Facebook is reportedly planning to create Artificial Intelligence (AI) based algorithms that can spot posts that relate to terrorism and bullying, thereby making the platform safer for users, and making it less likely for those supporting and exporting violence and prejudice from using Facebook.

What’s The Problem?

The vast number of Facebook users, and the ease of signing up to and sharing widely across the platform, has meant that Facebook has become a place where posts reflect all views in society, from very good to very bad. It has also famously been a platform that defends the privacy of its users (and the use of encryption) e.g. as demonstrated by Mark Zuckerberg’s public support of Apple’s decision to not help the FBI to hack an iPhone that was used by one of the San Bernardino shooters.

Outlined in a Letter From Mark Zuckerberg.

Now, in a 5,500-word letter discussing the future of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg has admitted that, due to the sheer scale and popularity of Facebook, it is now impossible to police and censor the more subverted and criminal use of the platform using conventional and existing means.

Facebook has also faced criticism in recent times over how one of Fusilier Lee Rigby’s killers spoke on the platform about murdering a soldier months before the attack, and the live streaming over Facebook of an attack on a Chicago Donald trump supporter in the so-called ‘Black Lives Matter kidnapping’.

How Will The Algorithm Work?

According to Mr Zuckerberg’s letter, the intention is to create an AI algorithm that can read text, and look at photos and videos in order to understand if anything dangerous may be happening, or to tell the difference between news stories about terrorism and actual terrorist propaganda. The aim is to create an algorithm that allows Facebook users to post (largely) whatever they like, within the law, because the algorithm will enable users to filter their news feed.

When?

The complexity of developing an AI algorithm of this kind means that it may not be fully ready for several years, although Mark Zuckerberg has stated that Facebook intends to start dealing with some of the cases this year.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

An algorithm of this kind could lead to a much better and safer Facebook experience for all users. The ability of users to customise and to have greater power control over their own online experiences is attractive, although it is important that the algorithm is not so constrictive as to simply be a kind of heavy censoring.

If the algorithm makes the platform more attractive to more users, this would be good news for business advertisers, although the algorithm may mean that businesses will have to be more careful about the content of their promotional videos, photos and messages in order to be compliant and not to be screened out.

A new app called SafeDrive has been developed to reduce the number of phone distraction accidents on the roads by offering shopping discount points as a reward for ignoring your phone while driving.

Why The App?

The app was developed by 30 year-old Romanian businessman Tudor Cobalas, after he nearly crashed while he was texting and driving at the same time.

Even though a personal experience was the trigger for the idea, the app has proven popular because it meets a need that has been recognised worldwide – the need to cut road accident deaths. For example, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.25 million people die each year as a result of road traffic accidents. In the European Union, the average number of road deaths per million inhabitants is 51.5, and WHO figures show that drivers using a mobile phone are four times more likely to be involved in a crash.

Smartphone distraction is now widely recognised as a cause of many accidents on UK roads. In November last year, for example, Police in England and Wales conducted a week-long campaign to catch and crack down on drivers using hand-held mobile phones while driving. This came just ahead of UK government plans to double fines and points for using a mobile phone while driving.

How Does The SafeDrive App Work?

The ‘SafeDrive’ app works by locking the phone as soon as the car exceeds 6mph (10kmh). If the app detects that the driver hasn’t released the lock by checking the phone during a journey, the driver is then rewarded with a number of points. These points can be converted into shopping discounts in the app’s own ‘SafeDrive Marketplace’.

If the driver presses the ‘Release’ button on the phone during the journey e.g. in order to check messages or take / make calls, the app wipes out any points that the driver had accumulated in the journey.

The voluntary SafeDrive app, which already has 10,000 users around the world, also has the backing of a wide variety of commercial partners, including retailers (for the SafeDrive Marketplace) and insurance companies.

Another App Aimed At Young Drivers.

Mr Cobalas has also developed another app aimed at teenage drivers. The ‘Milez’ app is intended to meet US parental concerns about the need to educate young drivers. The app offers positive reinforcement for safe driving behaviour in the form of financial rewards from relatives and friends.

More Similar Apps Available.

