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Does Palantir See Too Much? - The New York Times
by Alberto Cammozzo Oct. 21, 2020

Oct. 21, 2020

<https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/10/21/magazine/palantir-alex-karp.…> [...] Yet Palantir’s work on the coronavirus has also highlighted the mistrust that trails the company. In Europe, it is viewed with suspicion because of the C.I.A. connection. But the main source of apprehension is simply the nature of Palantir’s work. Although Palantir claims it does not store or sell client data and has incorporated into its software what it insists are robust privacy controls, those who worry about the sanctity of personal information see Palantir as a particularly malignant avatar of the Big Data revolution. Karp himself doesn’t deny the risk. “Every technology is dangerous,” he says, “including ours.” The fact that the health records of millions of people are now being funneled through Palantir’s software has only added to the unease. That’s especially true in the United States, where the Department of Health and Human Services is using Palantir’s software to analyze virus-related data. Palantir’s work with H.H.S. has become bound up in the biggest controversy that the company has faced, over its relationship with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Progressive activists and members of Congress have expressed fear that the information collected by H.H.S. could be used by the Trump administration to expand its immigration crackdown, in which Palantir’s technology has played a part. And the fact that Palantir was awarded a pair of no-bid contracts valued at nearly $25 million by H.H.S. has amplified concerns that it has benefited from Thiel’s support of President Trump. Thiel was one of his most prominent backers in 2016, even speaking at the Republican National Convention. Palantir’s perceived links to the president have made it an object of suspicion among liberals, which frustrates Karp. In contrast to Thiel, the 53-year-old Karp is a self-described “progressive warrior” who says he voted for Hillary Clinton and who has expressed antipathy for Trump. His greatest fear, he says, is the rise of fascism. Although Karp’s political views are widely shared in Silicon Valley, he is one of the tech industry’s unlikeliest chief executives. He co-founded Palantir with no background in computer science or business. Instead, he holds a law degree from Stanford University and a doctorate in social theory from Goethe University in Frankfurt, where for a time his thesis adviser was Jürgen Habermas, possibly Europe’s most celebrated living social philosopher. On the corporate scene, Karp is a sui generis figure, a fact vividly on display that autumn afternoon in the Luxembourg Gardens. Until recently, it could be argued that his intellectual pedigree and political leanings were a kind of shield for Palantir, deflecting criticism of its work — or at least keeping critics off balance. But fairly or not, Palantir has come to be regarded as an enabler and prime beneficiary of Trump’s presidency, which has rendered the company toxic in the eyes of many progressives. In response to the criticism of Palantir’s relationship with ICE, Karp has attacked the tech industry over what he sees as its insufficient patriotism. Palantir recently relocated its headquarters from Palo Alto to Denver, a move that seemed partly rooted in the contempt that Karp and Thiel have for Silicon Valley. The company, which has yet to turn a profit, went public last month amid concerns that its prospects in Washington could be diminished under a Biden administration. Palantir says that its software solves “the world’s hardest problems.” Removing the stain of Trumpism may prove to be an especially hard one. [...]

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The Citizen Browser Project—Auditing the Algorithms of Disinformation
by Antonio Vetro' Oct. 21, 2020

Oct. 21, 2020

The Citizen Browser Project—an initiative designed to measure how disinformation travels across social media platforms over time. […] At the center of The Citizen Browser Project is a custom web browser designed by The Markup to audit the algorithms that social media platforms use to determine what information they serve their users, what news and narratives are amplified or suppressed, and which online communities those users are encouraged to join. Initially, the browser will be implemented to glean data from Facebook and YouTube. https://themarkup.org/citizen-browser av

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Paul-Olivier Dehaye, sua attività e coinvolgimento da parte delle autorità svizzere
by Roberto Resoli Oct. 21, 2020

Oct. 21, 2020

Paul-Olivier Dehaye è un matematico e attivista per i diritti digitali. Ieri è stato ingaggiato dall'unità per il tracciamento contatti del Cantone di Ginevra. Ho appena letto un suo articolo[1] in cui riassume la sua attività ed espone un suo possibile conflitto di interessi. Tra l'altro, spicca l'apprezzamento, che condivido in pieno, per un recente articolo[2] di Zeynep Tufekci su theAtlantic circa l'emergere di una spiccata stocasticità dei meccanismi di trasmissione della pandemia, e il miglioramento conseguente delle strategie per combatterla. Mi piace notare come ci siano luoghi in cui chi solleva problematiche, e indica possibili alternative e correzioni alle strategie in corso, sia ascoltato e coinvolto dalle autorità. rob [1] https://medium.com/@pdehaye/conflict-of-interest-disclosure-34197aca13d8 [2] https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/09/k-overlooked-variable-dr…

