December 2014 - nexa - server-nexa.polito.it

https://trackography.org

by J.C. DE MARTIN

Verso dove viaggiano i nostri dati quando visitiamo un sito? https://trackography.org jc

Dec. 30, 2014

Don’t Fear Artificial Intelligence

by Alessandro Mantelero

Don’t Fear Artificial Intelligence Ray Kurzweil http://time.com/3641921/dont-fear-artificial-intelligence/ Stephen Hawking, the pre-eminent physicist, recently warned that artificial intelligence (AI), once it surpasses human intelligence, could pose a threat to the existence of human civilization. Elon Musk, the pioneer of digital money, private spaceflight and electric cars, has voiced similar concerns. If AI becomes an existential threat, it won’t be the first one. Humanity was introduced to existential risk when I was a child sitting under my desk during the civil-defense drills of the 1950s. Since then we have encountered comparable specters, like the possibility of a bioterrorist creating a new virus for which humankind has no defense. Technology has always been a double-edged sword, since fire kept us warm but also burned down our villages. -- Alessandro Mantelero Aggregate Professor, Politecnico di Torino Director of Privacy and Faculty Fellow, Nexa Center for Internet and Society http://staff.polito.it/alessandro.mantelero

Dec. 30, 2014

"Leading copyright scholars: full unification of EU copyright now!"

by J.C. DE MARTIN

Leading copyright scholars: full unification of EU copyright now! Posted on December 30, 2014 <http://www.communia-association.org/2014/12/30/leading-copyright-scholars-f…>by Paul Keller <http://www.communia-association.org/author/pkeller/> As part of thepublic consultation on a review of the EU copyright rules <http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/consultations/2013/copyright-rules/inde…> the EU commission included two questions related to a single EU copyright title. These questions refer to the fact that in the current situation all member states of the EU have their own copyright laws. These laws need to meet the requirements established by an increasing number of EU directives (such as the InfoSoc directive, the Copyright term directive, and the orphan work directive). This has resulted in a certain level of harmonization, but this does not take away the fact that in the EU the a copyrighted work is protected by 28 different copyright laws that apply to 28 different jurisdictions. Compared to this situation a single European title would mean having one single EU copyright law that confers EU-wide rights to rights holders and establishes EU-wide exceptions and limitations. Inour answer to the public consultation <http://www.communia-association.org/2014/03/05/communia-responds-to-eu-cons…> we urged the EU commission to start working on a single European copyright title: *Question 78: Should the EU pursue the establishment of a single EU Copyright Title, as a means of establishing a consistent framework for rights and exceptions to copyright across the EU, as well as a single framework for enforcement?* The establishment of a single EU Copyright Title would be a positive step forward for both rightholders and users of copyrighted content. It would help to harmonize the currently disjointed limitations and exceptions and copyright duration schemes across the EU. *Question 79: Should this be the next step in the development of copyright in the EU? Does the current level of difference among the Member State legislation mean that this is a longer term project?* Pursuing the establishment of a single EU Copyright Title should be the next step. Work on this should begin immediately. One of the other organisations that also advocated taking steps towards a single EU copyright title is the European Copyright Society (ECS). Inits response <http://infojustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/ECS-answer-to-EC-consulta…> the ECS (which is made up of leading European copyright scholars and academics) argued for for the introduction of Union-wide copyright title and for the simultaneous abolishment of national copyright titles. Just before the holidays the European Copyright Society reaffirmed this position by sendinga letter to Commissioner Oettinger in which it once again advocates for a unification of EU copyright law <http://www.ivir.nl/syscontent/pdfs/78.pdf>. In their letter the members of the society briefly affirm the need to modernize the existing EU copyright rules (dryly noting that they “trust that [the European Copyright] Society’s opinions will be taken into account”) before they urge the Commissioner to go a step further: In this letter, however, we would like to go a step further and underscore the need for a more forward looking and further reaching reform of copyright in the EU – in the form of actual Union-wide unification (not further harmonization) of copyright. The Members of the European Copyright Society are convinced that the time is now ripe to start work on a European Copyright Law that would apply directly and uniformly across the Union. Further into the two-page letter <http://www.ivir.nl/syscontent/pdfs/78.pdf> they point to the fact that EU treaties already provide a mandate for the full unification of EU copyright law. While there are many septics such a step is not only needed to meet the requirements of a single digital market, but also probably inevitable: In the opinion of the European Copyright Society a more ambitious solution is now called for: true unification of copyright by way of a European Copyright Law (Regulation) that would replace national legal titles. Article 118 of the TFEU, introduced by the Lisbon Reform Treaty, creates a specific competence for the European legislature to establish intellectual property rights with direct Union-wide effect. While copyright unification may be considered undesirable, or perhaps too drastic, by certain stakeholders and national legislatures, this is in our opinion the only way a fully functioning Digital Single Market for copyright-based goods and services can ultimately be achieved. It is in fact the logical next step for the EU legislature to take in this field. As we have stated in our consultation response we could not agree more with the esteemed members of the ECS and we hope that Commissioner Oettinger and other lawmakers pay close attention to the advice provided by such a large number of pre-eminent copyright scholars. This entry was posted in EU policy <http://www.communia-association.org/category/eu-policy/>, general <http://www.communia-association.org/category/general/>. Bookmark the permalink <http://www.communia-association.org/2014/12/30/leading-copyright-scholars-f…>.

