October 2019 - nexa - server-nexa.polito.it

Re: [nexa] Alexa and Google Home abused to eavesdrop and phish passwords | Ars Technica

by Stefano Quintarelli

non si vorra' frenare l'innovazione, vero ? Pensa all'utilità se per caso scivoli in bagno e ti trascini fino in salotto e non riuscendo ad alzarti riesci a chiamaree aiuto e qualcuno in india ti sente e avverte la polizia! potrebbe fare la differenza tra la vita e la morte! On 21/10/2019 08:45, Diego Giorio wrote: > Chissà perchè non sono sorpreso. > > Buona settimana a tutti > > D. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > *From:* nexa <nexa-bounces(a)server-nexa.polito.it> on behalf of J.C. DE > MARTIN <demartin(a)polito.it> > *Sent:* Monday, October 21, 2019 6:19 AM > *To:* Center Nexa <nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it> > *Subject:* [nexa] Alexa and Google Home abused to eavesdrop and phish > passwords | Ars Technica > > > Alexa and Google Home abused to eavesdrop and phish passwords > > > Amazon- and Google-approved apps turned both voice-controlled > devices into "smart spies." > > by Dan Goodin <https://arstechnica.com/author/dan-goodin/> - Oct 21, > 2019 1:05am CEST > > > https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/10/alexa-and-google-hom… > > > (Sent from my wireless device; please excuse brevity and typos (if any)) > > _______________________________________________ > nexa mailing list > nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it > https://server-nexa.polito.it/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nexa > -- reserve your meeting with me at http://cal.quintarelli.it

Oct. 21, 2019

Re: [nexa] Alexa and Google Home abused to eavesdrop and phish passwords | Ars Technica

by Stefano Quintarelli

chi lo avrebbe detto ? On 21/10/2019 08:45, Diego Giorio wrote: > Chissà perchè non sono sorpreso. > > Buona settimana a tutti > > D. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > *From:* nexa <nexa-bounces(a)server-nexa.polito.it> on behalf of J.C. DE > MARTIN <demartin(a)polito.it> > *Sent:* Monday, October 21, 2019 6:19 AM > *To:* Center Nexa <nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it> > *Subject:* [nexa] Alexa and Google Home abused to eavesdrop and phish > passwords | Ars Technica > > > Alexa and Google Home abused to eavesdrop and phish passwords > > > Amazon- and Google-approved apps turned both voice-controlled > devices into "smart spies." > > by Dan Goodin <https://arstechnica.com/author/dan-goodin/> - Oct 21, > 2019 1:05am CEST > > > https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/10/alexa-and-google-hom… > > > (Sent from my wireless device; please excuse brevity and typos (if any)) > > _______________________________________________ > nexa mailing list > nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it > https://server-nexa.polito.it/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nexa > -- reserve your meeting with me at http://cal.quintarelli.it

Oct. 21, 2019

Re: [nexa] Alexa and Google Home abused to eavesdrop and phish passwords | Ars Technica

by Diego Giorio

Chissà perchè non sono sorpreso. Buona settimana a tutti D. ________________________________ From: nexa <nexa-bounces(a)server-nexa.polito.it> on behalf of J.C. DE MARTIN <demartin(a)polito.it> Sent: Monday, October 21, 2019 6:19 AM To: Center Nexa <nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it> Subject: [nexa] Alexa and Google Home abused to eavesdrop and phish passwords | Ars Technica Alexa and Google Home abused to eavesdrop and phish passwords Amazon- and Google-approved apps turned both voice-controlled devices into "smart spies." by Dan Goodin<https://arstechnica.com/author/dan-goodin/> - Oct 21, 2019 1:05am CEST https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/10/alexa-and-google-hom… (Sent from my wireless device; please excuse brevity and typos (if any))

Oct. 21, 2019

Alexa and Google Home abused to eavesdrop and phish passwords | Ars Technica

by J.C. DE MARTIN

Alexa and Google Home abused to eavesdrop and phish passwords Amazon- and Google-approved apps turned both voice-controlled devices into "smart spies." by Dan Goodin - Oct 21, 2019 1:05am CEST https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/10/alexa-and-google-hom… (Sent from my wireless device; please excuse brevity and typos (if any))

