Against ‘chat control’: we can’t eliminate child abuse by eliminating privacy

Against ‘chat control’: we can’t eliminate child abuse by eliminating privacy

Banning online anonymity tools like Tor won’t stop crime. It will only drive people underground and normalize government control over the internet Like the “war on drugs” or the “war on terror”, a “war on child abuse” has too often been used to justify authoritarian overreach. Governments across the world are expanding surveillance, weakening encryption, and curtailing freedoms under the guise of staunching the proliferation of sexual images and videos of children – but these measures don’t actually solve the problem. In Europe, the latest proposal for a “chat control” regulation put forward by the Danish presidency would require every internet-connected device to include government spyware, as easy to activate as Alexa or Siri. It would scan not only for known child sexual abuse material (CSAM) but also, in practice, would flag artwork, fan fiction, family photos and chats, relying on unreliable AI classifiers – which scientists warn can’t be implemented safely. Continue reading...

Microplastics are brought into the wilderness on hiking shoes and gear, study shows

Microplastics are brought into the wilderness on hiking shoes and gear, study shows

Research comparing Adirondack mountain lakes in New York suggests foot traffic is significant source of pollution Hiking shoes and outdoor gear are likely a significant source of microplastic pollution in the wilderness, new research that checked for the pernicious material in several Adirondack mountain lakes in upstate New York suggests. Researchers measured microplastic levels in two lakes that are the among highest sources of water for the Hudson River – one that sees heavy foot traffic from hikers, and another lake that is far away from a path and rarely touched by human activity. Continue reading...

Growing number of US veterans face arrest over Ice raid protests

Growing number of US veterans face arrest over Ice raid protests

Veterans are facing federal charges after protesting Ice sweeps and Trump’s national guard deployments. The justice department claims the veterans were violent US military veterans increasingly face arrest and injury amid protests over Donald Trump’s deportation campaign and his push to deploy national guard members to an ever-widening number of American cities. The Guardian has identified eight instances where military veterans have been prosecuted or sought damages after being detained by federal agents. Continue reading...