August 2017 - nexa - server-nexa.polito.it

FastCompany: "You Are Being Exploited By The Opaque, Algorithm-Driven Economy"

by J.C. DE MARTIN

*You Are Being Exploited By The Opaque, Algorithm-Driven Economy* / //Online shoppers are like Jim Carrey’s character in the Truman Show, // //totally oblivious to the actual forces controlling their reality. / By Ben Schiller 4 August 2017 5 minute Read Is internet shopping like The Truman Show–a movie about a man who thinks himself free, but whose life is actually controlled by a TV producer? Are we online consumers like Truman Burbank, hopelessly and blissfully naive while titanic companies control our fate? Are the prices we pay online a function of a competitive market, or are our choices framed in ways we don’t quite fathom? These provocative questions are posed in a fascinating book about how platform internet companies (Amazon, Facebook, and so on) are changing the norms of economic competition. Virtual Competition: The Promise and Perils of the Algorithm-Driven Economy argues that these companies, with their immense data advantage, are effectively making their own rules in the marketplace, beating back new market entrants, and disadvantaging customers. […] Continua qui: https://www.fastcompany.com/40447841/you-are-being-exploited-by-the-opaque-…

Aug. 20, 2017

Re: [nexa] DiDIY

by M. Fioretti

On 2017-07-23 17:33, elio.pennisi wrote: > Nella pagina indicata manca (o non sono stato bravo a trovare) l'icona > per accedere alla sottoscrizione. > Elio. chiedo scusa se per vari motivi ci ho messo quasi un mese a rspondere. In ogni caso, si fa ancora in tempo a firmare, e a invitare altri a farlo. Il link da usare è questo: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsHi-Jtip3YZfm6qBpaa2K4oaWzE6MZhJ… Grazie, Marco Fioretti > > Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2017 09:37:41 +0200 > From: "M. Fioretti" <mfioretti(a)nexaima.net> > To: Nexa <nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it> > Subject: [nexa] Digital DIY Manifesto > Message-ID: <680cefc9961c4b14ca7e2964cc9f8dfa(a)nexaima.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed > > Dal DiDIY Project: > > Come e perché il fai-da-te digitale è importante per la società: un > > Manifesto che verrà inviato alla Commissione Europea, e siete tutti > invitati a firmare, e ovviamente a far girare: > > http://www.didiy.eu/blogs/please-sign-digital-diy-manifesto > > Grazie e buone ferie, > > Marco > -- > http://mfioretti.com > > ------------------------------ > > Subject: Digest Footer > > _______________________________________________ > nexa mailing list > nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it > https://server-nexa.polito.it/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nexa > > ------------------------------ > > End of nexa Digest, Vol 99, Issue 30 > ************************************ > > Elio PENNISI > > > _______________________________________________ > nexa mailing list > nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it > https://server-nexa.polito.it/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nexa -- http://mfioretti.com

Aug. 20, 2017

Re: [nexa] London cops urged to scrap use of 'biased' facial recognition at Notting Hill Carnival

by Stefano Quintarelli

Avevo scritto questo sul riconoscimento facciale http://blog.quintarelli.it/2016/05/di-riconoscimento-facciale-terrorismo-e-… Che cerca di semplificare la spiegazione degli effetti del teorema di bayes Ciao, s. In data 18 agosto 2017 12:21:14 PM Alberto Cammozzo <ac+nexa(a)zeromx.net> ha scritto: > > Year-on-year deployment isn’t really a trial, say privacy groups > > <https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/08/17/concerns_over_facial_recognition_a…> > > > London's Metropolitan Police have been urged to back down on plans to > once again use facial recognition software at next weekend's Notting > Hill Carnival. > > Privacy groups including Big Brother Watch, Liberty and Privacy > International have written to police commissioner Cressida Dick > <https://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/sites/default/files/Joint%20letter%…> > (PDF) calling for a U-turn on the use of the tech. > > Automated facial recognition technology will snap the party-goers' > faces, and run them against a database. The aim is to alert cops to > people who are banned from the festival or are wanted by the police, > presumably so they can take immediate action. > > The tech was first tested at the festival – where relations between > police and revellers are often strained – last year > <https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/26/notting_hill_carnival_police_surve…>, > but it failed to identify anyone. > > Despite this, the Met said at the time > <http://news.met.police.uk/news/statement-from-police-commander-for-notting-…> > that it had "resulted in positive learning" and is describing this > year's use as a continuation of the trial. > > It also said in a statement sent to /The Register/ that there would be a > public consultation after the trial is complete. > > But the privacy groups' letter said that they "reject the notion that > year-on-year deployment constitutes a 'trial' – for which, by the > Force's own admission, there are 'no timescales'". > > The letter also points to reports of inherent biases in the system – > research has previously shown > <http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6327355/> that matching accuracies > are lower on certain cohorts of people: women, black people, and those > aged 18-30. > > "Notting Hill Carnival is an event that specifically celebrates the > British African Caribbean community," the letter states. "We reject the > proposition that it is appropriate to test biometric surveillance on > this community." > > > [...] > > _______________________________________________ > nexa mailing list > nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it > https://server-nexa.polito.it/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nexa

