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tritonmarketresearch · 6 months ago

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Automation in Cars Redefining Mobility Beyond Human Control

The automotive industry is undergoing a revolutionary shift with the emergence of autonomous vehicles (AVs). This transformation marks the transition from traditional cars to self-driving vehicles with minimal to zero human intervention. From ride-hailing services to logistics and public transportation, self-driving cars are set to redefine the future of mobility.

Several critical technologies are at the core of self-driving cars. For instance, a combination of LiDAR, radar, ultrasonic sensors, and cameras forms the backbone of vehicle awareness systems. In this regard, Minus Zero, an AI startup, introduced its zPod concept vehicle in June 2023. It incorporates a camera-sensor suite and uses Nature Inspired AI (NIA) and True Vision Autonomy (TVA) to simulate human-like perception and decision-making in real time. Such advancements illustrate the potential of integrating multiple sensor technologies with innovative AI models.

How does AI enhance self-driving cars?

Advanced AI models, such as those implemented by Tesla’s Full-Self Driving mode or Waymo’s autonomous systems, enable AI decision-making in cars, allowing vehicles to interpret road situations and react accordingly. An excellent example of AI integration is Tesla’s Project Dojo. This project focuses on managing extensive video data from Tesla vehicles, which is critical for refining its autonomous driving software.

What is Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) Communication?

This term encompasses vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) connectivity. These communication systems are essential for coordinated driving and route planning. V2X technology allows self-driving cars to exchange information with other vehicles and road infrastructure, which improves safety and efficiency. For instance, in August 2023, Baidu expanded its autonomous ride-hailing platform��Apollo Go to Wuhan Tianhe International Airport. This deployment leverages V2X communication to ensure safe and efficient interactions between autonomous cars and the airport’s infrastructure.

Challenges Faced by Self-driving Cars

The road to full automation is not without obstacles, and several challenges need to be addressed to achieve the seamless integration of autonomous vehicles into daily life.

Technical Challenges:

One of the most significant hurdles for autonomous vehicles is handling complex driving scenarios. Inclement weather conditions, unexpected movements from pedestrians, and poorly maintained roads can pose difficulties for AI systems, often leading to errors in decision-making. To address this, Kodiak Robotics, a prominent autonomous trucking company, joined the CVSA Enhanced Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Inspection Standard program. This initiative allows autonomous trucks to undergo pre-clearance for roadside inspections, enhancing the safety and reliability of self-driving trucks on public roads.

Regulation and Legislation:

Autonomous vehicle regulation remains a key challenge for its widespread adoption, as laws governing self-driving cars vary across different regions. These differences in regulations create fragmented legal scenarios, impacting the deployment of self-driving technology.

In September 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that sought to mandate human drivers in self-driving trucks weighing over 10,000 pounds. This decision triggered debates around job security and safety within the autonomous trucking sector, highlighting the conflicting priorities between advancing automation and protecting the interests of workers in the industry.

Contrastingly, in July 2021, Germany took a more proactive approach by allowing driverless vehicles equipped with Level 4 automation to operate within designated zones under the condition of technical supervision.

Ethical Concerns in Autonomous Vehicles:

The deployment of AI decision-making in cars introduces complex ethical dilemmas, especially when it comes to handling life-and-death scenarios. Suppose an autonomous vehicle faces a situation where it must choose between two harmful outcomes; the programmed decision-making protocols come under ethical scrutiny. Additionally, the extensive data collection by self-driving cars raises concerns about privacy in autonomous vehicles, as passengers and their journeys are constantly monitored. Despite these ethical concerns, several companies are spearheading the development of self-driving cars.

Notable Advancements regarding Automation in Cars

Several companies are spearheading the development of self-driving cars, from traditional automakers to tech giants. Their diverse approaches reflect the growing competition and collaboration within the industry.

In July 2023, Volkswagen Group of America launched a program to test autonomous vehicles in Austin, Texas. This initiative began with 10 all-electric ID Buzz vehicles with a goal to roll out self-driving ride-hailing and delivery services by 2026.

In October 2023, Uber partnered with Waymo to integrate Waymo’s autonomous vehicles into its ride-hailing service in Phoenix, offering customers autonomous rides at standard Uber rates.

Apple revised its self-driving goals in December 2022, delaying the launch of its autonomous electric vehicle by a year to 2026.

In December 2022, Baidu received authorization to conduct AV trials on public roads without a human safety operator inside the vehicle, marking a milestone in the industry.

