Facebook Really Is Spying on You, Just Not Through Your Phone’s Mic

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By Wall Street Journal. A conspiracy theory has spread among Facebook and Instagram users: The company is tapping our microphones to target ads. It’s not . . .

Yeah, sure, and the government swears it isn’t keeping any pet aliens at Area 51. So I contacted former Facebook employees and various advertising technology experts, who all cited technical and legal reasons audio snooping isn’t possible.

Uploading and scanning that much audio data “would strain even the resources of the NSA,” says former Facebook ad-targeting product manager Antonio Garcia Martinez. “They would need to understand the context of what you are saying—not just listen for words,” says Sandy Parakilas, a former Facebook operations manager.

I believe them, but for another reason: Facebook is now so good at watching what we do online—and even offline, wandering around the physical world—it doesn’t need to hear us. After digging into the various bits of info Facebook and its advertisers collect and the bits I’ve actually handed over myself, I can now explain why I got each of those eerily relevant ads. (Facebook ads themselves offer limited explanations when you click “Why am I seeing this?”) (Read more from “Facebook Really Is Spying on You, Just Not Through Your Phone’s Mic” HERE)
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Facebook Creating ‘Spy Robot’ for Your Home

By Metro. It’s the social network which has made billions by gathering huge amounts of information about its users and selling this data to advertisers.

Now a patent has emerged which shows Facebook is developing a robot capable of spying on people in their own homes.

It has been granted a patent for a ‘self-balancing robot’ fitted with cameras and microphones.

Zuckerberg’s surveillance-bot can speed along on three wheels before standing aloft on two wheels.

Experts said it would probably be very expensive and is likely to be used as a corporate ‘telepresence robot’, which is the name for machines used to interact with humans. (Read more from “Facebook Creating ‘Spy Robot’ for Your Home” HERE)

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Woman Claims Airport Security Confiscated Her Gun Necklace Because It Was ‘Potentially Dangerous’

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A former police officer had her tiny gun necklace confiscated at airport security because it was “too dangerous” and passengers might think it was real.

Claire Sharp, who used to work for special branch, had the piece of jewellery taken off her as she was travelling to Perugia in Italy from London Stansted Airport on Friday.

The charm had sentimental value as it was a present from her husband Nigel Greenwood, who died suddenly in 2001, aged just 32 from a heart attack, because of their shared love of shooting and membership of a gundog club.

It is around an inch long and Sharp wears it everyday in memory of her late husband who she described at the time as her “best friend.”

Sharp was travelling with her current husband, Lee, who is also a sergeant in the Met Police, and their 12-year-old daughter, Faye, when airport security staff told her she would not be able to take the necklace on the plane. (Read more from “Woman Claims Airport Security Confiscated Her Gun Necklace Because It Was ‘Potentially Dangerous'” HERE)

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Caution Urged as Transgender Surgeries Skyrocket

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Skeptics are standing athwart the transgender movement, yelling stop, as a new study shows sex-reassignment surgeries are on the rise.

The number of procedures, including the removal and construction of external genitalia, increased nearly fourfold from 2000 to 2014, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Surgery.

Joseph Backholm, president of the Family Policy Institute of Washington, said there is “no conclusive evidence” that these procedures lead to beneficial outcomes for transgender patients.

“People who go through gender-masking surgeries — you can’t actually change your gender — still experience disproportionate levels of stress, anxiety and suicidality,” Mr. Backholm said. “It calls into question whether rushing into this is actually helpful.”

The study’s authors, who are affiliated with Harvard University and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, looked at data compiled in the National Inpatient Sample from more than 1,000 hospitals. They identified nearly 38,000 patients who were classified under transsexualism or gender-identity disorder diagnosis codes between 2000 and 2014. (Read more from “Caution Urged as Transgender Surgeries Skyrocket” HERE)

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Airline Sending Employees to Compassion Training

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. . .The airline recently rolled out a new program called “core4.” Thousands of employees will go through an ambitious four-hour training session that aims to teach workers to be efficient (think on-time departures), ensure operations are safe and do it all with a smile.

Airlines face near-instant backlash from consumers as on-board incidents go viral thanks to ubiquitous smartphones.

