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     Fact Check Politics

FALSE: All Americans Will Receive a Microchip Implant in 2017
An NBC Nightly News segment did not report or predict that "all Americans will receive a microchip implant in 2017."
David Mikkelson
Jun 2, 2015

Despite multiple, detailed debunkings (here at snopes.com at elsewhere), the rumor that the provisions of Obamacare require that Americans submit to the implantation of microchips that will record and store retrievable medical information (and a host of other personal details) is a persistent one.

One of the pieces of "evidence" now commonly proffered in support of this claim is a video clip from an NBC Nightly News broadcast (with anchor Brian Williams) touted as reporting that "All Americans Will Receive a Microchip Implant in 2017":

But of course, simply viewing the clip in question shows that it actually reported nothing of the kind.

This clip is a (typically brief and shallow) NBC Evening News feature from 2007 speculating upon what life might be like in the U.S. in ten years' time (i.e., 2017). This particular segment focused on ways in which we might "safeguard and identify all those things that make each of us unique," addressing in particular the use of biometrics (technologies that measure and analyze human body characteristics) to build and access databases of information about individuals, for purposes ranging from security identification to recognizing their consumer preferences.

A potential future technology mentioned at the beginning of the clip was the use of chips implanted under the skin that would store important medical information to be retrieved by those responsible for delivering medical care and treatment. But microchips were just one of several possible biometric technologies surveyed in the segment, along with fingerprints, iris scans, and facial recognition software. Nowhere did the clip claim or predict that "all Americans will receive a microchip implant in 2017," any more than it asserted that (as imagined in the 2002 neo-noir science fiction mystery-thriller film Minority Report) by 2017 retailers will be scanning our irises as we enter their stores to show us promotions tailored to our buying habits and preferences.

In short, NBC simply mentioned the use of microchips for personal ID purposes (along with several other biometric technologies) as something that might come about by 2017; they didn't definitively state that it would be commonplace by then, much less maintain that it would be a mandatory provision of daily life in America. And they certainly didn't link it to any provision of Obamacare, as the NBC report initially aired over two years prior to the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Quoted from bumblethru

my point was...............HOW THE LAME STREAM MEDIA '6 YEARS AGO'..............reports this crap.

where'd he get his info from?

i already know about the affordable care act.

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Brian Williams was there and used Google's time machine to come back to 2010 to make this report.

Quoted from bumblethru

my point was...............HOW THE LAME STREAM MEDIA '6 YEARS AGO'..............reports this crap.

where'd he get his info from?

i already know about the affordable care act.

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But of course, simply viewing the clip in question shows that it actually reported nothing of the kind.

This clip is a (typically brief and shallow) NBC Evening News feature from 2007 speculating upon what life might be like in the U.S. in ten years' time (i.e., 2017). This particular segment focused on ways in which we might "safeguard and identify all those things that make each of us unique," addressing in particular the use of biometrics (technologies that measure and analyze human body characteristics) to build and access databases of information about individuals, for purposes ranging from security identification to recognizing their consumer preferences.

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Is Facebook eavesdropping on your phone conversations?
WFLA
Published: May 24, 2016, 10:48 am  Updated: May 24, 2016, 10:49 am

(WFLA) – It’s irresistible, enticing and addicting.  And, it’s available 24-hours a day all over the world to billions of people. Facebook beckons to users seemingly with a two-prong approach – both the pressure and pleasure to post.

We share stories, photos, triumphs and tragedies. It is ingrained into our daily lives so deeply that studies show people check Facebook, on average, 14 times a day.  With all those eyes all over the globe dialed in and the purchasing power available, the online giant has tapped into a controversial delivery of data into its intelligence gathering.  It all starts with something that you may not even realize is enabled on your phone.

USF Professor Kelli Burns knows the power of social media. The longtime educator incorporates it into her classroom curriculum every day and, in the fall, will lead a graduate course in social media analytics.

One online behemoth, in particular, is more popular than ever, she admits.  “People are definitely addicted to Facebook. They’re addicted to their phones,” she told WFLA. “We have a two-second attention span. People are always checking to see what’s going on. Anytime you’re using your phone, any kind of information that you’re putting into your phone, looking at on your phone, Facebook can access that.”

With the continuous invitation for users to share, post and like, just how much information is Facebook learning about you?

According to Kelli, more than you could ever imagine.  “I don’t think that people realize how much Facebook is tracking every move we’re making online,” she said. “Anything that you’re doing on your phone, Facebook is watching.”  Indeed, they are.

So, be careful what you say in the presence of your phone. Facebook is not only watching, but also listening to your cell phone. It all starts with enabling your microphone feature in your settings.  Once you do, choose your words carefully.

The site, itself, admits in an online statement, “We use your microphone to identify the things you’re listening to or watching, based on the music and TV matches we’re able to identify.” But, experts contend that the site is going a step further. In what some users are calling an alarming trend, described as “Big Brother,”

Facebook also listens for certain buzz words. Once identified, those words trigger an interesting response.  Items are then carefully placed in your Facebook feed, specifically crafted with your interests front and center. Wait!  What?

We tested the theory with Kelli, and even we were surprised by what we found and saw.

Kelli enabled the microphone feature and talked about her desire to go on safari, right down to her mode of transportation.  “I’m really interested in going on an African safari. I think it’d be wonderful to ride in one of those jeeps,” she said aloud, phone in hand.

Less than 60 seconds later, the first post on her Facebook feed was a safari story that seemed to pop up out of nowhere. Turns out, it was a story that had been posted three hours earlier. And, after mentioning a jeep, a car ad also appeared on her page.

“That is kind of weird,” she laughed. “I’m still not so sure this isn’t just coincidence. I don’t think Facebook is really listening to our conversations.”

USF graduate student, Danielle Quichocho, is not at all fazed by the online “eavesdropping” with Facebook. In fact, she admits, “I don’t think it’s at all surprising,”  The 22-year-old is planning her thesis around this very topic.

“It’s all about the bottom line, and if this is a way to fatten that bottom line, they’re gonna do it,” she told us. She maintains that people should be aware and educated as they use the popular app. Her motto? User beware.

So, how does she feel about Facebook using her interests as a basis for online ads, specifically designed for her in mind?  “If you agree to the terms and conditions, then you know what to expect,” she said. She also advises, choose your words carefully!

“The internet is forever!  You leave a footprint there. They’re going to find it. That’s just how it is,” she smiled.

http://news10.com/2016/05/24/is-facebook-eavesdropping-on-your-phone-conversations/

Quoted from bumblethru

Is Facebook eavesdropping on your phone conversations

Quoted from joebxr

Only yours!