Tag

Data Collection

All articles tagged with #data collection

technology4 days ago•5 min saved

California-led suit accuses Meta of addictive design exploiting kids’ data

California and 28 states accuse Meta of designing addictive features that hook users, harvest data on children under 13 without parental consent, and hide safety flaws. The landmark Oakland trial could award up to $200 billion in damages and force product redesigns, with an advisory jury and Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers to issue the verdict; Meta denies the allegations as testimony from former employees and safety expert Arturo Béjar is heard.

via The Guardian|

#child-safety #data-collection #lawsuit

technology17 days ago•3 min saved

Deconstructing Google Maps' Busy Hours: What It Counts and What It Means for Privacy

Google Maps determines how busy a business is by aggregating and anonymizing data from users who opt in to Location History to measure phone density and generate Popular Times and live occupancy when there is enough data; privacy protections like differential privacy are used, and data is only shown when sufficient data exists, while the article also notes Google's broader data collection on user behavior.

via bgr.com|

#data-collection #google-maps #location-history

technology2 months ago•10 min saved

Free NYC Cleanings Feed Data for Future Robots

An NYC startup, Shift by Micro AGI, is offering free apartment cleaning in exchange for recording tasks with wearable cameras to collect data for training future robots; the data, anonymized and sold to robotics firms, is meant to help robots learn dexterity across varied home environments. Privacy experts warn that such "pay-for-privacy" schemes amount to surveillance and data monetization with potential privacy and employment risks, while supporters say the approach is transparent and accelerates AI-driven innovation.

via BBC|

#artificial-intelligence #business-model #data-collection

technology2 months ago•4 min saved

T-Mobile’s data gambit sparks customer revolt and scrutiny

T-Mobile’s T-Life app pressures users to share data for product development and ad targeting, with allegations it may sell customer data. A reader poll found 62% view this as a new low for the company, 22% are considering leaving, and 16% don’t mind, with some customers already switching, highlighting growing privacy concerns and potential regulatory attention for carriers.

via PhoneArena|

#customer-trust #data-collection #privacy

technology2 months ago•3 min saved

SignalTrace: New Tech Links Your Devices to Your Car, Expanding Surveillance

Leonardo’s SignalTrace (ELSAG SignalTrace) is a new device that reads electronic signatures from devices like phones, smartwatches, and air tags and links them with license plate data from ALPRs to map individuals’ movements and even convoys. The company claims it only flags signatures during investigations and does not decrypt content, but privacy advocates warn that opting out isn’t possible and the expanded data linkage raises legitimate concerns about misuse and chilling effects in policing.

via Jalopnik|

#alpr #data-collection #privacy

technology2 months ago•5 min saved

NYC Free Clean Amid Recording Footage Push for AI Training

A German startup, MicroAGI, offers free home cleaning in NYC via its Shift app in exchange for residents wearing cameras to capture footage for training AI-powered robots, claiming automatic anonymization and on-device processing; the approach raises questions about data removal rights and whether privacy protections are sufficient as the company pushes a broader data-collection model for everyday tasks.

via Ars Technica|

#ai #data-collection #privacy

ai2 months ago•55 min saved

Your chores could power the next home robot

AI startups are offering free home cleaning in exchange for filming everyday chores to gather the real-world data needed to train robots, with approaches ranging from gig workers capturing footage to egocentric camera hats and staged data farms, raising privacy questions as firms pursue practical, physical-AI training data.

via The Verge|

#ai #data-collection #privacy

technology3 months ago•95 min saved

Limit Roku's data collection with 3 privacy tweaks

Tom's Guide explains Roku logs what you watch to build ad profiles, but you can cut back on data collection with 3 steps: disable ad tracking, block microphone access for channels, and turn off Automatic Content Recognition (ACR). These changes reduce targeted ads and tracking while keeping most features, though other streaming services still collect their own usage data.

via Tom's Guide|

#ad-tracking #data-collection #privacy

technology4 months ago•2 min saved

Meta to train AI by monitoring employees' computer actions

Meta is deploying an internal tool called MCI to US-based employees that records mouse movements, clicks, keystrokes, and occasional screenshots during work to train its AI agents. Meta says the data aren’t used for performance assessments and safeguards exist, but there’s reportedly no opt-out option on work laptops, triggering internal backlash.

via The Verge|

#ai #data-collection #employee-monitoring

technology4 months ago•3 min saved

Meta to Train AI by Tracking Employee Computer Interactions

Meta will begin tracking US employees’ mouse movements, clicks, keystrokes, and periodic screenshots across certain work apps to generate high-quality training data for future AI agents; the company says the data will help models perform everyday computer tasks and will not be used to evaluate employees, though European regulations could complicate similar monitoring there.

via Ars Technica|

#ai #data-collection #employee-monitoring

technology4 months ago•12 min saved

Laundry-time data could power the next generation of home robots

Startups are turning videos of people doing chores (filmed by gig workers who can earn up to $25/hour) into training data for robot control software, using footage of laundry folding, dishwashing, and more to teach robots how to interpret sensor input and decide movements. The approach blends human videos, teleoperation, and simulated data to scale robot learning, a process that experts say is data-intensive and costly, with real-world deployment still years away.

via The Washington Post|

#artificial-intelligence #data-collection #household-automation

technology4 months ago•33 min saved

Audit Finds Major Tech Giants Persistently Track Users Despite Opt-Outs

An independent audit finds that Google, Microsoft, Meta and a wide network of ad-tech vendors continue tracking users even after opt-outs. The report catalogs cookie and storage use across dozens of vendors, noting cookie durations ranging from days to years and data collected such as IP addresses, device identifiers, location data, browsing activity, user profiles, and consent choices. Some vendors do not use cookies and rely on alternative storage, while others justify processing via legitimate interest. Overall, opting out does not reliably stop pervasive cross-site tracking in the ad-tech ecosystem, underscoring ongoing privacy risks.

via 404 Media|

#advertising #cookies #data-collection

privacy4 months ago•26 min saved

AI in ad tech leaves a cookie trail across the web

The Register exposes a sprawling, cookie-heavy ad‑tech ecosystem driven by AI, listing dozens of vendors and the data they gather (IP addresses, device identifiers, precise locations, user profiles) with cookie durations spanning from days to years. While some vendors cite consent or legitimate interest, others rely on alternative storage or “no cookies,” underscoring the scale of online tracking and the resulting privacy and regulatory concerns.

via theregister.com|

#advertising-tech #cookies #data-collection

technology4 months ago•5 min saved

Your Phone Isn’t Listening: Ads Come From Data, Not Audio

CBS News’ David Pogue debunks the idea that phones secretly overhear conversations for ads. Experts say ad targeting relies on inferences from online activity and household data rather than audio capture; Northeastern data shows no covert audio transmissions but substantial data collection. To reduce exposure, readers can use data-deletion tools, consider privacy-friendly browsers, and advocate for stronger consumer privacy laws.

via CBS News|

#advertising-tracking #data-collection #online-surveillance

technology4 months ago•8 min saved

LinkedIn hit with two lawsuits over alleged covert browser-extension scans

Two California-backed class-action lawsuits in the Northern District of California allege LinkedIn secretly scans users’ browsers to detect installed extensions and shares related data with third parties; LinkedIn says it discloses such extension scanning in its Privacy Policy to detect abuse and protect site stability, while the suits draw on the BrowserGate report and involve Teamfluence, seeking damages and an injunction.

via arstechnica.com|

#browser-extensions #data-collection #lawsuits