Face scans for US citizens flying abroad stir privacy issues; Associated Press via Hawaii News Now, July 12, 2017

Frank Bajak and David Koenig, Associated Press via Hawaii News Now; Face scans for US citizens flying abroad stir privacy issues

"During the trials, passengers will be able to opt out. But a DHS assessment of the privacy impact indicates that won't always be the case.

"The only way for an individual to ensure he or she is not subject to collection of biometric information when traveling internationally is to refrain from traveling," says the June 12 document on the website of Customs and Border Protection, which runs the DHS program...

Such concerns shouldn't stop the government from moving ahead with the program and U.S. citizens have already sacrificed considerable privacy as the price of fighting terrorists, said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which promotes restrictions on immigration.

He called it a "moral and security imperative."

Vote Fraud Commission Releases Public Comments, Email Addresses And All; NPR, July 14, 2017

Scott Neuman, NPR; Vote Fraud Commission Releases Public Comments, Email Addresses And All

"The presidential commission investigating alleged election fraud has released 112 pages of unredacted emails of public comment, raising further privacy concerns amid a legal challenge to the panel's request for sensitive voter data.

In many cases, the emails, which are largely critical and often mocking of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity led by Vice President Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, contain expletives as well as the sender's email address.

"This cavalier attitude toward the public's personal information is especially concerning given the commission's request for sensitive data on every registered voter in the country," Theresa Lee, a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union's Voting Rights Project, said.

However, the vice president's press secretary, Marc Lotter, in an email cited by The Washington Post, compared the comments to those of "individuals appearing before commission" who would submit their names before making comments."

A patent lawyer switches teams; Crain's Chicago Business, July 8, 2017

Claire Bushey, Crain's Chicago Business; A patent lawyer switches teams

"Unlike a ​ traditional law firm, Blackbird is structured as a limited liability company, not a partnership, and it has no clients. Instead, it acquires patents from inventors or small businesses. Blackbird then sues companies for patent infringement on its own behalf, and it shares an unspecified percentage of any settlement or judgment with the original patent owner.

Blackbird filed 107 lawsuits between September 2014 and May, including against Amazon, Fitbit, Netflix and kCura, a Chicago company that makes software used by law firms. It has settled with Amazon. The other three cases are ongoing.

Three months ago it sued San Francisco-based Cloudflare, and in May the website infrastructure company blasted Blackbird as "a dangerous new breed of patent troll" and launched a scorched-earth campaign against the 11-person business. Cloudflare, valued at $3.2 billion and with a seven-employee Champaign office, offered to the public a total of $50,000 for evidence that would invalidate any of 35 patents Blackbird holds. It also lodged ethics complaints with legal disciplinary bodies in Illinois and Massachusetts, and it was successful in prompting Illinois Rep. Keith Wheeler (R-Oswego) to introduce a bill that would outlaw Blackbird's business model...

A lawyer at Intel coined the epithet "patent troll" in 2001 to refer to Anthony Brown, a one-time Jenner & Block partner turned serial patent lawsuit filer, and his Chicago lawyer, the late Ray Niro. A troll asserts a patent of dubious quality, hoping the company will settle the infringement lawsuit quickly for maybe $50,000 to avoid spending millions on litigation. Detractors often slap the label on patent holders who do not manufacture a product, so-called nonpracticing entities."

Toronto Public Library Refusing to Cancel Planned Neo-Nazi Gathering; Torontoist, July 12, 2017

Evan Balgord, Torontoist; Toronto Public Library Refusing to Cancel Planned Neo-Nazi Gathering

"Prominent members of Canada’s neo-Nazi movement are holding a memorial service at a Toronto Public Library branch tonight for Barbara Kulaszka—a lawyer who defended them in front of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.

Jewish organizations want the Toronto Public Library to cancel the Richview Library booking, but, in an email, Ana-Maria Critchley, manager of stakeholder relations for the Toronto Public Library, tells Torontoist that’s not happening."

