Swedish Radio Tunes In to the Zuckbook Baloney
June 30, 2022
Sveriges Radio AB or Swedish Radio is a combo of the US National Public Radio and a “real” newspaper. In general, this approach to information is not the core competency of the Meat (sorry, Meta) Zuckbook thing. An interesting case example of the difference between Sveriges Radio and the estimable Silicon Valley super company is described in “Swedish Radio Created Fake Pharmacy – Reveals How Facebook Stored Sensitive Information.”
The main idea is that the Sveriges team did not listen to much disco or rap. Instead the canny outfit set up a honey pot in the form of a fake pharmacy. Then Sveriges analyzed what Facebook said it did with health-related information versus what the the Zuckster actually did.
Guess how that turned out? The write up explains:
After four days, 25 000 fake visits from customers had been registered with Facebook. But they had neither shut down nor warned the owners of the made-up pharmacy – Swedish Radio News’ reporters. When the reporters log into their account, they see that Facebook has stored the type of sensitive information that they say their filter is built to delete again and again. The question that the reporters then asked themselves was whether or not Facebook even has a filter that works in the Swedish language. One of the pharmacies that Swedish Radio reported on say that they cannot find any warnings from Facebook on data transfers that have taken place. The other has not wanted to answer the question. According to state investigators in the USA last year, Facebook only filtered in English.
Interesting? Yes, for three reasons:
- The radio outfit appears to have caught the Zuckers in a bit of a logical problem: Yes, there are filters? No, we just do marketing speak.
- Dismissing the method used to snap a mouse trap on Zuck’s big toe is probably a mistake. The “I’ll get back to you, Senator” works in the lobby-rich US. In Sweden, probably the method will swim like a plate of Surströmming.
- “Real” news — at least in Sweden — still has value. Perhaps some of the US “real” news people will give the approach a spin without the social justice and political sheen.
Net net: Will Facebook change its deep swimming in the information ocean? Has the Atlantic herring changed in the last two decades?
Stephen E Arnold, June 30, 2022
Indonesia: Good Actors and Bad Actors May Be Interested
June 30, 2022
I am not sure how the “new” visa described in “Indonesia Is Offering A Special Visa To Remote Workers, Allowing Them To Stay There For 5 Years Tax-Free, Including The Dream Destination, Bali.” The write up reports:
Freelancers and remote workers will soon be able to work tax-free in Indonesia, including the island of Bali, as the country’s tourism minister Sandiaga Uno announced the five-year ‘digital nomad visa’…
I did not know that Indonesia had a slogan; namely, “sun, sea and sand.” The proposed visa will shift the emphasis about 180 degrees to “serenity, spirituality and sustainability.” Got it? Sure.
The write up notes:
Living tax-free isn’t always a guarantee if you’re granted a digital nomad visa. For example, Americans will still have to file taxes if they’re granted one, because the US taxes citizens based on citizenship itself, rather than their residence.
The write up points out “there are snakes in Indonesia. If the visa plan becomes a reality, a few digital snakes may enliven daily life. Bad actors with a laptop may appear to be Silicon Valley wizards eager to avoid the rigors of work elsewhere. No Zooms when the surfs up.
Stephen E Arnold, June 30, 2022
How To Overcome AI Biases
June 30, 2022
Unfortunately, biased AI plagues the tech industry. AI is not intentionally biased, instead, they are accidentally programmed with limited data libraries that contain the biases. These biases include prejudices towards dark-skinned people, poor individuals, and everyone who is not a white male. The Next Web discusses how “AI Has A Dangerous Bias Problem-Here’s How To Manage It.” AI is used to determine many things in society, including prison sentences, loan applications, job candidates, gambling predictions, etc.
Chief Scientist Alejandro Saucedo of The Institute of Ethical AI and Engineering Director at Seldon is aware of the risks that biased AI poses and warns that organizations need to research their AI before deploying algorithms. He suggested tips to mitigate risks.
Machine learning needs to be transparent and explainability is a tool used for it. Explainability, however, is hard to prove, especially when its tools are biased too. Identifying the processes that need close monitoring is essential and having humans inspect them regularly prevents bias.
Accountability is also important:
“The level of human intervention should be proportionate to the risks. An algorithm that recommends songs, for instance, won’t require as much oversight as one that dictates bail conditions. In many cases, an advanced system will only increase the risks. Deep learning models, for example, can add a layer of complexity that causes more problems than it solves. ‘If you cannot understand the ambiguities of a tool you’re introducing, but you do understand that the risks have high stakes, that’s telling you that it’s a risk that should not be taken,’ says Saucedo. The operators of AI systems must also justify the organizational process around the models they introduce. This requires an assessment of the entire chain of events that leads to a decision, from procuring data to the final output.”
Saucedo advises that people use best practices and human intervention to mitigate security threats to algorithms. These suggestions work not only for AI algorithms. but also other developing issues too.
