The Daily Populous

Monday April 9th, 2018 evening edition

image for YouTube illegally collects data on children, say child protection groups

A coalition of 23 child advocacy, consumer and privacy groups have filed a complaint with the US Federal Trade Commission alleging that Google is violating child protection laws by collecting personal data of and advertising to those aged under 13.

It’s time for the FTC to hold Google accountable for its illegal data collection and advertising practices.”.

The group claims that YouTube is the most popular online platform for children in the US, used by about 80% of children aged six to 12 years old.

Google has a dedicated app for children called YouTube Kids that was released in 2015 and is designed to show appropriate content and ads to children.

The 59-page FTC complaint says “YouTube also has actual knowledge that many children are on YouTube, as evidenced by disclosures from content providers, public statements by YouTube executives, and the creation of the YouTube Kids app”.

A YouTube spokesperson said: “While we haven’t received the complaint, protecting kids and families has always been a top priority for us.

Because YouTube is not for children, we’ve invested significantly in the creation of the YouTube Kids app to offer an alternative specifically designed for children. »

Bathroom hand-dryers suck in poo-particles and aerosolize them all over you and everything else

Authored by boingboing.net
image for

The new study specifically focuses on lower-powered hand-dryers, which some people had believed were less prone to sucking in tiny pieces of shit and spraying them on you.

In a final test, the researchers did a cursory look at some of the other bacteria the dryers were blowing around.

They found that with or without a HEPA filter, the blowers stirred up potential pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus. »

TIL composer Earle Brown wrote a piece called “Twenty-Five Pages”, which consists of 25 un-numbered pages that can be played in any order, either side up, and each line read as treble or bass clef. It can be played by any number of pianos up to 25.

Authored by earle-brown.org

Events within each two-line system may be read as either treble or bass clef.

The indicated note durations are precise relative to each other and to the eventual time value assigned to each line system.

The piece may be played by any number of pianos up to 25. »

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak says he's left Facebook over data collection

Authored by usatoday.com
image for

File photo taken in 2016 shows Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak in San Francisco.

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak told USA TODAY he's leaving Facebook out of growing concern for the carelessness with which Facebook and other Internet companies treat the private information of users.

On Sunday, he deactivated his Facebook account after posting the following message: "I am in the process of leaving Facebook. »

Shell predicted dangers of climate change in 1980s and knew fossil fuel industry was responsible

Authored by independent.co.uk
image for

They also predict that changes to sea levels and weather would be “larger than any that have occurred over the past 12,000 years”.

As a result, the documents foresee impacts on living standards, food supplies and other major social, political and economic consequences.

They have since been published on the Climate Files website, which is sponsored by environmental activist organisation the Climate Investigations Centre. »