Dec. 30, 2014

AlJazeera: "Can Iceland become the 'Switzerland of data'?"

by J.C. DE MARTIN

*Can Iceland become the 'Switzerland of data'?* /Amid government snooping, tiny Nordic nation hopes to brand itself as a safe haven for data privacy around the globe./ Felix Gaedtke Last updated: 28 Dec 2014 13:56 Reykjavík, Iceland - On a cold, windy December afternoon in the southern Icelandic town of Reykjanesbaer, this former NATO airbase looked like nothing more than a huge warehouse from the outside. But the barbed-wire fence surrounding it and surveillance cameras atop its gates betrayed its importance. This facility, which began operating in February 2012, is one of several data centres in Iceland. It's run by Verne Global, a company that allows its customers to store data on servers here. Tate Cantrell, the company's chief technical officer, explained why Verne Global favoured this tiny Nordic nation of all places. "In Iceland, you've got this ideal situation: energy, excellent connectivity for data, and a constant cool climate. So Iceland was an obvious choice." […] More: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/12/can-iceland-become-switze…

Dec. 30, 2014

"The Enormous Implications Of Facebook Indexing 1 Trillion Of Our Posts"

by J.C. DE MARTIN

*The Enormous Implications Of Facebook Indexing 1 Trillion Of Our Posts* Posted 11 hours ago by Josh Constine (@joshconstine) A whole wing of the Internet just got added to our collective conscience, like websites by Google or knowledge by Wikipedia before it. Yet the news cruised by with analysis focused simply on what Facebook’s new keyword post search does today. Yes, any post by you or any of your friends can now be dug up with a quick search from mobile. But I don’t think people realize how big a deal it is for tomorrow. Facebook just went from data rich to Scrooge-McDuck-swimming-in-a-tower-full-of data rich. The ramifications for advertising, developers, and Facebook itself are tough to fathom. Our most vivid doppelgänger, our digital echoes can now be tracked. They don’t just say who we were, but where we’re headed, and what we’ll want next. First, the trillion post index gives us group memory. Each person can only search stories from their friends and surrounding network, but Mark Zuckerberg recently said those all add up to over 1 trillion posts. […] Continua qui: http://techcrunch.com/2014/12/28/mining-the-hive-mind/

Dec. 29, 2014

"netsociety", una nuova lista in lingua inglese

by J.C. DE MARTIN

Carissimi, vi segnalo che la Rete Globale di Centri Internet & Società (coordinata dal Centro Nexa fino all'autunno 2016) ha appena istituito una mailing list pubblica di discussione, "netsociety": https://lists.networkofcenters.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/netsociety La lista è appena nata, per cui per il momento ci sono "solo" circa 70 persone appartenenti alla Rete di Centri (qui l'elenco: http://networkofcenters.net/centers) ma prevediamo che la lista si espanda rapidamente. Se ve la cavate con l'inglese e avete piacere di partecipare a discussioni sui temi internet e società con persone da tutto il mondo (o quasi) , iscrivetevi, ci fate piacere! juan carlos