Whitney Grace, June 30, 2022
UK Organization to Harness Open Source Intelligence
June 30, 2022
Technical innovations over the last decade or so have empowered civilians with tools and information once the strict purview of government agencies. Now the war in Ukraine has prompted a new effort to harness that tech, we learn from the BBC article, “New UK Centre Will Help Fight Information War.” Those behind The Centre for Emerging Technology and Security (CETaS), based at the Alan Turing Institute, have noticed the efforts of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) enthusiasts are proving effective against Russia’s disinformation campaign (outside of Russia anyway). The new center hopes to develop and channel this expertise. Reporter Gordon Corera writes:
“US and UK governments have been active in using open-source information to be able to talk publicly about what their secret sources are indicating. But this type of information is most powerfully used by those outside government to reveal what is really happening on the ground. On the evening of 23 February, graduate students in Monterey, California, who had been using publicly available satellite imagery to watch Russian tanks on the border with Ukraine, saw Google Maps showing a traffic jam inching towards the Ukrainian border. They tweeted that a war seemed to have started, long before any official announcement.”
Since the invasion, others have used OSINT to illuminate possible war crimes and counter Russian propaganda. For several years, many have considered Russia to be ahead of the tech information game with its weaponization of social media and hacking prowess. According to a pair of anonymous UK officials, however, the balance has shifted since the war began thanks to the skilled use of OSINT resources. Imagine what could be achieved if only such efforts were focused by a dedicated organization. The article continues:
“Harnessing new technology to maintain an edge is part of the new center’s mission. This could include fields like automated recognition of military vehicles from satellite imagery or social media, allowing human experts to spend their time on trickier problems. Tools are already allowing greater translation and interpretation of foreign language material. Artificial Intelligence can also be used to reveal patterns in behavior or language that indicate the presence of an organized disinformation network on social media. Dealing with these challenges at speed is one of the ambitions for the center which aims to build a community that can keep pace with the growing amount of data and tools to exploit it.”
But will the center be able to overcome the barriers? Intelligence agencies face not only regulatory and technical restrictions on what data they can use, but also a bias against information from beyond their institutions. We wonder whether the trend toward pay-to-play OSINT resources help or hurt the cause.
Cynthia Murrell, June 30, 2022
US High Tech Outfits Innovate by Copying
June 29, 2022
Several amusing anecdotes about US innovation. (Remember the comments about Japanese knockoff and Chinese Gucci purses?)
ITEM 1: “Google Public Sector Is a New Subsidiary Focused on US Government, Education” Google has been pushing itself as an alternative to Apple, Microsoft, and any other outfit standing in the way of education and government data involvement. Original? Answer: Nah. I love the Madison Avenue “new” word.
ITEM 2: “Facebook Groups Are Being Revamped to Look Like Discord.” The title pretty much sums of this bold move. The gamer fave which is also being used by assorted crypto kiddies and online fraudsters will be the fresh, youthful face of the Zuck stuff. Original? Answer: Sure, if you are Rip Van Winkle and like Slack.
ITEM 3: The “new” Gmail. The explanation of Gmail’s somewhat clumsy transition from sending email to a wonky super app continues. You can read one explanation in “Gmail’s Resigned Interface Including Chat and Meet Is Now the New Default.” Is this new? Answer: Way to go or is it Weibo? You may have to opt out to this “innovation,” not opt in. That’s not new either, however.
I want to highlight one semi-innovative idea. Amazon may allow your dead grandmother to remind you of her birthday. For details, see this story. An innovation? Answer: Of course not. Check out this Amazon video.
Brilliant stuff flowing from the high tech innovation labs!
Stephen E Arnold, June 29, 2022
How Do You Build Traffic for a Gray Lady Service?
June 29, 2022
If you are a semi traditional publisher, with a desire to be the newspaper for the Big Boys, how do you build traffic? The answer is: Get into online games.
“Top 50 Most Popular News Websites in the World: Wordle Fuels Huge New York Times Traffic Growth” states:
The New York Times was the fastest growing top news sites in the world in May 2022, according to Press Gazette’s latest ranking of the 50 biggest English-language news websites in the world.
What other site experienced strong growth? Egames, online adult content with a math class, the Zuckbook?
Nope. I learned:
The fastest growing site overall among the whole top 50 list was again, Live Universal Awareness Map (liveuamap.com), which presents updates on conflicts in the form of a map (53.2m visits, up 1987%). Its huge surge is due to increased interest in its Ukraine coverage compared to the low base from which it started.
Are we looking at the future of traffic generation? A newspaper with an online game and a special operation which in some places should not be called a war. As an aside, it seems as if the newspaper should have been doing the live map info delivery. Obviously that type of data are not part of a newspaper’s mission.
Stephen E Arnold, June 29, 2022
The Evolving Ransomware Arena
June 29, 2022
A new report from cybersecurity firm KELA updates us on shifts within the ransomware ecosystem. ZDNet summarizes the findings in, “Ransomware Attacks Have Dropped. And Gangs Are Attacking Each Other’s Victims.” The good news—the number of victims dropped by about 40% from 2021’s last fiscal quarter to the first quarter of this year. The bad news—financial services organizations are now in the top four targeted sectors. Time for each of us to confirm we have unique passwords for our banking logins. And maybe create fresh ones while we are at it.
