discoveryinstitute--2020-07-30--Charges Reveal Extent of China-Sponsored Hacking in the West

COVID-19 has led to a large uptick in cyber espionage .
Last May , I reported on the joint statements from the U.S. and the U.K. , formally accusing China , Russia , and Iran of trying to hack into Covid-19 research institutions .
Now the U.S. Department of Justice has accused two Chinese nationals of hacking into various U.S. departments over the past decade , including Covid-19 vaccine research facilities .
Li Xiaoyu and Dong Jiazhi have been charged with identity theft , conspiracy to commit wire fraud , and violating anti-hacking laws ( BBC , July 21 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students are believed to have worked with the Guangdong State Security Department of the Ministry of State Security , China ’ s secretive international intelligence department .
According to the FBI ’ s media release , they also worked independently for their own financial gain .
Li and Dong ’ s targets are said to have included “ companies engaged in high-tech manufacturing , pharmaceuticals , and gaming software development ” and “ dissidents , clergy and human rights activists in the United States , China , and Hong Kong ” : They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerabilities in research firms working on Covid-19 in Australia , Belgium , Germany , Japan , Lithuania , the Netherlands , Spain , Sweden , and the U.K. , as well as the U.S .
This is the first time the U.S. has accused the Chinese government of sheltering and working with known cybercriminals .
The indictment cites eleven counts of hacking and fraud that began a decade ago .
But the focus seems to have shifted recently to companies known to be working on COVID-19 research , including biotechnology firms in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Virginia , and Massachusetts .
That was , however , only a small fraction of Li and Dong ’ s work .
Wired catalogs some of Li and Dong ’ s biggest thefts : Notably , many of the industries targeted by Li and Dong were specified in the CCP ’ s “ Made in China 2025 ” initiative to turn China into a high-tech manufacturer .
Neither Chinese cyber espionage nor attempts by foreign powers to hack into COVID-19 research facilities are a surprise .
Two weeks ago , the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of trying to steal information on COVID-19 vaccine research .
Last May , the U.S. accused China of endangering COVID-19 vaccine research .
Iran is also known to have tried to hack U.S.-based Gilead Sciences Inc , which had been researching a COVID-19 vaccine : Two other cybersecurity researchers confirmed that the attacks came from Iran .
What ’ s new about this most recent indictment of Li and Dong is the acknowledgment that China is working with known cybercriminals .
China also uses the intellectual property that it steals as leverage to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich told media recently : FBI Director Christopher Wray also told the BBC that the FBI is opening a new China-related counterintelligence case every 10 hours : “ Of the nearly 5,000 active counterintelligence cases currently underway across the country , almost half are related to China ” ( BBC , July 21 , 2020 ) .
Aside from hacking into COVID-19 research , Chinese hackers have also been using methods used by state-sponsored hackers to infiltrate the Vatican ’ s network since May , according to U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specifically targeted the Catholic diocese of Hong Kong , including the head of the Hong Kong Study Mission .
China and the Vatican are set to renew their 2018 agreement in September 2020 .
China denies all allegations of state-sponsored hacking or hiring cybercriminals .
However , the Chinese Communist party ( CCP ) is not winning many allies with its Wolf Warrior strategy and cyber theft .
The basic strategy has been described as rob , replicate , and replace , that is , the CCP first robs other countries of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replicate it , and finally replace it with their own technology .
We saw this happen with facial recognition technology .
China is thought to be seeking to replicate U.S. DNA forensic technology as well , for the purpose of collecting DNA from tens of millions of men and boys .
Perhaps China senses a need to move quickly in these matters .
Its clout has been waning on the global stage .
Britain has changed its mind about working with Huawei ’ s 5G network , and a number of parliamentary democracies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The CCP might want to keep in mind an ancient proverb : He who rides a tiger can never dismount .
Also by Heather Zeiger on hacking and China : The new cyber Cold War with China : Cybersecurity strategist Peter Singer told Wired that there has never been a better time than the COVID-19 pandemic to be a government hacker .
The Age of the Wolf Warrior : China ’ s post-pandemic strategy : The younger diplomats take their cue from a Chinese Rambo-style movie and the rewritten history they learned at @ @

COVID-19 has led to a large uptick in cyber espionage. Last May, I reported on the joint statements from the U.S. and the U.K., formally accusing China, Russia, and Iran of trying to hack into Covid-19 research institutions.
Now the U.S. Department of Justice has accused two Chinese nationals of hacking into various U.S. departments over the past decade, including Covid-19 vaccine research facilities. Li Xiaoyu and Dong Jiazhi have been charged with identity theft, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and violating anti-hacking laws (BBC, July 21, 2020). The former electrical engineering students are believed to have worked with the Guangdong State Security Department of the Ministry of State Security, China’s secretive international intelligence department. According to the FBI’s media release, they also worked independently for their own financial gain.
Li and Dong’s targets are said to have included “companies engaged in high-tech manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and gaming software development” and “dissidents, clergy and human rights activists in the United States, China, and Hong Kong”:
“China has now taken its place, alongside Russia, Iran and North Korea, in that shameful club of nations that provide a safe haven for cybercriminals in exchange for those criminals being ‘on call’ to work for the benefit of the state, here to feed the Chinese Communist Party’s insatiable hunger for American and other non-Chinese companies’ hard-earned intellectual property, including covid-19 research,” said John C. Demers, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. He called the accused hackers “a prolific threat to U.S. and foreign networks.” Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett, “U.S. Accuses China of Sponsoring Criminal Hackers Targeting Coronavirus Vaccine Research” at The Washington Post (July 21, 2020)
They are also believed to have exploited software vulnerabilities in research firms working on Covid-19 in Australia, Belgium, Germany, Japan, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the U.K., as well as the U.S.
This is the first time the U.S. has accused the Chinese government of sheltering and working with known cybercriminals. The indictment cites eleven counts of hacking and fraud that began a decade ago. But the focus seems to have shifted recently to companies known to be working on COVID-19 research, including biotechnology firms in California, Maryland, Washington State, Texas, Virginia, and Massachusetts. That was, however, only a small fraction of Li and Dong’s work. Wired catalogs some of Li and Dong’s biggest thefts:
They allegedly stole 200GB from a California firm, including radio, laser, and antennae technology. Another 140GB from a Virginia defense contractor, comprising both details of projects for the US Air Force and the personal information of hundreds of employees and contractors. Over a terabyte of data from a mechanical engineering company at work on high-efficiency gas turbines. Not to mention a hit list that included multiple videogame and pharmaceutical companies, an educational software firm, Covid-19 research, and hundreds of other victims worldwide.” Brian Barrett, “Chinese Hackers Charged in Decade-Long Crime and Spying Spree” at Wired (July 21, 2020)
Notably, many of the industries targeted by Li and Dong were specified in the CCP’s “Made in China 2025” initiative to turn China into a high-tech manufacturer.
Neither Chinese cyber espionage nor attempts by foreign powers to hack into COVID-19 research facilities are a surprise. Two weeks ago, the U.S., U.K., and Canada accused Russia of trying to steal information on COVID-19 vaccine research. Last May, the U.S. accused China of endangering COVID-19 vaccine research.
Iran is also known to have tried to hack U.S.-based Gilead Sciences Inc, which had been researching a COVID-19 vaccine:
In one case, a fake email login page designed to steal passwords was sent in April to a top Gilead executive involved in legal and corporate affairs, according to an archived version on a website used to scan for malicious web addresses. Reuters was not able to determine whether the attack was successful. Ohad Zaidenberg, lead intelligence researcher at Israeli cybersecurity firm ClearSky, who closely tracks Iranian hacking activity and has investigated the attacks, said the attempt was part of an effort by an Iranian group to compromise email accounts of staff at the company using messages that impersonated journalists. Jack Stubbs, Christopher Bing, “Exclusive: Iran-Linked Hackers Recently Targeted Coronavirus Drugmaker Gilead–Sources” at Reuters (May 8, 2020)
Two other cybersecurity researchers confirmed that the attacks came from Iran.
What’s new about this most recent indictment of Li and Dong is the acknowledgment that China is working with known cybercriminals. China also uses the intellectual property that it steals as leverage to silence countries that call out its actions. FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich told media recently:
China steals intellectual property and research, which bolsters its economy. And then they use that illicit gain as a weapon to silence any country that would dare challenge their illegal actions. This type of economic coercion isn’t what we expect from a trusted world leader. It’s what we expect from an organized criminal syndicate. News, “FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich’s Remarks at Press Conference Announcing Charges Against Chinese Hackers” at FBI (July 21, 2020)
FBI Director Christopher Wray also told the BBC that the FBI is opening a new China-related counterintelligence case every 10 hours: “Of the nearly 5,000 active counterintelligence cases currently underway across the country, almost half are related to China” (BBC, July 21, 2020).
Aside from hacking into COVID-19 research, Chinese hackers have also been using methods used by state-sponsored hackers to infiltrate the Vatican’s network since May, according to U.S. cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. The hackers specifically targeted the Catholic diocese of Hong Kong, including the head of the Hong Kong Study Mission. China and the Vatican are set to renew their 2018 agreement in September 2020.
China denies all allegations of state-sponsored hacking or hiring cybercriminals.
However, the Chinese Communist party (CCP) is not winning many allies with its Wolf Warrior strategy and cyber theft. The basic strategy has been described as rob, replicate, and replace, that is, the CCP first robs other countries of their intellectual property and technology, then they replicate it, and finally replace it with their own technology. We saw this happen with facial recognition technology. China is thought to be seeking to replicate U.S. DNA forensic technology as well, for the purpose of collecting DNA from tens of millions of men and boys.
Perhaps China senses a need to move quickly in these matters. Its clout has been waning on the global stage. Britain has changed its mind about working with Huawei’s 5G network, and a number of parliamentary democracies are banding together to protect themselves. The CCP might want to keep in mind an ancient proverb: He who rides a tiger can never dismount.
Also by Heather Zeiger on hacking and China:
The new cyber Cold War with China: Cybersecurity strategist Peter Singer told Wired that there has never been a better time than the COVID-19 pandemic to be a government hacker.
and
The Age of the Wolf Warrior: China’s post-pandemic strategy: The younger diplomats take their cue from a Chinese Rambo-style movie and the rewritten history they learned at school.


discoveryinstitute--2020-07-31--The Crisis of Big Tech: The US and China | Bob Kelly COSM Interview

Jay Richards interviews Dr. Bob Kelly , Managing Partner of Ignition Partners , about the panel he moderated titled , @ @ @ @ @ Tech : The US and China.
” The panel explored the technological competition between the @ @ @ @ @ it means for the future , and presented differing schools of thought on how the @ @ @ @ @ moving forward .
COSM is an exclusive national summit on the converging technologies remaking the @ @ @ @ @ .
Learn more at https : //cosm.technology/ .
And , watch all of the conference @ @ @ @ @ , Ray Kurzweil and George Gilder .
Get access here with a virtual ticket .

