This week on Pentagonal, we talk about Google trying to silence all of their enemies. Jake is in his happy place and no one can stop him from shaming Google. We also have two stories actually about privacy and security, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Show Notes:
1:30 SharknAT&ToJake shares an article he found interesting. A researcher discovered a bunch of vulnerabilities in AT&T modems shipping today. The article also talks about how to use the vulnerabilities but also how to use them to disable anyone else from using them. Cristian makes an allegory to another internet of things exploit situation where someone released a worm spreading from devices which sole purpose was to patch the devices.5:25 India adds to the list of countries which declares privacy a fundamental rightAnother article Jake was thrilled to share this week was that the highest court in India has declared privacy is a fundamental right. The EU and the UN have both claimed it to be a fundamental right.6:12 Google silencing critics [CW: Jake makes a reference to the Bill Cosby Rape Situation]Google Critic Ousted From Think Tank Funded by the Tech GiantCitizens Against Monopoly – GoogleA writer at the think tank The New America wrote a piece criticizing Google’s place in the marketplace. Eric Schmidt — the chairman of Alphabets board — told the think tank of his displeasure with the piece and the whole team from where this piece came was subsequently fired. A bit of controversy came when this was brought to the public attentions and Google themselves said they were not involved in the firing of the employee. The president of New America said that the team was being taken out because New America wanted a bigger and better relationship with Google.Jake makes the claim that this is a mob boss situation, where even though the boss herself may not say to cut the head off, those under the boss know what should be done.The fired employees made a website with a forum where you can send a message to Google to not be evil and Cristian made the criticism that this should be sent to a local representative and not Google.Yes, Google Uses Its Power to Quash Ideas It Doesn’t Like—I Know Because It Happened to MeThis started a discussion on how Google is trying to silence their critics.A writer who used to write for Forbes wrote a piece on Gizmodo about how in 2011 when Google was rolling out the plus one button as a part of Google+, she took a meeting with some Google executives on how the plus one button would be influential in the coming months to getting a good ranking on Google.She then wrote about the piece and Google began putting pressure on Forbes, as she was new to the job and under immense pressure, she retracted the piece and took it down.Google claimed this meeting was under an NDA. She never signed an NDA and wasn’t told that the meeting was off the record. Jake said that no one bothered to tell the journalist that this was off the record.A Serf on Google’s FarmA couple of other news outlets came out with pieces saying that Google is suppressing academics. Google has been paying academics in law schools to write pieces positing that Go
View all episodes
