The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 1.31 What The Shane Dawson "Mistake" Shows Us, Deep Fakes vs Lawmakers, & More

Episode Date: January 31, 2019

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Sup you beautiful bastards hope you're having a fantastic Thursday Welcome back to the Philip DeFranco show and let's just jump into it The first thing we're gonna talk about today are actually two stories that are somewhat connected yesterday You had millions of people waiting to see what the next thing that Shane Dawson was gonna be putting out into the world people knew That it was gonna be about conspiracy theories, but not exactly which one they ended up covering a whole slew of them Some connected to the fires out here in California some connected to the Apple iPhone issue that we've actually learned more about and Then also among other things he covered deepfakes Which we're gonna which is gonna be the second part of this but before we jump into that one of the big things that as

We talked about before he released the series that people were waiting to see is what YouTube would do now is because last Friday YouTube Announced changes around conspiracy videos specifically saying even if a video does not cross the line as far as community guidelines, if it is what they consider borderline content, it won't pop up and recommended for people that are not subscribed to that channel. Well, what we ended up actually seeing is, well, for some people going to be a bigger deal. Jane Dawson's video, according to The Verge,

was demonetized in its first 12 hours. And there was a lot of speculation as to whether this was connected to the content of the video, specifically being about conspiracy theories. But reportedly, it ended up actually being a YouTube error. And it wasn't even connected to conspiracy theories, but rather footage around the bird box challenge. And as the report explains,

since Dawson included footage of the prank, YouTube's system assumed that the video was promoting harmful and dangerous activities, and it removed monetization privileges. And reportedly around this situation, a YouTube spokesperson said, "'Sometimes we get it wrong when determining "'whether a video is suitable for advertising,

so we encourage creators to appeal for a review if they think there's been an error. So long story short, it wasn't hit because of conspiracy theory content, so that was what kind of a lot of people were waiting for. It was not hit for the proper reasons, but because of other changes that we talked about previously, but it was still hit and it brings up an issue that many creators on this platform have. If one of the largest YouTubers on the platform who's going to release a video that is expected to hit at least 10 million views by the end of the week,

it's highly anticipated. Even he has this problem, no one is safe. Now luckily for Shane, he's been able to find his own sponsors now, but still you have this person that released around two hours of content in just one video, not getting money for the mid-rolls that he put into the video. And The Verge talks about it from the sense of

Shane Dawson may have lost $12,000. And they do this based off of an expected $2 CPM, but what I would go and say, forward-facing on the site as of recording this, it says that his video has 8.6 million views. Now if you're not aware, the public number and the actual real-time number, those are often different. So it wouldn't surprise me if this video is actually

at 9.4 to actually 10 million views. And then let's assume that during this 12 hour block, it's half the views. So we'll say five million, just to have a kind of clean number. Shane Dawson on this video, now that we see the ads back, he has six mid-rolls, a pre-roll, and a post-roll.

I would say, hey, let's estimate that it's, he doesn't have a $2 CPM, he has a $4 CPM. He's one of the biggest people on the platform. We're getting out of January. CPMs are probably going to get better, though I can't speak to any actual numbers. But when people talk about the CPM of a YouTube video It's usually only considering pre roll and post roll with six mid rolls

You could add a multiplier to it now for the sake of not just going ridiculous numbers I'm not going to just multiply it by six I'm gonna multiply it by three because not everyone watches through the entire thing Maybe they skip around instead of getting a pre roll They just get like something like a lower third all of a sudden not using ridiculous numbers You could assume that Shane Dawson should be looking at a $12 CPM if monetized properly. You're talking about 5 million views. I mean, you're talking about potentially $60,000 in missed revenue.

Now, obviously, it's not a situation where it's nefarious, like YouTube got the money and they're just not sharing. Ads are just not delivered. And so Shane and YouTube technically lose, although Shane more so. And I don't explain this part of the story to be like, oh, poor Shane. I think a lot of people look to his situation, they see his house, they're like, but you could say that about pretty much any creator,

and people are like, well, they're not hurting. But this is a massive issue if you're talking about people on this platform trying to have something sustainable. And it's that uncertainty right there that results in people like myself going, hey, we have to launch things like defrancoelite.com, right, paid subscription, people can support. That's why creators like myself have to both field and look for sponsors out there and dedicate time and resources to that because otherwise