Vehicle Automation: Levels of Autonomy

To classify the varying stages of automation, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) introduced a six-level framework.

Level 0: No automation – A human driver entirely controls the vehicle. While some autonomous vehicle safety features like collision warning or stability control exist, they only offer brief interventions rather than taking over driving tasks.

Level 1: Driver assistance – At this stage, the vehicle can be assisted with a single task, such as steering or accelerating, but the driver must remain engaged.

Level 2: Partial automation – Here, vehicles can handle multiple tasks like steering and braking simultaneously; however, the driver must continuously monitor the system. It enables limited hands-free driving on approved highways but still requires active human supervision.

Level 3: Conditional driving automation – Vehicles at this level can take full control under specific conditions, but a human driver must be ready to intervene. Honda introduced a Level 3 system in 2021 for the Japanese market, becoming the first automaker to offer such a system.

Level 4: High driving automation – These vehicles can operate without human input within designated areas using geofencing technology. Level 4 automation is being tested for robotaxi services and autonomous public transport.

Level 5: Full driving automation – The ultimate goal of automation, Level 5 systems can operate under any conditions without human intervention. These vehicles are not limited by geofencing or specific conditions, allowing for a complete transformation of private and shared transportation.

Future of Autonomous Vehicles

The rise of robotaxi services and autonomous public transport aims to tackle challenges like traffic congestion and environmental sustainability. With projections indicating over 2 billion cars on the road by 2050, shared autonomous transport could mitigate the adverse effects of a growing vehicle population. Volkswagen’s collaboration with Mobileye, set to launch a robotaxi service by 2025, is a step toward this goal. However, to support the widespread use of autonomous vehicles, cities must invest in smart infrastructure with autonomous-friendly road designs and digital mapping systems. The future of autonomation in cars envisions a seamless integration of smart infrastructure, AI, IoT, and automated vehicles working harmoniously.

#automation #selfdrivingcars #autonomousvehicles #autonomouscars #automobileindustry #mobility #marketoverview #tritonmarketresearch

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z2z-gaming-and-random-art-ai · 7 months ago

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PS1 Wrestling Games - Part 8 (1999 - 2000) 🎮💪

Part 8 rounds off the 90s for PS1 Wrestling games and sees a return to the WCW licence with WCW Mayhem developed by Kodiak Interactive Software Studios. Breaking into the new millennium we also see a return of Yuke's and the first in a long run of games using the Smackdown/WWF/WWE licence with WWF Smackdown!, known as Exciting Pro Wrestling for it's Japanese release. #sports #wrestling #videogames #playstation

For more video game related shorts check out this playlist https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFJOZYl1h1CF5oVPNNxPlLJPambfM5BIj&si=JoqFIMV9nWq9rEOM

For more wrestling related videos check out this playlist https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFJOZYl1h1CE_9-sQ-T2P6zJ2t0cyGm4Z&si=Vn0ww09goTmPaL00

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spookycrusadehottub · 4 years ago

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Evolution For Mac Os X

Mac Os X Timeline

Chrome For Mac Os X

Apple Mac Os X

Progression of macOS. On March 24, 2001, Apple released the first version of its Mac OS X. Next: Classic Mac OS. See our illustrated design evolution of classic Mac OS from 1984 to 2001, showing the timeline of System 1 to System 9. Also, if you're an Apple fan, see our article on what Apple.com used to look like - 25 years of design history of the Apple.com website. Do you like seeing nostalgic stuff like this everyday? Follow Version Museum on Twitter or Instagram.

Jurassic World Evolution is a true bussiness simulator, allowing you to develop a park based on the movie from 2015. You can customize everything, from buildings do publicity contracts and even research labs. Jurassic World Evolution Mac OS X is perfect for everyone who loves this type of games. It’s a fresh breath of air from the invasion of the full of action games nowadays.

Apple computers run the Mac OS X, the second most used operating system in the world. It’s been more than 14 years after it was unveiled and since then, it has been praised for its simplicity, intuitiveness, and aesthetic quality.

It is textbook Apple, prioritizing user convenience above everything else, introducing elements and programs which contribute to giving users an optimum computing experience. Since 2001, it has evolved from being a big cat into a granite mountain sitting proudly in one of California’s most treasured parks.

