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  • Tesla Model Y Closer than We Think?

    Tesla Model Y Closer than We Think?

    Tesla CEO Elon Musk surprised investors on the Q4 earnings call be hinting at some new info regarding the upcoming Tesla Model Y. The Model Y, which is set be a companion to the affordable Model 3 sedan, will apparently share as much as 75% of its parts with the Model 3. This is huge news and lends credence to the idea that the Model Y could be in production by 2020.

    Tesla Model Y Production

    Model Y Specs

    We don’t know a lot about the Model Y yet. At time of writing, the best guess that industry analysts have is that the Model Y could be some type of crossover. Tesla’s affordable Model 3 vehicle is a full-sized sedan, so it only makes sense that an SUV would be its sibling.

    After all, the SUV is on track to pretty much kill off the sedan in 2019. Very few carmakers still post profits on their sedans, with Tesla being a rare exception. If Tesla wants mainstream success across the US and global markets, an SUV-style electric car may be just what they need.

    Production

    On the call, Musk made it clear that the Model Y is intended to sport nearly 75% of the same parts as the Model 3. This is a big twist for the company and heartens investors slightly. After all, ramping up to full-swing production was quite the hurdle for the Model 3, as the machining process to get the vehicles ready was daunting.

    However, with those parts already created and ready to go, it’s looking like the Model Y can capitalize on the work that’s already been done. If Tesla is able to take advantage of its existing manufacturing, the overhead for the Model Y could be markedly lower and help the company post much better profits on the Model Y.

    Location

    Rumor has it that Tesla is looking to expand from their production facility in Fremont for Model Y production. Currently, the Model S, Model X and Model 3 are all manufactured at that production facility. It makes sense that they’d want to branch out, given the Fremont facility is rather close to being at capacity.

    Just last year, when Tesla was pushing to meet demand for Model 3’s, the Fremont facility had a tent added on for production. It was a silly time and showed just how slam-full the Fremont facility is.

  • Apple FaceTime Bug Surprises iPhone Owners

    Apple FaceTime Bug Surprises iPhone Owners

    Apple’s FaceTime software has encountered a strange bug lately that has surprised iPhone owners and Apple alike. The bug was first detected by a 14-year-old gamer who was getting a group FaceTime together to play Fortnite with his friends. The boy’s mother attempted to warn Apple of this error around January 19th, though the bug wasn’t widely known until the 28th.

    Apple FaceTime Bug

    The Bug

    The bug itself is rather unnerving. Essentially, it occurs when someone starts a Group FaceTime. Whether or not the recipients of the call answer it, their conversations will be audible to those on the call.

    This is disturbing for a number of reasons. Primarily, it’s an issue when you consider how someone could simply call your device for a Group FaceTime and then just leave the line open and listen to your conversations. Essentially, the bug allowed any FaceTime-enabled device to become a listening device.

    Discovery

    Michele Thompson’s son, a 14-year-old boy, discovered the bug. Thompson then replicated the results herself a few times to make sure the bug was replicable. Upon discovering that it was, Thompson set about trying to inform Apple of the security breach.

    Thompson expressed frustration with how difficult it was to raise awareness of this issue with Apple. Finally, she even resorted to tweeting Apple CEO Tim Cook and warned him that this would be made public shortly. However, she felt bad about the Tweet later and deleted it.

    Apple’s Response

    Apple responded to the discovery of the bug (eventually) by having Group FaceTime disabled. The Group FaceTime functionality was added in October 2018, so security bugs like this were expected to occur in some capacity. This particular bug, however, is a bit distressing.

    Any bug that results in the device becoming a security breach is a major issue. Apple has promised to re-launch the software when the security breach has been patched. Hopefully this time the software doesn’t offer a window straight into user’s private conversations.

  • Google Assistant is About to Take Over Your Life

    Google Assistant is About to Take Over Your Life

    Our world has in a very short time become almost totally voice controlled by an autonomous A.I. robot with a pleasant female voice. One voice is always listening,  to answer, or facilitate your every whim. She can order your food, turn on your lights, tv, and set your A/C. She can settle debates, do calculations, wake you up in the morning.

    “She” has many uses and many names, Alexa, Siri, some call her Bixby or Skynet, Clarice, Cortana, Whatever you call her, she has a name. Then there is the unnamed, just known as the assistant.

