#3E-Social Media Consumers

[neptunecreek]

EFF Urges Congress Not to Dismantle Section 230

The Keys to a Healthy Internet Are User Empowerment and Competition, Not Censorship

The House Energy and Commerce Committee held a legislative hearing today over what to do with one of the most important Internet laws, Section 230. Members of Congress and the testifying panelists discussed many of the critical issues facing online activity like how Internet companies moderate their users’ speech, how Internet companies and law enforcement agencies are addressing online criminal activity, and how the law impacts competition. 

EFF Legal Director Corynne McSherry testified at the hearing, offering a strong defense of the law that’s helped create the Internet we all rely on today. In her opening statement, McSherry urged Congress not to take Section 230’s role in building the modern Internet lightly:

We all want an Internet where we are free to meet, create, organize, share, debate, and learn. We want to have control over our online experience and to feel empowered by the tools we use. We want our elections free from manipulation and for women and marginalized communities to be able to speak openly about their experiences.

Chipping away at the legal foundations of the Internet in order to pressure platforms to play the role of Internet police is not the way to accomplish those goals. 

%3Ciframe%20src%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.c-span.org%2Fvideo%2Fstandalone%2F%3Fc4822786%2Fcorynne-mcsherry-section-230%22%20allowfullscreen%3D%22allowfullscreen%22%20width%3D%22512%22%20height%3D%22330%22%20frameborder%3D%220%22%3E%3C%2Fiframe%3E

Privacy info. This embed will serve content from c-span.org

Recognizing the gravity of the challenges presented, Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) aptly stated: “I want to be very clear: I’m not for gutting Section 230. It’s essential for consumers and entities in the Internet ecosystem. Misguided and hasty attempts to amend or even repeal Section 230 for bias or other reasons could have unintended consequences for free speech and the ability for small businesses to provide new and innovative services.” 

We agree. Any change to Section 230 risks upsetting the balance Congress struck decades ago that created the Internet as it exists today. It protects users and Internet companies big and small, and leaves open the door to future innovation. As Congress continues to debate Section 230, here are some suggestions and concerns we have for lawmakers willing to grapple with the complexities and get this right.

Facing Illegal Activity Online: Focus on the Perpetrators

Much of the hearing focused on illegal speech and activity online. Representatives and panelists mentioned examples like illegal drug sales, wildlife sales, and fraud. But there’s an important distinction to make between holding Internet intermediaries, such as social media companies and classified ads sites, liable for what their users say or do online, and holding users themselves accountable for their behavior.

Section 230 has always had a federal criminal law carve out. This means that truly culpable online platforms can already be prosecuted in federal court, alongside their users, for illegal speech and activity. For example, a federal judge in the Silk Road case correctly ruled that Section 230 did not provide immunity against federal prosecution to the operator of a website that hosted other people’s ads for illegal drugs.

But EFF does not believe prosecuting Internet intermediaries is the best answer to the problems we find online. Rather, both federal and state government entities should allocate sufficient resources to target the direct perpetrators of illegal online behavior; that is, the users themselves who take advantage of open platforms to violate the law. Section 230 does not provide an impediment to going after these bad actors. McSherry pointed this out in her written testimony: “In the infamous Grindr case... the abuser was arrested two years ago under criminal charges of stalking, criminal impersonation, making a false police report, and disobeying a court order.”

Weakening Section 230 protections in order to expand the liability of online platforms for what their users say or do would incentivize companies to over-censor user speech in an effort to limit the companies’ legal exposure. Not only would this be harmful for legitimate user speech, it would also detract from law enforcement efforts to target the direct perpetrators of illegal behavior. As McSherry noted regarding the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA):

At this committee’s hearing on November 30, 2017, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation special agent Russ Winkler explained that online platforms were the most important tool in his arsenal for catching sex traffickers. One year later, there is anecdotal evidence that FOSTA has made it harder for law enforcement to find traffickers. Indeed, several law enforcement agencies report that without these platforms, their work finding and arresting traffickers has hit a wall.

Speech Moderation: User Choice and Empowerment

In her testimony, McSherry stressed that the Internet is a better place for online community when numerous platforms are available with a multitude of moderation philosophies. Section 230 has contributed to this environment by giving platforms the freedom to moderate speech the way they see fit.