Jay Richards interviews Dr. Bob Kelly, Managing Partner of Ignition Partners, about the panel he moderated titled, “The Crisis of Big Tech: The US and China.” The panel explored the technological competition between the U.S. and China, what it means for the future, and presented differing schools of thought on how the United States should approach China moving forward.
COSM is an exclusive national summit on the converging technologies remaking the world as we know it.
Learn more at cosm.technology. And, watch all of the conference sessions including keynotes Peter Thiel, Ray Kurzweil and George Gilder. Get access here with a virtual ticket.


discoveryinstitute--2020-07-31--Something Is Missing from Bronx Zoo’s Apology

Better late than never , the Bronx Zoo yesterday apologized for imprisoning an African Pygmy , Ota Benga , as a display in its Monkey House in 1906 .
They left something out , though .
But first , why did they choose this moment ?
From Fox News : Did the impact of the multiple awards-winning documentary Human Zoos , by Discovery Institute ’ s John West , now with 2.5 million views and powerfully documenting the horrific episode and others like it , play any role ?
They don ’ t say .
We ’ re supposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 125th anniversary of the zoo ’ s opening combined with Black Lives Matter protests , that prompted them to start “ digging into ” the zoo ’ s history .
Well , fine .
Let them save a bit of face .
It ’ s commendable , too , that they admit the role of “ pseudoscientific racism ” and eugenics in the story of Ota Benga , his humiliation and dehumanization .
From the zoo ’ s statement : What ’ s missing , and it ’ s not fine , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came from .
What was the nature , the content , of the “ pseudoscientific racism ” that motivated Ota Benga ’ s treatment ?
To be accurate , the racism wasn ’ t “ eugenics-based ” it was “ evolution-based.
” That is left out .
Imprisoning and displaying an African man in a zoo was not an experiment in eugenics , although that phony “ science ” was in vogue at the time at the institutions of higher learning where today woke students and faculty lecture the country about its systemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle , featured a display of supposedly primitive native people from the Philippines , the Igorot .
The 1909 Exposition grounds became the campus of the University of Washington , from which professor and “ white fragility ” expert Robin DiAngelo now holds forth .
Background like this never seems to make the cut .
The truth is that placing a man in the Monkey House was intended as an education for the public in Darwinian evolution .
As John West has said , Ota Benga was “ only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were put on display in America in the name of Darwinian evolution.
” Though its article yesterday forgets to mention it ( “ Racist Incident from Bronx Zoo ’ s Past Draws Apology ” ) , the New York Times understood that clearly in 1906 .
Brushing aside protests from black clergymen that the African should be given an education not put in the cage , the newspaper explained : The suggestion that Benga should be placed in a school instead of a cage ignores the high probability that school would be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from which he could draw no advantage whatever .
The idea that men are all much alike except as they have had or lacked opportunities for getting an education out of books is now far out of date .
In other words , “ Listen to the science !
” In fact , racial hierarchy was hailed as solid science at the time .
The Times continued , The New York Times remains as haughty and scolding as it was 114 years ago .
But they were right that evolution was ( and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all the schools , ” as if it were as unquestionable as “ the multiplication table.
” The high school textbook at the center of the Scopes Trial in 1925 , Civic Biology , informed students about the ranking of the human races , with the “ Ethiopian or negro type ” at the bottom , as a straightforward conclusion of evolutionary science .
Facing up to history , not tearing it down or hiding from its lessons , is necessary and healthy .
The Bronx Zoo has gone a step in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way .
They still shy from laying a hand on Darwinian theory .
That would be going too far .
The New York Times , in examining its own part in the same story , hasn ’ t even taken a step .

Photo: Bronx Zoo, Monkey House, by Antigng / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Better late than never, the Bronx Zoo yesterday apologized for imprisoning an African Pygmy, Ota Benga, as a display in its Monkey House in 1906. They left something out, though. But first, why did they choose this moment? From Fox News:
The chief executive of the [Wildlife Conservation Society], Cristián Samper, told the [New York] Times that the group had started digging into its history because of its 125th anniversary this year. Samper said that process, combined with conversations about racial injustice sweeping the country after the police killing of George Floyd, prompted the apology.
Did the impact of the multiple awards-winning documentary Human Zoos, by Discovery Institute’s John West, now with 2.5 million views and powerfully documenting the horrific episode and others like it, play any role? They don’t say. We’re supposed to believe it was sheer coincidence, the 125th anniversary of the zoo’s opening combined with Black Lives Matter protests, that prompted them to start “digging into” the zoo’s history.
Saving Face
Well, fine. Let them save a bit of face. It’s commendable, too, that they admit the role of “pseudoscientific racism” and eugenics in the story of Ota Benga, his humiliation and dehumanization. From the zoo’s statement:
Specifically, we denounce the eugenics-based, pseudoscientific racism, writings, and philosophies advanced by many people during that era, including two of our founders, Madison Grant and Henry Fairfield Osborn, Sr. Excerpts from Grant’s book “The Passing of the Great Race” (with a preface by Osborn), were included in a defense exhibit for one of the defendants in the Nuremberg trials. Grant and Osborn were likewise among the founders of the American Eugenics Society in 1926.
What’s missing, and it’s not fine, is any mention of where these evil ideas came from. What was the nature, the content, of the “pseudoscientific racism” that motivated Ota Benga’s treatment? To be accurate, the racism wasn’t “eugenics-based” it was “evolution-based.” That is left out.
Candid and Shocking
For a candid and shocking treatment, I suggest watching Human Zoos.
Imprisoning and displaying an African man in a zoo was not an experiment in eugenics, although that phony “science” was in vogue at the time at the institutions of higher learning where today woke students and faculty lecture the country about its systemic racism. One human zoo, at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle, featured a display of supposedly primitive native people from the Philippines, the Igorot. The 1909 Exposition grounds became the campus of the University of Washington, from which professor and “white fragility” expert Robin DiAngelo now holds forth. Background like this never seems to make the cut.
The truth is that placing a man in the Monkey House was intended as an education for the public in Darwinian evolution. As John West has said, Ota Benga was “only one of thousands of indigenous peoples who were put on display in America in the name of Darwinian evolution.”
They Forgot to Mention
Though its article yesterday forgets to mention it (“Racist Incident from Bronx Zoo’s Past Draws Apology”), the New York Times understood that clearly in 1906. Brushing aside protests from black clergymen that the African should be given an education not put in the cage, the newspaper explained:
The suggestion that Benga should be placed in a school instead of a cage ignores the high probability that school would be a place of torture to him and one from which he could draw no advantage whatever. The idea that men are all much alike except as they have had or lacked opportunities for getting an education out of books is now far out of date.
In other words, “Listen to the science!” In fact, racial hierarchy was hailed as solid science at the time. The Times continued,
[T]he reverend colored brothers should be told that evolution, in one form or another, is now taught in the textbooks of all the schools, that it is no more debatable than the multiplication table.
Some Things Never Change
The New York Times remains as haughty and scolding as it was 114 years ago. But they were right that evolution was (and is) “taught in the textbooks of all the schools,” as if it were as unquestionable as “the multiplication table.” The high school textbook at the center of the Scopes Trial in 1925, Civic Biology, informed students about the ranking of the human races, with the “Ethiopian or negro type” at the bottom, as a straightforward conclusion of evolutionary science.
Facing up to history, not tearing it down or hiding from its lessons, is necessary and healthy. The Bronx Zoo has gone a step in that direction, but not the whole way. They still shy from laying a hand on Darwinian theory. That would be going too far. The New York Times, in examining its own part in the same story, hasn’t even taken a step.


discoveryinstitute--2020-07-31--The Crisis of Big Tech: The US and China

Jay Richards interviews Dr. Bob Kelly , Managing Partner of Ignition Partners , about the panel he moderated titled , @ @ @ @ @ Tech : The US and China.
” The panel explored the technological competition between the @ @ @ @ @ it means for the future , and presented differing schools of thought on how the @ @ @ @ @ moving forward .
COSM is an exclusive national summit on the converging technologies remaking the @ @ @ @ @ .
Learn more at cosm.technology .
And , watch all of the conference sessions including @ @ @ @ @ Kurzweil and George Gilder .
Get access here with a virtual ticket .


discoveryinstitute--2020-08-07--Does More People Equal More Abundance? The Myth of Economic Scarcity

Economist Gale Pooley challenges the conventional wisdom that we are using up our resources and heading towards what economist Paul Ehrlich called “ The Population Bomb.
” Jay Richards interviews Dr. Pooley , Professor of Economics at BYU-Hawaii , about the myth of economic scarcity .
In fact , more people equals more abundance , not less .
While every person born adds another mouth to feed , it also adds two hands and trillions of brain cells .
Dr. Gale L. Pooley is an associate professor of business management at Brigham Young University-Hawaii .
He also has taught economics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Saudi Arabia , Brigham Young University-Idaho , Boise State University , and the College of Idaho .
Dr. Pooley holds professional designation from the Appraisal Institute , the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and the CCIM Institute .
He earned his BBA in Economics at Boise State University , did graduate work at Montana State University and completed his PhD at the University of Idaho .
His dissertation topic was on the Knowledge Acquisition Preferences of the CEOs of the Inc. 500 .
In 1986 he founded Analytix Group , a real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Group has performed over 4,000 appraisals in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia .
COSM is an exclusive national summit on the converging technologies remaking the world as we know it .
Learn more at https : //cosm.technology/ .
And , watch all of the conference sessions including keynotes Peter Thiel , Ray Kurzweil and George Gilder .
Get access here with a virtual ticket .

