Deepfakes of the Queens speech and new data protection concerns for Tik Tok
No. 8: Bringing you the news that matters in video privacy and security
A note from our Editor
Hi all,
Firstly - Happy New Year and welcome to our 1st newsletter of 2021!
There were lots of changes this festive period with us all having to connect with our families virtually – resulting in the highest ever number of WhatsApp voice and video calls made in a single day. Channel 4 broadcasted an alternative deep fake version of the traditional Queen's speech with many people complaining about its mockery of royal scandals, and driving a growth in fear from the perhaps exaggerated threat of the fake news generation from such technologies.
More recently, the 31st December brought about the UK's long-awaited departure from the EU, along with an all-important Brexit deal. For many, there have been concerns surrounding the implications for GDPR and other EU policies regarding data protection, especially surrounding the movement of data across the UK and Europe.
New data protection concerns have been raised with Tik Tok for their use of children's data which have been contested by a British 12 year old, who claims they have been using such data to influence the video platform's algorithm and advertising strategies.
Video, in all its forms - calls, surveillance, deep fakes, social clips - is getting more and more critical to our lives. The embedded usage of video via social media for children, teens and adults alike, seems to make many ignore the dangers of posting personal data online. As schools move back to remote learning and we all gear up for another few months of remote work, we all need to think carefully about how we manage our personal and business data when we are online. 2020 was a time of trial and learning for these technologies, hopefully 2021 will be the year for more considered approaches to how we manage our personal data in virtual living.
Emma
News
Channel 4's deep fake video of the Queen's Christmas Speech sparks controversy
Channel 4's alternative deep fake video of the Queen's Speech on Christmas Day, which inevitably went viral, provided a necessary awareness of the misinformation and convincing nature of fake news. Although the satire was a warning to the public of the dangers of deep fake, many have criticised its "untrue" impression of fake news as more prevalent than it is.
The dispute between Facebook and Apple continues
Facebook has continued to dispute over Apple's latest plans to add an opt-in where users can choose to allow companies to track them across different apps. On the one hand, Facebook are arguing the damage that this could cause for small businesses; whilst Apple says that the opt-in is still a choice. Despite Facebook's efforts to sway the public away from the "self-serving" nature of their arguments, several Facebook employees seem to now favour Apple.
12 year old aims to sue TikTok over "unlawful use of children's personal data"
A British 12 year old girl who has been granted anonymity by the court, is planning on suing TikTok for its alleged unlawful use of children's data on the platform. TikTok argues that it has strict and robust policies in place specifically for the protection of children's data, including what they can view on the platform. Furthermore, they do not allow under 13 year olds to join, and actively remove users who seem under 13.
Solar Winds hackers access Microsoft source code
Microsoft have revealed that Solar Winds, the cyber group behind the attacks on sensitive US governmental information, have also been able to access aspects of their source code. Source code - the fundamental instructions that aid the running of software, is typically a company's best kept secret. It is not clear what parts of the source code were accessed.
New Years Eve's 1.4 billion voice and video calls, recorded by WhatsApp
New Year's Eve 2020 led to a lack of parties and celebrations, where most celebrated in their houses. The lack of physical interaction due to the Coronavirus pandemic led to an incredible 1.4 billion voice and video calls via the popular app WhatsApp; setting new records with an increase of 50% in comparison with New Years Eve, 2019.
AI Snippet of the Week
Can AI help the world battle climate change?
Capgemini Research Institute claims that Artificial Intelligence could aid the reduction of climate change globally, including improving energy efficiency by 16% within the next 3 to 5 years, predicting wind patterns, and improving emissions from public transport.
Policy Updates
The Brexit Deal's effect on GDPR and Data Protection
The Brexit Deal was announced just before the deadline on the 24th December, but what does this mean for data protection regulations and the GDPR? Both the EU and the UK are keen to continue a relationship where data is shared as easily as possible. As of yet, the GDPR and data protection regulations have not changed. There is now a grace period of 6 months where the EU will complete an adequacy assessment of the UK's data protection laws, in order to protect EU data as much as possible.
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