Them Ruskies just keep coming, eh?

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Them Ruskies just keep coming, eh?

What would we do without so many informative and ever-so strategically worded, MSM alerts?

GlobalNews: Why the ‘aging challenge’ might come back to haunt FaceApp users​

• ... the app comes with a few potentially nasty surprises, including a user agreement that gives the Russia-based developer, Wireless Labs, control over everything you upload to the app forever. Yes, forever.
• FaceApp’s privacy policy shows that it also uses third-party tools* to collect large amounts of data from your device, “including the web pages you visit, add-ons, and other information that assists us in improving the Service.”
• The developer also says it may continue to store your uploaded content even after you’ve deleted it.

*Ahem: Virtually ALL websites use "cookies" nowadays, not just the Russians!!!  In this nuclear age here's what you do about that: use Firefox, which has a "private browsing" feature, and also an add-on called "Nuke". You might also consider using DuckDuckGo for private searches. (I would also suggest switching from Windows to Linux, which is not nearly so vulnerable to malware. I can highly recommend Ubuntu or Mint.)

Back to the propaganda - er - news item: I've highlighted what is likely to be retained from a cursory read. Anyone who expended the effort to read further would have seen this:

• “No, they are not uploading your photos to their server,” French cybersecurity expert Robert Baptiste tweeted on Wednesday. “They upload only the photo you are working on.”
• Baptiste adds that the company’s server appears to be based in the United States, and there is no indication that the data is being used for nefarious purposes.
• “For now there is no reason to panic, Russia is not trying to steal people’s faces,” he tweeted.

Most readers who merely scan for the gist will also glance at the final paragraph where the real intent of the article is reiterated:

• “It’s all fun and games until your data gets exposed,” user Antonio Becerra tweeted.

Start with doom, end with gloom, and put what's more likely to be the truth in the middle. Now that's good journalism.

(No matter that it contains a grammatical error. Data is a plural word; datum is singular. It looks more and more as if I'm going to have to just close my eyes to the almost universal loss of understanding of the Latin words commonly used in everyday English. Even some members of the medical profession think the word "bacteria" is singular and even the media don't seem to know that "media" is a plural word.)

So, are we to assume that Desjardins had a Russian-paid employee?  None of the media seem to suggest that. All we hear is that it's all in the past and everything's hunky dory now; you're safer than ever in Desjardins' hands:

MtlGazette: Desjardins expands protection plan for members after data breach

No doubt also with Equifax -- and Russia wasn't mentioned in either case.

Consumer/Gov/Blog: The Equifax Data Breach: What to Do

• There are steps to take to help protect your information from being misused.Visit Equifax’s website. 

The Equifax site has a page where the Wall Street Journal is quoted as encouraging users to renew their faith in Equifax.

There's propaganda and then there's propaganda. There's also our health care data, which apparently causes concern only when it involves sports icons or politicians:

CBC: Investigation launched after medical information of Winnipeg Jets players, politicians leaked

Maybe the MRI machines were Russian-made?

Now here's proof that the US doesn't really need Russia nor Edward Snowden for data breaches to occur. They've already got a super-efficient-do-it-yourself-exposure operation going for them:

DarkReading: The 7 Most Significant Government Data Breaches

• Mega compromises at federal and state agencies over the past three years has compromised everything from personal data on millions to national security secrets.

Okay, now let's focus on the pleasant side of big bad Russia: I've been enjoying YouTube videos of Vladimir Pozner lately, and if anyone needs a more westerly face when Russia is being discussed, I especially recommend the one where Pozner does his 2014 (uncut) interview of America's Oliver Stone. (See Below)

The only thing I couldn't agree with were the final questions Pozner asked of Stone, which he apparently asks of all of his interviewees. Too invasive; too embarrassing, in my opinion. But Pozner was raised in America, and apparently enjoys pop psychology. Otherwise, he's exceedingly cogent and credible on the subject of Russia and the West.

I like this comment posted by a YouTuber: "After the collapse of the Soviet Union, we discovered that everything Communists lied about the west turned out to be true".

PLS, WAIT :40 SECONDS FOR THE VIDEO TO BEGIN PLAYING; and then there is another break @ 28: - 35: minutes