drwaus.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

There are some applications of AI or automated decision making that are simply too dangerous. A risk-based policy like EU's AI Act would prohibit unacceptable risk. As it is, we have no enforceable legislation regulating AI, only 'voluntary guardrails' and an insufficient Privacy Act.

submitted 4 days ago • 0 comments

Information accessed includes "full names and dates of birth, emails, addresses, phone numbers, Medicare card numbers, private health insurance details, medical histories, diagnoses and treatments, medications and prescriptions, test results, notes from doctors and emergency contacts."

submitted 4 days ago • 1 comment

A couple of things from eSafety estimates so far: they've written to gen AI providers that are used to make nudify apps to warn them action might be taken. Also Inman Grant described Telegram's initial reluctance to respond to requests for info as "frankly quite shady".

submitted 6 days ago • 5 comments

"The Australian Taxation Office is building and deploying AI models in-house without centralised policies and guidance for public servants." www.innovationaus.com/ato-building...

submitted 6 days ago • 2 comments

One of the most common framings–and the biggest sins in this space–is the false dichotomy that presents AI only in terms of “opportunities and risks” aial.ie/pages/aiparis/ @abeba.bsky.social

submitted 12 days ago • 2 comments

Australia has joined 70+ other countries to sign on to the Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable AI at this week's Paris AI Action Summit. The US and the UK have refused to sign the declaration. www.politico.eu/wp-content/u...

submitted 18 days ago • 1 comment

End-to-end encryption by default means “if you show up with a warrant or a subpoena (to Signal), they have almost nothing about you that they can hand over,” EFF’s @evacide.bsky.social told @cnn.com.

submitted 20 days ago • 11 comments

The federally funded Age Assurance Technology Trial published their evaluation proposal report last week: ageassurance.com.au/publications/

submitted 20 days ago • 2 comments

11 February is Safer Internet Day: a global day of focus to make the internet a safer and better place for all, and especially children and young people www.saferinternetday.org

submitted 20 days ago • 1 comment

Every privacy pro n the country has hated this practice for years. It's a massive overcollection of personal information, when the only required info is whether the patron is over 18 or not, and that can be verified by sight without keeping a record. It's prone to abuse, and is frequently abused.

submitted 20 days ago • 0 comments

Our piece on Community Notes and its narrow understanding of the disinformation problem is now live on @techpolicypress.bsky.social. It is based on our paper on the topic, which can be found here: eprints.qut.edu.au/254907/1/Mat...

submitted 28 days ago • 0 comments

Google has updated its AI Principles, including removing language promising not to pursue “technologies whose purpose contravenes widely accepted principles of international law and human rights.” www.wired.com/story/google...

submitted 26 days ago • 0 comments

The review of the online safety act was just tabled in parliament Reccos were dropped to the press gallery yesterday, but here's the full 216-page document. www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentar...

submitted 27 days ago • 2 comments

It's #DataPrivacyDay! The right to privacy is essential to other fundamental human rights. It enables freedom of speech, expression, and association. Without privacy, our democracy crumbles.

submitted 34 days ago • 1 comment

Don't let shame or overwhelm stop you from taking a few basic steps to protect yourself and your community. Maybe you've used your cats name for your password on everything for years. All your shit is on social media. You get stressed out about tech stuff. It's all good. You're not alone. 🧵

submitted 38 days ago • 27 comments

If you're heading to a protest, remember to protect other people's identities! We have a guide to help you practise good digital community care: digitalrightswatch.org.au/2023/11/15/p...

submitted 38 days ago • 0 comments

These content moderation changes signal that you'll find a home on Meta's platforms if you are a peddler of hateful content. Our Chair Lizzie O'Shea appeared on ABC's 730 report to discuss the impacts of Meta's decision to cut fact checking: www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01...

submitted 42 days ago • 0 comments

NEW: Meta has quietly dismantled the system that prevented misinformation from spreading in the United States. Machine-learning classifiers that once identified viral hoaxes and limited their reach have now been switched off, Platformer has learned www.platformer.news/meta-ends-mi...

submitted 47 days ago • 1425 comments

Meta's decision to end fact-checking and amend its hateful conduct policy, in clear deference to Trump, is a terrible decision. Engagement at all costs is bad for society—we need privacy reform now to mitigate against the worst excesses of these businesses models. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

submitted 53 days ago • 2 comments

perhaps we would do well to replace the term "AI-enabled" with "spies on you" "An oven that spies on you? Why not?"

