Login
Big Brother News Watch
How College COVID Vaccine Mandates Put Students in Danger + More
How College COVID Vaccine Mandates Put Students in Danger
The excessively narrow medical exemptions for COVID vaccine mandates at many colleges put students at unnecessary risk of serious complications, including hospitalization and death.
More than 520 of America’s 5,300 colleges and universities, approximately 10 percent, have announced students must be fully vaccinated against COVID before they return for fall classes.
We think that these mandates are unethical, chiefly because they indiscriminately require administering an experimental biological agent in the setting of a clinical investigation to a population that is at greater risk of harm from the drug than from COVID. Our advice to schools that have not yet adopted vaccine mandates is: don’t.
Google Installs COVID Tracking App on Android Phones in Massachusetts — Without User Consent
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health partnered with Google and Apple to create a smartphone app called MassNotify, which tracks and traces people, advising users of others’ COVID-19 status.
For a tool that claims to have been developed “with a focus on privacy,” imagine Massachusetts residents’ surprise when the app suddenly appeared on their Android phones out of nowhere. In a review on the Google Play Store, one shocked parent said:
“This installed silently on my daughter’s phone without consent or notification. She cannot have installed it herself since we use Family Link and we have to approve all app installs.
“I have no idea how they pulled this off, but it had to involve either Google, or Samsung, or both. Normal apps can’t just install themselves. I’m not sure what’s going on here, but this doesn’t count as ‘voluntary.’ We need information, and we need it now, folks.”
We Tried Out the First Statewide Vaccine Passport
MIT Technology Review reported:
On June 20, about 20,000 fans gathered at Madison Square Garden in New York City for a Foo Fighters concert. The venue was at full capacity for the first time since the start of the pandemic, but it wasn’t a full return to normalcy: To get in, ticket holders needed to show proof that they’d been vaccinated—in the form of either a paper card or the state’s Excelsior Pass, a much-debated smartphone app that launched earlier this year.
The pass now has about 2 million downloads, which represents just 10% of fully vaccinated New Yorkers. Implementation has been rocky—marked by persistent glitches, privacy concerns, and outrage over the state government’s failure to prioritize the material needs of working-class communities of color—and businesses that require vaccination proof are already seeing backlash.
Connecticut Children’s, Yale New Haven Health System Requiring All Employees to Get COVID Vaccine
Connecticut Children’s Hospital and the Yale New Haven Health System will require all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Children’s and the much larger Yale system are the first health care facilities to publicly say they will mandate vaccinations for employees. The decisions were made days after the Connecticut Hospital Association endorsed mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for health care workers on June 24. Connecticut Children’s told employees in a June 29 letter from president and CEO Jim Shmerling that they’ll have until the end of September to get fully vaccinated.
MSU Community Reacts to University Decision Against Mandatory COVID Vaccines
Michigan State University announced that it will not make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for students, faculty or staff this fall which has produced polarizing opinions from the MSU community.
Michigan State alumna Janice Daverman said she disagrees with the university’s decision to not require the vaccine next semester. She said that keeping COVID-19 cases low is very important for students to gain the social interaction needed to learn at MSU.
New York Prisons Offering Inmates Barbecues, Conjugal Visits to Get Them Vaccinated
State prisons in New York are finding ways to motivate inmates to get their COVID-19 vaccinations by offering incentives like barbecues, care packages and conjugal visits.
The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) told The New York Post they are doing “everything possible to encourage incarcerated individuals” to get vaccinated, and a total of 34,000 inmates have been given the chance to win certain prizes or rewards for being vaccinated.
Sentenced to Get Your COVID Shot: Judge Adds a New Term to Probation
Do the crime, get your shot.
As local governments continue to encourage their unvaccinated residents to get their COVID-19 shot, Common Pleas Judge Richard Frye from Franklin County, Ohio, is making getting a coronavirus vaccine a term of a defendant’s probation.
Out of Luck — COVID Vaccination Lotteries Don’t Work
The United States has missed President Biden’s July 4 goal of vaccinating 70 percent of eligible Americans against COVID-19. This is no surprise. Vaccination rates have been declining for months. With the spread of the highly transmissible and deadly Delta variant, the situation is worrisome.
