Facebook reports that the US is the most frequent target for disinformation campaigns, Acer is feeling the impact of the global chip shortage, and some companies are considering creating Uber-like apps for off-duty policing.
It’s all the biz/tech news that’s popular right now. Welcome to Hashtag Trending! It’s Wednesday, June 2 and I’m your host Alex Coop.
Facebook says U.S. is the top target of disinformation campaigns from technology
Out of the 150 disinformation campaigns Facebook has discovered and removed, the United States tops the list of being the most prominent target. Most of the campaigns that target the US are sourced abroad. However, according to Facebook, in the past four years, a number of campaigns targeting people in the US have originated from the country itself. Facebook’s head of security policy said much of the targeting both foreign and domestic occurred during the 2020 Presidential Election. In total there were 16 takedowns ahead of the 2020 elections. Of those, one originated in China, five originated in Russia, five from Iran, and five from the US. Facebook says the US is working on uncovering and stopping more campaigns from happening. [Axios]
Acer says global chip shortage to slow laptop production until at least next year from technology
During the virtual Computex event this week, Acer says the worldwide chip shortage will continue to have a major impact on production until at least the first or second quarter of 2022. The semiconductor shortage has resulted in the shortage of phones, computers, gaming consoles and cars. Acer’s COO says the firm can only fill 50 per cent of the worldwide demand. Despite this, last week Acer announced the launch of new gaming laptops, chromebooks, and notebooks which are due to stock shelves in the second half of this year. This news comes after Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger announced earlier this week at the same event that it may take several years for the global shortage of semiconductors to be resolved. [The Guardian]
The Last Thing We Need Is an Uber for Off-Duty Cops – Private businesses are paying police big bucks to work during their off-hours. Now a slew of start-ups are looking for a piece of that action. from technology
And lastly, police officers are working off the job for private businesses through an under-the-radar practice called off-duty policing. According to recent reporting from The New Republic, officers can be seen monitoring grocery stores, construction sites, nightclubs and more. Several companies are trying to profit off secondary employment deploying the mechanics of the gig economy in an attempt to become the “Uber” that connects cops to these second jobs. For example Citizen, a neighbourhood watch–style app that allows people to report crime and activity in their neighbourhood, is testing a service that would send private security workers to the scene of disturbances after the request of app users. However, there are concerns that officers practicing off-duty policing may abuse their power. There are also concerns that police officers may show up to their real jobs worn out and tired after a shift of off-duty policing. [The New Republic]
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