Letter to the Editor "Code Of Ethics", Press & Dakotan, July 13, 2017

Letter to the Editor, George Fournier MD, FACS, Yankton, Press & Dakotan,

Code Of Ethics

"With the current controversy surrounding the permitting of CAFOs [concentrated animal feeding operations] in Yankton County and concerns being voiced about the seeming unethical and almost subliminal way the commissioners and the zoning commission have relaxed zoning laws for proposed CAFOs, I asked the question: Is there a code of ethics and principles that Yankton County commissioners must adhere to in the performance of their duties as commissioners?

A Google search of the topic as well as a search of the county web site fails to specify the code. What is out there is a Commissioners Handbook, authored by the South Dakota Association of County Commissioners (SDACC). I read the second edition. The ethics section is on page 17.

Reading the section several times gives me the sinking feeling that there are potential ethical land mines faced by the commissioners. Two of the five commissioners are officers at a local bank, and a third is described in his bio on the commissioners’ website as, “He runs a diversified operations of alfalfa, soybeans, corn and hogs. Ray sits on many agricultural-related boards and is all about the future of the industry.” Really? Is he also all about the welfare of the citizens who elected him to office?

In the ethics section of the SDACC Commissioner’s Handbook on page 18: “… they should abstain from a vote on issues on which they would profit or enhance a relationship.” Clearly there are potential ethical issues facing our commissioners that need to be cleared up.

Should these three commissioners recuse themselves from voting on CAFO issues to avoid the appearance of impropriety or conflict of interest? It is unsettling to think that Yankton County commissioners could be blatantly violating the code of ethics suggested by their association."

Watching America lose its moral authority in real time; Washington Post, July 14, 2017

Dana Milbank, Washington Post; Watching America lose its moral authority in real time

"I traveled with my family in Australia for three weeks as a guest of the Universities of Sydney and Melbourne, invited to explain what’s happening in President Trump’s America.

As if there were an explanation.

Of more interest was what I learned from the Australians. To visit this stalwart ally and talk with its people was to see how the United States, in the space of just a few months, has utterly lost its moral authority."

Moral Vacuum in the House of Trump; New York Times, July 14, 2017

David Brooks, New York Times; Moral Vacuum in the House of Trump

"Once the scandal broke you would think Don Jr. would have some awareness that there were ethical stakes involved. You’d think there would be some sense of embarrassment at having been caught lying so blatantly.

But in his interview with Sean Hannity he appeared incapable of even entertaining any moral consideration. “That’s what we do in business,” the younger Trump said. “If there’s information out there, you want it.” As William Saletan pointed out in Slate, Don Jr. doesn’t seem to possess the internal qualities necessary to consider the possibility that he could have done anything wrong.

That to me is the central takeaway of this week’s revelations. It’s not that the Russia scandal may bring down the administration. It’s that over the past few generations the Trump family has built an enveloping culture that is beyond good and evil."

Illinois Issues: The Battle Over Transparency And Privacy In The Digital Age; NPR Illinois, July 13, 2017

Daisy Contreras, NPR Illiois; Illinois Issues: The Battle Over Transparency And Privacy In The Digital Age

"Privacy experts like John Verdi from the Future of Privacy Forum says that he believes much of the debate between opponents and proponents comes from the nature of the topic, which is in of itself a complicated issue because of the patchwork of legislation across different states.

“It is a vastly complicated space, where you have potential benefits from data to consumers, to businesses, to the economy — to governments. And you also have real concrete privacy and security risks for individuals.”...

For the time being, some consumers and privacy advocates like Carolyn Parrish, just want website owners and app developers to establish consensus about what might be considered too much data sharing and to establish ground rules for transparency with consumers.  “Giving people greater visibility into what’s happening behind the scenes—it’s useful. Knowledge is helpful to people to help them make educated choices.”"

