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Should We Chat, Too? Security Analysis of WeChat’s MMTLS Encryption Protocol

I really like this report and its accompanying FAQ for non-technical readers. Citizen Lab is of course a defender for human rights and freedom of expression, but in this article, they don’t rail on about how China’s weak data protection ecosystem impinges on people’s right to privacy. They just do the technical legwork and let the results speak for themselves.

Machines of Loving Grace

Anthropic's CEO, Dario Amodei, is one of today's leading figures in AI. In his essay, he envisions a future where powerful AI could radically improve human life by accelerating progress in areas such as biology, mental health, economic development, and governance. He foresees a more equitable and prosperous world resulting from these advancements. I particularly appreciated his message of hope: 'Many implications of powerful AI are adversarial or dangerous, but there must be something we’re fighting for—a positive-sum outcome where everyone is better off, something to rally people to rise above their squabbles and confront the challenges ahead. Fear may motivate, but it’s not enough: we need hope as well.'

Recordings of Oct 1st C4DT conference now online!

📣 New Publication Alert! 📣 📽️ The recordings of the October 1st Conference on "Deepfakes, Distrust and Disinformation: The Impact of AI on Elections and Public Perception" are now accessible here

Meta’s going to put AI-generated images in your Facebook and Instagram feeds

Social networks began by enabling us to connect online with our family and friends and with communities of interest. Influencers then helped generate the growth that was “missing” on the personal side. AI-generated content, which Mark Zuckerberg sees as the next “logical jump” in the engagement race, seems very creepy to me if you consider the initial goal of such networks.

New C4DT Focus #7 , entitled “The Encryption Dilemma”, is out !

The issue revolves around the tension between the need for security in digital communications, exemplified by end-to-end encryption, and the concerns of governments and security agencies regarding their ability to intercept criminal activities, particularly the sharing of child sexual abuse…

U.S. Wiretap Systems Targeted in China-Linked Hack

This hack on U.S. wiretap systems illustrates the risks of creating backdoors meant only for 'good guys.' Similar concerns have been raised about the EU's chat control legislation. Whatever weaknesses are designed to allow for 'lawful interception' also opens opportunities for 'unlawful interception', it is as simple as that.

“Deepfakes, Distrust and Disinformation” Conference: Acknowledgements and Thanks

C4DT would like to express a BIG THANK YOU to the speakers, panelists, moderators, to the attendees and to the partner Centers who have made this C4DT conference such a memorable and interesting event! We are very thankful for this…

Telegram will now provide some user data to authorities

Telegram is used for freedom of speech (resp. cybercrime, at a presumably smaller scale), as is TOR,and many of the privacy-preserving systems around us. Will the latter have the same fate as Telegram? or does the fact that they are "distributed" spare them? I'm curious how democracies can enforce law to systems distributed worldwide. Prohibit their usage? stop investment in their research? other ideas? it's not straightforward.

C4DT Conference on Disinformation, Elections and AI

Join us on October 1st for the C4DT conference entitled "Deepfakes, Distrust and Disinformation: The Impact of AI on Elections and Public Perception, which will be held at the SwissTech Convention Center, EPFL.

Stranger Danger and online fringe communities

New EPFL research has found that the exchange of comments between members and non-members of fringe communities (fringe-interactions) on mainstream online platforms attracts new members to these groups. It has also suggested potential ways to curtail this growth.

Safeguarding the public service in the digital era

Digitalization and the proliferation of service platforms are permeating all areas of our society, and the public service is not immune to this evolution. A policy paper from the EPFL Center for Digital Trust offers recommendations to maintain the quality…

Book Review: “Your Face Belongs to Us. A Secretive Startup’s Quest To End Privacy As We Know It” – Kashmir Hill (2023)

In our latest edition of the C4DT Digital Governance Book Review, we discuss investigative journalist Kashmir Hill’s book on the rise and consequences of facial-recognition company Clearview AI for the future of privacy.

Débat télévisé en Deepfake – Pôle de création numérique

Le résultat de ce projet ambitieux, développé en collaboration avec le Image and Visual Representation Laboratory, dirigé par Sabine Süsstrunk, et dont Peter Grönquist fait partie, a été diffusé dans le cadre de l'émission Infrarouge ce mercredi à 20h50 sur…