When the world of tech is so dynamic, there’s always a story to spark debate in our office. Should we be scared of 'the rise of the machines'? Should we quit social media? Do you have a right to be Google-forgotten?
That’s when I thought it’s time to take our Intercity chit-chat about the tech stories that drive our industry public. Every two weeks, I’ll be sharing my top 5 tech news stories that are changing the way I see the world.
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1. Do we have the right to be forgotten?
Whether we like it or not, there’s no such thing as an invisible footprint when it comes to our digital lives. It might be a questionable tagged photo on Facebook or in the press following an indulgent open-bar session. But what about when it becomes more reputationally damaging? This week, an unnamed man took on the might of Google to have search records about a past crime he had committed removed from its search engine. His conviction 10 years ago for conspiring to intercept communications, for which he spent six months in jail, continued to appear in search results, including links to news articles. Do we have a “right to be forgotten”? Google has removed 800,000 pages following requests from people wanting to have their past actions erased from the web. The Court considered that when the public interest no longer outweighs the impact on an individual, it’s proportionate for Google to give weight to these requests.
2. Is quitting social media better for business?
Social media has the power to permeate every aspect of our lives, both personal and professional. In an age when everyone is making a move to increasing their digital presence, JD Wetherspoon is bucking the trend. Using Twitter to deliver the blow, they announced to their 44,000 followers on Twitter that following the ‘misuse of personal data’ scandals in circulation and ‘the addictive nature of social media’, it would be taking its operations back to basics by focusing on its website and closing its Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. Before making the decision, the chairman spoke to its pub managers, and ’90-95%’ felt that social media was not of benefit to the business. Do businesses need to maintain a social media presence to be successful in our digital age? Or maybe we should all take a leaf out of Wetherspoons’ book and put our phones down and enjoy a distraction-free sunshine session without the pressures of tweets, follows and likes.
3. Should robots get legal status?
It might seem like something straight out of ‘i Robot’, but there are currently talks underway within the European Union around whether we should be granting robots legal status, and the implications that could have on human rights law. With over 150 robotics, artificial intelligence, medical, legal and scientific experts across 40 countries putting their names to a letter addressed to the European Commission, they argued that giving robots rights in the same way as humans would be ‘inappropriate’ and ‘non-sensical’ from both legal and ethical perspectives. They argue that ‘The benefit to all humanity should preside over the framework for EU civil law rules in robotics and artificial intelligence’. The resolution currently being tabled is to plan for advances in technology over the coming years, and to regulate for the eventuality that we’re going to face more intelligent and sophisticated robots armed with artificial intelligence that hasn’t even been created yet. Is it a slippery slope, and should we be worried about the rise of the machines? Only time will tell...
4. When the personal becomes political – is your router stronger than the skill of a Russia-backed hacker?
How robust is your router when a state-sponsored Russian hacker might try to mount an offensive? The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the FBI and the US Department of Homeland Security have come together to issue a joint alert detailing how networking equipment can be compromised. The alert was aimed at internet service providers, any firm that runs critical infrastructure as well as government departments and large companies, giving detail on how an attack might be carried out and how to know it had happened. The goal is to provide opportunities for potential targets to apply patches to their address hardware vulnerabilities. You know what they say, prevention is always better than cure…
5. High-tech exam cheating
At one point or another throughout our years of education, we’ve probably copied an answer or two from a friend at school on a homework assignment or a class exam. But this week, cheating took on a new level of cheeky in Singapore when a tutor admitted to helping six Chinese students cheat in their 2016 exams. The students managed to take in mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, and skin-coloured earphones during the exams. They were then FaceTimed the answers by the tutor who sat the exam as a private candidate. It was an invigilator who noticed strange noises coming from a student, and at the end of the exam, he was asked to remove his vest and was found with a mobile phone, Bluetooth device, and an ear-piece. The case continues…
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