Economist Gale Pooley challenges the conventional wisdom that we are using up our resources and heading towards what economist Paul Ehrlich called “The Population Bomb.” Jay Richards interviews Dr. Pooley, Professor of Economics at BYU-Hawaii, about the myth of economic scarcity. In fact, more people equals more abundance, not less. While every person born adds another mouth to feed, it also adds two hands and trillions of brain cells.
Dr. Gale L. Pooley is an associate professor of business management at Brigham Young University-Hawaii. He also has taught economics and statistics at Alfaisal University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Brigham Young University-Idaho, Boise State University, and the College of Idaho. Dr. Pooley holds professional designation from the Appraisal Institute, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and the CCIM Institute. He earned his BBA in Economics at Boise State University, did graduate work at Montana State University and completed his PhD at the University of Idaho. His dissertation topic was on the Knowledge Acquisition Preferences of the CEOs of the Inc. 500. In 1986 he founded Analytix Group, a real estate valuation and consulting firm. Analytix Group has performed over 4,000 appraisals in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.
COSM is an exclusive national summit on the converging technologies remaking the world as we know it.
Learn more at https://cosm.technology/. And, watch all of the conference sessions including keynotes Peter Thiel, Ray Kurzweil and George Gilder. Get access here with a virtual ticket.


discoveryinstitute--2020-08-10--How to Teach and Hold Meetings in “Mixed Mode” in the COVID Era

In the current COVID-19 environment , the economy may be opening up but some people are still sick or in quarantine .
They must move from attending meetings in person to attending them online .
This means that more and more meetings are run in a mixed mode — a combination of in-person and online participants .
Many people don ’ t realize that entirely virtual and entirely in-person meetings are both much easier to handle than these newer mixed-mode meetings .
When we hold an in-person meeting with one or two people online , it often happens that either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online — or both — are having a terrible experience .
Oftentimes , the people online do the best they can , but the people in person don ’ t realize that they can ’ t be seen or heard well enough online .
Thus , it ends up being a waste of time for the people online .
On the other hand , the value of attending the meeting in person is greatly reduced if you must constantly speak to the microphone .
In that case , many will think , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in person ?
” In short , simply turning on a “ conferencing ” app on a phone or computer is not good enough for successful mixed-mode meetings .
In our own community , my wife and I have been preparing for mixed-mode conferencing for our homeschooling co-op .
We have vulnerable people who can ’ t attend in-person and we will probably have some who become ill and must attend remotely later .
Therefore , we have been experimenting with low-cost solutions over the summer to make mixed-mode classrooms a blessing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8-12 attendees so our experimentation focused on classes of that size .
The underlying challenge for mixed-mode communication is that most communication devices — cell phones and computers — are optimized for person-to-person communication .
The typical webcam has a very narrow viewport .
If I put such a webcam at the end of a long table , online viewers won ’ t see the people at the table until about halfway down .
You must usually speak directly into a typical microphone to enable it to pick you up .
Even in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really only picks up sound about four feet away .
This is an even bigger problem if you must practise physical distancing ( social distance ) in your classroom .
In any event , most speakerphones aren ’ t loud enough to be heard at any distance .
The two technological fixes we need for a mixed-mode setting are a wide-angle camera and a speakerphone .
Thankfully , you can get technology that works inexpensively nowadays .
Two web cameras I ’ ve been able to test , which worked really well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Spedal 920 Pro Video Conference 120 wide-angle USB webcam .
The Spedal is a somewhat better camera but the INMISS is lower-priced and comes with a mini-tripod ( the Spedal can either be attached to the top of your laptop , or you can buy a mini-tripod separately ) .
If you have either of these cameras at the seat at the end of the table , viewers can see participants in the first seats next to the camera .
For speakerphones , I ’ ve tested out the eMeet M2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performed much better in situations where there was a lot of background noise but the PowerConf offers overall a much better experience , despite costing less than a hundred dollars .
With both of them , participants did not need to speak as if into a microphone — they just spoke normally and the microphone picked them up .
In fact , the PowerConf amplified the speakers so that sometimes they were heard better over the conference audio than in person .
I tested the PowerConf when an elderly gentleman with a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PowerConf picked up his voice perfectly and boosted the volume so that those on the other side heard him very clearly .
The PowerConf picked up normal voice tones from 20 feet away .
Overall , neither speaker system tracked simultaneous talking ( crosstalk ) well .
However , as long as only one person was speaking at a time , both speakerphones performed very well .
The eMeet M2 was better at filtering background noise and had a clearer sound but did not boost or normalize volumes as well .
The Anker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and normalizing volumes so that you picked up everyone clearly no matter where they were speaking from .
But if there was too much background noise , that noise could get boosted as well .
However , the eMeet M2 , probably in an attempt to reduce background noise , would sometimes would cut off someone ’ s last syllable .
If you are holding regular mixed-mode meetings , I would highly recommend getting a speakerphone and a wide-angle camera .
They add only a small amount of complexity to your setup while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and virtual participants .
They don ’ t cost much and your participants will appreciate you for it .
Online conferencing during COVID : The COVID-19 crisis has sparked a demand for online conferences .
Here ’ s how to make it work .
Online Conferences , Part 2 : Conference Personnel How the people who make it happen work their magic .
Also by Jonathan Bartlett : We will never go back to the pre-COVID-19 workplace .
The virus forced us to realize : Staying together apart has never been so easy @

In the current COVID-19 environment, the economy may be opening up but some people are still sick or in quarantine. They must move from attending meetings in person to attending them online. This means that more and more meetings are run in a mixed mode — a combination of in-person and online participants. Many people don’t realize that entirely virtual and entirely in-person meetings are both much easier to handle than these newer mixed-mode meetings.
When we hold an in-person meeting with one or two people online, it often happens that either the people in person or the people online — or both — are having a terrible experience. Oftentimes, the people online do the best they can, but the people in person don’t realize that they can’t be seen or heard well enough online. Thus, it ends up being a waste of time for the people online. On the other hand, the value of attending the meeting in person is greatly reduced if you must constantly speak to the microphone. In that case, many will think, “Why did I bother to show up in person?”
In short, simply turning on a “conferencing” app on a phone or computer is not good enough for successful mixed-mode meetings.
In our own community, my wife and I have been preparing for mixed-mode conferencing for our homeschooling co-op. We have vulnerable people who can’t attend in-person and we will probably have some who become ill and must attend remotely later. Therefore, we have been experimenting with low-cost solutions over the summer to make mixed-mode classrooms a blessing and not a curse. Our classes have 8-12 attendees so our experimentation focused on classes of that size.
The underlying challenge for mixed-mode communication is that most communication devices — cell phones and computers — are optimized for person-to-person communication. The typical webcam has a very narrow viewport. If I put such a webcam at the end of a long table, online viewers won’t see the people at the table until about halfway down. You must usually speak directly into a typical microphone to enable it to pick you up. Even in “speakerphone” mode, its range really only picks up sound about four feet away. This is an even bigger problem if you must practise physical distancing (social distance) in your classroom. In any event, most speakerphones aren’t loud enough to be heard at any distance.
The two technological fixes we need for a mixed-mode setting are a wide-angle camera and a speakerphone. Thankfully, you can get technology that works inexpensively nowadays.
Two web cameras I’ve been able to test, which worked really well, are the INMISS 120° wide-angle USB webcam and the Spedal 920 Pro Video Conference 120 wide-angle USB webcam. The Spedal is a somewhat better camera but the INMISS is lower-priced and comes with a mini-tripod (the Spedal can either be attached to the top of your laptop, or you can buy a mini-tripod separately). If you have either of these cameras at the seat at the end of the table, viewers can see participants in the first seats next to the camera.
For speakerphones, I’ve tested out the eMeet M2 and the Anker PowerConf. The eMeet performed much better in situations where there was a lot of background noise but the PowerConf offers overall a much better experience, despite costing less than a hundred dollars. With both of them, participants did not need to speak as if into a microphone — they just spoke normally and the microphone picked them up. In fact, the PowerConf amplified the speakers so that sometimes they were heard better over the conference audio than in person.
I tested the PowerConf when an elderly gentleman with a very weak voice simply spoke normally. The PowerConf picked up his voice perfectly and boosted the volume so that those on the other side heard him very clearly. The PowerConf picked up normal voice tones from 20 feet away.
Overall, neither speaker system tracked simultaneous talking (crosstalk) well. However, as long as only one person was speaking at a time, both speakerphones performed very well. The eMeet M2 was better at filtering background noise and had a clearer sound but did not boost or normalize volumes as well. The Anker PowerConf did a great job of boosting and normalizing volumes so that you picked up everyone clearly no matter where they were speaking from. But if there was too much background noise, that noise could get boosted as well. However, the eMeet M2, probably in an attempt to reduce background noise, would sometimes would cut off someone’s last syllable.
If you are holding regular mixed-mode meetings, I would highly recommend getting a speakerphone and a wide-angle camera. They add only a small amount of complexity to your setup while exponentially increasing the experience of both in-person and virtual participants. They don’t cost much and your participants will appreciate you for it.
Further resources:
Online conferencing during COVID: The COVID-19 crisis has sparked a demand for online conferences. Here’s how to make it work.
Online Conferences, Part 2: Conference Personnel How the people who make it happen work their magic.
Also by Jonathan Bartlett: We will never go back to the pre-COVID-19 workplace. The virus forced us to realize: Staying together apart has never been so easy.


