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Guardian: "Universities are tracking their students. Is it clever or creepy?"
by J.C. DE MARTIN Aug. 8, 2016

Aug. 8, 2016

*Universities are tracking their students. Is it clever or creepy?* /Learning analytics are becoming increasingly popular for improving learning and cutting drop-out rates – but critics question the impact on privacy/ Chris Jutting Wednesday 3 August 2016 14.19 BST What could be more normal that heading to the university library, swiping your card and logging in to a computer? Most students wouldn’t think twice about it. But what they may not realise is that this mundane series of events leaves a unique data pattern that can be recorded, logged and reviewed, in a practice known as “learning analytics”. And now data analysts are using this information to predict whether students will struggle with their courses, or drop out. “We’re trying to use data to improve our understanding of how students learn,” says Dr Bart Rienties, director of the learning analytics programme at the Open University. “We want to understand the story behind that data.” Such techniques look set to become an integral part of university life in the future, much to the delight of advocates. “Learning analytics can provide a more personal learning experience, rather than a one-size-fits-all solution,” Rienties says. He was part of a new study – which analysed data from more than 113,000 students at the Open University – looking at drop-out rates and how usage patterns of online learning resources can be an early indicator of academic performance. […] Continua qui: https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2016/aug/03/learning-a…

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Paper: "The Myth of Accountability: How Data (Mis)Use is Reinforcing the Problems of Public Education"
by J.C. DE MARTIN Aug. 8, 2016

Aug. 8, 2016

*The Myth of Accountability:** **How Data (Mis)Use is Reinforcing the** **Problems of Public Education* Data & Society Working Paper 08.08.2016 CLAIRE FONTAINE *Introduction *There is an ongoing tension in the American public education system between the values of excellence, equity, and efficiency. Accountability has emerged as a framework in education reform that promises to promote and balance all three values. Yet this frame is often contested due to disagreements over the role of incentives and penalties in achieving desirable change, and concerns that the proposed mechanisms will have significant unintended consequences that outweigh potential benefits. More fundamentally, there is widespread disagreement over how to quantify excellence and equity, if it is even possible to do so. Accountability rhetoric echoes a broader turn toward data-driven decision- making and resource allocation across sectors. As a tool of power, accountability processes shift authority and control to policymakers, bureaucrats, and test makers over professional educators. Today, measurements of school performance have become so commonplace that they are an assumed part of education debates. As new forms of data are easier to collect and analyze, drawing on and interacting with information to measure the impact of programs and to inform decision-making and policy has emerged as a key strategy to foster improvement in public schools (Coburn and Turner 2012). But when did our national obsession with educational data start? What are the historic precursors to accountability as we now know it? What set of political, economic, cultural, and social conditions led to test scores becoming the main measure of a school’s success? How do current data-driven practices compare to historical data-driven practices and how have the terms shifted over time? Who does accountability serve? What are the incentive structures, and how is accountability gamed and resisted? In short, accountability of what, to whom, for what ends, at what cost? Full PDF here: http://www.datasociety.net/pubs/ecl/Accountability_primer_2016.pdf

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Fwd: [A2k] NEW! What Every Copyright Law should have to Support Libraries
by J.C. DE MARTIN Aug. 8, 2016

Aug. 8, 2016

-------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: [A2k] NEW! What Every Copyright Law should have to Support Libraries Resent-Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2016 14:27:42 +0200 Resent-From: d004620(a)polito.it Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2016 13:20:15 +0100 From: Teresa Hackett <teresa.hackett(a)eifl.net> To: a2k(a)lists.keionline.org The EIFL Core Library Exceptions Checklist sets out provisions that every copyright law should have to support library activities and services in the 21st century, such as lending, making an electronic copy of a journal article or book chapter for a user, providing library material for use in virtual learning environments, and undertaking digital preservation. The checklist is a practical way to evaluate national copyright law, identify gaps or see where the law is doing well. It is a starting point for policy advocacy, or to propose amendments if the copyright law is being updated. The checklist is accompanied by ‘Rate my copyright law’, a handy tool to rate your national law for core library provisions. Find out more: http://www.eifl.net/news/rate-my-copyright-law-how-well-does -your-law-support-libraries ----- Teresa Hackett Copyright and Libraries Programme Manager EIFL - Electronic Information for Libraries - www.eifl.net ----- _______________________________________________ A2k mailing list A2k(a)lists.keionline.org http://lists.keionline.org/mailman/listinfo/a2k_lists.keionline.org

