^CategoryData Privacy

Group of friends using smartphones to communicate in social media. Concept of a generation of millennials who are online all the time. Warm hipster filter.

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Author
James C. Patterson II
Date
October 5, 2020

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Data Privacy, Social Media, Surveillance

Tagged
Facebook, fake news, Featured, Filter bubble, Social Dilemma (film)}

The Social Dilemma: You’re Not the Customer, You’re the Product

_{A new Netflix documentary explores the techniques used to explore, then shape and sharpen, our attitudes, values, and beliefs} _{James C. Patterson II

October 5, 2020

6

Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Data Privacy, Social Media, Surveillance}

What is truth? This question has likely been pondered by man for as long as man has been able to ponder. How do you know that what you read or hear is true? How do you know that what you think is true? Why is it that people with different worldviews or belief systems can look at the exact same raw objective data and interpret it in radically different ways? The answers to these questions are important to “know”, insofar as anyone can know anything within a reasonable degree of certainty. However, in our society today, it is becoming more and more difficulty to determine what is true––with any degree of certainty. A recent 90-minute Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, Read More ›

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Author
Heather Zeiger
Date
August 26, 2020

Categorized
Data Privacy, Global Technology, Social Media, Surveillance

Tagged
___longform, bias, ByteDance, China, Featured, Intercept (publication), Michael Schuman, TikTok, Virtual eugenics, Zhang Yiming}

Why Some Nation States Are Banning TikTok

_{The United States is not alone in questioning the social medium’s allegiance to the Chinese government} _{Heather Zeiger

August 26, 2020

10

Data Privacy, Global Technology, Social Media, Surveillance}

Why is TikTok so controversial? It’s the first Chinese technology company that has reached a billion users outside of China. Its main demographic is Generation Z—teens and twenty-somethings. If you take a look at TikTok videos, most are goofy and irreverent. They’re frenetic shorts of everything from fashion tips to pranks and, of course, (bad) dancing. TikTok’s stated mission is to “inspire creativity and bring joy.” What could go wrong? Here’s what. Working with China, as Disney and the NBA can attest, comes with certain strings attached, including acquiescing to the Chinese Communist Party’s rules for acceptable speech. Because ByteDance, which owns TikTok, is a Chinese company (although partly owned by investors from the U.S. and Japan), the Chinese Communist Read More ›

Technology addicted family: parents and child use laptop and mobile phones. Modern family values - Mom, dad with daughter obsessed with devices overuse social media, internet addiction concept.

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Author
News
Date
August 9, 2020

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Data Privacy, Religion, Social Media

Tagged
Alexa, Babylon Bee (satire site), Featured, loneliness, New media management}

If New Tech Enhances Our Lives, Why Does It Make Us Crazy?

_{It doesn’t have to. Let’s think this through} _{News

August 9, 2020

5

Artificial Intelligence, Data Privacy, Religion, Social Media}

It has never been easier to connect but somehow we don’t. Andrew McDiarmid, author of the blog Thinking and thriving in the digital age, asks us to consider why loneliness (and suicide) have accompanied the rise of new communications technology. And he offers a challenge: Here are just a few questions to ask yourself about each tech tool you have. Is using this tool a wise use of my time? Does it encourage me to think for myself? Does it enable me to use my God-given abilities and spiritual gifts? Does it help me accomplish what God wants me to do? Does using this tech compromise my witness to others by causing me to stumble or get distracted? Does it Read More ›

The Atomic Bomb Dome Panorama in Hiroshima and the surounding garden in autumn at sunset on the side of Motoyasu River in Japan, with the Peace Memorial Park

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Author
Denise Simon
Date
August 4, 2020

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Data Privacy, Social Media, Surveillance

Tagged
Arab Spring, Donald Trump, FBI, Geofeedia, Kodak, Law enforcement, Political activism}

Does Government Watch Us on Social Media? Yes… So Does Business

_{They may all be getting to know you way better than you feel comfortable with} _{Denise Simon

