Is the right to privacy in jeopardy?
No. 41: Bringing you the news that matters in video privacy and security
A note from our Editor
Hi all,
The US has turned women's rights upside down with the overturning of the Roe vs. Wade case. This decision has also thrown other rights, such as same sex marriage, into question as a result, and has left many commentators wondering about the right to privacy. This will have major knock-on effects to privacy rights as the US states that ban abortions start to collect and process a range of personal and health data to monitor and regulate the new laws. Online searches, reproductive healthcare purchases and visits to clinics may all start to be tracked in the states that follow the ruling - creating difficult decisions for women across the US and for the service and platform providers who support them.
In the Law Enforcement sphere, over 200 people attended an event to debate the use of facial recognition and its legitimacy for police in the UK. Leaders from civil society, regulatory bodies, police and academia attended. This is an important step in the growing pressure towards transparency and ethical considerations for the technology. To understand the specificities of using biometric data in different kinds of controlled environments, as well as considering "operator initiated" facial recognition in more detail.
In the technology world, one of the godfathers of AI, Yann LeCun, has put forward an approach to teach machines common sense. He originally tested this theory by trying to train neural networks to predict what was going to happen in the next frame of video clips, but this was too complex. The proposal is an interesting area to explore but it's still early days.
As always, please let me know if you have any feedback on this newsletter or want to see any other topics covered.
Emma
News
Roe vs. Wade: the right to privacy is also on the line
The US Supreme Court has overturned the constitutional right to abortion, bringing into question whether tech companies should protect the information of users who are seeking reproductive health care, and everyone's rights to privacy in the US.
IAPP: Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, placing other privacy rights in question
CNBC: Roe v. Wade overturned: Here’s how tech companies and internet users can protect privacy
Biometrics and Police: UK discusses its necessity and the US wants access to EU database
UK civil society, academia, police and regulatory leaders got together to discuss the legitimacy for Law Enforcement to use facial recognition and biometrics. Meanwhile, in the US, the federal government has asked for direct access to the EU member states' police biometric databases.
Biometric Update: Panel on use of facial recognition by UK police breaks issue down for lawmakers
Biometric Update: The US wants access to EU biometric police files — report
Meta sued for scraping patient data from hospitals
Meta is facing a privacy lawsuit after allegedly scraping patient data from hundreds of hospital websites using their Meta Pixel tracker to track visitor activity. The tracker was present on password-protected patient portals, and data was allegedly sent to Meta when patients booked a doctor's appointment.
Health IT Security: Meta Sued For Violating Patient Privacy, Scraping Health Data From Hospitals
HIPAA Journal: Meta Sued over the Scraping of Patient Data from Hospital Websites
New York to install hidden surveillance cameras on subways
The Metropolitan Transport Authority is finding new ways to combat crime by installing hidden cameras into subway cars. NYPD officers will be able to pull footage to collect evidence for crimes committed.
Time Out: NYC will install hidden cameras on 100 subway trains
Yahoo News: Some New York City subway cars are getting hidden surveillance cameras
DVLA breached data law by sharing driver's details
The DVLA has been accused of passing on motorists details to private parking firms, breaching data protection laws. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has determined it was a "technical infringement" but they could face compensation claims.
The Guardian: Parking fines: DVLA breached law over sharing drivers’ details
AI Snippet of the Week
Yann LeCun: A new vision for AI
Known as one of the godfathers of AI, Yann LeCun has published a draft around an approach on how to give machines the common sense to navigate the world. It could be the first steps on giving machines reasoning and the ability to apply logic, like humans.
Policy Updates
All the latest for the UK Data Protection Bill
The UK GDPR and the DPA is going under a new reform. According to the Queen's Speech, it could save businesses over £1bn over 10 years. Here is some of the latest regarding the data laws.
Computer Weekly: What will the Data Reform Bill mean for UK businesses operating in the EU?
Computing: Government response to Data Reform Bill consultation distances UK from GDPR
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