lastweektonight
Latest
John Oliver made his own version of Facebook’s ‘we're sorry’ video
In April, after the Cambridge Analytica scandal erupted, Facebook put out an ad that was meant to reassure users about how their data would be treated going forward. Dubbed the "Here Together" ad, the video points to some of the issues that have come along with Facebook, like spam, clickbait and fake news, though the closest it gets to actually acknowledging the Cambridge Analytica debacle is noting "data misuse." "Facebook will do more to keep you safe and protect your privacy," said the ad. Well last week, Facebook's stock prices plummeted, knocking off around $120 billion in market value from the social media giant and inspiring John Oliver to tweak the ad just a bit.
Net-neutrality supporters cripple the FCC website again (update)
Sunday night, John Oliver merely pointed out a problem (again), and the results were pretty predictable if you're familiar with the last time he did similar. The most recent episode of HBO's Last Week Tonight's main segment concerns net neutrality and all the ways Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai has tried explaining that it's a frivolous concept -- sentiments echoed by senator Ted Cruz and others in a recent Washington Post op-ed. Well, as a result of Oliver setting up a URL that makes it incredibly easy to express your interest in maintaining an open internet to the FCC, parts of the regulatory body's website have been crippled under the server load.
John Oliver breaks down the San Bernardino iPhone case
John Oliver has earned himself a reputation for explaining politically complex topics in a way that anyone can understand during his Last Week Tonight talk show. After tackling net neutrality and Donald Trump, the comedian has turned his attention to the San Bernardino iPhone case. The legal tussle between Apple and the FBI has been all over the news recently, but the various arguments and counterarguments can be difficult to describe to someone that rarely reads about encryption, backdoors and government warrants. If you have friends or family that fall into this camp, Oliver's new 18-minute breakdown is a good place for them to start.
Congratulations, internet: you collapsed part of the FCC website with comments
Apparently Last Week Tonight host John Oliver's call to arms was answered, as the United States government's website for Federal Communications Commission complaints is experiencing some issues. Specifically, the page where you can submit comments regarding proposed internet provider regulation is having issues. The FCC's Twitter account says the issues are due to, "heavy traffic." And why might that page be experiencing especially high traffic volume? It could be that, after reading our net neutrality explainer, the entire internet decided to rise up and push back on the handful of major corporations which control the pipes we all use. But, more likely, it's a reaction to comedian-turned-host John Oliver's hilarious and smart piece this past weekend on the subject. See it yourself after the break -- and then tell the FCC what you think about keeping the internet open...if you can get to the site, that is. Keep trying!
