Search results for "surveillance"

How one Facebook worker unfriended the giant social network

Less than two years after Facebook hired Frances Haugen to help correct dangerous distortions spilling across its platform, she had seen enough. The idealism she and countless others had invested in promises by the world’s biggest social network to fix itself had been woefully misplaced. The harm Facebook and sibling Instagram were doing to users […]

EC wants to ban facial recognition in regulatory motion

The European Commission (EC) has finally commenced its strategy to curb Artificial Intelligence (AI) influence by voting on the ban of facial recognition in Europe’s law enforcement agencies until further regulations legislation. EU revealed through research that the adoption of facial recognition for law enforcement is resulting in more harm than good and that the […]

Facebook whistleblower comes forward, urges for strong regulations

Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product manager, revealed during an interview with CBS News’ 60 minutes that she’s the one leaking confidential internal documents to media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal.  “The thing I saw at Facebook over and over again was there were conflicts of interest between what was good for the public and what was good for Facebook. And Facebook, over and over again, chose to optimize for […]

Apple, Google raise new concerns by yanking Russian app

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Big Tech companies that operate around the globe have long promised to obey local laws and to protect civil rights while doing business. But when Apple and Google capitulated to Russian demands and removed a political-opposition app from their local app stores, it raised worries that two of the world’s most […]

UN urges moratorium on use of AI that imperils human rights

The U.N. human rights chief is calling for a moratorium on the use of artificial intelligence technology that poses a serious risk to human rights, including face-scanning systems that track people in public spaces. Michelle Bachelet, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, also said Wednesday that countries should expressly ban AI applications which don’t […]

Facebook bans German accounts under new 'social harm' policy

Facebook removed almost 150 accounts and pages linked to anti-lockdown demonstrators in Germany, the company announced Thursday, under a new policy focused on groups that spread misinformation or incite violence but who don’t fit into the platform’s existing categories of bad actors. The accounts on Facebook and Instagram spread content linked to the so-called Querdenken […]

Apple fires senior manager for alleged workplace sexism complaints

Apple fired senior engineering program manager Ashley Gjøvik after allegations of leaking confidential information concerning statements of sexual harassment, surveillance, and the company’s hostile workplace environment. The Big Tech giant invited Gjøvik via email for a discussion at the company to address the nature of the allegations expressed by the senior engineer. However, when she […]

US-built databases a potential tool of Taliban repression

Over two decades, the United States and its allies spent hundreds of millions of dollars building databases for the Afghan people. The nobly stated goal: Promote law and order and government accountability and modernize a war-ravaged land. But in the Taliban’s lightning seizure of power, most of that digital apparatus — including biometrics for verifying […]

No cashiers, please: Futuristic supermarket opens in Mideast

The Middle East on Monday got its first completely automated cashier-less store, as retail giant Carrefour rolled out its vision for the future of the industry in a cavernous Dubai mall. Like Amazon’s breakthrough unmanned grocery stores that opened in 2018, the Carrefour mini-market looks like any ordinary convenience store, brimming with sodas and snacks, […]

Apple backtracks on child protection features

Following severe backlash targeting Apple’s child protection features announced last month, the smartphone giant decided to delay the update scheduled for roll out this year. “Last month we announced plans for features intended to help protect children from predators who use communication tools to recruit and exploit them, and limit the spread of Child Sexual […]