The OS X changed the way we interact with our computers and it’s interesting to see how it progressed from obscurity into being a mainstay in homes around the world. Let’s take a look at its story:

Mac OS X 10 Public Beta

Prior to the release of the first Mac OS X version, the public beta, known inside Apple as Kodiak, was released by the company to developers to test the operating system and create software in time for the final release.

It is the first operating system to introduce the Aqua user interface – which is still used up until today. It was launched in September 2000 and it cost $29.95 to purchase. It became unsupported after March 24th 2001.

Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah

Apple started the trend of naming its operating systems after big cats with Mac OS X 10.0, code name: Cheetah. It was the final nail in the coffin for Mac OS 9 and was released in March 24, 2001. It introduced the Dock, Mail, TextEdit, and still had Sherlock.

However, it was negatively received by the public for a variety of reasons:

It required 128 RAM at a time when the standard for Apple-made computers were at 64 MB.

The Aqua UI was slow and sluggish: the earlier operating systems were faster compared to it.

It had stability issues and was riddled with numerous bugs which caused kernel panics.

Hardware and compatibility issues, like missing DVD playback, not having a CD burning feature, and missing hardware driver issues.

The Cheetah as priced at $129, but it was so bad that it wasn’t worth the money and it rendered Apple to offer the next version for free.

Mac OS X 10.1 Puma

It was introduced later in September 2001, six months after Cheetah was released. It was handed out free of charge to Cheetah users. Though it fixed several bugs and areas where the Cheetah was lacking, it was not a significant upgrade and system crashes were still a norm.

Unlike its predecessor, Puma now had CD and DVD burning capabilities, playback support, and introduced several performance enhancements.

Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar

Unlike the Cheetah and Puma, Apple the operating system’s code name, Jaguar, for marketing and advertisement purposes. It was released nearly a year after Puma, at August 24, 2002. The released featured single installation versions and family packs, which allowed it to be installed to up to five devices.

It was well-received by most Mac users, considering that most of the performance issues in the previous versions were addressed. It includes features which are still present in Macs up to this day, like MPEG-4 support for Quicktime, the Address Book, and Inkwell. Its most significant additions were Apple Mail and a messaging client called iChat, which was subsequently replaced with the Messages app after Mountain Lion.

Mac OS X 10.3 Panther

Mac Os X Timeline

Chrome For Mac Os X

The Panther was released to the public on October 24, 2003, more than a year after Jaguar’s release. It was one of Apple’s biggest releases, considering that it introduced numerous updates and features (150, as claimed by Apple), including:

Finder, which had a new live search engine.

TextEdit, which became compatible with Microsoft Word docs.

Exposé, which helps users manage their Windows.

It’s biggest change and addition is the introduction of the Safari browser, which effectively replaced the Internet Explorer. It needed at least 128 MB of RAM to run. It also introduced XCode, Apple’s developer tool which helps develop applications, along with FileVault which is used to encrypt data.

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger

The Tiger was met with a roaring reception after it was made public on April 29, 2005 – it became Apple’s bestselling operating system, selling over two million copies within six weeks after release. It boasted a slew of new features, including:

Spotlight – it effectively replaced Sherlock as the OS X internal search engine.

Mail 2 – a newer and improved version of the Mail app.

Dashboard – an app which featured widgets like a world clock, weather, and unit converter.

Dictionary – this uses the New Oxford American Dictionary.

Tiger also introduced Automator, Grapher, and Quicktime 7.

Mac OS X Leopard 10.5

As the successor to Tiger, the Leopard had big shoes to fill – and it did so to full capacity. It was released two years after its predecessor and was priced at $129 for the desktop version and $499 for the server one. According to Apple, it brought over 300 new features and numerous improvements. The notable ones include:

Security enhancements such as application signing, sandboxes, and library randomization.

Time Machine, a utility tool which allows the user to back up deleted or replaced files.

Quick Look, this allows documents to be viewed on a separate application without having to open them.

iCal now allows calendar sharing and group scheduling. It is also closely synced with the Mail app as well and the icon shows the date even when not in use.

Apart from these, Spaces and Boot Camp are also pre-installed.

Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard

The Snow Leopard was priced at a pretty affordable $29, a huge markdown from the previous versions which cost a hundred dollars more. In terms of features, it did not deliver a lot considering that Apple focused more on performance and stability. It was more of an upgrade to the Leopard instead of a totally new operating system.

Here’s a list of improvements and upgrades separating it from the Leopard:

It freed up hard disk space considering that it was relatively smaller compared to the Leopard. It managed to give users an extra seven gigabytes of storage space.