The  freedom  that Section 230 afforded to Internet startups to choose their own moderation strategies has led to a multiplicity of options  for users—some more restrictive and sanitized, some more laissez-faire.  That  mix of  moderation philosophies contributes to a healthy environment for free expression and association online.

Reddit’s Steve Huffman echoed McSherry’s defense of Section 230 (PDF), noting that its protections have enabled the company to improve on its moderation practices over the years. He explained that the company’s speech moderation philosophy is one that prioritizes users making decisions about how they’d like to govern themselves:

The way Reddit handles content moderation today is unique in the industry. We use a governance model akin to our own democracy—where everyone follows a set of rules, has the ability to vote and self-organize, and ultimately shares some responsibility for how the platform works.

In an environment where platforms have their own approaches to content moderation, users have the ultimate power to decide which ones to use. McSherry noted in her testimony that while Grindr was not held liable for the actions of one user, that doesn’t mean that Grindr didn’t suffer. Grindr lost users, as they moved to other dating platforms. One reason why it’s essential that Congress protect Section 230 is to preserve the multitude of platform options.

“As a litigator, [a reasonableness standard] is terrifying. That means a lot of litigation risk, as courts try to figure out what counts as reasonable.”

Later in the hearing, Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL) asked each of the panelists who should be “the cop on the beat” in patrolling online speech. McSherry reiterated that users themselves should be empowered to decide what material they see online: “A cardinal principle for us at EFF is that at the end of the day, users should be able to control their Internet experience, and we need to have many more tools to make that possible.”

If some critics of Section 230 get their way, users won’t have that power. Prof. Danielle Citron offered a proposal (PDF) that Congress implement a “duty of care” regimen, where platforms would be required to show that they’re meeting a legal “reasonableness” standard in their moderation practices in order to keep their Section 230 protection. She proposes that courts look at what platforms are doing generally to moderate content and whether their policies are reasonable, rather than what a company did with respect to a particular piece of user content.

But inviting courts to determine what moderation practices are best would effectively do away with Section 230’s protections, disempowering users in the process. In McSherry’s words, “As a litigator, [a reasonableness standard] is terrifying. That means a lot of litigation risk, as courts try to figure out what counts as reasonable.”

Robots Won’t Fix It

There was plenty of agreement that current moderation was flawed, but much disagreement about why it was flawed. Subject-matter experts on the panel frequently described areas of moderation that were not in their purview as working perfectly fine, and questioning why those techniques could not be applied to other areas.

The deeper you look at current moderation—and listen carefully to those directly silenced by algorithmic solutions—the more you understand that robots won’t fix it.

In one disorienting moment, Gretchen Peters of the Alliance to Counter Crime Online asked the congressional committee when they’d last seen a “dick pic” on Facebook, and took their silence as an indication that Facebook had solved the dick pic problem. She then suggested Facebook could move on to scanning for other criminality. Professor Hany Farid, an expert in at-scale, resilient hashing of child exploitative imagery, wondered why the tech companies could not create digital fingerprinting solutions for opioid sales.

Many cited Big Tech’s work to automatically remove what they believe to be copyright-infringing material as a potential model for other areas—perhaps unaware that the continuing failure of copyright bots is one of the few areas where EFF and the entertainment industry agree (though we think they take down too much entirely lawful material, and Hollywood thinks they’re not draconian enough.)

The truth is that the deeper you look at current moderation—and listen carefully to those directly silenced by algorithmic solutions—the more you understand that robots won’t fix it. Robots are still terrible at understanding context, which has resulted in everything from Tumblr flagging pictures of bowls of fruit as “adult content” to YouTube removing possible evidence of war crimes because it categorized the videos as “terrorist content.” Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) pointed out the consequences of having algorithms police speech, “Groups already facing prejudice and discrimination will be further marginalized and censored.” A lot of the demand for Big Tech to do more moderation is predicated on the idea that they’re good at it, with their magical tech tools. As our own testimony and long experience points out—they’re really not, with bots or without.

Could they do better? Perhaps, but as Reddit’s Huffman noted, doing so means that the tech companies need to be able to innovate without having those attempts result in a hail of lawsuits. That is, he said, “exactly the sort of ability that 230 gives us.”