Oct. 21, 2019

Manufacturing an Artificial Intelligence Revolution (2017)

by Giacomo Tesio

While the term "Artificial Intelligence" (AI) was coined in the 1950s, in recent years AI has become a focus of attention in mainstream media. Yet the forces behind AI's revival have been unclear. I argue here that the "AI" label has been rebranded to promote a contested vision of world governance through big data. Major tech companies have played a key role in the rebranding, partly by hiring academics that work on big data (which has been effectively relabeled "AI") and helping to create the sense that super-human AI is imminent. However, I argue that the latest AI systems are premised on an old behaviorist view of intelligence that's far from encompassing human thought. In practice, the confusion around AI's capacities serves as a pretext for imposing more metrics upon human endeavors and advancing traditional neoliberal policies. The revived AI, like its predecessors, seeks intelligence with a "view from nowhere" (disregarding race, gender and class)---which can also be used to mask institutional power in visions of AI-based governance. Ultimately, AI's rebranding showcases how corporate interests can rapidly reconfigure academic fields. It also brings to light how a nebulous technical term (AI) may be exploited for political gain. Un brillante paper del 2017 che mi ero perso https://ssrn.com/abstract=3078224 Giacomo

Oct. 20, 2019

Re: [nexa] nexa Digest, Vol 126, Issue 30

by Agata Lo Tauro

Volevo ringraziare di cuore Julian per il suo contributo Editoriale: "Una riforma per gli onesti" <http://demartin.polito.it/node/198> *Una riforma per gli onesti* Juan Carlos De Martin La Repubblica, p. 1, 27 settembre 2017 Lo stimo moltissimo (ed io dico sempre quello che penso... nel bene e nel male...) Ecco perchè io sono una FNEXA Io lotto anche contro la fuga dei talenti, come umanamente posso... ma cosa dovrei dire ai mie alunni che fuggono via... sbagliate? "Prof. Agata qui ci trattano male" loro dicomno??? Test di sbarramento meritocratici/inclusivi??? Vi invio anche questo informazioni (ma sono solo alcuni esempi... spunti di riflessione?) Università italiana: 110 e lode in clientelismo (bocciata in ... https://www.riparteilfuturo.it › clientelismo-baronato-nepotismo-universita <https://www.riparteilfuturo.it/blog/articoli/clientelismo-baronato-nepotism…> <https://www.google.com/search?q=Universit%C3%A0+corruzione&oq=Universit%C3%…> 1. <https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:A1t17p-lxU8J:https://…> 27 lug 2018 - Non mancano le denunce, gli arresti, le notizie sui media. Ma la lotta alle forme di corruzione nell'università italiana è ancora ai minimi termini. https://www.riparteilfuturo.it/blog/articoli/clientelismo-baronato-nepotism… Una buona domenica a tutti Il giorno sab 19 ott 2019 alle ore 20:50 <nexa-request(a)server-nexa.polito.it> ha scritto: > Send nexa mailing list submissions to > nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://server-nexa.polito.it/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nexa > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > nexa-request(a)server-nexa.polito.it > > You can reach the person managing the list at > nexa-owner(a)server-nexa.polito.it > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of nexa digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. How Abusers Are Exploiting Smart Home Devices - VICE > (Alberto Cammozzo) > 2. Google chief: I'd disclose smart speakers before guests enter > my home - BBC News (Alberto Cammozzo) > 3. Vatican's wearable rosary gets fix for app flaw allowing easy > hacks - CNET (Alberto Cammozzo) > 4. La chat dove regna l'orrore dei nostri adolescenti lasciati > soli (don Luca Peyron) > 5. interessante (Stefano Quintarelli) > 6. Re: interessante (Mario Sabatino) > 7. Re: interessante (Andrea Trentini) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2019 18:41:06 +0200 > From: Alberto Cammozzo <ac+nexa(a)zeromx.net> > To: Center Nexa <nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it> > Subject: [nexa] How Abusers Are Exploiting Smart Home Devices - VICE > Message-ID: <50a399f9-41fc-59cb-f139-128f6f5d19b1(a)zeromx.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > < > https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/d3akpk/smart-home-technology-stalking-ha… > > > > > Ross and Catherine Cairns had been married for 16 years. He was an > electronics expert, she an accountant, and by their early 30s they were > living with their two young daughters in Hale, in Greater Manchester. > The village is one of the wealthiest areas in the UK, home to upmarket > restaurants and Premier League football players. > > The Cairns household was fitted out with an ELAN smart home system. The > house’s security alarm, lighting and heating were all controlled > centrally by a tablet mounted on the kitchen wall. With the touch of one > button, the tablet let you turn off the lights and ensure the doors were > locked. Using a smartphone app, you could remotely activate security > cameras or change the music playing through the entertainment system. > Ross was the administrator; Catherine mainly used it to turn lights on > and off. > > “Monitoring your home has never been so easy!” declares the ELAN > website. Perfect