Protect Your Privacy
No, your phone isn’t ‘listening’ to you — but it’s probably tracking you
08.03.20
Mozilla
True
Firefox
When I found out I was pregnant in October 2018, I had planned to keep the news a secret from family for a little while — but my phone seemed to have other ideas.
Within just a few hours of finding out the news, I was being bombarded with ads for baby gear, baby clothes and diapers on Facebook, Instagram and pretty much any other site I visited — be it my phone or on my computer.
Good thing my family wasn't looking over my shoulder while I was on my phone or my secret would have been ruined.
I'm certainly not alone in feeling like online ads can read your mind.
When I started asking around, it seemed like everyone had their own similar story: Brian Kelleher told me that when he and his wife met, they started getting ads for wedding rings and bridal shops within just a few weeks. Tech blogger Snezhina Piskov told me that she started getting ads for pocket projectors after discussing them in Messenger with her colleagues. Meanwhile Lauren Foley, a writer, told me she started getting ads for Happy Socks after seeing one of their shops when she got off the bus one day.
When online advertising seems to know us this well, it begs the question: are our phones listening to us?
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUxNTYwMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwOTEwMjk4Nn0.BQh4lujFOvTYhhCSEMFBazanbWOfSK5BT0KMLJzskG0/img.jpg?width=980" id="b06ca" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dbe3c33fee14b00955e2847973dc5b35" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Mozilla</small></p><p>"There is a common myth that companies like Facebook are using the microphone on your device to passively listen to all your conversations," says Marshall Erwin, Senior Director of Trust and Security at Mozilla and cybersecurity expert who worked for Congress during the Snowden disclosures in 2013. "This isn't the case."<br></p><p>However, your phone — just like your computer — is collecting your personal data.</p><p>It's collecting this data with <a href="https://blog.mozilla.org/firefox/what-is-a-web-tracker/" target="_blank">cookies and other web trackers</a> embedded in the sites you visit, with the data you provide freely when you create social media profiles, use apps or buy things online, with your location data, and with your device ID. </p><p>"Your phone is the most complete surveillance device invented by mankind," says <a href="https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty/bruce-schneier" target="_blank">Bruce Schneier</a>, adjunct lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and renowned security technologist. "It knows where you live, it knows where you work, it knows when you wake up and when you go to sleep. It knows who you sleep with. It knows you better than your spouse."</p><p>"Surveillance is the business model of the internet," he adds.</p><p>For example, Schneier tells me, "the fact that we are talking is recorded somewhere and we actually don't know which of our cell phone companies is selling that data. We don't know which apps on our phone are grabbing that data and using it."</p><p>Pretty much everything we do on our computers or our phones — which, remember, are mini-computers we carry around all day — produces personal data. </p><p>Our data is often then bought, sold, and correlated against other data to create a profile of who we are. That profile is in turn targeted in a variety of ways.</p><p>For example, internet advertisers, Erwin explains, can use it "to anticipate and target ads related to what you are thinking and talking about, without actually having to listen to your conversations."</p><p>For example, a shoe manufacturer could use your data to target you simply because you're in your 30s and you seem interested in sports. But they might also target you because you googled running trails or you recently visited a running hobbyist website. Meanwhile, a politician might use it to target you because you are white and live in a battle-ground state.</p><p>It's easy to use (or misuse) your data.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUxNTYwNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwMTk3MDk0OX0.wVn-NIzX12g7jlbsoxT-4v539d25YHHhVM2uCcmZ7sA/img.jpg?width=980" id="4c9b6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0c12b89d3ccd6ac2a88fe15f943a2367" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Mozilla</small></p><p>"Data is what powers a lot of misinformation because it is easier to influence people with malicious messages if those messages are highly targeted towards susceptible groups or populations," explains Erwin.