Electrify Sea-Tac

As a center of mobility for air and ground transportation , Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and the surrounding communities are poised to become a clean energy hub , building on decades of environmental stewardship .
Join the ACES Northwest Network and partners for this exciting look inside what ’ s happening in the world of electric aircraft , shared-ride transportation services , and community energy services .
Public-private partnerships and goal-oriented collaboration among diverse groups of stakeholders are the keys to harnessing the transformative power of cost-effective renewable energy .
The result is that solutions to our world ’ s biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Pacific Northwest !
This webinar is made possible by the generous support of ACES Northwest Network members , including Puget Sound Energy , Lyft , and Battery Renewal Systems .
Our partners include the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce , the Pacific Northwest Economic Region , and the Cascade Chapter of the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International .
The ACES Northwest Network , a program of the Cascadia Center for Regional Development , is a unique collective working to bring Automated , Connected , Electric , and Shared vehicle technologies to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northwest Network Seminar Series is devoted to telling the story of transformative mobility that is already happening through the Autonomous , Connected , Electric , and Shared revolution

As a center of mobility for air and ground transportation, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and the surrounding communities are poised to become a clean energy hub, building on decades of environmental stewardship. Join the ACES Northwest Network and partners for this exciting look inside what’s happening in the world of electric aircraft, shared-ride transportation services, and community energy services. Public-private partnerships and goal-oriented collaboration among diverse groups of stakeholders are the keys to harnessing the transformative power of cost-effective renewable energy. The result is that solutions to our world’s biggest challenges are being created right here in the Pacific Northwest!
Agenda


discoveryinstitute--2020-07-23--The Bill Walton Show: Why Ayn Rand Matters Today with Tal Tsfany

Many of us have read Ayn Rand ’ s novels especially , “ Atlas Shrugged ” and the “ Fountainhead.
@ @ @ @ @ surprised to learn how her ideas and philosophy have continued to resonate throughout the world @ @ @ @ @ were first published .
To learn more about this I asked Tal Tsfany , President @ @ @ @ @ Rand Institute to come on the show to talk about the Ayn Rand phenomena .
@ @ @ @ @ personal story having been an software entrepreneur , investor and executive in both Israel and @ @ @ @ @ a fascinating conversation we talk both about Ayn Rand ’ s ideas and Tal ’ @ @ @ @ @ philosophy .

Many of us have read Ayn Rand’s novels especially, “Atlas Shrugged” and the “Fountainhead.”
But I have been surprised to learn how her ideas and philosophy have continued to resonate throughout the world many years after her novels were first published.
To learn more about this I asked Tal Tsfany, President and CEO of the Ayn Rand Institute to come on the show to talk about the Ayn Rand phenomena.
Mr. Tsfany has a great personal story having been an software entrepreneur, investor and executive in both Israel and the United States.
In a fascinating conversation we talk both about Ayn Rand’s ideas and Tal’s personal journey toward her philosophy.


discoveryinstitute--2020-08-13--Marxism at the Barricades with Dr. Carlo Lancellotti

Dr. Lancellotti is a professor of mathematics at CUNY Staten Island and the foremost translator of 20th-century Italian political philosopher @ @ @ @ @ wrote ” The Crisis of Modernity ” and ” The Age of Secularization.
” In @ @ @ @ @ Research Fellow Chris Rufo will talk with Dr. Lancellotti about the resurgence of Marxism in @ @ @ @ @ rise of radical politics in America , and the recent George Floyd riots .
He @ @ @ @ @ intelligent voices in the world about the ideological history of the left — and how @ @ @ @ @ premises .

Dr. Lancellotti is a professor of mathematics at CUNY Staten Island and the foremost translator of 20th-century Italian political philosopher Augusto Del Noce, who wrote ”The Crisis of Modernity” and ”The Age of Secularization.”
In our webinar, Discovery Institute Research Fellow Chris Rufo will talk with Dr. Lancellotti about the resurgence of Marxism in the Western world, the rise of radical politics in America, and the recent George Floyd riots. He is one of the most intelligent voices in the world about the ideological history of the left — and how we can contest its false premises.


discoveryinstitute--2020-08-14--AI’s Role in Unlocking Human Potential

AI’s Role in Unlocking Human Potential

A panel of artificial intelligence ( AI ) experts explore the limits , opportunities , and threats posed by artificial @ @ @ @ @ AI can replicate or exceed human knowledge and creativity , the implications for the workforce @ @ @ @ @ career opportunities created by artificial intelligence , and whether AI and humanity merge at some @ @ @ @ @ COSM is an exclusive national summit on the converging technologies remaking the world as we @ @ @ @ @ at https : //cosm.technology/ .
And , watch all of the conference sessions including keynotes @ @ @ @ @ and George Gilder .
Get access here with a virtual ticket .

A panel of artificial intelligence (AI) experts explore the limits, opportunities, and threats posed by artificial intelligence. They discuss whether AI can replicate or exceed human knowledge and creativity, the implications for the workforce, the new business and career opportunities created by artificial intelligence, and whether AI and humanity merge at some point in the future.
COSM is an exclusive national summit on the converging technologies remaking the world as we know it.
Learn more at https://cosm.technology/. And, watch all of the conference sessions including keynotes Peter Thiel, Ray Kurzweil and George Gilder. Get access here with a virtual ticket.


discoveryinstitute--2020-08-14--Crushing the Barbarians Inside the Gates

More and more Americans in denial are being forced to face the reality that their country is on verge of being lost , with the barbarians not only inside the gates , but driving policy for the rest of us .
When Democrat mayor after mayor bends to the demands of Black Lives Matter ( BLM ) to defund their police in the aftermath of violent protests , property destruction , and looting , locals freak out knowing that bad actors will be emboldened and violence will escalate .
BLM doesn ’ t even try to hide that its leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become a paramilitary wing of the Democrat Party .
BLM has received millions of dollars through the Act Blue online fundraising interface , the same portal used by the Democrat Party .
So how is it that almost every week there are dozens of black-on-black murders in American cities with little or no media attention , but the death of one black man , George Floyd , at the hands of a white cop in Minneapolis causes half a million people to protest in nearly 550 cities in nearly every state within 48 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firm , Civis Analytics , between 15 and 25 million people in the United States participated in protests associated with BLM in the aftermath of George Floyd ’ s death .
How is such a phenomenon possible ?
It is the result of an America that has been demoralized from poisonous seeds planted for decades starting 50 and 60-plus years ago by cultural Marxists , whose main roots trace back to the Institute of Social Research at Frankfurt University in Germany .
When Hitler came to power in 1933 , the key leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” such as Herbert Marcuse , Eric Fromm , Theodor Adorno , Max Horkeimer , and Wilhelm Reich , fled to the United States , where they worked themselves into professorships and influence at various elite universities such as Berkeley , Columbia , and Princeton .
While the Frankfurt School was neo-Marxist , it was more interested in breaking down civilization through attitudinal and cultural change than in redistributing wealth .
They incorporated Marxist class theory into sociology and psychology and assimilated Freud ’ s theories on sexuality .
Thus , Marx @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was joined to Freud ’ s neurotic ideas , creating a sort of Freudian-Marxism .
Their stated goal was a total transformation of society by smashing traditional norms such as monogamous relations and the traditional family — accomplished by legitimizing unhinged sexual permissiveness with no cultural or religious restraint .
Herbert Marcuse and others from the Frankfurt School were all well read in the cultural Marxist theories of Italian Communist Party member Antonio Gramsci , the most important Marxist theoretician of the 20th century , who authored the Prison Notebooks .
For them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best facilitated through cultural transformation by way of gradual demoralization of the population and subversion of the system through infiltration rather than through confrontation and revolutionary militancy .
According to Marcuse , “ the long march through the institutions ” meant , “ working against the established institutions while working in them.
” So the answer to the aforementioned question as to how the death of one black man because of one white cop could turn America upside down is that the demoralization of America through cultural Marxism had already been accomplished .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditioned psychologically and culturally in neo-Marxist themes of class , gender and race conflict , white guilt , white supremacy , the devaluation of human life , and the alleged immoral basis of the founding of the United States .
These themes have been subliminally promoted in K-12 public schools and universities , the media and Hollywood for the last forty-odd years .
So when the COVID-19 shutdown hit , heightening unrest and adding to the numbers who could take to the streets because of the explosion of people out of work and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” it was the perfect storm .
The second reason that America ’ s survival is at greater risk today than it was in prior tumultuous times like the 1960s is that there are far more leftists in local , city , state , and national government than ever before .
Starting in the 70s and 80s more than half a dozen training programs and think tanks were established to help radicals succeed in community organizing and in local and state politics — the most notable being the Conference on Alternative State and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spinoff from the then Marxist Institute for Policy Studies located in Washington , D.C. CASLP provided instruction and model legislation to help leftists get elected and govern as city council members , commissioners , and mayors .
Barack Obama was trained in community organizing at the Industrial Areas Foundation that was founded by Saul Alinsky in Chicago .
Hillary Rodham ( who later married Bill Clinton ) was also quite taken with Alinsky , having interviewed him twice during the course of writing her senior thesis on Alinsky methods at Wellesley College in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generation — the so-called Generation X and the Millennial age groups have been so repeatedly exposed to cultural Marxism and false historic narratives that many are alienated from the U.S. and brainwashed beyond moral relativism into thinking that they can create their own truth and reality .
For them , socialism sounds and feels appealing , and the facts about socialism resulting in misery , repression , poverty , and death in every country in which it has been adopted are just an alternate reality that can be dismissed .
They call this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — which provides an ultimate virtue signaling status .
But for most , being woke has come about not by reason and critical thought but by a combination of being coddled , brainwashed and living in an echo chamber that has bred intolerance and moral arrogance — a powerful combination upon which Satan himself could hardly improve .
Violence and destruction of property are also part of wokeness , especially if and when they can be spun into defunding the police — a phenomena now embraced to a greater or lesser degree in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Baltimore , Atlanta , Chicago , Seattle , Portland and Los Angeles .
And this being an election year , Democrat mayors are apparently willing to sacrifice their cities to violence and destruction while some governors are willing sacrifice their state ’ s small business constituents to economic shutdown and bankruptcy in order to achieve the political end of defeating Donald Trump .
None of this makes sense to the vast majority of Americans with common sense and the normalcy bias that prompts them to think of the present and future being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not only inside the gates , but they are being enabled by woke Democrats who now run the cities and states .
The survival of the American republic requires not only a reasonably informed electorate , but also one that appreciates the relative merit of the nation ’ s heritage .
What obliterates the woke narrative is the simple truth that the constitutional American republic with its rights and obligations under law , the free market economy together with common sense and traditional values have driven more creativity and prosperity than any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump appreciates that heritage and wants to build on it .
Joe Biden and the Democrat Party have embraced the woke agenda and the social media cancel culture , and have accepted the visible toppling and removal of America ’ s historic statues and monuments and the expungement of virtue from its history in order to remake and transform the nation .
The choice in the November elections could not be more clear-cut and the consequences more profound .
What everyone needs to remember is that people who want to tear down America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the highest crime against America of orchestrating a coup to abrogate the peoples ’ vote will surely exploit the COVID-19 pandemic to engage in lesser crimes of myriad election fraud schemes to defeat Trump .
To overcome that , patriots need to double and triple their efforts to mobilize a landslide voter turnout of like-minded people .

