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Tech NewsGoogleGoogle Employees Call on Company to Kick Heritage Foundation Ghoul Off AI Ethics Board
Google announced the formation of a global council on technology ethics last week to some deserved trepidation. Sure, the company had amassed some highly qualified individuals to fill seats on this board—but Google’s track record of following its own internal ethics codes is less than spotless. What provoked the most outrage, however, was the appointment … Continued
By Avery Ellis -
Tech NewsPrivacy and SecurityWho Will Police Police Drones?
The Police Foundation doesn’t want the police to call drones “drones.” Because of the public’s association with “military-style weapons like the Predator,” the organization’s 311 page report reads, the term “drone” is “a major obstacle to law enforcement’s ability to convince the public” that police drone programs “could actually increase public safety, not jeopardize it.” … Continued
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Tech NewsThis Article From 1985 Predicted Deadly Force by Police Would Be ‘Nonexistent’ in the Future
When you imagine the American police officer of the future, what do you see? In the 1980s, one police officer saw “supercops”—a highly trained force of professionals who had the most high-tech toys at their disposal and almost never killed people. James R. Metts wrote an article for the October 1985 issue of The Futurist … Continued
By Matt Novak -
Tech NewsNewsThe LAPD Uses Palantir Tech to Predict and Surveil ‘Probable Offenders’
Analysts with the Los Angeles Police Department are reportedly using Palantir software to direct officers to surveil “probable offenders” throughout the city, many of whom are not criminal suspects but have been spotlighted by the company’s predictive technology, according to LAPD documents. In Justice Today reviewed internal LAPD documents from October 2017 that point to … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
Chicago Advances Bill Allowing Police Drones to Surveil Protestors
An Illinois bill permitting police surveillance drones at protests is igniting a fiery debate in Chicago. Introduced by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the bill amends the Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act to permit police to fly surveillance drones over “large scale events” in Chicago. Though the bill itself references festivals and concerts, ACLU Illinois says the … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
Companies in China Are Using Brain Sensors to Monitor Employees’ Emotions
Companies throughout China are using brainwave sensors to train workers and screen for mental fitness, South China Morning Post reports. More than a dozen factories are requiring workers to wear devices that use artificial intelligence to monitor their emotions. While officials say this saves money, the implications for workers are deeply troubling. Sensors are wirelessly … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
How ICE Is Gaining a Scary Amount of Data Through Police Data-Mining
A report released Thursday details the massive, complex police databases that local law enforcement in LA and Massachusetts use to investigate suspects. Through a service known as COPLINK, the storehouses of data that local police use during investigations are being shared with a division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations. While ICE representatives … Continued
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Tech NewsNews
Researchers Want to Use AI to ‘Predict’ When Crimes Are Gang-Related
Researchers are using predictive artificial intelligence to help police officers classify crimes and determine whether they are gang-related. Jeffrey Brantingham, a University of California at Los Angeles anthropology professor and pioneer in the field of predictive policing, presented research earlier this year that uses a neural network to predict if crimes are gang-related. The ultimate … Continued
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Tech NewsNewsIn the Wake of Parkland, Knightscope Wants to Bring Its Robot Cops to Schools
As America grapples with a seemingly endless series of shootings, school districts across the country are partnering with security companies to introduce highly advanced surveillance technology that goes far beyond CCTVs and passcodes. In New Mexico, an elementary school now uses ballistics detection technology that can spot shooters. In Arkansas, a school board recently approved … Continued
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Tech NewsNews
UK Official Says It’s Too Expensive to Delete All the Mugshots of Innocent People in Police Databases
In 2012, a ruling by Britain’s High Court found that keeping the mugshots of innocent people in police databases was unlawful. But almost six years later, the country’s Home Office has defended the continued retention of such images, saying, basically, the problem is too expensive to fix. According to a report presented to Parliament, at … Continued
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Tech NewsArtificial Intelligence
UK Government Proposes Five Basic Principles to Keep Humans Safe From AI
A new report by the Lords Select Committee in the UK claims that Britain is in a strong position to be a world leader in the development of artificial intelligence. But to get there—and to keep AI safe and ethical—tech firms should follow the Committee’s newly proposed “AI Code.” The new report was penned by … Continued
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Tech NewsNews
Schools Turn to Military Gunshot-Detection Tech in Wake of Parkland Shooting
School districts in New Mexico have begun installing advanced gunshot-detection devices in the wake of February’s Parkland school shooting. Used by the military to detect snipers and missiles, and police in Chicago and Baltimore to deter gun violence, gunshot-detection devices are becoming a popular tool to save lives—and, now, a reminder of the potential violence … Continued
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Tech NewsNews
British Cops Bought Marketing Data to Help Profile Criminal Suspects
Police in the United Kingdom are partnering with credit reporting agencies to predict whether criminals will reoffend, a report from UK civil liberties group, Big Brother Watch, has uncovered. Police in Durham, in Northeastern England, paid international data broker Experian for access to its “Mosaic” database, complex credit profiling information that includes marketing and finance … Continued
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Tech NewsNews
Singapore Plans to Test Lampposts Equipped With Face Recognition Surveillance Cameras
Last year, Singapore announced that it wants to turn every lamppost in the country, around 110,000 in total, into a wireless sensor network. And seeming to confirm the worst fears of privacy advocates, Singapore now says it plans to test cameras capable of facial recognition as part of its pilot program. GovTech, the federal agency … Continued
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Tech NewsNews
Homeland Security Wants to Build an Online ‘Media Influence Database’ to Track Journalists
The Department of Homeland Security announced a public bid for third party companies to build a “media influence database” capable of tracking more than 290,000 news sources across the globe. First spotted by Bloomberg Law, the public bid would also track journalists and bloggers, compiling their personal information and the publications for which they write. … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
Grindr Shares Users’ HIV Statuses With Third Parties, Researchers Find [Updated]
Popular gay dating app Grindr has been sharing users’ HIV statuses with third parties without informing users, BuzzFeed reported Monday. Researchers at Norwegian nonprofit SINTEF found that the popular hookup app had shared sensitive personal information, including users’ HIV status, GPS data, and the last time they were tested for the virus, with multiple third-party … Continued
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Tech NewsFacebook
Facebook Sued by Civil Rights Groups for Alleged Housing Discrimination [Updated]
A coalition of civil rights groups filed suit against Facebook on Monday, alleging the already harried company violated the Fair Housing Act by allowing housing advertisers to discriminate against minority users. The National Fair Housing Alliance, Fair Housing Justice Center, Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence, and the Fair Housing Council of Greater San Antonio filed … Continued
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Tech NewsNews
Schools Are Using AI to Check Students’ Social Media for Warning Signs of Violence
In the hopes of deterring violence, schools are turning to big data analytics to examine social media posts for the earliest signs of violence—depression, resentment, and isolation. Shawsheen Valley Technical High School in Massachusetts has turned to Social Sentinel, a data analytics company that says it can use the type of threat detection police agencies … Continued
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Tech NewsGoogleThis Nonprofit Is Using Gunshot-Detection Tech to Fight Illegal Deforestation
A San Francisco nonprofit is using a fascinating mix of machine learning and solar panel technology to help the fight against deforestation in Brazil. Rainforest Connection, led by founder and CEO Topher White, creates devices called Guardians that listen to the rainforest and send real-time alerts to combat illegal logging. White’s startup places sensors high … Continued
