The hottest Data Privacy Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

ICE seemingly inflated its contract with a cellphone location-tracking data broker to work around a "commercial data pause"

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 467 implied HN points • 06 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Data Privacy
  1. ICE increased a contract with a data broker from $816,700 to over $3.6 million to bypass a 'commercial data pause'.
  2. DHS Inspector General recommended ICE stop using location-tracking data until proper assessments are done.
  3. There were oversight gaps identified in how ICE used cellphone location data, including shared accounts and lack of supervisory review.

Imperfect, but sometimes on the money

imperfect offerings • 179 implied HN points • 24 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Data Privacy AI EdTech Recruitment Media Literacy
  1. Peter Thiel's Palantir has taken over the federated data service for the NHS, impacting data sharing opt-outs for patients and raising concerns about private interests in public health data.
  2. In the education sector, AI's influence, particularly in EdTech, raises issues around data governance, privacy regulations, and the challenge of regulating online platforms.
  3. AI's expansion into various sectors, including recruitment, poses challenges such as potential bias, pricing out of students, and the use of AI for assessments, leading to a possible 'AI-driven race to the middle' in hiring practices.

Data Laundering: How Stability AI managed to get millions of copyrighted art works without paying artists [Finance Fridays]

Technology Made Simple • 219 implied HN points • 12 Aug 23
🕹 Technology AI Copyright Tech industry Data Privacy Artificial Intelligence
  1. Data laundering involves converting stolen data to be used illegally or sold as legitimate data.
  2. Tech companies, like Stability AI, can get around artist copyright by using creative methods with AI art.
  3. It's essential to ensure fair compensation for artists and creators whose work is used, and to establish better regulations for copyright protection in data usage.

digital history

bookbear express • 231 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Digital history Data Privacy Online Communication
  1. The author reflects on the importance of preserving digital messages and memories, expressing a strong emotional attachment to them.
  2. There's a contrast drawn between the perceived permanence of digital life and its actual fragility, highlighting the significance of digital memories.
  3. The preference to retain digital messages is likened to the author's aversion to losing memories, emphasizing the value placed on both physical and digital aspects of life.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Privacy, Please!

Technically Optimistic • 59 implied HN points • 12 Apr 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Data Privacy Legislation Federal Government Enforcement Values
  1. American lawmakers are proposing a new data privacy act called the American Privacy Rights Act, aimed at giving individuals more control over their data.
  2. The proposed act includes measures like cleaning up state privacy laws, enforcing data minimization, addressing sensitive biometric and genetic data, and putting the FTC in charge of enforcement.
  3. Consumers would have more transparency, control, and rights over their data under the American Privacy Rights Act, though there are still hurdles to overcome in getting the legislation passed.

Learning, forgetting, and the NYT lawsuit

The Counterfactual • 119 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Language Models Data Privacy Learning Theory
  1. Learning involves forgetting some details to form general ideas. This means that to truly learn, we often need to overlook specific differences.
  2. Large Language Models (LLMs) can memorize details from the data they are trained on, which raises concerns about copyright issues and how much they reproduce existing content.
  3. Finding a way to make LLMs forget specific details from training data, while still keeping their language abilities, is challenging and may require new techniques.

The Age of Consent

Technically Optimistic • 59 implied HN points • 05 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Data Privacy Online safety Hackers
  1. There are concerns about online age verification asking for excessive personal information, risking privacy.
  2. Proposals suggest various methods for age verification, but many have loopholes or flaws.
  3. The idea of a trusted intermediary for age verification, like AgeVerify, could offer a more privacy-focused solution.

"Buy, Don't Repair" Is Subtle Message of Google Ad Campaign

Fight to Repair • 138 implied HN points • 08 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Repair Consumer Culture Right-to-repair Data Privacy
  1. The Google ad campaign conveys the message of 'Buy, Don't Repair' by promoting replacing products over repairing them, highlighting the impact of consumer culture and convenience.
  2. There is a significant focus on increasing the longevity of products through right to repair initiatives, emphasizing the importance of repairing, reusing, and reducing waste before resorting to recycling.
  3. Various issues related to repair and longevity, such as companies limiting repair resources, the spread of 'Deere disease' affecting maintenance, and the impact of support policies on vintage products, are highlighted in the text.