Reforming 230 with Big Tech as the Focus Would Harm Small Internet Companies

Critics of 230 often fail to acknowledge that many of the solutions they seek are not within reach of startups and smaller companies. Techniques like preemptive blocking of content, persistent policing of user posts, and mechanisms that analyze speech in real time to see what needs to be censored are extremely expensive.

That means that controlling what users do, at scale, will only be doable by Big Tech. It’s not only cost prohibitive, it will carry a high cost of liability if they get it wrong. For example, Google’s ContentID is often used in the copyright context is held up as one means of enforcement, but it required a $100 million investment by Google to develop and deploy—and it still does a bad job.

Google’s Katherine Oyama testified that Google already employs around 10,000 people that work on content moderation—a bar that no startup could meet—but even that appears insufficient to some critics. By comparison, a website like Wikipedia, which is the largest repository of information in human history, employs just about 350 staff for its entire operation, and is heavily reliant on volunteers.

A set of rules that would require a Google-sized company to expend even more resources means that only the most well-funded firms could maintain global platforms. A minimally-staffed nonprofit like Wikipedia could not continue to operate as it does today. The Internet would become more concentrated, and further removed from the promise of a network that empowers everyone.

As Congress continues to examine the problems facing the Internet today, we hope lawmakers remember the role that Section 230 plays in defending the Internet’s status as a place for free speech and community online. We fear that undermining Section 230 would harden today’s largest tech companies from future competition. Most importantly, we hope lawmakers listen to the voices of the people they risk pushing offline.

Read McSherry’s full written testimony.

from Deeplinks https://ift.tt/2oRmo5d

[stressout333-blog]

Download Test bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci

This is completed downloadable test bank for MM 3rd edition by Dawn Iacobucci student edition

Instant download MM 3rd edition by Dawn Iacobucci student edition test bank after payment

Click link bellow to view sample:

https://digitalcontentmarket.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Test-bank-for-MM-3rd-Edition-by-Iacobucci.pdf

Product Description:

Created by the continuous feedback of a "student-tested, faculty-approved" process, MM, 3E delivers a visually appealing, succinct print approach with tear-out reference cards for students and instructors, and online CourseMate study tools and interactive eBook. The MM, 3E book and learning resources are all offered at a value-based price with a unique approach that's proven to increase retention and strengthen learning outcomes. MM, 3E provides a concise presentation of the core concepts and applications of contemporary marketing management with new coverage of the importance of social media as well as the impact of consumer behavior on successful marketing management.

Table of Contents:

1. Why is Marketing Management Important? 2. Customer Behavior. 3. Segmentation. 4. Targeting. 5. Positioning. 6. Goods and Services. 7. Brands. 8. New Products. 9. Pricing. 10. Channels of Distribution and Logistics. 11. Advertising Messages and Marketing Communications. 12. Integrated Marketing Communications and Media Choices. 13. Social Media. 14. Customer Satisfaction and Customer Relationships. 15. Marketing Research Tools. 16. Marketing Strategy. 17. Marketing Plans.

Product details:

ISBN-10: 113319060X

ISBN-13: 978-1133190608          9781133190608

Link download full: test bank for MM 3rd edition by Dawn Iacobucci student edition

https://digitalcontentmarket.org/download/test-bank-for-mm-3rd-edition-by-iacobucci/

See more:

Test Bank for Accounting Information Systems 13th Edition by Romney

Test bank for Physics for Scientists and Engineers 9th Edition Serway

You will be guided to the product download page immediately once you complete the payment. If you have any questions, or would like a receive a sample chapter before your purchase, please contact us via email: support@digitalcontentmarket.org

People also search:

MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci  download free

Download MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci pdf, docs

Test bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci

Download Test Bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci pdf, answer

Instant Download MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci pdf, slideshare

Test Bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci download free pdf

MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci download, online

[adoreanne97-blog]

Download Test bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci

This is completed downloadable test bank for MM 3rd edition by Dawn Iacobucci student edition

Instant download MM 3rd edition by Dawn Iacobucci student edition test bank after payment

Click link bellow to view sample:

https://digitalcontentmarket.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Test-bank-for-MM-3rd-Edition-by-Iacobucci.pdf

Product Description:

Created by the continuous feedback of a "student-tested, faculty-approved" process, MM, 3E delivers a visually appealing, succinct print approach with tear-out reference cards for students and instructors, and online CourseMate study tools and interactive eBook. The MM, 3E book and learning resources are all offered at a value-based price with a unique approach that's proven to increase retention and strengthen learning outcomes. MM, 3E provides a concise presentation of the core concepts and applications of contemporary marketing management with new coverage of the importance of social media as well as the impact of consumer behavior on successful marketing management.