The Finder was completely rewritten in Apple’s native application programming interface Cocoa, making it faster and more responsive.

A faster Safari browser and new features such as Top Sites, Cover Flow, and VoiceOver.

Snow Leopard also made improvements on the user interface which were more centered in making it easy to use.

Mac OS X 10.7 Lion

It was unveiled in October 2010 and was released to the public on July 1, 2011. It supported multi-touch features to the Mac and applications now open in the same state as they were closed, just like in the iOS. Speaking of the mobile operating system, the Lion also took a leaf out of its book, including a better and more navigable application display. The OS X notification also debuted in the operating system.

Apple Mac Os X

The Lion also included support for the Mac App Store and could support emojis.

OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion

As of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, Apple dropped “Mac OS X” and started marketing its operating systems as OS X. It was released in July 25 2012 and introduced new features which are present in the iOS 5, including the Game Center, iMessage support, Reminders as a separate app from iCal, which in turn was renamed to Calendar. Notes – and iOS app – was also added in the operating system which can then be synced to other Apple devices.

It sold 28 million copies in its first year, making it one of the most successful operating systems released by Apple.

OS X 10.9 Mavericks

Apple stopped naming its operating systems after big cats in OS X 10.9, which was named after a surfing spot in California. The default desktop background would suggest that.

It was released in October 23, 2013 as a free update. In a nutshell, Mavericks emphasized prolonged batter life and close integration with iOS. It was a significant update for Apple fans, given that it brought Apple Maps to the OS X, improved iCloud integration, and had the iBooks application.

OS X 10.10 Yosemite

If you haven’t upgraded your operating system to the current version, you might still be running Yosemite. It followed the landmark-based naming scheme Apple started with Mavericks – this time it was named after a prominent national park in California. The biggest change is the graphic interface, which now featured flat designs like those in iOS, effectively replacing skeumorphism.

Yosemite continued integrating with iOS, while a later version (10.10.3) replaced iPhoto and Aperture with Photos. It was released last year, July 24, 2015.

OS X 10.11 El Capitan

El Capitan was released just a month ago, and completely stabilized and improved from Yosemite’s flaws. While it’s not a feature-rich update, it hosts a slew of improvements starting from the Safari browser, Apple Maps, and the new Split-screen feature, which allows users to work on two programs at the same time.

The release was met with positive reviews, praising its multi-tasking features and better iOS integration.

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readersforum · 6 years ago

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Facebook pays teens to install VPN that spies on them

New Post has been published on http://www.readersforum.tk/facebook-pays-teens-to-install-vpn-that-spies-on-them/

Facebook pays teens to install VPN that spies on them

Desperate for data on its competitors, Facebook has been secretly paying people to install a “Facebook Research” VPN that lets the company suck in all of a user’s phone and web activity, similar to Facebook’s Onavo Protect app that Apple banned in June and that was removed in August. Facebook sidesteps the App Store and rewards teenagers and adults to download the Research app and give it root access to network traffic in what may be a violation of Apple policy so the social network can decrypt and analyze their phone activity, a TechCrunch investigation confirms. Facebook admitted to TechCrunch it was running the Research program to gather data on usage habits.

Since 2016, Facebook has been paying users ages 13 to 35 up to $20 per month plus referral fees to sell their privacy by installing the iOS or Android “Facebook Research” app. Facebook even asked users to screenshot their Amazon order history page. The program is administered through beta testing services Applause, BetaBound and uTest to cloak Facebook’s involvement, and is referred to in some documentation as “Project Atlas” — a fitting name for Facebook’s effort to map new trends and rivals around the globe.

[Update 11:20pm PT: Facebook now tells TechCrunch it will shut down the iOS version of its Research app in the wake of our report. The rest of this article has been updated to reflect this development.]

Facebook’s Research program will continue to run on Android. We’re still awaiting comment from Apple on whether Facebook officially violated its policy and if it asked Facebook to stop the program. As was the case with Facebook removing Onavo Protect from the App Store last year, Facebook may have been privately told by Apple to voluntarily remove it.

Facebook’s Research app requires users to ‘Trust’ it with extensive access to their data

We asked Guardian Mobile Firewall’s security expert Will Strafach to dig into the Facebook Research app, and he told us that “If Facebook makes full use of the level of access they are given by asking users to install the Certificate, they will have the ability to continuously collect the following types of data: private messages in social media apps, chats from in instant messaging apps – including photos/videos sent to others, emails, web searches, web browsing activity, and even ongoing location information by tapping into the feeds of any location tracking apps you may have installed.” It’s unclear exactly what data Facebook is concerned with, but it gets nearly limitless access to a user’s device once they install the app.

