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Facebook Continues The War Against Fake News With Trending News Update

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Facebook updates their Trending news feature.

Facebook’s VP of Product Management, Will Cathcart, announced on Wednesday updates to their Trending news feature. Facebook reports the new trending topics will feature three new changes. A publisher headline below each topic name. An improved system lists what is currently trending. Also, everyone in the same area will now see the same trending topics.

Starting today, publisher headlines will provide more information about what is currently trending on Facebook. Facebook says this was the most requested feature since the company last updated their Trending feature.

“These are the same headlines appear when you hover over or click on a Trending topic, but people told us they wanted these headlines directly within Trending, too,” Cathcart explained.

Facebook says the headline will appear automatically based on several factors surrounding engagement of the news article, the publisher, and whether other news outlets are reporting on that story.

Facebook also announced they will be updating how they identify what is trending on the social network. Cathcart explained, previously, what was listed as Trending was linked to highly engaged stories on the social network surrounding on a single story.

Now, the new Trending feature will focus on what is popular surrounding a group of topics in order to capture a wider range of news and events.

Furthermore the Trending update will “help ensure that trending topics reflect real world events being covered by multiple news outlets,” Cathcart added.

Finally, Facebook announced the Trending feature will no longer be personalized and based around a user’s interest. Everyone in the same area will see the same topics. The company explains this is to make sure people do not miss out on important news that may not appear on their News Feed.

The changes will become effective immediately as the company says they are responding to Facebook user’s feedback in order to provide a “valuable Trending experience.”

Last summer, the social network reportedly fired 15 editors from their trending news team. The decision to fire writers came after a report from Gizmodo revealed how the Trending featured worked and allegations the feature suppressed conservative news reports.

Since then, the company moved away from using actual people choosing what is listed on the Trending section to an algorithm. Facebook explains “Topics are selected by an algorithm and are reviewed by a team to ensure they represent real-world events.”

Ultimately, this is another move by Facebook to combat fake news on the social network. The company has hired new staff, increased reporting efforts, and a new journalism initiative.

Can This New Treatment Cure Autism?

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Researchers may have found a new way to treat Autism.

Arizona State University researchers are taking an out of the box approach to treating autism. Scientists are focusing on improving the type of bacteria found within the stomach by doing fecal microbial transplants.

In a small study of only 18 participants with autism disorders, subjects underwent a 10-week treatment program. The program included a bowel cleanse, antibiotics and daily fecal microbial transplants over the course of eight weeks.

Researchers report that the study showed long-term benefits, including an 80% improvement of gastrointestinal symptoms associated with autism disorders. In addition, Arizona State University researchers found a 20 to 25% autism-behavior improvement. For instance, scientists found an improvement in social skills and sleeping habits.

James Adams, ASU President’s Professor of materials science and engineering and one of the lead researchers praised the results of the study. “We look forward to continuing research on this treatment method with a larger, placebo-controlled trial in the future,” Adams said.

Arizona State University has been actively studying autism as it relates to gut bacterial. In 2013, ASU researchers analyzed the type of bacteria found in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and discovered a link between the type of gut bacteria and patients with autism. In order to test their results, researchers began feeding mice a beneficial type of bacteria that is known to affect mental health and noticed improvements.

What is Autism?

Around the world there are approximately 22 million people with autism. The disease most often occurs in boys with about 1.5% of children in the United States diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a range of conditions listed in the DSM-5. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder must exhibit several characteristics. These features include problems with social communication and social interaction. In addition, researchers explain individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder report having repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities. Currently, there is no cure for autism.

Instagram Live Stories Are Here! The New Feature Will Go Global Next Week

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Instagram announced the global release of Live Stories on Tuesday.

Instagram Stories is described as “a new way to connect with your friends and followers right now”. The company explains that the new feature will allow for Instagram users to broadcast what they are doing in real time.

How does Instagram’s Live Stories work?

To get started using Instagram Live Stories you need to update your app to the latest 10.0 version and higher. Once you finish, all you have to do is swipe right from the main news feed view and click “Start Live Video”.