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Re: [nexa] R: R: SPID e wi-fi federata con un sistema di accesso unico
by SASSANO ANNA PIA (ADPA) Aug. 8, 2016

Aug. 8, 2016

Gentile professor Pizzetti ho letto nella precedente e.mail dei dubbi sull'uso che Poste farebbe dei dati acquisiti quando si accede con un'autenticazione SPID ad un servizio WIFI usando PosteID e forse posso dare una mano a fare chiarezza: a) come noto l'identità PosteID è già da tempo usata dai servizi di Poste Italiane per accedere al sito o autorizzare transazioni finanziarie e solo di recente è stata anche aperta al circuito SPID. In sintesi: chi prende l'identità PosteID non solo può usarla per i servizi di Poste ma può anche utilizzarla per accedere ai servizi che hanno aderito al circuito SPID e quindi espongono il bottone "Entra con Spid" o simili; b) durante la registrazione della nuova versione dell'identità digitale PosteID, che come noto è stata oggetto di verifica in ambito AGID per l'accreditamento, viene chiesto al cliente se, per i soli servizi di Poste Italiane, vuole rilasciare le autorizzazioni all'utilizzo dei dati ai fini di contatto commerciale da parte di Poste o di profilazione, sempre da parte di Poste, in quanto clienti. Se entrate nel processo di registrazione questa fase di autorizzazione è anche accessibile da tutte le pagine andando a leggere l'informativa privacy. Vi riporto di seguito solo la prima frase: "Informativa sul trattamento dei dati personali ai sensi dell'art. 13 del D. Lgs. 196/2003 (Codice in materia di protezione dei dati personali) - Persona Fisica o soggetto assimilabile - Servizio PosteID" "[...] Poste tratterà i dati personali dell'Interessato conformemente al consenso da questi prestato, per le finalità suindicate. Con riferimento alla finalità di "profilazione", l'Interessato prende atto che in caso di consenso, il trattamento dei Suoi dati personali non riguarderà né la fase di registrazione al Servizio PosteID né l'utilizzo dei servizi erogati online dai "Fornitori di servizi" tramite il Servizio PosteID, ma potrà riguardare - a meno di specifiche richieste delle Autorità competenti inerenti, per esempio, la rilevazione di dati in forma aggregata per fini statistici - la funzione delle altre tipologie di prodotti/servizi di Poste Italiane eventualmente in essere. In caso di cessazione del Servizio PosteID ma di vigenza di almeno un prodotto e/o servizio principale con Poste Italiane, i dati dell'Interessato concernenti tale prodotto/servizio continueranno ad essere trattati da Poste nel rispetto del consenso da questi prestato. In caso di cessazione dell'unico e/o ultimo prodotto e/o servizio principale, così come degli annessi prodotti e/o servizi opzionali aggiuntivi1, i dati dell'Interessato non saranno più trattati da Poste per le finalità suindicate. [...]" c) quindi non solo Poste chiede un consenso "specifico, libero, espresso ed informato" come prevede il codice privacy ma non cede i dati a terzi. L'unica cosa che esplicitamente è prevista, sempre chiedendo il consenso privacy, è la possibilità di "comunicare i dati di profilazione alle società del Gruppo Poste Italiane". d) mi sento quindi di tranquillizzarvi che nulla può accadere senza che il cliente lo consenta ed anche ove dia tutti i consensi sul fronte dei servizi di Poste bisogna ricordare cos'è l'identità digitale SPID. E' l'Identity Provider che semmai, su autorizzazione esplicita del cliente, fornisce al Service Provider SPID (colui che gestisce il servizio di WI FI in questo esempio) i dati del titolare dell'identità che servono ad espletare il servizio. Il viceversa non esiste in natura visto che all'Identity Provider, una volta forniti i dati ed autenticato l'accesso al servizio come prevede il servizio di autenticazione Spid, nulla perviene di quanto transita poi tra cliente e fornitore. Se Vi fa piacere ed avete altre perplessità su SPID e PosteID, che possono aiutare anche noi a contribuire a fare maggiore chiarezza, sono chiaramente a Vostra disposizione. Cordiali Saluti Anna Pia Sassano (in questo caso e su questo canale, Vi rispondo chiaramente a titolo personale ma pronta a procurarvi una risposta ufficiale di Poste se vi occorre). ________________________________ La presente comunicazione elettronica contiene informazioni aziendali non private. Eventuali risposte alla presente potrebbero essere conosciute, per motivi organizzativi e di sicurezza, dal personale di Poste Italiane S.p.A.

