#unethicalweb

Sock puppets, twitterjacking and the art of digital fakery | Technology | The Guardian

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:46:00 -0400

Sock puppets, twitterjacking and the art of digital fakery | Technology | The Guardian:

From the ‘IRA video’ to Dick Cheney’s baboon, it’s getting easier than ever to lie in cyberspace – and harder to spot the truth

Esc and Ctrl: Jon Ronson investigates astroturfing - video

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:00:38 -0400

Esc and Ctrl: Jon Ronson investigates astroturfing - video:

In the second part of Jon Ronson’s series about the struggle for control of the internet, he looks at online astroturfing – when unpopular institutions post fake blogs to seem more favourable. He meets the former vice president of corporate communications for US healthcare company Cigna, who confirms his involvement in this kind of activity

Protecting the Vulnerable Online

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 05:59:27 -0400

Protecting the Vulnerable Online:

On BBC Radio 5’s Outriders, Andrew Gregson outlines the unethical social web and why it is important to take a closer look at how people use the web for darker reasons.

OFT’s concern over the ethics of Social Media agencies

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 09:43:19 -0400

OFT’s concern over the ethics of Social Media agencies:

Transparency and ethics have been always the matter of concern by public but in fact meant nothing to some businesses and their representative agencies. Organisations usually use the terms ‘ethics’ and ‘transparency’ as buzz words to manipulate governments and public. It is not fair, at all, or is it?…

Online games and social media used to target junk foods at children

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:00:31 -0400

Online games and social media used to target junk foods at children:

Online games and social media websites are being used to target junk foods at children and even recruit them for promotion, health campaigners claim.

Syrian lesbian blogger is revealed conclusively to be a married man

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 09:48:32 -0400

Syrian lesbian blogger is revealed conclusively to be a married man:

The mysterious identity of a young Arab lesbian blogger who was apparently kidnapped last week in Syria has been revealed conclusively to be a hoax. The blogs were written not by a gay girl in Damascus, but a middle-aged American man based in Scotland.

Unethical Social Media at its Worst: Rob Ford’s Fake Twitter Account

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 09:47:29 -0400

Unethical Social Media at its Worst: Rob Ford’s Fake Twitter Account:

The Globe and Mail, Maclean’s magazine, CTV, the Torontoist and blogTO all ran stories in the last day, alleging that staff of Toronto’s newly-annointed mayor elect, Rob Ford, used a fake Twitter account to deceive a voter into handing over incriminating materials during the campaign.

Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 09:45:53 -0400

Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media:

The US military is developing software that will let it secretly manipulate social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter by using fake online personas to influence internet conversations and spread pro-American propaganda.

News Alert: Air Force Issues Order for “Fake People” on Social Media Sites

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 08:04:00 -0500

News Alert: Air Force Issues Order for “Fake People” on Social Media Sites:

From Facebook to Twitter to ‘check-in’s,’ ‘followers’ and ‘pokes’ galore, it’s increasingly hard for social media users to distinguish who their “friends” really are. Now add this to your list of concerns: on behalf of the U.S. Air Force, are your “friends” even real people?

The need to protect the internet from 'astroturfing' grows ever more urgent | George Monbiot | Environment | guardian.co.uk

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:16:00 -0500

The need to protect the internet from 'astroturfing' grows ever more urgent | George Monbiot | Environment | guardian.co.uk:

The anonymity of the web gives companies and governments golden opportunities to run astroturf operations: fake grassroots campaigns that create the impression that large numbers of people are demanding or opposing particular policies.

Mommy Bloggers Offered $10 To Write Nice Stories About Toyota - The Consumerist

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 05:33:00 -0500

Mommy Bloggers Offered $10 To Write Nice Stories About Toyota - The Consumerist:

Over at DearCrissy.com, the author of the popular site says she and many other bloggers received an offer from a company called MommyNetworks that offered them $10 Amazon gift cards for publishing stories about the recent government investigation that found no evidence of an electronics problem in recalled Toyotas.

Competitor Relationships Should also be Disclosed

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 01:53:00 -0500

Competitor Relationships Should also be Disclosed:

You don’t just have a material interest in your employer, but also your competitors. I’m not necessarily proposing additional laws, but negative posts without disclosing a competing interest is just as suspect as astroturfing for your employer or client company.

Astroturfing

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 15:10:00 -0400

Astroturfing:

Reviews that exist within online communities are powerful and they do influence purchasing decisions. Because of this, brands and agencies have to be completely honest and transparent with their endorsements and information sharing, and closely monitor their social media outsourcing. Contrary practices such as astroturfing place your brand, its reputation, and its future at risk.

Unilever Skin-Whitening App

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:30:00 -0400

Unilever Skin-Whitening App:

The problem, which isn’t unique to social media, is that the application is simply a reflection of the product. If Vaseline were to admit that a skin-lightening app is offensive, what does that say about the product?

Tobacco companies on Facebook

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:03:00 -0400

Tobacco companies on Facebook:

While the majority of content on Facebook does not have a commercial purpose, commercial aspects such as tobacco brand promotion, are treated no differently than if users were to join a group for dog lovers or respond to an invitation to a 21st birthday party. This seems like an ideal platform for the tobacco industry with its negative public reputation, to assist in the reinvention of itself as a modern, friendly and in every way normal industry.