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Maybe someone dies: 2016 memo lands Facebook exec in hot water
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A 2016 memo from a Facebook executive about what the company would do to keep growing has critics concerned about the social network's management. - photo by Herb Scribner
A 2016 memo from a Facebook executive about what the company would do to keep growing has critics concerned about the social network's management.

The 2016 memo said that Facebooks goal is to connect people no matter what, according to BBC.

We connect people. Period. Thats why all the work we do in growth is justified. All the questionable contact importing practices. All the subtle language that helps people stay searchable by friends. All of the work we do to bring more communication in. The work we will likely have to do in China some day. All of it, vice president Andrew Boz Bosworth wrote, according to BuzzFeed News.

Bosworth said, "Maybe someone dies in a terrorist attack co-ordinated on our tools. And still, we connect people."

Read part of the memo below that has people questioning the companys motives:

So we connect more people.

That can be bad if they make it negative. Maybe it costs a life by exposing someone to bullies. Maybe someone dies in a terrorist attack co-ordinated on our tools.

And still, we connect people.

The ugly truth is that we believe in connecting people so deeply that anything that allows us to connect more people more often is *de facto* good. It is perhaps the only area where the metrics do tell the true story as far as we are concerned.

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That's why all the work we do in growth is justified. All the questionable contact importing practices. All the subtle language that helps people stay searchable by friends. All of the work we do to bring more communication in. The work we will likely have to do in China someday. All of it.

The memo comes about two weeks after controversial reports revealed that a company improperly obtained Facebook data on 50 million of the companys users, according to the Associated Press. That company, Cambridge Analytica, had political ties to President Donald Trumps election campaign, the AP reported.

In response, celebrities, executives and other Facebook users have started a movement to #DeleteFacebook.

Bosworth's memo highlights how one senior executive one of Zuckerbergs longest-serving deputies prioritized all-encompassing growth over all else, a view that has led to questionable data collection and manipulative treatment of its users, according to BuzzFeed.

Bozworth tweeted that he didnt agree with the post at the time he originally shared it.













"Having a debate around hard topics like these is a critical part of our process and to do that effectively we have to be able to consider even bad ideas," he said.

Zuckerberg said the memo does not reflect the vision of the company, according to Time magazine.

Weve never believed the ends justify the means, Zuckerberg said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. We recognize that connecting people isnt enough by itself. We also need to work to bring people closer together. We changed our whole mission and company focus to reflect this last year.

In 2007, an interview with Zuckerberg revealed the Facebook founders plan for the future, which ultimately led to the recent controversy. Zuckerberg said his company would allow developers to create apps inside the platform, much in the same way Windows operating software does.

Fast-forward 10 years and thats what led to the recent controversy. Cambridge Analytica bought its data from a researcher who had previously built a personality quiz app for Facebook.
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New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
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