<br></p><p>He continues, "Our data can be misused in discriminatory advertising, where job or housing ads are targeted to only certain racial groups, in violation of people's basic rights."</p><p>Personal data can also be targeted by malicious actors, especially when the apps on our phone aren't secure. For example, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/08/technology/tiktok-security-flaws.html" target="_blank">the app TikTok had vulnerabilities</a> that allowed hackers to manipulate and retrieve user personal information. </p><h2>So what can you do to protect yourself?</h2><p>Well, the bad news is that there's no way to fully protect your data.</p><p>"Your data isn't under your control," says Schneier, "Your email is held by Google, your photos are held by someone else, your files are on some company's hard drive and your financial purchases are held by credit card companies. Your data is not yours anymore."</p><p>"That's the baseline," he continues. "There's largely nothing you can do about it."</p><p>But you can take steps to limit the collection of your data.</p><h3>1. Turn on your privacy controls.</h3><p>"A lot of tech companies provide ways for people to enhance their privacy and to decrease the amount of data collected about them," explains Erwin. "These privacy settings are often off by default, however, and need users to turn them on."</p><h3>2. Use a browser that turns those privacy protections by default.</h3><p>Mozilla protects users' data by turning on privacy features by <a href="https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2019/06/04/when-it-comes-to-privacy-default-settings-matter/" target="_blank">default in the Firefox browser</a>.</p><p>"For example, our Enhanced Tracking Protection feature prevents third parties from tracking you and building a profile of your activity from the websites you visit," says Erwin. "And our DNS over HTTPS (DoH) feature protects that same data from people spying in the middle of the network, encrypting DNS traffic and ensuring it is only disclosed to parties with strong privacy practices."</p><h3>3. Use private browsing.</h3><p>Private browsing — or incognito mode — allow you to browse the web without saving your browsing history. How? They automatically clear cookies and your cache, making it a little harder to track you and target you with ads. </p><p>If you use Firefox, you can also use enhanced tracking protection, which blocks a number of trackers before they're even placed on your device in the first place. </p><h3>4. Avoid public WiFi.</h3><p>Public wifi networks are less secure and it's easier for your data to be hacked.</p><h3>5. Use a VPN.</h3><p>The Mozilla VPN is available on Windows and Android devices and it will help keep you safe online by protecting your data, IP address and location. It also encrypts your activity and communications. </p><h3>6. Adjust your phone settings</h3><p>Watch this video for tips on how to do that:</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cc04d300d0a52d104d9e7ec0b48aefa0"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7NzHRiOZ3EQ?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Data Detox: Smartphones | Firefox</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NzHRiOZ3EQ" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p>
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Here we are, six months into the coronavirus pandemic, and people are tired. We're tired of social distancing, wearing masks, the economic uncertainty, the constant debates and denials, all of it.
But no one is more tired than the healthcare workers on the frontline. Those whom we celebrated and hailed as heroes months ago have largely been forgotten as news cycles shift and increased illness and death become "normal." But they're still there. They're still risking themselves to save others. And they've been at it for a long time.
Mary Katherine Backstrom shared her experience as the wife of an ER doctor in Florida, explaining the impact this pandemic is having on the people treating its victims and reminding us that healthcare workers are still showing up, despite all of the obstacles that make their jobs harder.