The strategy shows how far Facebook is willing to go and how much it’s willing to pay to protect its dominance — even at the risk of breaking the rules of Apple’s iOS platform on which it depends. Apple may have asked Facebook to discontinue distributing its Research app. A more stringent punishment would be to revoke Facebook’s permission to offer employee-only apps. The situation could further chill relations between the tech giants. Apple’s Tim Cook has repeatedly criticized Facebook’s data collection practices. Facebook disobeying iOS policies to slurp up more information could become a new talking point. TechCrunch has spoken to Apple and it’s aware of the issue, but the company did not provide a statement before press time.

Facebook’s Research program is referred to as Project Atlas on sign-up sites that don’t mention Facebook’s involvement

“The fairly technical sounding ‘install our Root Certificate’ step is appalling,” Strafach tells us. “This hands Facebook continuous access to the most sensitive data about you, and most users are going to be unable to reasonably consent to this regardless of any agreement they sign, because there is no good way to articulate just how much power is handed to Facebook when you do this.��

Facebook’s surveillance app

Facebook first got into the data-sniffing business when it acquired Onavo for around $120 million in 2014. The VPN app helped users track and minimize their mobile data plan usage, but also gave Facebook deep analytics about what other apps they were using. Internal documents acquired by Charlie Warzel and Ryan Mac of BuzzFeed News reveal that Facebook was able to leverage Onavo to learn that WhatsApp was sending more than twice as many messages per day as Facebook Messenger. Onavo allowed Facebook to spot WhatsApp’s meteoric rise and justify paying $19 billion to buy the chat startup in 2014. WhatsApp has since tripled its user base, demonstrating the power of Onavo’s foresight.

Over the years since, Onavo clued Facebook in to what apps to copy, features to build and flops to avoid. By 2018, Facebook was promoting the Onavo app in a Protect bookmark of the main Facebook app in hopes of scoring more users to snoop on. Facebook also launched the Onavo Bolt app that let you lock apps behind a passcode or fingerprint while it surveils you, but Facebook shut down the app the day it was discovered following privacy criticism. Onavo’s main app remains available on Google Play and has been installed more than 10 million times.

The backlash heated up after security expert Strafach detailed in March how Onavo Protect was reporting to Facebook when a user’s screen was on or off, and its Wi-Fi and cellular data usage in bytes even when the VPN was turned off. In June, Apple updated its developer policies to ban collecting data about usage of other apps or data that’s not necessary for an app to function. Apple proceeded to inform Facebook in August that Onavo Protect violated those data collection policies and that the social network needed to remove it from the App Store, which it did, Deepa Seetharaman of the WSJ reported.

But that didn’t stop Facebook’s data collection.

Project Atlas

TechCrunch recently received a tip that despite Onavo Protect being banished by Apple, Facebook was paying users to sideload a similar VPN app under the Facebook Research moniker from outside of the App Store. We investigated, and learned Facebook was working with three app beta testing services to distribute the Facebook Research app: BetaBound, uTest and Applause. Facebook began distributing the Research VPN app in 2016. It has been referred to as Project Atlas since at least mid-2018, around when backlash to Onavo Protect magnified and Apple instituted its new rules that prohibited Onavo. Previously, a similar program was called Project Kodiak. Facebook didn’t want to stop collecting data on people’s phone usage and so the Research program continued, in disregard for Apple banning Onavo Protect.

Facebook’s Research App on iOS

Ads (shown below) for the program run by uTest on Instagram and Snapchat sought teens 13-17 years old for a “paid social media research study.” The sign-up page for the Facebook Research program administered by Applause doesn’t mention Facebook, but seeks users “Age: 13-35 (parental consent required for ages 13-17).” If minors try to sign-up, they’re asked to get their parents’ permission with a form that reveal’s Facebook’s involvement and says “There are no known risks associated with the project, however you acknowledge that the inherent nature of the project involves the tracking of personal information via your child’s use of apps. You will be compensated by Applause for your child’s participation.” For kids short on cash, the payments could coerce them to sell their privacy to Facebook.

