IT & Technology News
Reporting on information technology, cybersecurity, and tech policy. The Daily Signal includes analysis, commentary, and opinion on technology’s impact.
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news
Here Are 2 of the Russian-Bought Facebook Ads That ‘Helped Sway the Election’
Sen. Christopher Coons, D-Del., shared two Russian-bought Facebook ads Tuesday during a congressional hearing on the foreign adversary’s attempts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election. One post, published by a page called “Being Patriotic,” promoted an apparently phony event in Pennsylvania for “Miners for Trump” and advocated coal-mining jobs. Another alleged that former Secretary… -
opinion
Must-See Moments: Why Isn’t the Mainstream Media Covering Uranium One?
The Daily Signal’s Facebook Live show “Top 10” features the top news stories of the week, many of which often go underreported or misreported by the mainstream media. This week, Facebook censored conservative Phil Robertson’s video that shows him field dressing a duck because it was too “graphic” and “violent.” The left just doesn’t want kids… -
news
Facebook’s Newest Move Could Be Catastrophic for Publishers
Facebook is experimenting with the prospect of removing nonpromoted posts from users’ news feed, meaning smaller organizations that rely on the social media platform for free advertising and engagement may soon be cut off. The change would make the main news feed consist of both friends’ and sponsored posts, respectively, while a separate feed would… -
news
Facebook Censors His Conservative Posts, Retired Accountant Contends
A retired accountant says Facebook has suspended and otherwise censored him multiple times since the 2016 presidential campaign for posting certain conservative content. Allen Muench, 62, a resident of St. Louis, Missouri, said he spends much of his time running a conservative Facebook page that often supports President Donald Trump and is critical of liberals…. -
opinion
What These 2 Ohio Lawmakers Are Doing to Kill Colleges’ Censorship
The storm of censorship on college campuses continues to swirl around the country. In just the past two weeks, students in Texas sought to shout down an invited speaker, and Oregon students silenced their own college president. But on college campuses and in state legislatures, defenders of free speech are pushing back. With some adjustment,… -
opinion
Russia Used Facebook Ads to Wield Influence in America. We Need Greater Transparency.
The social media giant Facebook has finally acknowledged that it became a tool in Russian influence operations in the U.S. presidential election. On Monday, congressional investigators were given access to the some 3,000 Facebook ads bought by Russian troll farms and front companies, according to Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. As such, Facebook will… -
news
Jeff Sessions Calls Out College Censorship, Vows to Defend Free Speech
Attorney General Jeff Sessions named names Tuesday in criticizing colleges and universities across the country that censor free speech by students and visitors. Sessions specified problems restricting the First Amendment at Middlebury College in Vermont, University of California, Berkeley, Los Angeles Pierce College, and Kellogg Community College in Michigan. “Freedom of thought and speech on… -
opinion
Mainstream Media: Trump’s Reaction to Hurricane Harvey Lacks ‘Empathy’
Every week, The Daily Signal’s Facebook show “Problematic Women” highlights strong conservative women, current events, and the hypocrisy of the “feminist” left. This week we’re highlighting some of the more outrageous reactions to Hurricane Harvey, including this idea that President Donald Trump lacked “empathy.” Instead of focusing on Hurricane Harvey victims, the mainstream media viciously attacked… -
opinion
Here Are Some Key Ways the Mainstream Media Distorts the Truth
“Our leading media” are characterized by “indefensibly corrupt manipulations of language repeated incessantly.” Patrick Lawrence in The Nation, Aug. 9, on the media’s reporting of the alleged collusion between Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia. To understand America’s crises today, one must first understand what has happened to two institutions: the university and the news media…. -
news
Late Night Joins Mainstream Media in Attacking Trump
Mainstream media’s not alone in attacking President Donald Trump. Late night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, James Corden, Stephen Colbert, and Jim Jefferies have joined in this week. Meanwhile, cities across the country are bracing for the “apocalypse,” formerly known as the solar eclipse. Every week, The Daily Signal’s Facebook Live show “Top 10” features the top… -
opinion
How the Mainstream Media Gets Hate Wrong
We have a problem in the United States with hate. We saw this last week in Charlottesville, whether it be racism or anti-Semitism, whether it be the KKK or neo-Nazi. Those are hate groups, and they have no place in the United States and they should be condemned without mincing words without any equivocation. But… -
opinion
Is Google Right About Gender?
Google fired software engineer James Damore for writing a 10-page memo critical of the company’s diversity policy. The memo violated the company’s code of conduct by “advancing harmful gender stereotypes” by suggesting that biological factors were part of the cause for the male/female gap in the tech industry. I shall make the case that Google’s… -
news
James Damore: ‘Certain Dogmas You Can’t Dissent Against at Google’
Google officials did not tell him what was incorrect in his research-based observations about men and women before firing him, software engineer James Damore said in an interview Monday night on Fox News Channel. Instead, Damore told Tucker Carlson, colleagues tried to “shame” him amid “huge, emotional outrage” rather than discuss the 10-page memo he… -
opinion
Google Employee Goes to the Chopping Block for Sharing Politically Incorrect Memo
Silicon Valley prides itself on diversity, tolerance, and an adherence to science-based politics. But woe to you if you work for one of the booming tech corridor’s top companies and profess anything other than region’s narrowly constructed political ideology. At least, that’s the message Google sent its employees after firing a top programmer for challenging… -
opinion
Why Did Google Freak Out and Fire an Employee for Spurring ‘Honest Discussion’?
The tolerance police at Google just struck another blow against increasing diversity in Silicon Valley by firing an employee who wrote a memo critiquing the company’s politically correct culture. Now, let’s be clear: While the Google software engineer who authored the memo had the right to say and write what he did—it’s called free speech—Google… -
news
Female Leaders Say Google ‘Intolerant’ in Firing Engineer for Memo on Gender Differences
Women in leadership roles are among those expressing disappointment that tech giant Google fired a senior software engineer for writing and distributing a memo ruminating on evidence that men and women are different. Heather Mac Donald, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and contributing editor to City Journal, told The Daily Signal in an email… -
news
Why Google Wants to Help Law Enforcement Access Personal Data on the Internet
The challenges of the digital age warrant an updated international legal framework for governments to access important data, Google’s top lawyer argues. Democratic governments and communications companies should work together to simplify data access processes while protecting privacy rights on the internet, Kent Walker said in a speech at The Heritage Foundation. Walker, senior vice… -
opinion
Ukraine Was Hit by a Massive Cyberattack. Why the US Must Keep Up Support for This Key Ally.
Large-scale cyberattacks against Ukraine on Tuesday reportedly hit government ministries, including the Cabinet of Ministers, several banks, a state power distributor, the Ukrainian postal service, a state-run aircraft manufacturer, and Boryspil airport in Kyiv, among other targets. The cyberattacks have also affected companies outside of Ukraine, including an advertising firm in the United Kingdom; Maersk,… -
opinion
The European Commission Just Fined Google $2.7 Billion. Such Foreign Antitrust Attacks Threaten US Innovation and Prosperity.
On June 27, the European Commission—Europe’s antitrust enforcer—fined Google over $2.7 billion for a supposed violation of European antitrust law that bestowed benefits, not harm, on consumers. And that’s just for starters. The commission is vigorously pursuing other antitrust investigations of Google that could lead to the imposition of billions of dollars in additional fines… -
opinion
How New Social Media Background Checks Could Enhance Homeland Security
Terrorist travel just got a little bit harder, as selected visa applicants are now being asked to turn over their social media information to State Department officials. While this new process is only expected to impact 0.5 percent, or 65,000 of the 13 million annual visa applications to the U.S., it still presents questions of…