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="63784f6be8672c7a38eefe2a9fb19a26"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/MomBabble/photos/a.771916006211188/3432926940110068/?type=3&theater"></div></div>
<p>Backstrom wrote:</p><p><em>"When Ian got home from work last Monday, I could tell it had been a rough shift. He kicked his shoes off on the backdoor stoop as he wrapped up a call with a specialist.</em></p><p><em>'Please keep me posted,' I heard him say. 'I'm hoping they make some progress.'</em></p><p><em>He'd been off the clock for at least 3 hours, but was still advocating for a patient.</em></p><p><em>'Hey baby,' I said when he walked through the door.</em></p><p><em>'Hey,' he responded with a half-hearted smile. He walked straight past me and the children.</em></p><p><em>The kids used to squeal and attack their Daddy when he walked through the door from work. It was his favorite thing in the whole wide world, but it's not allowed anymore.</em></p><p><em>The 'Daddy's Home!' hug has been canceled for some time, now. One more thing the pandemic has stolen.</em></p><p><em>Ian disappeared into our bedroom after throwing his scrubs straight in the wash. He jumped in the shower and I went outside to sprayed down his shoes with disinfectant.</em></p><p><em>Twenty minutes later, we sat down for dinner.</em></p><p><em>I asked him how his work day was. He was worried sick over a patient. They had come to the hospital critically ill, and tested positive for Covid.</em></p><p><em>'He was terrified, MK. The look on his face broke my heart.'</em></p><p><em>Ian pushed his chicken around with a fork, but seemed too distracted to eat.</em></p><p><em>'Do you know what he said to me before he was intubated?' he continued. 'He said he was sorry. He thought the whole thing was a hoax.'</em></p><p><em>The frustration on Ian's face was plain. He was fighting an uphill battle. How do you save a country that doesn't believe it's sick?</em></p><p><em>I didn't ask for any more details. I knew how my husband was feeling.</em></p><p><em>Heck, ask ANY health care worker how they are feeling right now. I can tell you what they're going to say.</em></p><p><em>They are tired. Bone tired.</em></p><p><em>Mentally, physically, and spiritually.</em></p><p><em>Six months later, the pandemic is still here. It's still claiming lives at a horrifying pace.</em></p><p><em>40,000 lives.</em></p><p><em>60,000.</em></p><p><em>100,000.</em></p><p><em>160,000....</em></p><p><em>These workers who months ago were hailed as 'heroes' have practically been forgotten. But they are still out there on the frontlines.</em></p><p><em>Still diagnosing, still intubating, still holding the hands of dying patients. Still risking their health (and the health of their families) by showing up, every day.</em></p><p><em>They are fighting against a growing monster, that feels more and more unconquerable. Not that it keeps them from doing their job.</em></p><p><em>Accolades be damned, healthcare workers show up.</em></p><p><em>As their pay is cut. As nurses are let go. As the pandemic rages on.</em></p><p><em>Healthcare workers show up.</em></p><p><em>As the virus spreads. As conspiracy theories abound.</em></p><p><em>Healthcare workers show up.</em></p><p><em>They put their N95s in a brown paper lunch sack, praying it works for another week. They make their arrangements 'just in case'...but healthcare workers show up.</em></p><p><em>***</em></p><p><em>Two days later at 4 am, I woke to the sound of our Keurig. I rolled out of bed to give Ian a hug and wish him a good day at work. There was a tired sadness in his eyes, so I asked him if something was wrong.</em></p><p><em>'My patient died,' he said with a sigh. 'The one I was so worried about.'</em></p><p><em>'I'm so sorry,' I said, hugging him tight. 'You did everything you could.'</em></p><p><em>The conflict was clear across his face, but he didn't argue the point. He just grabbed his coffee and kissed my cheek, then headed out the door.</em></p><p><em>Because even when they are devastated. Even when they are tired. Even when they are losing hope. Even as conspiracy theories thrive, medicine is politicized, and sound science is rejected. As an out-of-control pandemic wrecks havoc on the community they serve...</em></p><p><em>Even then.</em></p><p><em>Perhaps, especially then.</em></p><p><em>Healthcare workers show up.</em></p><p><em>❤️ Healthcare burnout is at an all time high. Please share this message and thank a HCW today. They are STILL everyday heroes. ❤️"</em></p><p>The post has been shared widely, with fellow healthcare workers commenting with gratitude and solidarity:</p><p>"Thank you! Psychiatric nurse here. We are so tired and there just isn't enough to go around and still SO MANY that don't believe."</p><p>"I work with covid patients. My fellow X-ray techs and I take these patients chest and abdominal X-rays. It has been a battle, to say the least. It's a slap in the face to us to all by those who think it's the flu, or a hoax or don't wear masks. My coworker and I were talking today about how difficult it had been and even though things are better in Illinois, it's still here. We still work, no pay raises, cut hours, shifting of hours and nobody has taken vacation days since all this began. We are sad, tired, burned out and ridden with anxiety. Thank you for the thank you."