Category: Artificial Intelligence

CCTV facial recognition and the Hong Kong protests

Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Digital Systems Technology, Internet of Things (IoT)

August 24 marked another long day of clashes in Hong Kong between police and protestors.

The nearly three-month long protests generally choose their location based on certain problematic aspects of Hong Kong’s relationship with China. 

That day, the focus opposed police digital surveillance tactics, specifically the city’s installation of ‘smart lampposts’; street lights that come equipped with cameras and sensors. Hong Kong authorities insist the lampposts are only used to monitor weather, traffic, and air quality. 

Police and protestors on Aug 24

After riot police forcibly dispersed an initial gathering of tens of thousands of Hong Kong citizens, groups of protestors broke off and regrouped in different neighborhoods. Several smart lamps were pulled down, dismantled, and occasionally kicked. Police fired projectiles, released tear gas, and wielded batons and riot gear while charging lines of protestors.

Facial recognition already common

Various facial recognition technologies and devices are already common across Hong Kong. They unlock mobile devices, confirm identities at ATMS, and identify individuals in photos based on their social media profile.

Suspicions of increased mainland monitoring

The renewed concern of protestors directly relates to the catalyst for the entire protest movement: the extradition bill that sought to allow Hong Kong citizens to be tried by the mainland Chinese judiciary system.

The general public simply does not trust the new cameras, many of them developed and sold by Chinese companies, to innocuously report weather and traffic data. 

China obviously wants the ability to extradite Hong Kong citizens for crimes committed outside of the mainland. A video surveillance network in which Chinese authorities can monitor individual Hong Kong citizens is a clear path towards building cases against political targets that could facilitate a case for extradition. 

Apple to suspend Siri ‘grading program’ that allows contractors to hear private user info

Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Mobile Security

Recently the Guardian reported that, thanks to “Siri,” Apple contractors have access to private conversations and personal information. This includes medical information, criminal behavior and even the sound of people have sex.

According to the report:

“Although Apple does not explicitly disclose it in its consumer-facing privacy documentation, a small proportion of Siri recordings are passed on to contractors working for the company around the world. They are tasked with grading the responses on a variety of factors, including whether the activation of the voice assistant was deliberate or accidental, whether the query was something Siri could be expected to help with and whether Siri’s response was appropriate.”

In other words, whether Apple intended it or not, Siri serves as a covert surveillance tool. Apple stated for the record that the private data “is used to help Siri and dictation … understand you better and recognize what you say.” That, of course, doesn’t change the fact that Apple users’ most private information is being recorded and listened to by strangers.

Unsurprisingly, the Guardian story lit up the internet and Apple found itself defending a frankly indefensible policy. Seeing, owing to a significant backlash, that it is indeed indefensible, Apple has reportedly suspended the program.

“Apple says it will review the process that it uses, called grading, to determine whether Siri is hearing queries correctly, or being invoked by mistake,” TechCrunch reports. “In addition, it will be issuing a software update in the future that will let Siri users choose whether they participate in the grading process or not.”

I’m sure this update will transparently spell out what precisely the “grading process” entails so that users can make a truly informed decision. It definitely won’t be misleading or opaque at all, and there definitely won’t be any fine print …

Here’s the standard issue corporate mumbo jumbo from Apple:

“We are committed to delivering a great Siri experience while protecting user privacy. While we conduct a thorough review, we are suspending Siri grading globally. Additionally, as part of a future software update, users will have the ability to choose to participate in grading.”

Talk to Siri at your own risk. Or, you know, use the keyboard.