The Applause site explains what data could be collected by the Facebook Research app (emphasis mine):

“By installing the software, you’re giving our client permission to collect data from your phone that will help them understand how you browse the internet, and how you use the features in the apps you’ve installed . . . This means you’re letting our client collect information such as which apps are on your phone, how and when you use them, data about your activities and content within those apps, as well as how other people interact with you or your content within those apps. You are also letting our client collect information about your internet browsing activity (including the websites you visit and data that is exchanged between your device and those websites) and your use of other online services. There are some instances when our client will collect this information even where the app uses encryption, or from within secure browser sessions.”

Meanwhile, the BetaBound sign-up page with a URL ending in “Atlas” explains that “For $20 per month (via e-gift cards), you will install an app on your phone and let it run in the background.” It also offers $20 per friend you refer. That site also doesn’t initially mention Facebook, but the instruction manual for installing Facebook Research reveals the company’s involvement.

Facebook’s intermediary uTest ran ads on Snapchat and Instagram, luring teens to the Research program with the promise of money

Facebook seems to have purposefully avoided TestFlight, Apple’s official beta testing system, which requires apps to be reviewed by Apple and is limited to 10,000 participants. Instead, the instruction manual reveals that users download the app from r.facebook-program.com and are told to install an Enterprise Developer Certificate and VPN and “Trust” Facebook with root access to the data their phone transmits. Apple requires that developers agree to only use this certificate system for distributing internal corporate apps to their own employees. Randomly recruiting testers and paying them a monthly fee appears to violate the spirit of that rule.

Security expert Will Strafach found Facebook’s Research app contains lots of code from Onavo Protect, the Facebook-owned app Apple banned last year

Once installed, users just had to keep the VPN running and sending data to Facebook to get paid. The Applause-administered program requested that users screenshot their Amazon orders page. This data could potentially help Facebook tie browsing habits and usage of other apps with purchase preferences and behavior. That information could be harnessed to pinpoint ad targeting and understand which types of users buy what.

TechCrunch commissioned Strafach to analyze the Facebook Research app and find out where it was sending data. He confirmed that data is routed to “vpn-sjc1.v.facebook-program.com” that is associated with Onavo’s IP address, and that the facebook-program.com domain is registered to Facebook, according to MarkMonitor. The app can update itself without interacting with the App Store, and is linked to the email address [email protected]. He also discovered that the Enterprise Certificate first acquired in 2016 indicates Facebook renewed it on June 27th, 2018 — weeks after Apple announced its new rules that prohibited the similar Onavo Protect app.

“It is tricky to know what data Facebook is actually saving (without access to their servers). The only information that is knowable here is what access Facebook is capable of based on the code in the app. And it paints a very worrisome picture,” Strafach explains. “They might respond and claim to only actually retain/save very specific limited data, and that could be true, it really boils down to how much you trust Facebook’s word on it. The most charitable narrative of this situation would be that Facebook did not think too hard about the level of access they were granting to themselves . . . which is a startling level of carelessness in itself if that is the case.”

“Flagrant defiance of Apple’s rules”

In response to TechCrunch’s inquiry, a Facebook spokesperson confirmed it’s running the program to learn how people use their phones and other services. The spokesperson told us “Like many companies, we invite people to participate in research that helps us identify things we can be doing better. Since this research is aimed at helping Facebook understand how people use their mobile devices, we’ve provided extensive information about the type of data we collect and how they can participate. We don’t share this information with others and people can stop participating at any time.”

Facebook’s Research app requires Root Certificate access, which Facebook gather almost any piece of data transmitted by your phone

Facebook’s spokesperson claimed that the Facebook Research app was in line with Apple’s Enterprise Certificate program, but didn’t explain how in the face of evidence to the contrary. They said Facebook first launched its Research app program in 2016. They tried to liken the program to a focus group and said Nielsen and comScore run similar programs, yet neither of those ask people to install a VPN or provide root access to the network. The spokesperson confirmed the Facebook Research program does recruit teens but also other age groups from around the world. They claimed that Onavo and Facebook Research are separate programs, but admitted the same team supports both as an explanation for why their code was so similar.

Facebook’s Research program requested users screenshot their Amazon order history to provide it with purchase data

However, Facebook’s claim that it doesn’t violate Apple’s Enterprise Certificate policy is directly contradicted by the terms of that policy. Those include that developers “Distribute Provisioning Profiles only to Your Employees and only in conjunction with Your Internal Use Applications for the purpose of developing and testing”. The policy also states that “You may not use, distribute or otherwise make Your Internal Use Applications available to Your Customers” unless under direct supervision of employees or on company premises. Given Facebook’s customers are using the Enterprise Certificate-powered app without supervision, it appears Facebook is in violation.