Aug. 19, 2017

FT: "Digital platforms force a rethink in competition theory"

by J.C. DE MARTIN

*Digital platforms force a rethink in competition theory* /Economists need to provide regulators with tools to deal with market concentration// / Diane Coyle /professor of economics at the University of Manchester /August 17, 2017 Anxiety about the health of competition in the US economy — and elsewhere — is growing. The concern may be well founded but taking forceful action will require economists to provide some practical ways of proving and measuring the harm caused by increasing market power in the digital economy. The forces driving concentration do not affect the US alone. In all digital markets, the cost structure of high upfront costs and low additional or marginal costs means there are large economies of scale. The broad impact of digital technology has been to increase the scope of the markets many businesses can hope to reach. / /[…] Continua qui: https://www.ft.com/content/9dc80408-81e1-11e7-94e2-c5b903247afd / /

Aug. 19, 2017

London cops urged to scrap use of 'biased' facial recognition at Notting Hill Carnival

by Alberto Cammozzo

Year-on-year deployment isn’t really a trial, say privacy groups <https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/08/17/concerns_over_facial_recognition_a…> London's Metropolitan Police have been urged to back down on plans to once again use facial recognition software at next weekend's Notting Hill Carnival. Privacy groups including Big Brother Watch, Liberty and Privacy International have written to police commissioner Cressida Dick <https://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/sites/default/files/Joint%20letter%…> (PDF) calling for a U-turn on the use of the tech. Automated facial recognition technology will snap the party-goers' faces, and run them against a database. The aim is to alert cops to people who are banned from the festival or are wanted by the police, presumably so they can take immediate action. The tech was first tested at the festival – where relations between police and revellers are often strained – last year <https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/26/notting_hill_carnival_police_surve…>, but it failed to identify anyone. Despite this, the Met said at the time <http://news.met.police.uk/news/statement-from-police-commander-for-notting-…> that it had "resulted in positive learning" and is describing this year's use as a continuation of the trial. It also said in a statement sent to /The Register/ that there would be a public consultation after the trial is complete. But the privacy groups' letter said that they "reject the notion that year-on-year deployment constitutes a 'trial' – for which, by the Force's own admission, there are 'no timescales'". The letter also points to reports of inherent biases in the system – research has previously shown <http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6327355/> that matching accuracies are lower on certain cohorts of people: women, black people, and those aged 18-30. "Notting Hill Carnival is an event that specifically celebrates the British African Caribbean community," the letter states. "We reject the proposition that it is appropriate to test biometric surveillance on this community." [...]

Aug. 18, 2017

Fwd: [netsociety] How significant is algorithmic personalization in searches for political parties and candidates?

by Alberto Cammozzo

Aug. 17, 2017

Re: [nexa] "Social media intelligence and profiling in the insurance industry…"