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Replay Attack ad Immuni/GAEN
by Roberto Resoli Oct. 21, 2020

Oct. 21, 2020

Appena letto sugli issues di Immuni. In sostanza, trattando opportunamente le TEK di utenti positivi scaricabili dal server di Immuni è possibile rilanciare i relativi RPI da un device programmato ad hoc. Spostando all'indietro l'ora sui telefoni bersaglio (può essere fatto anche senza accesso fisico, utilizzando un Access Point modificato, come sottolinea chi ha ideato la cosa) questi riceveranno gli RPI fasulli e quindi, al successivo controllo, la notifica di esposizione. Mi sembra un problema molto serio. https://github.com/immuni-app/immuni-app-android/issues/278 rob

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Royal mail launches a 72p pick up service
by Luigi Scorca Oct. 21, 2020

Oct. 21, 2020

Buongiorno, vi segnalo questo articolo https://www.bbc.com/news/business-54614871 Royal Mail says it has found a solution for its customers who have parcels to send but can't face the queues in their local post office. The firm's new "Parcel Collect" service will operate six days a week and you'll be able to send up to five parcels at a time. Your local postman or postwoman will either collect your parcels from your front door or a designated safe space and the service will be part of their daily round. To use the service you have to book online (www.royalmail.com/bookcollection or via their app) - this can be done from five days in advance up to midnight the day before collection. Customers will have to make sure their postage is paid for, print their own labels and then pay for the service online. The charge for using the service is 72p per parcel, in addition to postage costs. Parcel Collect is also available for pre-paid return items at a cost of 60p per item. Luigi

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devozioni digitali
by don Luca Peyron Oct. 21, 2020

Oct. 21, 2020

Segnalo una curiosità ma che ci aiuta a comprendere come il Covid e la trasformazione digitale stanno insieme, più o meno bene, anche nella componente religiosa delle persone. Buona lettura a chi lo desidera dl https://www.avvenire.it/rubriche/pagine/la-pandemia-cancella-la-festa-ecco-… ? _________________________ don Luca Peyron Direttore Ufficio per la Pastorale Universitaria Arcidiocesi di Torino www.universitari.to.it via XX settembre 83, Torino tel. 011 5156239

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We All Live in Don DeLillo's World. He's Confused by It Too. - The New York Times
by J.C. DE MARTIN Oct. 21, 2020

Oct. 21, 2020

Molta tecnologia digitale in questa bella intervista al Maestro DeLillo. jc https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/10/12/magazine/don-delillo-intervi… (Sent from my wireless device; please excuse brevity and typos (if any))

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US justice department sues Google over accusation of illegal monopoly | Technology | The Guardian
by Alberto Cammozzo Oct. 21, 2020

Oct. 21, 2020

<https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/oct/20/us-justice-department-an…> US justice department sues Google over accusation of illegal monopoly Lawsuit accuses tech company of abusing its position to dominate search and search advertising Dominic Rushe in New York and Kari Paul in San Francisco Tue 20 Oct 2020 15.55 BST First published on Tue 20 Oct 2020 14.15 BST Google dominates online search in the US, accounting for about 80% of search queries. The US justice department filed a lawsuit against Google on Tuesday, accusing the tech company of abusing its position to maintain an illegal monopoly over search and search advertising. “Two decades ago, Google became the darling of Silicon Valley as a scrappy startup with an innovative way to search the emerging internet. That Google is long gone,” the suit alleged. Today Google is a “monopoly gatekeeper for the internet” that has used “pernicious” anticompetitive tactics to maintain and extend its monopolies. The antitrust suit is the most significant legal challenge to a major tech company in decades and comes as US authorities are increasingly critical of the business practices of the major tech companies. The long-awaited case, filed in Washington DC, alleges that Google unfairly acts as a gatekeeper to the web through a series of business agreements that effectively lock out competition. [...]

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The US government sues Google
by Giuseppe Attardi Oct. 20, 2020

Oct. 20, 2020

Per presunti abusi anticompetitive nella search: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/20/tech/doj-google-antitrust-case/ <https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/20/tech/doj-google-antitrust-case/>

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Google Accused of Abusing Monopoly Power in Landmark U.S. Case
by J.C. DE MARTIN Oct. 20, 2020

Oct. 20, 2020

*Google Accused of Abusing Monopoly Power in Landmark U.S. Case* By David McLaughlin October 20, 2020, 3:10 PM GMT+2 Updated on October 20, 2020, 4:49 PM GMT+2 DOJ case joined by 11 Republican state attorneys general Case is expected to be followed by more state lawsuits [...] continua qui: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-20/google-accused-by-u-s-of…

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