    “Hey Google”. This phrase is the next big thing in A.I. assistants. Google’s very own assistant to help you verbally command across devices, computers, speakers, Google Home, your phones, tablets, and everything else with a plug. No Google’s assistant isn’t new, but it is improving faster than the rest of the field.

    While Siri and Alexa are getting complacent with their functions, focusing on expanding. The Assistant is getting smarter at all the things she does, she is learning, evolving…

    Google Assistant will be the A.I. Assistant that wins the war and establishes dominance. Even though it looks as though Google is falling behind at the moment. Alexa is sexier, and Siri is already everywhere. Why will it be Google? Google CEO Sundar Pichai  says the companies priorities are shifting from “mobile-first to AI-first.”

    For Google, that priority will be AI-powered intelligent assistant, Google Assistant. That is why they will prevail and take over the A.I. world. A.I. first and design devices and peripherals around the assistant,  instead of A.I. just being a component or another feature.

    In short, the Google Assistant is a voice-activated digital assistant created by Google. Much like all the others out there it can perform actions on a user’s behalf and provide conversation and contextual information. Google Assistant is now the primary focus of Google’s AI-first strategy. In cohesion with the mountain of user data, Google has on all its users will create the dominant voice-enabled A.I. assistant to lead the world into the roaring 20s.

    Most of the world’s smartphones operate on Google’s Android OS, which supplies Google Assistant already for free. If you haven’t tried out the Google Assistant on your smartphone, now is the time to yank out the device in your pocket. I think you will be very impressed with your assistant. Try it, ask your Assistant to look up the last book you read, music, your favorite bible verse or send a quick text message.  See what the weather is like in Temecula or turn off your bedroom lights. Google can do it, just ask.

    Why is So Much Data Needed?

    The biggest disadvantage of the Assistant is that it requires users to give access to a lot of data. If you want it to turn off your light, you need to give it access to your home. If you want her to remind you of an important meeting tomorrow, she needs your calendar. You get the picture.  This disadvantage is also why Google will improve in the near future.

    It has all the data to play with already.  Yes, we are creating a monster, a self-serving monster. How, when, or if this will come back to bite us is all up in the air. It all seems like that is someone more important’s problem, and now is just the time to enjoy the best of all times to be alive. We want all this glorious tech without giving up any private data, which is just not possible. Or is it?

    What About My Privacy?

    Don’t be terrified, It’s going to be great. While privacy in the 21rst century is going extinct, it’s not really linked to you… think of it as one person with two personalities, the in real life “IRL” and your digital personality. You can control every part of your digital personality, it can even be a caricature of your IRL self.

    Yes, everything you say, post, think, search or learn is being tracked. What is not being tracked is you, just your behaviors, then compiled into a database with 5 billion other people and used to develop patterns. When strong enough patterns are compiled, very accurate predictions can be made. Take solace in the anonymity of it all, or you can take the next step.

    A third personality, make a second digital personality. New email, second twitter, FB, Insta, use this solely to create erratic online behaviors. Search for random things, click on ads you are not interested in, simply skew the data. If enough of us do this we can restore privacy. Maybe. Who’s with me?

  • Coolest TVs Seen at CES 2019

    Coolest TVs Seen at CES 2019

    CES 2019 has came and went, and we’ve seen a ton of new technology that is more than exciting for the future. The consumer electronics show was also the first place that 8K TVs were seen in an official setting! This exciting new TV panel development is a big step forward in the world of display panels.

    Today we’re breaking down some of the coolest TVs we saw at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show. From rollable displays to massive, immersive 8K screens, there are a number of TV screens to be excited about in the coming year.

    Coolest TV Screens Seen at CES 2019

    LG OLED65R9

    Let’s start with the show-stopper, the LG OLED65R9. This massive OLED display rolls up when not in use. Yeah, it’s finally time to see this tech in real-life. After nearly a decade of hearing about prototype rollable displays, LG is set to be the first to market with the tech later this year or early next year. The display is downright amazing, producing a picture quality that rivals LG’s other OLED displays.

    The screen rolls into its Dolby Atmos speaker stand when it’s not in use. It can be toted relatively easily thanks to the speaker, and the speaker provides awesome sound quality to match the huge, high-end screen. The slick, futuristic design is likely to be a smash-hit when the OLED R line hits the market.

    The OLED R line is comparable in picture quality to the other LG OLED screens releasing in 2019, but the R line is likely to turn more heads. For one thing, the ease of stowing the screen and making the room much more visitor-friendly is a huge plus. For another thing, the R line of screens offers a built-in Dolby Atmos speaker, making these immediate home theater solutions.

