Communications of the ACM
An edited collection of advanced computing news from Communications of the ACM, ACM TechNews, other ACM resources, and news sites around the Web.
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.
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.
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.
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.
From ACM News
Farewell to Gummy Bear Jars: Tech Offices Get a Virus Safety Makeover
Companies like Salesforce created workplaces with all the comforts of home, but now they may feel more like hospitals.
From ACM News
Amazon Pauses Police Use of Its Facial Recognition Software
The company said it hoped the moratorium "might give Congress enough time to put in place appropriate rules" for the technology.
From ACM News
Publishers Sue Internet Archive Over Free E-Books
Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, and Wiley accused the nonprofit of piracy for making over 1 million books free online.
From ACM News
China’s Virus Apps May Outlast the Outbreak, Stirring Privacy Fears
With the disease there mostly under control, officials are looking for new uses for the government software that's now on many phones.
From ACM News
App Shows Promise in Tracking New Coronavirus Cases, Study Finds
The app, which allows people to record their symptoms, was remarkably effective in predicting infections. The most reliable indicators, researchers found, were...
From ACM TechNews
This Was Supposed to Be the Year Driverless Cars Went Mainstream
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted technology companies' plans to bring autonomous vehicles into the mainstream this year.
From ACM News
A Private Equity Firm Is Blocked From Buying .Org
The deal for the Internet domain for nonprofit organizations had set off fierce opposition.
From ACM TechNews
How Are You Feeling? Surveys Aim to Detect COVID-19 Hot Spots Early
More than 2 million Britons and 150,000 Israelis have completed health surveys to trace COVID-19 outbreaks and send resources where they can do the most good.
From ACM TechNews
Facebook, Google, Twitter Struggle to Handle November's Election
Major technology companies have spent billions in the past three years to prevent election meddling, but new challenges are adding to their struggle in the run-up...
From ACM TechNews
Can YouTube Quiet Its Conspiracy Theorists?
While YouTube has reduced how often its algorithm recommends conspiracy theory-related videos, its progress in dealing with conspiracy theories has been uneven....
From ACM TechNews
Activate 'Bracelet of Silence' and Alexa Can't Eavesdrop
A prototype wearable device blocks microphones in the vicinity from eavesdropping on conversations.
From ACM News
New Mexico Sues Google Over Children’s Privacy Violations
The lawsuit says that Google, the top tech brand in public schools, used its educational products to spy on students.
From ACM TechNews
Ransomware Attacks Grow, Crippling Cities, Businesses
In recent years, ransomware attacks have crippled computer networks and extorted money to restore access to users.
From ACM TechNews
Britain to Create Regulator for Internet Content
The U.K. has introduced a plan to give the country's media regulator Ofcom new responsibilities for monitoring Internet content.
From ACM TechNews
Data Driving New Approaches to Transportation
Shifts in transportation highlight cities' need for data management to cope with traffic, digital platforms, and other trends.
From ACM TechNews