Monkey selfie photographer says he's broke: 'I'm thinking of dog walking'; Guardian, July 12, 2017

Julia Carrie Wong, Guardian; Monkey selfie photographer says he's broke: 'I'm thinking of dog walking'

"The one consolation for Slater is that he believes that his photograph has helped to save the crested black macaque from extinction.

“These animals were on the way out and because of one photograph, it’s hopefully going to create enough ecotourism to make the locals realize that there’s a good reason to keep these monkeys alive,” Slater said. “The picture hopefully contributed to saving the species. That was the original intention all along.”"

Why the 12 July protest to protect net neutrality matters; Guardian, July 11, 2017

Olivia Solon, Guardian; Why the 12 July protest to protect net neutrality matters

"About 200 internet companies and activist groups are coming together this week to mobilize their users into opposing US government plans to scrap net neutrality protections.

The internet-wide day of action, scheduled for Wednesday 12 July, will see companies including Facebook, Google, Amazon, Vimeo, Spotify, Reddit and Pornhub notify their users that net neutrality – a founding principle of the open internet – is under attack. The Trump administration is trying to overturn Obama-era regulation that protected net neutrality, and there is less than a week left for people to object.

Just as the internet came together in a blackout to protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa) in 2012, many websites will on Wednesday feature a prominent message on their homepage, showing visitors what the web would look like without net neutrality and urging them to contact Congress. But what exactly is net neutrality, why is it under threat, and what can individuals do to protect it?"

Microsoft Courts Rural America, And Politicians, With High-Speed Internet; NPR, All Tech Considered, July 11, 2017

Aarti Shahani, NPR, All Tech Considered; Microsoft Courts Rural America, And Politicians, With High-Speed Internet

"Millions of people in rural America don't have the Internet connectivity that those in cities take for granted. Microsoft is pledging to get 2 million rural Americans online, in a five-year plan; and the company is going to push phone companies and regulators to help get the whole 23.4 million connected."

Stanford's Final Exams Pose Question About the ethics of Genetic Engineering; Futurism, July 9, 2017

Tom Ward, Futurism; Stanford's Final Exams Pose Question About the ethics of Genetic Engineering

"When bioengineering students sit down to take their final exams for Stanford University, they are faced with a moral dilemma, as well as a series of grueling technical questions that are designed to sort the intellectual wheat from the less competent chaff:

If you and your future partner are planning to have kids, would you start saving money for college tuition, or for printing the genome of your offspring?

The question is a follow up to “At what point will the cost of printing DNA to create a human equal the cost of teaching a student in Stanford?” Both questions refer to the very real possibility that it may soon be in the realm of affordability to print off whatever stretch of DNA you so desire, using genetic sequencing and a machine capable of synthesizing the four building blocks of DNA — A, C, G, and T — into whatever order you desire...

It is vital to discuss the ethics of gene editing in order to ensure that the technology is not abused in the future. Stanford’s question is praiseworthy because it makes today’s students, who will most likely be spearheading the technology’s developments, think about the consequences of their work."

55 Years Ago Today, Volvo Received a Patent that Saved Countless Lives; CNet, July 10, 2017

Andrew Krok, CNet; 55 Years Ago Today, Volvo Received a Patent that Saved Countless Lives

"Instead of sitting on the patent and licensing it out to other automakers for a big ol' chunk of change, Volvo opened up the patent so that any automaker could incorporate it into vehicles. The automotive industry took the idea and ran with it, and it proved so safe and popular that derivatives of Bohlin's original design are still in use today.

Back in 2009, Volvo estimated that more than 1 million people have been saved by the three-point seatbelt. That number has obviously risen since then, and they all have Volvo and Nils Bohlin to thank for it."

‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ is a superheroic meditation on how to be a good person; Washington Post, July 10, 2017

Alyssa Rosenberg, Washington Post; ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ is a superheroic meditation on how to be a good person

[Kip Currier: Spoiler-Free Comment: I saw Spider-Man: Homecoming this weekend and it's great--for all of the reasons (and more) that Alyssa Rosenberg identifies in her column today. The film doesn't actually quote the oft-quoted Spider-Man touchstone "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility", but you feel its invisible presence throughout the film's narrative arc.]