Dec. 29, 2014

R: La legge di programmazione militare francese fa un regalo di natale ai cittadini: la sorveglianza di massa

by Marco Ricolfi

Sì, è lui; ma quello che ho ordinato alla biblioteca Bobbio, ex Ruffini, è il volume. Era recensito assai bene sul FT. Credo che si sposi molto bene con la mia fase paranoica m. -----Messaggio originale----- Da: Marco Ciurcina [mailto:ciurcina@studiolegale.it] Inviato: lunedì 29 dicembre 2014 10:38 A: Marco Ricolfi Cc: Carlo Blengino; nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it Oggetto: Re: [nexa] La legge di programmazione militare francese fa un regalo di natale ai cittadini: la sorveglianza di massa In data domenica 28 dicembre 2014 20:37:05, Marco Ricolfi ha scritto: > Michael Glennon, National Security and Double Government, OUP 2014, £ > 19.99 È questo qui? http://harvardnsj.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Glennon-Final.pdf avvertenza: non seguite il link se non volete aumentare il vostro punteggio nella classifica dei "potenziali sovversivi" :-) m.c. > ________________________________________ > Da: Carlo Blengino [blengino(a)penalistiassociati.it] > Inviato: domenica 28 dicembre 2014 21.17 > A: Marco Ricolfi > Cc: Marco Ciurcina; nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it > Oggetto: Re: [nexa] La legge di programmazione militare francese fa un > regalo di natale ai cittadini: la sorveglianza di massa > > Cosìfantutti. > L'unica cosa che differenzia alcuni Stati, è che si tenti di dare una > veste legale con leggi "democraticamente" approvate... > > In mobilità > > > Il giorno 28/dic/2014, alle ore 21:03, Marco Ricolfi > > <marco.ricolfi(a)studiotosetto.it> ha scritto: > > > > sì > > ________________________________________ > > Da: nexa-bounces(a)server-nexa.polito.it > > [nexa-bounces(a)server-nexa.polito.it] per conto di Marco Ciurcina > > [ciurcina(a)studiolegale.it] Inviato: domenica 28 dicembre 2014 21.00 > > A: nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it > > Oggetto: Re: [nexa] La legge di programmazione militare francese fa > > un regalo di natale ai cittadini: la sorveglianza di massa> In data > > domenica 28 dicembre 2014 20:49:25, Antonio Casilli ha scritto: > >> Dal primo gennaio 2015 il ministero della difesa, il fisco e il > >> ministero degli interni francesi potranno ottenere sms, telefonate > >> e dati di connessione internet di ogni cittadino senza bisogno > >> dell'autorizzazione di un giudice e senza dover precisare nel > >> quadro di quale inchiesta i dati sono richiesti. Il tutto > >> praticamente al di fuori di qualunque controllo democratico e in > >> barba alla decisione dell'8 aprile 2014 della Corte di giustizia > >> dell'UE contro la data retention. > > > > Quindi anche della Francia dobbiamo dire che non è più un paese > > rispettoso dei diritti umani? > > m.c. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > nexa mailing list > > nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it > > https://server-nexa.polito.it/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nexa > > _______________________________________________ > > nexa mailing list > > nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it > > https://server-nexa.polito.it/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nexa

Dec. 29, 2014

Tufekci: "The year we get creeped out by algorithms"