Table of Contents:

1. Why is Marketing Management Important? 2. Customer Behavior. 3. Segmentation. 4. Targeting. 5. Positioning. 6. Goods and Services. 7. Brands. 8. New Products. 9. Pricing. 10. Channels of Distribution and Logistics. 11. Advertising Messages and Marketing Communications. 12. Integrated Marketing Communications and Media Choices. 13. Social Media. 14. Customer Satisfaction and Customer Relationships. 15. Marketing Research Tools. 16. Marketing Strategy. 17. Marketing Plans.

Product details:

ISBN-10: 113319060X

ISBN-13: 978-1133190608          9781133190608

Link download full: test bank for MM 3rd edition by Dawn Iacobucci student edition

https://digitalcontentmarket.org/download/test-bank-for-mm-3rd-edition-by-iacobucci/

See more:

Test Bank for Accounting Information Systems 13th Edition by Romney

Test bank for Physics for Scientists and Engineers 9th Edition Serway

You will be guided to the product download page immediately once you complete the payment. If you have any questions, or would like a receive a sample chapter before your purchase, please contact us via email: support@digitalcontentmarket.org

People also search:

MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci  download free

Download MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci pdf, docs

Test bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci

Download Test Bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci pdf, answer

Instant Download MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci pdf, slideshare

Test Bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci download free pdf

MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci download, online

[annetonton97-blog]

Download Test bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci

This is completed downloadable test bank for MM 3rd edition by Dawn Iacobucci student edition

Instant download MM 3rd edition by Dawn Iacobucci student edition test bank after payment

Click link bellow to view sample:

https://digitalcontentmarket.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Test-bank-for-MM-3rd-Edition-by-Iacobucci.pdf

Product Description:

Created by the continuous feedback of a "student-tested, faculty-approved" process, MM, 3E delivers a visually appealing, succinct print approach with tear-out reference cards for students and instructors, and online CourseMate study tools and interactive eBook. The MM, 3E book and learning resources are all offered at a value-based price with a unique approach that's proven to increase retention and strengthen learning outcomes. MM, 3E provides a concise presentation of the core concepts and applications of contemporary marketing management with new coverage of the importance of social media as well as the impact of consumer behavior on successful marketing management.

Table of Contents:

1. Why is Marketing Management Important? 2. Customer Behavior. 3. Segmentation. 4. Targeting. 5. Positioning. 6. Goods and Services. 7. Brands. 8. New Products. 9. Pricing. 10. Channels of Distribution and Logistics. 11. Advertising Messages and Marketing Communications. 12. Integrated Marketing Communications and Media Choices. 13. Social Media. 14. Customer Satisfaction and Customer Relationships. 15. Marketing Research Tools. 16. Marketing Strategy. 17. Marketing Plans.

Product details:

ISBN-10: 113319060X

ISBN-13: 978-1133190608          9781133190608

Link download full: test bank for MM 3rd edition by Dawn Iacobucci student edition

https://digitalcontentmarket.org/download/test-bank-for-mm-3rd-edition-by-iacobucci/

See more:

Test Bank for Accounting Information Systems 13th Edition by Romney

Test bank for Physics for Scientists and Engineers 9th Edition Serway

You will be guided to the product download page immediately once you complete the payment. If you have any questions, or would like a receive a sample chapter before your purchase, please contact us via email: support@digitalcontentmarket.org

People also search:

MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci  download free

Download MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci pdf, docs

Test bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci

Download Test Bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci pdf, answer

Instant Download MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci pdf, slideshare

Test Bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci download free pdf

MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci download, online

[tingtongtingtongzzz-blog]

Download Test bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci

This is completed downloadable test bank for MM 3rd edition by Dawn Iacobucci student edition