    Sony ZG9

    The massive 88 and 95-inch versions of Sony’s ZG9 Master Series screen are set to be the first of these panels to support 8K. The screen is actually a departure from the existing Master Series line that uses OLEDs, in that it uses backlit LED technology that is state-of-the-art.

    The ZG9 also sports upscaling processes to clean up 4K and below images to make them sharper. Many people have noted that if they have a screen with a better resolution than the images they’re displaying, those images tend to look worse than they would on their native display.

    In order to combat this visual degradation, the ZG9 is set to clean up any images that are below that display standard. That’s a good thing, too, since there is currently no existing 8K content to view on one of these bleeding-edge screens.

    Panasonic GZ2000

    This Panasonic screen isn’t the most cutting-edge screen on the list, but it does have a lot going for it. It’s not a concept-style screen in the way that some of the others on this list are. However, it’s a much more straightforward style of screen and will be much more affordable than a lot of the others listed here.

    What makes it special enough to mention here, then? Well, a few things. Firstly, it’s got a brand-new processor running within that attempts to keep the screen much clearer and smoother even on high frame-rate images. The other big selling point to this screen is the Dolby Atmos implementation. Thanks to the aforementioned processor, the sound quality is uniquely excellent.

    In short, this Panasonic TV is going to be a budget option worth looking out for. It’s set to punch well above its weight class, so to speak.

    Samsung 75in Micro LED TV

    Micro LEDs are a huge step forward in screen technology. OLED screens look amazing and offer perfect blacks and great color accuracy. However, they have a few drawbacks. They don’t last as long as LED screens, they consume more energy, and they’re not quite as bright or vibrant as LED screens.

    That’s where Micro LED screens come in. By using a number of smaller LED screens working in concert, the Micro LED technology offers up the best of both worlds. The precise blacks and intense contrast offered by OLED screens pairs with the brightness, efficiency and long-lasting panels of LED screens with this tech.

    The Samsun 75-inch Micro LED is a massive leap ahead in this tech. It’s one of the largest screens that uses this tech that we’ve yet seen. Previously, “The Wall” model showed off this ultra-thin, multiple-display style of panel. This new screen is the natural evolution of this kind of technology, and likely to set a new bar for TV panels.

  • Coolest Tech Takeaways from CES 2019

    Coolest Tech Takeaways from CES 2019

    2019 is only just getting started yet we already have a roadmap for what kinds of tech we’re going to be seeing this year. The biggest takeaways from CES 2019, held in Las Vegas this year, are that technology is still changing in new and exciting ways.

    If you’re curious about what kinds of tech trends are in store for the year, look no further. Today we’re going over some of the biggest show-stoppers and coolest tech seen at CES 2019. The future is closer than you think!

    Coolest Tech Seen at CES 2019

    5G Networks

    Often discussed and rarely seen, 5G devices are being hyped up like you wouldn’t believe. Verizon, Sprint and pretty much every other company at the show wouldn’t shut up about 5G. And that’s cool! It’s the future of network infrastructure and will likely change the landscape for internet connectivity. What’s weird is how much talk there was compared to how little actual 5G-enabled tech was seen at the show.

    There were a few glimmers of 5G devices here and there, but nothing to write home about. An old Moto phone with a snap-on 5G modem was the saddest and silliest of them, though the 5G home router was also quite humorous. The only proper 5G device seen was squirreled away in Samsung’s booth: a prototype Galaxy phone with 5G capabilities.

    While the 5G wave is being hyped like crazy, it’s still unclear how soon we could expect to see the tech go live. Some are saying we’ll be seeing the earliest roll-out to metropolitan areas in late 2019, though it may be late 2020 (or later) before we see the tech rolled out to the rest of the country.

    8K TV Screens

    If you’re anything like us, you probably haven’t even caught up to the 4K standard yet. It feels like just recently that 4K was the top-of-the-line for TV panels, but now all the buzz is around 8K displays. And these 8K displays are absolutely, ridiculously, absurdly big. For instance, Sony and Samsung will be hitting the market with 98-inch 8K TVs this year. Who has a living room big enough for a 98-inch TV? We wish we did…

    LG will be hitting the market with a massive 88-inch 8K TV with OLED tech inside, as well. If you’re thinking these will be expensive, you’re right! The cheapest one seen at the show was a 65-inch 8K from Samsung that starts with the low, low price of $5,000. You know, chump change. Especially considering that these screens, while impressive-sounding, don’t yet have any content to support them. Remember when 4K first came out and there was nothing you could run at 4K on your awesome new 4K screen? Yeah, 8K will be like that again.