More and more Americans in denial are being forced to face the reality that their country is on verge of being lost, with the barbarians not only inside the gates, but driving policy for the rest of us. When Democrat mayor after mayor bends to the demands of Black Lives Matter (BLM) to defund their police in the aftermath of violent protests, property destruction, and looting, locals freak out knowing that bad actors will be emboldened and violence will escalate. BLM doesn’t even try to hide that its leaders are Marxists and that it has effectively become a paramilitary wing of the Democrat Party. BLM has received millions of dollars through the Act Blue online fundraising interface, the same portal used by the Democrat Party.
So how is it that almost every week there are dozens of black-on-black murders in American cities with little or no media attention, but the death of one black man, George Floyd, at the hands of a white cop in Minneapolis causes half a million people to protest in nearly 550 cities in nearly every state within 48 hours? According to the data science firm, Civis Analytics, between 15 and 25 million people in the United States participated in protests associated with BLM in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. How is such a phenomenon possible?
It is the result of an America that has been demoralized from poisonous seeds planted for decades starting 50 and 60-plus years ago by cultural Marxists, whose main roots trace back to the Institute of Social Research at Frankfurt University in Germany. When Hitler came to power in 1933, the key leaders and members of the “Frankfurt School,” such as Herbert Marcuse, Eric Fromm, Theodor Adorno, Max Horkeimer, and Wilhelm Reich, fled to the United States, where they worked themselves into professorships and influence at various elite universities such as Berkeley, Columbia, and Princeton.
While the Frankfurt School was neo-Marxist, it was more interested in breaking down civilization through attitudinal and cultural change than in redistributing wealth. They incorporated Marxist class theory into sociology and psychology and assimilated Freud’s theories on sexuality. Thus, Marx’s dialectical theory of perpetual conflict was joined to Freud’s neurotic ideas, creating a sort of Freudian-Marxism. Their stated goal was a total transformation of society by smashing traditional norms such as monogamous relations and the traditional family — accomplished by legitimizing unhinged sexual permissiveness with no cultural or religious restraint.
Herbert Marcuse and others from the Frankfurt School were all well read in the cultural Marxist theories of Italian Communist Party member Antonio Gramsci, the most important Marxist theoretician of the 20th century, who authored the Prison Notebooks. For them, the takedown of America would be best facilitated through cultural transformation by way of gradual demoralization of the population and subversion of the system through infiltration rather than through confrontation and revolutionary militancy. According to Marcuse, “the long march through the institutions” meant, “working against the established institutions while working in them.”
So the answer to the aforementioned question as to how the death of one black man because of one white cop could turn America upside down is that the demoralization of America through cultural Marxism had already been accomplished. Since the 1960s two generations have been conditioned psychologically and culturally in neo-Marxist themes of class, gender and race conflict, white guilt, white supremacy, the devaluation of human life, and the alleged immoral basis of the founding of the United States. These themes have been subliminally promoted in K-12 public schools and universities, the media and Hollywood for the last forty-odd years. So when the COVID-19 shutdown hit, heightening unrest and adding to the numbers who could take to the streets because of the explosion of people out of work and forced into unnatural “sheltering.in place,” it was the perfect storm.
The second reason that America’s survival is at greater risk today than it was in prior tumultuous times like the 1960s is that there are far more leftists in local, city, state, and national government than ever before. Starting in the 70s and 80s more than half a dozen training programs and think tanks were established to help radicals succeed in community organizing and in local and state politics — the most notable being the Conference on Alternative State and Local Policies (CASLP), a spinoff from the then Marxist Institute for Policy Studies located in Washington, D.C. CASLP provided instruction and model legislation to help leftists get elected and govern as city council members, commissioners, and mayors.
Barack Obama was trained in community organizing at the Industrial Areas Foundation that was founded by Saul Alinsky in Chicago. Hillary Rodham (who later married Bill Clinton) was also quite taken with Alinsky, having interviewed him twice during the course of writing her senior thesis on Alinsky methods at Wellesley College in 1969.
The offspring of the 1960s generation — the so-called Generation X and the Millennial age groups have been so repeatedly exposed to cultural Marxism and false historic narratives that many are alienated from the U.S. and brainwashed beyond moral relativism into thinking that they can create their own truth and reality. For them, socialism sounds and feels appealing, and the facts about socialism resulting in misery, repression, poverty, and death in every country in which it has been adopted are just an alternate reality that can be dismissed. They call this state of mind being “woke” — which provides an ultimate virtue signaling status. But for most, being woke has come about not by reason and critical thought but by a combination of being coddled, brainwashed and living in an echo chamber that has bred intolerance and moral arrogance — a powerful combination upon which Satan himself could hardly improve.
Violence and destruction of property are also part of wokeness, especially if and when they can be spun into defunding the police — a phenomena now embraced to a greater or lesser degree in Minneapolis, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Atlanta, Chicago, Seattle, Portland and Los Angeles. And this being an election year, Democrat mayors are apparently willing to sacrifice their cities to violence and destruction while some governors are willing sacrifice their state’s small business constituents to economic shutdown and bankruptcy in order to achieve the political end of defeating Donald Trump.
None of this makes sense to the vast majority of Americans with common sense and the normalcy bias that prompts them to think of the present and future being connected to the past. The barbarians are not only inside the gates, but they are being enabled by woke Democrats who now run the cities and states.
The survival of the American republic requires not only a reasonably informed electorate, but also one that appreciates the relative merit of the nation’s heritage. What obliterates the woke narrative is the simple truth that the constitutional American republic with its rights and obligations under law, the free market economy together with common sense and traditional values have driven more creativity and prosperity than any other system in human history.
President Trump appreciates that heritage and wants to build on it. Joe Biden and the Democrat Party have embraced the woke agenda and the social media cancel culture, and have accepted the visible toppling and removal of America’s historic statues and monuments and the expungement of virtue from its history in order to remake and transform the nation. The choice in the November elections could not be more clear-cut and the consequences more profound.
What everyone needs to remember is that people who want to tear down America and who were comfortable with the perpetration of the highest crime against America of orchestrating a coup to abrogate the peoples’ vote will surely exploit the COVID-19 pandemic to engage in lesser crimes of myriad election fraud schemes to defeat Trump. To overcome that, patriots need to double and triple their efforts to mobilize a landslide voter turnout of like-minded people.


discoveryinstitute--2020-08-14--Biden’s National Mask Mandate is Absurd and Despotic

