Online Privacy and Why it's Dead

Why Online Privacy is Dead'

Photo Credit to Smart Cities World

In 2019 America, the concept of online privacy is almost entirely a thing of the past. Due to enhanced surveillance technologies, government and third-party spying, and everyone having a phone in their pocket; one could fairly easily track a person, then know their hobbies, interests, family records, and web search history. 

With the rise in popularity of social media apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, users are willingly giving over their private information in the name of finding like-minded people. This is vastly wrong because these social media companies do not have secure servers, and they can be either purged or hacked by opposing governments or groups with ease. As a result, millions of profiles have had their private information leaked out into the public sphere. 

Government spying on civilians is also to blame for the death of online privacy. Since the passage of the US PATRIOT Act after 9/11, the NSA, CIA, and FBI have been among a group of agencies tasked with gathering information on American citizens in the name of public safety. When teamed up with companies such as Facebook, the government's knowledge on average citizens is alarmingly high. 

Is online privacy fully dead? For the most art, due to the ability to track an individual's online footprint and IP Address. While there has yet to be any widespread catastrophic misuse of this information by the government, it is not their right to have private information on the citizenry. If an individual were attempting to hide from the government, their efforts would be in vain due to the tracking power available through the internet. 

Photo Credit to Smart Cities World. 

Fake News vs. Disinformation/Misinformation

Fake News vs. Disinformation/Misinformation

Photo Credit to David Kleinschuster

What exactly is the difference between the more-contemporary term 'fake news' and traditional disinformation or misinformation? 

'Fake news' as popularized by candidate-turned-president Donald J. Trump, most commonly refers to "fabricated news with no basis in fact but is being presented as factually accurate." Fake news can be found in traditional media sources such as television, print, or radio, or can be on social media or websites dedicated to spreading lies. Fake news is almost always politically-fueled, trying to benefit one person, party, or group at the expense of another. 

Disinformation is defined as 'false information which is intended to mislead, especially propaganda issued by a government organization to a rival power or the media." People who spread disinformation do so intentionally, as they are unethically reporting lies about an opposing person, party, or group. 'Fake news' by definition does fall under disinformation, as it deceives public opinion with warped facts and figures. 

Where misinformation differs from disinformation is in the impetus or reasoning behind the action. Misinformation is still spreading false news, but the inaccuracies are recorded due to error or misunderstanding. While misinformation is just as bad as disinformation or 'fake news,' it is not done under malice but rather through carelessness and incompetence. 

All three aforementioned forms of reporting are all unethical media practices of spreading lies. Any reporter must be 100% sure that their facts, figures, statistics, or other material is absolutely truthful before either broadcasting or publishing. In today's hyper-partisan America however, these malpractices run rampant among mainstream media, as both the left and the right actively report on lies about each other. 

Link to this PowerPoint Presentation.

False Flags

False Flags, What are they and Why do they Matter?

A false flag is defined as an operation which is meant to mislead information. This is a fairly common tactic used to put blame on another group, nation, political party, or individual.

Often times, false flags are precursors to wars, as was the case with World War II. The German Nazi party had spread false information about Poland attempting an attack, in order to rally public support for the invasion of Warsaw in 1939 which was the catalyst for the war.

False flags may also be used as political strategies, albeit unethical ones, to pin misleading claims or accusations on opponents. This has especially been prevalent in contemporary American politics.

One other notable example of a false flag being used for a political cause occurred in 1954 in Egypt. A group of Egyptian Jewish citizens were hired by the Israeli Army to bomb various embassies. This was in an effort to repel the British occupation of Egypt, as the attacks were wrongly blamed on the Brits.

Modern-day conspiracy theorists also subscribe to false flag beliefs. There are large segments of the population who believe that attacks suck as 9/11, the Sandy Hook shooting, the Las Vegas massacre, or the Pulse nightclub shooting were all false flag operations. This disbelief in official recounts of these attacks is due to mistrust in the federal government, as well as little information provided for some of these attacks.

False flags have been a virulent part of communication, politics, and espionage for decades. Political groups, nations, powerful individuals, or other groups have long been willing to put their opposition down, whether or not their claims were truthful. False flags must be handled carefully though, as they could quite literally lead the world into a massive conflict.

How Big is My Online Footprint?

How Big is My Personal Online Footprint?

Photo Credit to WoBlogger.com

As a college student and an up-and-coming Motorsports journalist, exactly how large is my online footprint? How in-depth is publicly-accessible data on my personal interests, my political views, private information, or my friends/family? 

As a writer and editor for TSJ101Sports.com, I am a content creator for that website, as well as very active on both their NASCAR Department's Twitter and my personal account. In addition, I am active on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. 