August 4, 2020

5

Artificial Intelligence, Data Privacy, Social Media, Surveillance}

Discerning public opinion on political and national security issues via social media platforms showed its worth during the Arab Spring of 2010. The protests, which began in Tunisia, spread throughout the Middle East, where social media were the key platform for expressing anger about corruption, poverty, human rights violations, unemployment, and authoritarianism. These protests resulted in changes to leadership and policy in Libya, Egypt, and Yemen. They also resulted in immigration issues and sadly, even terror attacks, military conflicts, and civil war. Social media not only enables coordinated action such as rallies, strikes, resistance, riots, and other methods of activism but also provides status reports and communicates outcomes. One research team has developed an AI metric for predicting such events: Read More ›

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Author
Jonathan Bartlett
Date
July 27, 2020

Categorized
Data Privacy, Social Media

Tagged
bitcoin, Blue Checkmark (Twitter), Coindesk, Featured, Hackers, OG usernames, Twitter}

What’s the Main Thing We Should Learn from the Big Twitter Hack?

_{Yes, Twitter got control of its platform back but not before its credibility in security matters was significantly weakened} _{Jonathan Bartlett

July 27, 2020

5

Data Privacy, Social Media}

As we reported at the time, on July 15, hackers gained control of a number of Twitter “Blue Checkmark” accounts. Twitter hands out Blue Checkmarks to accounts that exert heavy influence and have verified identities. That status permits many parody accounts to operate without generating confusion over who is really tweeting, the account or the parody. In any case, on Twitter, the Blue Checkmarks have quite a bit of power. They get access to analytics on their posts so they can measure (and manipulate) their engagement with their followers. Many influencers look for “Blue Checkmark” status to see if an account is worth engaging with. Twitter even allows the “Blue Checkmarks” to filter their conversations so as to limit them Read More ›

iron chain and castle on the silk national flag of Hong Kong with beautiful folds, the concept of a ban on tourism, political repression, crime, violation of the rights and freedoms of citizens

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Author
Heather Zeiger
Date
July 9, 2020

Categorized
Business and Finance, Data Privacy, Ethics, Global Technology, Surveillance, Technocracy

Tagged
___longform, Apple (company), China, Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Facebook, Featured, Google, Great Firewall, Hong Kong, Hong Kong National Security Law, Instagram, Microsoft, Telegram, Tik Tok, Twitter, WhatsApp, Zoom}

Hong Kong: Tech Companies Face Serious Ethical Decisions

_{As Hong Kong is transformed into a police state, Western companies, faced with demands for snitching on users, are rethinking cozy relationships with China} _{Heather Zeiger

July 9, 2020

7

Business and Finance, Data Privacy, Ethics, Global Technology, Surveillance, Technocracy}

The semi-autonomous region of Hong Kong is no longer semi-autonomous, at least in practice. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), circumventing Hong Kong’s parliament and courts, passed the Hong Kong National Security Law on June 30 that effectively abolishes the “one country, two systems” regime outlined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The law was passed one day before the anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong to China (July 1, 1997), in time to quash any pro-democracy candidates who would likely win in the September elections. Although the CCP justifies its moves from the Hong Kong Basic Law and claims that Hong Kong will maintain autonomy, in practice, it has already arrested dissidents and formed a secretive agency called the Office Read More ›

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Author
News
Date
July 3, 2020

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Data Privacy, Surveillance

Tagged
Andre Fuetsch, COSM, Featured, Geofencing, Privacy, Smartphone}

AT&T CTO Says, Yes, You Can Live Without Your Smart Phone

_{News

July 3, 2020

2

Artificial Intelligence, Data Privacy, Surveillance}

At COSM 2019, Jay Richards interviewed AT&T CTO Andre Fuetsch (the guy who says your smart phone will disappear). Is that true? And how will we live? From the interview: Andre Fuetsch: We are now on the brink of being able to connect many, many more things than we’ve ever seen before. And just by the fact of being able to connect more things … look at the more traditional wireless networks that we’ve had in the preceding generations. It frankly was just about connecting phones, right? “Some were sort of dumb phones, some were more feature phones. Some are now obviously more smartphones. And these were really more of kind of a one to one relationship with people. 5G, Read More ›

Smart technologies in your smartphone, collection and analysis of big data

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Author
Gary Smith
Date
June 1, 2020

Categorized
Data Privacy, Surveillance, Technocracy

Tagged
Bill Gates, Birds Aren't Real, China, Conspiracy theories, COVID-19, Dwight Eisenhower, Edward Snowden, Featured, Self-censorship, Tim Cook, Uyghurs}

The Birds Aren’t Real. But Maybe the Spying Is.

