The New York Times. Jeremy White [read free]- “Last month, I received an alarming email from someone I did not know: Rui Zhu, a Ph.D. candidate at Indiana University Bloomington. Mr. Zhu had my email address, he explained, because GPT-3.5 Turbo, one of the latest and most robust large language models (L.L.M.) from OpenAI, had… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Privacy
Think Twice Before Giving Surveillance for the Holidays
EFF – Consider taking some time before the new year and review these suggestions to disable surveillance on all the gadgets and gizmos you gave and received for Christmas: “…it’s easy to default to giving the tech gifts that retailers tend to push on us this time of year: smart speakers, video doorbells, bluetooth trackers,… Continue Reading
The worst tech of 2023 (an anti-gift guide)
Los Angeles Times: “It’s the holidays, and you know what that means: an endless stream of wishlists, gift guides, and splashy sales of products competing for our cash. Since this is the 21st century, so many of those are tech products — wearables, AI-infused gadgets, smart birdhouses, a firepit you control with an app, you… Continue Reading
The lives upended by Florida’s school book wars
Washington Post (read free): “…The battle over what children should be allowed to read in school has riven Florida’s Escambia County School District. It’s part of a national battle, as school book objections surge to historic highs across the country. In Escambia County, the controversy kicked off in 2022, when a high school language arts… Continue Reading
Lawrence school district using AI to look for ‘concerning behavior’ in students’ activity
LJworld.com (read free): “The Lawrence [Kansas] school district has purchased a new system that uses artificial intelligence to look for warning signs of “concerning behavior” in the things students type, send and search for on their district-issued computers and other such devices. The purchase of the software system, called Gaggle, comes at a time when… Continue Reading
Wireless TVs use built-in cameras, NFC readers to sell you stuff you see on TV
Ars Technica: “It’s no secret that TV makers are seriously invested in pushing ads. Using TVs for advertising goes back to 1941 when the first TV commercial aired. But as we trudge our way through the 21st century, TV vendors are becoming more involved in ensuring that their hardware is used to sell stuff and… Continue Reading
SEC’s new data breach disclosure rules take effect
TechCrunch – What you need to know: “Starting December 18, publicly-owned companies operating in the U.S. must comply with a new set of rules requiring them to disclose “material” cyber incidents within 96 hours. The regulation represents a significant shake-up for organizations, many of which have argued that the new rules open them up to… Continue Reading
Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, December 16, 2023
Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, December 16, 2023 – Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and… Continue Reading
Regulating and Monitoring AI and Social Media
Brennan Center for Justice: Regulating AI Deepfakes – “Artificial intelligence–produced video and audio can make it impossible to separate fact from fiction when deciding how to vote. Next year will bring the first presidential election of the AI deepfake era, and policymakers must be prepared to protect the democratic process from the dangers of these… Continue Reading
Marketing Company Claims That It Actually Is Listening to Your Phone and Smart Speakers to Target Ads
404 Media: “A marketing team within media giant Cox Media Group (CMG) claims it has the capability to listen to ambient conversations of consumers through embedded microphones in smartphones, smart TVs, and other devices to gather data and use it to target ads, according to a review of CMG marketing materials by 404 Media and… Continue Reading
Without a Trace: How to Keep Your Phone Off the Grid
The MarkUp: “Monique O. Madan and Wesley Callow put on [their] trenchcoats and gave you a behind-the-scenes look at our quest for phone anonymity. We gave you a step-by-step guide on how to set up an off-the-grid phone, and a glimpse into why, personally speaking as a journalist, having one is so important for protecting… Continue Reading
FCC Closes ‘Lead Generator’ Robocall Loophole & Adopts Robotexts Rules
December 13, 2023 — “The Federal Communications Commission today adopted new rules to further protect consumers from scam communications by directly addressing some of the biggest vulnerabilities in America’s robotext defenses and closing the “lead generator” robocall/robotexts loophole. The new rules allow blocking of “red flagged” robotexting numbers, codifies do-not-call rules for texting, and encourages… Continue Reading