Seven hours after this report was first published, Facebook updated its position and told TechCrunch that it would shut down the iOS Research app. Facebook noted that the Research app was started in 2016 and was therefore not a replacement for Onavo Protect. However, they do share similar code and could be seen as twins running in parallel. A Facebook spokesperson also provided this additional statement:

“Key facts about this market research program are being ignored. Despite early reports, there was nothing ‘secret’ about this; it was literally called the Facebook Research App. It wasn’t ‘spying’ as all of the people who signed up to participate went through a clear on-boarding process asking for their permission and were paid to participate. Finally, less than 5 percent of the people who chose to participate in this market research program were teens. All of them with signed parental consent forms.”

Facebook did not publicly promote the Research VPN itself and used intermediaries that often didn’t disclose Facebook’s involvement until users had begun the signup process. While users were given clear instructions and warnings, the program never stresses nor mentions the full extent of the data Facebook can collect through the VPN. A small fraction of the users paid may have been teens, but we stand by the newsworthiness of its choice not to exclude minors from this data collection initiative.

Facebook disobeying Apple so directly and then pulling the app could hurt their relationship. “The code in this iOS app strongly indicates that it is simply a poorly re-branded build of the banned Onavo app, now using an Enterprise Certificate owned by Facebook in direct violation of Apple’s rules, allowing Facebook to distribute this app without Apple review to as many users as they want,” Strafach tells us. ONV prefixes and mentions of graph.onavo.com, “onavoApp://” and “onavoProtect://” custom URL schemes litter the app. “This is an egregious violation on many fronts, and I hope that Apple will act expeditiously in revoking the signing certificate to render the app inoperable.”

Facebook is particularly interested in what teens do on their phones as the demographic has increasingly abandoned the social network in favor of Snapchat, YouTube and Facebook’s acquisition Instagram. Insights into how popular with teens is Chinese video music app TikTok and meme sharing led Facebook to launch a clone called Lasso and begin developing a meme-browsing feature called LOL, TechCrunch first reported. But Facebook’s desire for data about teens riles critics at a time when the company has been battered in the press. Analysts on tomorrow’s Facebook earnings call should inquire about what other ways the company has to collect competitive intelligence now that it’s ceased to run the Research program on iOS.

Last year when Tim Cook was asked what he’d do in Mark Zuckerberg’s position in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, he said “I wouldn’t be in this situation . . . The truth is we could make a ton of money if we monetized our customer, if our customer was our product. We’ve elected not to do that.” Zuckerberg told Ezra Klein that he felt Cook’s comment was “extremely glib.”

Now it’s clear that even after Apple’s warnings and the removal of Onavo Protect, Facebook was still aggressively collecting data on its competitors via Apple’s iOS platform. “I have never seen such open and flagrant defiance of Apple’s rules by an App Store developer,” Strafach concluded. Now that Facebook has ceased the program on iOS and its Android future is uncertain, it may either have to invent new ways to surveil our behavior amidst a climate of privacy scrutiny, or be left in the dark.

Additional reporting by Zack Whittaker.

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readersforum · 6 years ago

Text

Facebook pays teens to install VPN that spies on them

New Post has been published on http://www.readersforum.tk/facebook-pays-teens-to-install-vpn-that-spies-on-them/

Facebook pays teens to install VPN that spies on them

Facebook’s Research app requires users to ‘Trust’ it with extensive access to their data

Facebook’s Research program is referred to as Project Atlas on sign-up sites that don’t mention Facebook’s involvement

Facebook’s surveillance app

But that didn’t stop Facebook’s data collection.

Project Atlas

Facebook’s Research App on iOS

The Applause site explains what data could be collected by the Facebook Research app (emphasis mine):

Facebook’s intermediary uTest ran ads on Snapchat and Instagram, luring teens to the Research program with the promise of money

Security expert Will Strafach found Facebook’s Research app contains lots of code from Onavo Protect, the Facebook-owned app Apple banned last year

“Flagrant defiance of Apple’s rules”

Facebook’s Research app requires Root Certificate access, which Facebook gather almost any piece of data transmitted by your phone

Facebook’s Research program requested users screenshot their Amazon order history to provide it with purchase data

Additional reporting by Zack Whittaker.

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