Going dark with encryption: The U.S. FBI, for years now, has complained about its inability to access encrypted information held on the smartphones and other devices owned by criminal suspects. But the agency may have been overstating this so-called “going dark” problem, the Washington Post reported this week. A programming error at the FBI led the agency to report that it has seized about 7,800 mobile devices that it cannot open, but the actual number may be less than 2,000, the story says.
AI as Big Brother: Artificial intelligence is being used to track down criminals by combing through data faster than humans can, reports The Telegraph. The story features AI startup Senzing, an IBM spinoff. Meanwhile, the government of China is increasingly using AI to assist its Great Firewall program, says Internet of Business.
A bad year for security: This year is shaping up to be a terrible year for cybersecurity, due in part to poor Internet of Things security, reports Security Boulevard. In addition to the IoT concerns, 85 percent security executives surveyed worry their countries will experience a crucial infrastructure attack in the next five years.
Banking on blockchain and AI: Banks’ use of blockchain, AI, and cloud computing are supposedly challenging traditional views of risk and risk management, reports Internet of Business. A U.K. research paper suggests banks’ increasing use of cloud-based data storage and experimental applications of AI and blockchain could create new risks for them.
Fake laws: A proliferation of laws against the spreading of fake news aren’t the answer to the problem, says a column at Bloomberg.com. Social media is too valuable to leave in the hands of government, the columnist writes.
No Internet for you: The southern India state of Tamil Nadu ordered the suspension of Internet services in parts of three regions to “prevent spread of rumors through social media and help bring public tranquility,” reports the Times of India. The government blamed social media for violence during a massive protest against a copper plant.
Read the Internet Society’s Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning policy paper and explore how it might impact the Internet’s future.