Posts with «politics & government» label

Clearview CEO claims company's database of scraped images is now 30 billion strong

Clearview AI, the controversial facial recognition software used by at least 3,100 law enforcement agencies across the US, has scrapped more than 30 billion images from social media platforms like Facebook. CEO Hoan Ton-That shared the statistic in a recent interview with BBC News (via Gizmodo) where he also said the company had run nearly 1 million searches for US police.

Last March, Clearview disclosed its database featured more than 20 billion “publicly available” images, meaning the platform has grown by a staggering 50 percent over the past year. While Engadget cannot confirm those figures, they suggest the company, despite recent setbacks at the hands of groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and legal threats from platform holders, has found no shortage of interest for its services.

In a rare admission, the Miami Police Department revealed it uses Clearview AI to investigate all manner of crimes, including everything from theft to murder. Assistant Chief of Police Armando Aguilar said the force has used the technology about 450 times per year. “We don’t make an arrest because an algorithm tells us to,” he told BBC News. "We either put that name in a photographic line-up or we go about solving the case through traditional means."

Ton-That told BBC News he was not aware of any cases where Clearview mistakenly identified someone. Verifying that claim is difficult due to a lack of data and transparency around the use of facial recognition technology. For instance, in the recent wrongful arrest of Randal Reid, a Black man who was falsely accused of stealing in a state he had never visited, it’s unclear if police obtained the false match that led to the arrest using Clearview AI or MorphoTrak, a competing facial recognition system. Ton-That said wrongful arrests are the result of "poor policing.”

A handful of US cities, including Boston and San Francisco, have passed legislation restricting police and government use of facial recognition technologies. Federal action on the subject has been slow. In 2021, a group of 20 lawmakers led by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced the Fourth Amendment is Not For Sale Act, a bill that seeks to ban law enforcement and intelligence agencies from buying data from Clearview. The legislation has yet to pass, however.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/clearview-ceo-claims-companys-database-of-scraped-images-is-now-30-billion-strong-174921576.html?src=rss

The UK government won't make an NFT after all

Last year, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (then Chancellor of the Exchequer) announced that the Royal Mint would issue an official NFT (non-fungible token) as a "forward-looking approach" toward crypto. Now, with the shine well off the technology, the Treasury has announced that it's "not proceeding with the launch" after all, the BBC reported. 

NFTs were still the crypto trend du jour when the government said it would create a "dynamic regulatory landscape," to nurture a bustling industry. It also planned legislation to introduce stablecoins into the country's payment infrastructure, while considering the legal status of exchanges and investment funds based around cryptocurrency.

The Treasury isn't as enthusiastic now, though, as Select Committee chair Harriet Baldwin expressed in a juicy quote: "We have not yet seen a lot of evidence that our constituents should be putting their money in these speculative tokens unless they are prepared to lose all their money. So perhaps that is why the Royal Mint has made this decision in conjunction with the Treasury." 

The rejection follows a reported drop in the NFT market to the tune of 83 percent in sales in a single year. It also coincides with the failure of key crypto exchanges, particularly FTX — which saw untold sums of investor money go up in smoke. 

While aware of the potential for scams, bubbles and environmental harms, UK's economic secretary at the time, John Glen, saw the NFT project as an opportunity to "get in on the ground floor" of a potential crypto industry boom. And despite the recent collapse, current economy secretary Andrew Griffiths said the department is still keeping a government backed NFT "under review." 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-uk-government-wont-make-an-nft-after-all-125018638.html?src=rss

Biden administration bans federal agencies from using commercial spyware

In an executive order signed Monday, President Biden barred federal agencies from using commercial spyware that threatens US national security or carries a risk of improper use by foreign governments and individuals. The order applies to all departments, including those involved in law enforcement, defense and intelligence. It also prohibits the use of spyware that in the past was used to disclose non-public information about the US government.

The executive order the Biden administration published on the White House website doesn’t include a list of affected spyware vendors. Per TechCrunch, government officials declined to name specific firms when asked by reporters. However, the administration said the order includes US and foreign-made spyware. Judging from the criteria laid out in the order, known government spyware makers like Isreal’s NSO Group and Macedonia’s Cytrox are likely affected.