I would say that my activity is mostly centered on Twitter, where I post racing news among other information daily. I would then list Instagram as my second-most used social media app, though I hardly post on it. I would put Facebook next, as I only use Facebook to post photo albums and be a member of various groups. 

Have I been careful with what information I do or do not post publicly or give to these social media companies? I would say that I am very privy to keeping my personal information close to the vest now, but I was not when I first joined these apps. As a result, most of my social media is racing-centric rather than personal data. 

I have given my personal Gmail address to each of the aforementioned apps, as emails are required to log in. I have since unsubscribed from email updates, as they were a constant barrage in my inbox. 

As a result, some but not much personal information can be found from my social media profiles. Since I am nowadays much less prone to post semi-private data, detecting my personal info would take some digging back into the past. 

As a racing journalist, having an online social media presence is now a part of the job description. However, my career choice does not mean that I am able to post whichever personal information I want, big tech companies are still to not be trusted with some matters. It is certainly a difficult balance to determine what I should or should not post publicly, let alone share with social media apps. 

Photo credit to WoBlogger.com 

Diffusion of Innovation: Autonomous Cars

Diffusion of Innovation: Autonomous Cars



Autonomous or self-driving cars are a modern transportation innovation that is truly revolutionary in how it could simplify everyday life. However, this technological phenomenon has been slow to catch on with Americans, despite great advances in its feasibility and performance. Let's take a look at the diffusion of innovation for self-driving cars.

Pioneers: Early automotive innovators, engineers in Japan, and contemporary figures such as Elon Musk.

Early Adopters: People in foreign countries with larger populations and more drivers (European cities), rich people in America, and Uber.

Late Adopters: The general American public is still skeptical of autonomous vehicles, due to safety concerns and our deeply ingrained car culture. Racing legend Mario Andretti famously said "I'd rather be dead before self-driving cars take over, I just love driving so much."

Laggers: American auto manufacturers have also been slow to develop self-driving cars for sale in the states, due to them not being street-legal in every state quite yet.

We are still in the midst of the experimental/launch phase of autonomous cars/vehicles. There have been very few early adopters of this technology, due to its current impracticality and legality. It is tough to say whether or not self-driving will be the next big breakthrough, but with the rich car culture in America and the freedoms given by driving oneself, it is not likely to take over society in the near future.

Marketplace of Ideas is Integral to Democracy

Why the Marketplace of Ideas is Integral to a Free Democracy

Photo Credit to Eddie Playfair

In my opinion, the marketplace of ideas is the most important value of free expression for a few major reasons.

This concept of a marketplace of ideas was borne out of the early American debate over whether or not printing or publishing should require a government-issued license. In his work entitled Areopagitica, John Milton argues that when truth and falsehood are allowed to freely grapple, truth will win out. And the grappling makes the truth even stronger. In short, this was the winning argument against the government requiring a publishing license for journalists and publications. 

Also known as the Discovery of Truth, a marketplace of ideas must be protected under a free democracy in order for all people's views to have an equal voice and presence in society. Whether an individual leans right or left politically, they should have the ability to watch or read viewpoints that either support or dispute their claims. If there are two people, one who voted for President Trump and one who voted for Hillary Clinton, they should both have the same ability to watch either Fox News or MSNBC. 

Along with free press protections, the marketplace of ideas is a vital part of the First Amendment's free speech clause. If the U.S. government required publishing licenses, they would effectively have control over who has a voice in mainstream media and what viewpoints are socially relevant. Since no such requirements exist, American society truly is a melting pot with a wide swath of political and social viewpoints, creating a truly free marketplace of ideas. 

Photo Credit to Eddie Playfair

The Autonomous Automobile's Slow Rise

The Slow Rise in Popularity of Autonomous Cars

• An autonomous car is a vehicle that is capable of driving itself with
  little or no human interaction.

• Self-driving technology was first experimented with in the 1920s,
  heavily tested in the 1950s, and the first semi-autonomous car was
  introduced in Japan in 1977.

• Numerous auto manufacturers have attempted to perfect the autonomous
  vehicle, such as Mercedes-Benz, GM, Nissan, Toyota, Audi, and Volvo.

• Uber has tested out their services with “driverless” cars.

• Currently, driverless cars are being tested more in Europe than in the
  US, 29 states have passed laws allowing autonomous vehicles.
  
  
• Problems involving self driving cars include the inability to detect
  pedestrians, some have been killed as a result of this.
  
  
• Self driving cars have been slow to catch on in America, due to our
  car culture and the fact that so many of us love the freedom of
  driving ourselves.

• In the words of auto racing legend Mario Andretti, "I would rather die before self driving cars take over."

• As digital technology/Artificial Intelligence becomes more advanced,
  so will the capabilities of driverless cars.

• In our lifetimes, trucking, one of the most prolific job industries in
  America, could become all-digital/driverless.

