North Carolina senator Richard Burr has demonstrated his disregard for the constituents he serves multiple times, and his ignorance related to technology issues proves that he doesn’t care enough about those he represents enough to educate himself on important issues. The most striking example of this was his prominent role in trying to force Apple to write a new, parasitic version of iOS that would’ve allowed the FBI access to the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone, but would have come at the expense of every iPhone and iPad user’s privacy, as it would’ve created the possibility of unauthorized backdoor access for every modern iOS device in the world.

Contributing to his prior displays of technological ignorance is this pandering tweet:

As 5G networks become a reality, it’s critical we get them right. I appreciate @AjitPaiFCC working with Sprint and T-Mobile to make sure rural areas will be widely connected under 5G and that America continues to lead on this next frontier.

It’s clear based on his tweet that he does not understand 5G technology on a fundamental level. While it will increase upload/download speeds, the primary benefit of 5G is that these networks will be capable of delivering fast internet connections to enormous groups of people in the same area: think of times where your phone is practically incapacitated by the number of other devices trying to connect to the internet. Some good examples where 5G would be most helpful include times when you’re at a concert, or in the middle of Manhattan, or at a football game. These are the instances where 5G will shine—when there are thousands of devices in the same spot all vying for a connection.

While it will help everyone, the 5G rollout should absolutely NOT focus on rural areas, because that is exactly the opposite of where its deployment will be most beneficial; they should give top priority to urban areas, because to do anything else would be to ignore the true nature of the technology they’re racing* to implement.

*A race which, despite Mr. Burr’s nationalistic allusion, we are losing.

Most people who know me have heard me complain relentlessly about Facebook at some point, and anyone who doesn’t know me will recognize quickly upon meeting me that I believe Facebook is one of the most dangerous, corrupt, malicious companies in the world. This is a personal account that will help to illustrate why.

I deleted my Facebook account in 2017 after reading a series of articles that pulled back the curtain on their dishonest, predatory practices in regards to mishandling user data and disregarding privacy, often in undeniably intentional ways. One of these many ways included the use of “shadow profiles”,  which are unseen profiles with a wealth of information created internally by Facebook. They are created not only for people who use their services, but also for people who have never used Facebook before. These shadow profiles help Facebook improve their network of users to recommend more relevant friend requests, ads, timeline posts, etc. The problem with this was that nobody had any idea Facebook had made these shadow profiles, as they intentionally kept it a secret. Additionally, they provide no opt-out option or any way to truly remove your data from these shadow profiles; they are entirely beyond consumer access, and were created and maintained regardless of consumer consent.

This all sounds a bit Orwellian, but before you recommend I get fitted for a tinfoil hat, consider this very personal, very true account that proves the existence of Facebook’s shadow profiles.

After I deleted my Facebook account in 2017, they promised to delete my account and the associated data within 90 days. Seeing as I had no way to verify that this would happen, I tried to forget about it, and eventually made peace with the fact that even if they didn’t delete my information, I had done all I could do. Fast forward two years to the present, and I am only more distressed about how Facebook is operating. From the Cambridge Analytica scandal, to the multitude of uncovered lies and privacy debacles, I truly think they’re a criminal enterprise ran by a few greedy people who are so obsessed with their own corporate and personal wellbeing, that they are willing to destroy free speech and democracy in order to preserve themselves. I’ve increasingly felt like I should be doing more to start conversations about how corrupt they are, and I have tried diligently to get others to delete their accounts, too. In fact, CopyrightBro exists largely because I wanted a place to share my ideas, but couldn’t stomach the idea of contributing to the overall success of their operation by publishing (what I consider to be) meaningful ideas in a place where they would get mixed in with useless gender reveal videos and cat memes as a way to placate, entertain, and enslave the millions of ignorant people on whom Facebook relies for advertisement revenue.

Nevertheless, I decided it would be worth it to create a Facebook page for CopyrightBro so that people could see my (specifically anti-Facebook) posts, and I just wouldn’t create a page for Broc Gantt. It turns out, Facebook won’t let you make a business page without first creating a personal profile, so I begrudgingly entered my name and phone number, but refused ALL of the optional information (profile photo, email, etc). Despite this, the third screen Facebook showed me during the account creation process was a screen where they explained how to add friends, followed by a scrolling list of people I know from every area of my life. Family members, high school friends, old work friends, people from college, previous church members, and folks from the local community. They conveniently offered to fill in my high school and college information, as well as offered up my hometown as a suggested location to add to my profile. I knew almost every single person they recommended, and all of the other information about my schools and hometown was spot on. Ultimately, I have decided not to create an account for myself or CopyrightBro.