by gabriele elia

non solo socia media, anche i wearable stile Apple Watch ... Apple and Aetna Secretly Met to Discuss Adding Apple Watches to Health Insurance John Patrick Pullen<http://fortune.com/author/john-patrick-pullen/> Aug 14, 2017 <http://fortune.com/2017/08/14/apple-aetna-apple-watches-health-insurance/?u…><http://fortune.com/2017/08/14/apple-aetna-apple-watches-health-insurance/?u…> With the popularity of Fitbit's devices dropping<http://fortune.com/2017/06/05/fitbit-apple-watch-xiaomi-idc/>, Intel abandoning wearables<http://fortune.com/2017/07/20/intel-chips-wearables/>, and Jawbone liquidating its business<http://fortune.com/2017/07/07/big-money-and-big-bluster-couldnt-save-jawbon…>, it's been a very unhealthy summer for the fitness tracking industry. Apple<http://fortune.com/fortune500/apple/>, on the other hand, is looking good. According to recent research by IDC, Apple is neck-and-neck in a race with low-cost wearable maker Xiaomi for first place in fitness tracking.<http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS42707517> And Apple may have found a partner to push it ahead in the health insurance giant Aetna<http://fortune.com/fortune500/aetna/>. Apple and Aetna reportedly met in secret<https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/14/apple-aetna-secret-meetings-to-bring-apple-…> last week to discuss bringing Apple Watches to Aetna's 23 million customers, reports CNBC. In Sept. 2016, Fortunereported that Aetna had agreed to subsidize a portion of the Apple Watch's cost<http://fortune.com/2016/09/27/insurer-apple-watch-fitbit/>to promote health, manage care, and monitor use of medication. It's not clear how the two industry giants' agreement may change moving forward, but the "invitation-only meetings" spanned last Thursday and Friday, and "included executives from Aetna and Apple as well as hospital chief medical information officers across the country," says the CNBC report. Rumors abound about the next Apple Watch, which could be unveiled in September alongside new iPhone hardware. The presumed "Series 3" version of the wearable is said to come with an LTE chip<http://fortune.com/2017/08/04/apple-watch-cellular-network/> that would let users wear it untethered from an iPhone. Speculation is that the yet to be announced Apple Watch could provide diabetes monitoring<http://fortune.com/2017/04/12/apple-diabetes-biomedical-tech-treatment/>, but the need for regulatory approval<http://fortune.com/2017/04/24/apple-watch-diabetes-sensor-fda/>of such a device makes that less likely, say experts. As secretive as Apple is about its planned products, it's unlikely that we'll know Apple Watch Series 3's full capabilities until it is released<http://fortune.com/2017/04/05/apple-watch-series-3/>. http://fortune.com/2017/08/14/apple-aetna-apple-watches-health-insurance/?u… ________________________________ Da: nexa <nexa-bounces(a)server-nexa.polito.it> per conto di J.C. DE MARTIN <demartin(a)polito.it> Inviato: sabato 12 agosto 2017 16:03 A: Nexa Oggetto: [nexa] "Social media intelligence and profiling in the insurance industry…" Social media intelligence and profiling in the insurance industry… …it’s not only the price you pay that will be affected This piece was written by PI research officer Dr. Tom Fisher. The financial services industry is eager to gather more and more data about our lives. Apart from mining the data they have historically collected such as credit history, they are looking to use our social media profiles to reach into our friendships and social interactions. They are using these data in new and unexpected ways, including personality profiling to determine the risk of lending to you, and thus the price you will pay. Firstcarquote, a product from the car insurance company Admiral Insurance, is a leading example of such unexpected data exploitation. In a semi-aborted product launch in November 2016, the company proposed to use young drivers’ Facebook posts to determine their personality and use this information to offer discounts on car insurance. Not limited to causing damage to its own reputation, Admiral’s move raises serious questions about the future of the insurance industry. […] Continua qui: https://medium.com/privacy-international/social-media-intelligence-and-prof… [https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1600/1*YkfiKHdSjCAGUcYrwZYVKQ.jpeg]<https://medium.com/privacy-international/social-media-intelligence-and-prof…> Social media intelligence and profiling in the insurance ...<https://medium.com/privacy-international/social-media-intelligence-and-prof…> medium.com The financial services industry is eager to gather more and more data about our lives. Apart from mining the data they have historically collected such as credit ...

Aug. 16, 2017

Digitalizzazione italica

by don Luca Peyron

Un articolo che ci racconta lo stato dell'arte in Italia. Buona lettura Dl http://www.ilfoglio.it/tecnologia/2017/08/13/news/sono-diego-risolvo-proble…

Aug. 16, 2017

"Social media intelligence and profiling in the insurance industry…"

by J.C. DE MARTIN

*Social media intelligence and profiling in the insurance industry…* *…it’s not only the price you pay that will be affected* /This piece was written by PI research officer Dr. Tom Fisher./ The financial services industry is eager to gather more and more data about our lives. Apart from mining the data they have historically collected such as credit history, they are looking to use our social media profiles to reach into our friendships and social interactions. They are using these data in new and unexpected ways, including personality profiling to determine the risk of lending to you, and thus the price you will pay. Firstcarquote, a product from the car insurance company Admiral Insurance, is a leading example of such unexpected data exploitation. In a semi-aborted product launch in November 2016, the company proposed to use young drivers’ Facebook posts to determine their personality and use this information to offer discounts on car insurance. Not limited to causing damage to its own reputation, Admiral’s move raises serious questions about the future of the insurance industry. […] Continua qui: https://medium.com/privacy-international/social-media-intelligence-and-prof…

Aug. 12, 2017

Workers' Technology Bill of Rights (1983)

by J.C. DE MARTIN

Nel 1983 la International Association of Machinists USA pubblicava una "Workers' Technology Bill of Rights" (in allegato) Sono passati 34 anni ma è ancora interessante leggerla. Una traduzione in italiano è inclusa nel volume "La questione tecnologica" di David F. Noble (Bollati Boringhieri, 1993). Vale la pena segnalare che i Machinists pubblicarono la loro Bill of Rights sulla rivista "Democracy", diretta dal grande scienziato politico Sheldon Wolin. I (notevoli) annali dal 1981 al 1983 sono disponibili qui: https://dja8183.org/. juan carlos

Aug. 12, 2017