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Darnton: "The True History of Fake News"
by J.C. DE MARTIN Feb. 17, 2017

Feb. 17, 2017

Riflessioni del grande storico statunitense Robert Darnton. juan carlos ----- The New York Review of Books *The True History of Fake News** * Robert Darnton February 13, 2017, 1:22 pm In the long history of misinformation, the current outbreak of fake news has already secured a special place, with the president’s personal adviser, Kellyanne Conway, going so far as to invent a Kentucky massacre in order to defend a ban on travelers from seven Muslim countries. But the concoction of alternative facts is hardly rare, and the equivalent of today’s poisonous, bite-size texts and tweets can be found in most periods of history, going back to the ancients. Procopius, the Byzantine historian of the sixth century AD churned out dubious information, known as Anecdota, which he kept secret until his death, in order to smear the reputation of the Emperor Justinian after lionizing the emperor in his official histories. Pietro Aretino tried to manipulate the pontifical election of 1522 by writing wicked sonnets about all the candidates (except the favorite of his Medici patrons) and pasting them for the public to admire on the bust of a figure known as Pasquino near the Piazza Navona in Rome. The “pasquinade” then developed into a common genre of diffusing nasty news, most of it fake, about public figures. […] Continua qui: www.nybooks.com/daily/2017/02/13/the-true-history-of-fake-news/

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The great cryptocurrency heist
by Alberto Cammozzo Feb. 15, 2017

Feb. 15, 2017

Bel pezzo sul Ethereum e il tentativo di automatizzare la fiducia (o farne a meno). <https://aeon.co/essays/trust-the-inside-story-of-the-rise-and-fall-of-ether…> Blockchain enthusiasts crave a world without bankers, lawyers or fat-cat executives. There's just one problem: trust [] Such are the perils of supposedly trust-free technology. It might make for good marketing copy, but the fact of the matter is that blockchain technology is larded through with trust. [] Instead of trusting our laws and institutions, we are being asked to trust stakeholders and miners, and programmers, and those who know enough coding to be able to verify the code. We aren’t actually trusting the blockchain technology; we are trusting the people that support the blockchain. [] Finally, we shouldn’t deceive ourselves with the idea that a technological fix can replace the human dimension of trust. Automation of trust is illusory. Rather than disparaging and cloaking human trust, we should face the brutal truth: we can’t escape the need to rely on other people, as fallible and imperfect as they might be. We need to nurture and nourish trust – not throw it away, like so much debased and worthless currency.

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Civil Rights Groups, Funded by Telecoms, Back Donald Trump’s Plan to Kill Net Neutrality
by Alberto Cammozzo Feb. 14, 2017

Feb. 14, 2017

<https://theintercept.com/2017/02/13/naacp-trump-netneutrality/> Leading civil rights groups who for many years have been heavily bankrolled by the telecom industry are signaling their support for Donald Trump’s promised rollback of the Obama administration’s net neutrality rules, which prevent internet service providers from prioritizing some content providers over others. The Obama administration’s Federal Communications Commission established net neutrality by reclassifying high-speed internet as a regulated phone-like telecommunications service, as opposed to a mostly unregulated information service. The re-classification was cheered by advocates for a free and open internet. But now Trump’s new FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, a former Verizon attorney, is pushing to repeal the net neutrality reform by rolling back that re-classification — and he’s getting help not only from a legion of telecom lobbyists, but from civil rights groups. In a little-noticed joint letter released last week, the NAACP, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, OCA (formerly known as the Organization for Chinese Americans), the National Urban League, and other civil rights organizations sharply criticized the “jurisdictional and classification problems that plagued the last FCC” — a reference to the legal mechanism used by the Obama administration to accomplish net neutrality. Instead of classifying broadband as a public utility, the letter states, open internet rules should be written by statute. What does that mean? It means the Republican-led Congress should take control of the process — the precise approach that is favored by industry. None of the civil rights groups that signed the joint letter responded to a request for comment. It’s not the first time civil rights group have engaged in lobbying debates seemingly unrelated to their core missions, but in favor of their corporate donors. At a time when OCA received major funding from Southwest Airlines, the group filed a regulatory letter on behalf of the airline in support of Southwest’s bid to open flights at Houston airport. The NAACP, after receiving financial backing from Wal-Mart, helped the retail chain during its contentious bid to open stores in New York City. []

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Report: "Will we still have a single global internet in 2025?"
by J.C. DE MARTIN Feb. 14, 2017

