PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Technology series: This Blog has been increasingly drawn into the world of technology in terms of its ability to cause wrongful prosecutions, to provide the police with excessive powers, to make decisions in courtrooms about matters such as bail and sentencing, and to impact on individual privacy and dignity. The series will also make clear that one should not evaluate technology such as Artificial intelligence - and the logarithms it is based on - solely within the confines of the criminal justice system. Artificial intelligence is quietly and quickly spreading into many aspects of our lives. We must be aware of the of the total impact on us as individuals and on our society as well.
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY: From a law enforcement or intelligence perspective, these are very valuable tools that can let them monitor or listen to individuals," says Dale Watson, the FBI's former executive assistant director, now a consultant. "Smart devices are also kind of frightening," Watson says. "What are the legal ramifications? The technology is moving so fast that the laws and courts haven't caught up with it."
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PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Apparently, Alexa still awaits her court debut. But the case gave the nation a glimpse of what's in store as our homes keep getting smarter: law enforcement will treat your appliances as potential witnesses. It seems new smart gadgets are introduced every week. There are smart TVs, which suggest the programs they think you'll like. Smart refrigerators are equipped with interior cameras and UPC scanners that keep track of the items you stock in your refrigerator, and then reorder them as they run out. One brand of smart mattress "tracks over 15 factors about your sleep and health, including deep sleep, heart rate and respiratory rate," according to its website."
POST: "Your Home is Your...Snitch?" by Daniel Zwerdling, published by The Marshall Project, on May 24, 2018. (Daniel Zwerdling, formerly a senior investigative correspondent with NPR, is an independent journalist.)
SUB-HEADING: "When your appliances work as police informants."
GIST: "Police records in Bentonville, Arkansas show that James Bates called 911 on Sunday morning just before Thanksgiving 2015, and reported chilling news: he'd just opened his back door and found one of his buddies floating face down in the hot tub, dead. When police showed up, Bates said he had no idea how it happened. He also said they could search his home, according to police. And they found his house and yard were equipped with smart gadgets that might have served as digital eyes and ears. One was a smart utilities meter, which tracks far more details about water consumption than old-fashioned meters do. Another was an Amazon Echo on the kitchen counter—a smart speaker connected to the voice-controlled digital assistant service called Alexa—as in, "Hey Alexa, play me Drake/book a hotel/call an Uber." As the police looked around, Bates probably had no inkling that he was entering a national debate: When do police have legal access to the trove of personal information that our smart homes collect? Two developments coming soon could affect the answer. The Supreme Court will rule on a case concerning privacy and digital records, and new regulations in Europe will tighten access to people's digital information there. Back in Bentonville, police went after data from Bates' smart home with zeal. A manager at the utilities department told them that Bates' smart meter showed he'd used far more water between 1–3 a.m. than he'd ever used during the same period before. Police surmised that Bates had hosed the back patio to erase signs of a struggle. They charged him with murder. Prosecutors also ordered Amazon to turn over the recordings that Bates' digital assistant made before and after he said he found the body. Amazon records your vocal commands, and sometimes background talk, and stores the audio on distant servers. Amazon resisted, the prosecutors started fighting the company in court—and Bates gave up the recordings voluntarily. Prosecutors dropped the case late last year, saying they couldn't prove he was guilty. Apparently, Alexa still awaits her court debut. But the case gave the nation a glimpse of what's in store as our homes keep getting smarter: law enforcement will treat your appliances as potential witnesses. It seems new smart gadgets are introduced every week. There are smart TVs, which suggest the programs they think you'll like. Smart refrigerators are equipped with interior cameras and UPC scanners that keep track of the items you stock in your refrigerator, and then reorder them as they run out. One brand of smart mattress "tracks over 15 factors about your sleep and health, including deep sleep, heart rate and respiratory rate," according to its website. "From a law enforcement or intelligence perspective, these are very valuable tools that can let them monitor or listen to individuals," says Dale Watson, the FBI's former executive assistant director, now a consultant. "Smart devices are also kind of frightening," Watson says. "What are the legal ramifications? The technology is moving so fast that the laws and courts haven't caught up with it."
(Read on! HL);
(Read on! HL);
The entire post can be read at:
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2018/05/24/your-home-is-your-snitch?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=opening-statement&utm_term=newsletter-20180525-1060
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/c
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2018/05/24/your-home-is-your-snitch?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=opening-statement&utm_term=newsletter-20180525-1060
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/c
