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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.


In 2016, Terror Suspects and 7-Eleven Thieves May Bring Surveillance to Supreme Court
From ACM Opinion

In 2016, Terror Suspects and 7-Eleven Thieves May Bring Surveillance to Supreme Court

It has now been 2.5 years since the first Snowden revelations were published. And in 2015, government surveillance marched on in both large (the National Security...

Dutch Government: Encryption Good, Backdoors Bad
From ACM News

Dutch Government: Encryption Good, Backdoors Bad

The Dutch government has released a statement in which it says that "it is currently not desirable to take restricting legal measures concerning the development...

How 'do Not Track' Ended Up Going Nowhere
From ACM News

How 'do Not Track' Ended Up Going Nowhere

Back in 2010, the Federal Trade Commission pledged to give Internet users the power to determine if or when websites were allowed to track their behavior.

The Father of Online Anonymity Has a Plan to End the Crypto War
From ACM TechNews

The Father of Online Anonymity Has a Plan to End the Crypto War

David Chaum, who has invented many cryptographic protocols, has developed an encryption scheme for secret, anonymous communications. 

The Big Data of Bad Driving, and How Insurers Plan to Track Your Every Turn
From ACM News

The Big Data of Bad Driving, and How Insurers Plan to Track Your Every Turn

For years, insurance companies have used estimates of your annual mileage to determine your car insurance rates.

In 2015, Promising Surveillance Cases Ran Into Legal Brick Walls
From ACM Opinion

In 2015, Promising Surveillance Cases Ran Into Legal Brick Walls

Today, the first Snowden disclosures in 2013 feel like a distant memory.

How the ­.s. Requests ­ser Data from Google
From ACM News

How the ­.s. Requests ­ser Data from Google

The United States again topped the list of nations that request user data from Google, according to last week's Google Transparency Report.

How the Internet of Things Got Hacked
From ACM News

How the Internet of Things Got Hacked

There was once a time when people distinguished between cyberspace, the digital world of computers and hackers, and the flesh-and-blood reality known as meatspace...

The A.i. Anxiety
From ACM News

The A.i. Anxiety

The world’s spookiest philosopher is Nick Bostrom, a thin, soft-spoken Swede.

Nobody Knew How Big a Deal the Cloud Would Be—they Do Now
From ACM News

Nobody Knew How Big a Deal the Cloud Would Be—they Do Now

Ten years ago, Amazon unleashed a technology that we now call, for better or for worse, cloud computing.

China Set For Quantum Leaps in Spook-Proof Communications
From ACM TechNews

China Set For Quantum Leaps in Spook-Proof Communications

China is on schedule to launch the world's biggest spook-proof quantum communications system in the next six months. 

Legacy Voting Machines Ripe For Tampering, Breakdowns
From ACM TechNews

Legacy Voting Machines Ripe For Tampering, Breakdowns

Nearly every U.S. state is using electronic touchscreen and optical-scan voting systems that are at least a decade old.

The Billion-Dollar Robot Question--How Can We Make Sure They're Safe?
From ACM TechNews

The Billion-Dollar Robot Question--How Can We Make Sure They're Safe?

The advent of unsupervised robots raises the question of how to ensure their safety. 

Tech Companies Are Slamming a Proposed ­k Terrorism Law. Here's Why.
From ACM News

Tech Companies Are Slamming a Proposed ­k Terrorism Law. Here's Why.

The world's biggest tech firms—including Apple, Microsoft, and Yahoo—are pressing for changes to a proposed British law aimed at expanding the government's electronic...

The ­rban, Infrastructural Geography of 'the Cloud'
From ACM News

The ­rban, Infrastructural Geography of 'the Cloud'

The relationship between data to space extends beyond the network equipment, services, and mobile devices that transmit and present information to a user.

Gene Amdahl, 1922-2015
From Communications of the ACM

Gene Amdahl, 1922-2015

Gene Amdahl, who formulated Amdahl's Law and worked with IBM and others on developments related to mainframe computing, died recently from complications of pneumonia...

Facewatch 'thief Recognition' Cctv on Trial in ­k Stores
From ACM News

Facewatch 'thief Recognition' Cctv on Trial in ­k Stores

Until now, Facewatch has provided local groups of businesses with a way to share their CCTV images of shoplifters and other potential offenders.

European Satellites: How Islamic State Takes Its Terror To the Web
From ACM News

European Satellites: How Islamic State Takes Its Terror To the Web

No terror organization uses the Internet as successfully when it comes to marketing itself and recruiting supporters as Islamic State (IS) does. But how is it able...

China's Internet Forum May Provide a Peek at Its Cyber-Ambitions
From ACM News

China's Internet Forum May Provide a Peek at Its Cyber-Ambitions

Heads of state, including the prime ministers of Pakistan and Russia, and major technology firms will gather Wednesday in Wuzhen, a picturesque little town of canals...

The Secret History of World War Ii-Era Drones
From ACM News

The Secret History of World War Ii-Era Drones

Drones are the hallmark of tech-y modern warfare, but weapons piloted from afar have been around for more than a century.  
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