Feb. 14, 2017

Vi segnalo il "Director's Note" della Ditchley Foundation dal titolo: Will we still have a single global internet in 2025?": http://www.ditchley.co.uk/conferences/past-programme/2010-2019/2016/global-… E' la sintesi di un incontro a cui ho partecipato anche io lo scorso Novembre. Qui sotto l'executive summary. juan carlos *EXECUTIVE SUMMARY* *Context and why it matters* The ideal of a global unfettered Internet is on a collision course with the values and aspirations of authoritarian states. The global trend is against the privacy and dignity of users online. *People* An eclectic mix of people from major Internet companies, campaigners, government officials, regulators and academics assembled at Ditchley. *Where we are now* The Internet is everywhere and will soon touch everyone. Mobile means constant availability and ever deeper penetration into people’s lives. The digital economy is increasingly the economy. Governments can no longer afford to ignore the Internet and when governments engage they bring their ideology, policies and goals with them. Even liberal governments face challenges with even simple domestic crimes requiring access to data overseas. National security is an even bigger challenge. Authoritarian governments increasingly want to bring the Internet under control and keep data at home in order to ensure access. The organised manipulation of standards to this end is increasingly common. At the other end of the spectrum, initiatives like the German data sovereignty law may also end up fracturing the Internet in intended defence of privacy. Cyber security will emerge as a critical challenge as the Internet of Things gains pace, becoming a safety issue. New people coming online risk digital disappointment. The new fragmented Internet may fail to live up to its early promise in terms of global connectivity and its contribution to innovation and development. *What we should do* * If we want a global Internet to endure we need to be able to define its qualities for users and work out a plan to deliver it. A coalition of liberal states, companies and campaigners needs to get its act together to meet the challenge of authoritarian approaches to the Internet. * We should argue for digital rights for individuals, linking this to Universal Human Rights. * Linking the Internet to the achievement of millennium development goals is important too. * The minimum ambition should a decentralised general purpose network that keeps open the possibility of global connectivity. * An advocacy strategy and simplified language is needed that engages educated citizens and leaders not just experts. Terms like “net neutrality” and “multi-stakeholder governance” are not the right rallying cries to win popular support. * There are powerful economic levers to help persuade authoritarian governments to remain part of the global Internet. We should use them. * Governments face genuine difficulties in investigating crimes with data and evidence, even on the most domestic of matters, held overseas. Better arrangements are urgent and failure to provide them will drive demands for data repatriation and sovereignty. * Improving cyber security is essential for all and urgent with the advent of the Internet of Things. Dialogue at the G20 might help. China and Russia have interests in this too. * Machine learning risks the Internet becoming a mirror or echo chamber for preconceptions and prejudice. We need more transparency from companies on what they do with the data they collect and how they serve up material through algorithms. The consumer and citizen needs to be encouraged and educated to be more digitally literate to understand what is happening. The alternative is eventual loss of trust in the Internet as a medium.

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Cookie Policy
by Stefano Traverso Feb. 13, 2017

Feb. 13, 2017

Carissimi amici di Nexa, sono un ricercatore del Gruppo Reti del DET e mi occupo principalmente di misure su Internet e analisi di traffico web. Vi contatto per un quesito di carattere giuridico che solo voi esperti di Nexa potete aiutarmi a risolvere. Da esperimenti che abbiamo condotto scorsa settimana su 100 siti italiani piu’ o meno presi a caso, abbiamo visto che la stragrande maggioranza installa cookie persistenti e/o contatta servizi di tracciamento terze parti *prima* che l’utente dia il consenso all’utilizzo dei cookie tramite il famoso banner imposto dalla EU (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32002L0058:EN:H…) A quanto capisco dalla legge, i cookie persistenti (o di profilazione - quelli che sono usati dai servizi di tracciamento) possono essere installati solo dopo che l’utente ha dato il consenso. Molti interpretano pero’ che basti presentare il banner informativo per autorizzare l’invio di cookie persistenti. L’informativa del garante della privacy (http://www.garanteprivacy.it/web/guest/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/export/…) non mi ha aiutato a dipanare il dubbio. Tuttavia, il kit di implementazione (https://s3.amazonaws.com/iprs/files/attachments/20155/17bfe609-832b-4eb5-bd…) sembra confermare la mia ipotesi. Secondo voi qual e’ il modo corretto di interpretare la normativa? Vi ringrazio anticipatamente. Ciao, Stefano -- Stefano Traverso, PhD DET, Politecnico di Torino Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi 24 10129 - Torino - IT Tel: +39-011-090-4127 Skype: tigredcarta Web: http://www.tlc-networks.polito.it/public/phd-and-post-docs/stefano-traverso

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Libro sull'acquisizione delle prove nel cyberspazio
by Diego Giorio Feb. 13, 2017

Feb. 13, 2017

Non mi sembra sia già passato nella mailing, e, tenuto conto del prezzo praticamente simbolico, forse può interessare a giuristi e studiosi Saluti a tutti D. https://www.amazon.it/dp/B06X3TJ4C1/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1486911087&sr=8-… Le nuove frontiere dell'acquisizione degli elementi di prova nel cyberspace eBook: F. Cajani, G. Cernuto, G. Costabile, F. D'Arcangelo: Amazon.it: Kindle Store<https://www.amazon.it/dp/B06X3TJ4C1/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1486911087&sr=8-…> www.amazon.it Le nuove frontiere dell'acquisizione degli elementi di prova nel cyberspace eBook: F. Cajani, G. Cernuto, G. Costabile, F. D'Arcangelo: Amazon.it: Kindle Store

