Privacy

Facebook is combating hate speech and misinformation by developing natural language processing models and a database of meme examples for training artificial intelligence moderators. The company, together with DrivenData, will also launch the Hateful Meme Challenge, which will award $100,000 to researchers who develop AI models that can detect hate speech in memes.

The coronavirus tracking apps coming onto the market, initially hailed as an important tool for containment of the virus, have quickly encountered fears about privacy, cybersecurity and effectiveness. Tracking apps are already in use in Australia, India, China, Singapore and South Korea, and under development in France and Germany. In the United States, tech giants Google and Apple are teaming up to develop “exposure notification” software for use in iOS and Android apps. The technology uses Bluetooth signals to determine the distance between phones. A person with a confirmed case of coronavirus can automatically send notifications to other phones with the contact tracing app, alerting users that they may have been exposed to the virus. The software, which is in beta testing, will be shared with local health departments. Apple and Google say location services will not be used and any personal data would be anonymized and stay on the user’s phone, rather than going to a centralized database. However, researchers say that anonymized data can be reverse-engineered and mined for valuable particulars including gender, age and marital status.

During the shift to remote instruction, many educators are using online proctoring services to monitor students for signs of cheating while they take traditional closed-book exams. Some students are speaking out against these services, objecting to everything from the design of the software to remarking that the whole process is a huge distraction to test taking. The University of California Berkeley has already banned online exam proctoring, with some students saying they may not have the high-speed Internet connection or living situation to make remote exams happen effectively and equitably. Of course, other students are finding ways around these safeguards, using tips and tricks they find online, such as hiding notes underneath the view of the camera or setting up a secret laptop. But as two can play at that game, so remote proctoring services are constantly coming up with countermeasures. On its website, one online proctoring service even has a job listing for a “professional cheater” to test its system. 

The Mozilla Foundation recently released a report detailing how the top 15 video-conferencing apps -- including those used by schools, such as Zoom, Google Hangouts and Microsoft Teams -- measure up when it comes to privacy and security. Of those studied, 12 met the company's minimum security standards.

The basics of talking to your kids about staying safe on all the latest and greatest social media apps is not all that different then the general digital safety cautionary conversation you have probably had with them about the Internet in general. If you need a refresher, here is link to the basics of what should be part of that conversation. The most important thing to remember? Remind them that anything that is posted is permanent, even if you have deleted it or shared it on an app like Snapchat, where the message is supposed to disappear. There is always a chance someone could take a screen shot or can hack into your archive. Once it is up, you never know where it may pop up again.

For currently popular apps such as TikTok, Instagram and more, parents will need to spend a little time getting familiar with them in order to have any credibility in talking about them. There are lots of guides available for parents, complete with all the cautions you need to emphasize. Common Sense Media, for example, has a parent’s section complete with quick tip guides on Instagram and TikTok. They often do follow up articles on other problems that crop up with each app over time, so don’t just click on the first guide you see  - look for one that has been done more recently to make sure you have the latest information on how kids are using the app and what issues have surfaced. USA Today  also specializes in creating these kinds of parent guides. Take advantage of what others have discovered and keep your ears open for other issues and new apps that parents in your children’s social orbit may be talking about.

Online classes at several schools, on all grade levels, have been invaded by “Zoom-bombing,” an ugly new activity in which hackers disrupt virtual sessions in the Zoom app to display pornography, racism and other disturbing images. Some districts have even suspended use of the app because of these threats. However, there are ways to prevent this kind of activity, and you can pass those along to a teacher. It is important for parents to remember that many teachers were thrust into this world of online teaching without a lot of notice or preparation, and Zoom is a brand new resource to them. You can help teachers figure out all the precautions to take, such as requiring passwords for each session, guarding meeting URLs and restricting screen sharing. Parents should also remember that with any online activity there is potential for something to go wrong, and you should be prepared to talk to your children if they see something that upsets them.

The popularity of videoconferencing app Zoom has been surging during the Corona lockdown, with people using it for everything from tele-schooling to business conference calls, but there have been lots of privacy issues emerging. These concerns stem from the fact that Zoom "collects a lot of data from users about their devices, activities and data shared or transferred." There also seem to be flaws that allow attackers to gain physical control of your computer and the ability to install malware or spyware.

If you are using Zoom, check out some advice on using the app and protecting your privacy and personal data.

The FBI is alerting parents, teachers and caregivers to the increased risk of online child sexual exploitation as children spend more time on the Internet while schools are closed because of the coronavirus. The agency urges parents to discuss Internet safety with children and to review the apps, games and websites that are being used. They also suggest parents adjust online settings if they can’t physically watch their children’s online activity. Do an online search to find out how to adjust the privacy settings on the specific devices your children use. Some signs that your child may be in contact with an online predator include increased nightmares, withdrawn behaviors, angry outbursts, anxiety and depression. And in case you need it, here is a checklist of things you should be talking to your kids about Internet safety.

Security and ease of use of digital devices are often positioned as being diametrically opposed, with tech companies saying they can’t implement more security if users keep demanding ease of use. But it doesn’t have to be like that, writes Rania Molla in a commentary in Vox. There will always be some trade-offs between ease of use and security, he argues, but none of that should prevent tech companies from aiming for a reasonable balance and meeting basic standards instead of blaming users for security breaches. Molla suggests that companies are beginning to move in the right direction with technologies such as Apple's Face ID and Google's pop-up alerts on phones for two-factor authentication.

The old joke of “yes, there is an app for that” is proving to be even more true with the development of an app that monitors other apps to alert you when they are functioning/collecting data. The Internet of Things (IoT) Assistant app, developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon, lets you know when IoT devices (Amazon Alexas, Internet connected refrigerators, baby monitors, etc.) are operating around you and what data they are collecting. And the app doesn't just let you know about voice assistants, it also alerts users about devices like public cameras with facial recognition technology, doorbells and Bluetooth beacons. The app is free and available for both iOS and Android phones.