The bottom line is this: there is no way Facebook could recommend all of that information solely based on the name and phone number of a new user (remember, my account had been permanently deleted two years prior, and they promised to delete all the associated data). The evidence for their utilization of shadow profiles is incontrovertible, and it is a practice that absolutely must come to an end. It is mass-market stalking.

If you’d like to learn more about shadow profiles, I’d recommend checking out this article from The Verge. Of course, I’d also recommend deleting your Facebook profile, but if you can’t yet bring yourself to delete it, share this post, and maybe you can help someone else make the decision. If you’d like help making your decision, spend some more time on CopyrightBro, and I’ll do my best to convince you. Start with my comments on this article about all of Facebook’s lies and coverups.

#deletefacebook

I have been asked by more people than I can count about whether or not they should install iOS updates. Because there is a lot of misinformation about the true pros and cons of keeping your devices on the latest software, I decided I would weigh in on the topic publicly. 

A lot of people think that iOS updates don’t matter, so they don’t bother taking the time to install them because they think it takes too long, but this isn’t really the case anymore. The most recent update (iOS 12.3) took my iPhone XS Max only 9 minutes to download and install, from start to finish. And if you can’t find nine minutes, your phone can update itself for you while you’re sleeping. 

Furthermore, the updates DO matter, and they matter a lot. A lot of bug fixes are rolled out with each update, so the reason your phone is acting up could be a direct result of the fact that it HASN’T been updated yet. Additionally, iOS updates frequently include security patches which are absolutely essential, so from a privacy and security point of view, it’s a terrible to avoid software updates. Frequent software updates are a large part of what makes the iOS platform so superior to Android when it comes to privacy and security.

Lastly, we have to address the common concern that Apple pushes out updates on a regular basis to further their own interests. I am no longer employed by Apple, so I have no reason to be dishonest when I tell you that Apple is not trying to use software updates to drive iPhone sales. They do not intentionally make your phone slower. They do not intentionally make your phone buggy. They do not intentionally try to decrease your battery life. All of these concerns are usually only reported by people using devices which are several years old, and at that point the processors are comparably inefficient and are therefore struggling to keep up with the new, more advanced software. If your iPhone is less than 4 years old, this should not be a concern for you.

The bottom line: when your iOS devices tell you that they need to be updated, it is in your best interest to update them.

An absolutely scathing but completely honest summary of Facebook’s history. If you value privacy, democracy, or freedom of the press, read this article from Wired. Then delete your Facebook account.  

Still not convinced? Try this fun tip: request a copy of facebook’s data profile for your account. It includes heaps of information including all your private messages, advertising demographic data, IP addresses, your GPS coordinates from every time you’ve logged in, and more. Additionally, you’ll see a list of advertisers to whom they’ve sold all of this information without your consent. Facebook is a criminal enterprise. Delete your account. 

#deletefacebook

Totally professional and not at all creepy. Nothing to see here.

#deletefacebook

Everyone should look into (and subscribe to) Apple’s new subscription service for news. It’s called Apple News+, and it’s only $9.99/month. That price offers complete access for everyone in your family to the Wall Street Journal, the LA Times, and over 300 magazines (including People, National Geographic, Time, Forbes, ESPN, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Field & Stream, and tons of other well known publications that people care about). You can start with a one month free trial. 

A lot of people see this as just another way for Apple to milk customers for money, and they announced a lot of services at their March 2019 event that seem that way, but I really think this is the most important thing they announced. There is no similar service to this on the market today. It comes at a really crucial time when people are using the Internet to try and keep themselves informed about the world, but don’t realize that what they’re being sold as news, is really only repackaged hype intended to drive further engagement with the platform serving it up (see: Facebook) for the purpose of boosting ad revenue through ever increasing volumes of clicks, likes, comments, and shares.

Companies like this don’t care that the articles people are sharing on their platforms are often devoid of actual facts and usually have no legitimate sources for the “information” they present. Because of social media’s tendency to prioritize monetization over the truth and journalistic integrity, people in the US and in the world are being driven further and further to each end of the political spectrum, and people are becoming significantly less tolerant of people who have beliefs only slightly different than their own. And in more extreme cases, we’re seeing foreign and domestic terror groups pop up that exist to incite violence and spread hatred, and in many cases they attribute the sources that lead to their indoctrination to misinformation campaigns and sensational headlines that were fed to them by Facebook, YouTube, and other companies. I mean, literal NAZIS are making a comeback, for god’s sake. 

In addition to their commitment to journalistic integrity, Apple has made their news platform secure, so that you know from a privacy standpoint you’re getting the best of the best, and that the headlines you read won’t follow you across the Internet for advertisers to use to target you based on your interests or beliefs.

*Please note that I am not still employed by Apple and there is no direct benefit for me to promote this, I just think it’s really important. Also, delete your Facebook accounts.

#deletefacebook