More on Zoom and its critical moment, then follow-up on Unmasking Twitter, and a major story about TSMC and Huawei.
Zoom and Facebook, Zoom Mistakes, Zoom Fixes
Zoom was sharing data with Facebook, probably on accident, but it is the company’s second major privacy and security-related screw-up. It’s a real concern as far as the company’s upside — and so is its connection to China.
Tech Companies Versus Misinformation, Tech Tracking, Capability Versus Policy
Tech companies unite to fight misinformation, and potentially are working on tracking COVID-19. What tradeoffs might that entail, and is it worth building capability and trusting in policy?
Epic Systems and Electronic Health Records, Aggregators and Data Portability, Epic’s Privacy Objections
Epic Systems, an electronic health records company, is protesting a mandate that they make consumer health care available via API. Their arguments highlight the tension between interoperability and privacy.
iCloud Backups and Encryption; Facts, Principles, and Concerns; Determining Defaults
More encryption news, this time about how Apple holds the keys to iCloud backups. I think this approach strikes the right balance: privacy exists, particularly if you work for it, while acknowledging legitimate societal concerns.
Clearview AI, The Problem with Scraping, Tradeoffs
Clearview AI is billed as a story about facial recognition, but the most important questions it raises is about scraping. And, by doing so, it reveals how many trade-offs we have yet to confront.
Lime Leaves 12 Cities; Scarcity Amongst Abundance; An Update on Apple, Trump, and Encryption
Scooter companies appear to be struggling, which is not a surprise; still, it is an excuse to re-visit assumptions around ride-sharing in comparison, and an generalizable principle about Aggregation Theory. Plus, an update on Apple versus the FBI.
Visa/Plaid Follow-Up; Apple v FBI, Round 2; 2020 Differences
More on Visa/Plaid, including why payments in the U.S. and China are so different. Then, Apple is facing off against the FBI again, but its position is both stronger technologically and weaker politically.
Portability and Interoperability
Data portability is friendly to consumers, but it has very little to do with encouraging competition, at least relative to interoperability.
Child Sexual Abuse Material Online, The Problem With Community, Towards More Friction
A horrifying article on Child Sexual Abuse Material online is actually a sign that Facebook is doing the right thing, at least for now. Encrypting private communications, though, may make things worse.