    Apple’s Playing Nice

    Speaking of TV, Apple surprised a lot of people by changing their stance on TV makers. At CES, the Cupertino-based tech giant confirmed that AirPlay 2 will be compatible with Vizio, LG, Sony, and Samsung displays. While Samsung’s TVs will be the only ones allowed to display iTunes on-screen, the others will all have access to AirPlay through the Apple interface.

    AirPlay, for the uninitiated, is a way to send media from an iPhone, Mac or iPad to a big screen for viewing or listening. The technology is not dissimilar from Chromecast, allowing you to show guests and parties media that you don’t want them to have to huddle around a phone or iPad to see.

    Robots

    Robots are a sci-fi staple. Nearly every sci-fi future has robots everywhere, yet our real world is disappointingly robot-free. Well, if CES 2019 is any indication, that won’t be continuing for much longer. There were robots everywhere at the show, from sports-playing bots to air-purifying bots. Samsung showed off flexible bots that could be retail sales robots, health monitors or many other tasks. Groove X also introduced a companion robot, an adorable little guy called Lovot.

    While some might worry about the morals or ethics of these robot companions, it’s clear that they’re the next step for human technology. Many people are lonely or just want someone to hang out with, and robots are a great alternative to being alone. They can help people feel more relaxed and happy, they can do menial tasks for humans and they can even help make our lives better.

    In short, this CES was one of the most exciting seen in years. Huge leaps and bound in technology have us excited to see where technology goes as the years go on!

  • How 5G Speeds Will Impact You

    How 5G Speeds Will Impact You

    5G speeds are very nearly a reality for millions of wireless customers. Hype surrounding this next jump in cellular communications technology has been building for years. After all, it’s the next step in how our devices wirelessly communicate with one another. Everything from cell phones to self-driving cars will benefit from the new wireless infrastructure. So, how will 5G speeds impact you? What will 5G speeds mean for your devices?

    How 5G Speeds Will Impact You

    Where Will it Go Live First?

    5G speeds will likely roll out slowly at first, so don’t expect to see it any time soon unless you live in a major metropolitan area. If you happen to live in New York, Atlanta, LA or some other large city hub, you may be using 5G before everyone else. If not, it likely won’t be until late next year or even 2020 that you see 5G hitting your region.

    That’s because 5G represents a pretty major departure from 4G LTE and previous iterations of wireless infrastructure. This new wireless system will require a pretty major overhaul of existing cell towers and will require new hardware devices o take advantage of them. As such, the most populous areas will be the natural first pick for rolling out the service.

    Sprint has promised to have 5G networks up and running by early 2019. T-Mobile, likewise, has plans to go live in around 30 cities before the end of 2019. Take these estimates with a grain of salt, though: Verizon was talking about 5G field tests back in 2015. It may still be until 2020 or later that we see 5G on a large scale.

    What to Expect Early

    If you are one of the lucky few who sees 5G speeds hit your region early, don’t expect to be blown away by speeds hitherto undreamt of. It’s more likely that the fledgling system will have some growing pains before it begins to really show its strengths. For an example we can look to immediately, Verizon has launched a home 5G internet service in markets like Los Angeles and Dallas.

    Verizon’s home 5G broadband is certainly fast, and indicates a pretty big step up from previous internet speeds. However, the company isn’t using the industry-standard definition of 5G, leading many to criticize the company’s use of the 5G moniker. Even in their limited case, though, it’s clear that the 5G system won’t be revolutionizing telecommunication. Not right away, at least.

    5G Phones?

    There are currently no 5G phones in existence. If there are prototypes floating around, they’re still in the earliest stages. As of right now, 5G is more a benchmark that companies are trying to hit than a reality that is just weeks away. While we may see some early forays into 5G in the next year or so, the front half of 2019 is unlikely to have any proper 5G coverage. Well, at least not through phones.

    What you’re more likely to see early in this technology’s existence is “pucks,” or wireless receivers, that have 5G capabilities installed in major cities. These pucks would then process the 5G signal they’re receiving and turn it into a Wi-Fi signal. This would allow customers of various wireless companies to use their carrier’s 5G service through a puck on a phone that isn’t equipped to send and receive 5G signals.