</p><p>"[Thank you] for your observation and words of encouragement to all of us in this field. It is scary, heartbreaking and devastating, never would I have imagined encountering something like this in my career as I'm sure others have felt the same."</p><p>"Love this story, and it makes me sad at the same time, because this is about as close to the truth as it gets 😢 I work in EMS, and it's so disheartening, that people aren't taking this seriously, and they believe that masks are of no help at all! Please people, wake up....I will pray, that you aren't my next patient 😔"</p><p>"Yes! My husband is in EMS and has been caring for Covid patients several times a shift for months. He and at least 14 others in his service are out with Covid currently. We've been so careful but there's only so much you can do when it's your job. My entire family has it currently and it's awful. Hugs."</p><p>"This is so so true! As an ICU nurse I know the death of COVID all too well 😔 I try to avoid the ignorance of non-medical people, their misguided information frustrates and saddens me."</p><p>"I'm a health care worker. I was saying to my husband as I'm starting a 5 day rotation. I told him I'm filled with dread. My stomach is queasy, my heart hurts. I'm on the verge of tears.We are pushed to our limits. We're a small rural hospital, we get PPE but we have to take care of it until it's worn out or no longer safe. More rooms for COVID added weekly. All I can do is pray for safety of myself and my co workers. This thing is so real. I know how Ian feels. Much love MK."</p><p>"My husband is a nurse. He cares deeply for his patients. Covid is breaking his heart. We have to stay completely separate from him because on of our sons has leukemia. He lives in two rooms of our home. Climbs in and out of a window. He can't be hugged by his family! It is frustrating to read the posts that say this a political virus or a hoax. I am praying for your husband along with all our frontline workers."</p><p>"I am in RN in a COVID ICU and it's devastating what this disease is doing to people and so incredibly heartbreaking. Thank you for posting this as I do feel we have been forgotten."</p><p>Here's to all the healthcare workers who continue to show up, continue to care, continue to put their own lives and health on the line to save others. They continue to be the heroes of this battle and deserve our continued, unbridled support. </p><p><br></p>
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Protect Your Privacy
No, your phone isn’t ‘listening’ to you — but it’s probably tracking you
08.03.20
Mozilla
True
Firefox
When I found out I was pregnant in October 2018, I had planned to keep the news a secret from family for a little while — but my phone seemed to have other ideas.
Within just a few hours of finding out the news, I was being bombarded with ads for baby gear, baby clothes and diapers on Facebook, Instagram and pretty much any other site I visited — be it my phone or on my computer.
Good thing my family wasn't looking over my shoulder while I was on my phone or my secret would have been ruined.
I'm certainly not alone in feeling like online ads can read your mind.
When I started asking around, it seemed like everyone had their own similar story: Brian Kelleher told me that when he and his wife met, they started getting ads for wedding rings and bridal shops within just a few weeks. Tech blogger Snezhina Piskov told me that she started getting ads for pocket projectors after discussing them in Messenger with her colleagues. Meanwhile Lauren Foley, a writer, told me she started getting ads for Happy Socks after seeing one of their shops when she got off the bus one day.
When online advertising seems to know us this well, it begs the question: are our phones listening to us?
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUxNTYwMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwOTEwMjk4Nn0.BQh4lujFOvTYhhCSEMFBazanbWOfSK5BT0KMLJzskG0/img.jpg?width=980" id="b06ca" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dbe3c33fee14b00955e2847973dc5b35" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Mozilla</small></p><p>"There is a common myth that companies like Facebook are using the microphone on your device to passively listen to all your conversations," says Marshall Erwin, Senior Director of Trust and Security at Mozilla and cybersecurity expert who worked for Congress during the Snowden disclosures in 2013. "This isn't the case."<br></p><p>However, your phone — just like your computer — is collecting your personal data.</p><p>It's collecting this data with <a href="https://blog.mozilla.org/firefox/what-is-a-web-tracker/" target="_blank">cookies and other web trackers</a> embedded in the sites you visit, with the data you provide freely when you create social media profiles, use apps or buy things online, with your location data, and with your device ID. </p><p>"Your phone is the most complete surveillance device invented by mankind," says <a href="https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty/bruce-schneier" target="_blank">Bruce Schneier</a>, adjunct lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and renowned security technologist. "It knows where you live, it knows where you work, it knows when you wake up and when you go to sleep. It knows who you sleep with. It knows you better than your spouse."</p><p>"Surveillance is the business model of the internet," he adds.