"This column discusses the plot, and ethical dilemmas, of “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”

“Spider-Man: Homecoming,” which zipped into theaters last weekend, is almost everything a summer blockbuster should be: It’s very funny without using humor as an excuse to be less than emotionally accessible; its super-sized throw-downs are anchored in real, human-scale conflicts; its world is richly populated with characters who aren’t solely defined by their powers or lack thereof; and it resists the urge to revisit the most famous story beats associated with its title character’s origin story. All of these elements made “Spider-Man” only the second blockbuster this year I’m eager to rewatch as soon as possible. And another element has left me thinking of it with more than mere amusement: “Spider-Man: Homecoming” is at its most poignant when it’s concerned with how to be a good person — often, specifically, a good man."

The ethics issue: Should we abandon privacy online?; New Scientist, July 5, 2017

Douglas Heaven, New Scientist; The ethics issue: Should we abandon privacy online?

"In an age where fear of terrorism is high in the public consciousness, governments are likely to err on the side of safety. Over the past decade, the authorities have been pushing for – and getting – greater powers of surveillance than they have ever had, all in the name of national security.

The downsides are not immediately obvious. After all, you might think you have nothing to hide. But most of us have perfectly legal secrets we’d rather someone else didn’t see. And although the chances of the authorities turning up to take you away in a black SUV on the basis of your WhatsApp messages are small in free societies, the chances of insurance companies raising your premiums are not."

Exiting Ethics Chief Walter Shaub Calls Trump White House 'A Disappointment'; NPR, July 7, 2017

Peter Overby, NPR; Exiting Ethics Chief Walter Shaub Calls Trump White House 'A Disappointment'

"Walter Shaub Jr., outgoing director of the Office of Government Ethics, says there's a new normal for ethics in the Trump administration.

"Even when we're not talking strictly about violations, we're talking about abandoning the norms and ethical traditions of the executive branch that have made our ethics program the gold standard in the world until now," Shaub told All Things Considered host Robert Siegel...

Defenders of federal ethics standards say OGE, and the ethics laws themselves, may be at a turning point.

"Previous administrations have sort of cared a lot about trying to do something about a violation of those conflicts of interest standards, and we have an administration now that honestly doesn't care," said Danielle Brian, executive director of the nonprofit Project on Government Oversight, or POGO."

Surprise Us, Mr. Trump: Name an Ethics Watchdog With Teeth; New York Times, July 7, 2017

Editorial Board, New York Times; Surprise Us, Mr. Trump: Name an Ethics Watchdog With Teeth

"Walter Shaub Jr. announced his resignation as director of the Office of Government Ethics on Thursday, plunging the federal government’s top ethics watchdog agency into limbo. President Trump now has the chance to appoint an accommodating loyalist who’d give him far less trouble than Mr. Shaub has. Or he could surprise us, and name another independent director committed to the ethical rules of public service. The president’s past behavior doesn’t offer much hope, but it would be in his long-term interest to choose a director with integrity.

The 70-person O.G.E. works with some 4,500 executive branch ethics officials whose goal is preventing conflicts of interest among 2.5 million civilian federal employees. The energy, commitment and character of the person at the top is crucial to the office’s success, not least because it has no real enforcement power. Its influence derives from a mix of financial disclosure rules, public pressure and, ideally, White House support for its mission of ensuring that civil servants act on the behalf of Americans, not themselves."

Walter Shaub’s Brave, Quixotic Ethics Battle with Trump; New Yorker, July 7, 2017

Sheelah Kolhatkar, New Yorker; Walter Shaub’s Brave, Quixotic Ethics Battle with Trump

"After leaving his post at the O.G.E., Shaub will join the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan organization based in Washington, D.C., as the director of its ethics program. According to Lawrence Noble, the Center’s general counsel, Shaub learned about the job opening only recently. “When the opportunity came for us to hire Walt, we couldn’t pass it up,” Noble said. He added that, to the best of his knowledge, Shaub “was under no outside pressure” to leave the O.G.E. before his term ended, and Shaub told the Washington Post much the same.