    The Phones, Though

    “I don’t care,” you say, “I just want to know when I can get my hands on a 5G phone.” Well, there’s no definitive answer to that question yet. However, you’re right if you’re assuming you’ll likely never use a 5G puck. Pucks were used in the early days of 4G LTE coverage, but they were weird even back then. In today’s era, it’s unlikely you’ll encounter these. That means that, for the average person, their first encounter with 5G will be through a 5G-enabled phone.

    As for when we can expect to see the first of those, we’re not entirely sure. A conservative guess would be early in 2020, though many smartphone manufacturers are claiming that as soon as mid-to-late 2019 they’ll ship 5G phones. The truth may be somewhere in the middle of these two estimates.

    The earliest 5G phones are likely to inherit a lot of the problems that early LTE phones had. Phones like the Thunderbolt, one of the earliest LTE phones, had issues with short battery lives, overheating and poor performance. It’s reasonable to assume that the earliest 5G phones will experience similar growing pains as these earlier models did.

  • Cyber Monday is Over, but You Can Still Save!

    Cyber Monday is Over, but You Can Still Save!

    Just because Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over doesn’t mean that you can’t still find amazing sales on electronics and other gifts! In fact, you can still get some of the very same bargains you saw advertised this past weekend.

    Cyber Week

    Cyber Monday was originally the internet retailer’s answer to Black Friday. As the years went by, more and more people began shopping online and the two shopping holidays have more or less merged into one long weekend of incredible deals.

    Lately, Cyber Monday has started stretching further out into the week… And it’s no surprise. Adobe announced that people spent $7.9 billion on Cyber Monday, making it the biggest online sales day ever. Some $24.2 billion was spent by shoppers between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday. Retailers are not going to throw their arms up and call it quits when shoppers are this hungry for savings on electronics and gifts.

    Amazon has taken to calling the week after Cyber Monday “Cyber Monday Deals Week” and many of their savings, especially on Alexa products, are continuing the rest of the week. Plenty of other retailers are also continuing their sales through the week. If you thought that you missed out on a great bargain on electronics or gifts, then it’s worth looking again.

    Free Shipping

    Retailers are also offering tons of free shipping deals through the holiday shopping season and you can expect to continue to find 10 to 20 percent discount sales.

    All in all, retailers are going to keep tempting customers with bargains until December 22nd– the last day to have something shipped to arrive by Christmas Eve.

    Inventory is the Challenge

    The challenge these days is not to find a great sale – it’s to find a great sale before it sells out. The unfortunate reality for shoppers who miss Black Friday and Cyber Monday is that the hottest electronics and other gifts are no longer in inventory.

    This also means that shopping after Christmas for inventory price slashes are going to become more and more rare. Finding the hottest items at the lowest prices will continue to happen on Black Friday, but as you can see, there are and will continue to be plenty of great sales between now and December 22nd. Happy shopping!

  • Project Fi Becomes Google Fi

    Project Fi Becomes Google Fi

    Three years ago, Project Fi launched as Google’s exploration of cell service and now it appears that Google is ready to bring Fi to the masses. Now known as Google Fi, the service has been expanded to support more phones, including iPhones and a majority of Android devices.

    google-duplex

    MVNO

    Google Fi is what’s known as a “mobile virtual network operator,” or MVNO. This means that your actual service is still coming from larger carriers. Supported are T-Mobile, Sprint and US Cellular, and you are able to dynamically switch between carriers.

    Pricing Made Easy

    Possibly the best feature of Google Fi is the simple price model and a program called Bill Protection. You’ll pay just $20 per phone line and $10 per gig of data with a cap of $60 per month to prevent any surprises.

    This is particularly great for devices that you may not use terribly often. Or for devices where you want a data-only SIM.

    Commitment from Google

    We won’t mention Google Fiber, which was a broadband initiative that started aggressively before floundering. But it is nice to see Project Fi graduate beyond “project” level and become a full-blown Google service.

    Google’s expansion into supporting more phones, including iPhones, also shows a real commitment to the communication service.

    iOS Support

    Previously with Project Fi, you could purchase a data-only SIM for iPads to use as secondary devices. Fi SIMs have also historically worked in iPhones, but it was a process to adjust the data settings.