The number of people watching you appears at the top right of the screen. Comments appear at the bottom. Instagram has allowed users to add a comment on their livestream. In addition, you can hold a comment to pin it to the top of the live stream so viewers can easily see it.

Once you’re finish broadcasting, the live story will disappear from the app. While Facebook owns Instagram, Instagram Live Stories is nothing like Facebook Live. Facebook archives all live videos so users can watch what happened after each livestream has ended. While, Instagram will delete the livestream afterwards.

If you’re camera shy, then watching someone else’s Instagram livestream is even easier. All you have to do is click the “Top Live” button on the Explore page. Instagram will feature all of the popular live stories currently taking place. It’s important to note that you will not be able to watch your friends’ live video sessions unless, you are on Instagram at the same time they are broadcasting live. However, Instagram does allow you to configure the app to send your notifications as soon as one of your friends starts broadcasting live.

At the moment, the new live streaming feature is available to all US based users. The company plans on rolling out the new feature globally starting this week.

This news comes the same week after Snapchat released a list of new features. Earlier this week, Snapchat added updates to their app by adding a universal search bar, new animations, and bitmojis. In addition, Snapchat also updated their policies regarding their Discover section to prevent clickbait videos from appearing on the app.

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg Says He is Not Running for President

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A Facebook representative confirmed on Tuesday that Zuckerberg, has “no plans” to run for president.

Multiple outlets report, Zuckerberg said he is focusing on two things: growing Facebook and his Chan Zuckerberg Initiative – a $45 billion philanthropy organization.

However, this news comes after Zuckerberg acquired a science search engine startup. Revealed plans to visit every state in the United States. In addition, to text messages hinting at the possibility of Zuckerberg getting involved in politics.

Zuckerberg’s Search Engine Startup

On Monday, Chan Zuckerberg initiative acquired an Artificial Intelligence (A.I) based science search engine startup called Meta. Meta’s mission is to make it easier for scientists to search millions of researcher papers using their A.I. based software. The CEO and co-founder of Meta, Sam Molyneux, writes in a statement, “Going forward, our intent is not to profit from Meta’s data and capabilities; instead we aim to ensure they get to those who need them most, across sectors and as quickly as possible, for the benefit of the world.”

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has a $3 billion investment to cure all diseases. In a statement, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative explained how the program could be used to help scientists:

“The potential for this kind of platform is virtually limitless: a researcher could use Meta to help identify emerging techniques for understanding coronary artery disease; a graduate student could see that two different diseases activate the same immune defense pathway; and clinicians could find scientists working on the most promising Zika treatments sooner,” the Cori Bargmann, President of Science, and Brian Pinkerton, Chief Technology Officer of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative said on Facebook.

“In the long run, it could be extended to other areas of knowledge: for example, it could help educators stay up to date on developmental science to better understand how children learn.”

Zuckerberg’s personal challenge for 2017

Earlier this month, Zuckerberg revealed his personal challenge for 2017. The CEO of Facebook plans to visit all 50 states. Zuckerberg reports he plans to visit universities, meet teachers, scientists and location Facebook users recommend across the United States.

“Going into this challenge, it seems we are at a turning point in history,” Zuckerberg explains. “For decades, technology and globalization have made us more productive and connected. This has created many benefits, but for a lot of people it has also made life more challenging. This has contributed to a greater sense of division than I have felt in my lifetime. We need to find a way to change the game so it works for everyone.”

Zuckerberg’s text messages

Facebook’s board of directors voted in favor of Mark Zuckerberg to sell a large portion of his shares of the company. However, he would still maintain majority voting control in the social network. Last year, Facebook’s board of directors were sued after after investors claimed that the board was not working in their for their best interest for allowing that to happen.

As a result, last December, court filings showed text messages between Facebook board member Marc Andreessen and Mark Zuckerberg. One text message alluded to the possibility of Zuckerberg running for office. Andreessen texted Zuckerberg saying: “how to define the gov’t service thing without freaking out shareholders that you are losing commitment.”

Andreessen later texted, “I think the biggest remaining issue is still around the government service.”

