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An edited collection of advanced computing news from Communications of the ACM, ACM TechNews, other ACM resources, and news sites around the Web.


I Tried to Live Without the Tech Giants. It Was Impossible.
From ACM News

I Tried to Live Without the Tech Giants. It Was Impossible.

As lawmakers debate whether Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon are monopolies, a reporter recalls her attempt to avoid interacting with the companies.

Google Promises Privacy with Virus App but Can Still Collect Location Data
From ACM TechNews

Google Promises Privacy with Virus App but Can Still Collect Location Data

Despite Google's promise that its smartphone software does not track user locations, governments were surprised to learn location-setting must be active for the...

Major Security Flaws Found in South Korea Quarantine App
From ACM TechNews

Major Security Flaws Found in South Korea Quarantine App

Software engineer Frederic Rechtenstein found a South Korean mobile application designed to enforce pandemic quarantines contained major security flaws that could...

Google Promises Privacy With Virus App but Can Still Collect Location Data
From ACM News

Google Promises Privacy With Virus App but Can Still Collect Location Data

Some government agencies that use the software said they were surprised Google may pick up the locations of certain app users. Others said they had unsuccessfully...

Changing Course, U.S. Allows Visas for Online Students
From ACM News

Changing Course, U.S. Allows Visas for Online Students

The Trump administration said it would no longer require foreign students to attend in-person classes during the coronavirus pandemic in order to remain in the...

Harvard and M.I.T. Sue to Stop Trump Visa Rules for Foreign Students
From ACM News

Harvard and M.I.T. Sue to Stop Trump Visa Rules for Foreign Students

Universities opposed a policy that would require students to take at least one in-person class or be denied permission to study in the U.S.

Goodbye to the Wild Wild Web
From ACM News

Goodbye to the Wild Wild Web

The Internet is changing, and the freewheeling, anything-goes culture of social media is being replaced by something more accountable.

Can an Algorithm Predict the Pandemic’s Next Moves?
From ACM News

Can an Algorithm Predict the Pandemic’s Next Moves?

Researchers have developed a model that uses social-media and search data to forecast outbreaks of Covid-19 well before they occur.

Australia Spending Nearly $1 Billion on Cyberdefense as China Tensions Rise
From ACM News

Australia Spending Nearly $1 Billion on Cyberdefense as China Tensions Rise

Officials promised to recruit at least 500 cyberspies and build on the country's offensive capabilities to take the online battle overseas.

Are Companies More Productive in a Pandemic?
From ACM News

Are Companies More Productive in a Pandemic?

Many claim their employees are hyper efficient while working from home. But there are social and emotional costs to ambition in isolation.

Reddit, Acting Against Hate Speech, Bans 'The_Donald' Subreddit
From ACM News

Reddit, Acting Against Hate Speech, Bans 'The_Donald' Subreddit

The influential pro-Trump community broke the rules on harassment and targeting, said Reddit, which also banned other groups.

Michael Hawley, Programmer, Professor and Pianist, Dies at 58
From ACM News

Michael Hawley, Programmer, Professor and Pianist, Dies at 58

A man of manifold interests, his achievements ranged from developing ideas behind the so-called Internet of Things to publishing the world's biggest book.

Wrongfully Accused by an Algorithm
From ACM News

Wrongfully Accused by an Algorithm

In what may be the first known case of its kind, a faulty facial recognition match led to a Michigan man's arrest for a crime he did not commit.

Apple to Ditch Intel Chips in Macs as It Consolidates Its Power
From ACM News

Apple to Ditch Intel Chips in Macs as It Consolidates Its Power

The move, announced in the live-streamed start to the company's conference for developers, marks the end of a 15-year partnership.

A Multibillion-Dollar Opportunity: Virus-Proofing the New Office
From ACM News

A Multibillion-Dollar Opportunity: Virus-Proofing the New Office

Tech, catering and design companies are rushing to sell employers on fever scanners, box lunches, and office floor-planning apps for social distancing. But it's...

Big Tech Zeros In on the Virus-Testing Market
From ACM News

Big Tech Zeros In on the Virus-Testing Market

As businesses grapple with how to safely reopen the workplace, some companies are rushing out new work force health-vetting and tracking tools.

Britain Didn’t Want Silicon Valley’s Help on a Tracing App. Now It Does.
From ACM News

Britain Didn’t Want Silicon Valley’s Help on a Tracing App. Now It Does.

Months after other countries, Britain will now use technology provided by Apple and Google to build a contact-tracing app.

China is Collecting DNA From Tens of Millions of Boys and Men, Using U.S. Equipment
From ACM News

China is Collecting DNA From Tens of Millions of Boys and Men, Using U.S. Equipment

Even children are pressed into giving blood samples to build a sweeping genetic database that will add to Beijing's growing surveillance capabilities.

Riding Out Quarantine With a Chatbot Friend: ‘I Feel Very Connected’
From ACM News

Riding Out Quarantine With a Chatbot Friend: ‘I Feel Very Connected’

The digital companions may sound like science fiction. But when social isolation became the norm, they helped deal with the loneliness, some users say.

Signal Downloads Are Way Up Since the Protests Began
From ACM News

Signal Downloads Are Way Up Since the Protests Began

Organizers and demonstrators say they feel safer communicating with end-to-end encryption.
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