Apple CEO says social media can divide society

[Ian]

The Verge have an article covering Tim Cook's thoughts on social media and the news - primarily relating to the alleged US "fake news" election interference:

Following a second day of Capitol Hill testimony from members of Google, Facebook, and Twitter, Congress has taken an increasingly aggressive and adversarial stance on Silicon Valley’s ability to reign in the abuse of its products and keep them free of bad actors and foreign governments. In the past couple of months, it’s been revealed that Russia-linked advertising was prevalent in Google search and YouTube ads, as well on both Facebook and Twitter’s ad platforms. And in the past week, following the disclosure of new reports from all three tech companies, we know these ads reached many more users than previously thought, in some cases having more than 10 times the initial reported impact.

Read the rest here:
https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/1/...ook-fake-news-russia-election-ad-interference

 

[muckshifter]

If the local Vicar said something in a sermon, it was true.

If it's on the front page of a Newspaper, it's true.

If it's on your Phone, it's just got to be true ... it's smart, innit.

 

[nivrip]

"Nobody believes the official spokesman... but everybody trusts an unidentified source." Anon.

 

[floppybootstomp]

One thing about Social Media - prior to communicating online you were friends with lots of people in real life. Having taken part 'conversing' with those same people in Faceache, Twatter et al you become aware of their political and religious views.

Result: Either loss of friends or a distinct frostiness to some people and from some people when meeting their flesh and blood.

'You don't honestly believe that do you?'

 

[nivrip]

There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.

Soren Kierkegaard 1813-1855