The CrowdTangle Shutdown: Yet Another Wake-Up Call for Social Media Transparency

3188 Labs • 6 HN points • 17 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Social media Data Privacy Digital ethics Information Flow AI Impact
  1. CrowdTangle was a tool that helped researchers and journalists track how information spread on social media. Its shutdown by Meta shows a lack of support for transparency.
  2. Social media algorithms often promote divisive content for profit, making it hard for regulators to step in. Without tools to understand these algorithms, it’s tough to address misinformation properly.
  3. There’s a growing need for better tools and processes to help people navigate social media. As we consume more online, it's crucial to be aware of the influences shaping our thoughts.

Notebook: (1) The AI We Live Now

Book Post • 157 implied HN points • 29 Sep 23
🕹 Technology AI Data Privacy Creative industry Artificial Intelligence
  1. The use of AI in writing and literature is leading to negotiations and agreements to protect human creativity in industries like Hollywood and publishing.
  2. Creative professionals are facing challenges from AI, such as actors negotiating to preserve their image and narrators resisting licensing their voices to AI.
  3. There is ongoing legal and ethical debate regarding the use of AI in creative industries, with concerns about copyright infringement and the impact on authors and content creators.

Large Impact: The Rise of Small Language Models

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 59 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Open Source Data Privacy Generative AI Natural Language
  1. Small Language Models (SLMs) are becoming popular because they are easier to access and can run offline. This makes them appealing to more users and businesses.
  2. While Large Language Models (LLMs) are powerful, they can give wrong answers or lack up-to-date information. SLMs can solve many problems without these issues.
  3. Using Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) with SLMs can help them answer questions better by providing the right context without needing extensive knowledge.

The hot blood leaps over the cold decree

Asimov’s Addendum • 2 HN points • 04 Sep 24
🕹 Technology AI safety Advertising Data Privacy Regulation
  1. AI safety discussions should focus not only on stopping outside threats but also on the risks from the owners of AI systems. These owners can create harm while just trying to achieve their business goals.
  2. There is a need to recognize and learn from past technology failures as these patterns might repeat with AI. We should not overlook potential issues that arise from how AI is managed and used.
  3. It's important for AI developers to share what they are measuring and managing in terms of safety. This information can help shape regulations and improve safety practices as AI becomes more integrated into business models.

UX Roundup: Cookie Banners Waste Time | Building AI Infrastructure | Bigger AI Training Clusters | AI Avatar Keynote Summary

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 11 implied HN points • 02 Dec 24
🕹 Technology User Experience E-commerce Digital Media Data Privacy
  1. Cookie consent banners waste a huge amount of time for users, costing billions in productivity. Most people ignore them or find them useless.
  2. NVIDIA's approach to building AI infrastructure allows for significantly faster performance improvements compared to traditional methods, promising exciting advancements in AI capabilities.
  3. Virtual try-on technology is becoming more accessible, allowing users to see how clothes look on them without needing a photoshoot, which can change the shopping experience.

Cybersecurity First Principles & Shouting Into the Void

Resilient Cyber • 239 implied HN points • 28 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Software Development Data Privacy Regulatory Compliance
  1. Cybersecurity issues won't fix themselves through friendly advice. The market often tolerates insecure products, leading to many security breaches that affect us all.
  2. Changing how we handle cybersecurity needs new rules. We must shift accountability and liability to make companies take security seriously and protect the data of their customers.
  3. Cybersecurity can be a key part of business success. If companies start prioritizing security due to regulations, it could help reduce risks and become a real advantage.

