Author archives

Inside an AI start-up’s plan to scan and dispose of millions of books

Washington Post [no paywall] – Court filings reveal how AI companies raced to obtain more books to feed chatbots, including by buying, scanning and disposing of millions of titles. “Within about a year, according to the filings, the company had spent tens of millions of dollars to acquire and slice the spines off millions of …

Subjects: AI, Copyright, Courts, Intellectual Property, Internet, Knowledge Management, Search Engines, Social Media

Archivio Grafica Italiana

“Archivio Grafica Italiana is the first online archive dedicated to the entire Italian graphic design heritage. A growing overview that goes from the greatest classics to contemporary projects, showing the evolution of the discipline from graphic art to graphic design. The archive wants to promote the ‘culture of quality’ that is typical to the Italian …

Subjects: Education, Internet

Identifying ‘Less-Lethal’ Weapons Used By DHS Agents in US Immigration Raids and Protests

Bellingcat: “Federal agents have frequently used so-called “less-lethal” weapons against protesters, including impact projectiles, tear gas and pepper spray, since the Trump administration’s nationwide immigration raids began last year. The use of less-lethal weapons (LLWs) has been controversial. While designed to incapacitate or control a person without causing death or permanent injury, they can cause …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Courts, Defense, Free Speech, Government Documents, Legal Research

How ICE is using facial recognition in Minnesota

The Guardian: “Immigration enforcement agents across the US are increasingly relying on a new smartphone app with facial recognition technology. The app is named Mobile Fortify. Simply pointing a phone’s camera at their intended target and scanning the person’s face allows Mobile Fortify to pull data on an individual from multiple federal and state databases, …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, E-Records, Legal Research, Privacy

NOAA launches Wildland Fire Data Portal

“Wildfires burn millions of acres across the U.S. every year. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Policy Analysis, wildfires cost the U.S. approximately $424 billion annually, including firefighting resources, evacuations, health care costs, property damage, agricultural losses, and post-fire recovery. NOAA’s satellite observations play a vital role in wildfire response by …

Subjects: Climate Change, E-Government, Environmental Law

TikTok is tracking you now. Here’s how to protect yourself

Fast Company: “TikTok’s U.S. operations are now managed by a new American joint venture, ending a long-standing debate over whether the app would be permanently banned in the United States. The good news for TikTok users is that this deal guarantees that the app will continue to operate within America’s borders. But there’s some bad …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Defense, E-Records, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Internet, Privacy, Search Engines, Social Media

If You’ve Installed Any of These 17 Browser Extensions, Delete Them Now

Lifehacker: “Another wave of malicious browser extensions capable of tracking user activity and compromising privacy have been found across Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, some of which may have been active for up to five years. The campaign, known as GhostPoster, was identified by Koi Security in December and included 17 Firefox add-ons designed to monitor …

Subjects: Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, E-Records, Internet

Trump Administration Government by AI?

ProPublica – Trump Administration Plans to Write Regulations Using Artificial Intelligence – “The Trump administration is planning to use artificial intelligence to write federal transportation regulations, according to U.S. Department of Transportation records and interviews with six agency staffers. The plan was presented to DOT staff last month at a demonstration of AI’s “potential to revolutionize …

Subjects: AI, Congress, E-Government, E-Records, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

The Trump Administration Is Lying to Our Faces. Congress Must Act

The New York Times Editorial Board (Gift Article): The Trump Administration Is Lying to Our Faces. Congress Must Act. “The administration is urging Americans to reject the evidence of their eyes and ears. Ms. Noem and Mr. Bovino are lying in defiance of obvious truths. They are lying in the manner of authoritarian regimes that require …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Congress, Free Speech, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Marketing