by J.C. DE MARTIN

*The year we get creeped out by algorithms* by Zeynep Tufekci It turns out computers have a built-in “uncanny valley” (that creepy feeling android robots generate when they kind of look human). Just like we don’t want robots too human-shaped — we want them to know their place — it turns out we aren’t too happy when our computers go from “smart” (as in automating things and connecting us to each other or information) to “smart” (as in “let me make that decision for you”). zeynep-tufeckiAlgorithmic judgment is the uncanny valley of computing. Algorithms (basically computer programs, but here I’m talking about the complex subset that is being used to calculate results of some consequence, which then shape our experience) have become more visible in 2014, and it turns out we’re creeped out. The most visible, cited, discussed academic article of 2014 was one which exposed the fact that Facebook uses algorithms to manipulate its News Feed — something a majority of people apparently did not know. Most of the discussion was outrage: The lead author received hundreds of disgusted emails asking how dare he manipulate our social interactions on Facebook; the reality, of course, is that’s what Facebook does every day, algorithmically. The Facebook experiment made visible what was always there, and raised more questions than it could answer. 2015 looks to be the year when we start grappling with the power and role of these complex algorithms — sometimes discussed as machine learning or artificial intelligence — and when a thousand more startups (and big companies, since they have a data advantage in fueling these types of algorithms) start trying to “deploy” them not just in apps and sites, but in our devices and objects as chips and sensors become more prevalent. […] Continua qui: http://www.niemanlab.org/2014/12/the-year-we-get-creeped-out-by-algorithms/

Dec. 29, 2014

Essay: "Big Data, Machine Learning, and the Social Sciences:, Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency"

by J.C. DE MARTIN

*Big Data, Machine Learning, and the Social Sciences:,Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency */by //Hanna Wallach <https://medium.com/@hannawallach> This essay is a (near) transcript of a talk I recently gave at a NIPS 2014 workshop on “Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency in Machine Learning,” organized by Solon Barocas and Moritz Hardt./*/ / *Introduction I want to start by giving you some context for this talk by telling you a little bit about me and my background: I’m a machine learning researcher by training. That said, I wouldn’t describe my research over the past few years as being traditional machine learning. Instead, most of my recent research has been in the emerging field of computational social science — that is, the development and use of computational and statistical techniques to study social processes. This shift in research direction has given me an opportunity to start thinking outside the algorithmic boxes typically embraced by the machine learning community and instead focus on the opportunities, challenges, and implications involved developing and using machine learning methods to analyze real-world data about society. Outside of my research life, I’ve also spent the past 15 years contributing to the free and open source software community and working to promote and support women in computing. These activities, and their focus on transparency, openness, fairness, and inclusion, have influenced my perspective on the issues surrounding today’s workshop, and I’m excited to be speaking here because it’s given me an opportunity to tie together some of my thoughts on these ideas and their relationship to machine learning. We have a really interesting group of people here today, with very diverse backgrounds, and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes out of their interactions. As a result, this talk will be structured around four talking points — intended to prompt discussion — that lie at the heart of fairness, accountability, and transparency in machine learning: - Data - Questions - Models - Findings […] Continua qui: https://medium.com/@hannawallach/big-data-machine-learning-and-the-social-s…

Dec. 29, 2014

Fwd: New report: The Future of Privacy

by J.C. DE MARTIN

-------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: New report: The Future of Privacy Resent-Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 17:21:39 +0100 Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 16:21:33 +0000 From: Pew Research Center Internet Project <info(a)pewinternet.org> New report: The Future of Privacy NUMBERS, FACTS AND TRENDS SHAPING YOUR WORLD December 18, 2014 <http://pewresearch.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=434f5d1199912232d41689…> <http://pewresearch.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=434f5d1199912232d41689…> <http://pewresearch.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=434f5d1199912232d4168…> Experts Are Divided on the Future of Privacy <http://pewresearch.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=434f5d1199912232d41689…> Are privacy and personal data rights “dead” in the digital age or merely in transition? More than 2,500 technology experts and analysts were nearly evenly divided when they were asked the question, “Will policy makers and technology innovators create a secure, popularly accepted and trusted privacy-rights infrastructure by 2025?” Fifty-five percent of the experts invited to respond to this query by the Pew Research Center and Elon University's Imagining the Internet Center answered “no,” and 45 percent answered “yes.” “The citizens will divide between those who prefer convenience and those who prefer privacy,” said Niels Ole Finnemann, a professor and director of Netlab, DigHumLab in Denmark. What else did the experts have to say? Read the full quotes and responses from many more experts in the*full report <http://pewresearch.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=434f5d1199912232d41689…>, *or*browse through a selection of highlights <http://pewresearch.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=434f5d1199912232d41689…>.*

Dec. 29, 2014