Monsanto accused of hiring army of trolls to silence online dissent – court papers

From RT:

Monsanto accused of hiring army of trolls to silence online dissent – court papers

"Biotech giant Monsanto is being accused of hiring, through third parties, an army of Internet trolls to counter negative comments, while citing positive “ghost-written” pseudo-scientific reports which downplay the potential risks of their products.

The documents emerged during pre-trials on 50 lawsuits against Monsanto which were pending in the US District Court in San Francisco. The plaintiffs allege that exposure to the biotech giant’s flagship product, the herbicide Roundup, caused them or their relatives to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma, while Monsanto concealed the potential risks."

The U.S. military is targeting Islamic State's virtual caliphate by hunting & killing its online operatives one-by-one

From the LA Times:

The U.S. military is targeting Islamic State's virtual caliphate by hunting & killing its online operatives one-by-one

"The months-long manhunt for French-born Rachid Kassim ended one chilly morning early this year when a drone-launched missile destroyed his battered white pickup truck as it motored through the besieged Iraqi city of Mosul.

The 29-year-old former rapper had cast a grim shadow in international counter-terrorism circles. He spoke fluent French, once beheaded a man in an online video and played a role in a string of terrorist plots — two successful — in France last year."

How to protect your boss from phishing attacks

From Sophos Naked Security:

How to protect your boss from phishing attacks

"We already know that more than 75% of us lie on social media.

Too bad it’s impracticable to lie more about our workplaces on professional networking sites like LinkedIn: it might spare our employers a lot of grief."

Macon teen’s Facebook Live suicide attempt is stopped by deputies

From The (Macon) Telegraph:

Macon teen’s Facebook Live suicide attempt is stopped by deputies

"Bibb County sheriff’s deputies stopped a Macon teen’s apparent suicide attempt that was broadcast on Facebook Live on Tuesday night.

The haunting scene unfolded on digital screens about 7:30 p.m., prompting several to call 911."

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/news/local/article148495809.html#storylink=cpy

Tinder orders researcher to remove dataset of 40,000 profile pictures

From Sophos Naked Security:

Tinder orders researcher to remove dataset of 40,000 profile pictures

"Following a privacy kerfluffle, Tinder told a developer to remove a dataset of 40,000 of its users’ images that he had published in six downloadable zip files and released under a CC0: Public Domain License.

The dataset was called People of Tinder.

The developer, Stuart Colianni, who not-so-charmingly referred to the Tinder users as “hoes” in his source code, was using the images to train artificial intelligence."

Facebook to Add 3,000 Workers to Fight Streaming of Live Violence

From Newsmax:

Facebook to Add 3,000 Workers to Fight Streaming of Live Violence

"Facebook Inc will add 3,000 people over the next year to monitor reports of inappropriate material on the social media network and removing videos such as murders and suicides, Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said on Wednesday.

Zuckerberg, the company's co-founder, said in a Facebook post the workers will be in addition to the 4,500 people who already review posts that may violate its terms of service."

Facebook Engineer: Women's Codes Get Rejected More Than Male Peers

From Newsmax:

Facebook Engineer: Women's Codes Get Rejected More Than Male Peers

"Facebook has an apparent gender bias when it comes to programming.

Code written by female engineers at Facebook was rejected 35 percent more than code written by men according to findings uncovered last September by a longtime engineer at the company who gathered data on the subject, the Wall Street Journal reports. Screenshots of internal discussions on the matter were provided to the WSJ and people familiar with the findings spoke the newspaper."

Infographic: 7 Ways Hackers Look To Exploit Your State & Local Governments

PDF format infographic from CoreSecurity:

7 Ways Hackers Look To Exploit Your State & Local Governments

Leaked document reveals Facebook conducted research to target emotionally vulnerable and insecure youth

From news.com.au:

Leaked document reveals Facebook conducted research to target emotionally vulnerable and insecure youth

"FACEBOOK has come under fire over revelations it is targeting potentially vulnerable youths who “need a confidence boost” to facilitate predatory advertising practices.

The allegation was revealed this morning by The Australian which obtained internal documents from the social media giant which reportedly show how Facebook can exploit the moods and insecurities of teenagers using the platform for the potential benefit of advertisers."

Facebook admits it is being used as propaganda tool by ‘malicious actors’

From Sophos Naked Security:

Facebook admits it is being used as propaganda tool by ‘malicious actors’

"What is Facebook?

To most people, it’s something called a “social network”, a thriving digital hub that conveniently also packages news, secure messaging, live video streaming and even a jobs marketplace.

