More awareness and debate around data privacy and security is a huge positive
No. 23: Bringing you the news that matters in video privacy and security
A note from our Editor
Hi all,
As our digital lives continue to encompass more online platforms and services, the awareness and concern for the privacy and security of our personal data is growing. Every day we hear of larger data breaches, higher data protection fines, and expanding deployments of AI based surveillance systems into new environments and market sectors. With our physical lives becoming increasingly intertwined with our digital data streams, it is no wonder that personal data privacy and security is bubbling up in everyone's consciousness.
The latest Zoom lawsuit - a class action that cites privacy and security issues - has made it clear that people are starting to care a lot more about how their data is handled, with more people starting to ask questions about how their data is stored and encrypted along with which 3rd parties it gets shared with. The lawsuit has also highlighted the grey area that sits between existing data protection legislation and its interpretation in the real world. With technology and its usage constantly evolving, it will be the fines given out by data protection authorities - and the precedents from individual cases that are brought to court, or settled - that will determine the red-lines for businesses in the longer-term.
In the context of this growing concern, Apple has launched some new updates to help curb the spread of online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on their devices and cloud services. These tools attempt to find the middle ground in data privacy and security: the approach classifies and encrypts images on device - Apple never sees them - then converts them into image hashes which are cross-examined with a verified list of similar hashes from known CSAM materials (also held locally on users devices). WhatsApp and many others have openly challenged these changes, stating they may have wider consequences for certain groups of children and that they open up a path for the future mass surveillance of mobile data.
What's very clear is that this is just the start of hybrid privacy, encryption and security approaches attempt to balance the benefits from all three domains.
It seems that the rational next step is to investigate ways to blend privacy and security in a way that doesn't compromise the vulnerability of personal data, but still allows people to be kept safe.
Emma
News
Zoom fined $86m for data legislation breaches
Zoom has been fined $86m for nine different violations of the CCPA - including allegedly sharing personal data with Big tech companies Facebook, Google and Linkedin; and misstating that they have end-to-end encryption, leading to failed attempts to prevent hackers from "zoombombing" calls.
BBC News: Zoom settles US class action privacy lawsuit for $86m
Should Apple's newest tools to flag child sexual abuse be a surveillance concern?
In a bid to tackle online child sex abuse, Apple have created new tools that will send parents an alert if children receive an explicit message. This is achieved by converting images into image hashes, and running it against a database of known codes associated with child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Is this too much of a privacy concern or could this be a trusted way forward?
NY Times: Apple’s iPhones Will Include New Tools to Flag Child Sexual Abuse
WIRED: Apple Walks a Privacy Tightrope to Spot Child Abuse in iCloud
MIT Review: Apple defends its new anti-child-abuse tech against privacy concerns
Big tech call centre workers being pressured to accept home surveillance
Call centre workers for Teleperformance in Colombia, one of the largest call centre companies with clients like Apple, Amazon and Uber, are being pressured to let their employer install cameras in their homes that will monitor their work performance. If they sign it, it would mean AI-powered cameras in workers' homes, with voice analytics and storage of data collected from inside their homes.
NBC News: Big Tech call centre workers face pressure to accept home surveillance
The Guardian: Call centre used by UK firms accused of intrusively monitoring home workers
How smart cities are using the latest technologies to change the game
With a big issue for smart cities being monitoring traffic jams and congestion, it seems that AI can provide a useful alternative. Machine learning solutions can also translate across to urban as well as city environments, helping to upgrade the urban infrastructure quickly and at less cost.
Forbes: Developing Coherent AI Infrastructure For Smart Cities
Isle of Wight schools and colleges struck by ransomware attacks
As a result of the ransomware attack that the umbrella organisation looking after data for schools and colleges in the Isle of Wight suffered; they have all had their data encrypted for security. The Isle of Wight Education Federation is currently working with the police's cyber crime unit to help track down the cyber criminals.
IT Pro: Schools and colleges on the Isle of Wight hit by ransomware
AI Snippet of the Week
Could AI diagnose dementia?
Artificial intelligence has been extremely useful in many different types of diagnoses across healthcare - but now, there is possibility that AI could go one step further and diagnose dementia in just one brain scan.
BBC News: Artificial Intelligence may diagnose dementia in a day
The Guardian: Artificial intelligence could be used to diagnose dementia
Policy Updates
Has Data Protection been able to keep up?
3 years on for both the GDPR and the CCPA, and both data legislations have made huge strides in protecting data privacy. This article provides some insight into how data protection has modernised over the past 3 years, how organisations are changing their privacy and security practices to comply, and what the future holds for data protection.
Forbes: Three Years On From GDPR And CCPA, How Has Data Protection Modernized?
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