    Now, Google is supporting iPhones directly and have released a Google Fi iOS app to help ease new customers into the MVNO. Direct support of the iPhone is still in beta and some features are currently reduced or missing.

    Visual voicemails are the biggest missing feature, meaning that when someone leaves you a voicemail you will receive a text alert with a link to call and check your message rather than appearing in the native voicemail app. Furthermore, the VPN security feature that Android users can enjoy is currently missing from iOS.

    Overall, it’s a big step forward for Google’s MVNO service. Those who love Google and want a simple, dynamic phone service should absolutely look into Google Fi.

  • Seized Facebook Documents Likely to be Made Public Within a Week

    Seized Facebook Documents Likely to be Made Public Within a Week

    Facebook’s having yet another crisis related to Russian interference on the site. This time, however, it isn’t a new wave of hackers influencing elections, it’s documents relating to what they knew and when. Seized Facebook documents in the hands of the UK Parliament allegedly show the company knew about Russian interference as early as 2014. These documents may be made public in the next week.

    Seized Facebook Documents Could be Made Public Soon

    zuckerberg-hearing
    Getty Images

    How Were the Documents Acquired?

    Originally, these documents were sealed by a California court. The court has asked Facebook to remind the UK why the sensitive documents should not be released. However, the UK acquired the documents by legal means from the founder of Six4Three, a defunct app company.

    While the founder was visiting London, he was compelled to appear before parliament and produce the documents in question. The seized Facebook documents allegedly shed light on how much Facebook knew about Russian interference and when they knew it.

    International Hearing, Zuckerberg Absent

    During the international hearing in the UK today, Damian Collins explained the nature of the documents. Collins is the head of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee in Parliament. According to Collins, the documents include an email from a senior Facebook engineer that alerted the company to the presence of Russian interference on the site.

    The most damning aspect of this email is the timing. It was sent in 2014, meaning Facebook new about the interference 2 years before the election. Some believe that the documents even include communications among top Facebook execs, including Zuckerberg himself.

    Speaking of Zuckerberg, he was conspicuously absent from the hearing in the UK today. A symbolic chair was left empty for him.

    Parliament’s Stance

    The unsealing and publication of the documents could be of great importance to the public. “There is a clearly growing interest in what the documents contain,” said Collins. The committee is currently scouring the documents for anything of public interest.

    Collins has stated that he can’t currently give an exact date for when the documents will be published. There is a large number of documents present that were seized, and they may require redaction before being released publicly.  “Our duty of care is to go through them properly,” said Collins.

    At time of writing, Facebook has made no statement regarding the release of the documents.

  • Confidential Facebook Documents Seized by UK Parliament

    Confidential Facebook Documents Seized by UK Parliament

    In an odd turn, the UK Parliament had confidential Facebook documents seized. Parliament has been gearing up for an international hearing regarding alleged misconduct by Facebook. The documents include correspondences among top Facebooks executives, apparently including CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself.

    Facebook Documents Seized by UK Parliament

    Zuckerberg
    Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    How Were the Documents Seized?

    During a business trip in London, the founder of Six4Three was compelled by Parliament to give up the documents in question. Six4Three is no longer operating, but their founder still possessed documents relating to Facebook after working with them.

    Next week, there will be an international hearing in London relating to Facebook’s numerous scandals. The Cambridge Analytica leak, potential election meddling and constant misinformation are stated topics the hearing will focus on.

    Facebook’s Pushback

    The social media company responded to the events in England with shock. “We consider these to be entirely without merit and that the repeated filings demonstrate that this is more about attacking our company than it is about a credible legal claim,” said Richard Allan in a letter to Parliament. Allan is the head of Facebook’s public police.

    Parliament’s Stance

    Damian Collins, the head of Parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, had a retort for Allan in the form of a letter. On Twitter Collins posted the letter, which reminds Allan that it is within Parliamentary privilege to seize and publish the documents. Since Facebook operates in the UK, they are subject to Parliament’s laws and mechanisms.

    Collins warns that if Zuckerberg visits England he will likely be compelled to appear before Parliament. Following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Zuckerberg has avoided visiting the UK.

    The International Hearing

    The hearing in London could lead to serious issues for Facebook. If the hearing finds that Facebook is to blame for the multiple security breaches and the spread of disinformation, they could find themselves fined severely.

    Such findings could lead to similar committees in the EU and even the US slapping huge fines on Facebook. Scrutiny on the company is at an all-time high following the multiple incidents under investigation.