The new Biden-Harris ticket is off to a despotic start .
Biden , armed with his new running mate Kamala Harris , held a press briefing on Thursday in which he called for a nationwide mask mandate .
“ Every American should be wearing a mask when they ’ re outside for the next three months at a minimum , ” Biden told reporters in Wilmington , Del .
… “ Let ’ s institute a mask mandate nationwide starting immediately and we will save lives .
The estimates are we will save over 40,000 lives in the next three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden emphasized .
And the former vice president stressed that wearing a mask “ increases exponentially the prospect that if you are a carrier and you don ’ t even know it , that you will not infect anyone if you cough , sneeze , sing , shout.
” And pointing to the nation ’ s death toll from the coronavirus , Biden said that “ a lot of people are dying .
We ’ re up over 160,000 people dead so far.
” I ’ m not an anti-mask zealot .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed back against the then-official advice that normal folks shouldn ’ t wear masks .
My argument was simple : If a mask can reduce the chances of transmission for a nurse or doctor , then the same mask , used properly , would do the same for a civilian .
This is logic , not epidemology .
Of course , officials from Anthony Fauci to the head of WHO to our surgeon general have long since lurched to the other extreme .
In March , masks for plebes were officially a bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic candidate for president is calling for a mandate for all Americans to wear them outside .
This is absurd .
Just as in April , we need a good dose of common sense .
Probably the best-case scenario for masks involves surgical masks and N95 respirators .
The former are soft and loose-fitting , while respirators are stiff and tight-fitting .
These serve different purposes.
“ Surgical masks , ” as one study notes , “ are primarily designed to protect the environment from the wearer , whereas the respirators are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environment.
” Surgeons wear masks during surgery to protect others from spit and droplets .
We can presume that they could do the same for non-surgeons .
Healthcare workers use fit-tested N95 respirators , not surgical masks , when working with infectious patients .
Unlike the other options , an N95 respirator can prevent you from inhaling 95 percent of the tiny virus-carrying particles that otherwise would have entered your respiratory system .
Like the others , it will also catch larger droplets .
Beyond that , it can reduce the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( unless it has a valve ) .
But it has to be properly fitted to work .
If there ’ s a gap , contaminated air can stream right through it , taking the path of least resistance .
Fit around the nose bridge is tricky .
Facial hair is a no-no .
Even in the best-case scenario , though , how much would the average wearer reduce the chances of infection ?
Who knows ?
And in any case , local mask mandates in the United States don ’ t call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ require the general public to wear cloth coverings instead of surgical and N95 masks to prevent shortages for healthcare workers .
We ’ re now referring to almost anything that can cover your face as a “ mask.
” Including fleece covers and spandex neck gaiters .
What ’ s more , we ’ re not dealing with a one-sided risk where there ’ s all benefit in favor of masks , and no downside .
A new study from Duke University suggests that cloth gaiters may actually make things worse .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silly things are enough to satisfy the various and sundry mask laws .
No doubt they ’ d qualify under the new Biden-Harris mandate .
Sometimes , even good masks could do more harm than good .
For one thing , they ’ re easy to contaminate .
If you breathe through a mask in dirty air for an hour , the outside of the mask will have a much higher concentration of whatever is being filtered than will the surrounding air .
That includes spittle and virus-packed droplets .
A properly-fitted respirator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes breathing a chore .
As a result , they are risky for small children or anyone else who has a hard time breathing .
If you ’ ve tried to work out with almost any mask on , you could have guessed that .
There are so many ifs involved with masks that it ’ s absurd to mandate them for everyone .
It makes sense for a health-care worker in a nursing home with sick patients to wear a respirator .
It makes no sense for a lone , twenty year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pebble Beach in the August sun .
On the contrary .
Wearing a mask in that setting would be insane .
No presidential candidate should suggest he has the competence , or authority , to dictate such choices for everyone .
So why would Biden-Harris want to mandate that all Americans wear “ masks ” outside ?
Isn ’ t such a draconian overreach political suicide ?
In a sane time , yes .
But we live in a crazy time .
Most Americans , according to polls , are still scared witless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the population has died from the coronavirus .
That ’ s off by more than two thousand percent !
This confusion is entirely the product of a relentless , media-driven campaign designed to keep us in a constant state of fear .
I found it troubling enough to spend the last few months writing a book about it with biologist Doug Axe and statistician William Briggs .
( Pre-order now ! )
As it happens , masks have become the visual symbol of the whole controversy .
You can be sure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ porn between now and the November election .
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are clearly planning on it .
That ’ s the only way to make sense of their call for a nationwide mandate on outdoor masks .
They think , as Harris said at the press briefing , that this is “ what real leadership looks like.
” They are counting on an electorate that will welcome a president who issues such despotic diktats .
Will an electoral majority buy it ?
That depends on whether enough Americans figure out what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t figure this out before November , walking our dogs with diapers over our faces will be the least of our worries .

The new Biden-Harris ticket is off to a despotic start. Biden, armed with his new running mate Kamala Harris, held a press briefing on Thursday in which he called for a nationwide mask mandate.
Fox News reports:
“Every American should be wearing a mask when they’re outside for the next three months at a minimum,” Biden told reporters in Wilmington, Del. … “Let’s institute a mask mandate nationwide starting immediately and we will save lives. The estimates are we will save over 40,000 lives in the next three months if that is done,” Biden emphasized. And the former vice president stressed that wearing a mask “increases exponentially the prospect that if you are a carrier and you don’t even know it, that you will not infect anyone if you cough, sneeze, sing, shout.” And pointing to the nation’s death toll from the coronavirus, Biden said that “a lot of people are dying. We’re up over 160,000 people dead so far.”
I’m not an anti-mask zealot. In fact, on April 2, I pushed back against the then-official advice that normal folks shouldn’t wear masks. My argument was simple: If a mask can reduce the chances of transmission for a nurse or doctor, then the same mask, used properly, would do the same for a civilian. This is logic, not epidemiology.
Of course, officials from Anthony Fauci to the head of WHO to our surgeon general have long since lurched to the other extreme. In March, masks for plebes were officially a bad idea. Now, in August, the Democratic candidate for president is calling for a mandate for all Americans to wear them outside. This is absurd.
Just as in April, we need a good dose of common sense.
Best-Case Scenario
Probably the best-case scenario for masks involves surgical masks and N95 respirators. The former are soft and loose-fitting, while respirators are stiff and tight-fitting.
These serve different purposes.“Surgical masks,” as one study notes, “are primarily designed to protect the environment from the wearer, whereas the respirators are supposed to protect the wearer from the environment.” Surgeons wear masks during surgery to protect others from spit and droplets. We can presume that they could do the same for non-surgeons.
Healthcare workers use fit-tested N95 respirators, not surgical masks, when working with infectious patients. Unlike the other options, an N95 respirator can prevent you from inhaling 95 percent of the tiny virus-carrying particles that otherwise would have entered your respiratory system. Like the others, it will also catch larger droplets. Beyond that, it can reduce the spread of the particles from your mouth and nose (unless it has a valve).
But it has to be properly fitted to work. If there’s a gap, contaminated air can stream right through it, taking the path of least resistance. Fit around the nose bridge is tricky. Facial hair is a no-no.
Not the Best-Case Scenario
Even in the best-case scenario, though, how much would the average wearer reduce the chances of infection? Who knows? And in any case, local mask mandates in the United States don’t call for this best-case scenario. These often require the general public to wear cloth coverings instead of surgical and N95 masks to prevent shortages for healthcare workers.
We’re now referring to almost anything that can cover your face as a “mask.” Including fleece covers and spandex neck gaiters.
Not a One-Sided Risk
What’s more, we’re not dealing with a one-sided risk where there’s all benefit in favor of masks, and no downside. A new study from Duke University suggests that cloth gaiters may actually make things worse. And yet, given current guidelines, the silly things are enough to satisfy the various and sundry mask laws. No doubt they’d qualify under the new Biden-Harris mandate.
Sometimes, even good masks could do more harm than good. For one thing, they’re easy to contaminate. If you breathe through a mask in dirty air for an hour, the outside of the mask will have a much higher concentration of whatever is being filtered than will the surrounding air. That includes spittle and virus-packed droplets.
A properly-fitted respirator has an even harsher downside: It makes breathing a chore. As a result, they are risky for small children or anyone else who has a hard time breathing. If you’ve tried to work out with almost any mask on, you could have guessed that.
There are so many ifs involved with masks that it’s absurd to mandate them for everyone. It makes sense for a health-care worker in a nursing home with sick patients to wear a respirator. It makes no sense for a lone, twenty year old golfer on the ninth hold at Pebble Beach in the August sun. On the contrary. Wearing a mask in that setting would be insane.
No presidential candidate should suggest he has the competence, or authority, to dictate such choices for everyone.
Why Call for a National Mandate?
So why would Biden-Harris want to mandate that all Americans wear “masks” outside? Isn’t such a draconian overreach political suicide?
In a sane time, yes. But we live in a crazy time.
Most Americans, according to polls, are still scared witless over COVID-19. They believe 9 percent of the population has died from the coronavirus. That’s off by more than two thousand percent! This confusion is entirely the product of a relentless, media-driven campaign designed to keep us in a constant state of fear. I found it troubling enough to spend the last few months writing a book about it with biologist Doug Axe and statistician William Briggs. (Pre-order now!) As it happens, masks have become the visual symbol of the whole controversy.
You can be sure that the media will keep up the panic porn between now and the November election. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are clearly planning on it. That’s the only way to make sense of their call for a nationwide mandate on outdoor masks. They think, as Harris said at the press briefing, that this is “what real leadership looks like.” They are counting on an electorate that will welcome a president who issues such despotic diktats.
Will an electoral majority buy it? That depends on whether enough Americans figure out what’s happening.
If we don’t figure this out before November, walking our dogs with diapers over our faces will be the least of our worries.


discoveryinstitute--2020-08-03--Chaos by the Bay

Chaos by the Bay

San Francisco has become plagued by homelessness , addiction , and property crime .
In this short documentary , I @ @ @ @ @ how one of the world ’ s most prosperous cities has become a haven of @ @ @

Many of us have read Ayn Rand’s novels especially, “Atlas Shrugged” and the “Fountainhead.”
But I have been surprised to learn how her ideas and philosophy have continued to resonate throughout the world many years after her novels were first


discoveryinstitute--2020-08-17--Life’s Origin: Lab + Information = Mind

Life’s Origin: Lab + Information = Mind

In this interview , Dr. James Tour and Dr. Stephen Meyer discuss science and faith , while getting into the details on the discovery of complex , sequence specific information required for life ’ s function and origin , and the required fine-tuned laboratory that we call our universe that must exist in order for assembly to occur .
In the search for a cause , and by using historical scientific methods even used by Charles Darwin and his mentor Lyell , Meyer posits questions such as “ What causes now in operation are known to produce such effects as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the causal power to create the laboratory conditions we find on our rare planet and also the biological information encoded in digital form , that when decoded and translated , performs a function in lieu of its specific arrangement ?
” From our repeat and uniform experience , Meyer says , we know of only one cause having such power to produce this type of information : an intelligent agent — a mind .
By reference to the evidence provided by our human intelligence , and by surveying the probabilistic resources available in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive argument for a greater Designing Intelligence of this universal “ set up job ” in which life came to be .
• 02:48 – “ Why do you believe the resurrection of Jesus ?
” • 09:56 – Fine tuning : the Information for Life and the Fabric of the Universe • 15:46 – Thought experiment : When a living thing dies , what is lost , and how to rebuild ?
• 20:09 – What is life and how did it get here : Requirements and laboratory interventions • 1:04:08 – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Two Sides of the Same Coin

In this interview, Dr. James Tour and Dr. Stephen Meyer discuss science and faith, while getting into the details on the discovery of complex, sequence specific information required for life’s function and origin, and the required fine-tuned laboratory that we call our universe that must exist in order for assembly to occur.
In the search for a cause, and by using historical scientific methods even used by Charles Darwin and his mentor Lyell, Meyer posits questions such as “What causes now in operation are known to produce such effects as these?” and “What has the causal power to create the laboratory conditions we find on our rare planet and also the biological information encoded in digital form, that when decoded and translated, performs a function in lieu of its specific arrangement?” From our repeat and uniform experience, Meyer says, we know of only one cause having such power to produce this type of information: an intelligent agent — a mind.
By reference to the evidence provided by our human intelligence, and by surveying the probabilistic resources available in our universe, Meyer then makes a positive argument for a greater Designing Intelligence of this universal “set up job” in which life came to be.