You like AI agents? You're gonna love it when they're on the blockchains

State of the Future • 19 implied HN points • 05 Feb 25
🕹 Technology AI Blockchain Data Privacy Decentralization Automation
  1. AGI might not be a single powerful entity, but a network of interacting agents that work together, running on local devices instead of big data centers.
  2. Keeping workflow privacy is really important. It's not just about protecting data, but also about keeping the ways agents solve problems secret to maintain competitive advantage.
  3. Blockchain can help agents make many small payments to each other easily, something traditional banking systems aren't designed for. This opens up new economic possibilities for AI agents.

Go gentle into that good night

WORLD GONE WRONG • 117 implied HN points • 24 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Social media Cryptocurrency Data Privacy Internet culture
  1. Web 2.0 is coming to an end, leading to uncertainty about the future of online platforms.
  2. Social networks may not be well-equipped to handle the scale of connecting billions of people.
  3. The concept of global interconnectedness through technology raises questions about human scale compatibility and the need for building healthier systems.

We don't talk (about Facebook) any more

Social Warming by Charles Arthur • 117 implied HN points • 21 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Social media AI Data Privacy Journalism Content creation
  1. Scandals involving Facebook have reduced significantly since the revelations by whistleblower Frances Haugen
  2. Despite financial stability, Facebook has lost relevance in the news and social media landscape
  3. Artificial intelligence, like ChatGPT, is changing the freelance writing industry by providing faster and cheaper content creation

The Future of ESG Reporting in Developing Economies: Blockchain-Powered Accountability

Concordium Monthly Updates • 117 implied HN points • 06 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Blockchain Data Privacy Scalability
  1. ESG reporting in developing economies faces challenges like lack of awareness, resources, and regulatory frameworks.
  2. Concordium's blockchain technology offers transparency, accountability, and efficiency for ESG reporting.
  3. Concordium's use of sharding, ZKP, inbuilt identity layer, and layer 1 structure enhances ESG reporting in developing economies.

Would you like some surveillance capitalism with your sandwich?

The Joyous Struggle • 197 implied HN points • 14 Oct 22
🕹 Technology Data Privacy Consumer Rights Digital Currency Data security
  1. Technology and capitalism are intertwined, impacting our daily experiences and evolving our lived realities.
  2. Surveillance capitalism, based on data extraction and manipulation, can lead to a loss of personal control and invasion of privacy.
  3. The normalization of compulsory data sharing in society poses a threat to individual autonomy and shifts the balance from citizens to consumers.

Do You Need Help Decoding What’s Going on with TikTok?

Technically Optimistic • 39 implied HN points • 22 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Social media Data Privacy AI Tech regulation Tech Companies
  1. Growing concerns about TikTok involve data privacy and control due to its Chinese ownership.
  2. Forcing a sale of TikTok raises debates about data privacy, potential sale complications, and the influence of money and power in the decision-making process.
  3. The TikTok situation highlights broader issues around data ownership, national security, and the evolving role of social media platforms.

My Biological Archive

Reboot • 19 implied HN points • 09 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Biotech Data Privacy Health tech Digital Culture Personalization
  1. Tracking biological data can reveal personal insights, but it can't capture everything about our experiences. Each person's journey with their body is unique and complex.
  2. There are concerns over biotechnology companies misusing genetic data, as shown by incidents like 23andMe's data breach. It's important to think carefully about who we trust with our personal information.
  3. We have more control over our bodily experiences than we might think. Listening to our bodies and prioritizing our personal stories can lead to a deeper understanding of ourselves.

European Union AI Act

Good Computer • 37 HN points • 18 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Regulation Data Privacy Machine Learning European Union
  1. The EU AI Act aims to protect individuals' rights and ensure safe AI use, setting a risk-based framework for regulation.
  2. The act defines AI broadly to be future-proof, with specific categories for varying levels of risk: Unacceptable, High, Low, and Minimal Risk.
  3. Generative AI like ChatGPT is carefully regulated in the act, aligning with the existing General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to safeguard privacy and data.