submitted 56 days ago • 35 comments

Services Australia used workplace surveillance to track employee’s toilet breaks www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12...

submitted 75 days ago • 8 comments

Whistleblowers raising concerns about harmful digital platforms and holding tech companies to account are supported by a new practical guide—Technology-Related Whistleblowing—built in collaboration with @humanrightshrlc.bsky.social @reset.tech @psst-org.bsky.social www.hrlc.org.au/reports-news...

submitted 75 days ago • 0 comments

Last night I drew a map of places of worship in and around Melbourne’s CBD w/ 150m exclusion zones around them. It shows that the new laws will make protests at common gathering places, parks, transport hubs and thoroughfares illegal /🧵

submitted 75 days ago • 11 comments

As we continue to see sustained death + disablement due to COVID, the public health + disability justice implications of criminalizing mask-wearing are disastrous. Mask bans also violate our fundamental civil liberties. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2024/11/12/mask-bans-protest-surveillance

submitted 75 days ago • 2 comments

Labor and Liberal governments have passed 49 anti-protest laws across the country over the last two decades. It is damning (& history will judge us harshly) but no surprise that 🇦🇺 leads the world on climate protest arrests. www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12...

submitted 77 days ago • 31 comments

Could Luigi Mangione happen here? And who would he/it happen to? Did you know that Australia has some of the harshest crackdowns on environmental protests in the world? I wrote about all this and more right here: open.substack.com/pub/yeahnah/...

submitted 77 days ago • 0 comments

The Malaysian parliament has passed two bills to allow the MCMC “to decide what kind of content is to be online and removed” and “to compel service providers to provide user data” without a judicial order globalvoices.org/2024/12/16/o...

submitted 75 days ago • 0 comments

Facebook have a help page dedicated to checking whether you or your friends logged into the "This is Your Digital Life" app: www.facebook.com/help/1873665...

submitted 76 days ago • 0 comments

Renter screening by algorithm, with predictable outcomes... Needless to say, if you hear OF ANYTHING like this happening here please get in touch. Contact details in my bio. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

submitted 77 days ago • 4 comments

The OAIC has agreed to a $50m payment program from Meta for Australian users impacted by Cambridge Analytica incident: www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-c...

submitted 76 days ago • 1 comment

The AFP say they had "no choice" but to start using AI given how much data they're collecting in investigations. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

submitted 82 days ago • 5 comments

Re Australia’s social media age bans, Senate staff have just posted a bunch of representative samples of mass submissions they received, including one theme they got more than 9,200 times. www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentar...

submitted 82 days ago • 9 comments

Thank you so much for having me @katebower.bsky.social & @drwaus.bsky.social. Great to chat and heartening to know we are all working together - good company.

submitted 82 days ago • 0 comments

This week, our digital rights advocate @katebower.bsky.social interviewed national security analyst, Dr Miah Hammond-Errey, about the unlikely pairing of national security and privacy, the role of human rights and how we might regulate Big Tech. digitalrightswatch.org.au/2024/12/10/i...

submitted 82 days ago • 1 comment

It important to know the names of women researchers who've been studying, speaking & writing about bias and AI. Dr Timnit Gebru, Dr Rumman Chowdhury, Dr Safiya Noble, Dr Seeta Peña Gangadharan, Dr Buolamwini And many many more within/outside academia. Free link: archive.ph/2023.11.22-1... 👑👑👑

submitted 89 days ago • 19 comments

ICYMI last week the Senate passed the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill. The reforms are far from complete... HOWEVER it does include a statutory tort that gives individuals the right to seek compensation for serious invasions of privacy 🎉 www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-c...

submitted 88 days ago • 0 comments

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland on gambling reform: “As we have seen in the past bad policy designs leads to bad outcomes... It is important we take the time to get these reforms right.” But when it comes to banning young people from social media... 🤔🤔🤔 www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

submitted 89 days ago • 0 comments

Last night our digital rights advocate @katebower.bsky.social spoke to ABC 7.30 about facial surveillance proliferating in pubs, casinos and stadiums around Australia newsapp.abc.net.au/newsapp/1046...

submitted 95 days ago • 0 comments