Tag

Privacy Concerns

All articles tagged with #privacy concerns

technology1 day ago•6 min saved

A Phoenix Family’s Drone Delivery Obsession: Over a Dozen Prime Air Trips

Tamara Hancock, a Phoenix-area professor and content creator, has used Amazon Prime Air drone deliveries more than a dozen times since December 2024, praising the convenience and roughly $2.99 per-drop fee for items like reeds and school supplies. She and her family enjoy watching the drones, note occasional wind-related delays, and mention a past 48-hour service pause after a midair collision. Drones are guided by onboard cameras and have a five-pound limit; Hancock also discusses safety for pets, privacy settings for footage, and how the experience has become part of her content. While some orders still go via traditional delivery, she views drone delivery as a lasting technology with expansion planned as Amazon scales up, a point echoed by an Amazon spokesperson.

via Business Insider|

#amazon-prime-air #convenience #drone-delivery

local3 days ago•2 min saved

Oviedo Mayor Reveals Decoy Flock Camera Used by Police, Sparking Privacy Debate

Oviedo's mayor says the police department installed and monitored a decoy Flock license-plate camera, prompting privacy concerns and a city council review. The council plans to invite a Flock representative, examine safeguards, and consider a resolution to discontinue the cameras, with a Sept. 10 vote on the decision.

via WESH|

#flock-cameras #license-plate-reader #local

politics4 days ago•6 min saved

New York's Second-Home Tax Sparks Privacy Debate and Backlash

New York City's plan to tax non-primary luxury homes—aimed at raising about $500 million a year—has exposed deep divisions as officials published a public list of nearly one million properties potentially affected. Critics call the rollout a privacy and safety risk and a 'hit list,' while supporters say the levy funds essential services; a lawsuit seeks to unpublish the list, 17,000 notices were issued, and the city defends the policy amid broader debates over housing affordability.

via BBC|

#lawsuit #new-york-city #pied-a-terre-tax

technology4 days ago•3 min saved

Lynn officers placed on leave after audit flags unusual license plate searches

Two Lynn, MA police officers were placed on paid leave after an audit of the department’s Flock Safety license plate reader searches found a concerning pattern; an Internal Affairs investigation is underway and system access has been restricted to lieutenants and above while policy is reviewed. Officials said no immigration-enforcement searches were flagged, and the broader MA context includes other towns pausing or terminating Flock contracts amid privacy and procurement concerns.

via WCVB|

#flock-safety #internal-affairs #license-plate-reader

technology15 days ago•8 min saved

Apple Drops White-Glove Plan to Ship Pre-Loaded iPhones

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports Apple explored a 'white-glove' option for its Apple Upgrade program to ship replacement iPhones already loaded with each customer's data, but the idea never progressed beyond planning and was not included in the launched program, likely due to privacy concerns and questions about data transfer and access.

via MacRumors|

#apple-upgrade-program #data-transfer #iphone-upgrade

crime-and-public-safety17 days ago•1 min saved

Mooresville Officer Charged Over Personal Use of Flock LPR to Track Ex-Wife

Mooresville Police Officer Elizabeth Snowman was arrested on a charge of Accessing Computers after investigators say she used the department’s Flock license plate reader system for personal reasons, accessing the database 31 times (including on off-duty occasions) and allegedly denying it when questioned; she was booked into the Iredell County Detention Center on a $5,000 bond, highlighting ongoing privacy concerns about how LPR data is stored and shared.

via LiveNOW from FOX|

#crime-and-public-safety #flock-safety #license-plate-reader

politics28 days ago•10 min saved

NYC pied-à-terre tax database draws privacy and safety concerns

New York City published a searchable database of property owners whose non-primary residences could be hit by a proposed pied-à-terre tax, aggregating names and addresses and prompting privacy and safety fears from critics who warn it could invite harassment. Officials say the roll is public information required by state law and helps determine exemptions, while supporters argue it enhances transparency. The move could affect up to roughly 960,000 residences and highlights tensions between Mayor Mamdani’s tax agenda and the city’s wealthy residents.

via Fox News|

#mamdani #new-york-city #pied-a-terre-tax

technology1 month ago•5 min saved

Microsoft intervenes as LG monitor software pushes McAfee ads through Windows Update

LG’s Monitor App Installer, which some LG gaming monitors install via Windows Update, is pushing McAfee ads (and occasional LG apps) on startup. After scrutiny, Microsoft said LG would disable the McAfee pop-up, highlighting broader worries about perimeter devices automatically installing software and potentially collecting data without explicit user consent. LG’s role and the scope of affected models remain under discussion as users report long-running ad prompts.