for parents to keep a distant eye on their kids while > working late, but when used maliciously, also for jealous partners to > spy on their spouses. > > Internet-connected devices – wearable trackers, smart TVs, > voice-activated assistants, app-controlled locks and lights and > thermostats – promise a utopia of convenience, a world in which we don’t > need to get out of bed to turn off a ceiling light or fumble for house > keys in the bottom of a bag. But as these devices – the internet of > things, as it’s known – become ever more pervasive, so too does their > use by domestic abusers as tools for surveillance and harassment. > > “Perpetrators of domestic abuse like to keep tabs on their partners. > They like to know what you’ve been up to and where you’ve been,” says > Sara Kirkpatrick, Research and Services Development Manager at Respect. > “Being tracked is so much easier than it ever was.” > > As of January 2019, domestic violence charity Refuge has documented more > than 2,500 people seeking their support services who have reported > experiences of technology-facilitated abuse. > > Ross and Catherine separated in 2016. They remained friendly and the > children spent time with both parents. Ross moved in with his mother in > the neighbouring town of Altrincham, a five-minute drive from Hale. > > On August 12, 2017, Ross visited the family home to fix a fish tank. > While he was there, she handed him her mobile, as she also wanted him to > check the security system. “When he was on it, he read messages I had > sent to a man I had been on a date with,” Catherine would later testify > in Manchester Magistrates’ Court. Ross became agitated. He left the > house, then came back inside, crying. “He ran upstairs and got the > wedding rings and said that I wouldn’t need them.” > > Catherine told her parents about the incident. Standing in the kitchen > with her mother, she said that she no longer loved Ross. “The next thing > I knew, he was downstairs telling the kids he was moving back in,” > testified Catherine. “He repeated the conversation that I had with my > mum. He said, ‘Oh, you don’t love me anymore.’” > > Ross later admitted to accessing the ELAN system remotely through an app > on his iPhone to eavesdrop on conversations. He also hacked into her > Bumble accounts, posting an intimate picture and sending explicit > messages. Catherine switched off the control tablet’s camera function > and asked an IT engineer to change the system password. But even after > this, the system logged more remote connections on October 14 and 15. > > “It looks like he was using the system as normal, but hadn't informed > her exactly how it works,” says Bill Hensley, a spokesperson for ELAN. > The password was likely changed for only the security system, he says, > but not for the overriding administrator account. “It doesn't look like > there was a breach.” > > “Prosecuting cases involving the use of technology in order to commit > offences present real difficulties,” says Neil White, who was the > prosecutor in the Cairns case. “With offences like harassment, this can > be especially difficult, as there can be issues like shared IP > addresses, or of one party having the technological knowledge, and being > able to abuse it, when the other doesn't.” > > In May 2018, Ross was convicted of stalking and harassment. In court, he > claimed that he had accessed ELAN remotely only to switch lights on or > off, or adjust television volume. The stalking conviction was later > quashed on appeal, but the harassment offence was upheld and he was > banned from contacting Catherine for three years. > > The Cairns court case marked one of the first convictions involving IoT > technology, says Leonie Tanczer, a gender and IoT researcher at > University College London. The rise of smart devices, she believes, > creates a new arsenal of tools that can be used against people already > at risk of domestic abuse. Tanczer leads a research project on the topic > in collaboration with the London Violence Against Women and Girls > Consortium, comprising 29 organisations. > > Discussions with support groups have identified examples such as spying > via smart TVs and security cameras at entrances, tracking location via > GPS-enabled smartwatches, and physical gaslighting – remotely changing > the temperature in a room by meddling with the heating system. Refuge, > which is part of the consortium, has found a rise in women whose kids’ > video game consoles have been hacked by perpetrators to trace > information including a child’s location. > > [...] > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2019 18:54:38 +0200 > From: Alberto Cammozzo <ac+nexa(a)zeromx.net> > To: Center Nexa <nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it> > Subject: [nexa] Google chief: I'd disclose smart speakers before > guests enter my home - BBC News > Message-ID: <6e0826b4-0054-c262-a1c7-6a00c2df6bab(a)zeromx.