February 2020 - nexa - server-nexa.polito.it

On data rentiership in ‘Big Tech’: Why Silicon Valley might not be the innovation model we’re looking for | Discover Society

by J.C. DE MARTIN

https://discoversociety.org/2020/01/08/on-data-rentiership-in-big-tech-why-… (Sent from my wireless device; please excuse brevity and typos (if any))

Feb. 4, 2020

Re: [nexa] The Ethics of Dissent in the Workplace

by Giacomo Tesio

On 04/02/2020, M. Fioretti <mfioretti(a)nexaima.net> wrote: > On Mon, Feb 03, 2020 09:41:10 AM +0100, Giacomo Tesio wrote: >> Forse all'Università bisognerebbe offrire corsi (obbligatori) di etica >> pratica. > > Di sicuro, i corsi obbligatori di etica pratica deve farli prima di > tutto chi decide e scrive le regole, non certo progettisti e > programmatori: > > http://stop.zona-m.net/2019/08/no-its-not-maths-and-tech-specialists-who-ne… Bel pezzo. Dubito però che un giuramento "sociale" sia applicabile a manager e imprenditori in un sistema progettato per massimizzare la concentrazione del potere/profitto. Vi sarebbe una contraddizione diretta fra la spinta sistemica (globale) e quella etica individuale. Pensa ad esempio alla cosiddetta "proprietà intellettuale": danneggia la società tutta rallentando l'elaborazione collettiva di una certa informazione solo per garantire profitti ricorrenti a poche persone. L'imprenditore che volesse essere fedele a tale giuramento dovrebbe innovare veramente, innovare il proprio business model. Giacomo

Feb. 4, 2020

Re: [nexa] The Ethics of Dissent in the Workplace

by M. Fioretti

On Mon, Feb 03, 2020 09:41:10 AM +0100, Giacomo Tesio wrote: > Interessante (e velocissimo) excursus storico > > https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/at-work/tech-careers/ethics-engineers-d… > > ... > Forse all'Università bisognerebbe offrire corsi (obbligatori) di etica pratica. Di sicuro, i corsi obbligatori di etica pratica deve farli prima di tutto chi decide e scrive le regole, non certo progettisti e programmatori: http://stop.zona-m.net/2019/08/no-its-not-maths-and-tech-specialists-who-ne… -- M. Fioretti http://mfioretti.com http://stop.zona-m.net Your own civil rights and the quality of your life heavily depend on how software is used *around* you