It's unsustainable and it's crazy if the explanation around Shane's video is true because you have almost two hours of content and a single clip Undermining the entire thing like I get frustrated because I know if I talk about one story out of five in a show that I can Completely tank the entire thing I can't even imagine how frustrating it would be in his shoes So there's that part that I'll leave there because I'm also working on a completely different video regarding the copyright problem But main point there is that part and then one of the things that Shane Dawson talked about that I want to talk about even Further were deepfakes. This is a topic we've covered several times in the past It's usually about dedicated communities and apps putting celebrity faces into porn. And when we talked about it back then, we saw crackdowns in places like Reddit or on Pornhub. But when it comes to stuff like this, whether it be technology or anything in the pornographic realm,

you're just kind of pushing it somewhere else where it's going to continue happening. And in the past week, people have started talking about it more and more. There was a video that blew up on Twitter of Steve Buscemi's face on Jennifer Lawrence's body. That video is both impressive and haunting. Additionally, we've seen more and more politicians speaking up about this. According to a report, three members of the House of Representatives, including Representative Adam Schiff, who now chairs the House Intelligence Committee, wrote to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats in September, expressing concern that deepfake technology could soon be deployed by malicious foreign actors.

Adding, as deepfake technology becomes more advanced and more accessible, it could pose a threat to United States public discourse and national security with broad and concerning implications for offensive active measures campaigns targeting the United States. Representative Adam Schiff in a statement referenced the 2020 election and the fear around it. We've also seen people like Republican Senator Marco Rubio speaking out about this, saying deepfakes would be used in the next wave of attacks against America and Western democracies. Now, at the same time, you have people saying that the fear around this, it's overhyped, right? It's over the top. There's nothing really to be scared of here. Some, like Thomas Ridd, saying, I do not understand the hype around deepfakes. The age of conspiracy is doing just fine already. The most concerning aspect is possibly deep denials. The ability to dispute previously

uncontested evidence, even when the denial flies in the face of forensic artifacts. And I personally agree with part of what Thomas is saying there. Granted, I also believe that as the technology gets better, and as we've been seeing this has become more and more accessible to your everyday person, that this could be horrifying. But I definitely do agree with Thomas. I think one of the biggest things that we could possibly see in the next, let's say, ten years, just to give it some room, is giving people, especially people in power, the ability to just deny something that seems plainly obvious. When we look to the world, we already see active campaigns out there getting people to deny what they see and hear, and this just adds fuel to the fire. And I think that's a really concerning thing because once you shroud everything in doubt, people ultimately have to go on to how they feel

about something, and people already do this. Once again, this will add so much fuel to that fire and I don't know what happens from there. And so that's also why when we look to the lawmakers in this country, we are seeing some trying to create legislation to regulate deepfakes. For example, you had Republican Senator Ben Sasse last month introducing a bill.

This bill would reportedly criminalize the malicious creation and distribution of deepfakes. For example, you had Republican Senator Ben Sasse last month introducing a bill. This bill would reportedly criminalize the malicious creation and distribution of deepfakes. But according to Axios, Ben Sasse's office says that they are going to reintroduce it. According to reports, Sasse's legislation is kind of two-pronged. It's aimed at the individual deepfake creators as well as distributors like Facebook.

But reportedly, this part of the legislation is only if they know they're distributing a deepfake, which as the report explains, that means that platforms could set up a reporting system. And as far as the proposed punishment, you'd be looking at a fine and or up to two years imprisonment, or if the deep fake could incite violence or disrupt government or an election, up to ten years. Additionally, as Axios explains, in New York there's a controversial state bill that would punish people who knowingly make digital videos, photos, and audio of others, including deep fakes without their consent. And there are reports that Adam Schiff and Senator Mark Warner, they are looking into legislation as well. And so this is an ever-evolving situation and topic, and it's going

to be interesting to see what actually happens. But with that said, I did want to pass the question off to you. What are your thoughts around deepfakes? Are you on the side of, yes, this is something to worry about, or no, do you think it's overhyped? Why, why not? I'd love to hear from you. And then let's talk about this Canada-Cuba situation. So there's been some strange health issues affecting some Canadian diplomats in Cuba, and in fact, the 14th case since 2017

has just been confirmed. Reportedly, those affected by these health concerns range from diplomats to their family members. The commonly reported symptoms include dizziness, nausea, and difficulty concentrating. And because of this string of similar illnesses, Canada is now cutting its presence in its Havana embassy in half.

