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Category Archives: E-Records

Energy releases generative AI guidance for employees, contractors

Fedscoop: “Employees and contractors at the Department of Energy now have a new reference guide to help them navigate use of generative AI tools at the agency, including best practices and a note that ChatGPT is available for use by request. That 61-page document was published and distributed on DOE’s internal network on June 14,… Continue Reading

Cars & Consumer Data: On Unlawful Collection & Use

FTC: “Some say the car a person drives can say a lot about them. As cars get “connected,” this turns out to be truer than many people might have realized. While connectivity can let drivers do things like play their favorite internet radio stations or unlock their car with an app, connected cars can also… Continue Reading

When the Terms of Service Change to Make Way for A.I. Training

The New York Times [no paywall]: “Last July, Google made an eight-word change to its privacy policy that represented a significant step in its race to build the next generation of artificial intelligence. Buried thousands of words into its document, Google tweaked the phrasing for how it used data for its products, adding that public… Continue Reading

11 steps to keep Meta from stealing your data to train AI

Deborah Copaken: “You only have until June 26, 2024 to say no to Meta taking your personal photos and words and using them to train their generative AI. Here are step-by-step directions for opting out…Facebook has led to all sorts of horrors, including an orange-haired, coup-instigating felon in the White House; Russian interference in our… Continue Reading

Open Source LibreChat Offers More Than Just Extra LLMs

The New Stack: “With an interface inspired by ChatGPT, LibreChat offers an “enhanced” ChatGPT clone, an open source alternative with AI model selection as a main feature — while also providing additional features and customization options (including plugins for things like Retrieval-Augmented Generation). On the Practical AI podcast, LibreChat creator Danny Avila said he’s especially… Continue Reading

Proton Drive Can Now Replace Google Photos on iPhone

HowToGeek: “Step aside, Google Photos. Proton Drive now offers automated photo backup with end-to-end encryption on iOS. This feature is available to both free and paid Proton Drive users. Proton Drive photo backup initially launched in December 2023 as an Android-exclusive feature. The new iOS implementation is practically identical to what we saw on Android—stored… Continue Reading

Nine Takeaways From Our Investigation Into Microsoft’s Cybersecurity Failures

ProPublica: “After Russian hackers exploited a flaw in a widely used Microsoft product duringone of the largest cyberattacks in U.S. history, the software giant downplayed its culpability. However, a recent ProPublica investigation revealed that a whistleblower within Microsoft’s ranks had repeatedly attempted to convince the company to address the weakness years before the hack —… Continue Reading

CISA, EAC release communications guide for state, local election offices

NextGov/FCW: “The top U.S. cybersecurity agency and federal election information clearinghouse jointly unveiled a guide to help election officials develop a public communications plan for conveying accurate information on election administration and security. Both the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and Election Assistance Commission targeted state, local, tribal and territorial officials in the guidance released… Continue Reading

Your employer might be spying on your tech. Here’s how to check.

Washington Post: “Your employer may be able to see everything you’re doing on your phone or computer. They might know you’re reading this article right now. (Hi!) But how can you be sure? Companies have a growing number of ways to keep tabs on workers. They can gather details from common workplace apps and use… Continue Reading

There’s a Trump Presidential Library at the National Archives and It’s Hiring

No words for this via Washingtonian – “Now here’s a fun job listing: This position is part of the National Archives and Records Administration. Incumbent serves as the Deputy Director of the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library within the National Archives and Records Administration. Serves as a principal advisor to the Library Director. At the… Continue Reading

Data broker shuts down product related to driver behavior patterns

The Record: “The revelation earlier this year that General Motors had been selling driver behavior patterns to data brokers — who in turn packaged and resold it to insurers — has led at least one of two major data brokers to shut down its related product.  That data broker, Verisk, disclosed last month that it… Continue Reading