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novità normative in materia di cyberbullismo-- con potenziali rischi
by Mauro Alovisio Aug. 8, 2016

Aug. 8, 2016

Gent.me/mi segnalo novità sul disegno di legge in materia di cyberbullismo in approvazione alla Camera dei Deputati il prossimo 12 settembre. La sopra citata normativa a tutela dei minori rafforza il ruolo della scuola nella prevenzione del fenomeno ma contiene potenziali possibili rischi per libertà di espressione nell'utilizzo dei blog di tutti i cittadini: come ben rappresentatato dagli approfondimenti di Arturo Corinto <http://www.repubblica.it/tecnologia/sicurezza/2016/08/06/news/cyberbullismo…> http://www.repubblica.it/tecnologia/sicurezza/2016/08/06/news/cyberbullismo… e Fulvio Sarzana http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2016/08/04/internet-si-legge-cyberbullismo-… Buona estate Mauro Alovisio

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Irraggiungibilità nexa.polito.it e mailing-list il 12/08/16
by Davide Allavena Aug. 6, 2016

Aug. 6, 2016

Buongiorno, A causa di un intervento di manutenzione alla linea elettrica programmato dal Politecnico comunico che il 12 Agosto 2016. Nel caso in cui l'intervento proceda come previsto l'interruzione avverrà dalle 8,00 alle 17:00. Durante quell'intervallo di tempo il sito nexa.polito.it e le mailing list associate non saranno raggiungibili. Resto a disposizione per eventuali chiarimenti. Scusate per il disagio, buona giornata Davide Allavena -- Davide Allavena IT Manager & Research Fellow Nexa Center for Internet and Society DAUIN - Politecnico di Torino https://nexa.polito.it/people/dallavena

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"New online tool reveals how the global surveillance industry is watching you"
by J.C. DE MARTIN Aug. 6, 2016

Aug. 6, 2016

*New online tool reveals how the global surveillance industry is watching you* Dell Cameron 2016-08-02 05:01 p.m. | Last updated 2016-08-02 05:06 p.m. The global surveillance industry is a monstrous thing. Repressive regimes are now routinely acquiring powerful surveillance technology from private firms in democratic nations. In the United States, police bypass the security of private citizens’ cellphones using a handheld device produced more than 5,000 miles away in Israel. It’s a tangled web—one that few truly have the bandwidth to explore. That’s why this week, Privacy International (PI), alongside Transparency Toolkit, launched the Surveillance Industry Index (SII), a searchable database containing records on over 520 surveillance companies. Relying on various technical, governmental, and investigative reports, the database reportedly includes “over 600 reported individual exports of specific surveillance technologies.” […] Continua qui: http://www.dailydot.com/layer8/privacy-international-global-surveillance-in…

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Waag: "FairBnB: building a sustainable short-stay rental platform"
by J.C. DE MARTIN Aug. 5, 2016

Aug. 5, 2016

*"FairBnB: building a sustainable short-stay rental platform"** * The increase of short-stay apartments in Amsterdam has affected the city, causing nuisance in neighbourhoods and a rise in housing prices, where the market was already inflated. Despite Amsterdam’s regulation and the efforts to pursue illegal rentals, the enforcement of current regulation is impossible because companies like Airbnb refuse to provide the data of those hosts with illegal apartments. We believe that any sharing economy platforms need to be transparent and accountable in order to be advantageous to citizens and the city. For this reason, we want to work towards a “FairBnB”. *What is FairBnB?* FairBnB is a movement that seeks to encourage vacation rentals that comply with the principles of a fair, non-extractive and collaborative economy. Some of the key questions are: How could these activities be managed to be beneficial to local initiatives and be kept from extracting values only for investors and speculators? How could they be managed so that visitors are encouraged to stay in those areas where they are not a disturbance, but beneficial to the neighbourhood? Come and help us to create the first local FairBnB platform. RSVP at Meetup Earlier this year we organized this workshop on designing for trust in accommodation share. When: Wednesday, 2016, September 14 - 4:00pm Where: Waag Society, Nieuwmarkt 4, 1012 CR Amsterdam Lab: Future Internet Lab

