Author: mdbincbi

Clearview AI Aims To Put Almost Every Human In Facial Recognition Database | ARS Technica

mdbincbi

The controversial facial recognition company Clearview AI reportedly told investors that it aims to collect 100 billion photos—supposedly enough to ensure that almost every human will be in its database. “Clearview AI is telling investors it is on track to have 100 billion facial photos in its database within a year, enough to ensure ‘almost everyone in the world will be identifiable,’ according to a financial presentation from December obtained by The Washington Post,” the Post reported today. There are an estimated 7.9 billion people on the planet. Read full…

Read More

IRS Backtracks On Sketchy Facial Recognition Plan Following Public Outcry | Mashable

mdbincbi

Activism, it turns out, still gets results. That’s the takeaway following a Monday morning announcement that the IRS intends to shift away from requiring Americans use a private facial-recognition service to verify their identities on the IRS website. The about face comes after sustained criticism from privacy experts, grassroots activists, and even elected officials. “This is big,” wrote Senator Ron Wyden Monday morning. “The IRS has notified my office it plans to transition away from using facial recognition verification, as I requested earlier today. While this transition may take time, the administration…

Read More

Today Is Data Privacy Day. Here’s What You Need To Do To Secure Your Info | c|net

mdbincbi

here’s no shortage of made-up national holidays. Among the fabricated celebrations: Houseplant Appreciation Day, Irish Coffee Day and Bubble Wrap Day. However, there is one such holiday actually worth observing: Data Privacy Day, which happens to be today. It’s a good reminder to check up on the safety of your personal data. The holiday began in the US and Canada back in 2008. It’s an extension of a European holiday marking 1981’s Convention 108, the first legally binding international treaty on protecting privacy and data. Read full story here: Today…

Read More

The IRS Will Soon Make You Use Facial Recognition To Access Your Taxes Online | The Verge

mdbincbi

he Internal Revenue Service will require people who access and pay their taxes online to enroll in a third-party facial recognition company starting this summer (h/t Krebs on Security). Even those who have already registered on IRS.gov with a username and password will have to provide a government ID, a copy of a utility bill, and a selfie to ID.me, the Virginia-based identity verification company. You’ll take a video selfie with whatever webcam or mobile device you’re using to sign up, which seems likely to cause problems for people with…

Read More

Federal Documents Hint At Sweeping Economic Impact From Central Bank ‘Digital Loonie’ | CTV News

mdbincbi

OTTAWA – Internal government documents show Finance Department officials believe there could be sweeping implications for the economy if the Bank of Canada ever issued its own cryptocurrency.The Bank of Canada has spent years looking at whether to introduce a digital currency, but so far hasn’t seen an immediate need to issue one. In one briefing note from last January, officials warned Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland that the issuance of a central bank digital currency would entail “wide-reaching implications for the economy, the financial system” and the Bank of Canada’s…

Read More

Do You Use One Of The 20 Most Common Passwords In Canada? | CTV News

mdbincbi

TORONTO — Cybersecurity company NordPass, which sells password managements services, has published its list of the top 200 most common passwords in Canada and says too many Canadians are using passwords that can be easily guessed. This year’s list of most common passwords in Canada was topped by the usual suspects, such as “password,” “qwerty,” “abc123” and different variations of “123456.” These passwords also dominated the list of most common passwords in other countries and around the world. Read full story here: Do You Use One Of The 20 Most Common Passwords…

Read More

Canadians To Pay Significantly More At The Pumps Thanks To Surging Oil Prices | CTV News

mdbincbi

EDMONTON – As oil prices reach a seven-year high, analysts say Canadians should brace for skyrocketing prices at the pumps this week as the global economy begins to rebound from a pandemic lull.In Winnipeg, fuel prices soared 10 cents overnight to $1.429 cents per litre, up from the average of $1.335 cents per litre – a price that hasn’t been seen in nearly 13 years. Drivers in Toronto, meanwhile, have been told to brace for prices as high as $1.44 cents per litre by Thursday, adding to already inflated prices.…

Read More

Experts Expect Food And Gas Prices To Rise | CTV News

mdbincbi

HALIFAX — If you’ve found it difficult to purchase certain products and goods lately, you’re not alone. Experts say the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the global supply chain, slowing economies that are now picking up the pace. This has lead to shortages for some items and rising prices for others. At Sweet Jane’s Gift and Confectionary in downtown Halifax, the store shelves seem full. But owner Janet Merrithew notes some supplies are delayed coming in and several suppliers have been contacting her last minute to say shipping costs are going up.…

Read More

Your Time Management Won’t Work Until You Realize How Little Time You Have | Mashable

mdbincbi

Let us assume, dear reader, that you are young and healthy and lucky enough to live a total of 80 years. Doesn’t sound too bad, right? Break it down into days and you get 29,200, which is such a large number that our brains tend to give up trying to process what it means. But divide 80 years into weeks, and you get 4,171. Now we’re getting somewhere that sounds uncomfortably small, even for the longest-lived among us. (The current record holder, age 118, has lived less than 6,200 weeks…

Read More

Apple Says It Will Refuse Gov’t Demands To Expand Photo-scanning Beyond CSAM | Arstechnica

mdbincbi

Apple today said it will refuse any government demands to expand its new photo-scanning technology beyond the current plan of using it only to detect CSAM (child sexual abuse material). Apple has faced days of criticism from security experts, privacy advocates, and privacy-minded users over the plan it announced Thursday, in which iPhones and other Apple devices will scan photos before they are uploaded to iCloud. Many critics pointed out that once the technology is on consumer devices, it won’t be difficult for Apple to expand it beyond the detection…

Read More