For naysayers, it’s more like an unregulated surveillance system people might not be so keen on if they were to think about the extent to which it is constantly mining their online lives for commercial gain."

Beyond 'Fake News:' Facebook Fights 'Information Operations'

From Newsmax:

Beyond 'Fake News:' Facebook Fights 'Information Operations'

"Facebook is acknowledging that governments or other malicious non-state actors are using its social network to sway political sentiment, including elections."

How much are you giving away to fraudsters on Facebook?

From Sophos Naked Security:

How much are you giving away to fraudsters on Facebook?

"How much personal information are you giving fraudsters access to on Facebook? Are you giving them enough information to steal your identity?

Information Age reported recently that an online survey conducted by YouGov in the UK had found that almost 30% of adults with social media accounts “include their full name and date of birth on their profiles” – that’s two of the three key pieces of information a fraudster needs to steal your identity."

Baldwin County man committed suicide on Facebook Live, sheriff's office reports

This is becoming a very disturbing trend.  From AOL News:

Baldwin County man committed suicide on Facebook Live, sheriff's office reports

"The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office has reported that a Robertsdale man apparently broadcast his own suicide on Facebook Live on Tuesday.

According to information released Wednesday by the BCSO, a woman contacted the Sheriff's Office with concerns about her boyfriend, 49-year-old James M. Jeffrey of Robertsdale. The couple were in the middle of a breakup and he had stopped responding, she said."

Facebook's thought police

From The Week:

Facebook's thought police

"The social panic and media hysteria over fake news continues unabated. And once again, Facebook's reaction is all wrong."

LinkedIn app’s oversharing via Bluetooth sparks alarm

From Sophos Naked Security:

LinkedIn app’s oversharing via Bluetooth sparks alarm

"Geez, LinkedIn, you are one pushy app! If you’re not spamming users’ contacts (and getting sued for it), you’re pawing our Bluetooth – even after we thought you’d gone home for the night!

News of LinkedIn’s latest market-the-beejezus-out-of-us stunt came on Thursday, when security researcher Rik Ferguson spotted a proclamation from LinkedIn about wanting to make data available to nearby Bluetooth devices, “even when you’re not using the app”."

The Rise Of The Social Media Killer

From Vocativ:

The Rise Of The Social Media Killer

"This week, the nation tuned in as hundreds of news outlets reported that an Ohio man was still on the loose after killing an elderly stranger named Robert Godwin Sr. and posting the footage on Facebook on Monday. Steven Stephens, the killer who quickly became the subject of a nationwide manhunt, was found dead in an apparent suicide on Tuesday, but only after becoming the ringleader of a media circus he had orchestrated."

Facebook can't say 'No' to New York, says New York

From Sophos Naked Security:

Facebook can't say 'No' to New York, says New York

Here's the story so far.

Back in 2013, New York (the state, not just the city) decided to take on a bunch of public servants it said were fraudsters.

The state alleged that close to 400 employees, including police officers, were benefits cheats, claiming illnesses and disabilities they didn't have.

Is Your Social Media Profile Being Used to Profile You?

From the Cyveillance blog:

Is Your Social Media Profile Being Used to Profile You?

I always wonder what some job seekers are thinking when they post on their personal social media accounts that they’re looking for work. One posting that recently caught my eye was a friend of a friend who posted on Facebook that she was seeking a receptionist role, a position that carries a fair amount of responsibility and visibility at an organization. Her profile was wide open. One click and I was able to preview the personality that I would be hiring; with a few more clicks, I was able to see pictures of her with her dog and friends, see who her brother and sister were, and other personal details.

Although social media usage is near ubiquitous now for most Internet users – with more than two billion active accounts worldwide and growing – and is a common method for personal communication, marketing, brand promotions, and other activities, many people still don’t fully grasp the security implications of using these sites, and how it can impact things like job searches.

This is what happens if you let anyone use your Facebook password

From Sophos Naked Security:

This is what happens if you let anyone use your Facebook password

Last week, a fascinating, fractured, hilarious, annoying, imprudent, and beautifully schizophrenic creature was birthed on Facebook.

The creature's name started out as PublikFacebook™, a communal account set up by the writer and web explorer/experimenter Joe Veix.

Popular Android games unmasked as phishing tools

From Help Net Security:

Popular Android games unmasked as phishing tools

ESET researchers have discovered a new, ingenious, yet very simple Facebook phishing scheme: playable Android games that, before they are started, ask users to enter their Facebook credentials.