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > <https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50048144> > > It's an admission that appears to have caught Google's devices chief by > surprise. > > After being challenged as to whether homeowners should tell guests smart > devices - such as a Google Nest speaker or Amazon Echo display - are in > use before they enter the building, he concludes that the answer is > indeed yes. > > "Gosh, I haven't thought about this before in quite this way," Rick > Osterloh begins. > > "It's quite important for all these technologies to think about all > users... we have to consider all stakeholders that might be in proximity." > > And then he commits. > > "Does the owner of a home need to disclose to a guest? I would and do > when someone enters into my home, and it's probably something that the > products themselves should try to indicate." > > To be fair to Google, it hasn't completely ignored matters of 21st > Century privacy etiquette until now. > > As Mr Osterloh points out, its Nest cameras shine an LED light when they > are in record mode, which cannot be overridden. > > But the idea of having to run around a home unplugging or at least > restricting the capabilities of all its voice- and camera-equipped kit > if a visitor objects is quite the ask. > > [...] > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2019 19:03:18 +0200 > From: Alberto Cammozzo <ac+nexa(a)zeromx.net> > To: Center Nexa <nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it> > Subject: [nexa] Vatican's wearable rosary gets fix for app flaw > allowing easy hacks - CNET > Message-ID: <e27813ee-d98f-1c09-7a1b-30bd642b7a18(a)zeromx.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Qui serve un e-Sorcista! > > > < > https://www.cnet.com/news/vaticans-wearable-rosary-gets-fix-for-app-flaw-al… > > > > > The road to internet-connected salvation is paved with cybersecurity > issues. The Vatican discovered that Thursday, after a security > researcher disclosed a severe vulnerability with the "Click to Pray" > eRosary app. > > On Wednesday, the Vatican announced its $110 wearable rosary, an > internet of things device that syncs with an app from the Pope's > Worldwide Prayer Network. One advantage of IoT devices is that they open > up a new way for people to interact with resources. With the eRosary, > the Vatican said, people can get different prayers every day, as well as > reminders on when to pray. > > The downside of IoT devices is that they're ripe for security issues. > Lawmakers in the US have consistently called out poor security practices > on connected gadgets, warning that they could lead to a flood of > vulnerable devices. > > French security researcher Baptiste Robert found a significant flaw in > the Vatican's app within 15 minutes. The vulnerability would have let a > hacker take over a person's account, just by knowing the potential > victim's registered email address. > > "This vulnerability is very severe as it allows an attacker to take over > the victim's account and get his personal information," Robert said in a > message. > > The Vatican didn't respond to a request for comment. Robert said he > reached out to the Vatican on Wednesday and the security issue has since > been fixed. > > The flaw worked because of how the app handled login credentials, Robert > said. > > When you register for the "Click to Pray" app, you sign up with an > email, and instead of setting a password, the app sends a PIN code to > your inbox. You log in like this every time. > > Before the fix, the app was sending out requests to its server to email > you the four-digit PIN. The issue was that PIN code itself was also sent > on the network. Anyone analyzing the network traffic could have seen the > response with the PIN sent. > > Robert demonstrated this vulnerability with an account we created on the > app. Every time he gained access to the account, the app logged me out, > telling me I was logged in on another device. It also sent an email with > a new PIN code I didn't request. > > Once he had access, Robert was able to do anything I could on the > account. He saw what I set as my gender, height, weight and birthday, as > well as the cat photo I used for my avatar. He also deleted my account > and was able to access a second account that I had made right after. > > The app logs other personal information as well, like how often someone > prays, and it works as a fitness tracker. The rosary keeps track of how > many steps a person takes throughout the day and distance traveled. > > The Android app also asks for access to location data and permissions to > make calls. > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2019 19:22:52 +0200 > From: don Luca Peyron <dluca.universitari(a)gmail.com> > To: Nexa <nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it> > Subject: [nexa] La chat dove regna l'orrore dei nostri adolescenti > lasciati soli > Message-ID: > < > CAGS_u7iAK6eUGXtQNFxUBmomOAxXuCkhfA8eQUEZ1rmazcp11A(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Qui l' e- sorcista serve davvero, purtroppo! > > Buon lettura > > dl > > > https://www.famigliacristiana.it/articolo/la-chat-dove-regna-l-orrore-dei-n… > > *L’online non ha funzioni educative. *Può diventare educativo, all’interno > di un solido progetto pensato e sostenuto da adulti attenti. Ma se quegli > adulti non ci sono, l’online diventa il paese dei balocchi, dove le scelte > dei nostri figli sono funzionali a nutrire il loro cervello di eccitazione > e sensazioni forti, intensissime. > > > _________________________ > www.universitari.to.it > via XX settembre 83, Torino > tel. 011 5156239 >

