Data is Plural: “The Police Data Accessibility Project is compiling a meta-dataset of police records: where to find them online, what time period they cover, how often they’re updated, and other characteristics. The searchable, downloadable dataset includes links to 1,700+ resources, such as traffic stop datasets, crime maps, use-of-force reports, contract and policy listings, and… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: E-Records
Ring Will No Longer Facilitate Police Requests for Footage from Users
EFF: “Amazon’s Ring has announced that it will no longer facilitate police’s warrantless requests for footage from Ring users. This is a victory in a long fight, not just against blanket police surveillance, but also against a culture in which private, for-profit companies build special tools to allow law enforcement to more easily access companies’… Continue Reading
The Continued Threat to Personal Data: Key Factors Behind the 2023 Increase
The Continued Threat to Personal Data: Key Factors Behind the 2023 Increase. Professor Stuart E. Madnick, Ph.D. December 2023: “Around the world, individuals’ most private, most personal data has become a target for cybercriminals. Attacks and data breaches across the globe continue to increase. Even as organizations work to fight back, cybercriminals are constantly finding… Continue Reading
Cops Used DNA to Predict a Suspect’s Face and Tried to Run Facial Recognition on It
Wired – [read free]: “Police around the US say they’re justified to run DNA-generated 3D models of faces through facial recognition tools to help crack cold cases. Everyone but the cops thinks that’s a bad idea…In a controversial 2017 decision, the department published the predicted face in an attempt to solicit tips from the public.… Continue Reading
How to find, edit, and clear your YouTube viewing history
PopSci: “It’s probably going to come as no surprise to you that YouTube is tracking what you watch, assuming you’re signed into your Google account: It means you can get back to favorite videos you want to see again, and it helps improve the quality of the recommendations that you get from the YouTube algorithm.… Continue Reading
Breaking up with Goodreads
Washington Post – The best book-logging apps for 2024 [read free] “Goodreads, which was acquired by Amazon in 2013, is one of the most popular book review apps. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.) But as the app faces criticism for its buggy, outdated tech and poor content moderation, other options are rising… Continue Reading
Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, January 20, 2024
Via LLRX – Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, January 20, 2024 – 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… Continue Reading
Disinformation poses an unprecedented threat in 2024
NBC News – and the U.S. is less ready than ever: “Disinformation poses an unprecedented threat to democracy in the United States in 2024, according to researchers, technologists and political scientists. As the presidential election approaches, experts warn that a convergence of events at home and abroad, on traditional and social media — and amid… Continue Reading
Each Facebook User Is Monitored by Thousands of Companies
Consumer Reports: “By now most internet users know their online activity is constantly tracked. No one should be shocked to see ads for items they previously searched for, or to be asked if their data can be shared with an unknown number of “partners.” But what is the scale of this surveillance? Judging from data… Continue Reading
Big Tech Won’t Let You Leave. Here’s a Way Out
Wired [read free]: “The platform is the canonical form of internet business: a two-sided market that facilitates connections between end-users and business customers. Uber connects drivers with riders; Amazon and eBay connect sellers with buyers; TikTok and YouTube connect performers with audiences; social media connects people with something to say with people who want to… Continue Reading
What Happened to My Search Engine?
Ted Gioia – Or why tech upgrades are now mostly downgrades: “…Here are the things missing from the original search engines. They didn’t practice 24/7 surveillance of users. They didn’t sell user’s private information. They didn’t fill up search results with garbage in order to collect placement fees. They didn’t manipulate users—prodding them to use… Continue Reading
The Sad Truth of the FTC’s ‘Historic’ Privacy Win
Wired: “The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reached a settlement last week with an American data broker known to sell location data gathered from hundreds of phone apps to the US government, among others. According to the agency, the company ignored in some cases the requests of consumers not to do so, and more broadly… Continue Reading