To counter this decline in vaccinations, Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio announced, on May 12, a weekly $1 million lottery for people who got the vaccine. That day Ohio was administering about 15,000 COVID-19 vaccines daily. Two days later, the rate was nearly double, at 33,000 per day.
More than half of all states, including Massachusetts, are currently offering lottery programs to incentivize COVID-19 vaccinations. Prizes range from $1 million cash to college tuition to vacations and even firearms.
England to Scrap Self-Isolation for Fully Vaccinated and Children After COVID Contact
Fully-vaccinated people and children will no longer have to self-isolate after a close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19 after August 16 in England unless they also test positive, health minister Sajid Javid said on Tuesday.
“From the 16th of August … anyone who’s a close contact of a positive case will no longer have to self-isolate if they have been fully vaccinated,” Javid told parliament, adding that people who had their second shot around that date would have to wait two weeks.
“In line with the approach for adults, anyone under the age of 18 who is a close contact of a positive case will no longer have to self-isolate.”
Privacy Experts Concerned About Canada’s Forthcoming Vaccine Passport
The federal government is working on a national vaccine passport — what that will look like and how it could be used is not yet known — but privacy experts are concerned about how the information would be gathered.
“It’s not just going to be used for travel. People are talking about vaccine passports to get into concerts, to get into baseball games, football games, I mean all kinds of activities globally,” said Ann Cavoukian, executive director of the Global Privacy and Security by Design Centre.
Mask-Wearing Becomes a New Battleground in England as COVID Rules Are Eased
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, many countries have introduced laws forcing people to wear face masks and coverings in public places in an effort to stop the spread of the virus.
The debate over mask-wearing heated up in England on Monday after the British government announced that it would become a matter of “personal responsibility” rather than a legal requirement once Covid restrictions are removed, as planned, on July 19.
The move immediately provoked a strong response from people on both sides of the divide, who soon took to Twitter to share their views.
Facebook Tests Extremist Content Warning Messages + More
Facebook Tests Extremist Content Warning Messages
Facebook is testing a feature in the U.S. that asks users if they are worried somebody they know is becoming an extremist.
Other users may also receive an alert saying they may have been exposed to extremist content.
The trial messages are part of Facebook’s Redirect Initiative which aims to combat extremism. The pop-ups redirect users to a support page.
No Lockdown Plans in Russia as Virus Deaths Hit New Record
Russian authorities reported a record-breaking 679 new coronavirus deaths on Friday, a fourth day in a row with the highest daily death toll in the pandemic.
No plans for a lockdown are being discussed, however, the Kremlin insisted.
The previous record, of 672 deaths, was registered on Thursday. Russia has struggled to cope with a surge in infections and deaths in recent weeks that comes amid slow vaccination rates.
New York Inmates Offered Food, Conjugal Visits, More to Get COVID Vaccine
State prison officials are so desperate to get inmates vaccinated against COVID-19 that they’re dangling care packages, barbecue parties and even conjugal visits, according to a memo issued this week to the nearly 34,000 jailbirds.
A mere 45 percent of New York’s incarcerated felons have been inoculated, compared to more than 70 percent of the law-abiding population, Acting Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Anthony Annucci wrote.
Facebook Probe by DC Official Targets Vaccine Misinformation
Facebook Inc. is under investigation by the attorney general for the District of Columbia over whether it has taken adequate steps to curb the spread of misinformation about vaccines.
Attorney General Karl Racine is seeking internal documents that show how the social media giant penalizes users who violate its misinformation policies around vaccines, as well as materials related to a Facebook study about vaccine hesitancy among users, according to a copy of a subpoena issued by Racine’s office last month. The subpoena also demanded data on the total volume of content that has been removed or demoted by Facebook for violating its vaccine misinformation policies.
Google Must Face Voice Assistant Privacy Lawsuit — U.S. Judge
A federal judge said Google must face much of a lawsuit accusing the company of illegally recording and disseminating private conversations of people who accidentally trigger its voice-activated Voice Assistant on their smartphones.
In a Thursday night decision, U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman let plaintiffs in the proposed class action pursue claims that Google and its parent Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) violated California privacy laws, some claims that they violated federal privacy laws, and some breach of contract claims.
Your Google Search History Needs Its Own Password
Google has become so synonymous with search that the company’s name has found its way into the dictionary as a verb—and all those times you’ve asked Google something can reveal a lot about your life, from the medical conditions you’ve been worried about, to where you’ve been on your vacations.