In his new role, Shaub will be helping the Center to expand its ethics program, strengthen its watchdog role, and help design potential fortifications to the ethics rules, which have been “stress-tested” under President Trump, as Noble put it. He added that Trump had exposed many weaknesses in ethics laws. With Shaub’s help, his organization will be looking at ways to strengthen and update conflict-of-interest rules for the President specifically, as well as ways to potentially give more power to the O.G.E., which, currently, can only offer advice and suggestions and has no enforcement role."

States consider tougher web privacy laws; Bloomberg via News Chief, July 6, 2017

Todd Shields, Bloomberg via News Chief; States consider tougher web privacy laws

"Soon after President Donald Trump took office with a pledge to cut regulations, Republicans in Congress killed an Obama-era rule restricting how broadband companies may use customer data such as web browsing histories.

But the rule may be finding new life in the states.

Lawmakers in almost two dozen state capitols are considering ways to bolster consumer privacy protections rolled back with Trump’s signature in April. The proposals being debated from New York to California would limit how AT&T, Verizon Communications and Comcast use subscribers’ data."

Federal commission invades voting privacy; Idaho Mountain Express, July 7, 2017

State Rep. John Gannon, Idaho Mountain Express; Federal commission invades voting privacy

"This new federal commission will cost plenty of our taxpayer dollars and our privacy. What are they going to do with this data? How are they going to track those that move and what right does the federal government have to even do that? Are federal investigators going to contact landlords, look at assessor records and interrogate voters regarding residences in order to determine “vulnerabilities”?  The monetary expense will be substantial and voter participation less likely."

The privacy risk of using a digital home assistant; KSL.com, July 6, 2017

Sloan Schrage, KSL.com

KSL TV

The privacy risk of using a digital home assistant

"“For the machine to know you’re talking to it, it has to be taking that voice information that it’s recording and sending it back and processing,” said [cyber security expert Sean Lawson. "The technology is really cool, especially if you grew up watching ‘The Jetsons’ or ‘Star Trek.’ The problem is, I also know how they work and the privacy implications. The costs versus the benefits of what this device will do for me is just not worth paying in terms of the privacy you give up. But everyone needs to make that decision for themselves.”"

"Ethical Quicksand", robrogers.com, July 6, 2017

Rob Rogers, robrogers.com; "Ethical Quicksand"

Government Ethics Chief Resigns, Casting Uncertainty Over Agency; New York Times, July 6, 2017

Nicholas Fandos, New York Times; Government Ethics Chief Resigns, Casting Uncertainty Over Agency

"“I don’t think anyone who comes after Walter is going to challenge the White House publicly the way that I think he did,” said Richard W. Painter, who served as ethics counsel for the George W. Bush White House. “It is a great loss.”

Mr. Painter said the administration would do itself a favor by naming a successor with experience in ethics law and a reputation for independence.

A permanent replacement for Mr. Shaub would require confirmation in the Senate, where Democrats would probably use confirmation hearings to raise grievances about what they see as Mr. Trump’s potential conflicts of interest, and Republicans are unlikely to act as a rubber stamp."

Intellectual Freedom and Open Access: Working Toward a Common Goal?; American Libraries, June 25, 2017

Jennifer Putnam Davis, American Libraries; Intellectual Freedom and Open Access: Working Toward a Common Goal?

"How do the principles of intellectual freedom and open access intersect? That was the topic of the “Intellectual Freedom and Open Access: Working Toward a Common Goal?” panel discussion, sponsored by the Intellectual Freedom Round Table, which addressed the relationship from several different perspectives."

Privacy Rules Apply To Connected Toys, FTC Says; Digital News Daily, June 28, 2017

Wendy Davis, Digital News Daily; Privacy Rules Apply To Connected Toys, FTC Says

"A federal law that limits companies' ability to collect data from children applies to businesses that gather data from connected toys and other devices, the Federal Trade Commission says.

