What We Lose When Companies Make Things Easier for Consumers
By: The Wall Street Journal November 18, 2022 In Silicon Valley-speak, “friction” is any physical or psychological barrier that might prevent a potential buyer from buying or using a good or service. Eliminating that friction, or “pain point,” often by way of technology, has therefore become the vaunted business model, if not the raison d’être, […]
Israel Deploys Remote-Controlled Robotic Guns in West Bank
By: AP News November 16, 2022 In two volatile spots in the occupied West Bank, Israel has installed robotic weapons that can fire tear gas, stun grenades and sponge-tipped bullets at Palestinian protesters. The weapons, perched over a crowded Palestinian refugee camp and in a flashpoint West Bank city, use artificial intelligence to track […]
Google Reaches $391.5 Million Settlement With States Over Location Tracking Practices
By: The Wall Street Journal November 14, 2020 WASHINGTON—Google has agreed to pay $391.5 million to settle allegations that it persistently misled consumers about how it tracked them on mobile phones and other devices. The settlement, announced by a coalition of 40 state attorneys general Monday, said that Google violated state consumer protection laws […]
UK Police Use of Live Facial Recognition Unlawful and Unethical, Report Finds
By: The Guardian October 27, 2022 Police should be banned from using live facial recognition technology in all public spaces because they are breaking ethical standards and human rights laws, a study has concluded. LFR involves linking cameras to databases containing photos of people. Images from the cameras can then be checked against those […]
Digitization, Surveillance, Colonialism
By: Liberties Date: October, 27 2022 As I write these words, articles are mushrooming in newspapers and magazines about how privacy is more important than ever after the Supreme Court ruling that has overturned the constitutionality of the right to have an abortion in the United States. In anti-abortion states, browsing histories, text messages, […]
The International Space Station Had to Move to Dodge Space Junk
By: NPR October 26, 2022 The International Space Station had to fire its thrusters this week to make sure it avoided space junk in orbit around Earth. The station fired its thrusters for 5 minutes and 5 seconds in what NASA called a “Pre-Determined Debris Avoidance Maneuver” at 8:25 p.m. ET Monday to increase its distance from […]
Information Commissioner Warns Firms Over ‘Emotional Analysis’ Technologies
By: The Guardian October 25, 2020 The information commissioner has warned companies to steer clear of “emotional analysis” technologies or face fines, because of the “pseudoscientific” nature of the field. It’s the first time the regulator has issued a blanket warning on the ineffectiveness of a new technology, said Stephen Bonner, the deputy […]
Hillicon Valley — Billionaires boost online right-wing spaces
By: The Hill October 21, 2022 Happy Friday (and “Midnights” release day) — we’re sad to report there are no data privacy songs after all! Today we’ll dive into how billionaires, including the rapper Ye, are buying, creating or investing in social media apps in a way that will transform the online ecosystem. Meanwhile, […]
Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Google over biometric data collection
By: The Hill October 21, 2022 Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) announced on Thursday that his office had sued Google over its collection of biometric data, or measurements of human bodies and characteristics. “The lawsuit alleges that Google, in yet another violation of Texans’ privacy, has collected millions of biometric identifiers, including voiceprints and […]