And this isn't a completely out of nowhere move, this isn't even the first move. Back in April, Canada actually made the choice to send home family members of diplomats because of these health concerns. With Global Affairs Canada releasing a statement saying, "'The health, safety, and security of our diplomatic staff "'and their families remain our priority,'

and adding that the Canadian government "'will continue to investigate. And this is a big deal because, I mean, all things considered, Canada has a pretty great relationship with Cuba, way better than the United States. And in fact, Cuba is a popular destination for Canadian tourists with about a million people visiting annually, which on that note,

Canada right now says that tourists are not currently at risk. But you can definitely tell that Cuba is not a fan of this move from one of their top trade partners. Josefina Vidal, the Cuban ambassador to Canada, called this decision to reduce staff incomprehensible. "'Cutting Canada's staff at its embassy in Cuba and adjusting the mission's programs

are actions that do not help find answers to the health symptoms reported by Canadian diplomats and which will have an impact on the relations.'" But then adding, despite Canada's government decision, "'Cuba remains committed to keeping the good state of bilateral relations and strengthening the links with a country with which we keep strong bonds of friendship and cooperation.

But of course it's incredibly important to note that it's not just Canada. Canada isn't the only country that has been impacted by these mysterious health symptoms in Cuba. The reason the story might sound familiar is in the past, you had 26 Americans who have also reported similar issues. They also claim to hear a high pitched sound and ringing that would bring on symptoms,

including one similar to vertigo and in fact back in January of last year the US ended up opening an investigation into potential causes and in December of last year a doctor found that All the Americans affected had damage in the part of the ear that controls balance Although it's unclear exactly how they sustained this injury, but also there It's important to note that there was a similar case reported in the United States Embassy in China where Americans were warned to be cautious Of any strange noises they heard. And so there's the question in front of everyone, what exactly is causing these health issues?

And the answer right now is we don't know. The Cuban government has repeatedly denied having any involvement with these illnesses. There are some speculation surrounding these cases, but nothing has been confirmed. Now that said, there is a popular theory blaming these symptoms on sonic attacks. The Associated Press has even released a clip

of the sound that Americans hear, which for the story's sake, I wanna play for you, but fair warning, it is a loud, high-pitched noise. This is me giving you time to lower the volume, and you've been warned, and here we go. While a yet to be peer-reviewed report linked the sound to a particular cricket call. Wendy's most important deal of the day has a fresh lineup.

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Canadian. So be it. At Sobeys, we always pick guaranteed fresh Canadian produce first. Restrictions apply. See in-store or online for details. But on that note, Canada has discounted the sonic attack theory and any ties between the noise and the illnesses reported

has not been proven. Also, back in September, we saw reports from NBC that Russia might be behind the damage affecting Americans, illnesses reported has not been proven. Also back in September, we saw reports from NBC that Russia might be behind the damage affecting Americans, but that has not been confirmed either. Other potential causes being considered have been toxins in the air and other environmental factors, but Canada has also ruled these out. Mark Hallett, the head of the human motor control section

of the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke gave the following possibility, saying from an objective point of view, it's more like mass hysteria than anything else. But ultimately, that is where we are right now. The reason is unclear. Cuba says they're committed to working with Canada to find the problem, but ultimately what we're seeing here

is the confusion continues. And the last thing we're gonna talk about today is this fascinating story out of Michigan. And where we'll start with this is, you know, a lot of the recent news coverage and general narrative around immigration in the United States has been centered around illegal border crossing. Right, one of the biggest points of conversation

in the news right now is you have Trump demanding Congress pay for a wall along the southern border. But you've had critics of the wall pointing out that immigrants who cross the border illegally are drastically outnumbered by immigrants who outstay their visas. In fact, according to a report from the Center for Migration Studies,

since 2007, immigrants overstaying their visas outnumbered undocumented border crossers by a half million. And this is especially relevant because of this story coming out of Michigan where eight people have been arrested and indicted for conspiracy to commit visa fraud and harboring aliens for profit. These people weren't indicted because they themselves overstayed their visas, but because they conspired

to help at least 600 foreign citizens stay in the United States illegally, according to the indictment. And reportedly they did so by recruiting students to a Detroit area college called the University of Farmington. And according Detroit area college called the University of Farmington. And according to the website, the University of Farmington is a nationally accredited business and STEM institution located in Metro Detroit. The university bills itself as a place where students from around the world are prepared to compete in the global economy, stating on their about page, they provide a unique educational experience, saying their curriculum allows students to rapidly apply their knowledge, preparing them to succeed in an ever globalizing economy

Farmington also advertising flexible schedules and low tuition at $8,500 a year for undergraduates 11,000 a year for graduates claiming that they had enrolled students from 50 states and 47 countries and all these factors would seem to be very appealing to international students But there was a there was a problem like for example the fact that Farmington University did not staff any professors and did not hold any Actual classes because as it turns out the University of Farmington doesn't exist at all I don't mean like in the hippy-dippy like it's not a place. It's the journey. That's what Farmington is It's the jerk that what does that even mean? No, and it turns out this was revealed yesterday