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Silicon Valley leaders organizing against Trump
by Alberto Cammozzo Feb. 13, 2017

Feb. 13, 2017

<http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/silicon-valley-against-trump-234579> A collection of Silicon Valley executives, engineers and activists are quietly plotting a progressive counterattack against President Donald Trump, a sign of the industry's growing anger at his election victory and actions on immigration. Through a new organization tentatively called Win the Future, or WTF, the likes of LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and Zynga founder Mark Pincus are teaming up with former Sierra Club President Adam Werbach to connect political organizers and shore up progressive candidates and causes ahead of the 2018 midterm and 2020 presidential elections, according to three sources familiar with the plan. Their early efforts will include building a platform to connect activists and, potentially, a website similar to the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter to fund progressive initiatives, one source said. The initiative is still in its formative stages, the sources cautioned. But the planning has picked up pace since Trump signed an executive order last week curbing immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries. While companies like Amazon and Expedia have thrown their support behind a lawsuit to overturn the order — and Uber pulled out of a business council advising Trump — the new organization points to a desire by the liberal tech industry to channel its outrage into a broader, more organized resistance. []

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Report: "On the Way to Welfare 4.0?"
by J.C. DE MARTIN Feb. 13, 2017

Feb. 13, 2017

FRIEDRICH-EBERT-STIFTUNG Daniel Buhr, Claudia Christ, Rolf Frankenberger, Marie-Christine Fregin, Josef Schmid and Markus Trämer *On the Way to Welfare 4.0?** */Digitalisation of the Welfare State in Labour Market, Health Care and Innovation Policy: A European Comparison / PDF (40 pagine) disponibile qui: https://goo.gl/eaYcG0/ /

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Internet delle cose, troppi dati danno troppo potere: ecco i rischi per la concorrenza
by Francesco Ruggiero Feb. 13, 2017

Feb. 13, 2017

Quali priorità per ricercatori e policy makers nell'IoT? La dualità della tecnologia e la necessità di interventi normativi. Alcuni spunti dai relatori della Conferenza Nexa 2016 (2a parte): http://bit.ly/2kjhNVN La prima parte dell'articolo è disponibile all'indirizzo: *http://bit.ly/2kjq1xt <http://bit.ly/2kjq1xt>* -- Francesco Ruggiero Communication Manager Nexa Center for Internet & Society Politecnico di Torino - DAUIN Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24 - 10129 Torino web: http://nexa.polito.it mail: francesco.ruggiero(a)polito.it tel: 011 090 7219 -- Francesco Ruggiero Communication Manager Nexa Center for Internet & Society Politecnico di Torino - DAUIN Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24 - 10129 Torino web: http://nexa.polito.it mail: francesco.ruggiero(a)polito.it tel: 011 090 7219 -- Francesco Ruggiero Communication Manager Nexa Center for Internet & Society Politecnico di Torino - DAUIN Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24 - 10129 Torino web: http://nexa.polito.it mail: francesco.ruggiero(a)polito.it tel: 011 090 7219

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Former CIA Analyst Sues Defense Department to Vindicate NSA Whistleblowers
by Alberto Cammozzo Feb. 13, 2017

Feb. 13, 2017

<https://theintercept.com/2017/02/10/former-cia-analyst-sues-defense-departm…> In 2010, Thomas Drake, a former senior employee at the National Security Agency, was charged with espionage for speaking to a reporter from the Baltimore Sun about a bloated, dysfunctional intelligence program he believed would violate Americans’ privacy. The case against him eventually fell apart, and he pled guilty to a single misdemeanor, but his career in the NSA was over. Though Drake was largely vindicated, the central question he raised about technology and privacy has never been resolved. Almost seven years have passed now, but Pat Eddington, a former CIA analyst, is still trying to prove that Drake was right. While working for Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., Eddington had the unique opportunity to comb through still-classified documents that outline the history of two competing NSA programs known as ThinThread and Trailblazer. He’s seen an unredacted version of the Pentagon inspector general’s 2004 audit of the NSA’s failures during that time, and has filed Freedom of Information Act requests. In January, Eddington decided to take those efforts a step further by suing the Department of Defense to obtain the material, he tells The Intercept. “Those documents completely vindicate” those who advocated for ThinThread at personal risk, says Eddington. [] “A tiny group of people at NSA had developed a capability for next to no money at all to give the government an unprecedented level of access to any number of foreign terrorists,” Eddington says. “Instead that system was shut down in favor of an SAIC boondoggle that cost taxpayers, by my last count, close to a billion dollars.”

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