Let's talk about Ring, lost dogs, and the surveillance state
Today, we're talking about the camera company Ring, lost dogs, and the surveillance state. Since it aired for a massive audience at the Super Bowl, Ring’s Search Party commercial has become a lightning rod for controversy. It’s easy to see how the same technology that can find lost dogs can be used to find people, and then used to invade our privacy in all kinds of uncomfortable ways, by cops and regular people alike.
Although Ring has since canceled its partnership with controversial surveillance company Flock, the company is now facing hard questions about its plans to use AI to promote safer neighborhoods, and how that intersects with its ongoing relationship with law enforcement.
Links:
Ring cancels partnership with Flock after surveillance backlash | The Verge
Ring’s lost dog ad sparks backlash amid fears of surveillance | The Verge
Ring says it’s not giving ICE access to its cameras | The Verge
How police recovered Nancy Guthrie’s Nest Doorbell footage | The Verge
Ring’s Jamie Siminoff thinks AI can reduce crime | Decoder
Ring CEO says cameras can almost ‘zero out crime’ within 12 months | The Verge
ICE taps into nationwide AI camera network, data shows | 404 Media
ICE, Secret Service had access to Flock's camera network | 404 Media
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Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Decoder is produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and edited by Ursa Wright. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
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Why nobody's stopping Grok
Grok, the chatbot made by Elon Musk’s xAI, is able to make all manner of AI-generated images on demand, including non-consensual intimate images of women and minors. It's the kind of "controversy" that would have completely sunk a platform five or 10 years ago, but now it seems clear that Elon wants Grok to be able to do this.
A lot of people feel like someone should be able to do something about a one-click harassment machine like this. But who has that power, and what they can do with it, is a deeply complicated question,tied up in the thorny mess of history that is content moderation and the legal precedents that underpin it. So I invited Riana Pfefferkorn, from the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, to come talk me through it.
Links:
Grok’s gross AI deepfakes problem | The Verge
Grok is undressing children — can the law stop it? | The Verge
Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai are cowards | The Verge
Senate passes a bill to let nonconsensual deepfake victims sue | The Verge
EU looks to ban nudification apps following Grok outrage | Politico
Grok flooded X with millions of sexualized images | The New York Times
The Supreme Court just upended internet law | The Verge
Mother of Elon Musk’s son sues xAI over sexual deepfake images | AP
Subscribe to The Verge to access the ad-free version of Decoder!
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Decoder is produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and edited by Ursa Wright. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Here’s why Apple’s new child safety features are so controversial
Nilay Patel is joined by Riana Pfefferkorn and Jennifer King to talk about Apple's new child safety features. Riana and Jen are both researchers at Stanford and between the two of them have expertise in encryption policies and consumer privacy issues.
Guest Bio:
Riana Pfefferkorn: http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/about/people/riana-pfefferkorn
Jennifer King: http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/about/people/jen-king
Links:
Apple reveals new efforts to fight child abuse imagery: https://www.theverge.com/e/22375762
WhatsApp lead and other tech experts fire back at Apple’s Child Safety plan: https://www.theverge.com/e/22377406
Apple pushes back against child abuse scanning concerns in new FAQ: https://www.theverge.com/e/22380422
Apple's Plan to "Think Different" About Encryption Opens a Backdoor to Your Private Life: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/apples-plan-think-different-about-encryption-opens-backdoor-your-private-life
Transcript:
https://www.theverge.com/e/22381595
Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, Alexander Charles Adams, and Andrew Marino. And we are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
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