Zuckerberg’s ties to government and public policy is not new. For example, Zuckerberg held a fundraiser for the former head of Donald Trump’s transition team and governor of New Jersey Chris Christie. Zuckerberg previously donated $100 million towards Newark’s school system. In addition, during the Presidential election Zuckerberg defended one of Facebook’s initial investors and board members Peter Thiel who is also a close advisor to President Donald Trump. In fact, a recent report by Politico suggests that Thiel is currently considering a bid to run for governor of California.

DAPL and Keystone XL Pipeline Companies Stocks Rise After Trump’s Order

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Companies involved in the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Keystone XL are making headlines today after President Donald Trump signed orders to push the projects forward.

As a result, Transcanada, Transfer Equity, and Transfer Partners stock prices rose on Tuesday. In fact, TransCanada stock rose by 3.54% today.  

On Tuesday morning, U.S. President Donald Trump signed orders to to create a path for the controversial Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines. Oil companies in Canada and North Dakota are expected to benefit from Trump’s executive order by making it faster for the transportation of crude oil to southern refineries.

Federal disclosure firms showed President-elect Donald Trump held between $15,000 to $50,000 in Energy Transfer Partners stock, which suggested a potential conflict of interest for Trump. However, according to a Washington Post report, Trump sold off his shares in Energy Transfer Partners last summer.

What is DAPL and Keystone XL?

The Keystone Pipeline is an oil pipeline system in Canada that runs through the United States. Launched in 2010, it runs from Basins in Alberta, Canada to refineries in Illinois and Texas. The project was rejected by President Barack Obama in 2015. Environmental activists also protested the project.

The Dakota Access Pipeline is over a thousand mile long. The underground oil pipeline project will run from North Dakota and travel through South Dakota and end in Illinois. The $3.87 billion pipeline was announced three years ago but, sparked controversy over the impact it would have on the environment. Several Native American tribes living in the Dakotas objected to the pipeline.

This will mark a historical defeat for the Native American tribes who successfully blocked the projects through peaceful demonstrations late last year. The Standing Rock Sioux issued a statement on Twitter saying that they will fight back, “We are not opposed to energy independence. We are opposed to reckless and politically motivated development projects, like DAPL, that ignore our treaty rights and risk our water. Creating a second Flint does not make America Great Again,” David Archambault II, Chairmain of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe said.

Fake News Cure? Psychologists Discover How to Stop Fake News

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A new study has devised way to stop the spread of fake news. Researchers suggest pre-exposing readers to a small “dose” of misinformation can help stop people from believing fake news articles.

Published in the journal Global Challenges, Sander van der Linden and his team of researchers, studied how to stop the spread of climate change misinformation. Over 2,000 US residents were presented with two opposing claims about climate change. When presented at the same time, people were unable to delineate fake news from real news. However, when readers were given a warning about misinformation, fake news had less of an impact.

Cambridge University researchers found the spread of misinformation is similar to a virus. Social psychology scientists argue that by pre-exposing readers with information about misinformation, then it can help people identify fake news stories. As a result, readers become less persuaded by misinformation the next time they see it.

This new study is based on a theory developed over 50 years, by social psychologist William J. McGuire, called the Inoculation Theory. The Inoculation Theory is the process of supplying information before the communication process takes place; the goal of the process is to make the receiver become more resistant to being persuaded.

Since the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, Fake news is frequently discussed. During the last three months of the election, fake news stories were frequently shared on Facebook. The most shared fake news report was a story that claimed Pope Francis endorsed Donald Trump for President; the story had nearly one million shares, just days before the Presidential election.

Many groups blamed Facebook for spreading false information. Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg responded by saying, “The problems here are complex, both technically and philosophically,” Mr. Zuckerberg wrote. “We believe in giving people a voice, which means erring on the side of letting people share what they want whenever possible.”

Facebook is working on preventing the spread of misinformation on the website. The social network has launched several projects to prevent the spread of misinformation including: partnering with third party fact checking groups, hiring CNN’s Campbell Brown to lead their news division, implement new initiatives to help journalists spread factual information, and educate Facebook users to spot fake news stories.