With so much sensitive data involved, you want to make sure that your search history is safe from prying eyes. There are ways to make extra-sure that no one else can get a glimpse at what you’ve been searching for, and to block Google itself from knowing anything about your online queries.
Never Mind 5G. This Is What 6G Could Look Like
Carriers around the world have launched their 5G networks. Nationwide coverage is available in the U.S. from the big three providers. Compatible smartphones are getting cheaper. The next-generation wireless technology is rapidly maturing.
So let’s talk about the next-next-generation wireless technology. Yes, 6G.
Each wireless generation lasts about a decade, so 6G is a long, long way from becoming reality. Maybe in 2029 we’ll get a hint of a deployment. Still, it’s worth considering the technology that will be around the next corner and looking at what wireless researchers are thinking about in terms of its potential.
Daughter Forced to Say Goodbye to Beloved Dad on FaceTime — Despite Being Fully Vaccinated + More
Devastated Australian Daughter Forced to Say Goodbye to Her Beloved Dad on FaceTime — Despite Being Fully Vaccinated and Testing Negative to COVID Twice
A devastated daughter has been forced to farewell her beloved dad over FaceTime after she got stuck in hotel quarantine in Sydney.
Gillan Hannah, who lived in Madison, Wisconsin, immediately returned to Australia after hearing news,her father’s lungs were shutting down.
She is fully vaccinated and has tested negative to COVID-19 twice since arriving in Australia, however her application for a compassionate exemption to travel from Sydney to Melbourne to see her dad in hospital was denied.
EU Officially Launches Digital Vaccine Passport
The European Union’s digital COVID-19 certificate officially launched today. The certificate allows people to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination, a recent negative test result, or a past COVID-19 infection.
The certificate, which includes a QR code and digital signature, can either be displayed on a digital device or printed out. People who have the certificate should not have to get an additional COVID-19 test or quarantine when traveling in the EU. The certificate only recognizes COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the EU — that includes the AstraZeneca, Pfizer / BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson shots.
Heavy-Handed Marketing of COVID Vaccines, Passports Brings George Orwell’s ‘Freedom Is Slavery’ to the Fore
As must be increasingly apparent to anyone capable of digging beneath the media’s daily outpouring of Orwellian propaganda, the planet-wide changes ushered in by the conveniently timed COVID crisis have surprisingly little to do with health.
Vaccine “passports” or “certificates,” being put in place by the European Union and Australia as well as some U.S. states and businesses, are one of the more alarming instruments advancing this tyrannical centralization and control agenda. Not one to mince words, author Naomi Wolf makes the case that the “passports,” if allowed to become the norm, could trigger “the end of civil society” and “literally the end of human liberty in the West.”
CDC Mask Recommendations for Vaccinated Individuals ‘Remains Unchanged,’ Fauci Says
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance that states fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks in indoor or outdoor settings “remains unchanged,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday. Fauci, who was asked about changing guidance issued by the WHO and even Los Angeles officials, said the agency made its “broad recommendation” based on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
VA May Force Employees to Get COVID Vaccines
Veterans Affairs employees could be required to get the coronavirus vaccine to keep their jobs, under a plan being considered by department leadership.
VA Secretary Denis McDonough said Wednesday that no decision on such a move has been made yet, and he is hopeful that new initiatives granting more leave for staffers to receive and recover from the vaccine will help boost the department’s totals.
Google Brings ‘COVID Cards’ to Android Phones That Show Whether You Have Had a Vaccine or Been Tested
Google is bringing digital COVID documents, which it calls a “COVID card” to Android phones and tablets.
The feature is part of its Passes API, which is used for loyalty cards and airport boarding passes, and would be used to show vaccination and test statuses.
“Starting today, developers from healthcare organizations, government agencies and organizations authorized by public health authorities to distribute COVID vaccines and/or tests will have access to these APIs to create a digital version of COVID vaccination or test information”, Google said in its blog post announcing the update.
Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf Vetoes Ban on Governmental, College ‘Vaccine Passports’
A Republican-crafted bill to ban so-called COVID-19 “vaccine passports” in some cases and to restrict the health secretary’s actions during health emergencies was vetoed Thursday by Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor.
