Summary: The recent “Russia is stealing your photos” meme highlights both the fear of data privacy (or just Russians perhaps) and the truth around most app Terms of Service (which nobody ever really reads, do they?). The real issue here isn’t Russia (as memes and certain fear-driven news networks might suggest) but the granting of “perpetual, royalty-free” rights to data that we share with *many* popular apps, from “social quizzes” to “here’s what I’ll look like in 10 years if I ever go missing and you need a picture for the milk carton” craze. And it’s not just FaceApp, it’s *most* apps. And that poses a challenge for both consumers and brands as they grapple with the future of data privacy (and the economy that a laissez-faire, caveat emptor posture has created). How can we fix this issue? To start, users need to stop using apps they just don’t need, and ease up on dubious quizzes and surveys that reveal almost nothing about ourselves except that we like to take meaningless surveys and quizzes. But we also need some responsible legislation, and the California Consumer Privacy Act just might be the ticket. THIS WEEK’s FAST FIVE > Huawei phones are likely to still be Androids for a long time, at least according to Huawei execs. We’re not sure what that portends for the users of Huawei phones or if Google and the US government intend to continue to put Huawei in the cross-hairs of a tech embargo. But we do know the ongoing US-China trade war isn’t likely to stop any time soon and that the US government isn’t always firing at the right target. > The very real dangers of deep fake videos go well beyond their initial use to create fake porn. These new AI-infused videos can influence stock prices, elections, careers, and more. And now they can be made using a single image and a technique called one-shot learning. > Twitter is testing new in-tweet labels for how replies, authors and commentators are identified. Yes, there is a problem that needs to be fixed. No, we’re not sure this is the right approach. > Amazon says “For $10, let us track you all over the web” and consumers reply “Yay, let's do it!” Futurum’s analysts just shake their heads at this one. > Intel falls behind AMD in an interesting twist in the battle for nanometer bragging rights that highlights how Moore’s Law just might be circumvented as chip manufacturers finally figure out how to bake the silicon equivalent of a seven-layer cake. This week's Tech Bites Winner: This week we give a much-needed smack to companies that geo-track to excess and those that abuse the technology. In this case that includes Steve Bannon and the GOP who thought the idea of using geolocation data from mobile phones to identify and track voters who visited houses of worship would be a great way to influence an election. Our Crystal Ball: Will the California Consumer Privacy Act actually result in better security for the country? We’re hopeful, but far from certain on this one. INFORMATION: This Futurum Podcast features Fred McClimans (@fredmcclimans), Olivier Blanchard (@OABlanchard) and Shelly Kramer (@ShellyKramer). If you haven't already, please subscribe to our show on iTunes or SoundCloud. For inquiries or more information on the show, email the team at podcast@futurumresearch.com or follow @FuturumPodcast on Twitter. To learn more about Futurum Research please visit www.futurumresearch.com. DISCLOSURE: Futurum Research is a research and analysis provider, not an investment advisor. The Futurum Tech Podcast (and all related written notes and materials) is a newsletter/podcast intended for entertainment and informational purposes only. Futurum Research does not provide personalized investment advice and no investment advice is offered or implied by this podcast.
