Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Salesforce Beach
This week, we discuss talking aloud to computers, Cannes, and “Engineering Creativity: Guac Is Extra."
Privacy
The Trump Administration’s New Census Data Rules Are a Policy Disaster
The new policy, which forbids "noise infusion" as a technique for anonymizing data, will "handcuff" the Census Bureau and limit what information becomes public, data experts say.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Landfillcore and Go Knicks
This week, we discuss questionable analysis, mysterious parcels, and the Knicks (sorta).
Podcast
The OPSEC Rave Wave (with Imani Thompson)
We get into how platforms have tried to make surveillance cute, why that damn Duolingo owl emotionally manipulates you, and why learning about privacy best practices when surrounded by community works.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: World Cup Madness and Film Reviews
This week, we discuss Trump fucking up the World Cup, some thoughts on ICE coverage, and movies.
chatbots
Chatbots Keep Telling Stories About Lighthouse Keeper 'Elias Thorne'. We Might Know Why
LLMs including ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude are obsessed with telling stories about lighthouse keepers and clockmakers, and one character named 'Elias Thorne' has made his way from chatbots to Amazon books. Researchers are trying to discover why.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Dangerous Memes
This week, we discuss controversial memes, good times at Meta, and more.
AI
Watch These Judges Rip Into Lawyers For Citing Cases That Don't Exist
“It's striking, concerning, disappointing, and saddening to think that members of the bar would forward cases to a court that don't exist, and to think that the lawyers on the other side of that didn’t read it for whatever reason, didn’t check it.”
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Being New and Some Numbers
This week, we discuss going deeper and Google's search changes.
chatbots
New Study Reveals the Manipulative ‘Dark Patterns’ of AI Chatbots
A new study by the Center for Democracy & Technology shows how chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, Replika and more can lead users down paths they didn't intend.
biometrics
Headway Therapy Patients Forced to Scan Their Faces to Keep Getting Care
A popular virtual therapy platform is telling providers and patients they'll have to do facial scanning soon, forcing some to choose between handing over their data and continuing care.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: The Attention Wars
This week, we discuss Spencer Pratt, bricking phones, and the FTC.