The Download: Internet Health in the News on May 5
Like a zombie rising from the dead, net neutrality is back leading the news, with a rising chorus speaking out against a proposed gift to ISPs. Other links passed around Mozilla HQ included a dynamic essay on writing on the web and an op-ed from our executive director on the urgent need for action on digital inclusion. Enjoy!
Privacy + Security
USA TODAY: Facebook can tell when teens feel insecure
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/05/01/facebook-can-tell-when-teens-feel-insecure-advertiser-target/101158752/
The social behemoth is under fire after admitting it erred in handing over research on the emotional state of its users to an advertiser. These emotions include defeat, stress, anxiety or feeling overwhelmed.
Openness
The Verge: Everything Verizon says in this terrible video about net neutrality vs. the truth
https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/2/15520818/verizon-net-neutrality-craig-silliman-truth
The Verge didn’t hold back when it mocked a Verizon video on the FCC’s proposed rollback of net neutrality. Piece by piece, The Verge humorously pushes back on Verizon’s claims that FCC action is nothing to worry about. If only that were true.
Web literacy
Quartz: India’s internet users have more faith in content that’s not in English
https://qz.com/972844/indias-internet-users-have-more-faith-in-content-thats-not-in-english-study-says/
In the early 1990s, over 80% of Internet content was in English. Today that number has fallen to 27%. A new study finds that upwards of 70% of Indians consider local language digital content more reliable than English content.
Digital inclusion
The Week: I write on the internet. I’m sorry.
https://theweek.com/articles/695333/write-internet-im-sorry?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethits
No apologies necessary. This fascinating essay looks at Internet culture and maps it to larger societal trends such as the erosion of trust and social isolation. The result is a bit disquieting and completely revelatory.
Quartz: Internet access is an essential part of life, but the quality of that access can vary wildly
https://qz.com/976013/internet-access-is-an-essential-part-of-life-but-the-quality-of-that-access-can-vary-wildly/
Inequality is a pervasive problem in U.S society, and it’s a serious issue on the Internet as well, argues Mozilla Foundation Executive Director Mark Surman. We need increased attention on broadband access just as we do on other issues of inequality such as income, geography, gender, and education.
Decentralization
New York Times: Giving the behemoths a leg up on the little guy
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/03/technology/net-neutrality-fcc-giving-behemoths-leg-up.html?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethits
The New York Times lead tech writer, Farhad Manjoo, pulls no punches as he unpacks why the erasure of net neutrality is a gift for the big corporations that are increasingly ruling over the Internet.
One more thing
Subscribe to Mozilla’s The Download on Pocket, the super sweet save-for-later service that lets you save interesting articles, videos and more from the web for later enjoyment. We’ll share everything here and more over there. Happy reading.