Facebook pursues privacy patina: Homomorphic encryption would potentially allow Facebook to target ads based on encrypted data without decrypting it. Though Facebook hopes this could help expand encryption while preserving privacy, it does nothing to address concerns over Facebook’s access to intimate personal data.
Twitter is offering researchers up $3,500 to uncover bias in its image cropping algorithm. Though bias bounty programs may reveal some instances of bias, they cannot hope to solve the broader issue of algorithmic bias entrenched within the bedrock of artificial intelligence.
Amazon is offering users $10 in promotional credits to sign up for its palm print-based One biometric payment system. Adding palm prints to its database could make One more attractive to third parties, though the practice raises major privacy and data security concerns.
After a significant pandemic-induced exodus away from major tech hubs, workers are returning to the Bay Area as their offices plan reopenings. Though traditional tech hubs may return to Californian, Big Tech’s largest companies may face significant work from home-related turnover.
The pandemic-induced period of record growth for the devices is waning, and despite high demand, production cuts resulting from the global chip shortage means shipments could be in for further decline.
A new study claims universal broadband access could add $160B to the US economy annually. As one of the first clear estimates of expanded broadband’s economic benefit, the study could help drive support for President Biden’s proposed $65 billion in broadband spending.
The president’s pick for assistant secretary of state for business focuses on the impact of AI financial crises. The move is the latest attempt by the administration to work toward a unified national AI strategy amid rising global competition.
The brain-computer interface startup received $205 million in a recent funding round. Though BCIs are on the rise, interfaces that require invasive surgery like Neuralink may face steeper adoption hurdles.
EU privacy regulators fined Amazon a record €746 million for alleged GDPR violations. The move marks an uptick in enforcement by Europe’s privacy regulators and may force tech firms to reevaluate their GDPR compliance.
Executives provided details on how non-Tesla drivers could use the company’s supercharger network to charge EVs. While it may help accelerate EV adoption, the company’s dynamic pricing proposals may end up giving Tesla owners preferential treatment.
Facebook announced it will make new Instagram accounts of users under age 16 private by default. While the move may provide a thin patina of privacy, it falls far short of addressing concerns about social media’s deleterious effects on minors.
CEO Tim Cook told investors to expect the chip shortage to impact Q4 iPhone production. The news bodes ill for Apple and other hardware manufacturers as the iPhone was one of the few major consumer devices untouched by the shortage.
Google revealed new details around how its upcoming safety section will work and expanded its privacy policy requirements to all apps on the Play Store. The search giant is trying to catch up to Apple on app transparency to cater to increasingly privacy-minded consumers.
The Apple Watch in particular saw unprecedented growth and new user adoption, while challengers lag far behind. With competing smartwatches still months out, competitors need to find other ways to challenge Apple’s devices on price, functionality, and cross-platform compatibility.