United was embroiled in a public relations disaster last year when passenger David Dao was violently dragged off a flight to make room for a commuting crew member. Its handling of the incident, including a botched apology, drew further ire on social media.

As it is trying to improve its image and how employees treat customers, United is also trying to remain as efficient as possible to convince skeptical investors that it can grow its operations and expand profit margins.

Roughly 30,000 customer-facing employees such as flight attendants will be required to take the course. Core4 draws its name from the four characteristics: caring, safe, dependable and efficient. (Read more from “Airline Sending Employees to Compassion Training” HERE)

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Conservative Actor Brings Forward Plan to Win Back California

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. . .Many in Hollywood and the movie industry secretly support President Trump, Antonio Sabato Jr. divulged to WND, and they’re itching to take California back from the grips of socialist Democrats.

“I can focus on the negative that is coming from Hollywood or focus on the positive: People in Hollywood are waking up,” Sabato told WND. “People are calling me and saying, ‘You are doing the right thing; we’re behind you. We might not be able to speak at the moment because we don’t want to get fired or lose our jobs.’” . . .

Sabato, who says he knows exactly what socialism looks like, explained why he believes conservatives will ultimately win the culture war against socialist Democrats:

[The culture war] can be won. Socialists, socialist countries, socialism in general, has never worked – it will never work. We are a republic. We follow laws. We have the greatest country in the world because we actually have laws on the books that make sense; we just have to start following them. We also have to have American people start voting for people who actually work for them. I am eager to go in November and go to Washington and work for you – not the other way around. I am going to stand up, I am going talk for you and I am happy to do so.

They are already taking God away from our kids’ schools. Next, the flag. Next, the American anthem. Next, our policies – and who knows – our freedoms will be taken away, one after the other. I believe the American people are going to rise up. We are doing this together. My campaign, personally, is not about me. My slogan is, “It’s about you, the American people.” I am going to protect my county and do everything I can to do so.

(Read more from “Conservative Actor Brings Forward Plan to Win Back California” HERE)

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Woman Makes Joke About Islam – Now Facing Jail Time

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A 32-year-old woman from Gothenburg could be locked up for 2 years after making some Facebook jokes about Islam, Swedish newspaper Friatider reports.

According to police reports, the woman is charged with “talking in a negative or threatening way about a group of people” after she posted cartoons about Islam on Facebook.

A preliminary investigation was started after she was reported to the police. The woman had to undergo a “degrading” interrogation and had to submit DNA as well. During the police hearing, the woman apologized for her post and said she had nothing against ordinary Muslims, but only against ISIS. (Read more from “Woman Makes Joke About Islam – Now Facing Jail Time” HERE)

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Lesbians Pitch Massive Fit After Church Gives Non-PC Answer to Their Question

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A lesbian couple expressed outrage over a Tennessee church’s refusal to violate doctrine and recognize them as core members because of their homosexual marriage.

Jessica and Courtney Wright stopped attending Faith Promise church after church leadership informed them that they were not eligible to be core members because their marriage violates the church’s belief that marriage is between one man and one woman, according to WATE.

The couple attended the church for two years.

The couple and their daughter moved forward with the initial requirements for core membership, including being baptized, before leadership told them their marriage precluded them from being members.

“Our marriage doesn’t agree with their core beliefs. That’s the reason why we wouldn’t be allowed to move forward and be in leading roles,” Courtney Wright told WATE.

“We could attend, be a seat, give money and be attendance numbers and that was it,” Jessica Wright added.

The church’s website lists the requirements for core membership as attending a Next Steps class, accepting Christ as Lord and Savior and receiving baptism, active and ongoing service in one of the church’s ministries, current attendance in a particular small group, and that the potential member “read and agree to the church doctrine.”

The church’s doctrine, also listed on its website, regarding family says, “Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime.”

Courtney and Jessica told WATE that they were drawn to the church by the statement on its website’s “What To Expect” section that reads in part: ”We decided to be a church with a heart for those outside the church. A place where anyone can come and connect with God without the risk of being judged.”

“They are saying they still love us, they still want us to come. And then in the same breath, saying you can’t be a part of church, though,” Courtney said.