Toast Causes Cancer? Health Agency Suggests Avoiding Burnt Toast

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The Food Standards Agency (FSA) suggests food should be cooked to a golden brown instead of brown to avoid the ingestion of a cancer causing chemical.

Acrylamide is a chemical that is produced when starchy foods such as bread and potatoes are cooked for a long period of time, at extremely high temperatures. The UK government agency recommends new guidelines to decrease acrylamide consumption. There are four major guidelines the UK government agency posted on their website. These include:

  • Cooking starchy foods until they are gold and not brown in color.
  • Follow the cooking instructions when cooking potatoes and fries to avoid cooking foods for too long and temperatures that are too high.
  • Avoid eating too many starchy carbohydrates by eating a well balanced diet.
  • Do not keep raw potatoes in the refrigerator.

“Our research indicates that the majority of people are not aware that acrylamide exists, or that they might be able to reduce their personal intake. We want our ‘Go for Gold’ campaign to highlight the issue so that consumers know how to make the small changes that may reduce their acrylamide consumption whilst still eating plenty of starchy carbohydrates and vegetables as recommended in government healthy eating advice,” Steve Wearne, Director of Policy at the Food Standards Agency said.

Wearne added, “The FSA is continuing to work closely with the food industry to reduce acrylamide in the food you buy, including the development of practical tools like an industry toolkit and codes of practice which will be embedded throughout the food chain.”

What is acrylamide?

In 2002, Eden Tareke, discovered the chemical acrylamide. Tareke found the chemical in chips, french fries, and toasted bread. Acrylamide appears in foods heated for long periods of times, at a high temperature. Scientists are not sure why acrylamide appears in food, but some researchers believe acrylamide is created by the Maillard reaction – a chemical reaction that changes amino acids and sugars to give toasted foods a particular flavor. Most recently, acrylamide was found in black olives and coffee.

The World Health Organization (WHO) released a study in 2002 exploring the implications of acrylamide in food. In the study, the WHO concluded that Acrylamide could cause heritable damage. The WHO also could not determine the levels of carcinogenic acrylamide in food. However, the WHO reported large doses of acrylamide in animals changed their central nervous system while prolonged exposure resulted in nerve damage in the hands and feet.

Did Jet Lag Help The Chicago Cubs Win the World Series?

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Northwestern University researchers released a study claiming jet lag impairs the performance of major league baseball players. Scientists assert a trip across two or three time zones can negatively affect a player’s performance. The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week.

“Jet lag does impair the performance of Major League Baseball players,” Dr. Ravi Allada, the lead researcher in the study, said. “The negative effects of jet lag we found are subtle, but they are detectable and significant. And they happen on both offense and defense and for both home and away teams, often in surprising ways.”

Dr. Allada studied over 20 years and thousands of baseball games. Dr. Allada’s team found a link between jet lag and team performance. Ultimately, a professional MLB player’s offensive performance is affected by jet lag.

Dr. Allada explained jet lag impaired baserunning, pitcher’s throwing performance, and essentially eliminated the home field advantage for a jet lagged team.

Surprisingly, jet lag affected teams who traveled east rather than traveling west. “This is a strong argument that the effect is due to the circadian clock, not the travel itself,” Allada said.

Allada reported jet lag may have had a key effect on the latest World Series. “For game 6, the teams had returned to Chicago from LA, and this time the Cubs scored five runs off of Kershaw, including two home runs,” Allada said. “While it’s speculation, our research would suggest that jet lag was a contributing factor in Kershaw’s performance.”

After reviewing the data Allada gave some advice to MLB managers. “If I were a baseball manager and my team was traveling across time zones — either to home or away — I would send my first starting pitcher a day or two ahead, so he could adjust his clock to the local environment,” Allada said.

What causes jet lag?

The medical term for jet lag is desynchronosis, also known as, circadian dysrhythmia. Jet lag is caused when an individual’s internal clock becomes impaired after traveling to a new destination, in a different time zone. Scientists refer to the internal clock as the body’s circadian rhythm.