via Ars Technica|

#automatic-installation #lg-monitor-app-installer #mcafee-ads

technology1 month ago•10 min saved

Irmo Expands Flock Camera Network, Sparking Privacy Debate

In Irmo, South Carolina, the city council voted 4-1 to install 22 additional Flock license-plate reader cameras, bringing the total to 33 in a town of about 12,000, which residents and a local journalist described as a creeping surveillance expansion. Supporters, including the police chief, argued the cameras help solve crimes and cover all entrances, while opponents warned of civil liberties risks and potential misuse. The article recounts security flaws in Flock’s systems exposed by 404 Media (unauthorized access to searches and open camera feeds) and cites cases of false arrests linked to Flock data. It also notes broader trends: cities reconsidering or removing Flock programs, including LAPD ending its contract, and the possibility of future drone use under Flock’s program. Overall, the vote reflects a national debate over safety versus privacy in community surveillance.

via 404 Media|

#flock-cameras #law-enforcement #local-government

technology2 months ago•4 min saved

Snap Specs Prove AR Glasses Can Be More Hype Than Help

At Cannes Lions, a reporter tests Snap’s AR glasses, Snap Specs, which overlay AI-generated celebrity portraits onto paintings. The experience is heavy (132 grams, $2,195), clunky (it stops if you move your head), and largely mirrors long-standing museum-brand demos rather than a practical product. AI face replacements and overlaid visuals feel surface-level and imperfect, while privacy concerns loom. Investors are skeptical, and the overall takeaway is that the glasses are expensive, uncomfortable, and largely unconvincing as a real-world device.

via 404 Media|

#augmented-reality #gadget-review #privacy-concerns

technology3 months ago•3 min saved

Chrome Under Fire for Secret 4GB On-Device AI Install Without Consent

Security researcher Alexander Hanff revealed that Chrome quietly installs a 4GB weights.bin file for Gemini Nano's on-device AI whenever default AI features are enabled, re-downloading it if the user tries to delete it and offering no consent or transparency. The move has sparked privacy and data-regulation concerns (GDPR), potential environmental impact from emissions tied to widespread device usage, and broad backlash, with Mozilla promising a kill switch and Vivaldi calling for user autonomy while Google remains silent.

via Futurism|

#ai-on-device #data-protection #environmental-impact

technology3 months ago•11 min saved

Smart Glasses: The All-Day Dilemma of Wearable AI

A Verge reviewer tests a wide range of smart glasses (from Even Realities G2 to Meta Ray-Ban Display and Oakley Vanguard) and finds they mostly look and feel alike, with AI features that are often impractical, battery-draining, and privacy-invasive. Prescription support is inconsistent, repairs are hard, and there’s no compelling all-day use case yet beyond niche roles like travel or training. While some models are stylish and offer useful functions, the overall promise of wearable AI on the face remains unproven, though future iterations with better prescription handling and lighter design may change that.

via The Verge|

#battery-life #prescription-compatibility #privacy-concerns

technology5 months ago•3 min saved

Burger King Deploys AI 'Patty' to Coach Staff and Monitor Restaurant Ops

Burger King is rolling out BK Assistant, an AI-powered platform with a voice headset bot named Patty that can monitor inventory, equipment, drive-thru activity, and staff-customer interactions to generate a friendliness score; the system, already in about 500 restaurants and expected to reach all 7,000 by year-end, is pitched as a coaching tool but has drawn scrutiny over perceived surveillance and unclear metrics.

via Gizmodo|

#ai #customer-service #labor-management

technology6 months ago•3 min saved

OpenAI may launch a Jony Ive‑designed AI speaker with a facial-recognition camera

OpenAI is reportedly plotting an AI-powered smart speaker with a built-in facial-recognition camera, designed by Jony Ive and expected to cost about $200–$300; a launch could slip to 2027 at the earliest, and the device may use facial recognition for sign-in or purchases, raising privacy concerns amid a broader push into AI hardware.

via Mashable|

#facial-recognition #jony-ive #openai

technology6 months ago•9 min saved

School surveillance feeds linked to federal immigration enforcement, sparking privacy concerns

A 74 investigation finds hundreds of thousands of audit logs show police querying school district Flock Safety license plate reader feeds into a national database to aid federal immigration enforcement, linking local cameras to DHS/ICE inquiries and 287(g) activities. Districts say data sharing is customer-controlled and intended for safety, but privacy advocates warn about expansive cross-jurisdictional access and the broader reach of campus surveillance, with pilots and programs related to immigration enforcement reportedly paused.

via The Guardian|

#data-sharing #flock-safety #immigration-enforcement