Technology Pill

This week we're joined by Bill Goodwin, investigations editor at Computer Weekly and award-winning journalist, to discuss Europol's secret shadow IT system — and what it tells us about how law enforcement agencies evade oversight.LinksComputer Weekly investigation: https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642525/They-protect-the-law-while-breaking-it-Inside-Europols-shadow-IT-systemWe Are Solomon: https://wearesolomon.com/en/mag/focus-area/accountability/they-protect-the-law-while-breaking-it-inside-europols-shadow-it-system/Privacy International's 2019 FOI on Europol: https://privacyinternational.org/report/3225/challenging-drivers-surveillance-eu-access-documents-requestsSpanish police and cryptophone intercepts: https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643318/Spanish-police-systematically-hid-cryptophone-intercepts-from-courts-claims-ex-chiefBill's caseGoodwin v United Kingdom: https://globalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu/cases/goodwin-v-united-kingdom/The Independent — Reporter's rights violated: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/reporter-s-rights-violated-1438583.htmlHorizonParliamentary committee on Horizon redress: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/365/business-and-trade-committee/news/212661/post-office-horizon-it-scandal-serious-structural-failings-persist-in-redress/Bill at TCIJ on breaking the Horizon story: https://tcij.org/summer-conference-event/breaking-horizon-post-office-scandal/

This week we take a deep dive into the issues around the rights and privacy of the global disability community in the digital age. We're joined by Rosemary Kayess - Vice Chair of the UN Committee on the Convention of the Rights for Persons with Disabilities, and the Disability Discrimination commissioner of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Marc Workman - CEO of the World Blind Union (WBU), and Heba Hagrass - UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities. Links World Blind Union: https://worldblindunion.org/ Learn more about Heba's work: https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-disability/heba-hagrass Report from the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilies that Rosemary Kayess worked on: https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CRPD%2FC%2FGBR%2FFUIR%2F1&Lang=en PI's work so far on this: Submission to the UN CRPD Committee on their inquiry into the UK social protection and rights of persons with disabilities: https://privacyinternational.org/advocacy/5321/un-committee-rights-persons-disabilities-calls-uk-act-ai-human-rights-risks OHCHR Submission and HRC oral statement on the rights of persons with disabilities and digitised social protection schemes: https://privacyinternational.org/advocacy/5107/submission-ohchr-rights-persons-disabilities Long read on the rights of persons with disabilities and digitised social protection schemes: https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/5170/protecting-persons-disabilities-digitised-world Robodebt Royal Commission report: https://robodebt.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/report An update: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/sep/16/zero-repercussions-victims-of-robodebt-embarrassed-to-have-believed-justice-would-be-done

This week we're having our own little christmas party, discussing things we've achieved throughout 2022.  Read more about the things we've achieved throughout the year, and donate to PI as much or as little as you can afford. Credits:   As ever, with a huge thank you to Sepia!  dj997 via freesound acclivity via freesound Marta Tsvettsikh via freesound CNN Sky News

This week's episode is a grab bag of Clearview updates - from our latest campaign to their latest fine.  Links Italy fine: https://www.garanteprivacy.it/web/guest/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/9751362 Our legal action: https://privacyinternational.org/legal-action/challenge-against-clearview-ai-europe;  The ICO decision: https://privacyinternational.org/news-analysis/4714/icos-announcement-about-clearview-ai-lot-more-just-ps17-million-fine Use of Clearview AI by police illegal under Belgian law, says Belgian interior minister: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/belgian-police-admit-using-controversial-facial-recognition-software/2388953 Clearview in Ukraine: https://privacyinternational.org/news-analysis/4806/clearviewukraine-partnership-how-surveillance-companies-exploit-war Washington Post article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/02/16/clearview-expansion-facial-recognition/ The pledge: https://pvcy.org/dodgydata

This episode we look back at the predictions we made about 2021, What turned out to be true? What turned out better than we could have hoped? What turned out worse?  Links Our predictions from 2021: pvcy.org/2021predictions Clearview UK provisional fine: pvcy.org/clearUKfine Clearview legal trouble in France: pvcy.org/clearFrance Clearview investments: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/21/technology/clearview-ai-valuation.html TRIPS waiver: https://www.devex.com/news/where-are-we-on-covid-19-after-a-year-of-trips-waiver-negotiations-101795 Travel podcast: pvcy.org/PITravel Patent-free vaccine: https://newatlas.com/health-wellbeing/patent-free-coronavirus-vaccine-protein-subunit/ Mental health podcast: pvcy.org/podmentalhealth David works for the Mental Health Foundation: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ Google unionise: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/04/technology/google-employees-union.html The 'Great Resignation': https://www.ft.com/content/857bdeba-b61b-4012-ab82-3c9eb19506df PI has been working with two unions on our managed by bots campaign: pvcy.org/podbots Complicated history of plagues and workers: https://www.economist.com/free-exchange/2013/10/21/plagued-by-dear-labour Indian National Education Plan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Education_Policy_2020 Ugandan Election: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/c9vyzlr1ek2t/uganda-election-2021 Crypto mining trouble: https://www.wired.com/story/kazakhstan-cryptocurrency-mining-unrest-energy/ US commitment to reduce methane: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-59137828 Cop26 commitments: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/14/india-criticised-over-coal-at-cop26-but-real-villain-was-climate-injustice Apple's valuation: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/1/6/visualising-apples-3-trillion-market-valuation Facebook value drop: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/03/facebooks-232point6-billion-drop-in-value-sets-all-time-record.html The Metaverse: https://www.wired.com/story/what-is-the-metaverse/ Predictions for 2022: pvcy.org/2022predictions

Merry Christmas. We hope you enjoy your day tomorrow. This week we're bringing you tips for how to spot and deal with things that worry you about the gifts you or your kids may recieve tomorrow. Links Donate to PI and get your facemask: pvcy.org/donatepill Mozilla's *privacy not included project: https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/ US PIRG's Trouble in Toyland: https://uspirg.org/feature/usp/Trouble-In-Toyland Roomba home maps: https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/9/6/17817220/irobot-roomba-i7-robot-vacuum-empties-itself-maps-house and concerns from 2017 about Roomba sharing that information: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/25/technology/roomba-irobot-data-privacy.html ICO advice: https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/news-and-events/news-and-blogs/2017/11/blog-the-12-ways-that-christmas-shoppers-can-keep-children-and-data-safe-when-buying-smart-toys-and-devices/ Our guides for protecting yourself from online tracking: https://privacyinternational.org/act/protect-yourself-online-tracking Our Amazon Ring report "One Ring to Watch Them All" https://www.privacyinternational.org/long-read/3971/one-ring-watch-them-all Find out more about our legal work: https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/4699/brief-history-our-legal-successes Extra audio credit details in order of appearance: acclivity (sleigh bells) dj997 (additional bells) Marta Tsvettsikh (fire sound) waxsocks (ding dong merrily) bilwiss (music box/silent night)

This week we talk to Juan Diego from Fundación Karisma - one of our  partners based in Colombia - about the use of technology in the response to the Covid pandemic and their report "Useless and Dangerous: A Critical Exploration of Covid Applications and Their Human Rights Impacts in Colombia".   You can find out more from Karisma here: https://web.karisma.org.co/   You can read the report here: https://web.karisma.org.co/useless-and-dangerous-a-critical-exploration-of-covid-applications-and-their-human-rights-impacts-in-colombia/