</p><p>For example, Schneier tells me, "the fact that we are talking is recorded somewhere and we actually don't know which of our cell phone companies is selling that data. We don't know which apps on our phone are grabbing that data and using it."</p><p>Pretty much everything we do on our computers or our phones — which, remember, are mini-computers we carry around all day — produces personal data. </p><p>Our data is often then bought, sold, and correlated against other data to create a profile of who we are. That profile is in turn targeted in a variety of ways.</p><p>For example, internet advertisers, Erwin explains, can use it "to anticipate and target ads related to what you are thinking and talking about, without actually having to listen to your conversations."</p><p>For example, a shoe manufacturer could use your data to target you simply because you're in your 30s and you seem interested in sports. But they might also target you because you googled running trails or you recently visited a running hobbyist website. Meanwhile, a politician might use it to target you because you are white and live in a battle-ground state.</p><p>It's easy to use (or misuse) your data.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUxNTYwNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwMTk3MDk0OX0.wVn-NIzX12g7jlbsoxT-4v539d25YHHhVM2uCcmZ7sA/img.jpg?width=980" id="4c9b6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0c12b89d3ccd6ac2a88fe15f943a2367" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Mozilla</small></p><p>"Data is what powers a lot of misinformation because it is easier to influence people with malicious messages if those messages are highly targeted towards susceptible groups or populations," explains Erwin.<br></p><p>He continues, "Our data can be misused in discriminatory advertising, where job or housing ads are targeted to only certain racial groups, in violation of people's basic rights."</p><p>Personal data can also be targeted by malicious actors, especially when the apps on our phone aren't secure. For example, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/08/technology/tiktok-security-flaws.html" target="_blank">the app TikTok had vulnerabilities</a> that allowed hackers to manipulate and retrieve user personal information. </p><h2>So what can you do to protect yourself?</h2><p>Well, the bad news is that there's no way to fully protect your data.</p><p>"Your data isn't under your control," says Schneier, "Your email is held by Google, your photos are held by someone else, your files are on some company's hard drive and your financial purchases are held by credit card companies. Your data is not yours anymore."</p><p>"That's the baseline," he continues. "There's largely nothing you can do about it."</p><p>But you can take steps to limit the collection of your data.</p><h3>1. Turn on your privacy controls.</h3><p>"A lot of tech companies provide ways for people to enhance their privacy and to decrease the amount of data collected about them," explains Erwin. "These privacy settings are often off by default, however, and need users to turn them on."</p><h3>2. Use a browser that turns those privacy protections by default.</h3><p>Mozilla protects users' data by turning on privacy features by <a href="https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2019/06/04/when-it-comes-to-privacy-default-settings-matter/" target="_blank">default in the Firefox browser</a>.</p><p>"For example, our Enhanced Tracking Protection feature prevents third parties from tracking you and building a profile of your activity from the websites you visit," says Erwin. "And our DNS over HTTPS (DoH) feature protects that same data from people spying in the middle of the network, encrypting DNS traffic and ensuring it is only disclosed to parties with strong privacy practices."</p><h3>3. Use private browsing.</h3><p>Private browsing — or incognito mode — allow you to browse the web without saving your browsing history. How? They automatically clear cookies and your cache, making it a little harder to track you and target you with ads. </p><p>If you use Firefox, you can also use enhanced tracking protection, which blocks a number of trackers before they're even placed on your device in the first place. </p><h3>4. Avoid public WiFi.</h3><p>Public wifi networks are less secure and it's easier for your data to be hacked.</p><h3>5. Use a VPN.</h3><p>The Mozilla VPN is available on Windows and Android devices and it will help keep you safe online by protecting your data, IP address and location. It also encrypts your activity and communications. </p><h3>6. Adjust your phone settings</h3><p>Watch this video for tips on how to do that:</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cc04d300d0a52d104d9e7ec0b48aefa0"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7NzHRiOZ3EQ?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Data Detox: Smartphones | Firefox</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NzHRiOZ3EQ" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p>
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popular
Kooky conspiracy theories are detracting from the very real issue of child trafficking
08.04.20
Photo by Mahir Uysal on Unsplash
Two years ago, I got off the phone after an interview and cried my eyes out. I'd just spent an hour talking to Tim Ballard, the founder of Operation Underground Railroad, an organization that helps fight child sex trafficking, and I just couldn't take it.