The measure split both legislative chambers along party lines last month, and Gov. Tom Wolf had previously said he would veto the proposal.
With millions of Pennsylvanians still unvaccinated, many seemingly intent on remaining so, legislative Republicans wanted to prevent what they view as stigmatizing policies that require proof of vaccination in violation of health privacy.
Massachusetts Senior Care Company Mandates COVID Shots for Workers — A First for State’s Nursing Homes
Citing rising concern about a rapidly spreading and more contagious strain of the novel coronavirus, a Massachusetts senior care company Wednesday announced it will mandate COVID-19 shots for all of its workers, becoming one of the first in the state to take such action.
The decision by Legacy Lifecare comes as vaccination rates remain stubbornly low at many Massachusetts nursing homes and some other senior care facilities, placing thousands of frail residents at risk. Roughly 30 percent of Massachusetts nursing home staff are not vaccinated, according to the most recent state data.
Michigan Launching $5m Sweepstakes to Boost Vaccinations
Michigan will incentivize people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by awarding more than $5 million in cash and nearly $500,000 in college scholarships in lottery-style drawings.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will announce the program with business, health and nonprofit leaders on Thursday.
The “MI Shot to Win Sweepstakes” comes after other states have offered millions of dollars in incentives to boost vaccination rates.
On One Native American Reservation, Vaccine Hesitancy Has Long Historical Roots
Mass sterilization to most people is just an event,” Remi Bald Eagle told me recently, holding back tears. “But to us, that’s family that never made it here.” The sterilization campaign that the Indian Health Service carried out in the 1960s and ’70s afflicted somewhere between 25 and 40 percent of Native American women of childbearing age nationwide.
Sterilizations were performed through coercion and without informed consent, a grievous violation of the physical integrity and personal agency of the women affected. On the Cheyenne River Reservation, the sovereign Lakota nation in South Dakota where Bald Eagle lives, the campaign left deep scars in the community. “There’s always that loss,” said Bald Eagle.
UK Cabinet:’It’s Time to Live With COVID’… You Won’t Have To Show Proof of Vaccination + More
UK Cabinet: It’s All Over! It’s Time to ‘Live With COVID’… and You Won’t Have To Show Proof of Vaccination to Attend Mass Gatherings
COVID passports will not be compulsory at music festivals, sports events and other mass gatherings when lockdown restrictions are lifted next month.
UK Ministers are set to shelve plans for the mandatory use of “COVID certification” after Freedom Day on July 19.
Students Sue Calif. State University System Over Vaccine Requirement
In what may become precedent-setting legal cases, three California State University, Chico, students who have recovered from COVID-19 are suing the state school, saying the California State University system’s requirement that they receive a COVID-19 vaccine before returning to class in the fall places them at risk of dying.
It comes as eight Indiana University students also filed a federal lawsuit against the state school, alleging that its COVID-19 vaccine requirement violates both their constitutional rights and the state’s new anti-vaccine passport law.
COVID Vaccines Donated to African Countries Are Not Recognized by EU Travel Certificate
The African Union (AU) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have voiced “concern” after it emerged that Europe’s digital ‘green pass‘ does not recognize a vaccine that was donated to many African countries through the COVAX initiative.
The European Union (EU) Digital COVID Certificate enables people who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine approved by its medicines regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), to travel freely within the bloc.
But the pass only recognizes AstraZeneca doses manufactured in Europe (branded Vaxzevria) and not those manufactured by the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer — the Serum Institute of India (SII) — which is branded Covishield.
Federal Judge Grants Facebook’s Motion to Dismiss in CHD v. Facebook
Judge Illston of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Tuesday granted Facebook’s motion to dismiss against Children’s Health Defense’s (CHD) complaint filed against Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg and its fact checkers in August 2020.
In a 45-page decision, the judge opined that CHD’s allegations — that Facebook is effectively a “state actor” on behalf of the federal government and engaged in false advertising and racketeering — failed to state legal claims.
“While the decision is disappointing, we are not shocked,” said Mary Holland, CHD president and general counsel.
What Happened to Free Speech?
The U.S. government recently announced that it seized “websites used by the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union.” The U.S. Department of Justice claimed in a statement that the websites were used by the Iranian government, “disguised as news organizations or media outlets” to attack the U.S. “with disinformation campaigns and malign influence operations.” What happened to freedom of the press?