As TechCrunch notes, security researchers have long warned of the dangers posed by commercial spyware. Such programs frequently target previously undisclosed vulnerabilities that make entire software ecosystems unsafe. In the case of NSO Group’s infamous Pegasus spyware, the firm exploited a CoreGraphics vulnerability in iOS that allowed the program to infect an iPhone without the victim needing to tap anything. Moreover, while many governments claim to use spyware sparingly to investigate serious crimes, that hasn’t stopped some from using the software for domestic surveillance and to target political dissidents.

“We are very concerned about the threat of digital authoritarianism and practices around the world but we are also very cognizant that the misuse of technology can occur in any state,” a White House official told The Hill. “So, we are taking steps to make sure that the way that we would like technology to be used is aligned with human rights and democratic principles all around the world.”

On Monday, the Biden administration said at least 50 US federal employees in 10 countries are either suspected or confirmed of having had their devices compromised by spyware. In one recent example, an unknown assailant used the Pegasus spyware to infect iPhones belonging to at least nine US State Department officials stationed in Uganda or whose work involved the East African country. The order follows questions about the US government’s alleged use of commercial spyware. Last fall, The New York Times reported that the FBI had considered using Pegasus in criminal investigations. Between late 2020 and early 2021, agency officials were reportedly in the “advanced” stages of developing plans to brief FBI leadership on the software.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/biden-administration-bans-federal-agencies-from-using-commercial-spyware-182812610.html?src=rss

France bans TikTok (and Candy Crush) from government phones

It's no shock to see another country banning TikTok from government phones, but France is taking the restrictions a step further. Le Mondereports the French government is banning "recreational" apps like TikTok, Twitter, Netflix and even Candy Crush from public servants' devices. The apps represent cybersecurity risks that could jeopardize data for both the employees and the administration, according to the office of public service minister Stanislas Guerini.

The government hasn't provided an exact list of banned apps. However, Guerini said certain there could be some exceptions for the sake of necessary communication. This won't prevent a social media team from posting content, in other words. The ban takes effect immediately, but the penalties for defying the rule can be decided at the "managerial level," Guerini's office says. The approach doesn't affect personal devices.

The clampdown comes after the US federal government, dozens of states, Canada, the European Commission and the UK have banned TikTok on their workers' devices. In those cases, the rationale has been similar: officials are worried the Chinese government could collect data about important individuals, spread propaganda and compel ByteDance (TikTok's parent company) to hand over sensitive information.

TikTok has repeatedly denied collaborating with the Chinese government. In testimony before a House committee yesterday, CEO Shou Chew said ByteDance was "not an agent of China" and that American user data wouldn't be accessible to staff in other countries by the time a migration project wraps up later this year.

The French policy, however, isn't aimed at any one country or app category. Instead, it represents a general concern that entertainment apps may put government data at unnecessary risk. That's not so hot for employees hoping to watch Netflix during lunch, but it may reassure politicians worried employees might inadvertently expose info through their social media accounts.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/france-bans-tiktok-and-candy-crush-from-government-phones-170434409.html?src=rss

Here's what TikTok's CEO told Congress about the app's ties to China and teen safety

At his first Congressional hearing, TikTok CEO Shou Chew tried to downplay TikTok’s ties to China and parent company ByteDance. But lawmakers at the House Energy and Commerce Committee were far from satisfied with his answers.

In her opening statements, committee chair Representative Cathy Rodgers said that TikTok should be banned. "ByteDance is beholden to the CCP [Chinese Communist Party], and ByteDance and TikTok are one and the same," she said.

Chew, who in his written testimony said that “ByteDance is not an agent of China” repeatedly pointed to Project Texas, the company’s sweeping plan to lock down US users’ data in the United States. But lawmakers on the committee were skeptical of the plan, which TikTok officials have said would do more to protect users than an outright ban.

Chew repeated multiple times that US user data would be inaccessible to employees in other countries “after Project Texas” is completed later this year. Still, committee members were skeptical of the plan, which has been in the works for more than a year. Rodgers called it a “marketing scheme,” Representative Frank Pallone said "Project Texas is simply not acceptable," and Representative Angie Craig said the plan “doesn’t pass the smell test.”

The more than five-hour showdown between Chew and lawmakers, who have found suspicion of TikTok to be a rare source of bipartisan agreement, comes as US officials have told the company it could ban the app if it doesn’t separate itself from ByteDance.

