Digital Ethics

Associated PressFILE - In this April 11, 2018, file photo, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg pauses while testifying before a House Energy and Commerce hearing

Not only is Alexa listening when you speak to an Echo smart speaker, an Amazon employee is potentially listening, too.

for more responsible technology

It's especially discomforting when I realize I am clicking the images more slowly to appear human. Honestly, I am changing my behavior to appear human to computers...— Per Axbom (@axbom) April 17, 2019

In an unmissable talk, journalist Carole Cadwalladr digs into one of the most perplexing events in recent times: the UK's super-close 2016 vote to leave the European Union. Tracking the result to a barrage of misleading Facebook ads targeted at vulnerable Brexit swing voters -- and linking the same players and tactics to the 2016 US presidential election -- Cadwalladr calls out the "gods of Silicon Valley" for being on the wrong side of history and asks: Are free and fair elections a thing of the past?

Designers have come under increasing pressure to consider the ethics and potential impact of their work. But what does this mean in practice - particularly if you're working for a large corporation?

If you're in #SiliconValley & you're NOT thinking about the risk of weaponization, you're out of touch. On @ShouldThisExist a riveting story from @chr1sa on building DIY drones ultimately used by ISIS. Great debate w/@caterina Listen on @ApplePodcasts: https://t.co/wiIikCvS75 pic.twitter.com/iszjX4F72e— Reid Hoffman (@reidhoffman) April 12, 2019

You might not have heard of a “dark pattern,” but chances are you’ve seen these annoying, manipulative designs trying to trick you into clicking, buying, or signing up for something you don’t want. Today I introduced the DETOUR Act with @SenatorFischer to do something about them. pic.twitter.com/fGL5K6fYRL— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) April 9, 2019

Trustworthy AI should respect all applicable laws and regulations, as well as a series of requirements; specific assessment lists aim to help verify the application of each of the key requirements:

Apps and websites that do not protect their users may be fined or blocked under new proposals.

Good morning! This is a great Sunday read: "A new sort of American messianic religion has gathered in Silicon Valley under a techno-futurist banner emblazoned with one word: 'Singularity.'https://t.co/d5MTIfGC6B— Flavia Dzodan (@redlightvoices) March 31, 2019

Empowerment or exploitation?

Once again, Facebook is in the news for bad security practices, dark design patterns, and secretly reappropriating sensitive data meant for “authentication” to its own ends. Incredibly, this time,

Guardian study finds inferior items appear highly praised, making ratings worthless

The controversial panel lasted just a little over a week.

To be honest, I don’t really have time to write this article. I’ve got loads of other things I should be doing. But it needs to be written. Now. So I’ve popped up my laptop on the bus and am angrily typing away. Sounds so serious…what’s going on? So Apple just released a new accessibility […]

A new study has found that we are quicker to blame the operators than complex systems when they fail

Estate agents and banks have been accused of gaming Britain’s biggest consumer feedback website by paying it to help gain better review scores. Analysis by The Times of almost 200,000 reviews on...

The surprisingly short life of new electronic devices

On Tuesday, tech and political elites descended on Stanford University to launch a new center dedicated to “human-centered artificial…

The initial euphoria over AI’s potential is giving way to the realization that the tech industry will need ethicists to guard against problems caused by artificial intelligence.

danah boyd, Founder and President of Data & Society talks about media and how it can be changed by external forces.

Facial recognition systems could one day surveil the people in photographs

The research and design thinking behind the latest treatments for Misinformation on Facebook

Platforms can have the power to not only moderate content, but also to moderate language itself

RIP, Dash buttons. Amazon has come up with far easier ways to complete transactions.

Rather than simply designing products that drive revenue, let’s use the science of friction to maximize the value a product can offer humanity.

On behalf of workers at Microsoft, we're releasing an open letter to Brad Smith and Satya Nadella, demanding for the cancelation of the IVAS contract with a call for stricter ethical guidelines.If you're a Microsoft employee you can sign at: https://t.co/958AhvIHO5 pic.twitter.com/uUZ5P4FJ7X— Microsoft Workers 4 Good (@MsWorkers4) February 22, 2019

"I’m fucked up."