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, which initially regulated data collection at Web sites, also "can apply to the growing list of connected devices that make up the Internet of Things," the FTC said in guidance issued last week."

Legislature Passes Geolocation Privacy Protection Act; Law360, June 28, 2017

Hannah Meisel, Law360; Legislature Passes Geolocation Privacy Protection Act

"A bill in the Illinois General Assembly seeking to limit the collection and disclosure of a smartphone user's geolocation data within applications will be sent on to Gov. Bruce Rauner after the House narrowly approved the legislation Tuesday.

The so-called Geolocation Privacy Protection Act was already approved by the state Senate last month — one of a handful of bills proposed in the Illinois legislature this spring aimed at protecting mobile phone user data."

GDPR Mastered: Preparing For History’s Biggest Data Privacy Revolution; Data economy, June 29, 2017

João Marques Lima, Data Economy; GDPR Mastered: Preparing For History’s Biggest Data Privacy Revolution

"Are GDPR sanctions enough to deter companies and make them change their behaviour?

SF: It has already got their attention. It certainly is the one area where C-level executives are starting to pay attention. Four percent of a global annual revenue is pretty substantial and will put some companies out of business.

It will still be those large multinational organisations that their entire business relies on data that will try to push back and in their head they might think: there is no way we will be fined this.

However, what is going to happen is that the data protection authority is going to look for that first case, and that first case that they find, that first company that they can actually hold it accountable and sanction will become the poster child to get companies to rethink their position. They cannot be arrogant any longer."

Facebook can track your browsing even after you've logged out, judge says; Guardian, July 3, 2017

Olivia Solon, Guardian; Facebook can track your browsing even after you've logged out, judge says

"A judge has dismissed a lawsuit accusing Facebook of tracking users’ web browsing activity even after they logged out of the social networking site.

The plaintiffs alleged that Facebook used the “like” buttons found on other websites to track which sites they visited, meaning that the Menlo Park, California-headquartered company could build up detailed records of their browsing history. The plaintiffs argued that this violated federal and state privacy and wiretapping laws.

US district judge Edward Davila in San Jose, California, dismissed the case because he said that the plaintiffs failed to show that they had a reasonable expectation of privacy or suffered any realistic economic harm or loss."

Louisiana considers radical step to counter high drug prices: Federal intervention; Washington Post, July 3, 2017

Carolyn Y. Johnson, Washington Post; Louisiana considers radical step to counter high drug prices: Federal intervention

"Gilead, a company that has projected between $7.5 billion and $9 billion in sales for 2017 for its hepatitis C drugs, says federal intervention would threaten future progress.

In a statement, the company said the proposal “puts in jeopardy further medical innovation by undermining the patent system and de-incentivizing research and development.” Gilead said that the state’s predictions of the budget impact are unrealistic, based on the idea that the entire infected population could be screened, treated and connected to treatment in a year. Gilead offers states that do not restrict access to treatments deep discounts — less than $30,000 for a 12-week treatment...

Gee said that she is not wedded to one approach and that she simply thinks the equity and access problems that are an outgrowth of high drug prices need to be tackled. After receiving the expert panel’s recommendation, Gee put out the proposal for public comment and received 102, a majority of which were in favor of taking some action. She expects to make a decision soon about a strategy to try to eliminate hepatitis C in Louisiana."

Security Pros, Librarians Holding Digital Privacy Clinics Across U.S.; Consumer Reports, June 28, 2017

Andrew Chaikivsky, Consumer Reports; Security Pros, Librarians Holding Digital Privacy Clinics Across U.S.

"Librarians as Privacy Coaches

Workshops such as Mitchell’s are often called “crypto parties” in reference to cryptography, a field of math and computer science that underlies digital security.

