Archive for the 'Surveillance' Category
Police to Use Information from Internet Connected Appliances
January 2nd, 2017Via: Telegraph: High-tech washing machines and fridges will soon be used by detectives gathering evidence from crime scenes, experts have forecast. The advent of ‘the internet of things’ in which more devices are connected together in a world of ‘smart working’ could in future provide important clues for the police. Detectives are currently being trained […]
Virtual Reality Allows the Most Detailed, Intimate Digital Surveillance Yet
December 26th, 2016Via: The Intercept: But as the tech industry continues to build VR’s social future, the very systems that enable immersive experiences are already establishing new forms of shockingly intimate surveillance. Once they are in place, researchers warn, the psychological aspects of digital embodiment — combined with the troves of data that consumer VR products can […]
AUSTRALIA COULD SCRAP THE $100 NOTE
December 13th, 2016India. Venezuela. Australia? Via: New Zealand Herald: Australia looks set to follow in the footsteps of Venezuela and India by abolishing the country’s highest-denomination banknote in a bid to crack down on the “black economy”. Speaking to ABC radio on Wednesday, Revenue and Financial Services Minister Kelly O’Dwyer flagged a review of the $100 note […]
Japan Tags Dementia Sufferers with Barcodes
December 8th, 2016Via: AFP: A Japanese city has introduced a novel way to keep track of senior citizens with dementia who are prone to getting lost — tagging their fingers and toes with scan-able barcodes. A company in Iruma, north of Tokyo, developed tiny nail stickers, each of which carries a unique identity number to help concerned […]
Amazon Just Opened a Grocery Store Without a Checkout Line
December 7th, 2016Via: USA Today: Amazon is testing a grocery store in downtown Seattle that lets customers walk in, grab food from the shelves and walk out again, without ever having to stand in a checkout line. Customers tap their cellphones on a turnstile as they walk into the store, which logs them into the store’s network […]
UK: Politicians Exempt Themselves from New Wide-Ranging Spying Laws
December 4th, 2016Via: Independent: Politicians have exempted themselves from Britain’s new wide-ranging spying laws. The Investigatory Powers Act, which has just passed into law, brings some of the most extreme and invasive surveillance powers ever given to spies in a democratic state. But protections against those spying powers have been given to MPs. Research Credit: Jb
Uber Now Tracks Passengers’ Locations Even After They’re Dropped Off
December 1st, 2016Via: NPR: Uber’s latest update allows the ride-hailing app to track user location data even when the application is running in the background. The change in location data gathering is quite apparent — after the update is completed, Uber prompts users to accept the new policy by enabling their phones to make the change. Previously, […]
Microsoft Chatbot Censors Topics for Chinese Regime
November 29th, 2016Via: CNN: “If you like me, why would you talk like this to me?” Ask Microsoft’s Chinese chatbot Xiaoice about Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and that’s how she responds. She also skirts around highly sensitive topics like the 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen Square protests, Chinese President Xi Jinping or even President-elect Donald Trump.
Facebook Said to Create Censorship Tool to Get Back Into China
November 22nd, 2016#fuckerberg Via: New York Times: Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, has cultivated relationships with China’s leaders, including President Xi Jinping. He has paid multiple visits to the country to meet its top internet executives. He has made an effort to learn Mandarin. Inside Facebook, the work to enter China runs far deeper. The social network […]
Trump’s Picks For AG & CIA Happy To Undermine Civil Liberties, Increase Surveillance
November 20th, 2016Via: TechDirt: This is (unfortunately) not a huge surprise, but it appears that a Trump administration is going to be much worse for civil liberties and surveillance. Earlier today, Donald Trump named his choices to head the CIA — Rep. Mike Pompeo — and to be the next Attorney General — Senator Jeff Sessions — […]