Oct. 20, 2019

Re: [nexa] interessante

by Giacomo Tesio

Conoscevo Delta Chat ma vedo che ha fatto enormi progressi nell'ultimo anno. Non conoscevo affatto ox-coi: grazie a tutti della segnalazione. On 20/10/2019, Mario Sabatino <sevenofnine(a)riseup.net> wrote: > Ho installato sia ox-coi che Delta Chat. Cmq preferisco la seconda perchè è > disponibile anche su F-Droid. Sono molto simili. L'idea di usare l'IMAP per > la chat è secondo me geniale. Vero. Rispetto ad una soluzione P2P come Jami ( https://jami.net/ ) permette ai server SMTP intermedi di conoscere alcuni metadati come il destinatario e il mittente, ma l'architettura è notevolmente più semplice e, per una volta, il network effect gioca a favore del software libero. Jami infatti soffre ancora di alcuni limiti di usabilità quando si trova in reti private che siano un minimo articolate. Comunque si tratta di progetti su cui investire. Grazie ancora per la segnalazione! Giacomo

Oct. 20, 2019

Re: [nexa] interessante

by Mario Sabatino

Ho installato sia ox-coi che Delta Chat. Cmq preferisco la seconda perchè è disponibile anche su F-Droid. Sono molto simili. L'idea di usare l'IMAP per la chat è secondo me geniale. Il 19 ottobre 2019 20:50:07 CEST, Andrea Trentini <andrea.trentini(a)unimi.it> ha scritto: >On 19/10/2019 20:35, Mario Sabatino wrote: >> C'è anche Delta Chat >> >> https://delta.chat/it/ >> >> Qualcuno la conosce? > >io l'ho usato per un po' per valutarlo, poi son passato a cose tipo >tox/riot/etc. > >cmq la soluzione definitiva (al problema della messaggistica >decentralizzata) non l'ho ancora > > >-- >|_|0|_| Andrea Trentini - http://atrent.it >|_|_|0| Dipartimento di Informatica >|0|0|0| Università degli Studi di Milano -- Mario Sabatino