As with previous hearings with social media executives, lawmakers pressed Chew for yes or no answers to complex questions, and grew frustrated when he declined to give one. In one exchange, Representative Tony Cardenas asked Chew whether ByteDance was a Chinese company. He would only admit that it was a “global” firm with a Chinese founder. In another, Representative Debbie Lesko asked if he would agree with a statement that the Chinese government persecutes the Uighur population in China. He would only say that "it's deeply concerning to hear about all the kinds of human rights abuse" and tried to pivot to saying those statements are allowed on TikTok.

And Chew dodged other questions about the inner workings of ByteDance and its China-based employees. He was sharply criticized for his response to a question about whether ByteDance employees had spied on American journalists. “I don’t think ‘spying’ is the right way to describe it,” Chew said. “This is ultimately an internal investigation.” (TikTok was quick to point out Chew denied ‘spying’ had happened at the direction of the Chinese Communist Party.)

The hearing was also notably different than previous hearings with other social media company CEOs because the vast majority of lawmakers are not active on TikTok. Not all of their questions were nuanced, though. At one point, Representative Richard Hudson demanded to know whether TikTok can “access the home WiFi network.” And multiple lawmakers asked why TikTok’s moderation practices are different from the aggressive censorship of its Chinese counterpart, Douyin.

Beyond national security concerns, several lawmakers also raised the issue of teen safety, including TikTok’s content moderation practices and how it deals with viral “challenges.” Chew often pointed to recent updates like TikTok’d addition of a STEM-themed feed, new screentime settings and algorithm tweaks to limit “repetitive patterns” of potentially harmful content.

But, after more than five hours of questioning, it seemed his testimony hadn’t done much to persuade the members of the committee that Project Texas will be able to address their concerns. 

For now, TikTok’s future is uncertain, and even Chew seemed unwilling to speculate. Chinese officials said Thursday they oppose a sale of TikTok. When asked in the hearing if he agreed with those comments, Chew instead pointed to Project Texas."We will need to look at this because Project Texas is designed to move forward here in the United States and we are not discussing this," he said.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/heres-what-tiktoks-ceo-told-congress-about-the-apps-ties-to-china-and-teen-safety-201657076.html?src=rss

TikTok CEO to Congress: ‘ByteDance is not an agent of China’

TikTok CEO Shou Chew is preparing to tell lawmakers that there are many “misconceptions” about the app, and that banning it will damage the United States economy. He’s also planning to tell members of Congress that concerns about parent company ByteDance, and its ties to China, are unfounded.

“Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country,” Chew says in written remarks released by the House Energy and Commerce Committee ahead of Thursday’s hearing on TikTok. The hearing, which will mark Chew’s first Congressional appearance, comes at a moment when the stakes couldn’t be higher for the company.

US officials recently told the company that TikTok could be banned in the United States if ByteDance doesn’t divest itself from the company. And members of both parties have supported bills that would empower President Joe Biden and others in his administration to ban the app.

Much of Chew’s written testimony is similar to arguments TikTok has been making for years. He details the app’s safety features, particularly those aimed at teens, as well as Project Texas, TikTok’s billion-dollar effort to lock down US users’ data. “Earlier this month, we began the process of deleting historical protected U.S. user data stored in non-Oracle servers; we expect this process to be completed later this year,” Chew writes. “Under this structure, there is no way for the Chinese government to access it or compel access to it.”

Chew’s written testimony also touches on revelations that four former ByteDance employees used TikTok to access the data of US journalists. The incident, which further fueled lawmakers’ concerns about TikTok, has reportedly prompted a DoJ investigation into the company. “I condemn this misconduct in the strongest possible terms,” Chew wrote, noting that the company is conducting an investigation with an outside law firm.

But most notable are Chew’s comments about China. He says that allegations that TikTok is “beholden to the Chinese government” are “emphatically untrue” and describes ByteDance as a “global enterprise” that was “founded by Chinese entrepreneurs.”

Despite those assurances, lawmakers are likely to grill Chew in depth about TikTok’s ties to ByteDance and China, and whether the company can be trusted to protect US users. At a previous hearing, when lawmakers heard from TikTok COO Vanessa Pappas, they were frustrated by her insistence that ByteDance was not a Chinese company, and pressed her about TikTok’s China-based employees. How Chew answers similar questions could directly affect the TikTok's future in the United States. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-ceo-to-congress-bytedance-is-not-an-agent-of-china-173741845.html?src=rss

A TikTok ban is a lot more complicated than just shutting down the app

Disentangling ourselves from TikTok is more complicated than simply banning the app, just ask the state of Maryland. According to a new report in The Wall Street Journal, it’s one of several states that used TikTok’s tracking pixel on a government website despite a statewide ban barring TikTok-related software from official devices and networks.