In all, 33 websites have been blocked, ranging from Iranian state sponsored media outlets such as Press TV and Al-Alam News Network to the unrelated London based Islamic channel, Ahlulbayt TV.
Face Masks That Can Detect Coronavirus: Harvard, MIT Researchers Create Wearable Tech
The face mask that you wear in the future could alert you of a coronavirus diagnosis, thanks to researchers at Harvard University and MIT.
Researchers have created wearable biosensors that can detect the presence of the virus in a person’s breath. These button-activated masks give COVID results within 90 minutes in a simple-to-read format similar to an at-home pregnancy test.
The mask can diagnose COVID at accuracy levels comparable to standard diagnostic tests, according to the researchers from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and MIT.
Moderna’s Stock Hits Record Price on Tuesday
Shares of Moderna Inc. MRNA, 1.74% were up 2.3% in premarket trading on Wednesday, the day after the company’s stock price hit an all-time high of $234.60 when the market closed on Tuesday.
Moderna has one authorized product, its two-dose, mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine; the global success of its shot, along with BioNTech BNTX, -0.82% and Pfizer Inc.’s PFE, -0.37% COVID-19 vaccine, has opened the door for broader interest in mRNA technology. Moderna’s stock has soared 124.4% so far this year, while the S&P 500 SPX, 0.09% is up 14.2%.
GumGum, SpotX, and IRIS.TV Come Together to Support the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative’s Initiative to Boost COVID Vaccine Education and Awareness Across the U.S.
GumGum, a global technology and media company specializing in contextual intelligence, today announced that they are working alongside IRIS.TV and SpotX (now part of Magnite) to help the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative promote COVID-19 vaccine education in relevant, suitable video environments across the web.
The Ad Council turned to this team of partners to help deliver a campaign that could make a difference. Knowing that 69% of consumers are more likely to look at an ad that’s relevant to the context they are viewing, GumGum ensured that ads not only appeared next to “health” related video content but applied its sentiment analysis capabilities to ensure that ads were placed next to video content with a neutral and positive sentiment.
Google and Microsoft Shut Down Six-Year Legal Ceasefire as Infighting and Antitrust Scrutiny Intensifies
Google and Microsoft have brought their six-year legal truce to an end after months of public and private infighting, with onlookers suggesting the breakdown leaves both companies more vulnerable to regulatory pressure.
Under the terms of the deal, the companies settled a number of outstanding patent lawsuits, agreed to try and resolve disagreements bilaterally before reporting issues to regulators, encouraged partnership on mutual business interests in areas like search and AI, and temporarily stopped executives at both companies openly attacking one another.
Police Warn of WhatsApp Scams in Time for Social Media Day
Naked Security by Sophos reported:
You might be forgiven for thinking that every day is social media day, given how much gets shared each day via social media services.
For the past 11 years, however – yes, we’ve been addicted to social media for at least that long – the date 30 June has been given capital letters and referred to as Social Media Day, a 24-hour period when we are supposed to…
…well, we’re not entirely sure how you cheer about any one day of social media content more than any other, so we can’t advise you how to celebrate #SocialMediaDay. But we do think that #SocialMediaDay is a great excuse to take a few minutes to stop and think about how to improve your safety and security on social media in general.
Putin Rejects Mandatory COVID Jabs as Russia Sees Record Deaths
President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said he was opposed to mandatory coronavirus vaccinations for Russians but urged the jab-sceptic population to get inoculated, as his country battles a deadly third wave.
His comments came as Russia earlier Wednesday reported 669 coronavirus deaths over the past 24 hours, a pandemic high of fatalities for the second day in a row, according to a government tally.
“I do not support mandatory vaccinations,” the Russian president said.
Netherlands Changes Travel Alerts for Denmark, Belgium, Greece, Latvia & Sweden
The Netherlands has downgraded its COVID-19 travel advice from code orange to code yellow for all, or part of five European countries. The new advice is set to enter into force on Thursday, July 1, the same day the Dutch CoronaCheck app is supposed to be valid across the European Union.
The EU has said the Netherlands is ready to connect to the bloc’s system for managing Digital COVID Certificates, but it has not yet established the connection.