by Caroline Alewaerts
Wikileaks released documents describing the software and tools used by the CIA to hack various computer devices. The leak notably reveals that the CIA can break into smart phones and access messages before and after their transmission, therefore rendering WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal encryption features irrelevant. The CIA can also hack into an internet-based TV to record conversations. Tech companies have already indicated that they are working on fixing – or have already fixed – the vulnerabilities used by the CIA to break in their products.
Researchers at AI Lab at MIT Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS) recently developed a system (Synthetic Data Vault) that uses machine learning to automatically create artificial/synthetic data out of a “real” database. Their research suggests that using artificial data to develop data science algorithms and models will produce substantially the same results as real data without comprising privacy.
Republicans have recently introduced a resolution to repeal the FCC’s “Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunications Services” rule and to prevent the FCC from adopting similar regulation in the future. The rule was adopted last year and aimed at increasing transparency, choice, and security of customer data.
The NIH announced a new grant opportunity intended to help organizations encourage patient participation in the All of Us Research Program and the precision medicine biobank. This biobank will store millions of biospecimens and other healthcare data for precision medicine research, and will be the largest biobank in the world. Mayo Clinic, which is the organization in charge of creating the biobank, has however not yet revealed which specific measures it intends to put in place to protect the privacy and security of the biobank.
New Jersey State recently decided to replace bail hearings by an algorithm designed to evaluate the risk of release of a defendant in jail. The algorithm, however, does not replace judicial discretion, and the computer-generated score that it generates is meant to be used as a guide only.
Announcement: the NYU Information Law Institute and Department of Media, Culture, and Communications will be organizing the “International Workshop on Obfuscation: Science, Technology, and Theory” on April 7 and 8. More information about the workshop and how to register is available here. The organizers are also looking for students interested in helping organizing the event.