_{A defense of our fundamental right to privacy} _{Gary Smith

June 1, 2020

7

Data Privacy, Surveillance, Technocracy}

Technology frees us from drudgery but also enable surveillance that enslaves us. Then, far from computers becoming more like humans, we may become more like computers.

cybercrime, hacking and technology concept - male hacker with headphones and coding on laptop computer screen wiretapping or using computer virus program for cyber attack in dark room

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Author
Heather Zeiger
Date
May 20, 2020

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Data Privacy, Global Technology, Surveillance

Tagged
China, COVID-19, Cyber espionage, Economic espionage, espionage, hacking, Industrial espionage, Intellectual Property, United Nations, United States, World Health Organization (WHO)}

The New Cyber Cold War with China

_{Cybersecurity strategist Peter Singer told Wired that there has never been a better time than the COVID-19 pandemic to be a government hacker} _{Heather Zeiger

May 20, 2020

6

Artificial Intelligence, Data Privacy, Global Technology, Surveillance}

The United States has formally accused China of both funding and operating cells of hackers who infiltrate research labs working on responses to COVID-19.

Great bundle of various colored cables with various connectors

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Author
Eric Holloway
Date
May 12, 2020

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Data Privacy, Global Technology, Surveillance, Technocracy

Tagged
Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Eugenics, IBM, Michael S. Malone, Nazis, Scientific American, Soviet Union, William Davidow}

No, Scientific American, Don’t Starve AI!

_{Don't unplug AI; just make sure everyone shares in both the creation and the benefits} _{Eric Holloway

May 12, 2020

4

Artificial Intelligence, Data Privacy, Global Technology, Surveillance, Technocracy}

While many are concerned about all the jobs that AI will eliminate, no one is talking about the fact that AI needs humans. Information is the fuel that powers AI, and only humans can create this information. So, the real revolution that AI will bring is not data exploitation, but the empowering of people all around the world to power our economy through creation of information. What’s bad news for authoritarian groups like the Chinese Communist party is good news for everyone else.

CCTV camera or surveillance operating in glass building

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Author
News
Date
May 5, 2020

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Data Privacy, Surveillance, Technocracy

Tagged
Jonathan Bartlett, Michael S. Malone, William Davidow}

At Scientific American: Starve artificial intelligence!

_{Silicon Valley authors seek to limit AI's power. Jonathan Bartlett doesn't think it really has the power they are worried about} _{News

May 5, 2020

5

Artificial Intelligence, Data Privacy, Surveillance, Technocracy}

Jonathan Bartlett agrees with Valley pioneers Davidow and Malone, authors of The Autonomous Revolution (2020) that there are real problems with the misuse of AI. But, he says, that’s because we treat it as powerful. It is a servant but we make it a master.

Young woman using smart phone,Social media concept.

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post

Author
News
Date
May 1, 2020

Categorized
Data Privacy, Medicine and Health, Surveillance

Tagged
Anonymity, China, Contact tracing, COVID-19, Deanonymizing data, Google}

Is Contact Tracing a Simple Answer to COVID Lockdowns?

_{An engineering professor at the University of Austin asks us to look at the costs and benefits} _{News

May 1, 2020

5

Data Privacy, Medicine and Health, Surveillance}

The conventional science fiction fear of a superintelligent AI taking over the planet and ridding it of pesky humans distracts our attention from a much more realistic threat: Artificial intelligence (AI) makes both government and corporate surveillance much easier, cheaper, and more useful—whether it is in average citizens’ interests or not. If we are lucky, this will be the decade when we address the implications of that fact.