That Hideous Strength

Famed Anglo-Irish writer C.S .
Lewis issued a prophetic warning against the dangers of the abuse of science in his @ @ @ @ @ Learn about the relevance of Lewis ’ s novel for today in this video commemorating @ @ @ @ @ novel was published originally on August 16 , 1945 ) .
This clip is an @ @ @ @ @ titled The Magician ’ s Twin : C.S .
Lewis and the Case against Scientism @

Famed Anglo-Irish writer C.S. Lewis issued a prophetic warning against the dangers of the abuse of science in his novel That Hideous Strength. Learn about the relevance of Lewis’s novel for today in this video commemorating its 75th anniversary (the novel was published originally on August 16, 1945). This clip is an excerpt from a longer documentary titled The Magician’s Twin: C.S. Lewis and the Case against Scientism.


discoveryinstitute--2020-08-27--Why Some Nation States Are Banning TikTok

Why is TikTok so controversial ?
It ’ s the first Chinese technology company that has reached a billion users outside of China .
Its main demographic is Generation Z—teens and twenty-somethings .
If you take a look at TikTok videos , most are goofy and irreverent .
They ’ re frenetic shorts of everything from fashion tips to pranks and , of course , ( bad ) dancing .
TikTok ’ s stated mission is to “ inspire creativity and bring joy.
” What could go wrong ?
Here ’ s what .
Working with China , as Disney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with certain strings attached , including acquiescing to the Chinese Communist Party ’ s rules for acceptable speech .
Because ByteDance , which owns TikTok , is a Chinese company ( although partly owned by investors from the U.S. and Japan ) , the Chinese Communist Party essentially has jurisdiction over the company .
Thus , in the United States , TikTok has become a test case .
India , where TikTok was downloaded over 118 million times , by far the highest number of downloads of any country , banned the app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same .
Australia decided not to ban TikTok after an investigation .
In the U.S. , as per an executive order signed at the beginning of August , ByteDance has until September 20 to sell TikTok to an American-based company or it will also be banned in the U.S. TikTok , for its part , has tried to clean up its image by hiring , among other American tech specialists , Kevin Mayer from Disney .
Meanwhile , ByteDance has been in negotiations to sell TikTok to Microsoft .
But now ByteDance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government for pressuring the company to sell TikTok to an American company .
ByteDance has little ground for complaint on the basis of unfairness because China continues to ban U.S. internet companies .
As a reslt , TikTok competitor Facebook ( owner of Instagram ) , which is banned in China , has been vocal about TikTok as a potential national security risk .
Although TikTok ’ s position is portrayed sympathetically in a number of media outlets , it is not really an innocent pawn in a global internet market .
Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the countries that have taken action or are contemplating it are not wholly unfounded : 1 .
TikTok could be used for surveillance and data collection Parents want to know : Is TikTok spying on my teen ?
The answer is yes , but… TikTok collects data on its users in the same way that other apps , such Facebook , Instagram , and Google , do .
That isn ’ t very reassuring because many people find the level of data collection and use by these other apps disconcerting .
However TikTok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationship to the government of China .
A group of parents has filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of their teen children because TikTok collects user data once the app is downloaded onto a smart phone—even if the user never creates an account and therefore never agrees to its terms of use .
The app is alleged to “ information about facial characteristics , locations and close contacts , and quietly sends that data to servers in China.
” TikTok denies the allegations .
But lawyers representing the parents and teens report that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of data , including user location and the presence of other apps on teens ’ phones , are being sent to Chinese servers via third-party groups that cooperate with the Chinese government .
TikTok defends itself by saying that it collects only as much data as any other social media app and gives it to third-parties , as other apps that are free to the user do .
That ’ s true but many citizens and sovereign states fear that , because ByteDance is headquartered in Beijing , the Chinese Communist Party can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any time and the company must comply , as must any public or private Chinese company .
Zhang Yiming , founder and chief executive of ByteDance , assures users that the company does not give data to the CCP and keeps TikTok separate from its Chinese counterpart version , Douyin .
But is that simply because it has not yet been asked to ?
Michael Schuman , a long-time China reporter , writing in The Atlantic , asks , “ What would stop a government that tortures dissidents and locks up hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day pressuring Zhang into doing its bidding ?
” This is why countries are hesitant to allow a Chinese tech company , especially one with user-generated video content , within their borders .
If China is capable of bulldozing over human rights in the name of stability and prosperity among its own citizens , there is no reason to believe it will respect international business norms , let alone user data privacy .
Furthermore , hostilities between the U.S. and China ( as well as growing hostilities with other countries , such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal situation is a little more complicated than at first sight .
Because American content is saved on servers in Virginia and Singapore , ByteDance is not necessarily obligated to give the CCP its content .
but the legal boundaries are hazy , as Schuman explains : If TikTok is deemed a national security risk , then any Chinese-based company is a security risk .
And that is why the TikTok case is closely scrutinized .
It is a test case for other Chinese companies that want to compete with Silicon Valley .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who just want to compete in a conventional way lose out because the CCP wants to have it both ways : a free market that promotes entrepreneurialism but one that is also controlled by the government .
Whether or not TikTok sends user data to the Chinese government , there is clear evidence that it censors content in a way that most people would find discriminatory .
In March , The Intercept disclosed internal documents from ByteDance instructing TikTok moderators to curate the user experience .
The moderators were to delete or downplay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ For You ” feed ) if it depicted people with “ abnormal body shape , ” “ ugly facial looks , ” dwarfism , and “ obvious beer belly , ” “ too many wrinkles , ” “ eye disorders , ” and many other “ low quality ” features .
Content depicting poverty , slums , or even a crack in the wall was also hidden from new users .
The impetus behind this kind of virtual eugenics is to make the videos more appealing so that they attract and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ featured testimonials that the app censors or downgrades Black users for seemingly innocuous content .
When users whose content was deleted or profile suspended reached out to TikTok for answers , they weren ’ t given any reasons for the ban .
Additionally , a German newspaper found that TikTok “ artificially suppressed access to videos created by disabled , overweight , and LGBT users , ” ostensibly to prevent bullying .
But nothing in the documents obtained by The Intercept or by the German newspaper mentioned bullying as an issue for users @ @ @ @ @ @ @ users , TikTok employees apparently searched Instagram for videos of “ nice-looking ” people , mainly women , using subjects such as # BeachGirls , to post on TikTok via shadow accounts .
While that ’ s not illegal , perhaps , it shows little regard for consent .
Not only does TikTok censor content by “ unattractive ” users , it also manipulates content .
We know from the Associated Press and Politico ’ s investigations into fake Twitter accounts that the CCP uses social media platforms to sway public opinion abroad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chinese government would ignore the billions of people it can reach through TikTok .
In 2019 , The Guardian , reported obtaining documents that told TikTok moderators to censor videos that mention Tiananmen Square , Tibetan independence , or Falun Gong .
TikTok told The Guardian that those guidelines have been retired .
More recently , however , two U.S. teen girls had videos removed or their accounts suspended for posting content critical of the Chinese government ’ s treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang ( Uyghur Autonomous Region ) .
Hana Hassan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ account temporarily suspended multiple times .
The only reason given was that she violated guidelines on terrorism-related content .
Feroza Aziz appeared to be doing a three-part video about beauty tips but she also criticized the Chinese government .
She was told her video was taken down in error because other content she had posted violated community guidelines .
The Intercept tells us that TikTok ’ s censorship guidelines come from ByteDance in Beijing and are then disseminated to the company ’ s regional offices .
According to anonymous sources , the result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crossed with the usual Silicon Valley prudishness.
” While TikTok is in itself a fairly innocuous idea—silly sixty-second videos— it has the potential to amass data and surveil people in the U.S. and other countries .
At The Atlantic , Sherman observes that “ TikTok shows the best and worst of modern China—both its boundless potential to generate wealth and ideas that can benefit everybody and the fear and conflict caused by its expansive and expanding authoritarianism.
” Unfortunately , China-based entrepreneurs have no recourse if they do not want to work with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect user data .
Hence many countries are growing more hesitant to work with Chinese companies .
The CCP has proven through its actions in Xinjiang and Hong Kong , as well as among its own citizens , that it has no problem sacrificing rights and freedoms for security and control .
Note : Kevin Mayer , formerly Walt Disney ’ s top streaming executive , has resigned after three months as CEO at TikTok and COO for ByteDance ( Reuters , August 26 , 2020 ) .
In other news , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. assets .
You may also find these articles by Heather Zeiger on China and the manipulation of social media and culture helpful : The Dragon ’ s Deception : Conspiracy theories and false numbers : China ’ s global attempt to rewrite the history of coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) is running up against incriminating evidence “ An investigation by ProPublica and the UN shows that China has used thousands of Twitterbots , as well as hacked accounts , to applaud the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) as the heroes who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , along with Chinese state-controlled media , are also spreading conspiracy theories about the “ real ” origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
” The Age of the Wolf Warrior : China ’ s post-pandemic strategy The younger diplomats take their cue from a Chinese Rambo-style movie and the rewritten history they learned at school .

