Clearview AI’s facial-recognition app is a nightmare for stalking victims
Clearview AI is a facial-recognition app that is so powerful that it can tell you a person’s name and contact information from one stray picture. Advocates worry this kind of facial-recognition technology could be a boon to stalkers and people with a history of domestic abuse.
Ring’s defense of recent hacks is as shoddy as its security, lawyer claims
After a series of Ring camera hacks, the Amazon-owned company claimed that hackers obtained login credentials from hacking forums or the dark web, not from the Ring's database. But lawyers representing victims said their clients used unique passwords that could not have been stolen anywhere else.
Microsoft will release a fix for major Windows vulnerability found by the NSA
Update all your Microsoft-related software ASAP. The National Security Agency alerted Microsoft that there’s a major flaw in the Windows operating system. Reportedly it could affect the Windows 10 operating system and the Windows Server 2016, but Microsoft has not yet addressed this directly.
Apple rejects U.S. Attorney General request to unlock another phone
The question of privacy vs law enforcement's access to our data looms large again, as U.S. Attorney General William Barr asks Apple to unlock the phone of another alleged shooter. But as the government insists on having backdoor access to our phones, tech companies say that's not how encryption works.
Why a deepfake ban won’t solve Facebook’s real problems
Facebook leaves a large loophole in its deepfake policy in the form of satire and parody. This will be hard to enforce, from an operational and enforcement standpoint. In addition, if Facebook is serious about combating misinformation, deepfakes are not where it should be focusing, experts say.
Should you be afraid of an Iranian cyberattack? The answer is complicated
The good news is Iran likely won’t target ordinary Americans. The bad news is the Qassem Soleimani assassination carries more political weight than the Bin Laden raid. Any cyberattacks that will be carried out will be the beginning, not the end, of an Iranian offensive against the U.S.
After latest hack, experts say smart home security systems stink at securing data
Experts on cybersecurity told Digital Trends -- after another smart home hack exposed the data of 2.4 million people -- that these systems' lack of security amounts to gross negligence, and anyone who buys one should be aware that their videos are easily accessible to hackers worldwide.
A Twitter bug could use your phone number to expose personal information
A security researcher has revealed that it's possible to find phone numbers and match them to Twitter usernames, a security flaw that could leave millions of people's accounts exposed. The researcher said he'd already found the phone numbers of several high-profile users and politicians.
Uber founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick leaves board, for good this time
Uber has announced that Travis Kalanick, the founder and former CEO of the company, would be stepping down from his position on the board of directors and has sold all of his stock options, estimated to be worth at least $2.5 billion. Kalanick’s last day at the company will be December 31.
Snopes says ex-partner Facebook is ‘not committed’ to fighting fake news
Snopes used to partner with Facebook on its fact-checking operation. After Facebook removed a web of fake user profiles following a Snopes report on the problem, Snopes says Facebook is not taking fighting fake news seriously. Snopes has launched an independent crowdfunding campaign to support its fact-checking work.
The small cost to end child mining is not a price Big Tech is willing to pay
Cobalt is a key component of the lithium-ion battery in our smartphones, computers, and even cars -- items that are all inextricable from the way we live our lives in developed nations. But cobalt mining exploits child labor. What would happen if companies found more ethically extracted resources?
Calm down about The Rise of Skywalker: Why can’t I just like a movie anymore?
It used to be one could simply have an opinion about a movie and not have to hire extra security because of it. Then alsog came The Last Jedi. Why does Star Wars: Episode IX -- The Rise of Skywalker have me afraid to like the movie, even before I've seen it? Answer: The fandom.
Why have Americans turned a cold shoulder to messaging giant WhatsApp?
It's one of the most popular messaging apps worldwide, yet Americans barely know it exists. Why is WhatsApp still so unpopular in the U.S. when it dominates the markets in places like India and Germany?
Why deepfakes will soon be as commonplace as Photoshop
Amid the hype around deepfakes, the simple truth is that this technology isn’t going away. In fact, it’s going to become as commonplace as Photoshop: We could soon see hyper-targeted ads with our own faces on them. Some companies, in fact, see deepfakes as the future of media.
Hey @Jack Dorsey, decentralizing Twitter won’t solve hate speech problems
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has floated a compelling possibility: He wants to put together a team to explore decentralizing Twitter. But this could mean that Dorsey is simply trying to shunt off responsibility for Twitter’s persistent problems with harassment and abuse on the platform.
Facebook will protect your data — as long as no one’s paying them for it
Facebook pushed back against a request from three major world governments to halt plans to provide end-to-end encryption for its Messenger app. The move has been heralded by privacy rights groups over law enforcement objections, but Facebook still makes money off of your data.
The federal government is investigating Google for alleged union busting
The National Labor Relations Board has launched an investigation into Google following the firing of four Google employees -- the so-called Thanksgiving Four -- who were prominent in their attempts to organize a labor union before Google terminated them days before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Now that you can easily transfer photos out of Facebook, will you stay?
Facebook on December 2 announced a new data portability feature that will begin rolling out in Ireland before spreading elsewhere: The ability to transport your Facebook photos from Facebook to other platforms. Does this portend a new exodus from the social media platform?
The anti-Amazon movement is gaining steam. Will Black Friday shoppers care?
The biggest shopping season of the year is here. And just in time, a new anti-Amazon initiative has revved up. The new worker coalition Athena says its goals are to prevent worker abuse and shield communities from what it calls Amazon’s predatory actions. Will it be able to sway people's attitudes toward the company?
Uber may be banned in London. Could the same thing happen in the U.S.?
London announced Monday that it would revoke Uber’s operating license. Uber might soon be banned in a city that's grown accustomed to easy rideshares, just as many American cities rely on similar apps. But there's little many U.S. cities can do to outright ban them as London is attempting to do.
‘We can’t say what’s safe’: Doctors react to Trump abandoning vape ban
One month after a high-school-age boy survived a double lung transplant due to vaping, the Trump administration reportedly abandoned a promised action to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes nationwide. The doctor who performed the surgery said the ban is needed to stop more cases of teen vaping.
Facebook says white supremacists ‘cannot have a presence’ on the social network
Facebook has removed more than 200 white supremacist organizations from its platform for violating both terrorism and hate speech community standards, a Facebook representative told Digital Trends, part of a broader crackdown on harmful content.
Prophet or puppet-master? Meet the man behind the Zuckerberg deepfake
Bill Posters is a former street artist based in the U.K. You may not know his name, but if you’ve been paying attention, you’ve likely seen his work. The videos that Posters makes are intentionally fabricated to illustrate a political point, but indicate to a growing online problem.
Uber CEO apologizes for calling murder of Saudi journalist Khashoggi a ‘mistake’
Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has apologized to his staff after calling the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi a mistake during an interview on the HBO show Axios. I am sorry for what I said during that interview, he said. I think some folks are right to have been outraged.
Deepfake videos of U.K. leaders set chilling precedent for 2020 U.S. election
Deepfake videos of U.K. politicians Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn surfaced on Tuesday morning, spread by a think tank aiming to raise awareness of the digital problem. Deepfakes could spell big trouble for the 2020 American presidential election, leaving voters uncertain of what to believe.
Is Twitter good now? Only if it can enforce its new rules
Twitter has created a new survey asking users what they want to see from Twitter's new deepfake rules. Between crowdsourcing a deepfake policy and removing political ads, Twitter seems to be redefining its image. But an expert fears that Twitter won't abide by its own rules.