Too Complex To Break Up’ Is The New ‘Too Big To Fail’
(Wall Street Journal, Oct 13, 2020)
Lawmakers this week proposed breaking up Big Tech by reviving aggressive, turn-of-the-last-century-style antitrust laws and enforcement measures. Amazon, Facebook, Google and Apple, they argued, all have developed monopoly power that they use to stamp out competition and stifle innovation. Days before, Facebook Inc. produced its own document contending that breaking it up would be a “nonstarter” for a number of reasons, including that the company’s constituent parts are already too complicated and interconnected for any of them—Instagram, WhatsApp, its ad business—to be spun off as individual companies or walled off as separate divisions.
OIG Review Of CBP Biometrics Hack Says At Least 19 Traveler Photos Posted On Dark Web
(Homeland Security Today, Oct 13, 2020)
Customs and Border Protection “did not adequately safeguard sensitive data on an unencrypted device” before the 2019 Perceptics hack that compromised about 100,000 travelers’ images and 105,000 license plate images from CBP’s facial recognition pilot, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General found.
Experts Urge Vigilance Over AI Data Security
(Wall Street Journal, Oct 13, 2020)
The expanded use of artificial intelligence in nearly all areas of business means companies must pay more attention to the integrity and security of the data used to train algorithms, a panel of security and AI experts said earlier this week. Without closer scrutiny of the information that AI models ingest, companies could be leaving the door open to hackers or criminals to exploit algorithms, said Elham Tabassi, chief of staff for the Information Technology Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology....
CBP Officer, Simplified Arrival Nab Impostor to Senegal Passport, US Travel Visa at Dulles Airport
(CBP, Oct 13, 2020)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers leveraged the Simplified Arrival process to detect an impostor to a Senegal passport and U.S. travel visa at Washington Dulles International Airport on Tuesday.
TSA Update Session #4: Legal Webinar Series
(ACI-NA, Oct 13, 2020)
Wednesday, October 14 from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Eastern Time It has never been more important to share information and best practices during these trying times. ACI-NA has developed a Legal Affairs webinar series that will address many topics of utmost concern to you. Join us for Session #4 This session will discuss the following: issues in passenger and baggage screening during the pandemic; process for revoking airport security badges; cost shifting to airports; and other issues of concern to airports.
Controversy In Buenos Aires City Over Live Facial Recognition To Identify Minors
(Merco Press, Oct 13, 2020)
Human Rights Watch wants the city of Buenos Aires to stop using live facial recognition to identify children accused of committing crimes, the rights group said on Friday. New York-based Human Rights Watch said Buenos Aires started using the technology in 2019, making Argentina the only country in the world to deploy it against people under the age of 18.
Microsoft and partners aim to shrink the ‘data desert’ limiting accessible AI
(Tech Crunch, Oct 13, 2020)
AI-based tools like computer vision and voice interfaces have the potential to be life-changing for people with disabilities, but the truth is those AI models are usually built with very little data sourced from those people. Microsoft is working with several nonprofit partners to help make these tools reflect the needs and everyday realities of people living with conditions like blindness and limited mobility.
In Singapore, Facial Recognition Is Getting Woven Into Everyday Life
(NBC News, Oct 13, 2020)
Singapore already boasts one of the world's most advanced national digital identity programs, SingPass, which residents can use for more than 400 digital services, including accessing tax returns and applying for public housing. Now, they can use it with just their faces.
Voters To Decide On Strengthening Facial Recognition Ban
(WABI, Oct 13, 2020)
This year, voters will vote on a proposal to add enforcements to the ordinance that bans the use of facial recognition software by police and city agencies in Portland, Maine. The Portland Press Herald reports that on Nov. 3, Portland voters will decide if an ordinance that would allow citizens to sue the city for illegal surveillance and require the city to suppress illegally obtained evidence. In addition, violations of the ordinance by city employees would be grounds for suspension or termination. Citizens would receive $100 per violation, or $1,000, whichever is higher, plus lawyer fees.
How Facial Recognition Systems Are Adapting To Masks
(The Next Web, Oct 13, 2020)
It’s surprising how quickly public opinion can change. Winding the clocks back 12 months, many of us would have looked at a masked individual in public with suspicion. Now, some countries have enshrined face mask use in law. They’ve also been made compulsory in Victoria and are recommended in several other states.
Brazil’s Government Wants Facial Recognition Boarding at Every Airport
(The Rio Times, Oct 13, 2020)
The Ministry of Infrastructure wants to implement a new technology for the boarding process in Brazil's airports. The project, called 'Embarque Seguro' (Safe Boarding), enables the use of facial recognition technology to conduct the procedure. According to the portfolio, the initiative will render the boarding process in airports more efficient and also provide greater security in air travel. The use of facial recognition for boarding began to be tested last Thursday, October 8th, at the Florianópolis International Airport (SC). For now, only volunteers will be testing the new technology. The federal government intends to . . .
ACT Govt Pushes Back On Biometric Database
(Innovation AUS, Oct 13, 2020)
The ACT has become the first jurisdiction to push back against the federal government’s national facial recognition database, refusing to hand over drivers’ licence data until legislation is passed. Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania have already started uploading drivers licence biometrics data to the National Driver Licence Facial Recognition Solution – a federal government database which agencies and authorities can use to conduct facial recognition matches. The database, known as The Capability, is not yet in operation and can’t be until legislation is passed by Parliament.
TSA Posts CLEAR Letters
(ACI-NA, Oct 13, 2020)
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has posted the letter to airport and aircraft operators hosting CLEAR Registered Traveler operations to clarify Travel Document Checker referral requirements. TSA also posted a similar letter it sent CLEAR.