Why is TikTok so controversial? It’s the first Chinese technology company that has reached a billion users outside of China. Its main demographic is Generation Z—teens and twenty-somethings. If you take a look at TikTok videos, most are goofy and irreverent. They’re frenetic shorts of everything from fashion tips to pranks and, of course, (bad) dancing. TikTok’s stated mission is to “inspire creativity and bring joy.” What could go wrong?
Here’s what. Working with China, as Disney and the NBA can attest, comes with certain strings attached, including acquiescing to the Chinese Communist Party’s rules for acceptable speech. Because ByteDance, which owns TikTok, is a Chinese company (although partly owned by investors from the U.S. and Japan), the Chinese Communist Party essentially has jurisdiction over the company. Thus , in the United States, TikTok has become a test case.
India, where TikTok was downloaded over 118 million times, by far the highest number of downloads of any country, banned the app last June. Japan is considering doing the same. Australia decided not to ban TikTok after an investigation. In the U.S., as per an executive order signed at the beginning of August, ByteDance has until September 20 to sell TikTok to an American-based company or it will also be banned in the U.S.
TikTok, for its part, has tried to clean up its image by hiring, among other American tech specialists, Kevin Mayer from Disney. Meanwhile, ByteDance has been in negotiations to sell TikTok to Microsoft.
But now ByteDance announced that it is suing the U.S. government for pressuring the company to sell TikTok to an American company. ByteDance has little ground for complaint on the basis of unfairness because China continues to ban U.S. internet companies. As a reslt, TikTok competitor Facebook (owner of Instagram), which is banned in China, has been vocal about TikTok as a potential national security risk.
Although TikTok’s position is portrayed sympathetically in a number of media outlets, it is not really an innocent pawn in a global internet market. Here are three reasons why the concerns of the countries that have taken action or are contemplating it are not wholly unfounded:
1. TikTok could be used for surveillance and data collection
Parents want to know: Is TikTok spying on my teen? The answer is yes, but… TikTok collects data on its users in the same way that other apps, such Facebook, Instagram, and Google, do. That isn’t very reassuring because many people find the level of data collection and use by these other apps disconcerting. However TikTok differs from American companies because of its relationship to the government of China.
A group of parents has filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of their teen children because TikTok collects user data once the app is downloaded onto a smart phone—even if the user never creates an account and therefore never agrees to its terms of use. The app is alleged to “information about facial characteristics, locations and close contacts, and quietly sends that data to servers in China.”
TikTok denies the allegations. But lawyers representing the parents and teens report that technology experts have found that large amounts of data, including user location and the presence of other apps on teens’ phones, are being sent to Chinese servers via third-party groups that cooperate with the Chinese government. TikTok defends itself by saying that it collects only as much data as any other social media app and gives it to third-parties, as other apps that are free to the user do. That’s true but many citizens and sovereign states fear that, because ByteDance is headquartered in Beijing, the Chinese Communist Party can ask for TikTok’s data at any time and the company must comply, as must any public or private Chinese company.
Zhang Yiming, founder and chief executive of ByteDance, assures users that the company does not give data to the CCP and keeps TikTok separate from its Chinese counterpart version, Douyin. But is that simply because it has not yet been asked to? Michael Schuman, a long-time China reporter, writing in The Atlantic, asks, “What would stop a government that tortures dissidents and locks up hundreds of thousands of Muslims in gulags from one day pressuring Zhang into doing its bidding?”
This is why countries are hesitant to allow a Chinese tech company, especially one with user-generated video content, within their borders. If China is capable of bulldozing over human rights in the name of stability and prosperity among its own citizens, there is no reason to believe it will respect international business norms, let alone user data privacy. Furthermore, hostilities between the U.S. and China (as well as growing hostilities with other countries, such as India) underline the threat:
…Beijing, thanks to its growing technological might, may be amassing an immense storehouse of information that could be used to identify or blackmail American citizens—or for purposes we haven’t yet thought of. The worry is that TikTok could be a powerful vacuum, sucking up images of and details on unsuspecting Americans to feed Beijing’s voracious appetite. Michael Schuman, “Why America Is Afraid of TikTok” at The Atlantic (July 30, 2020)
The legal situation is a little more complicated than at first sight. Because American content is saved on servers in Virginia and Singapore, ByteDance is not necessarily obligated to give the CCP its content. but the legal boundaries are hazy, as Schuman explains:
The fact that there is no agreement on what should be a rather simple legal point illustrates the real problem: Chinese laws are written in a loosey-goosey fashion to allow officials the wiggle room to more or less do as they please. More than that, the Communist Party doesn’t always abide by the niceties of legal processes. Michael Schuman, “Why America Is Afraid of TikTok” at The Atlantic (July 30, 2020)
If TikTok is deemed a national security risk, then any Chinese-based company is a security risk. And that is why the TikTok case is closely scrutinized. It is a test case for other Chinese companies that want to compete with Silicon Valley. Unfortunately, Chinese entrepreneurs and business owners who just want to compete in a conventional way lose out because the CCP wants to have it both ways: a free market that promotes entrepreneurialism but one that is also controlled by the government.
2. Virtual eugenics: TikTok censors “ugly” people
Whether or not TikTok sends user data to the Chinese government, there is clear evidence that it censors content in a way that most people would find discriminatory. In March, The Intercept disclosed internal documents from ByteDance instructing TikTok moderators to curate the user experience. The moderators were to delete or downplay content (by not placing it in the “For You” feed) if it depicted people with “abnormal body shape,” “ugly facial looks,” dwarfism, and “obvious beer belly,” “too many wrinkles,” “eye disorders,” and many other “low quality” features. Content depicting poverty, slums, or even a crack in the wall was also hidden from new users.
The mere appearance of residential disrepair or crooked teeth in the frame, the document shows, could mean the difference between worldwide distribution and relative invisibility. Sam Biddle, Paulo Victor Ribeiro, and Tatiana Dias, “Invisible Censorship” at The Intercept (March 15, 2020)
The impetus behind this kind of virtual eugenics is to make the videos more appealing so that they attract and keep new users.
Wired Magazine recently featured testimonials that the app censors or downgrades Black users for seemingly innocuous content. When users whose content was deleted or profile suspended reached out to TikTok for answers, they weren’t given any reasons for the ban. Additionally, a German newspaper found that TikTok “artificially suppressed access to videos created by disabled, overweight, and LGBT users,” ostensibly to prevent bullying. But nothing in the documents obtained by The Intercept or by the German newspaper mentioned bullying as an issue for users.
In another initiative to attract new users, TikTok employees apparently searched Instagram for videos of “nice-looking” people, mainly women, using subjects such as #BeachGirls, to post on TikTok via shadow accounts. While that’s not illegal, perhaps, it shows little regard for consent.
3. TikTok censors politically sensitive content
Not only does TikTok censor content by “unattractive” users, it also manipulates content. We know from the Associated Press and Politico’s investigations into fake Twitter accounts that the CCP uses social media platforms to sway public opinion abroad. There is little reason to believe the Chinese government would ignore the billions of people it can reach through TikTok.
In 2019, The Guardian, reported obtaining documents that told TikTok moderators to censor videos that mention Tiananmen Square, Tibetan independence, or Falun Gong. TikTok told The Guardian that those guidelines have been retired. More recently, however, two U.S. teen girls had videos removed or their accounts suspended for posting content critical of the Chinese government’s treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang (Uyghur Autonomous Region). Hana Hassan has had multiple videos removed and her account temporarily suspended multiple times. The only reason given was that she violated guidelines on terrorism-related content. Feroza Aziz appeared to be doing a three-part video about beauty tips but she also criticized the Chinese government. She was told her video was taken down in error because other content she had posted violated community guidelines.
The Intercept tells us that TikTok’s censorship guidelines come from ByteDance in Beijing and are then disseminated to the company’s regional offices. According to anonymous sources, the result is “a muddle of Beijing authoritarianism crossed with the usual Silicon Valley prudishness.”
While TikTok is in itself a fairly innocuous idea—silly sixty-second videos— it has the potential to amass data and surveil people in the U.S. and other countries. At The Atlantic, Sherman observes that “TikTok shows the best and worst of modern China—both its boundless potential to generate wealth and ideas that can benefit everybody and the fear and conflict caused by its expansive and expanding authoritarianism.”
Unfortunately, China-based entrepreneurs have no recourse if they do not want to work with the Chinese government or if they wish to protect user data. Hence many countries are growing more hesitant to work with Chinese companies. The CCP has proven through its actions in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, as well as among its own citizens, that it has no problem sacrificing rights and freedoms for security and control.
Note: Kevin Mayer, formerly Walt Disney’s top streaming executive, has resigned after three months as CEO at TikTok and COO for ByteDance (Reuters, August 26, 2020). In other news, WalMart stated that it is bidding on the U.S. assets.
You may also find these articles by Heather Zeiger on China and the manipulation of social media and culture helpful:
The Dragon’s Deception: Conspiracy theories and false numbers: China’s global attempt to rewrite the history of coronavirus (COVID-19) is running up against incriminating evidence “An investigation by ProPublica and the UN shows that China has used thousands of Twitterbots, as well as hacked accounts, to applaud the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as the heroes who stopped the coronavirus in China. Twitterbots, along with Chinese state-controlled media, are also spreading conspiracy theories about the “real” origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.”
and
The Age of the Wolf Warrior: China’s post-pandemic strategy The younger diplomats take their cue from a Chinese Rambo-style movie and the rewritten history they learned at school.