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Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
April 25, 2020

Categorized
Business and Finance, Data Privacy, Surveillance, Work

Tagged
Cybercrime, Internet trolls, Zoom}

Post-COVID: Five Ways Your Job Could Change

_{This is a good time to be a creative thinker and innovator.} _{Denyse O'Leary

April 25, 2020

7

Business and Finance, Data Privacy, Surveillance, Work}

Many COVID-driven innovations will likely endure, whether it’s vets doing telehealth, trolls harassing Zoom users, or cybercriminals targeting remote workers, the new opportunities and risks will stay with us.

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Author
Russ White
Date
November 18, 2019

Categorized
Data Privacy, Surveillance

Tagged
Cell phone security, Computer security, Internet protocols, Media Access Control (MAC) addresses}

Can Your Tablet Really Tell People Where You Are?

_{Yes, and it'll talk louder with the next gen protocols. But there's a way to shut it up} _{Russ White

November 18, 2019

5

Data Privacy, Surveillance}

If someone can see your traffic as it is transmitted across the “first hop” physical network and your devices are using the manufacturer-assigned MAC address, they can discover the unique address assigned to your device.

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post

Author
News
Date
November 15, 2019

Categorized
Data Privacy, Ethics, Medicine and Health

Tagged
Anonymity, Deanonymizing data, Featured, Google, nightingale-project, Privacy, Whistleblowers}

Google’s Secret Health Data Grab: The Whistleblower Talks

_{This is the fourth whistleblower in the last eighteen months} _{News

November 15, 2019

3

Data Privacy, Ethics, Medicine and Health}

“The decision came to me slowly, creeping on me through my day-to-day work,” we are told, until it came down to “how could I say nothing?”

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post

Author
Robert J. Marks
Date
November 14, 2019

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Data Privacy, Machine Learning, Surveillance, Technocracy

Tagged
Cold War, HAL9000, IBM Watson, self-driving cars}

The Greatest Threat We Face From AI—and What We Can Do

_{Here’s a list of things that have really happened with artificial intelligence (AI), in order of increasing severity.} _{Robert J. Marks

November 14, 2019

5

Artificial Intelligence, Data Privacy, Machine Learning, Surveillance, Technocracy}

When we get to the end of the list, we will see that it is like beads connected by a string—revealing the most dangerous threat.

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
November 13, 2019

Categorized
Data Privacy, Medicine and Health

Tagged
Ascension, FitBit, Google}

The Nightingale Sings — About Your Health Data

_{The skinny from Google’s health care data grab: Your privacy may not be anywhere near as well protected as you might think} _{News

November 13, 2019

6

Data Privacy, Medicine and Health}

The biggest question coming into focus is whether traditional patient confidentiality protection really works in the age of the internet. As to what changes are needed and who will sponsor them, both US Sen. Amy Klobuchar and US Sen. Josh Hawley, on opposite sides of the aisle, are watching the file.

^{Type
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Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
October 24, 2019

Categorized
Data Privacy, Global Technology

Tagged
5G, Andre Feutsch, AT&T, COSM, data, Data Security, Geofencing, Health, internet, Privacy, Smartphone, Smartphones}

Your smartphone will disappear, says AT&T CTO

_{New 5G computing will introduce an era of ever smarter wearable devices, according to Andre Fuetsch} _{Denyse O'Leary

October 24, 2019

4

Data Privacy, Global Technology}

Fuetsch asks us to think of 3G (2001) and 4G (2010) internet as the difference between a junior high school rock band and a high school rock band: “The high school band is a lot louder and a lot faster.” And 5G? “It is a 40-piece orchestra. A wide spectrum of abilities but tight structure and control.”

^{Type
post

Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
October 24, 2019

Categorized
Business and Finance, Data Privacy

Tagged
Blockchain, COSM, cryptocurrencies, cryptocurrency, Currency, Ed Moy, Facebook, George Gilder, Libra, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Forbes, William Dembski}

Chair of Forbes Media Says Money Is About Trust

_{Experts forecast the future of money in general at COSM} _{Denyse O'Leary

October 24, 2019

4

Business and Finance, Data Privacy}

Facebook wants to start minting its own money. Amazon is said to be thinking about it. Bitcoin has many enthusiasts. But what determines the value of money in a digital age?