Editorials - May 31, 2024

The number of scammers operating on social media is exploding recently thanks to the seeming impunity that is granted to them by the companies that control the platforms. The types of scams vary, but we’ve all seen the desperate posts from friends and family, “Don’t accept any friend requests from me. I’ve been hacked.” The more sophisticated of the criminals have taken to locking the user out of their Facebook account and then begin to con their friends out of thousands of dollars. 

 

Grandparent scams are prevalent and recently a woman in New Brunswick was locked out of her account and the scammer impersonated her, using the story of an aging parent transferring to long-term care and that she was selling off valuable possessions for much-needed cash. Despite appeals to Meta, the company refused to help as she watched helplessly as her friends made deals to buy things like trucks and hot tubs with the impression that they were dealing with her.

 

Locally, Huron County residents are reporting more and more incidents of hacked accounts and impersonator accounts that are remaining up, despite pleas to Facebook.

 

According to its annual report, Meta, which also owns Instagram, Messenger, Threads and WhatsApp, raked in a whopping $135 billion dollars in 2023 (up 16 per cent over the previous year), so it could afford to secure accounts, if it chose to. It’s up to consumers of social media to demand Meta take our security more seriously. Until the financial equation favours users’ security, Meta is not going to put in any great effort to gain control over the fraudsters. – DS

Thanks to Hillary Clinton (and we don’t always get to thank Hillary on this page) we now know that when there’s talk about deleted e-mails and wiped hard drives, only bad things can happen. 

 

Here in Ontario, the provincial privacy commissioner, Patricia Kosseim, has said she will publish a special report on the use of non-governmental e-mail accounts and deleted messages related to the Greenbelt saga. Kosseim, writing to the NDP, who had originally asked Kosseim to look into the use of personal phones and e-mails in relation to the Greenbelt issue, said her office currently has 19 access-to-information appeals on the go related to the Greenbelt. 

 

Premier Doug Ford’s government removed land from the Greenbelt in late 2022, aiming to build more houses on the land, but reversed course after overwhelming scrutiny. The saga of Hillary Clinton aside, everyone smells something rotten in the State of Denmark when the issue of deleted e-mails rears its ugly head. In the era of digital accountability, endless cloud-based storage, back-up drives and more, there’s next to no reason to delete e-mails. Unless, of course, they contain something bad. Despite his claims to the contrary, Ford is about as secretive of a Premier as Ontario’s had, so deleted e-mails should raise some red flags. 

As for what they contain, we can only speculate. However, with the culture of secrecy Ford has cultivated and many Ontarians feeling they’re on a need-to-know basis with him, it’s hard not to brace for the worst and to expect that the e-mails, should they see the light of day, may confirm what Ford’s critics have said about him for years: it’s Ford’s development buddies’ world and we’re just living in it. – SL 

In a collaboration between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), researchers have unveiled a revolutionary tool that promises to redefine agriculture as we know it.

 

Harnessing the power of carbon nanotubes, scientists have developed sensors capable of detecting subtle signals emitted by plants under stress. By identifying key signaling molecules such as hydrogen peroxide and salicylic acid, farmers can monitor their crops in real-time, gaining invaluable insights into their health. Gone are the days of relying solely on visual cues to detect distress in plants; with these sophisticated sensors, farmers can intervene proactively, mitigating potential threats before they escalate.

 

What sets this technology apart is its universality. Unlike previous methods that required genetic engineering of specific plant species, these sensors can be applied to virtually any plant, making them accessible to farmers worldwide. By deciphering the intricate language of stress responses, researchers have unlocked nature’s own defense mechanisms, offering a glimpse into the resilience of flora. From repelling insect predators to acclimating to changing environmental conditions, plants exhibit a sophistication that belies their lack of a central nervous system.

 

On the precipice of a new agricultural revolution, let us recognize the pioneering spirit of farmers who embrace innovation with open arms. Their willingness to adopt and adapt to emerging technologies not only ensures the sustainability of our food systems, but also reaffirms their role as stewards of the land. – SBS