October 2021 - nexa - server-nexa.polito.it

Re: [nexa] Exclusive: Government Secretly Orders Google To Identify Anyone Who Has Searched A Name, Address And Telephone Number

by 380°

Giacomo Tesio <giacomo(a)tesio.it> writes: [...] > It’s a rare example of a so-called keyword warrant and, with the number > of search terms included, the broadest on record. [...] Negli USA i warrant vengono chiesti _solo_ per indagini sui cittadini USA, per il resto del mondo non c'è bisogno, come d'altronde del resto del mondo non si occupa la magistratura USA ma solo le agenzie di intelligence. > The latest case shows Google is continuing to comply with such controversial > requests, despite concerns over their legality and the potential to implicate > innocent people who happened to search for the relevant terms. [...] Questa manfrina sulla legalità o meno di queste pratiche comincia a risultare stucchevole: si decidano una volta per tutte (ma non lo faranno mai, ai governi piace avere margini di manovra nella "zona grigia"). Comunque la legalità o meno riguarda /solo/ gli USA, quello che fanno verso il resto del mondo è sicurezza nazionale e /vale tutto/. [...] > Continua su https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2021/10/04/google-keyword-warra… > > Il lettore attento noterà che per poter rispondere a queste richieste, > Google deve mantenere un registro di ogni ricerca effettuata da ogni > utente. > > Ogni singola ricerca che effettuate viene associata con _almeno_ una data > ed un IP al vostro profilo. > E lì resterà per sempre. > > Così come ogni singola visita ad un sito che utilizzi Google Analytics. > Ogni suono intercettato dal "assistente virtuale" sullo smartphone... Non lo fanno solo in Google, lo fa ogni fornitore di "servizi" un po' grossino; mantengono tutti quei dati in un gigantesco database distribuito nel mondo, come descritto in questo articolo recentemente ricordato da Giacomo in altro thread: https://www.cringely.com/2013/11/02/google-file-system-makes-nsas-hack-blat… «The Google File System makes NSA’s hack blatantly illegal and they know it» Attenzione al passaggio: --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8--- The artifice is that by GCHQ grabbing data for the NSA and the NSA presumably grabbing data for GCHQ, both agencies can comply with domestic laws and technically aren’t spying on their own citizens when in fact that’s exactly what they have been doing. --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8--- Ora sappiamo che NSA usava pratiche anticostituzionali in USA /per/ i cittadini USA, ma NON per i cittadini di TUTTO il resto del mondo: immagino /quindi/ che NSA continui la sua opera meglio di prima :-O Lo so che è ovvio ma il risultato netto delle pratiche di sorveglianza globale va MOLTO ben oltre Google, gli USA e il presente. Detto in altro modo: la NSA usa tecniche potentissime ma anche i servizi segreti cinesi non sono gli ultimi degli imbecilli nel campo... solo che ancora non c'è lo "Snowden cinese" (e il cinese è difficile da imparare). Saluti, 380° -- 380° (Giovanni Biscuolo public alter ego) «Noi, incompetenti come siamo, non abbiamo alcun titolo per suggerire alcunché» Disinformation flourishes because many people care deeply about injustice but very few check the facts. Ask me about <https://stallmansupport.org>.

Oct. 6, 2021

Ex-Uber driver takes legal action over ‘racist’ face-recognition software | Uber | The Guardian

by Alberto Cammozzo

<https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/oct/05/ex-uber-driver-takes-leg…> An Uber <https://www.theguardian.com/technology/uber> driver who lost his job when automated face-scanning software failed to recognise him is accusing the firm of indirect race discrimination in a legal test case. The black driver, who worked on the Uber platform from 2016 until April 2021, has filed an employment tribunal claim alleging his account was illegally deactivated when facial-verification software used to log drivers on to the ride-hailing app decided he was not who he said he was. The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which is backing the action, claimed at least 35 other drivers had had their registration with Uber terminated as a result of alleged mistakes with the software since the start of the pandemic. It is calling for Uber to scrap the “racist algorithm” and reinstate terminated drivers. Uber said it “strongly refutes the completely unfounded claims” and that it was “committed to fighting racism and being a champion for equality – both inside and outside our company”. The firm said the checks were “designed to protect the safety and security of everyone who uses the app by ensuring the correct driver is using their account”. Drivers can choose human verification of their picture, and when technology is chosen “there is always a minimum of two human expert reviews prior to any decision to remove a driver”, she said. Uber has used the software <https://www.uber.com/en-GB/blog/real-time-id-check-uk-drivers/> since April 2020. In 2019 Microsoft, which makes the software, conceded <https://www.itv.com/news/2019-01-23/microsoft-warns-about-dangers-posed-by-…> facial recognition software did not work as well for people of colour and could fail to recognise them. Studies of several facial recognition software packages <https://www.media.mit.edu/publications/actionable-auditing-investigating-th…> have shown that error rates when recognising people with darker skin have been higher than among lighter-skinned people, although Microsoft and others have been improving performance. Uber said its software did not rely on scanning large numbers of faces, which had been blamed for introducing error. Rather it verified an already uploaded picture of the driver against their freshly submitted selfie. [...]