Feb. 4, 2020

Shadow profiles are the biggest flaw in Facebook’s privacy defense - The Verge

by Alberto Cammozzo

<https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/11/17225482/facebook-shadow-profiles-zucker…> Called before Congress this week, Mark Zuckerberg tried to present Facebook’s approach to user data as open and transparent. In question after question, he focused on the privacy choices available to users, and their ownership over all the data they share — and it wasn’t all wrong. Facebook has data because users share it (mostly). Users control that data and can review it or delete it whenever they want (with a few exceptions). And if you delete your account, (almost) all of that data will disappear from Facebook’s servers within 90 days. None of it’s false, but as the parentheses should tell you, it is incomplete — and by the second day of hearings, members of Congress were starting to catch on. The most powerful example came from Rep. Ben Luján (D-NM), who confronted Zuckerberg on the company’s use of shadow profiles — a term for non-user data collection that Zuckerberg was apparently unfamiliar with. “It’s been admitted that you do collect data points on non-Facebook users,” Luján asked. “So my question is, can someone who does not have a Facebook account opt out of Facebook’s involuntary data collection?” “Congressman, anyone can opt out of any data collection for ads, whether they use our services or not,” Zuckerberg said. “But in order to prevent people from scraping public information, we need to know when someone is trying to repeatedly access our services.” "“My question is, can someone who does not have a Facebook account opt out of data collection?”" “You’ve said everyone controls their data, but you’re collecting data on people who are not even Facebook users, who never signed a consent or privacy agreement and you’re collecting their data,” Luján continued. “And you’re directing people who don’t have a Facebook page to sign up for Facebook in order to get their data.” In the exchange, Luján seized on a serious flaw in Zuckerberg’s consent-driven vision of Facebook, one that could have regulatory consequences in the months to come. The fact is, even if you’ve never signed up for Facebook, the company still has a general sense of who you are, gathered through uploaded contact lists, photos, or other sources. Facebook’s collection of data on non-Facebook users opens up a world of questions about what data is and isn’t covered by Zuckerberg’s vision of user consent and control. Zuckerberg repeatedly said that Facebook deletes all your profile data if you delete your account, but what about shadow profile data that pre-dated your account? Zuckerberg also cited the ability to download your Facebook data, but not only would a non-Facebook user not have access to that data trove, the download tool omits data Facebook clearly collects and uses, whether it’s data from Facebook’s analytics Pixel or location data pulled from a phone. The most concrete example of a shadow profile comes from Facebook’s People You May Know service, studied in detail by Kashmir Hill at Gizmodo. Even if you’ve never signed up for Facebook, you’ve appeared in the contacts lists of people who did. When users connect their email account or texting data with Facebook, countless non-users are swept up. Instead of discarding their information, Facebook keeps non-user data attached to something Hill calls a shadow profile — a reliable bank of information held in reserve so that, if you ever do sign up for Facebook, the company will know exactly who to recommend as friends. "“Even after I’ve logged out of Facebook, you guys still have the ability to follow my interactions on the web”" If that were all, it would be easy enough to wave away, but shadow profiles have become a stand-in for all the data that doesn’t make it into a person’s official profile. Facebook says that when you delete your account, all your data is gone from company servers within 90 days — but it’s hard to believe that applies to shadow profile data, which exists even without an official profile. Today, Zuckerberg assured Congress that Facebook’s data download tool included all the information on a given user — but it’s missing much of the web-based tracking that Facebook performs through the Like button embed, only showing the general interest categories that are created as a result of that data. How can we be sure there isn’t similar data being collected on non-users, or that it doesn’t remain associated with them after deleting their account? Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) tried to get an answer from Zuckerberg about the extent of Facebook’s tracking of users off the platform, but the answer was ambiguous. “It’s my understanding based on the testimony here today that even after I’ve logged out of Facebook, you guys still have the ability to follow my interactions on the web,” Schrader asked Zuckerberg. "“You have trackers all over the web.”" “You have control over what we do for ads and the information collections based on that,” Zuckerberg replied. “On security, there may be specific things about how you use Facebook, even if you’re not logged in, that we keep track of to make sure you’re not abusing the systems.” This zone of questioning is particularly tricky for Facebook because, as Luján pointed out, all of Facebook’s controls count on a person having a Facebook profile. You can’t change your ad settings or download your data unless you’re a Facebook user, even though we know the company is still holding some information relating to you. That catch-22 may soon cause problems in Europe — where the GDPR requires data-portability for all citizens, not just Facebook users. In the meantime, Facebook’s data protection tools mostly serve to distract users from the more aggressive data collection happening behind the scenes. That point was driven home by a heated speech from Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) toward the end of the hearing, taking Zuckerberg to task for a lack of information. “As CEO, you didn’t know some key facts,” Dingell told Zuckerberg. “You didn’t know what a shadow profile was. You didn’t know how many apps you need to audit. You did not know how many other firms have been sold data by Cambridge Analytica… You don’t even know all the different kinds of information Facebook is collecting from its users.” “Here’s what I do know,” Dingell continued. “You have trackers all over the web. On practically every website, we all see the Facebook like or share buttons, and with the Facebook Pixel, people may not even see that Facebook logo. It doesn’t matter whether you have a Facebook account. Through those tools, Facebook is able to collect information from all of us.”

Feb. 3, 2020

linee guida sul trattamento di dati attraverso dispositivi video adottate dal comitato dei Garanti europei

by Mauro Alovisio

Gemt.me/mi segnalo la versione definitiva delle line guida sul trattamento di dati attraverso dispositivi video adottate dal comitato dei Garanti europei dopo la consultazione pubblica on line di luglio e agosto 2018 ( https://edpb.europa.eu/our-work-tools/our-documents/guidelines/guidelines-3… ) L'occasione è lieta per inviare i più cordiali saluti Mauro Alovisio

Feb. 3, 2020

EU seeks ‘clear criteria’ for use of biometric AI on mass scale – EURACTIV.com

by Alberto Cammozzo

<https://www.euractiv.com/section/digital/news/eu-seeks-clear-criteria-for-u…> The document, an update on an earlier leaked version, has also scrapped the idea of a temporary ban on facial recognition technologies in public spaces. The document notes that the lack of information about the use of biometric identification systems prohibits the Commission from making a broad analysis of the implications of this technology, which analyses a person’s physical features for computational purposes. “This assessment will depend on the purpose for which the technology is used and on the safeguards in place to protect individuals,” the document states. “In case biometric data are used for mass surveillance, there must be clear criteria about which individuals should be identified.” In addition, the new draft states that ‘key elements’ of a future regulatory framework for artificial intelligence in Europe should be built on an ‘ecosystem of trust.’ [...]

