The recent surge in “Facebook clones” or dummy accounts or fake Facebook profile pages caused alarm among many netizens, including my friends and family members. Imagine, my husband had to report five blank and duplicate Facebook profiles that were “pretending to be me.” As of this writing, Facebook removed only one of my three clone accounts.

National Privacy Commissioner Raymund Liboro said it was too early to establish the cause of the sudden proliferation of the fraudulent Facebook accounts because of an internal glitch or by external factors.

The activists arrested at the peaceful protest held at the University of the Philippines Cebu campus were the first to mention that their accounts were “duplicated”. Netizens voiced out their concerns over these fake profiles using the hashtag #HandsOffOurStudents. Other reports pointed out the targets of the spoofing attacks were outspoken of the Anti-Terror Bill of 2020, but even pro-administration netizens claimed they were victims, too.

Jonathan Ong, who co-authored several studies on local troll armies, believes fake Facebook accounts’ creation could be a ploy to gain access to people’s data and information. Ong mentioned in his interview with the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) that “the creation of dummy accounts was widely used in the 2016 National Elections, but Facebook has since made it harder to create these accounts, causing disinformation campaigners to abandon the tactic.” It puzzles him why this happened. “It might be around control of people’s data, that’s what’s more concerning for me,” he told ANC. The organizations or people behind the sudden surge of fake Facebook profiles could be showing off that they have access to people’s data and information.

Lawyer JJ Disini, an expert on IT law, shared the dangers of a fake Facebook profile. When a target is identified, a fake Facebook profile is created with the same name as the former.  At the right time, the fake profile page would be made to appear identical. Disini warns that the user’s photo and banner of the real account could be copied and pasted.  A target could be locked out of his legitimate Facebook page by filing bogus complaints against the target with Facebook. While the target is locked out of his page, a post is created on the fake page where target commits a crime, for example, a threat on the life of the country’s president. The next likely scenario would involve taking a screenshot of the fake account with the incriminating post, then followed by deleting the fake page. Charging the target with a crime based on the screen shot could follow next. I don’t know if we could use the screenshot as evidence. When I filed a complaint against Facebook on the Cambridge Analytica data breach, the National Privacy Commission asked for the link to my Facebook post exposing the breach.

What could you do to protect your identity on Facebook? Ensure your Facebook account is secure. Enable the Two-Factor Authentication. If you are using a pseudonym or nickname, enter your birth name as optional information (under Settings, Personal Information, Name, Other Names) in your Facebook account. You could add your nickname and birth name. Under the Settings, Personal Information, you could submit proof of identity under “Identify Confirmation” as another layer of security. If you run ads about social issues, elections or politics, Facebook might ask you to provide proof of your identity. I complied with the “Identify Confirmation” because I handle many Facebook pages. All this precaution might not be a guarantee that your page won’t get disabled from a malicious takedown.

I also suggest documentation of your Facebook clones. Aside from screen shots, get the links and keep them on file. The open-source web app, http://doppelbanger.now.sh could search duplicate fake accounts on Facebook. Not all are fake, though. The results on Facebook Search revealed I had three clones. Using this web app showed five more.

Publish your social networks in your blog or LinkedIN so people would know where to search for you instead of using Facebook Search. Continue to write content that shows your “personal branding,” or how you want to establish and promote what you stand for.

While we continue to demand answers from Facebook and investigators, let’s secure and protect our personal data and privacy.

First published Sunday Business & IT, June 14, 2020.

Virtual reality (VR) reports surfaced in my newsfeed after lockdowns took place around the world. Bloomberg’s April 21 article, “Zoom parties are so five weeks ago: Hello virtual reality,” grabbed my attention. Oh yes, whatever happened to my Oculus Go? This standalone VR headset, which I purchased in 2018, gathered dust already because reality kept me away. As community quarantine is now the new normal, I explored video conferencing apps, including social virtual reality, to cope with this work from home situation. After inviting my sisters over to my Oculus Room, I found out Facebook removed this interactive space for friends to hangout. I missed the Oculus Rooms, because it was my home in virtual reality. In this space, I invited Facebook friends, customized my room with photos, watched movies, played games like riding the rollercoaster together, or listening to music and so much more. Horizon would replace Oculus Rooms, but there is no set date for its release.

My sisters and I in virtual reality using vTime and our Oculus Go Headsets

In my quest for social VR alternatives, I explored AltSpace VR and vTime XR. The vTime XR provided amazing destinations and better-looking avatars. My sisters and I unpacked our dusty Oculus Go headsets and traveled to many locations. In virtual space, the avatar representation with the audio gave the impression of having my sisters right beside and in front of me. Each destination could only seat four and since we are four sisters, we could chat virtually at unique places together — sunset at the beach, zen garden, under the sea, space station, TV studio or the edge of a mountain — not for agoraphobes, believe me!

