Unintended Consequence
Most tech was made with good intentions; only later do the unintended consequences become clear.
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Meltdown and especially Spectre are vexing vulnerabilities, precisely because processors are working as designed. All we can do is muddle through.
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Moderating user-generated content is hard: it is easier, though, with a realistic understanding that the Internet reflects humanity — it is capable of both good and evil.
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Lobbying Congress, Apple’s Report, What About Consumers?
Apple is belatedly waking up to its Congressional risk; Congress, though, needs to consider the risks of unintended consequences.
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An Interview with Eric Seufert about Apple, Facebook, and Mobile Advertising
A quick rumination on where Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs were similar, and then an interview with Eric Seufert about mobile advertising and the dispute between Apple and Facebook.
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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.
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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.