ANOTHER FACEBOOK SLIP UP LEADS TO LEAKED PERSONAL INFORMATION OF 6.8 MILLION USERS

Social media giant Facebook announced last Friday that a software bug allegedly gave several app developers access to private photos of about 6.8 million users. This highly likely exposed untold numbers of pictures that online users never thought would be publicly available. The announcement is simply the latest edition to a long list of problems the social network has had with protecting and respecting consumer data. Facebook stated that it intends on also notifying the people who are potentially impacted by this bug via an alert on Facebook. The company is also requesting that most people log into any other applications with which they have shared their Facebook photos to check which photos they have current access to.

A blog post made by the social network directed towards developers regarding the issue discusses on how the bug would have affected and involved people who used Facebook to log in to third-party apps and hence gave those apps access and permission to their personal photos. The company followed by stating that it began on the 13th September and continued for 12 days allowing the bug to give those third-party apps access to photos that users could have easily not authorized to be shared. On one of the Facebook alerts it was stated that the issue was recently found and fixed and that certain apps people connected to Facebook may have been affected. 

You previously gave these apps permission to access your photos on Facebook. Normally, Facebook shares photos that you have posted on your timeline to these apps, but a bug occurred between September 13 and 25, 2018, which gave developers access to other photos, such as those you may have posted to your Facebook Stories or initially uploaded but didn't post.

Facebook's privacy practices have received intense investigations and inspections ever since the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke open earlier this year. The recent incident is understood to have been less severe than past ones with only around 1,500 third-party apps built by 876 developers that were granted access to users’ uploaded photos even if they were not posted publicly to Facebook. Facebook followed up their statement by also explaining why they feel the problem most likely occurred.

When someone gives permission for an app to access their photos on Facebook, we usually only grant the app access to photos people share on their timeline. In this case, the bug potentially gave developers access to other photos, such as those shared on Marketplace or Facebook stories. The bug also impacted photos that people uploaded to Facebook but chose not to post.

Overall,  this is an essential example to how the concept of digital privacy is fading and that just because the user makes a choice to make any source of online content as "private" doesn't necessarily mean it will stay that way. As for Mark Zuckerberg's globally recognized social networking website and it's recent series of unfortunate events surrounding information disclosure has created an untrusted environment that ironically is being spread through the data breach of the social medium itself. 

KEVIN HART'S TWITTER TROUBLE FORCES HIM TO STEP DOWN AS OSCAR HOST

Popular actor and comedian Kevin Hart announced on social media last Thursday evening that he shall no longer host the 2019 Academy Awards due to several past homophobic tweets. All this occurred just 48 hours after Hart was confirmed to host the Oscars next February with howls of online protests against his previous anti-gay tweets, and cold remarks Hart made during stand-up routines nearly 10 years ago. 

The since deleted tweets were originally rediscovered by an editor at the Guardian Benjamin Lee who following the Oscars announcement posted a tweet stating “I wonder when Kevin Hart is gonna start deleting all his old tweets,” including screenshots from some of Hart’s since-deleted tweets. In one tweet from 2011, Hart wrote, “Yo if my son comes home & try’s 2 play with my daughters doll house I’m going 2 break it over his head & say n my voice ‘stop that’s gay." The screenshots taken from some of Kevin Hart’s since-deleted tweets in which he said someone looked like “a gay bill board for AIDS” and called another person a “FAT FAG.” This developed into Hart posting a new video on Instagram on Thursday evening, letting his followers know that he was contacted by the Academy and asked to apologize for his old tweets if he still wanted to host. This was followed by Hart mentioning he will hold on an apology on a matter of principle against who he was in his past to who he has now become. He also continues to blame internet trolls for not letting him be himself.  

I chose to pass on the apology. The reason why I passed is I’ve addressed this several times. . . . I’ve said where the rights and wrongs were. I’ve said who I am now versus who I was then. I’ve done it. I’ve done it. I’m not going to continue to go back. . . . 

After the video approximately less than two hours later, Hart announced via Twitter that he was removing himself from the role of host and he finally offered the apology everyone was looking for. He stated that he has made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's....this is because he simply did not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. Hart concluded the tweet by apologizing to the LGBTQ community for his insensitive words from his past.

Overall, this is a clear example on how sometimes the pen is mightier than the sword and in today's digital era one must really be socially conscious and respectful about what they write online as it can easily be analysed by the present and effect the now. As for what can only be described as a humiliating act and career damaging move on the part of Kevin Hart, Hollywood has been known to be forgiving to those who appear publicly apologetic and sincere. Irrelevant to whether Hart's apology is enough, the show must go on.

ARIANA GRANDE PROVIDED US WITH THE SWEETENER WE ALL NEEDED

Pop princess Ariana Grande has dominated her way to the top of the charts with her catchy self love anthem "Thank U, Next", followed by the recent release of the single's music video breaking several records and becoming the Biggest Music Video Debut in YouTube History. Grande's rom-com supercut of a video accumulated 55.4 million views in its first 24 hours, with YouTube officials confirming that “Thank U, next” is the fastest video to earn 100 million views, reaching the number just four days after its release. The music video plays a tribute to several classic teen movies such as "Mean Girls", "Bring It On", "Legally Blonde", and "13 Going on 30". This visual time capsule also features cameos from many familiar faces including the likes of Kris Jenner, Troye Sivan, Jennifer Coolidge, and more.

  

"Mean Girls" inspired look 

On Friday, the "Dangerous Woman" singer released the long-awaited video in which she took the opportunity to assume the role of Regina George, known by many to be the high school cliché of a drama queen. This gave Grande the perfect chance to poke fun at her problematic diva reputation. Ariana showcases some of the most memorable scenes from the 2000 film “Bring It On."  Matt Bennett who is a good friend to Ariana and was her “Victorious” co-star, joined her in the replica of the teeth-brushing scene leading to a twist where like in the film she received a mix tape from her "new love" in this case herself.

Ariana Grande &
Pete Davidson at the 2018 VMAs

On a further note Grande pays homage to Jennifer Garner’s most iconic rom-com role in "13 going on 30" with many associating it with another reference to her broken engagement to"SNL" actor Pete Davidson. It is to be noted that the first official Pete Davidson reference was when Stefanie Drummond, who played North Shore student Bethany Byrd in "Mean Girls", announces that “Ariana broke off an engagement, so I found a guy to propose to me and I broke off an engagement.”. The final and what I feel to be the most fitting film reference is that of "Legally Blonde". Grande becomes the legendary Elle Woods who in the film deals with an intense break-up and defies all odds after successfully graduating from law school after most of the people around her disbelieved in her self empowerment.

After watching this music video, i was left reflecting on the fact how impressive it was for Ariana Grande to take all the negative events such as the break-up between herself and her fiancee, the death of her ex boyfriend Mac Miller, her reputation and other situations that she has been faced with and turned them into an optimistic outlook with only sincere positivity and good energy for the future. This teaching us all that no matter what life throws our way, we need to be able to take it on board and be able to move on better from what we have experienced. Hence whenever life gets us down we should simply add a little sweetener, gracefully be thankful and persevere.

Click here to view the music video