Ballard told me about how the training to go undercover as a child predator nearly broke him. He told me an eerie story of a trafficker who could totally compartmentalize, showing Ballard photos of kids he had for sale, then switching gears to proudly show him a photo of his own daughter on her bicycle, just as any parent would. He told me about how lucrative child trafficking is—how a child can bring in three or four times as much as a female prostitute—and how Americans are the industry's biggest consumers.
<p>But you know what he <em>didn't </em>mention in our hour-long conversation? Pizza, hot dogs, Hollywood elites, or any of the other child sex trafficking conspiracy theories raging around the internet. Not one of them. Not once. </p><p>You know who else doesn't mention any of those things? The organizations that have spent years and years battling child sex trafficking while most of us blissfully went along in our daily lives, largely oblivious to it. </p><p>No matter our political, religious, or ideological leanings, the unfathomable hideousness of child sex trafficking is something all of us should be able to agree on. But that doesn't make conspiracy theories about pizza parlors and Satanic pedophile rings palatable, or even remotely acceptable. </p><p>Did people learn nothing from the man who believed the Pizzagate conspiracy and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-washingtondc-gunman/man-pleads-guilty-in-washington-pizzeria-shooting-over-fake-news-idUSKBN16V1XC" target="_blank">fired his AR-15 inside of Comet Ping Pong</a> in Washington D.C. because he believed a baseless pedophile ring conspiracy theory involving the pizza parlor? </p><p>There are still people who think that Pizzagate thing is real. (For those who have been blissfully spared from that lunacy, you can read about it <a href="https://time.com/4590255/pizzagate-fake-news-what-to-know/" target="_blank">here.</a>) But that's not even the kookiest thing I've seen lately. There's a veritable laundry list of child sex trafficking posts going around, including:</p><p>- Oprah, Tom Hanks, Ellen Degeneres and other "Hollywood elites" have actually been arrested, and the pandemic is all a distraction to cover up the crackdown on these celebrities. (Fact check <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-tom-hanks-ankle-monitor/fact-check-tom-hanks-is-not-wearing-an-ankle-monitor-post-stems-from-conspiracy-claims-idUSKCN24T2AZ" target="_blank">here.</a> Oh and another one <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/07/30/fact-check-teigen-degeneres-oprah-not-epstein-flight-logs/5494709002/" target="_blank">here.</a>) </p><p>- Model and wife of John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, is a pedophile because she's tweeted a whole bunch about pizza and because she had a sardonic sense of humor about the sexualization of little kids on the show Toddlers & Tiaras back in 2013. (Fact check <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/01/what-happened-with-chrissy-teigen-on-twitter-an-explainer.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/07/30/fact-check-teigen-degeneres-oprah-not-epstein-flight-logs/5494709002/" target="_blank">here.</a>) </p><p>- Wayfair—yes, the home goods products store—has <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/07/22/fact-check-wayfair-not-involved-child-sex-trafficking/5460739002/" target="_blank">coded listings for missing children</a> being sold at exorbitant prices in a child sex trafficking scheme. (No, they don't. Fact check <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/07/22/fact-check-wayfair-not-involved-child-sex-trafficking/5460739002/" target="_blank">here.</a>)</p><p>- Having children wear masks will make it easier for kids to be trafficked because no one can see the expression on the kids' faces or identify them. (As if child traffickers weren't already successfully trafficking kids without masks. Fact check <a href="https://www.kimt.com/content/news/COVID-19-increases-concerns-over-masked-child-trafficking-suspects-571971611.html" target="_blank">here.</a>)</p><p>- There's a concerted effort to make "age fluidity" a thing, and to make pedophilia an accepted sexual orientation. (There is one very small group called NAMBLA, which has been trying to abolish consent laws since the 1970s, but claims that there's some kind of "movement" to normalize pedophilia as a legitimate sexual orientation is actually an effort to harm the LBGTQ+ community. Fact check <a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/pedophiles-age-fluid/?fbclid=IwAR3DdW3MKnrvWzVr4y9V8KY_LEJn-JkTsUzC81DzeAah-HZZyHSMiLJ7B_o" target="_blank">here.