The church, however, said that Courtney and Jessica are more than welcome to be a part of the church community. The couple can attend the church but cannot become core members since they do not strive to live in accordance with the church’s doctrine.

“At Faith Promise, we love and embrace all people because people are made in the image of God. We welcome anyone who desires to take their next step in search of the God of the Bible and invite them to be our guest at any of our campuses,” the church said in a statement. “Although we believe the Bible defines marriage, sharing this view is not a requirement to be a part of our faith community.”

Jessica and Courtney said, however, that they were at a loss as to why church leadership would wait to tell them that they could not be core members until after they had already gone through most of the steps for membership and were about to sign the papers.

As for the legality of the church’s decision, Akram Faizer, a law professor at Lincoln Memorial University, told WATE that the church was well within its rights in light of “freedom of religion and freedom of association” and the fact that sexual orientation is not a protected class.

The couple is currently seeking church membership elsewhere.

A version of this article appeared on The Daily Caller News Foundation website.

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Ivy League Actress Sports Feminist Tattoo With Grammar Error at Oscars

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Emma Watson displayed some new ink at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party but social media users pointed out the tattoo’s glaring grammatical error.

The “Harry Potter” star showed off a tattoo that read “Times Up” on her arm — clearly missing the apostrophe for the organization Time’s Up.

It was not immediately clear if the tattoo was real. People reported the tattoo could be temporary.

The Brown University graduate has been an outspoken proponent of the Time’s Up movement, which began after bombshell exposés revealed decades of alleged sexual misconduct by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. The movement calls on people who have experienced sexual misconduct in the workplace to speak up. A number of Hollywood stars, including Watson, have voiced their support and donated to the movement.

“There is no question that #TIMESUP should be and will be a global movement,” Watson wrote in an Instagram post. “A movement that is defined and led by those affected by the problem, not by those in power.” (Read more from “Ivy League Actress Sports Feminist Tattoo With Grammar Error at Oscars” HERE)

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Senate Passes Bill Allowing Some Teachers to Carry Guns in Schools

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In the wake of the deadly mass shooting at a high school in Parkland last month, the Florida Senate passed a bill on Monday that would create new restrictions on gun sales, and also allow some teachers to carry guns into schools.

The Senate narrowly approved the bill 20-18 after legislators debated the heated topic during an emotional three hours, as both Democrats and Republicans said there were parts of the bill they didn’t agree with.

“Do I think this bill goes far enough? No! No, I don’t!” Democratic Sen. Lauren Book said, describing what it was like to visit Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after 17 people were killed there on Valentine’s Day.

“I cannot live with a choice to put party politics above an opportunity to get something done that inches us closer to the place I believe we should be as a state,” she said. “This is the first step in saying never again” . . .

Democrats didn’t like the idea of letting teachers carry guns, even if the bill was amended to water down that proposed program. And many pro-gun rights Republicans didn’t like the idea of raising the minimum age to buy rifles from 18 to 21 and to create a waiting period on sales of the weapons. (Read more from “Senate Passes Bill Allowing Some Teachers to Carry Guns in Schools” HERE)

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2018 Oscars Were the Least Watched Ever

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Jimmy Kimmel claimed he was keeping this year’s Oscars positive, but the ratings were anything but.

The politically charged 2018 Academy Awards were down 20 percent compared to the 2017 numbers, averaging 26.5 million viewers. It’s the first time that the Oscars averaged fewer than 30 million people since at least 1974 when Nielsen started keeping track.

Last year’s event drew 33 million sets of eyeballs and the sharp decline resulted in roughly 6.5 million lost viewers. Host Jimmy Kimmel and the crowd of Hollywood elite focused on diversity, feminism and political issues as much as they focused on the films being honored.

The lack of high-wattage stars in the major categories, as well as a ho-hum slate of films when it came to box office receipts, may also have been a factor.

Media Research Center Vice President Dan Gainor told Fox News viewers shouldn’t be surprised that the show turned political and featured “divisive, left-wing politics” throughout the four-hour event. (Read more from “2018 Oscars Were the Least Watched Ever” HERE)

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