Jet lag can cause sleep disorders. people can have trouble falling asleep after flying towards the east. Or, waking up too early after flying westward. Consequently, someone with jet lag can have problems concentrating or even experience headaches. Frequent movement can impact digestion. Digestion problems are also a symptom of jet lag as people. People who suffer from jet lag exhibit symptoms of indigestion and reduced interest in food.

Other researchers have studied jet lag and the impact it has on athletic performance in the past. In 2012, Sarah Forbes-Robertson and her team of researchers published a study on jet lag and athletic performance. “Circadian Disruption and Remedial Interventions” was published in the journal Sports Medicine. Researchers argued jet lag can affect performance. Therefore, Sarah Forbes-Robertson explained teams should use and chrono biotics such as melatonin to realign the human body’s circadian clock.

Snapchat Update: The New Features Everyone is Talking About

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Snapchat has officially released a new design and user interface.

Initially, Snapchat tested the new user interface and user experience on a small group of Android users. On Monday, the company unleashed a behemoth of new features. Snapchat’s new UI/UX include a brand new universal search bar. The goal of the new search bar is to make it easier for Snapchat users to send messages to friends, watch Stories, chat with groups, and search other users.

The company also changed their animations, chat user interface, camera display, updated Stories features, and added Bitmoji to the Snapchat app; Bitmoji will allow for users to make customized avatars.

These were not the only new features Snapchat upgraded. The New York Times reports, Snapchat published new guidelines for their publishers using Discover. From now on, Snapchat will restrict publishers from using clickbait images or writing misleading headlines. Ultimately, Snapchat is attempting to position themselves as a serious news source by cutting down on clickbait stories on the popular social media app. The New York Times reports, Snapchat also plans to implement age-restrictions on certain news stories to prevent minors from seeing inappropriate content on the Discover section.

Rachel Racusen, a Snapchat representative spoke with the Times about the new changes. Racusen states the new Discover section will “empower our editorial partners to do their part to keep Snapchat an informative, factual and safe environment for everyone,” said Rachel Racusen, a Snapchat representative.

Snapchat’s recent updates

Snapchat has been actively upgrading their platform. Earlier this month, Sony Pictures CEO, Michael Lynton, left Sony Pictures to join Snapchat. Michael Lynton will become the Chairman of the Board of Snap Inc. In a statement Lynton explained,  “I have been involved with Evan and Snapchat since its early days, and given its growth since then, decided the time was right to transition and focus on my role as Chairman of the Board of Snap Inc.”

Snapchat Spectacles
(NYCStock / Shutterstock, Inc.)

Outside of hiring new talent to help run the growing business. The social media company released a new product, Spectacles. For $129 dollars, users can purchase Spectacles via a Snapchat vending machine. After a pair of spectacles are purchased, the device is pairable with a smartphone; this feature allows users to record Snapchat videos. After recording a video, the video will appear under the memories tab within the Snapchat application.

After the company acquired Bit Strips, Bitmojis became extremely popular on the application. Bit Strips allow for users to create personalized emojis, also known as, Bitmojis. Bit Strips was founded 10 years ago. Bit Strips allowed for users to create personal digital comics. By 2014, the company reinvented itself by making digital cartoon avatars. Last March, Snapchat acquired Bitstrips. According to a Fortune report, Snapchat may have paid around $100 million in cash and stock.

Snapchat is consistently updating their social media app. Piper Jaffray, an investment firm, conducted a study in 2016; the study found millennials are spending more time on Snapchat than on Facebook. In fact, 80 percent of teens said they checked Snapchat at least once per month. While only 52 percent of teens said they used Facebook in the past month, which was a 15 percent drop from Jaffray’s previous survey.

JAY Z Sells 33% of TIDAL to Sprint

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On Monday, Sprint announced they will acquire 33% of Jay Z’s music streaming company, TIDAL. Sprint will make TIDAL available to Sprint’s 45 million customers. TIDAL will provide exclusive content to Sprint customers. The telecommunications company explains the new terms and conditions will help Sprint gain new business and “reward current customers”.