</a>) </p><p>- Obama and Clinton are satanic leaders of a global child-sex-trafficking cabal—which includes most Democrats and Hollywood, apparently—who feast on children's adrenal glands in order to increase their power. (Fact check <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/12/qanon-4chan-the-storm-conspiracy-explained.html" target="_blank">here,</a> although if you seriously need a fact check for this you are already too far gone, my friend. On a related note, <a href="https://mssv.net/2020/08/02/what-args-can-teach-us-about-qanon/?fbclid=IwAR3Al2UWJWuScsfllbPZS1EZJYSQsQ0ZCHue0YcXNXcgJnsZK6h4eNt-leE" target="_blank">this article </a>about the parallels between QAnon and "alternate reality games" is suuuuper fascinating and explains a lot.) </p><p>- Obama spent $65,000 on a "hot dog" party, which is code for little boys and pedophilia. (You know what? I'm not even going to fact check this, because come on.) </p><p>And that's not even all of them. </p><h2></h2><p>Of course, there are some legitimate questions to be asked about how much involvement certain celebrities and politicians, including Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, had with known pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Having watched a beloved figure like Bill Cosby fall from grace over sexual misconduct, we know what's possible. But none of those Epstein connections are a secret. It's all being reported on in the real news and has been since Epstein started being investigated. (There's also a lot of misinformation about who was involved with Epstein, and to what degree, and in what capacity, and none of these conspiracy theories are helping us get to the truth of the matter.) </p><p>The main problem is this: When you conflate the actual issue of child sex trafficking—which is absolutely real and serious and deserves our attention—with totally off-the-wall, debunked conspiracy theories, it causes people to put their energies in the wrong places. </p><p>The Polaris Project, a national organization that fights human trafficking, had to release a statement asking people to stop calling about Wayfair because it was overwhelming the National Human Trafficking Hotline.</p><p>"While Polaris treats all calls to the Trafficking Hotline seriously, the extreme volume of these contacts has made it more difficult for the Trafficking Hotline to provide support and attention to others who are in need of help," <a href="https://polarisproject.org/press-releases/polaris-statement-on-wayfair-sex-trafficking-claims/" target="_blank">the group said in a July 20 press release</a>. "We strongly encourage everyone to learn more about what human trafficking really looks like in most situations, and about how you can help fight trafficking in your own community."</p><p>What it often looks like is a family member trafficking a child, such as <a data-linked-post="2646852230" href="https://www.upworthy.com/what-child-trafficking-looks-like" target="_blank">Melody Cholish's story</a> she recently shared with us. Sometimes it looks different, and you can find all kinds of stories and information about child trafficking from the many organizations that have worked for years on this issue, including <a href="https://www.savethechildren.org/us/charity-stories/child-trafficking-awareness#children" target="_blank">Save the Children</a>, <a href="https://ourrescue.org/" target="_blank">Operation Underground Railroad</a>, <a href="https://polarisproject.org/" target="_blank">the Polaris Project</a>, <a href="https://love146.org/slavery/common-myths/" target="_blank">Love 146</a>, and <a href="https://www.stopthetraffik.org/" target="_blank">Stop the Traffik.</a> (Please use those sites for "doing research" instead of Twitter or QAnon or YouTube or memes that come through your feed.) </p><p><span></span>The other problem is that the issue of child sex trafficking is suddenly being used to deflect from every other important issue, because "Oh yeah? <em>What about CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING???</em>" is a fairly effective deflection. I mean, who doesn't think that child sex trafficking is the absolute worst of the worst things humans do? Black Lives Matter? <em>What about CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING?</em> Horrible pandemic situation due to inept leadership? <em>What about CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING? </em></p><p>I mean, we can care about more than one thing at a time. The question is, why did all these conspiracy theorists not care this much about child sex trafficking until they thought it was "evil liberal elites" doing it? Why was no one calling child sex trafficking a "pandemic" until we were in the middle of an uncontrolled <em>literal </em>pandemic? Why were there no widespread protests against child sex trafficking until there were widespread protests for Black Lives Matter? <br></p><p>As I mentioned, Tim Ballard didn't say a single thing about Hollywood elites or pizza parlor basements or adrenal-sucking rituals or anything of the sort in our hour-long conversation about child sex trafficking. And he's an expert on this topic. He's also a conservative Trump supporter. He's not peddling any of these conspiracies, and neither are any of the legitimate organizations that are working to end child trafficking. Not one. </p><p>Either every major organization working to end child sex trafficking is a part of The Big Evil Global Elite Pedo Ring Plot or people who spend too much time on social media are being taken by baseless, politically-driven nonsense that's probably being pumped out of some guy's basement. My money is on the latter. </p><p>Stick with the organizations that have been doing this work for decades. Get your information from them. Stop sharing crazy internet conspiracies simply because you want people to know you care about children, or because it justifies your hatred of people you see as your enemies. We can—and must—unite to fight child sex trafficking without resorting to insane, debunked rumors that muddy the waters and distract from the real problem. </p>
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Woman brought to tears after 4-year-old girl yells 'Black lives matter' to her in Home Depot
08.12.20
Kids say the darnedest things and, if you're a parent, you know that can make for some embarrassing situations. Every parent has had a moment when their child has said something unintentionally inappropriate to a stranger and they prayed they wouldn't take it the wrong way.
Cassie, the mother of 4-year-old Camryn, had one of the those moments when her child yelled, "Black lives matter" to a Black woman at a Colorado Home Depot.
But the awkward interaction quickly turned sweet when the Black woman, Sherri Gonzales, appreciated the comment and thanked the young girl.
<p>"I went back to say thank you for recognizing that my life matters," <a href="https://denver.cbslocal.com/2020/08/02/woman-friends-girl-who-yelled-black-lives-matter-home-depot/" target="_blank">Sherri Gonzales told CBS4.</a> "Her mom was not expecting her to say that and did not know what to say," Sherri said.</p><p>Sherri was moved because Camryn "said it with strength like she was making a point."</p><div id="ff684" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ad15201df9b7a26e20ce18d9722ab259"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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</div></blockquote></div><p>The three talked for a few minutes and during the conversation, Camryn noticed that Sherri was wearing a Denver Broncos necklace. Cassie told Sherri she wanted to be a Broncos cheerleader one day.<br></p><p>Sherri shared with the family that her son, linebacker D.J. Williams was a first round pick for the Broncos back in 2004. Williams would go on to have a ten-year career in the league, paying for the Broncos and Chicago Bears.</p><p>Then Camryn asked her a question.</p><p>"[She] asked me if I would like to come over for a sleepover," Sherri said.</p><p>Later, on an Instagram post, Sherri said the interaction gave her hope for the future. "Today was a good day," she wrote. "The youth is going to change the world."</p><div id="81fc8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cfb6b740910874512595214b2b443eaf"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDcjkh2g2gE/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
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</div></blockquote></div><p>Sherri exchanged numbers with the mother and daughter and they took a photo together. A few days later, she received a call from Cassie. The family was having a garage sale and wanted to donate all of the proceeds to Sherri's organization, <a href="https://sherrisgirlsempowerment.org/" target="_blank">Sherri's Girls Empowerment International.</a><br></p><p>Her small non-profit aims to make "big changes in the world" and has opened up a school and daycare center in Naivasha, Kenya, provided clean drinking water for tribes in Suswa County, and sponsored various small business owners.</p><p>The two-day garage sale raised $2,070.</p><p>"[They] donated every penny to my school in Kenya," Sherri said. "All of this happens because of a sweet little 4 year old recognized that my life matters."</p><p>The story shines a light on how important it is for children to grow up understanding that all people deserve to be treated equally. Children are not immune to the racist messages that are sent to them through media, politics, and institutions, but we can fight back by proving them with an age-appropriate understanding of how racism works. </p><p>Somewhere someone taught Camryn that black lives matter and that led to learning valuable lesson she will keep with her for a lifetime. </p>
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