https://reason.com/2024/02/26/feds-target-journalist-tim-burke-with-law-intended-for-hackers/ What do you think of this case? #FirstAmendment
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/02/eff-statement-nevadas-attack-end-end-encryption
"EFF learned last week that the state of Nevada is seeking an emergency order prohibiting Meta from rolling out end-to-end encryption in Facebook Messenger for all users in the state under the age of 18."
"Encryption is the most vital means we have to protect privacy, which is especially important for young people online. Yet in the name of protecting children, Nevada seems to be arguing that merely offering encryption on a social media platform that Meta knows has been used by criminals is itself illegal. This cannot be the law; in practice it would let the state prohibit all platforms from offering encryption, and such a ruling would raise serious constitutional concerns."
🚨🚨 The UK government is trying to give itself more surveillance powers without regard for our right to privacy
The Investigatory Powers Amendment Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, is the latest power grab.
Its most concerning proposals could allow the intelligence services to harvest millions of facial images and social media data.
They also conflate real content with fantasy content, rely on misleading misrepresentations of the effects on porn, and typically, people like this conflate animated violence with realistic violence, and mild "aggression" with what might more typically be viewed as "aggression". To put it simply, it is a mess, and extremely problematic.
As it turns out though, they're looking for submissions. #ukpol
If you're curious about the sorts of people who push for these sorts of things, one who appeared before parliamentarians is the U.K.-based Vice-President of an American bunch of Christian fundamentalists known as NCOSE (formerly known as Morality in Media)*, Haley McNamara.
These politicians also voice "concern" about something, then they push for broader censorship than that. For instance, this "baroness" appears to be looking to censor vast swathes of content. It is an extreme attack on free expression.
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Center_on_Sexual_Exploitation
#ukpol
I suppose since the British government is at great risk of becoming puritanical fascists (if they're not already), as evidenced by the above meeting, I should repost my "porn isn't bad" science / knowledge pack* for #ukpol.
https://www.freespeechcoalition.com/blog/fsc-meets-with-baroness-conducting-review-of-uk-pornography-laws The Free Speech Coalition (no, not the one you are thinking of, the other one) meets puritanical anti-porn Tory appointee* who wants to censor porn in the #UK.
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabrielle_Bertin%2C_Baroness_Bertin
https://web.archive.org/web/20240218013044/https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2024/S.289 #KOSA-like censorship bill introduced in Vermont. #AADC
When someone complains about porn one minute, complains about end-to-end encryption the next, and advocates censorship the next, that doesn't breed confidence in me that their argument that human rights concerns with undermining end-to-end encryption could be fixed with the so-called mythical government which never over-steps it's boundaries has much merit.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/22/24080135/avast-security-privacy-software-ftc-fine-data-harvesting Avast fined for selling customer info without their consent and lying about it.
https://sahanjournal.com/business-work/amazon-coffee-machine-camera-surveillance/ Amazon coffee machine under fire for secretly taking pictures of employees in breakroom.
https://reclaimthenet.org/eu-group-looks-for-ways-to-overcome-court-ban-on-weakening-encryption E.U. working group apparently looking for ways around ECHR ruling prohibiting undermining end-to-end encryption.
https://edri.org/our-work/press-release-brussels-rocked-by-major-spyware-scandal-urgent-call-for-ban/ EDRi pushes for ban on spyware after politicians were attacked by phone hacking malware.
https://reason.com/2024/02/22/proposition-e-would-make-it-easier-for-police-to-surveil-san-francisco/ San Francisco police to be able to operate any method of surveillance for a year before review. San Franciscans have a chance to vote against it.
https://reclaimthenet.org/biometric-entry-for-major-league-baseball-games-is-becoming-more-prevalent Major League Baseball is scanning your face.
https://reclaimthenet.org/maine-school-backtracks-on-using-fingerprints-to-track-students School drops plans to fingerprint students.
https://reason.com/2024/02/20/nyc-child-protection-agency-uses-coercive-tactics-to-bully-parents-into-allowing-warrantless-searches/ Child Protective Agency coercing parents into allowing them to search their homes without a warrant.
https://reclaimthenet.org/facial-recognition-technology-to-hit-new-zealand-grocery-stores New Zealand's Privacy Commissioner helps grocery store to invade citizens privacy with new face recognition program.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/02/eff-opposes-california-initiative-would-cause-mass-censorship It's a pretty bad idea, all things considered. #FirstAmendment
I take solace in the continued evidence that generative #AI models invariably produce obvious artifacts in their output. I think that may be just the nature of neural networks; they're probabilistic, and the chance that their output doesn't include something weird is very small.
Just take a look at every #sora video the AI-bros are freaking out about today, and you'll see each one has at least one obvious tell, if not multiple.
Slapping the #AI label on generative models is a move designed to make them seem mysterious and powerful, and thus attract media hype and venture capital. We can see this an intentional weaponization of that Arthur C Clarke quote about advanced technology being indistinguishable from magic.
Software Engineer. Psy / Tech / Sex Science Enthusiast. Controversial?
Free Expression. Human rights / Civil Liberties. Anime. Liberal.