Instant download MM 3rd edition by Dawn Iacobucci student edition test bank after payment

Click link bellow to view sample:

https://digitalcontentmarket.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Test-bank-for-MM-3rd-Edition-by-Iacobucci.pdf

Product Description:

Created by the continuous feedback of a "student-tested, faculty-approved" process, MM, 3E delivers a visually appealing, succinct print approach with tear-out reference cards for students and instructors, and online CourseMate study tools and interactive eBook. The MM, 3E book and learning resources are all offered at a value-based price with a unique approach that's proven to increase retention and strengthen learning outcomes. MM, 3E provides a concise presentation of the core concepts and applications of contemporary marketing management with new coverage of the importance of social media as well as the impact of consumer behavior on successful marketing management.

Table of Contents:

1. Why is Marketing Management Important? 2. Customer Behavior. 3. Segmentation. 4. Targeting. 5. Positioning. 6. Goods and Services. 7. Brands. 8. New Products. 9. Pricing. 10. Channels of Distribution and Logistics. 11. Advertising Messages and Marketing Communications. 12. Integrated Marketing Communications and Media Choices. 13. Social Media. 14. Customer Satisfaction and Customer Relationships. 15. Marketing Research Tools. 16. Marketing Strategy. 17. Marketing Plans.

Product details:

ISBN-10: 113319060X

ISBN-13: 978-1133190608          9781133190608

Link download full: test bank for MM 3rd edition by Dawn Iacobucci student edition

https://digitalcontentmarket.org/download/test-bank-for-mm-3rd-edition-by-iacobucci/

See more:

Test Bank for Accounting Information Systems 13th Edition by Romney

Test bank for Physics for Scientists and Engineers 9th Edition Serway

You will be guided to the product download page immediately once you complete the payment. If you have any questions, or would like a receive a sample chapter before your purchase, please contact us via email: support@digitalcontentmarket.org

People also search:

MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci  download free

Download MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci pdf, docs

Test bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci

Download Test Bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci pdf, answer

Instant Download MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci pdf, slideshare

Test Bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci download free pdf

MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci download, online

[bingbingbongbong97-blog]

Download Test bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci

This is completed downloadable test bank for MM 3rd edition by Dawn Iacobucci student edition

Instant download MM 3rd edition by Dawn Iacobucci student edition test bank after payment

Click link bellow to view sample:

https://digitalcontentmarket.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Test-bank-for-MM-3rd-Edition-by-Iacobucci.pdf

Product Description:

Created by the continuous feedback of a "student-tested, faculty-approved" process, MM, 3E delivers a visually appealing, succinct print approach with tear-out reference cards for students and instructors, and online CourseMate study tools and interactive eBook. The MM, 3E book and learning resources are all offered at a value-based price with a unique approach that's proven to increase retention and strengthen learning outcomes. MM, 3E provides a concise presentation of the core concepts and applications of contemporary marketing management with new coverage of the importance of social media as well as the impact of consumer behavior on successful marketing management.

Table of Contents:

1. Why is Marketing Management Important? 2. Customer Behavior. 3. Segmentation. 4. Targeting. 5. Positioning. 6. Goods and Services. 7. Brands. 8. New Products. 9. Pricing. 10. Channels of Distribution and Logistics. 11. Advertising Messages and Marketing Communications. 12. Integrated Marketing Communications and Media Choices. 13. Social Media. 14. Customer Satisfaction and Customer Relationships. 15. Marketing Research Tools. 16. Marketing Strategy. 17. Marketing Plans.

Product details:

ISBN-10: 113319060X

ISBN-13: 978-1133190608          9781133190608

Link download full: test bank for MM 3rd edition by Dawn Iacobucci student edition

https://digitalcontentmarket.org/download/test-bank-for-mm-3rd-edition-by-iacobucci/

See more:

Test Bank for Accounting Information Systems 13th Edition by Romney

Test bank for Physics for Scientists and Engineers 9th Edition Serway

You will be guided to the product download page immediately once you complete the payment. If you have any questions, or would like a receive a sample chapter before your purchase, please contact us via email: support@digitalcontentmarket.org

People also search:

MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci  download free

Download MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci pdf, docs

Test bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci

Download Test Bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci pdf, answer