There are now several apps to help improve driving and prevent phone distraction while driving. The free DriveWell app from US company Cambridge Mobile Telematics, for example, gives drivers a safety score after each trip. High scores can earn drivers discounts on their car insurance with some insurers. The app also monitors how often drivers are distracted by their phones. More phone distractions mean a lower safety score.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

As well as being refreshing to see a system that uses the phone itself as its own monitor, and uses incentives / positive reinforcement as motivator to change behaviour, the SafeDrive app and others like it could make the roads safer for all of us.
For your business in the UK, if you and your employees drive to and from work and( as part of your work) it is essential that a hands-free device is used for any calls, or that calls are only made or received when your vehicle is safely parked. Even checking texts constitutes a distraction.

The results of not heeding the law on this matter are not just the terrible human consequences, but also the potential damage to your business through driving penalties and reputational damage from the local publicity.

Online retailer Amazon has announced that is going to create 5,000 new full-time jobs in the UK this year.

The new jobs will boost Amazon’s total, permanent UK workforce to 24,000.

What Kind of Jobs?

It has been reported that Amazon is going to be hiring people in a range of roles, including anything from software developers to warehouse staff. The new UK jobs will also include hundreds of apprenticeship opportunities.

Where?

It looks likely that the jobs will be created at Amazon’s new head office in London (where many of the most technical roles are situated) as well as at their Edinburgh customer service centre plus three more new warehouses / fulfilment centres in Tilbury, Doncaster and Daventry.

Why The Expansion Here?

The UK market is Amazon’s second biggest outside the US, behind Germany. The extra 3 fulfilment centres are reported to be needed to allow Amazon to cope with its existing rate of growth and to help speed up deliveries. Amazon also needs more space and staff because it will be handling more deliveries for third-party retailers who use its website for sales and who need its delivery services.

Some analysts have also mentioned a possible move into clothing plus there are reports that Amazon may be close to launching an own-brand fashion label.

These reports have been fuelled by news of Amazon creating a fashion photography studio in London. It is not inconceivable therefore that some of the new jobs may be related to this new area of the business.

Signs Last Year.

The signs of Amazon’s popularity and expansion appeared to be everywhere in the UK last year. For example, Amazon launched a grocery delivery service in parts of the UK last summer (thought to be a test for the US). Last September, Amazon also increased its locker collection / delivery points by getting a presence in Morrisons stores.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

Amazon’s scale (and its economies thereof), the success of its business model plus the strength and reach of its delivery network, coupled with the power of its brand and the ease of online shopping for customers make it a serious competitor for many companies, which now include grocers and fashion retailers. Some businesses, however, benefit as third-parties using Amazon’s network, or through acting as hosts for Amazon’s collection points. News of new jobs being created by large international companies in the UK (particularly after Brexit) is welcome, particularly if the jobs are secure.

An estimated 1.5 million WordPress pages were attacked and defaced in January via a vulnerability in the platform’s REST API.

What Vulnerability?

The vulnerability in the REST API (the Application Programming Interface of the REST architecture that makes up the pages) meant that unauthorised persons could modify the content of any post or page in a WordPress website. The fact that the vulnerability was there, and that attacks were taking place through it, was flagged up to WordPress by web security firm Sucuri on 20th January. At that point, approximately 67,000 pages had been compromised and defaced in four separate attack campaigns. The latest figures put the number of compromised pages at 1.5 million, and the number of unique affected websites at around 40,000 (because many pages in the same website were attacked in most cases).

Hackers Competing.

A patch was developed and issued to all users on 26th January, but the vulnerability had already become widely known among hackers, and it appears that 20+ hackers or even groups of hackers had been competing with each other to compromise as many WordPress pages as possible.

Defeated The Blocking Rules.

Hackers in this case were able to get around the blocking rules that had been put in place by web hosting companies and firewall suppliers in order to prevent attackers from exploiting just such vulnerability.

Defaced Pages.

Since the flaw allowed hackers to modify any page or post in the WordPress websites, hackers defaced pages by leaving images and messages in pages / posts saying "was here" or similar.

Defacing Doesn’t Bring Money.

Technical and security commentators have pointed out that hackers are generally looking for ways to monetise website vulnerabilities, and defacing pages does not offer this. The fear is, therefore, that next move will be for hackers to use the vulnerability remaining in any sites to spread malware, or to launch spamming attacks.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

WordPress is the most popular website platform in the world, and many businesses use them. A vulnerability of this kind is therefore a serious matter which could cause disruption to businesses, and create costs and other potential problems in trying to put the issue right. Many businesses may not have checked their web pages recently, and may not even be aware that they have been attacked, and their pages have been defaced. Businesses with WordPress websites can therefore protect themselves against the vulnerability by upgrading to WordPress 4.7.2 or, e.g. signing up for WordFence’s firewall service.