Oct. 20, 2019

Re: [nexa] Vatican's wearable rosary gets fix for app flaw allowing easy hacks - CNET

by Giacomo Tesio

In prima lettura mi hanno fatto un po' tenerezza. The register sottolinea anche con una certa ironia che Father Frederic Fornos, the International Director Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network, told The Register that as soon as he was alerted to the security weaknesses by Fidus on Thursday, he put Vatican coders on the job to fix it, and pledged to, miracles upon miracles, have the holes patched over within 24 hours. https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/10/18/vatican_erosary_insecure/ Un bugfix di sicurezza in 24 ore è veramente fuori standard nell'informatica mondana: spesso 90 giorni non bastano! Ma se ci pensi un momento, l'e-Sorcista serve davvero! Perché qui abbiamo la Chiesa Cattolica che si mette a sorvegliare i fedeli! Come la chiamiamo? Comunione di Sorveglianza? :-D I bachi emersi mostrano come questa stratosferica scivolata del Vaticano sia dovuta ad una abissale ignoranza. Ma se la Chiesa si mette a giocare alla start-up di sorveglianza, noi cattolici abbiamo un serio problema. Giacomo On 19/10/2019, Alberto Cammozzo <ac+nexa(a)zeromx.net> wrote: > Qui serve un e-Sorcista! > > > <https://www.cnet.com/news/vaticans-wearable-rosary-gets-fix-for-app-flaw-al…> > > > The road to internet-connected salvation is paved with cybersecurity > issues. The Vatican discovered that Thursday, after a security > researcher disclosed a severe vulnerability with the "Click to Pray" > eRosary app. > > On Wednesday, the Vatican announced its $110 wearable rosary, an > internet of things device that syncs with an app from the Pope's > Worldwide Prayer Network. One advantage of IoT devices is that they open > up a new way for people to interact with resources. With the eRosary, > the Vatican said, people can get different prayers every day, as well as > reminders on when to pray. > > The downside of IoT devices is that they're ripe for security issues. > Lawmakers in the US have consistently called out poor security practices > on connected gadgets, warning that they could lead to a flood of > vulnerable devices. > > French security researcher Baptiste Robert found a significant flaw in > the Vatican's app within 15 minutes. The vulnerability would have let a > hacker take over a person's account, just by knowing the potential > victim's registered email address. > > "This vulnerability is very severe as it allows an attacker to take over > the victim's account and get his personal information," Robert said in a > message. > > The Vatican didn't respond to a request for comment. Robert said he > reached out to the Vatican on Wednesday and the security issue has since > been fixed. > > The flaw worked because of how the app handled login credentials, Robert > said. > > When you register for the "Click to Pray" app, you sign up with an > email, and instead of setting a password, the app sends a PIN code to > your inbox. You log in like this every time. > > Before the fix, the app was sending out requests to its server to email > you the four-digit PIN. The issue was that PIN code itself was also sent > on the network. Anyone analyzing the network traffic could have seen the > response with the PIN sent. > > Robert demonstrated this vulnerability with an account we created on the > app. Every time he gained access to the account, the app logged me out, > telling me I was logged in on another device. It also sent an email with > a new PIN code I didn't request. > > Once he had access, Robert was able to do anything I could on the > account. He saw what I set as my gender, height, weight and birthday, as > well as the cat photo I used for my avatar. He also deleted my account > and was able to access a second account that I had made right after. > > The app logs other personal information as well, like how often someone > prays, and it works as a fitness tracker. The rosary keeps track of how > many steps a person takes throughout the day and distance traveled. > > The Android app also asks for access to location data and permissions to > make calls. > _______________________________________________ > nexa mailing list > nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it > https://server-nexa.polito.it/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nexa >

Oct. 19, 2019

Re: [nexa] Perdonate il link :-) spero di non disturbarvi (altrimenti perdonatemi perfavore)

