By Eli Siems
Researchers from the Center for Privacy & Technology at Georgetown Law released a major study on the police use of facial recognition software. The report, The Perpetual Line-Up: Unregulated Police Face Recognition in America, reveals that half of all Americans are catalogued in law enforcement facial recognition networks and that the use of such networks by at least 52 agencies is effectively unregulated. #PerpetualLineUp
The Justice Department outlined a new initiative to collect data on the use of force by law enforcement. The plan seeks to “collect, maintain and report data . . . on all officers involved shootings, whether fatal or nonfatal, as well as any in-custody death.” The DoJ will be collaborating with “local, state, tribal and federal agencies” to implement a comprehensive data collection program.
Facebook is testing an update to its messenger app that will propose conversation topics based on information about a user’s activities and interests.
Our own Helen Nissenbaum will be a panelist on the topic of data collection and sharing this Friday (10/21) at the Conference on Security and Privacy for the Internet of Things at Princeton University. The conference is to be videotaped and livestreamed.
The European Digital Rights Initiative (EDRi) has released a charming illustrated guide to internet privacy for kids. Adults seeking similar information can check out this page maintained by Consumer Reports.
And finally, Famed naturalist David Attenborough has suggested that gorilla exhibits at zoos should utilize peepholes for visitor viewing rather than customary glass panes, TIME reports. The proposal is the result of evidence that the animals’ knowledge that they’re being watched affects their behavior and well-being, perhaps amounting to a suggestion that the chilling effect of surveillance is not limited to human subjects (though this did not come as news to primatologists).