Feb. 3, 2020

Re: [nexa] Evento sulla prevenzione del Bullismo e Cyberbullismo | 7 - 8 Febbraio 2020 | Ragazzi, Docenti, Genitori

by cristina

Gent.ma,ringrazio infinitamente..come professionista e docente ..lo seguirò a distanza.Cordialmente.m.c. Inviato da smartphone Samsung Galaxy. -------- Messaggio originale --------Da: Nexa Media <media(a)nexa.polito.it> Data: 03/02/20 15:25 (GMT+01:00) A: nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it Oggetto: [nexa] Evento sulla prevenzione del Bullismo e Cyberbullismo | 7 - 8 Febbraio 2020 | Ragazzi, Docenti, Genitori Gentilissimi, vi segnalo un'iniziativa interdisciplinare che avrà luogo il 7 e l'8 febbraio presso l'Università degli Studi di Torino in occasione della giornata nazionale contro il bullismo e il cyberbullismo. L'evento, "Per non perdersi nel mare della comunicazione", si strutturerà in un convegno formativo rivolto ad insegnanti, educatori, famiglie ed operatori del settore e in workshop formativi per allievi dell'ultimo anno di scuola primaria, e di scuole secondarie di primo grado, e per insegnanti e adulti. Per maggiori informazioni riguardo all'evento potete visitare questa pagina. Cordiali saluti, -- Anita Botta Communication Manager Nexa Center for Internet & Society Politecnico di Torino – DAUIN Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24 - 10129 Torino web: https://nexa.polito.it/ mail: anita.botta(a)polito.it tel: 011 090 7219

Feb. 3, 2020

Berlin artist uses 99 phones to trick Google into traffic jam alert | Technology | The Guardian

by Alberto Cammozzo

<https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/feb/03/berlin-artist-uses-99-ph…> A Berlin-based artist managed to create a traffic jam on one of the main bridges across the Spree with nothing but a handcart and 99 second-hand phones. But one other thing was unusual about the jam: it only existed on Google Maps. Simon Weckert’s artwork Google Maps Hacks involved the artist pulling a small red cart at walking pace down some of the main thoroughfares of Berlin. The 99 phones in the cart, all reporting their locations and movement back to Google’s servers, gave the search company the impression of a huge cluster of slow-moving traffic, which was duly reported on the company’s maps. “Through this activity, it is possible to turn a green street red, which has an impact in the physical world by navigating cars on another route to avoid being stuck in traffic,” Weckert wrote. [...]

Feb. 3, 2020

Stuart Russell e i "tre principi delle macchine benevoli"

by Federico Bo

Salve. Primo invio, mi presento: Federico Bo, ingegnere informatico. Interessato, tra l'altro, a tecnologie blockchain e AI. Mentre leggo Rebooting AI (di Gary Marcus, Ernest Davis, Pantheon, 2019) segnalo questo articolo. https://www.quantamagazine.org/artificial-intelligence-will-do-what-we-ask-… Le AI dovrebbero porsi obbiettivi a breve, medio e lungo termine, esplorando le contraddittorie e volubili intenzioni umane per capire le nostre preferenze. O meglio ciò che Russell chiama le nostre meta-preferenze: "le preferenze su quali tipi di processi di modifica delle preferenze potrebbero essere accettabili o inaccettabili". Federico -- Ing. Federico Bo /federicobo.eu <https://www.federicobo.eu/>/

Feb. 3, 2020

Evento sulla prevenzione del Bullismo e Cyberbullismo | 7 - 8 Febbraio 2020 | Ragazzi, Docenti, Genitori

by Nexa Media

Gentilissimi, vi segnalo un'iniziativa interdisciplinare che avrà luogo il 7 e l'8 febbraio presso l'Università degli Studi di Torino in occasione della giornata nazionale contro il bullismo e il cyberbullismo. L'evento, "Per non perdersi nel mare della comunicazione", si strutturerà in un convegno formativo rivolto ad insegnanti, educatori, famiglie ed operatori del settore e in workshop formativi per allievi dell'ultimo anno di scuola primaria, e di scuole secondarie di primo grado, e per insegnanti e adulti. Per maggiori informazioni riguardo all'evento potete visitare questa pagina <https://mediamentebullo.org/per-non-perdersi-nel-mare-della-comunicazione/>. Cordiali saluti, -- Anita Botta Communication Manager Nexa Center for Internet & Society Politecnico di Torino – DAUIN Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24 - 10129 Torino _web:_ https://nexa.polito.it/ _mail:_anita.botta@polito.it <mailto:anita.botta@polito.it> tel: 011 090 7219

Feb. 3, 2020