by Giacomo Tesio

On 19/10/2019, Diego Giorio <dgiorio(a)hotmail.com> wrote: > Mah, in linea generale sono d'accordo, ma non credo (spero) che un singolo > episodio possa/debba variare la profilazione generale [...] > E' quindi interesse di tutti, profilatori in primis, scartare i dati fuori > schema. Al contrario! :-D Stai proiettando l'esperienza umana di profilazione di un soggetto, necessariamente sintetica, con quella automatica effettuata da un software statistico (impropriamente detto machine learning). Ogni click veicola una quantità enorme di dati relativi all'utente. Già in sé stesso (ora, luogo, identità, pagina di provenienza, contenuto richiesto etc) cui si aggiungono le informazioni deducibili dal contesto in cui viene effettuato. Da questi dati è possibile dedurre alcune informazioni CERTE: l'ora, il luogo, l'identità per esempio. Se ci limitassimo a questo tipo di informazioni, allora avresti ragione. Ma dai dati raccolti è anche possibile trarre informazioni PROBABILI. E qui la questione si fa più interessante. Prendiamo il caso del video del Papa. Immaginami come un nodo in un grafo: il mio click sul link permette di stabilire una serie di archi che mettono in relazione la mia identità (il mio utente/profilo) ad alcuni concetti: "cattolico", "informatico", "ateo devoto", "anticlericale", ciascuno con una probabilità diversa. Quelle relazioni/archi prima del click non erano presenti nel grafo, ora esistono. Ma non sono tutti uguali: ciascuno ha un "peso" diverso. Come viene inizializzato questo peso? Sulla base del peso che archi che collegano persone simili a me a quegli stessi concetti. E come faccio a sapere quali persone sono simili a me? Semplice: sono simili a me le persone collegate a molti degli stessi concetti e con pesi simili. Ad ogni click il profilatore arricchisce il proprio profilo, correggendo minuziosamente la probabilità della nostra relazione con un certo concetto. In questo modo è possibile distinguere per esempio cattolici da anticlericali. E' possibile distinguere il consumo critico di una notizia (o di una fake news) dal suo accoglimento acritico. Ogni singolo click dunque è fondamentale per il profilatore che non cancellerebbe MAI informazioni "fuori schema" (le quali per altro sono LE PIU' INTERESSANTI) anche perché, il profilatore è un software con bias (ovvero bacato), non una persona con uno schema in mente. Se è vero che l'intelligenza artificiale non è intelligente affatto, non bisogna comunque sottovalutare la sua potenza computazionale: i modelli predittivi che è in grado di determinare possono essere estremamente articolati e precisi. E in Google non hanno problemi di spazio su disco. ;-) L'interesse del profilatore è conservare ogni singolo bit registrato, traendone ogni possibile deduzione oggi ma preservandolo anche per quando la tecnologia permetterà di dedurre ulteriori informazioni da quel bit. > La profilazione, quella fatta bene, è molto complessa e, pur con le > condivisibili attenzioni suggerite, non è facile sfuggire Oh beh, ma noi ormai siamo fottuti. Alla nostra età, non si tratta di sfuggire ma di ridurre il danno. Sia a livello individuale che sociale e politico. Tuttavia la nostra consapevolezza (quando c'è) deve essere utile alle nuove generazioni per evitare i nostri errori. Ne va della loro autonomia. Ed una volta che sai come funziona il sistema, sfuggire al suo controllo non è poi così difficile. Da un lato bisogna minimizzare la diffusione di informazioni reali, dall'altro bisogna diffondere informazioni sbagliate, creando archi in quel grafo che non esistono nella realtà. > perchè gli indizi > più probanti sono i canali a cui si è iscritti, i siti preferiti, le mailing > list (questa compresa), le reazioni e condivisioni sui social e così via, Ragioni come un essere umano. ;-) Certamente le nostre comunicazioni pubbliche vengono usate per costruire ed arricchire quel grafo. Ma queste comunicazioni pubbliche sono parte della nostra percezione consapevole di ciò che siamo. Con un click veicoliamo anche aspetti della nostra personalità di cui non siamo consapevoli o che non vorremo condividere con altri. Trattandosi di una novità nel nostro processo evolutivo, non percepiamo il rischio connesso ad un click. Un click ci appare come un atto privato, che avviene nel chiuso delle nostre mura domestiche. Ma non è così. > tutte cose alle quali non è facile rinunciare, anche per non perdersi > notizie di proprio interesse. Nessuno dice di rinunciare a nulla. Si tratta semplicemente di usare senza farsi usare. Cosa relativamente semplice (ma potrebbe esserlo molto di più) se si conosce il funzionamento del sistema. Purtroppo da un lato abbiamo utenti che credono ingenuamente di usare un sofware cui "non è facile rinunciare" e dall'altro aziende che investono denaro, capacità e competenza alla loro addomesticazione attraverso tale software. Ed il primo passo, naturalmente, è convincerle di non poter fare a meno del software in questione. Giacomo

Oct. 19, 2019