Apple’s likely next steps, encouraging moves from Shopify, and quick thoughts on the EU versus Apple, Section 230, and Zoom and encryption
More on Apple and Google, Germany Versus Apple, Facebook’s Surveys
More evidence that Apple and Google are dictating terms to governments; then, it is possible that Facebook’s approach to discovering outbreaks has the most promise.
Capability and Policy Revisited; Isolation and Surveillance; Netflix’s Earnings
Once tech companies have the capability to do what government’s tell them to, they are increasingly willing to comply; that is not a good sign for increased surveillance. Then, Netflix is cautious about its huge earnings.
The Apple-Google Partnership, How to Contain the Coronavirus, Apple-Google Policy
The Apple-Google partnership is valuable not just for what it offers today, and for it might offer in the future, but also the decisions it forces on us as a society.
Zoom Follow-Up, Twitter Unmasking Follow-up, TSMC and Huawei
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.