The university was set up as part of a sting operation by ice right the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement And it was designed to catch suspects who allegedly recruited undocumented immigrants who wanted to use student visas as legal cover. And so to talk about this, we actually have to jump back to 2015. And that's because back in 2015, the Homeland Security Investigations arm of ICE

set up the fake university as part of an undercover operation called Paper Chase. But it really wasn't until Donald Trump took office that authorities began to ramp up their efforts. According to reports, in February of 2017, ICE agents began posing as university officials. And this actually continued until just this week when the recruiters were indicted

by a grand jury in Michigan. According to the Detroit News, which first reported the story, the indictment reads, "'The university was being used by foreign citizens "'as a quote, pay to stay scheme, "'which allowed these individuals to stay in the United States "'as a result of foreign citizens falsely asserting "'that they were enrolled as full-time students in an

approved educational program and that they were making normal progress toward completion of the course of study. And to the question of, well, if the university was fake and it didn't have classes or professors, why did so many immigrants enroll? Well, the indictment goes on to say, each of the foreign citizens who, quote, enrolled and made tuition payments to the university, knew that they would not attend any actual classes, earn credits, or make academic progress toward an actual degree in a particular field of study. But they reportedly chose to enroll anyway because it would allow them to remain in the country on F1 non-immigrant visas,

which are visas that allow foreign nationals to live in the United States while studying at accredited institutions. And according to an ICE spokesman in Detroit, the students were admitted to the United States as non-immigrant students using an F1 visa based on the fact that they were going to attend an SEVP certified school, and adding upon their arrival in the US,

they transferred to the University of Farmington. And according to prosecutors, most of these students enrolled at the fake university because they wanted to get jobs under a student visa program called CPT, Curricular Practical Training. And that's important because that allows students enrolled at an accredited institution to have access to paid or unpaid internships.

So after students enrolled into this university, they would pay the recruiters thousands of dollars to then provide them with fraudulent records. And this reportedly included transcripts that students could give immigration authorities. And in addition to this, immigration authorities reported that recruiters accepted more than $250,000 in kickbacks for their work.

And while this was happening, of course, they didn't realize these payments were actually coming from undercover ICE agents. Now as far as what's's next the eight recruiters who were indicted face maximum prison time of five years also in addition to the recruiters the Detroit news also reported that federal agents arrested dozens of University of Farmington students in a nationwide suite according to a spokesman for US immigration and customs enforcement The students were arrested on immigration violations and face possible deportation Although as of right now It's unclear how many previously or currently enrolled students

could face deportation as a result of the sting. Although we did see some reports that it's at least 100 students. Now another part of this story is that with these indictments, there's been a lot of debate over whether or not this sting operation is considered entrapment. You have people like Bill Ong Hing of the University of San Francisco School of Law saying that he has never seen a sting operation of this magnitude in his decades as an immigration scholar. Saying there is this concept in criminal law called entrapment where people are not inclined to do something criminal but they're presented with something that's not proper by law enforcement.

But at the same time you have people like Peter Henning, a Wayne State University law professor and former federal prosecutor saying that this is creative and it's not entrapment. Going on to say the government can put out the bait but it's up to the defendants to fall for it. But at the same time you have people saying, well people might have initially gone into this thinking that it was legitimate, because if you actually look at it, it looked pretty legitimate from the outside in. In addition to their well curated website, which states that they are an accredited university approved by the US Department of Homeland Security Student and Exchange Visitor Program, SEVP, to enroll international students. Farmington was also included on the actual Department of Homeland Security's list

of certified schools where international students can enroll. Also offsite, there were operational Facebook and Twitter accounts, which were abruptly deleted Wednesday night, which actually, on that note, as we were researching this story, the official website for Farmington has also been taken down now. But understand, that part of the argument

is based off of the initial reaction, right? The initial ability to be tricked. Once things actually got rolling, if what the government is saying is true, it would be an obvious fraud to anyone involved. But ultimately that is where we are right now. It'll be interesting to see what other numbers, what other arrests come from this.

Of course, like with everything we cover on these shows and in these videos, I'd love to hear from you. What do you think about all this with this story? Do you personally see it as entrapment or no? And really any thoughts on anything we talked about today? And that's where I'm going to end today's show. And remember, if you liked it, you like me diving into the news,

let me know, hit that like button. Also, if you're new here, hit that subscribe button, ring that bell to turn on notifications. Also, if you missed and wanna catch up on this morning's Extra Morning News deep dive, yesterday's Philip DeFranco show, click or tap right there to watch those. But with that said, of course, as always,

my name's Philip DeFranco, you've just been filled in, I love yo faces, and I'll see you tomorrow.