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Paper: "The Responsibility of Open Standards in the Era of Surveillance"
by J.C. DE MARTIN Aug. 5, 2016

Aug. 5, 2016

The Responsibility of Open Standards in the Era of Surveillance Harry Halpin W3C/INRIA harry.halpin(a)inria.fr Articolo breve (2 pagine) ma interessante, disponibile qui: https://t.co/xI1QoDC7Sa Paragrafo conclusivo: Due to its foundation as an academic network and histori- cal restrictions on cryptography, the Internet was built with- out strong cryptography and privacy. As put by Vint Cerf, “I worked with the National Security Agency on the design of a secured version of the internet but we used classified se- curity technology at the time and I couldn’t share that with my colleagues. If I could start over again I would have in- troduced a lot more strong authentication and cryptography into the system.”11 After Snowden, the historical responsi- bility of open standards bodies like the IETF and the W3C is to upgrade the common infrastructure. However, they will not be able to do so without a new generation of pri- vacy academics and activists guiding these standardization efforts. This historical task requires going beyond deploying privacy-enhancing technology only in particular companies, start-ups, or code-bases, but to recognize our responsibility to build privacy into the open standards themselves. juan carlos

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Sandvig v. Lynch: Accademici USA contro il Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
by Alberto Cammozzo Aug. 4, 2016

Aug. 4, 2016

Interessante procedimento: i terms of use delle piattaforme inibiscono, tra il resto, la libertà di ricerca (in particolare le attività di scraping) ed espressione e di conseguenza impediscono la verifica del comportamento legittimo degli algoritmi, favorendo la big data discrimination. Attaccata, tra il resto, anche la real name policy. Potrebbe avere conseguenze anche da noi, visto che raramente i ToS sono adattati ai diversi contesti giuridici. Mi sbaglio? I link: <https://www.aclu.org/news/aclu-challenges-law-preventing-studies-big-data-d…> <https://www.aclu.org/blog/free-future/aclu-challenges-computer-crimes-law-t…> <https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/sandvig-v-lynch-complaint> Qualche estratto dal complaint: [...] Plaintiffs are injured because they are placed in the position of either refraining from conducting their research, testing, or investigations—all of which constitute constitutionally-protected speech or expressive activity, or conduct necessarily antecedent to such speech or expressive activity—or of exposing themselves to the risk of prosecution under the Challenged Provision. Refraining from conducting their research, testing, or investigations constitutes self-censorship and a loss of Plaintiffs’ First Amendment rights. [...] Plaintiffs also wish to use websites for research purposes and to have the option of subsequently publishing the findings of their research, even when website terms of service do not allow doing so. However, the Challenged Provision renders such activities criminal. 148. The Challenged Provision’s broad delegation of criminal regulation to private parties also impairs the First Amendment rights of many other people. 149. Terms of service, including those on social media websites, often require that users provide their real names when creating accounts, as is the case with seven of the ten housing websites and all of the employment websites listed in paragraph 71 of this Complaint. By criminalizing any violation of these rules, the Challenged Provision chills a broad range of important expressive activity. Members of marginalized groups, or victims of abuse and harassment, may seek to operate pseudonymously online in order to protect themselves. For example, real name policies chill the speech of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender individuals who wish to keep this aspect of their identities private or separate from their offline lives, and they chill the speech of victims of domestic violence who would speak online but for fear of response from abusers. Transgender individuals whose legal names do not reflect their gender identities may be deterred from speaking online under such policies. Critics of employers, governments, or other powerful actors may desire the safeguard from retribution that pseudonymity provides. Artists, writers, and others engaged in creative expression often desire pseudonymity, and some forms of satire, such as fictional Twitter accounts, depend upon misrepresenting the user’s identity. The Challenged Provision criminalizes violations of websites’ real name policies, chilling this entire range of constitutionally protected activity.

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