Writer Charlie Osborne also gives us a little dirt from behind the ransomware scenes:
“A notable shift is Conti’s place as one of the most prolific ransomware groups, alongside LockBit, Hive, Alphv/Blackcat, and Karakurt. … During the first few months of this year, Conti publicly pledged its support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Following the Russian-speaking group’s declaration, in retaliation, an individual broke into its systems and leaked Conti’s malware code and internal chat logs – a treasure trove for researchers and defenders alike. While security teams were able to use the leaks to improve their understanding of the ransomware gang’s operations, it also impacted Conti’s place in the pecking order. According to KELA, Conti has been booted from the top spot in the months following the leak. While still active, it appears that Conti’s victim list decreased from January, with LockBit moving up the ranks. In Q1, LockBit hit 226 recorded victims, ranging from manufacturing and technology to the public sector. However, together with its suspected subsidiary KaraKurt, Conti is still the second-most active ransomware gang in 2022. Alphv is considered an emerging threat by KELA as a new player, having only really hit the spotlight in December 2021.”
And the race for dominance continues. The competition appears to be cutthroat, with gangs apparently attacking each other and/or targeting the same victims: In some cases, the stolen data published by several gangs was identical. Then again, that could be the result of cooperation. Researchers also found evidence of ransomware gangs collaborating with each other. How nice.
Cynthia Murrell, June 29, 2022
Mainstream Media: We Are Not Biased, Pew Pew Pew!
June 29, 2022
I read “The Media Bubble Is Real: Study Shows Massive Disconnect between Journalists, Public.” The write up is presenting its possibly enthusiastic view of a Pew research report. Some folks in DC say, “Pew pew pew” when the organization’s actual factual data are presented.
The write up says that journalists perceive themselves as doing a bang up job of reporting “real news.” And 52 percent think “real news” types are watching elected leaders.
The write up then points out:
When asked if journalists manage and correct misinformation consistently, 43 percent of those in the industry said yes, while just 25 percent of the general public agreed. Almost half (46 percent) of journalists said they felt connected to their readers and viewers, while just one-quarter of the public says they feel connected to the media outlets from which they get their news.
Perception may be reality. Self knowledge is a different kettle of fishy things, however.
Pew pew pew.
Stephen E Arnold, June 29, 2022
What Microsoft Wants: Identity System and Data for Good Purposes Of Course
June 28, 2022
Microsoft wants its new Verified ID program to move beyond social media platforms. According to Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. in the article, “Microsoft Wants Everything To Come With Its Verified Check Mark,” Microsoft wants Verified ID to validate more personal information and it is starting with verifying credentials.
Verified ID would allow people to get digital credentials that prove where they graduated, their jobs, where they bank, and if they are in good health. Microsoft says Verified ID would be good for people who need to quickly share their personal information, such as job applications. Verified ID uses blockchain-based decentralized identity standards. Microsoft plans to release its Entry Verified ID, its official name, in August. The name for Microsoft’s identity product line is Entra.
Ankur Patel is a Microsoft principal program manager for digital identity and he believes Entry Verified ID will be mainstream in three years:
“In the first year, it’s likely that Verified ID will be used by organizations in tandem with existing verification methods, both digital and analog, with a portion of their users, according to Patel. Wider adoption will depend, in part, on making sure that the service itself hasn’t “done harm,” he acknowledged.
One potential risk is that individuals might inadvertently share sensitive information with the wrong parties using the system, Patel said. ‘In the physical world, when you’re presenting these kinds of things, you’re careful — you don’t just give your birth certificate to anybody,’ he said. Microsoft is aiming to limit the issues in its own digital wallets with features meant to protect against this type of accidental exposure, Patel said.”
Microsoft wants to verify everyone’s information, but what about guaranteeing that its own products are real?
Whitney Grace, June 28, 2022
Apple: Intense Surveillance? The Core of the Ad Business
June 28, 2022
I read “US Senators Urge FTC to Investigate Apple for Transforming Online Advertising into an Intense System of Surveillance.” The write up reports:
Apple and Google “knowingly facilitated harmful practices by building advertising-specific tracking IDs into their mobile operating systems,” said the letter, which was signed by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), and Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), as well as U.S. Representative Sara Jacobs (D-California).
There are references to Tracking IDs, “confusing phone settings, and monitoring a user when that user visits non-Apple sites and services. Mais oui! Surveillance yields data. Data allows ad targeting. Selling targeted ads generates money. Isn’t that what the game is about? Trillion dollar companies have to generate revenue to do good deeds, make TV shows, and make hundreds of thousands of devices obsolete with a single demo. Well, that’s my view.
Will something cause Apple to change?
Sure. TikTok maybe?
Stephen E Arnold, June 27, 21022
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