U.S. media officially turned on the FAANGs this week 👀
A strange thing happened on the way to this morning’s digest: The most compelling stories all focused on digital privacy… or more accurately, the lack thereof. So they’re collected at the top, making room for additional topics below. 😎
There’s only one conclusion to be reached, says U.S. media…
The Washington Post’s Geoffrey Fowler spent a year tracking his personal data. He’s pissed. He says you should be too.
Bloomberg’s Alistair Barr tried to get a data broker to divulge what personal information it’s collected on him. He calls the experience the “privacy circle of Hell”.
At CES, the Federal Trade Commission’s Rebecca Slaughter said technology creators aren’t doing enough to protect privacy. The comments capped 12 months of open distrust of Big Tech’s intentions.
And the distaste is actively expanding to technology in general…
MIT Technology Review’s Karen Hao is blunt: In 2020, let’s stop AI ethics-washing and actually do something
Kantar researchers say consumer adoption of health tech including wearables and telemedicine is slowing due to privacy and security concerns
This on top of the Pew Research study citing 81% of U.S. adults believe the potential risks of data-mining products and services outweigh any convenience or other benefit
Shockingly, technology creators continue to misstep…
It’s official: Apple has failed to live up to its own privacy standards. What happens on your iPhone hasn’t always stayed there — from Siri voice-requests to location data to app inputs. (h/t Alistair Barr)
Facebook is still trying to absolve itself: A “leaked” internal missive from its longtime product architect tries to convince us nothing bad happened in 2016
AI companies are now selling computer-generated faces to increase “diversity”
Meanwhile, a cottage industry of service journalism intended to help us kick the Big Tech habit has sprouted from voices once shouting Tech über alles…
22 alternatives to let you live a Facebook-free life in 2020
How to go Google-free in 2020
A teacher asked his students to turn in their cell phones. After just two weeks, the majority began to think their phones limited their relationships, compromised their lives, and cut them off from the “real” world.
Only one conclusion.
TODAY IN…
DEEP TECH:
Finally, someone focused on the piece of the connected home that matters the most: the fuse box
It doesn’t fly, but here’s a car made entirely of laser-melted metal using a “3D printer”
MEDIA & TELECOM:
Donald Trump and Michael Bloomberg just bought $10m Super Bowl ads
HEALTHCARE TECH:
New study suggests doctors’ competency may decline over time when using AI … See also: AI’s dead-end race to the bottom
FINANCE:
Stunning. Index funds hit $10 trillion in assets amid active-investing exodus … See also: MSCI launches new fixed income ESG and factor indices
The downside of passive indexing — more flows into index funds will make large companies even larger: Apple’s heady rise highlights the perils of concentration
Speaking of Big Tech, the post-FANG growth-investing focus will undoubtedly be IoT (a.k.a. ‘edge’ computing). The specific basket of stocks, though, is still 100% up in the air. Also: The new group will have a high bar: U.S. stocks close out decade with 190% gain
In 2020, Asian economies will be larger than the rest of the world combined for the first time since the 19th century … Possibly related: Nearly 40% of U.S. public companies lost money in the past 12 months, the highest level since the late 1990s excluding recessions.
PUBLIC POLICY:
Perfectly framed and a clever read. Harry and Meghan go private: Britain’s longest-running family firm — The House of Windsor — starts a long-awaited restructure… See also: It came down to America’s focus on happiness versus Britain’s sense of duty.
And finally, your Friday Pop Quiz…
What does this photo tell you about the inherent bias in Jeopardy questions?
We’ll wait…