Digital Privacy In A Pandemic
(The Asean Post , Jun 30, 2020)
Just a few weeks after the first COVID-19 cases started appearing outside China, South Korea launched a system for broadcasting the exact profiles and movements of individuals who had tested positive for the disease. Other Asian and European countries then quickly developed their own “track-and-trace” systems with varying degrees of success and concern for the ethical issues involved.
Parents Sue TikTok Over Biometrics-Based Targeting
(Law Street Media, Jun 30, 2020)
Parents sued social media app TikTok in the Northern District of Illinois Friday in a class action complaint alleging the app surreptitiously collected their minor childrens’ data and biometrics without notifying them or obtaining their consent; it is one of many suits against the company alleging similar violations. The plaintiffs sued TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, claiming that TikTok has violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).
Surveillance of minority Muslims in southern Thailand is powered by Chinese-style tech.
(Coda, Jun 30, 2020)
Mandatory biometric registration has left many Malay Muslims distrustful of the state and concerned about how new technologies will impact their lives
Lockport school district will intervene in NYCLU lawsuit.
(Lockport Journal, Jun 30, 2020)
Members of the Lockport school board decided at a special meeting on Monday to intervene in a facial recognition system lawsuit launched last week by the New York Civil Liberties Union and two district residents.
Facebook to build $800m data center in DeKalb, Illinois.
(Data Center Dynamics, Jun 30, 2020)
Facebook plans to build an $800m data center in DeKalb, Illinois.
The company said that the facility will support around 100 long term jobs, as well as hundreds of temporary construction jobs.
Detroit Police Chief Cops To 96-percent Facial Recognition Error Rate
(Arstechnica, Jun 30, 2020)
Detroit's police chief admitted on Monday that facial recognition technology used by the department misidentifies suspects about 96 percent of the time. It's an eye-opening admission given that the Detroit Police Department is facing criticism for arresting a man based on a bogus match from facial recognition software.
New US Bills Could Limit Police Use Of Facial Recognition Technology
(Screenshot , Jun 30, 2020)
Facial recognition is one of the many surveillance technologies whose controversy has spiked in the last couple of years for legitimate reasons: the privacy breaches that it results in are highly problematic while its regulation remains blurred. In the UK for instance, it is used alongside closed-circuit TV networks, while in China, it has been used by the police to identify suspect citizens and protesters using—in conjunction with other ‘classic’ biometric surveillance devices—facial recognition technology glasses that are able to recognise among crowds of people wanted criminals in no longer than 100 milliseconds.
Experts: Facial Recognition Will Be Everywhere, Whether You Like It Or Not
(Digital Trends , Jun 30, 2020)
Earlier this month, both Amazon and IBM backed away from controversial facial recognition technology.
Amazon announced it would no longer allow police to use its Rekognition facial recognition technology, and IBM pledged it would back away from doing any further development of the technology.
Universities and Tech Giants Back National Cloud Computing Project
(NY Times, Jun 30, 2020)
A proposal to give scientists access to huge data sets and powerful computers.
TSA Administrator Announces “Stay Healthy. Stay Secure.” Campaign
(ACI-NA, Jun 30, 2020)
During a virtual media roundtable with reporters today, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator David Pekoske joined leaders from three airport and airline industry associations to announce the agency’s “Stay Healthy. Stay Secure.” campaign. This campaign represents airport checkpoint modifications to contain the spread of COVID-19, comply with CDC guidelines and support healthy and secure summer travel.