The idea was launched in 2012 as a grassroots movement, and since then hundreds of crypto parties have been held worldwide, including events in at least 26 states. The clinics teach everything from how to lock down a smartphone to methods for limiting online tracking by marketers. Attendees are urged to bring their laptops and phones. “No chips, dip, awesome music, or drinks,” Mitchell says. “Just food for the mind.”

These workshops are free, and you can find a list of upcoming events online. People who can't find a crypto party in their community may be able to learn about digital security at their public library.

“Libraries do a lot of digital training, and part of learning how to use a computer is making decisions about your online privacy,” says Mike Robinson, chairman of the Intellectual Freedom Committee’s privacy group at the American Library Association. “We don’t tend to call them crypto parties,” he says, “but in essence it’s what they are.”

If your library doesn’t yet offer this sort of training, Alison Macrina, a former technology librarian in Watertown, Mass., who co-wrote a self-published guide to online privacy called “We Are All Suspects,” suggests that you ask at the reference desk. “Libraries are incredibly quantitative and data-driven. If people call or ask, librarians can better show the board of directors or administrators that there’s a big interest in it and a need for this.”"

Is the staggeringly profitable business of scientific publishing bad for science?; Guardian, June 27, 2017

Stephen Buranyi, Guardian; Is the staggeringly profitable business of scientific publishing bad for science?

"The idea that scientific research should be freely available for anyone to use is a sharp departure, even a threat, to the current system – which relies on publishers’ ability to restrict access to the scientific literature in order to maintain its immense profitability. In recent years, the most radical opposition to the status quo has coalesced around a controversial website called Sci-Hub – a sort of Napster for science that allows anyone to download scientific papers for free. Its creator, Alexandra Elbakyan, a Kazhakstani, is in hiding, facing charges of hacking and copyright infringement in the US. Elsevier recently obtained a $15m injunction (the maximum allowable amount) against her.

Elbakyan is an unabashed utopian. “Science should belong to scientists and not the publishers,” she told me in an email. In a letter to the court, she cited Article 27 of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, asserting the right “to share in scientific advancement and its benefits”.

Whatever the fate of Sci-Hub, it seems that frustration with the current system is growing. But history shows that betting against science publishers is a risky move. After all, back in 1988, Maxwell predicted that in the future there would only be a handful of immensely powerful publishing companies left, and that they would ply their trade in an electronic age with no printing costs, leading to almost “pure profit”. That sounds a lot like the world we live in now."

How to See What the Internet Knows About You (And How to Stop It); New York Times, July 3, 2017

Tim Herrera, New York Times; How to See What the Internet Knows About You (And How to Stop It)

"The relentlessly unyielding (but highly profitable) personalization of the products and services we use is getting deeper and creepier than ever. This type of data is incredibly valuable, we’re producing a ton of it every day, and it’s all being used to turn us into products. As one Facebook developer famously said: “The best minds of my generation are thinking about how to make people click ads.”

Let’s go down this rabbit hole. Start with this neat and medium-scary site, which our friends at Gizmodo flagged, that shows you everything your browser knows about you the second you open it. Here’s another one."

Fight for privacy only beginning; Sun Sentinel, June 30, 2017

Sun Sentinel Editorial Board; Fight for privacy only beginning

"How much of your privacy are you willing to surrender in exchange for security? How concerned are you that the government has the capacity to trace your comings and goings? How bothered are you by license tag readers, surveillance cameras, red light monitors, websites that track your movements, retailers that collect and share your buying habits?...

In this age of the ubiquitous surveillance camera and the airport pat down, have we surrendered our expectation of privacy?

Is it too late to get it back? Do we feel safer without it?

Do we have a choice?"

Lack of ethics education for computer programmers shocks expert; Stuff, July 2, 2017

Madison Reidy, Stuff; 

Lack of ethics education for computer programmers shocks expert

"Computer coders will face more ethical dilemmas as people's trust in technology strengthens, but one expert is shocked that IT students are not being taught to uphold morals.