Oct. 5, 2021

Re: [nexa] Facebook outage

by Giacomo Tesio

On October 5, 2021 4:43:43 PM UTC, "380°" wrote: > Giuseppe Attardi <attardi(a)di.unipi.it> writes: > > > https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/4/22708989/instagram-facebook-outage-messe… > potrebbe succedere di peggio, anche a loro, e non per un > errore di configurazione. :-D È questo il bello del nostro lavoro, giusto? Potrebbe SEMPRE essere stato un errore. Aziende ed intelligence ci giocano da sempre per giustificare le peggiori porcate. [1] Era ora che iniziassimo anche noi informatici! ;-) Giacomo [1] primo esempio a caso: http://warincontext.org/2013/11/04/nsa-hack-is-blatantly-illegal-and-alexan…

Oct. 5, 2021

Russia is building its own kind of sovereign internet — with help from Apple and Google

by J.C. DE MARTIN

https://theconversation.com/russia-is-building-its-own-kind-of-sovereign-in… (Sent from my wireless device; please excuse brevity and typos (if any))

Oct. 5, 2021

Re: [nexa] Facebook outage

by 380°

Giuseppe Attardi <attardi(a)di.unipi.it> writes: > https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/4/22708989/instagram-facebook-outage-messe… --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8--- Cloudflare senior vice president Dane Knecht notes that Facebook’s border gateway protocol routes — BGP helps networks pick the best path to deliver internet traffic — were suddenly “withdrawn from the internet.” While some have speculated about hackers, or an internal protest over last night’s whistleblower report, there isn’t any information yet to suggest anything malicious is to blame. --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8--- Questione assai tecnica quanto esiziale per Internet: problemi con BGP (Border Gateway Protocol), il "fil di ferro" (gli anglosassoni lo chiamano "duct tape of the web") che instrada i pacchetti su Internet. Leggo che Facebook ha ufficialmente dichiarato essersi trattato di errore di configurazione: c'è un comunicato stampa ufficiale? A tempo di record, Wikipedia ha un articolo che è quasi un'inchiesta in tempo reale: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Facebook_outage Forse davvero questa volta è stato solo un brutto errore. ...però fossi nei dirigenti di Twitter e Reddit ci andrei piano con l'ironia, potrebbe succedere di peggio, anche a loro, e non per un errore di configurazione. Saluti, 380° -- 380° (Giovanni Biscuolo public alter ego) «Noi, incompetenti come siamo, non abbiamo alcun titolo per suggerire alcunché» Disinformation flourishes because many people care deeply about injustice but very few check the facts. Ask me about <https://stallmansupport.org>.

Oct. 5, 2021

[NEXA] Emissioni GHG in cloud pubblico e rendicontazione

by Giovanna Sissa

Segnalo un articolo sul tema delle emissioni GHG su Cloud pubblico e sulla impossibilità attuale dei clienti di conoscerle (e dunque di rendicontarle, anche se solo su base facoltativa, nel protocollo GHG): https://www.agendadigitale.eu/smart-city/quanto-inquina-il-cloud-ecco-perch… Qualcuno sa se, nell’ambito della discussione sul cloud pubblico, il tema è in qualche modo emerso, magari a livello europeo? Giovanna Sissa

Oct. 5, 2021

Attuazione direttiva copyright - audizione AISA

by Roberto Caso

Buonasera, forse può essere di interesse per la lista: https://aisa.sp.unipi.it/una-procedura-di-normazione-anomala-ed-opaca-testo… A presto, rc -- Roberto Caso Professore Associato di Diritto Privato Comparato Università di Trento - Facoltà di Giurisprudenza La società della mercificazione e della sorveglianza: dalla persona ai dati <https://www.robertocaso.it/2021/03/13/la-societa-della-mercificazione-e-del…>, Milano, Ledizioni, 2021 <https://www.robertocaso.it/2021/03/13/la-societa-della-mercificazione-e-del…> La rivoluzione incompiuta. La scienza aperta tra diritto d'autore e proprietà intellettuale, Milano, Ledizioni, 2020 <https://www.robertocaso.it/2019/12/13/la-rivoluzione-incompiuta/> http://www5.unitn.it/People/it/Web/Persona/PER0000633 https://lawtech.jus.unitn.it/ https://aisa.sp.unipi.it/chi-siamo/ https://www.robertocaso.it/ https://twitter.com/RobertoCaso