• Proposals for autonomous car racing series have been announced. This could be a success, as auto manufacturers have always been drawn to racing due to the concept of 'Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday.'
  
  
• The popularity/appeal of this idea may be slow to catch on, as the
  Formula E electric racing series is not as prevalent as traditional
  motorsports such as NASCAR, IndyCar, or Formula 1.
  
  
• Fully driverless cars may not occur in our lifetime, but
  semi-driverless vehicles that have ‘autopilot’ features are being
  tested successfully.

Link to this PowerPoint presentation

The Mad World of Cell Phones

The Mad World of Cell Phone Culture

Photo Credit to Julian West via YouTube

The video we watched for week 6 of Media Law & Literacy was the song Mad World, originally sang by Tears for Fears but remixed here by Gary Jules. The video is Moby & the Void Pacific Choir's 'Are You Lost in the World Like Me.' This video depicts a child lost in a world where all of the adults are glued to their cell phones. This is incredibly indicative of how many view today's society, as cell phone culture has taken over. 

The visual portion of this video is truly powerful and dramatic. It shows a helpless child in need of adult supervision, care, and love, but as he wanders aimlessly he only discovers people doing everything from taking selfies to getting plastic surgery. This shows just how self-centered American society has become, people only care about bettering their lives rather than caring for others. An overarching theme in this video is that everyone the young child stumbles upon has their face in their cell phone, completely oblivious to the outside world they walk through pointlessly. 

This video is perfectly matched with the famous song Mad World, as today's society has indeed gone mad and been irreparably harmed due to the wave of the cell phones and social media obsessions. 

The last scene of this video is especially significant, it all of a sudden becomes a colored video as the sun sets in the background of a field where many people are walking in the same direction. This field ends with a cliff, which everyone walks off of due to not realizing the severity of the situation. This is symbolic for how cell phone culture is killing society, people do not have the necessary social skills to exist in a community anymore, thanks to being obsessed with cell phones. 

Link to the YouTube video

Photo Credit to Julian West via YouTube

The First Amendment and Counterculture Websites

The First Amendment and How it Protects Counterculture Websites

Photo Credit to HR Daily Advisor

In the eyes of anyone who reads the Bill of Rights, the First Amendment is loaded with personal protections and liberties which were revolutionary at the time of its ratification. Nearly 250 years later, the protections of free speech, right to petition the government, to establish and exercise religion, freedom of the press, and peaceful protest are still integral building blocks of American society. In regards to counterculture websites, the protections offered by the First Amendment are king, and are imperative to web content creator's rights.

Sites that challenge cultural norms or ideals, such as ANTIWAR.com or the American Conservative, are given nearly unrestricted free reign to publish and talk about any topics, no matter the level of controversy in their subject matter.

In other forms of government, publications who openly question the Chief Executive or Congress would face major backlash or be silenced through imprisonment or death. In the Constitutional Republic we know as the American Federal government, our leaders are elected by the people and for the people. These elected officials must follow the laws of the land, just like any average citizen. With these laws come citizen's rights to hate politicians and speak out against them.

Websites and the people behind them must remain unrestricted in their freedoms of the press and free speech, in order for American citizens to remain as the freest people on Earth. The First Amendment was drafted by James Madison to grant 6 aforementioned freedoms that no government had ever previously granted its citizens. By retaining these rights through almost 2-and-a-half centuries, America has held its spot as the society with the most personal liberties and protection for citizens.

Links to ANTIWAR, American Conservative
Photo Credit to HR Daily Advisor 

The Supreme Court

Why the Average American Should Care about the Supreme Court

Photo Credit to the Washington Post

Known as the Highest Court in the land, the United States Supreme Court serves an integral role in government as well as in upholding the Constitution our forefathers went to war over. 

The 9-man panel of Justices is tasked with determining whether or not every law passed by Congress is constitutional, as well as deciding their own cases through legal precedence. 

The Supreme Court holds rank on the Judicial branch of government, as all federal courts are subservient to their rulings and practices. 

Justices on the Supreme Court are nominated by sitting Presidents to serve lifetime terms. In the 230 years of the Supreme Court's existence, only 114 men and women have had the honor of sitting on the premier legal bench. While Presidents do in fact nominate Justices, each candidate has to be confirmed by the Congress, so both the Executive and Legislative branches hold some power over the Court. 

Even though the Supreme Court was established in 1789, the true role of the high court was only determined in the case Marbury v. Madison in 1803. That case set the legal precedent for Judicial Review, or the Court's ability to determine the justness of laws while following the Constitution. Since then, each case the Supreme Court has heard has been carefully examined through the lenses of the founding fathers and their ultimate document. 

While the 9 justices are the nation's highest legal authority, even the Supreme Court is far from perfect. In the 1857 case Dred Scott v. Sandford, the Court ruled that African-Americans were not citizens, and as a result did not deserve civil rights. After the Civil War and the Reconstruction Amendments were ratified, the Court overturned their prior misjudgment from Dred Scott.

