Privacy and Smart Speakers in Research With Older Adults

Advances in artificial intelligence and computational linguistics have made smart speakers, such as Amazon Alexa^TM^ and Google Home^TM^, economical and widely available. For older adults particularly, devices with voice interfaces can help to overcome accessibility challenges that often accompany interaction with today’s technologies. However, voice-activation also requires devices to be in a continuous state of ambient listening, which can create a significant privacy risk for the user, one that is often amplified as smart speakers are placed in highly personal home spaces to facilitate their utility. Deployment of these devices in research settings poses additional risk, as traces of data filter through research teams, app developers, and third-party services that support research efforts. This presentation addresses the privacy aspects of deploying Google Home Mini^TM^ speakers in research that examined their feasibility for enhancing physical activity among sedentary older adults. Interviews with participants were conducted in two studies: the first included a demonstration of the device and physical activity program (n=15); and the second included in-home use of devices and a physical activity program (n=15). Content analysis of study documentation, field notes, and interviews revealed specific areas that require additional attention when utilizing smart speakers in research, including the capture of identifying information, protocols for data handling, and requirements for informed consent. These findings are discussed in context with extant literature on individual privacy concerns and behaviors related to smart household devices. Results from this study can inform future research efforts incorporating smart speakers, to mitigate potential risks of privacy violation.

The new intrusion tort: The news media exposed?

<p>In C v Holland, Whata J recognised that the tort of intrusion upon seclusion formed part of New Zealand’s common law. The tort protects against intentional intrusions into a person’s private space. This decision potentially exposes the news media to tortious liability when it engages in intrusive newsgathering practices. However, Whata J’s decision provides little guidance as to how the tort should be applied in later cases. In order to ascertain the meaning of the tort’s formulation, this essay draws upon the methods used, both in New Zealand and internationally, to prevent the news media from breaching individual privacy rights. It then suggests that the courts should replace the formulation with a one-step reasonable expectation of privacy test. It also argues that the legitimate public concern defence should be better tailored to the intrusion context. Finally, it briefly assesses how the intrusion tort should interact with the tort in Hosking v Runting. Ultimately, it concludes that, in future, the courts should reflect more carefully on the precise wording of the intrusion tort’s formulation so that it best vindicates the interests that it was designed to protect.</p>

The new intrusion tort: The news media exposed?

<p>In C v Holland, Whata J recognised that the tort of intrusion upon seclusion formed part of New Zealand’s common law. The tort protects against intentional intrusions into a person’s private space. This decision potentially exposes the news media to tortious liability when it engages in intrusive newsgathering practices. However, Whata J’s decision provides little guidance as to how the tort should be applied in later cases. In order to ascertain the meaning of the tort’s formulation, this essay draws upon the methods used, both in New Zealand and internationally, to prevent the news media from breaching individual privacy rights. It then suggests that the courts should replace the formulation with a one-step reasonable expectation of privacy test. It also argues that the legitimate public concern defence should be better tailored to the intrusion context. Finally, it briefly assesses how the intrusion tort should interact with the tort in Hosking v Runting. Ultimately, it concludes that, in future, the courts should reflect more carefully on the precise wording of the intrusion tort’s formulation so that it best vindicates the interests that it was designed to protect.</p>

Differential Privacy and Bayesian for Context-Aware Recommender Systems

Incorporate contextual information into recommendation systems can obtain better accuracy of recommendation, however, the users’ individual privacy may be disclosed by attackers. In order to resolve this problem, the authors propose a context-aware recommendation system that integrates Differential Privacy and Bayesian Network technologies (DPBCF). Firstly, the paper uses k-means algorithm to cluster items to relieve sparsity of rating matrix. Next, for the sake of protecting users’ privacy, the paper adds Laplace noises to ratings. And then adopts Bayesian Network technology to calculate the probability that users like a type of item with contextual information. At last, the authors illustrate the experimental evaluations to show that the proposed algorithm can provide a stronger privacy protection while improving the accuracy of recommendations.