In a statement, Sprint reported their company purchased 33% of TIDAL. JAY Z and artists on TIDAL’s platform will continue to provide music content for their subscribers.

Sprint argues the partnership with TIDAL will help both companies to expand and gain new business.

Jay Z also commented on the deal, stating, “Sprint shares our view of revolutionizing the creative industry to allow artists to connect directly with their fans and reach their fullest, shared potential.”

“Jay saw not only a business need, but a cultural one, and put his heart and grit into building TIDAL into a world-class music streaming platform that is unrivaled in quality and content,” said Sprint’s CEO Marcelo Claure. “The passion and dedication that these artist-owners bring to fans will enable Sprint to offer new and existing customers access to exclusive content and entertainment experiences in a way no other service can.”

What is Tidal?

Tidal Sprint
(BestStockFoto / Shutterstock, Inc.)

Tidal is a music subscription service similar to Spotify and Apple Music. The company features over 25 million songs and over 85,000 music videos. Tidal also pays the highest percentage of royalties to music artists.

Currently, there are two different subscriptions: Tidal Premium and Tidal HiFi. The difference between the subscription packages is a matter of streaming quality. For example, Tidal Premium features sound and quality is not exactly perfect. However, Tidal HiFi is the company’s high quality sound package featuring lossless CD quality.

Tidal was first launched three years ago by a Swedish company called Aspiro. The company was able to obtain distribution agreements with three of the major labels including several independent recording companies. JAY Z’s company, Project Panther Ltd., for $56.2 million in 2015.

In an interview with Billboard magazine, JAY Z explained he was interested in partnering with other groups to purchase TIDAL. However, he decided to take this venture alone.  “We talked to every single service and we explored all the options,” Jay Z said, “But at the end of the day, we figured if we’re going to shape this thing the way we see it, then we need to have independence. And that became a better proposition for us, not an easier one, mind you,” he added.

Under the control of JAY Z, the company launched a media campaign to market and reintroduce the TIDAL streaming platform. Many recording artists changed their social media profiles to color blue and the hashtag #TIDALforALL quickly went viral. On March 30, 2015, several of the biggest pop recording artists, including JAY Z, Beyoncé, Madonna, Daft Punk, and many others, held a press conference announcing the new music platform.

But what makes JAY Z’s TIDAL different?

TIDAL
(JStone / Shutterstock, Inc.)

In a 2015 interview with the New York Times, JAY Z said the biggest difference between TIDAL and its competitors was the way the company treats their recording artists. “This is a platform that’s owned by artists,” JAY Z said. “We are treating these people that really care about the music with the utmost respect.”

TIDAL also offers exclusive content to their subscribers. TIDAL subscribers were able to see exclusive Beyoncé and Madonna music videos. Also, Rihanna fans were able to obtain exclusive access to new song and music video, “American Oxygen,” via the TIDAL service.

Early TIDAL problems

JAY Z Tidal
Debby Wong / Shutterstock, Inc.

Initially, JAY Z’s company needed to overcome challenges. By April 2015, reports surfaced the company fired the original Aspiro staff, including CEO Andy Chen. TIDAL then replaced Chen with Peter Tonstad. Less than a year later, TIDAL replaced Tonstad and hired Jeff Toig, as the new CEO of the company.

TIDAL faced major backlash and criticism. Recording artists, critics, and fans, criticized TIDAL for the inflated monthly subscription fee. Many artists argued the monthly fee will only promote piracy. For example, recording artist Lily Allen took to Twitter to voice her frustration with TIDAL. “I love Jay-Z so much, but Tidal is (so) expensive compared to other perfectly good streaming services, he’s taken the biggest artists… Made them exclusive to Tidal (am I right in thinking this?), people are going to swarm back to pirate sites in droves,” she said.

Lily Allen When Kanye West released his new album The Life of Pablo as a TIDAL streaming exclusive album. Kanye West’s album was downloaded illegally over 500,000 times, according to Torrent Freak. Subsequently, Kanye West released the album to other major streaming companies.