Instant Download MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci pdf, slideshare

Test Bank for MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci download free pdf

MM 3rd Edition by Iacobucci download, online

[neptunecreek]

Amazon’s Ring is a Perfect Storm of Privacy Threats

Doors across the United States are now fitted with Amazon’s Ring, a combination doorbell-security camera that records and transmits video straight to users’ phones, to Amazon’s cloud—and often to the local police department. By sending photos and alerts every time the camera detects motion or someone rings the doorbell, the app can create an illusion of a household under siege. It turns what seems like a perfectly safe neighborhood into a source of anxiety and fear. This raises the question: do you really need Ring, or have Amazon and the police misled you into thinking that you do?

Recent reports show that Ring has partnered with police departments across the country to hawk this new surveillance system—going so far as to draft press statements and social media posts for police to promote Ring cameras. This creates a vicious cycle in which police promote the adoption of Ring, Ring terrifies people into thinking their homes are in danger, and then Amazon sells more cameras.

%3Ciframe%20allowfullscreen%3D%22%22%20src%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fumap.openstreetmap.fr%2Fen%2Fmap%2Famazon-ring-partnerships-over-225-jurisdictions-ro_353580%3FscaleControl%3Dfalse%26amp%3BminiMap%3Dfalse%26amp%3BscrollWheelZoom%3Dfalse%26amp%3BzoomControl%3Dtrue%26amp%3BallowEdit%3Dfalse%26amp%3BmoreControl%3Dtrue%26amp%3BsearchControl%3Dnull%26amp%3BtilelayersControl%3Dnull%26amp%3BembedControl%3Dnull%26amp%3BdatalayersControl%3Dtrue%26amp%3BonLoadPanel%3Dundefined%26amp%3BcaptionBar%3Dfalse%22%20width%3D%22100%25%22%20height%3D%22400px%22%20frameborder%3D%220%22%3E%3C%2Fiframe%3E

Privacy info. This embed will serve content from openstreetmap.fr

Map of Ring partnerships with police compiled by Shreyas Gandlur. See full screen. 

How Ring Surveils and Frightens Residents

Even though government statistics show that crime in the United States has been steadily decreasing for decades, people’s perception of crime and danger in their communities often conflict with the data. Vendors prey on these fears by creating products that inflame our greatest anxieties about crime.

Ring works by sending notifications to a person’s phone every time the doorbell rings or motion near the door is detected. With every update, Ring turns the delivery person or census-taker innocently standing on at the door into a potential criminal.

Neighborhood watch apps only increase the paranoia. Amazon promotes its free Neighbors app to accompany Ring. Other vendors sell competing apps such as Nextdoor and Citizen. All are marketed as localized social networks where people in a neighborhood can discuss local issues or share concerns. But all too often, they facilitate reporting of so-called “suspicious” behavior that really amounts to racial profiling. Take, for example, the story of an African-American real estate agent who was stopped by police because neighbors thought it was “suspicious” for him to ring a doorbell.

Even law enforcement are noticing the social consequences of public-safety-by-push-notification. At the International Associations of Chiefs of Police conference earlier this year, which EFF attended, Chandler Police Assistant Chief Jason Zdilla said that his city in Arizona embraced the Ring program, registering thousands of new Ring cameras per month. Though Chandler is experiencing a historic low for violent crime for the fourth year in a row, Ring is giving the public another impression.

“What happens is when someone opens up the social media, and every day they see maybe a potential criminal act, or every day they see a suspicious person, they start believing that this is prevalent, and that crime is really high,” Zdilla said.

If getting an alert from your front door or your neighbor every time a stranger walks down the street doesn’t cause enough paranoia, Ring is trying to alert users to local 911 calls. The Ring-police partnerships would allow the company to tap into the computer-aided dispatch system, and alert users to local 911 calls as part of the “crime news” alerts on its app, Neighbors. Such push alerts based on 911 calls could be used to instill fear and sell additional Ring services.

From Neutral Guardians to Scripted Hawkers

Thanks to in-depth reporting from Motherboard, Gizmodo, CNET, and others, we know a lot about the symbiotic relationship between Amazon’s Ring and local police departments, and how that relationship jeopardizes privacy and circumvents regulation.