Most of New Zealand's computer science university degrees do not include papers or courses that cover ethics.

Auckland University computer science associate professor Ian Watson, said this was a problem because the mostly 20-something-year-old, caucasian males creating apps were making race and gender divides worse.

Their narrow world view meant they did not consider the impact their digital creations could have on society, Watson said. 

[Computer scientists] have become extremely arrogant and rather naive and are completely overlooking what their code might end up doing."

Watson said Auckland University's computer science course did not teach its students about the ethical implications their future jobs and creations could have on society, but that had to change.

Ethics was a problem for all software developers and their educators needed to consider teaching it, he said. 

Quiet Please, Episode 89: "If I Should Wake Before I Die"; Old Time Radio Downloads, Air Date: February 27, 1949

Old Time Radio Downloads; Quiet Please, Episode 89: "If I Should Wake Before I Die" 

[Kip Currier: Heard this cautionary tale--first aired in 1949--on Radio Classics this weekend. Especially prescient and timely, in light of real-world stories like this one, calling for ethics education in IT programs: Lack of ethics education for computer programmers shocks expert]

"Plot: He is the epitome of the word "mad scientist." This top scientist doesn't care whether his inventions have already vastly altered the world, all that he cares about is the vast amount of knowledge that he acquires in his research. What the world sees as a destructive weapon is nothing more but a mere scribble of equations for him. The world is starting to reach a crucial point when human knowledge has become dangerous and unwise."

Robocalling soars despite 'Do Not Call' registry, as scammers 'couldn't care less' about bothering consumers; CNBC, June 25, 2017

Jennifer Schlesinger, CNBC; Robocalling soars despite 'Do Not Call' registry, as scammers 'couldn't care less' about bothering consumers

[Kip Currier: Posting this in response to a timely question from an attendee at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh's "Conversations That Count" "Privacy in a Digital Age" program, for which I was a co-panelist last night.]

""The 'Do Not Call' registry actually works for legitimate businesses," said Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail. "The problem is all the people who don't respect it, who are the scammers who [couldn't] care less."

The calls are often coming from overseas, where scammers try to stay out of the reach of regulatory authorities, according to the FTC...

• Register your number on the Do Not Call List, donotcall.gov. "After that if you get a call that is trying to sell you a good or service, you have a pretty good idea that that call is illegal and the person behind that call is a law violator, and so you have a good sense of knowing that that's a call that you don't want to engage in," Kopec said.
• Report illegal robo-sales calls to the FTC at complaints.donotcall.gov. The government passed on these numbers to services that block calls."

PRIVACY IN A DIGITAL AGE 

June 29th
5:30–7:00pm
Carnegie Mellon University
Cohon University Center
McKenna-Peter Rooms (second floor)
5032 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213Free Parking is available in the East Campus Garage off Forbes Avenue 

REGISTER BELOW

Discussion led by Foundation Scholar
Rabbi Danny Schiff

Featuring
James “Kip” Currier, PhD, JD 
Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh,  School of Computing & Information

            

Read some of Dr. Currier's work:
Ethics & Information Blog
Intellectual Property & "Open" Movements Blog 

The Men’s Philanthropy Division is dedicated to providing meaningful outreach and engagement opportunities for men at all stages of life. Whether it is Jewish men gathering to socialize, network, consider important world issues or give back to the community our goal is to create an active and engaged community of Jewish men with a focus on Jewish philanthropy.

$10 includes light hors d'oeuvres and refeshment.Dietary Laws Observed.

Jan Levinson
Men’s Philanthropy Chair

Chuck Snyder
Men’s Philanthropy Co-Chair

David Steinbach
Shofar Society Chair

Todd Rosenfeld, CFP^®
Shofar Society Co-Chair 

Conversations that Count is a program of the Men’s Philanthropy Division of The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

The full inclusion of people of all abilities is a core value of the Pittsburgh Jewish Community.To RSVP or for more information, contact Chrissy Janisko at cjanisko@jfedpgh.org or 412-697-6652.