Smartphones on Wheels

Technically Optimistic • 39 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Data Privacy Self-driving cars AI Tech industry
  1. Cars are becoming more like smartphones, packed with technology that collects data on us, raising concerns about privacy and data security.
  2. Data from our cars is being used in various ways like by insurance companies and for managing traffic, highlighting the importance of understanding and protecting our data.
  3. As we move towards a future with driverless cars, concerns arise about privacy violations and the need for individuals to be informed and assert control over their data.

The Sign of the Times

Technically Optimistic • 59 implied HN points • 05 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Legal issues Data Privacy Innovation Regulation
  1. Media companies like The New York Times are suing AI firms for using their content without permission or payment, which could lead to a shift in how AI models are trained on data.
  2. The lawsuit brings up concerns about the accuracy of data used to train AI models and the need to respect intellectual property rights to ensure creators are compensated for their work.
  3. Efforts are being made to find solutions like machine unlearning and data deletion techniques to address issues raised by the lawsuit without completely starting over.

Language Model Quantization Explained

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 39 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Natural Language Data Privacy Software Development
  1. Small language models can be very good at tasks like understanding language and generating text. They sometimes work better than bigger models because they can learn in context.
  2. Running language models locally can help with privacy and slow response times. This means businesses can customize their models while keeping data safer.
  3. Quantization helps make models smaller and quicker by summarizing their complex information. It’s like having condensed books that still have the important ideas.

Microsoft Security Copilot - the Introduction

Rod’s Blog • 79 implied HN points • 07 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Artificial Intelligence Data Privacy Tech Integration
  1. Microsoft Security Copilot is an AI-powered security solution by Microsoft to help security teams respond faster and more effectively to cyber threats.
  2. Security Copilot provides tailored insights and guidance for tasks like incident response, threat hunting, intelligence gathering, and posture management.
  3. The tool seamlessly integrates with Microsoft's security portfolio and third-party services, offering features like incident summarization, threat exposure information, and executive report generation.

Three Steps I Take for Data Privacy

Technically Optimistic • 39 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Data Privacy Web Browsers Cybersecurity
  1. Consider using privacy-focused browsers like Firefox or Brave to control your online experience more effectively.
  2. Utilize end-to-end encrypted messaging platforms like Signal to keep your messages private and secure from prying eyes.
  3. Protect your email privacy by using services like Hide My Email or SimpleLogin to prevent your email from being shared or aggregated.

Run A Small Language Model (SLM) Local & Offline

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 39 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Data Privacy Software Development Chatbots
  1. Small Language Models (SLMs) can be run locally, giving you more control over your data and privacy. This means you can use them even without an Internet connection.
  2. SLMs are great for specific tasks that don't need the power of larger models, such as simple text generation or sentiment analysis. They can do a lot with less resource demand.
  3. Using SLMs can help businesses reduce costs related to API limits and data privacy issues. They also address delays that come with using larger models.

Best Infosec-Related Long Reads for the Week of 2/3/24

Metacurity • 39 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Security AI Cyberattacks Data Privacy
  1. London Underground is testing AI surveillance tools to monitor passengers, aiming to improve safety but facing challenges like recognizing objects accurately and potential privacy concerns.
  2. Transitioning from passwords to passkeys promises enhanced security but requires users to adapt to new ways of authentication and storage methods like dedicated password managers or physical security keys.
  3. Using SMS for account logins can lead to security vulnerabilities like SIM-swap attacks; companies should offer more secure alternatives like Authy or Google Authenticator to improve security measures.

From Today, ChatGPT Will Remember Every Paying User

AI Disruption • 19 implied HN points • 30 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Data Privacy Machine Learning AI Models
  1. ChatGPT's memory feature is now open to Plus users, helping it remember details shared in chats for seamless interactions.
  2. The memory feature works by allowing users to ask ChatGPT to remember things or letting it learn on its own through interactions.
  3. Deleting chats does not erase ChatGPT's memories; users need to delete specific memories if they wish. It is important for improving AI models and can enhance user experiences.