At the terrace of a Parisian apartment overlooking the Eiffel Tower, we chuckled at each other’s fashion statement. We promised each other that every time we meet, we would diversify our fashion choices. The vTime likes to think of itself as a “sociable” network, rather than a social network. Users without a VR headset could join sessions via “Magic Window” mode on Android and iOS phones. As a cross platform, all user avatars support audio lip syncing and avatar eye tracking. One could use the network’s library of virtual emojis “vMotes” allowing users to express themselves. Not enough time to get addicted with Oculus Go because the headset defaults into shutting down after two hours. A friend who only used her headset after getting it as a present a year ago, squealed with delight as she discovered emotional escape not only in social VR, but in a VR immersive fishing game. “It’s nice for after work and I just want to chill out,” she explained. Nature trips and travel to countries around the world in VR is compelling in a time when this unprecedented period of community quarantine deprives us of the outside world. VR cannot replace the outdoors, but it could ferry us away briefly from the boredom of a lockdown. Frontiers in Psychology published a paper on Jan. 15, 2020 and posed the question: “Could simulated nature support mental health?” The study concluded that “nature exposure in virtual reality could provide emotional well-being benefits for people who cannot access the outdoors. Six minutes of nature exposure in mobile VR headsets produced similar effects as six minutes of outdoor nature exposure.” Both conditions were superior to sitting indoors with no exposure to nature. It is interesting to note that “short and isolated exposure to a 360-degree video of nature may provide an emotionally beneficial alternative to visits to outdoor nature in healthy student populations who might not otherwise access restorative outdoor environments.” No wonder I felt great after a session. Even if you don’t have a VR headset, that shouldn’t stop you from a virtual experience. Though my VR experience is only with the Oculus Go and the Oculus Rift, the former is affordable and easier to use. VR headsets fit under one of three categories: mobile, tethered or standalone. Standalone headsets other than my Oculus Go are the Oculus Quest, Lenovo Mirage Solo with Daydream, HTC Vive Focus and Vive Focus Plus. Google Daydream, Nintendo Labo VR Kit and the Qualcomm-compatible XR viewers are some of the mobile headsets. Tethered headsets like Oculus Rift S, HTC Vive and Vive Cosmos, Sony PlayStation VR, Windows Mixed Reality and Valve Index present the most immersive experience but could be pricey and clunky. The easiest way to watch VR is with a smartphone like I mentioned with the vTime social VR. One could still enjoy a VR Light experience by checking out selections of 360 and VR180 videos on YouTube or even Facebook 360 videos. Entry level Google Cardboard puts virtual reality on your Android and iPhone. Download the app and get a Google Cardboard viewer on Lazada or Shopee. VR as the platform of tomorrow is still a niche market, but this global pandemic might just push its widespread use. First published in Hello, Virtual Reality at Sunday Business & IT, May 17, 2020

Going out of our homes is challenging these days, especially for those without transportation. Other places observe enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) that limits movement outside their homes. But with the crisis lie opportunities for enterprising Filipinos, who filled in the needs of people while making money at the same time. Shopping for necessities is very convenient for those with access to a community group on Facebook or Viber. It’s a win-win situation for all of us as we struggle to cope with our “new normal.”

My husband and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary a few days ago and I wanted it to be extra special. How do I now order a cake?  Booking from GrabFood or Lalamove often failed me at the start of the Luzon lockdown, so I ditched that alternative. Viber and Facebook Marketplaces sold goods or offered services, but delivery costs were not worth it if the items cost less than one thousand pesos.  I turned to my village community group on Facebook.  Settings set to private and a threaded conversation allows ease of use. Over 4,000 members comprise our village marketplace. Vendors or personal shoppers from adjacent villages joined to add to the diversity of products and services. One of them could deliver cakes from a well-known bakery. I realized that the enterprising neighbor adds on a service fee, but that’s fine with me.  Helping a neighbor is helping my community. And it helped that the cake made my husband smile.

 

For the past six weeks, I purchased two electric fans, a prepaid Wi-Fi for backup, pork, fish, vegetables, chicken, neoprene face masks, face shields, kimchi and many more. The value-added benefit of our village marketplace is that they bring most items to the house without additional costs.  I am impressed at the items sold such as prepared meals, home-baked bread, kakanin, lumpia, fruits and snacks. Someone sells shrimp, Korean food, pet food and even rubbing alcohol. Another provides cleaning services for air conditioning units and even plumbing services.  “Pabili” services (errand services such as “Buy/get this for me and deliver to me, please!”) are thriving in my community marketplace. Examples are pa-grocery, pabayad bills and pabili (errands such as grocery shopping, bill payments and buying something.) How helpful to our senior citizens or those who don’t have a ride. I ordered from a neighbor who collects pizza orders and delivers them on cash on a delivery basis. An advantage of a Facebook community group is that the honor system works. If a buyer or seller doesn’t fulfill his promise, the entire group would know about it (without mentioning names). Everyone strives to be a good neighbor.

