Is privacy about personal choice and individual space, or can it only exist if it is based on shared practices and agreements?
No. 43: Bringing you the news that matters in video privacy and security
A note from our Editor
Hi all,
As the world continues to grapple with the value and risks of personal data, the idea of privacy seems to keep being twisted into a new definition and purpose. Whether privacy can be "guaranteed" in order to provide reassurance for product and service usage, whether it's to protect humanitarian and individual ethics or if it's used to maintain governmental secrets and national security - or for the sake of "crime surveillance" it can be tossed aside. But how can privacy be prioritised if everyone thinks differently about what it should mean and when it's needed? If privacy is about prioritising data protection for the individual, where does it fit with regard to commercial objectives, communities and the overall sharing of data between companies and states?
We've seen privacy being questioned a lot in the news recently. In India, New Delhi police are more forcibly using facial recognition to fight crime. What seems to be on everyone's minds is that the accuracy threshold is only 80%, meaning that a large volume of innocent individuals will have their personal data reviewed. Privacy of many individuals is being traded in the name of citizen security, and with no dedicated data protection laws yet passed in the country, it seems that India could follow in China's "surveillance state" footsteps.
Across the other side of the world, Google employees are petitioning for the tech company to respect their abortion health benefits and protect abortion and other health-related data from possibly falling into the hands of the police. This comes in the wake of Roe v Wade which the Supreme Court has recently overturned.
Meanwhile, Apple has suffered a major security flaw, leaving users of iPhones, Macs and iPads at risk of being hacked. It seems that hackers would have the potential to have full admin access on these devices - but Apple is urgently asking everyone to update their devices to prevent this (please make sure you do this if you haven't already).
Please feel free to send back any feedback or topics of interest you would like to be covered.
Emma
News
Security flaw leaves Apple users vulnerable to hackers
Apple has recently announced that there have been security vulnerabilities in several iPhones, iPads, and Macs which could leave them open to potential hackers. Hackers could get full admin access to devices and allow them to impersonate the owners of devices, with reports that this has already happened to some users.
Sky News: Apple discloses serious security vulnerabilities for iPhones, iPads and Macs
The Guardian: Apple security flaw ‘actively exploited’ by hackers to fully control devices
New Delhi police adopt 80% accuracy rate for Facial recognition use
Police in New Delhi are starting to use facial recognition in heavy use. However there are serious privacy concerns around their decision of 80% accuracy rate for matches, with any below that being considered a false positive rather than a negative, meaning the individual will still be investigated.
WIRED: The Low Threshold for Face Recognition in New Delhi
Biometric Update: Indian police using 80 percent facial recognition confidence threshold
UK Home Secretary urges Meta to stop end-to-end encryption plans
Meta plans to encrypt direct messages so that only the sender and recipient can view messages, meaning it excludes access by the social media platform and law enforcement. Citing concerns over the ability of the police to investigate and prevent cases of child harm online, UK Home Secretary Priti Patel argues that these plans could be “catastrophic”.
The Guardian: Priti Patel urges Meta to give up on end-to-end encryption plans
Google workers demand more privacy protections to protect abortion information online
Hundreds of Google employees are petitioning for the tech company to stop collecting abortion-related data and extend their abortion health benefits. In the wake of the US Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade in June earlier this year, the petition would ensure employee privacy and allow users' abortion and other health-related data to never be saved or share with US law enforcement.
The Indpendent: Google workers demand abortion protections, data privacy
Computer Weekly: Google employees demand end to collection of abortion data
Signal data breach results in nearly 2000 users of the encrypted messaging platform
Earlier this month, Twilio was hacked via a phishing campaign, which has now affected users of Signal. The 1900 users were told that the same hacker may have had access to their Signal accounts , including messaging history, contacts and other personal data.
The Verge: Signal alerts 1,900 messaging users to a security threat from Twilio hackers
IT Pro: Signal confirms 1,900 of its users were hit by Twilio breach
AI Snippet of the Week
AI models may now be able to detect Parkinson’s from breathing patterns
Parkinson’s disease can be very difficult to diagnose early, but researchers at MIT and other institutions have developed a device that can detect the disease. This AI-powered device uses neural networks to determine and track from their sleep breathing patterns whether someone has Parkinson’s.
MIT News: Artificial intelligence model can detect Parkinson’s from breathing patterns
STAT: In early research, an AI model detects signs of Parkinson’s using breathing patterns
Policy Updates
Are public conceptions about privacy getting in the way of the American Federal Data Bill progressing?
Is the American idea around privacy - i.e. my personal space and my personal choice - causing a roadblock in the Federal Data Protection Bill progress? Emily Tucker, Executive director at the Center on Privacy & Technology at Georgetown Law says that privacy has to based around a set of agreements based on community and shared practices in order to move forward.
IAPP: Public misconceptions, policy roadblocks fuel federal privacy law stalemate
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