Money laundering in a CBDC world: a game of cats and mice

Purpose The purpose of this study is to describe the present taxonomy of money, summarize potential central bank digital currency (CBDC) regimes that central banks worldwide could adopt and explore the implications of the introduction of each of these CDBC regimes for money laundering through the lens of the regulatory dialectic theory. Design/methodology/approach The methodology used in the analysis of significant recent events regarding the progress of central banks in establishing a CBDC and the implications for money laundering under a CBDC regime. This paper also reviews the literature regarding the Regulatory Dialectic to highlight potential innovative responses of money launderers to circumvent the controls generated through the implementation of a CBDC. Findings This study examines the impact of Kane’s regulatory dialectic paradigm on the feasibility of money laundering under a CBDC regime and identifies potential avenues that would be available for those seeking to launder money, based on the form a CBDC would take. Research limitations/implications This paper is unable as of yet to empirically evaluate anti-money laundering (AML) tactics under a CBDC regime as it has not yet been fully implemented. Practical implications Many central banks worldwide are evaluating the structure of and introduction of a CBDC. There are a number of forms that a CBDC could take, each of which has implications for individual privacy and for entities involved in AML efforts within financial institutions and the regulatory community. The paper has implications for AML experts who are considering how AML procedures would change under a CBDC regime. Social implications The regulatory dialectic predicts that regulatory response reactive, rather than proactive when it comes to socially undesirable phenomena. As central banks and governments seek to divert economic activity away from the laundering of the proceeds of illicit activity, there are tradeoffs in terms of a loss of privacy. The regulatory dialectic predicts a corresponding innovative response of those who wish to undermine the controls generated through the establishment of a CBDC. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to explore the impact of a potential CBDC on money laundering and the potential innovative circumventions within the paradigm of the Regulatory Dialectic.

Is the Expectation of Privacy a Dying Standard? The Government’s Access to Biological Data, Consumer Data and Bioinformatics – And the Limitations that Should be in Place

The Judicial System is by and large a backward-looking, rather than a forward-looking system. The rapid advancement of technology is creating a greater strain on our legal framework. The current legal system considers whether the Technology is in common use to determine the expectation of privacy, however, this legal standard will, and arguably already does, lack the flexibility to make timely and efficient determinations on the constitutionality of using certain technology for governmental searches and seizures. The solution is a proactive approach through a combination of Legislative and Judicial action that will ensure individual privacy is protected in an ever-advancing technological world.

The Omnipresent and The Omnipotent – Surveillance and Power

The objective of this paper is to trace the derivation of power through imperious surveillance upon the citizens of Panem and the consequent denial of citizen rights. The paper also analyses the nature of people’s fear of being watched and how the overbearing surveillance system in action can violate individual privacy. The act of being continuously watched or monitored and the knowledge of being under the control of power, a 'watchful eye', can create a huge impact upon the people under surveillance. In the modern world, people are being watched continuously and closely and are tracked through economic activities and electronic media. The paper aims to prove that surveillance in any form is a constraining force limiting people from being themselves. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins portray a dystopian post-apocalyptic land of Panem where the Capitol uses surveillance and the people’s fear of being watched as tools to assert their power over the citizens. After years of being watched and controlled, the people of Panem have forgotten basic citizen birthrights and the beauty of freedom in their lives. These people lose their real identity in this cage where they are devoid of any individual preferences. If the citizens are not completely aware of the value of privacy which is an inherent human right and much required for individual growth and development, the possibilities of losing the contemporary world to such a dystopian reality are high.

Reputational Risk Associated with Big Data Research and Development: An Interdisciplinary Perspective

Many private and public actors are incentivized by the promises of big data technologies: digital tools underpinned by capabilities like artificial intelligence and machine learning. While many shared value propositions exist regarding what these technologies afford, public-facing concerns related to individual privacy, algorithm fairness, and the access to insights requires attention if the widespread use and subsequent value of these technologies are to be fully realized. Drawing from perspectives of data science, social science and technology acceptance, we present an interdisciplinary analysis that links these concerns with traditional research and development (R&D) activities. We suggest a reframing of the public R&D ‘brand’ that responds to legitimate concerns related to data collection, development, and the implementation of big data technologies. We offer as a case study Australian agriculture, which is currently undergoing such digitalization, and where concerns have been raised by landholders and the research community. With seemingly limitless possibilities, an updated account of responsible R&D in an increasingly digitalized world may accelerate the ways in which we might realize the benefits of big data and mitigate harmful social and environmental costs.

Modern Privacy Threats and Privacy Preservation Techniques in Data Analytics

Today we are living in a digital rich and technology driven world where extremely large amounts of data get generated every hour in the public domain, which also includes personal data. Applications like social media, e-commerce, smartphone apps, etc. collect a lot of personal data which can harm individual privacy if leaked, and hence ethical code of conduct is required to ensure data privacy. Some of the privacy threats include Digital profiling, cyberstalking, recommendation systems, etc. leading to the disclosure of sensitive data and sharing of data without the consent of the data owner. Data Privacy has gained significant importance in the recent times and it is evident from the privacy legislation passed in more than 100 countries. Firms dealing with data-sensitive applications need to abide by the privacy legislation of respective territorial regions. To overcome these privacy challenges by incorporating privacy regulations, we have designed guidelines for application development, incorporating key features of privacy regulations along with the implementation strategies which will help in developing data-sensitive applications which can offer strong and coherent privacy protection of personal data.