BY SYDNEY WESCHCKE

STAFF WRITER

A few hours before the ban on TikTok was to take place, a federal judge blocked the ban. The main reason for the ban was the “immediate danger” of TikTok being owned by a company located in Beijing, China. The Trump administration is concerned that the Chinese Government could be able to access millions of American’s information. The app was set to be removed from the app store on September 20; along with more restrictions going into place on November 12. 

TikTok was set to be partnered with Oracle and Walmart; this has not been finalized yet as of the end of September. Microsoft has also shared interest in purchasing or partnering with TikTok. This would lower the national security threat, due to both those companies being located in the U.S. 

One solution to this ongoing security threat problem would be to use synthetic data. This is a way to make your data accurate but still anonymous. It would change some information about the person. For example, it could change their birthday by a couple months or days. Also, it would completely keep any addresses or other private information safe. In this way, TikTok could still be partially owned by ByteDance, and there wouldn’t be a security threat. It would also be safe if a U.S. company owned or partnered with TikTok.

Sources

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/27/tech/tiktok-ban-judge/index.html

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/tiktoks-data-privacy-problem-has-an-easy-solution-synthetic-data-2020-10-02

https://www.tiktok.com/

BY LYNNE INOUYE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF IN TRAINING

In 2018, there were 11,371 people experiencing homelessness in Minnesota; a number that had risen 10 percent since 2015. Homelessness can become someone’s only option due to a large variety of reasons, including lack of affordable housing, past abuse, chronic health conditions, childhood trauma, and much more. It’s an ongoing cause for concern, and Minnesota winters can worsen already horrible conditions. With many shelters and support centers closing at night or filling up, it can leave thousands of people cold and without a meal.

This is where Allan Law comes in. For the past two decades, he’s spent every single night on the streets of Minneapolis, handing out sandwiches and other supplies to the homeless population. Even when battling prostate cancer, he was unwilling to take a week of rest, going as far as to sneak out of the hospital before he was meant to leave. He never sleeps in a bed or takes time off, working 18 hours a day on two hours of sleep a night. Law is dedicated to helping these people; he saw a need and decided to do something about it. His story is further explained in the documentary The Starfish Throwers, which shows three powerful examples of changing lives for the better.

If this cause interests you or you want to help, an event is being sponsored by the non-profit organization Girl Onward to make sandwiches to be handed out. With COVID-19, there’s been a decrease in volunteers, and it would greatly aid Law’s organization and the homeless people of Minneapolis. To sign up for this event, go to this link and RSVP: https://www.girlonward.com/events/pack-sandwiches-at-home-drop-off-for-homeless 

Keep in mind, all RSVPs are due by Friday, October 9th, to allow time for ordering supplies. This is also an event that will be done at your home, with set times to pick up and drop off sandwiches. Hope to see you there!

Sources: 

http://mnhomeless.org/minnesota-homeless-study/homelessness-in-minnesota.php

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/allan-law-feeds-the-homeless_n_5966246?ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000026

Picture: 

https://www.godvine.com/read/one-man-helps-feed-the-homeless-every-single-night-743.html