Buy or sell new and used items are on the Facebook Marketplace. A friend got a few products from there and the sellers she encountered are reliable. “You could check their profiles to see if they’re legit. You could also report erring sellers/buyers to Facebook. It’s also location specific, which is a useful way to narrow your search,” she said. I limited my search to a 5-kilometer radius when I canvassed for an LED TV. Getting quotations from five sellers helped me narrow down my choice. The problem was that our security guards refused entry because it is not an essential item or service. I had to drive outside the guard house to pick up my order.

Over 7,500 members are at the Pasig Residents’ Viber Marketplace, where I browse for things I might need. Scrolling through so many posts is tiring. One tip to backread posts is to look for the media library and check out the posted infographics.  The admin created an excel sheet that categorized food, drinks, donation, grocery, health, hotlines, LPG, market and others. The only time I used this marketplace was when I bought vitamin C with zinc capsules from an online pharmacy in Manila. Most of the drugstores ran out of stock, and this one could send through a courier where I had to shoulder the P240 delivery cost. The question is, how reliable are these sellers? The best recourse is to communicate with the vendor and canvass other sources. Know your product and weigh opportunity costs.

Friends have used Lazada and Carousell for their shopping essentials, but I have yet to purchase from these platforms. I still prefer the village marketplace because this is my community sharing resources. The community is not just a group of people living in one place. Neighbors help each other. I want to help the mothers who comprise a bulk of the sellers. Entrepreneurship may not be for everyone but, perhaps some mothers could harness the power of technology to seek innovative ways to augment household income. Many are out there searching for great deals and a variety of products. Imagine the possibilities of the market.

Happy Mother’s Day.

First published in Sunday Business & IT, May 10, 2020

I received an email invitation for my sister’s birthday party with an instruction that each one should bring a cake. The catch is that all four siblings would carry each cake with a lighted candle as we sing “Happy Birthday” over Zoom, a videoconferencing service.
Customizing my virtual background to a cheerful “Happy Birthday” graphic not only brightened the celebration but also covered up the clutter behind my back.

For two hours, we laughed and cheered on each other, wondering how long we would have to stay at home. Sharing tips was a breeze with the “share screen” feature. A sister showed off a YouTube video on her laptop of an exercise that entails just walking around the house.
Sure, we might just be behind our laptops or mobile phones in virtual space, but the memorable celebration lifted our spirits. Life goes on as we attempt to gain a sense of normalcy, and try to get innovative with our social lives.

Nearly overnight, the coronavirus pandemic transformed everything about the way people are supposed to interact. Last week, the World Health Organization changed the phrase “social distancing” to recommend “physical distancing,” encouraging people to stay connected via social media. Physical distancing is the key, not social distancing. Now more than ever, we need to collaborate, be connected with each other and care for one another.

Adjusting to the self-isolation and remote working, including hearing news of coronavirus cases could bring anxiety, helplessness, anger or sadness.  People want the face-to-face contact to affirm that we would be all right as long as we take care of ourselves.

Remote working apps and platforms gained a huge traction because of the work-at-home arrangement. Zoom is now the talk of the town as more self-quarantined individuals discovered that it could be more than a venue for videoconferencing, online meetings, chat and collaboration. One could “hang out” after a virtual meeting.

Though Zoom is free to use, I purchased the $14.95 (about P762)-plan for a longer meeting time for three or more persons. Zoom’s free version allows up to 100 people to join a video meeting together for up to 40 minutes and unlimited one-to-one meetings. Who wouldn’t want to extend the time to be together?

My husband hosted a Zoom meeting with his staff to see if they would like to meet online other than just chat on their Viber group. I helped him navigate through the “New Meeting” menu and copied the invite URL and shared to their group chat.  But first, participants needed to download the Zoom Cloud Meetings app.  Registration is optional if settings don’t require it. Even if you don’t need a Zoom account to join a meeting, you might as well register so you could also host your own virtual meeting. With an invite link, it connects the participant to the Zoom meeting through the app. The cheerful chatter and smiles of the over 20 people continued on long after the meeting was over.  As a host, you could assign the host controls to another user and leave the meeting. If the original host is a licensed user, the meeting continues on for an unlimited time, even if the new host is a free or basic user.

If you look for “Zoom coronavirus” online, the search engine results lead you to several news articles on its use outside remote business meetings and online coursework. A concert of performing artists, a Frozen-themed birthday party, friends marrying are happening on Zoom. Aside from parties, people have tuned in to church services, meditation or art shows. They call themselves the “Zoomers.” College students in the United States are going on Zoom blind dates. Even the House of Representatives used Zoom for a special session to deliberate the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act.

For sure, there are other video conferencing apps like Google Hangouts Meet, GoToMeeting, Skype and Microsoft Teams. Video chat apps on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Viber and many more work, too. But why Zoom?

“Zoom is known for its reliability, avoiding long outages that discourage repeated use, and it doesn’t have the latency that makes some services painful for extended conversations” says Jordan Novet of CNBC. Most of all, Zoomers, like myself, find it simple and easy to use. Excuse me, as I zoom in to another virtual party.

First published on Sunday Business & IT, March 29, 2020