to come up with anything they can to attract more customers than Spotify. This may include slowing down data access to you while you’re streaming music through Spotify. Eventually, you may get annoyed enough to switch to Comcast’s own music streaming service simply because there are fewer interruptions in streaming. Spotify eventually fails because their users can’t get the access necessary to help the company succeed. Next Comcast makes their music service only available if you are a Comcast customer. What do you do then? Switch ISPs because the services you feel are most important to you are only available if you use them to provide you with your internet service? Finally, their prices can rise and rise because more people are using Comcast based on the fact that their favorite internet content has now become inaccessible on any other ISP. There is no more competition.

    I’ll give you that this is a worse case, distant future scenario, but if you look at Cable and Sattelite TV it doesn’t seem that far-fetched. Under Net Neutrality, Comcast, Time Warner, or anyone else for that matter aren’t allowed to throttle down internet speeds to certain sites and services. They definitely can’t block access to the sites you want to visit. They aren’t allowed to bundle websites into different cost packages either. This means you can use whatever streaming service and websites you like best and not have to worry about access being slowed or blocked. You can imagine why a small, non-profit, tech safety website startup might be a little concerned about ISPs getting full control of an audiences internet access. Net Neutrality puts access to the internet in a category similar to electricity and water. Access to these necessities is considered a basic right and the companies that profit from these resources are only allowed to operate in a way that allows equal and fair access to all users. 

    Why does it matter to parents?

    It matters to you as a parent because you want more people innovation online. You want services like Mobicip, Accountable2You, and Unglue to be able to create their products to help your family be smarter and safer online. If the only way to be successful online is to become affiliated with a major corporation or to pay that corporation to be included in their access package, many of the newest most helpful resources for parents wouldn’t exist. Again, I’m against fear tactics and panicking but I encourage you, as a parent who is concerned for their child’s safety online, to speak out. Contact your congresspeople and tell them you support Net Neutrality. The vote is over but the battle is not. Lawsuits and petitions are already beginning to be filed and you’ll be hearing about this issue for a while.

    I don’t like to spend much time talking about political issues but this could, eventually, affect this blog and our work for families in a serious way so I had to say something. Thank you, now back to your regularly scheduled internet safety blog posts.

  • Social Media, Globalization, and Our Kids’ Convictions

    Social Media, Globalization, and Our Kids’ Convictions

    We’ve got “covfeve”, Hillary Clinton speaking about politics at a programming conference, Kathy Griffin vs Donald Trump on Twitter, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk talking about the President’s climate change beliefs, and all other kinds of tech notables using their platform to promote their political and ethical beliefs. There’s no doubt that our kids are growing up being more aware of the polarized political landscape we live in than ever before.

    I remember knowing there was a President when I was a kid. I remember hearing a thing or two about impeachment and adultery but I didn’t care or pay too much attention. I was a preteen and I had more important things to deal with. Mainly video games, girls, and baseball. I don’t remember hearing anything about politics while I was in middle school or high school. I registered to vote when I was 18 and voted for who my family said would be a good choice. Now, the people who run our favorite entertainment companies openly state their disdain or support for our government officials. Protests have hashtags and political videos and memes go viral equally because of people agreeing and disagreeing with them. It’s obvious to our kids now that we are living in a volatile political situation.

    Political opinion is formed by who you grow up listening to. It used to be formed by parents, grandparents, and the culture in your local community. Globalization now allows our kids access to every opinion from any voice they want to hear from. Many times these voices are people mom and dad may not be comfortable with. Declaring whether or not that is a good thing is not the intent of this article. My goal with this article is to give understanding to parents who are confused about why their kids grow up to think differently than they do.

    Your children live in a globally influential world instead of the small section of the country that we grew up in. I grew up in Texas, New Mexico, and Missouri and believed the better part of what I was raised to believe. The global landscape of social media (which is just the state of the internet in our culture) has caused many of those beliefs to shift or even outright be changed. Not just for me but for most in my generation and younger.

    Parents should be aware, whatever your thoughts are on today’s hot political topics, that your voice is most likely not the loudest voice in your children’s lives. The Snapchat Discover page, that YouTube vlogger, Instagram influencers, and even Twitter are telling them whatever message they’re more interested in soaking in. The algorithm’s on these platforms provide them with a steady stream of reinforcement for whatever it is they’ve been tapping or clicking on up to this point. Opinion isn’t being formed by their church, their school, or their family like it used to. It’s formed by anyone and everyone in the entire world. Whatever your thoughts on what your kids should believe or where they should form these beliefs, I just wanted you to know where it’s actually coming from.