In more recent years, the Supreme Court has been responsible for granting civil rights to blacks, upholding gay rights, and legalizing abortion. Without the ever-watchful eye of the Supreme Court, the Federal government would have free reign to violate citizen's rights and pass laws that would make the founding fathers turn in their graves. In short, the US Supreme Court has always and continues to serve as an all-important check on government power. 

Link to the Original Video

Photo Credit to the Washington Post

Tech Giants at Center of Antitrust, Privacy Concerns

Facebook, Google in Deep Waters Concerning User Privacy, Antitrust Concerns

Photo Credit to The Daily Caller

Two of Silicon Valley's largest corporations are at the center of some appalling legal charges. Social media giant Facebook is being accused of malpractice with user privacy; while search engine conglomerate Google is being blamed for monopolistic activities. With these 2 companies owning several popular properties across the internet, these charges levied against them have potentially widespread impact. 

Under the leadership of CEO Mark Zuckerburg, Facebook has come under antitrust fire from 8 states and the District of Columbia. The multi-state coalition behind this charge is led by New York Attorney General Letitia James. 

"I am proud to be leading a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in investigating whether Facebook has stifled competition and put users at risk," James said in a statement. "We will use every investigative tool at our disposal to determine whether Facebook's actions may have endangered consumer data, reduced the quality of consumers' choices, or increased the price of advertising."

Google is under the same accusations from several states as well, as many accuse the search engine of monopolizing a wide section of the internet. 

Facebook is also charged with knowingly putting its user's information and metadata at risk, as their lack of privacy has become apparent. An unsecured database server filled with user's personal phone numbers and other data recently had to be taken down by Facebook, giving many concern over the social media behemoth's privacy. "I honestly wasn't aware this number was listed in a database until now and it must be listed elsewhere because you aren't the first reporter to contact me," said one Facebook user who was contacted through a number in this database.

In summation, neither Facebook or Google have been entirely transparent when it comes to their privacy or how they manipulate user's data. Are they engaging in monopolistic activities? In some instances yes, as they have either bought out or neutralized competing sites/services to gain higher ground in the internet. Are respective state governments in the right to question these Silicon Valley tech giants? Also yes, as someone needs to be held accountable for this lack of internet security. 

Photo credit to The Daily Caller
Here is the original article

Earnhardt, Jr., Family Survive Plane Crash in Tennessee

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Family Survive Plane Crash Heading to Bristol Night Race

Photo credit to People.com

Perhaps the most widely known man in NASCAR history had a near-death experience on August 15th. Retired racer-turned-television-broadcaster Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was flying with his family to the Bristol night race in Tennessee on his private jet.

Upon landing at the Elizabethton Municipal Airport, the private jet bounced and skidded on the runway, sliding eerily close to Tennessee Highway 91. Although the jet was quickly engulfed in flames, Earnhardt Jr, wife Amy, daughter Isla Rose, and both pilots all escaped to safety.

With private air travel being an integral part of NASCAR for race teams and broadcast crews alike, moments like this are harrowing reminders of how dangerous flying can be.

Upon the conclusion of the crash landing, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was quickly on the scene to conduct a full investigation. While the process is ongoing, they have determined that the rough landing was caused by a right rear landing gear failure. While the pilots were attempting a 'go around' procedure, the plane bounced twice and slid to a stop in a ditch off the 4,500-foot runway.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., is the son of 7-time NASCAR champion and Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt. Earnhardt, Jr. was a full time NASCAR driver from 1998 until his retirement in 2017. Since 2018, Earnhardt, Jr. has been a booth commentator for NBC Sports' NASCAR coverage. Dale, wife Amy, and their 1-year-old daughter Isla were traveling from their home in North Carolina to the Bristol Night Race in Tennessee.

NBC Sports gave Earnhardt, Jr. the weekend off from broadcasting after he was released from a local hospital. Dale later released that he would spend the upcoming off week to recover and spend more time alone with his family.

Not only will Dale, Jr. be back on the air this weekend, he will also be back on the track. Since his retirement from full time racing in the premier-level Cup Series, Earnhardt, Jr. has made 1 start every year in the second-tier Xfinity Series. He will race this weekend at South Carolina's Darlington Raceway, driving a car that looks like his legendary father's ride from 1976 in the 'Throwback Weekend.'

For those involved in major sports at a professional level, whether competing or broadcasting, private air travel is a key method of transportation. Earnhardt, Jr. and his family were more than lucky to escape this rough landing mostly uninjured, as the photos and videos taken at the scene had many fearing the worst. In due time the NTSB investigation will conclude, and a cause for this crash will be determined.

Photo credit to People.com
Here is the original article.