According to the report, Maryland was one of 27 states that had code for TikTok’s tracking pixel embedded in an official government website. While these types of tools are extremely common — tracking pixels help online advertisers target their ads — their use has also been widely criticized by privacy advocates.

In Maryland’s case, the TikTok pixels were reportedly found on a state-run COVID website and were related to an ad campaign from last year. Likewise, TikTok’s pixel was also found on a website run by Utah's Department of Workforce Services, which told The Wall Street Journal the pixel was used for an ad campaign targeting job seekers. Like Maryland, Utah has also banned TikTok from government devices.

The report underscores how, even with bans in place, governments are finding it difficult to disentangle themselves from TikTok completely. The company is currently grappling with the threat of a nationwide ban in the United States if parent company ByteDance doesn’t divest its stake in the service. CEO Shou Zi Chew is set to testify in a Congressional hearing on Thursday, when he will make the case that banning the app would hurt its 150 million American users.

Elsewhere, a new report in Forbes highlighted other issues that a nationwide ban may not fully resolve. According to the report, the personal data of TikTok users from India is still accessible to TikTok and ByteDance employees, despite the country banning the app in 2020. Forbes points out that this is likely due to the terms of India’s ban, which apparently “did not seem to call for deletion of app data that had already been captured and stored.”

Even so, it’s not the first time security experts have questioned whether it would ever be possible to “claw back” TikTok user data that’s already been collected by the company. In an odd way, that may make it a bit easier for TikTok to argue that an outright ban would be less effective than its multibillion-dollar plan to impose strict data controls and other measures meant to lock down US user data. That plan, known as Project Texas, has so far failed to persuade lawmakers and the Treasury Department officials involved in the years-long negotiations with TikTok.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-tiktok-ban-is-a-lot-more-complicated-than-just-shutting-down-the-app-201114677.html?src=rss

Donald Trump's YouTube suspension is over

YouTube is the latest internet giant to restore former President Donald Trump's accounts. The Google-owned video service has lifted a ban on video uploads from Trump's channel. YouTube says it made the decision after weighing the "continued risk" of violence versus the opportunity to hear from major political candidates. Trump will still be subject to the same policies as other users, the company says.

YouTube blocked uploads on Trump's channel days after the January 6th, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by supporters hoping to overturn presidential election results. The site also deleted certain videos. It didn't scrub the channel outright, however. Meta and Twitter were stricter, banning Trump entirely over concerns his statements might incite violent acts.

1/ Starting today, the Donald J. Trump channel is no longer restricted and can upload new content. We carefully evaluated the continued risk of real-world violence, while balancing the chance for voters to hear equally from major national candidates in the run up to an election.

— YouTubeInsider (@YouTubeInsider) March 17, 2023

Trump hasn't posted any new videos to YouTube since the upload restriction disappeared. As a rule, he hasn't used Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other services that have removed bans and other limits. He instead prefers to use his own Truth Social platform, where he has an agreement to give content at least a six-hour exclusive.

The change of heart comes soon after House Republicans unveiled plans to grill tech giants' CEOs over content moderation policies. For years, conservatives have alleged that Google, Meta and other big-name brands censor right-wing views under the guise of fighting misinformation and hate speech. The companies have repeatedly denied these claims, and evidence has emerged that companies sometimes made policy exceptions for conservative outlets over fear of a backlash.

The derestrictions at this stage are more symbolic than practical. However, they illustrate the fine line YouTube and other internet heavyweights are trying to walk between free speech and the desire to keep potentially troublesome content away from their products.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/donald-trumps-youtube-suspension-is-over-145005582.html?src=rss

New Zealand is the latest country to ban TikTok from government devices

New Zealand has joined the growing list of countries and jurisdictions that have banned TikTok from certain government devices. Unlike elsewhere, the restriction doesn't apply to all government employees. It's limited to devices that have access to New Zealand's parliamentary network, though the country's defense force and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said they've banned TikTok on work devices too.

The ban will come into force by the end of March. However, there may be exceptions for those who need access to TikTok to carry out their jobs.

Officials made the move in the wake of advice from cybersecurity experts and talks between people in the government and with other countries. "Based on this information, the Service has determined that the risks are not acceptable in the current New Zealand Parliamentary environment,” parliamentary service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero told Reuters.