At least 231 law enforcement agencies around the country have partnered with Ring, a report by Motherboard revealed. This partnership takes both a financial and digital form.

Police that partner with Ring reportedly have access to Ring’s “Law Enforcement Neighborhood Portal,” which allows police to see a map of the locations of Ring cameras. Police may then ask owners for access to their footage—and when owners give permission, police do not need to acquire a warrant.

The arrangement is also financial. Amazon encourages police to encourage residents to install the Ring app and purchase cameras for their homes. Per Motherboard, for every town resident that downloads Ring’s Neighbors app, the local police department gets credits toward buying cameras it can distribute to residents. This arrangement makes salespeople out of what should be impartial and trusted protectors of our civic society.

This is not the first time the government has attempted to use an economic incentive to expand the reach of surveillance technology and to subsidize the vendors. In 2017, EFF spoke out against legislation that would provide tax credits for California residents who purchased home security systems.

Police departments also get communications instruction from the large global corporation. Documents acquired by Gizmodo revealed that questions directed at police departments concerning Ring are often passed on to Ring’s Public Relations team. Thus, many statements about Ring that residents think are coming from their trusted local police, are actually written by Ring. Worse, Ring instructed police departments not to reveal their connections to the company. Instead of getting an even-handed conversation with your local police about the benefits and pitfalls of installing a networked security camera, residents are fed canned lines from a corporation whose ultimate goal is to sell more cameras.

Even the Monitoring Association, an international trading organization for surveillance equipment, announced its concern regarding Ring's police partnerships. The organization's President, Ivan Spector, told CNET, "We are troubled by recent reports of agreements that are said to drive product-specific promotion, without alerting consumers about these marketing relationships...This lack of transparency goes against our standards as an industry, diminishes public trust, and takes advantage of these public servants."

Dissemination of Your Video Images

So, Ring and the police have an intimate relationship revolving around sharing data and money. But at least users own their own video footage and control who gets access to it, right? Not if you ask Amazon.

Earlier this year, social media users pointed out that Ring was using actual security camera footage of alleged wrong-doers in sponsored ads. Amazon harvested pictures of people’s faces and posted them alongside accusations that they were guilty of a crime, without consulting the person pictured or the owners of the cameras. According to their terms of service, Ring and its licensees have “an unlimited, irrevocable, fully paid, and royalty-free, perpetual, worldwide right to re-use, distribute store, delete, translate, copy, modify, display, sell, create derivative works,” in relation to the footage taken from your front door.

Police will also seek access to residents’ video footage. Residents may deny police access when requested. However, Amazon actively coaches police on how to persuade residents to hand over the footage. A professional communications expert instructs police on how to manipulate residents into giving away their Ring’s footage.

If convincing the resident doesn’t work, police can go straight to Amazon and ask them for the footage. This process circumvents the camera’s owner. Amazon says it will not disclose Ring video to police absent a warrant from a judge or consent from the resident. And California law generally requires police to get a warrant in this situation. But some California police say they don’t need a warrant. Tony Botti of the Fresno County Sheriff’s department told Government Technology that police can “subpoena” a Ring video. A subpoena typically does not require judicial authorization before it is sent. Botti continued: “as long as it’s been uploaded to the cloud, then Ring can take it out of the cloud and send it to us legally so that we can use it as part of our investigation.” Amazon needs to clear up this uncertainty.

Next Steps

The rapid proliferation of this partnership between police departments and the Ring surveillance system—without any oversight, transparency, or restrictions—poses a grave threat to the privacy of all people in the community. It also may chill the First Amendment rights of political canvassers and community organizers who spread their messages door-to-door, and contribute to the unfair racial profiling of our minority neighbors and visitors. Even if you chose not to put a camera on your front door, video footage of your comings and goings might easily be accessed and used by your neighbors, the police, and Amazon itself. The growing partnerships between Amazon and police departments corrodes trust in an important civic institution by turning public servants into salespeople for Amazon products.

Residents of towns whose police department have already cut a deal with Ring should voice their concern to local officials. Users of Ring should also consider how their privacy, and the privacy of the neighbors, may be harmed by having a camera on their front door, networked into a massive police surveillance system.

from Deeplinks https://ift.tt/2KmmGJ6