Oct. 5, 2021

Re: [nexa] Brookings: "It is time to restore the US Office of Technology Assessment"

by J.C. DE MARTIN

P.P.S. E spulciare qui: https://ota.fas.org/technology_assessment_and_congress/ jc On 05/10/21 17:12, J.C. DE MARTIN wrote: > P.S. Chi volesse approfondire potrebbe dare un'occhiata alla > sezione "Further reading" della pagina Wikipedia: > > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Technology_Assessment > > jc > > > > On 05/10/21 17:09, J.C. DE MARTIN wrote: >> Rapporto Brookings del febbraio 2021, ma l'ho notato solo adesso >> (oppure l'ho dimenticato...). >> >> A proposito: se qualcuno vuole farsi un'idea concreta di che cosa ha >> prodotto >> l'OTA nei suoi circa 20 anni di esistenza può dare un'occhiata >> a questo elenco: >> >> http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=United%20St… >> >> jc >> >> *It is time to restore the US Office of Technology Assessment* >> >> Darrell M. West >> >> Wednesday, February 10, 2021 >> >> SUMMARY >> >> The past several decades have seen digital technologies revolutionize >> a number of different sectors. Advances such as artificial >> intelligence, machine learning, and mobile technology have reshaped >> the landscape and provided new ways of analyzing information, >> handling communications, and undertaking financial transactions. Yet >> 25 years ago, just as the digital era was unfolding, Congress >> terminated the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that provided >> legislators with research on new developments and recommendations for >> dealing with digital problems. At a time when Americans are worried >> about privacy, security, fairness, transparency, and human safety, it >> is time to bring back the OTA so that members have the latest advice >> on how to deal with these issues. >> >> https://www.brookings.edu/research/it-is-time-to-restore-the-us-office-of-t… >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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

Oct. 5, 2021

Re: [nexa] Brookings: "It is time to restore the US Office of Technology Assessment"

by J.C. DE MARTIN

P.S. Chi volesse approfondire potrebbe dare un'occhiata alla sezione "Further reading" della pagina Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Technology_Assessment jc On 05/10/21 17:09, J.C. DE MARTIN wrote: > Rapporto Brookings del febbraio 2021, ma l'ho notato solo adesso > (oppure l'ho dimenticato...). > > A proposito: se qualcuno vuole farsi un'idea concreta di che cosa ha > prodotto > l'OTA nei suoi circa 20 anni di esistenza può dare un'occhiata > a questo elenco: > > http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=United%20St… > > jc > > *It is time to restore the US Office of Technology Assessment* > > Darrell M. West > > Wednesday, February 10, 2021 > > SUMMARY > > The past several decades have seen digital technologies revolutionize > a number of different sectors. Advances such as artificial > intelligence, machine learning, and mobile technology have reshaped > the landscape and provided new ways of analyzing information, handling > communications, and undertaking financial transactions. Yet 25 years > ago, just as the digital era was unfolding, Congress terminated the > Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that provided legislators with > research on new developments and recommendations for dealing with > digital problems. At a time when Americans are worried about privacy, > security, fairness, transparency, and human safety, it is time to > bring back the OTA so that members have the latest advice on how to > deal with these issues. > > https://www.brookings.edu/research/it-is-time-to-restore-the-us-office-of-t… > > > _______________________________________________ > nexa mailing list > nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it > https://server-nexa.polito.it/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nexa

Oct. 5, 2021

Brookings: "It is time to restore the US Office of Technology Assessment"

by J.C. DE MARTIN

Rapporto Brookings del febbraio 2021, ma l'ho notato solo adesso (oppure l'ho dimenticato...). A proposito: se qualcuno vuole farsi un'idea concreta di che cosa ha prodotto l'OTA nei suoi circa 20 anni di esistenza può dare un'occhiata a questo elenco: http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=United%20St… jc *It is time to restore the US Office of Technology Assessment* Darrell M. West Wednesday, February 10, 2021 SUMMARY The past several decades have seen digital technologies revolutionize a number of different sectors. Advances such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and mobile technology have reshaped the landscape and provided new ways of analyzing information, handling communications, and undertaking financial transactions. Yet 25 years ago, just as the digital era was unfolding, Congress terminated the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that provided legislators with research on new developments and recommendations for dealing with digital problems. At a time when Americans are worried about privacy, security, fairness, transparency, and human safety, it is time to bring back the OTA so that members have the latest advice on how to deal with these issues. https://www.brookings.edu/research/it-is-time-to-restore-the-us-office-of-t…

Oct. 5, 2021