Chris Hipkins, New Zealand's prime minister, shed some light on why the country limited the ban to devices linked to the parliamentary network. "Departments and agencies follow the advice of the (Government Communications Security Bureau) in terms of IT and cybersecurity policies ... we don't have a blanket across the public sector approach," he said.

Earlier this week, the UK announced an immediate TikTok ban on government devices. It said users of such devices would only be able to use third-party apps that are on an approved list. Over the last few months, the US, dozens of states, Canada and the European Commission have also banned TikTok on devices they own.

As with those other jurisdictions, New Zealand is limiting government access to TikTok due to security fears. Officials in many countries have expressed concern that TikTok's parent company ByteDance (which is based in Beijing) may be compelled to share sensitive user information, such as location data, with China for purported national security reasons. 

ByteDance has said it wouldn't share user data with China, but US officials have claimed the company would legally have to comply if the government demanded the information. TikTok has tried to assuage privacy worries in the US and Europe by routing traffic from each territory to domestic servers and conducting third-party security and data audits.

TikTok's troubles don't end with bans from government devices. This week, the company said that the US told ByteDance to sell the app or TikTok could face a nationwide ban. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has argued that, were ByteDance to divest his company, that wouldn't resolve politicians' security concerns and that data protection projects the company has set up in the US and Europe "are the real solutions." A whistleblower has claimed, however, that there are flaws in the US plan that could allow China to theoretically access data of American TikTok users anyway.

Meanwhile, reports suggested this week that the FBI and the Department of Justice are investigating ByteDance after four employees used TikTok to snoop on the locations of two US journalists. ByteDance fired the four people (two of whom were based in China and the others in the US) in December and said the individuals were trying to locate the sources of leaks to the reporters.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/new-zealand-is-the-latest-country-to-ban-tiktok-from-government-devices-143539571.html?src=rss

TikTok CEO says selling the app won't satisfy US security concerns

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has claimed that, were parent ByteDance to sell the company, that alone wouldn't be enough to prevent it from scrutiny over security concerns. Chew made the assertion following reports this week (which TikTok has confirmed) that the US government has told TikTok to divest itself from ByteDance or face a national ban. "Divestment doesn’t solve the problem: a change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access," TikTok said in the wake of those reports.

Chew claimed that the US and other countries would still have problems with how the app handles user data were it to have a different owner. Officials have expressed fear that China will gain access to user data linked to their residents. 

TikTok's CEO told The Wall Street Journal that, were Beijing-based ByteDance to sell the company, that won't provide more data protection beyond projects it's already working on. TikTok has promised to protect US user data from China by routing it through domestic Oracle servers and putting other safeguards in place, such as third-party oversight of the app's algorithms.

TikTok has spent billions of dollars on that plan, which it calls Project Texas. It has been working on the project over the last two years in an attempt to address US security concerns after former President Donald Trump attempted to force ByteDance to sell TikTok. The company recently announced a similar project for European user data.

Some officials are worried that ByteDance might be compelled to share data with the Chinese government or that China might demand changes to the content that TikTok's algorithms show to Americans. TikTok has claimed it wouldn't provide data to Chinese officials if they asked for assistance with spying — the company says it has not received such a request.

Meanwhile, a former employee of TikTok's trust and safety team has claimed there are significant flaws with Project Texas. They said it would still theoretically be possible for China to access US data as TikTok could still be linked to ByteDance's Chinese news app Toutiao. That said, reports suggest the person left TikTok months before Project Texas was finalized and that he may not know all the details of how it works.

“The idea behind Project Texas is it won’t matter what the Chinese law or any law says, because we’re taking US user data and we’re putting it out of their reach,” Chew said. “You’re talking about real concerns. I think these are the real solutions.”

Chew hasn't said whether ByteDance is open to selling its stake in TikTok. He has also dismissed the option of listing TikTok on the stock market as a publicly traded company any time soon, but that's something his company and ByteDance are mulling.

Next week, Chew will testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He'll discuss TikTok's links to China as well as issues such as privacy and the app's impact on kids.

The US government and dozens of states have banned their employees from using TikTok on their federal- or state-owned devices. Canada and the European Commission have enacted similar bans in recent weeks, while the UK announced a similar measure earlier today.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-ceo-says-selling-the-app-wont-satisfy-us-security-concerns-153717605.html?src=rss