Digital Smarts Blog

The suspect in the recent terrorist attack in London apparently used the messaging app WhatsApp just before the incident, raising calls for intelligence services to be allowed access to such accounts. A number of apps now employ end-to-end encryption to ensure user privacy, but this raises the same issue as when Apple refused to create a “backdoor” option on their phones after the San Bernadino terror attack occurred. The reason these tech companies are so adverse to allowing this “backdoor” option is that doing so would prevent them from being able to offer hack proof encryption and privacy, something customers are typically unwilling to compromise on.

The suspect in the recent terrorist attack in London apparently used the messaging app WhatsApp just before the incident, raising calls for intelligence services to be allowed access to such accounts. A number of apps now employ end-to-end encryption to ensure user privacy, but this raises the same issue as when Apple refused to create a “backdoor” option on their phones after the San Bernadino terror attack occurred. The reason these tech companies are so adverse to allowing this “backdoor” option is that doing so would prevent them from being able to offer hack proof encryption and privacy, something customers are typically unwilling to compromise on.

Microsoft is working to adapt a coding program for students ages 7 to 11 to include those with visual disabilities . Project Torino aims to allow those children to work alongside their peers by using beads that snap together, similar to the way programming language is put together.  Researchers hope that programs like this will help bridge the “digital skills gap” and allow advanced students to gain the foundational computing concepts that will help them learn mainstream programming skills.

Microsoft is working to adapt a coding program for students ages 7 to 11 to include those with visual disabilities . Project Torino aims to allow those children to work alongside their peers by using beads that snap together, similar to the way programming language is put together.  Researchers hope that programs like this will help bridge the “digital skills gap” and allow advanced students to gain the foundational computing concepts that will help them learn mainstream programming skills.

Curious about why everyone around you (perhaps including you) is seemingly addicted to technology? A new book entitled Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked may be able to give you some insights, including how tech companies are devoted to keeping the addiction alive, and how we need to address the issue before it literally consumes us. Many are calling this book a must read for parents in the Digital Age.

Curious about why everyone around you (perhaps including you) is seemingly addicted to technology? A new book entitled Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked may be able to give you some insights, including how tech companies are devoted to keeping the addiction alive, and how we need to address the issue before it literally consumes us. Many are calling this book a must read for parents in the Digital Age.

Goggle Maps recently included a location sharing feature as an update to the Google Maps app for your phone and personal computer. While this kind of location sharing is already available on other apps, privacy experts are worried about adding this feature to one of the world’s most popular apps when so many are concerned about digital safety and privacy. When location sharing is turned on, your teen can be tracked when out with friends, and if you are not careful to limit access to only friends and family, burglars can even find out when you are out of the house for the day. On a more positive note, the app can be set up to let someone know where you are, or that you’ve arrived to your location safely, but then the tracking will turn off when you arrive. Google will also send you emails to remind you have the feature on if you forget to turn it off. Take a look at this article for help with turning the location sharing on and off and for more information about the feature.

Goggle Maps recently included a location sharing feature as an update to the Google Maps app for your phone and personal computer. While this kind of location sharing is already available on other apps, privacy experts are worried about adding this feature to one of the world’s most popular apps when so many are concerned about digital safety and privacy. When location sharing is turned on, your teen can be tracked when out with friends, and if you are not careful to limit access to only friends and family, burglars can even find out when you are out of the house for the day. On a more positive note, the app can be set up to let someone know where you are, or that you’ve arrived to your location safely, but then the tracking will turn off when you arrive. Google will also send you emails to remind you have the feature on if you forget to turn it off. Take a look at this article for help with turning the location sharing on and off and for more information about the feature.

Google is attempting to quell a growing furor by the British government and major brands in both the U.K and the U.S., who are angered by the placement of their online ads alongside offensive or extremist content — such as videos by white supremacists or the Islamic State. Recently Google said they would pull online ads from controversial content, give brands more control over where their ads appear, and deploy more people to enforce its ad policies.

 "Brand safety" has emerged as possibly the biggest issue facing the advertising industry. For large marketers, even one ad placed next to extremist content can cause harm to a brand. As a result, AT&T, Verizon, Johnson & Johnson, Apple and other major U.S. advertisers are pulling hundreds of millions of dollars in business from Google and its video service YouTube until Google can fix the issue.

Google is attempting to quell a growing furor by the British government and major brands in both the U.K and the U.S., who are angered by the placement of their online ads alongside offensive or extremist content — such as videos by white supremacists or the Islamic State. Recently Google said they would pull online ads from controversial content, give brands more control over where their ads appear, and deploy more people to enforce its ad policies.

 "Brand safety" has emerged as possibly the biggest issue facing the advertising industry. For large marketers, even one ad placed next to extremist content can cause harm to a brand. As a result, AT&T, Verizon, Johnson & Johnson, Apple and other major U.S. advertisers are pulling hundreds of millions of dollars in business from Google and its video service YouTube until Google can fix the issue.

Misinformation in the form of fake or misleading news is on everyone’s mind these days. What are some questions you should be asking when you or your children analyze a news story for validity? Take a look at this chart from Project Look Sharp at Ithaca College, and think about printing it off for you and your children to use as a guide. Browse the site for other useful quick check guides such as Separating Fact from Fiction, and workshops that your school or parent–teacher groups might be interested in.

Misinformation in the form of fake or misleading news is on everyone’s mind these days. What are some questions you should be asking when you or your children analyze a news story for validity? Take a look at this chart from Project Look Sharp at Ithaca College, and think about printing it off for you and your children to use as a guide. Browse the site for other useful quick check guides such as Separating Fact from Fiction, and workshops that your school or parent–teacher groups might be interested in.

If you are using an Internet filter to block your children’s online contact with the negative elements of the online world such as bullies, predators, pornography and other inappropriate material, you might want to rethink your approach. A new study casts doubt on the effectiveness of these kinds of tools, finding that children with filtering software on their home computers were almost just as likely to encounter inappropriate material online as those without filtering software. They also found that those children who “got around” the filter were much less likely to report negative online experiences to their parents or other adults - a problem because it means that parents and kids are not talking about what to do when they encounter bad things online. As one US expert in the field said, “It’s really important to talk to your kids about how to keep their information safe online. If you would prefer your child not look at pornography, talk to them about what that means to you.”

If you are using an Internet filter to block your children’s online contact with the negative elements of the online world such as bullies, predators, pornography and other inappropriate material, you might want to rethink your approach. A new study casts doubt on the effectiveness of these kinds of tools, finding that children with filtering software on their home computers were almost just as likely to encounter inappropriate material online as those without filtering software. They also found that those children who “got around” the filter were much less likely to report negative online experiences to their parents or other adults - a problem because it means that parents and kids are not talking about what to do when they encounter bad things online. As one US expert in the field said, “It’s really important to talk to your kids about how to keep their information safe online. If you would prefer your child not look at pornography, talk to them about what that means to you.”

If you are a parent, you probably have hundreds (if not thousands) of photos of your kids stored on your phone. If you have issues with storage space on your device, you know that photos are one of biggest storage hogs. While you can always transfer your pictures to your computer, there are other solutions to save your photos without ever having to plug in. USA Today featured a recent article on various apps that can help you store you pictures safely and for free, or very inexpensively. Some of the best options are Google Photos (free) and Amazon Prime (free if you are a subscriber) for both iPhone and Android users.

If you are a parent, you probably have hundreds (if not thousands) of photos of your kids stored on your phone. If you have issues with storage space on your device, you know that photos are one of biggest storage hogs. While you can always transfer your pictures to your computer, there are other solutions to save your photos without ever having to plug in. USA Today featured a recent article on various apps that can help you store you pictures safely and for free, or very inexpensively. Some of the best options are Google Photos (free) and Amazon Prime (free if you are a subscriber) for both iPhone and Android users.

After all the speculation about “microwaves that turn into cameras”, the truth is that parents do need to be aware of the privacy and other safety issues of Internet-connected toys that are stuffed with more than just fluff. Last month, Motherboard reported that a company that sold internet-connected stuffed animals left more than 800,000 customer credentials and two million message recordings of children and parents on an exposed database. None of the data was protected behind a password or firewall. Additionally, a security researcher said anyone within range of a CloudPet could pair it with the Bluetooth connection, making it possible for anyone within distance to send and receive audio messages. That means strangers could connect to the toy and use it to communicate with your children.

While Internet connected toys are not necessarily bad, there are no regulations concerning privacy and security, so finding out what data a device collects and how it is being transmitted is something parents need to look up before setting a toy loose on the household. Before buying a smart toy, parents should research what data the device collects, how it is being stored, who has access to it, and if there is an option to opt out. This information usually isn't found on the box. That means a look at reviews, websites and news about the product is often necessary. Buyers might even want to contact the toy company directly or search their website for more details and updates.

After all the speculation about “microwaves that turn into cameras”, the truth is that parents do need to be aware of the privacy and other safety issues of Internet-connected toys that are stuffed with more than just fluff. Last month, Motherboard reported that a company that sold internet-connected stuffed animals left more than 800,000 customer credentials and two million message recordings of children and parents on an exposed database. None of the data was protected behind a password or firewall. Additionally, a security researcher said anyone within range of a CloudPet could pair it with the Bluetooth connection, making it possible for anyone within distance to send and receive audio messages. That means strangers could connect to the toy and use it to communicate with your children.

While Internet connected toys are not necessarily bad, there are no regulations concerning privacy and security, so finding out what data a device collects and how it is being transmitted is something parents need to look up before setting a toy loose on the household. Before buying a smart toy, parents should research what data the device collects, how it is being stored, who has access to it, and if there is an option to opt out. This information usually isn't found on the box. That means a look at reviews, websites and news about the product is often necessary. Buyers might even want to contact the toy company directly or search their website for more details and updates.

Have your kids been talking about Uptime? YouTube is experimenting with the idea of social viewing of videos – whether all at the same time or asynchronously – and Uptime is the platform (app) they have launched. The app allows users to react with comments or emojis while watching videos, and those reactions are then seen by anyone else who watches the same video—even if they’re watching at a later time. Although YouTubeSocial, WeMesh, LiveLead, and AirTime have taken similar approaches to co-watching, Uptime has captured the teenage market with the capability to see reactions to the videos after posting. As with any new app, parents should be diligent in watching out for the potential for it to be used as a tool for cyberbullying as well.

Have your kids been talking about Uptime? YouTube is experimenting with the idea of social viewing of videos – whether all at the same time or asynchronously – and Uptime is the platform (app) they have launched. The app allows users to react with comments or emojis while watching videos, and those reactions are then seen by anyone else who watches the same video—even if they’re watching at a later time. Although YouTubeSocial, WeMesh, LiveLead, and AirTime have taken similar approaches to co-watching, Uptime has captured the teenage market with the capability to see reactions to the videos after posting. As with any new app, parents should be diligent in watching out for the potential for it to be used as a tool for cyberbullying as well.