acm-header
Sign In

Communications of the ACM

News


Latest News News Archive Refine your search:
dateMore Than a Year Ago
subjectLegal Aspects
authorThe Washington Post
bg-corner

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


How Spies Can ­se Your Cellphone to Find You, and Eavesdrop on Your Calls and Texts Too
From ACM News

How Spies Can ­se Your Cellphone to Find You, and Eavesdrop on Your Calls and Texts Too

Surveillance systems that track the locations of cellphone users and spy on their calls, texts and data streams are being turned against Americans as they roam...

The Surprising Return of the Repo Man
From ACM Careers

The Surprising Return of the Repo Man

The computer in the spotter car shouted "Hide!," and repo agent Derek Lewis knew that meant to keep driving like nothing had happened.

Thousands of Apps in Google Play Store May Be Illegally Tracking Children, Study Finds
From ACM TechNews

Thousands of Apps in Google Play Store May Be Illegally Tracking Children, Study Finds

An analysis of popular children's apps available on the Google Play Store has determined most may be in violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act...

These Provocative Images Show Russian Trolls Sought to Inflame Debate Over Climate Change, Fracking and Dakota Pipeline
From ACM News

These Provocative Images Show Russian Trolls Sought to Inflame Debate Over Climate Change, Fracking and Dakota Pipeline

Russian trolls used Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to inflame U.S. political debate over energy policy and climate change, a finding that underscores how the Russian...

Big Brother on Wheels: Why Your Car Company May Know More About You Than Your Spouse. 
From ACM News

Big Brother on Wheels: Why Your Car Company May Know More About You Than Your Spouse. 

Daniel Dunn was about to sign a lease for a Honda Fit last year when a detail buried in the lengthy agreement caught his eye.

Future Wars May Depend as Much on Algorithms as on Ammunition, Report Says. 
From ACM News

Future Wars May Depend as Much on Algorithms as on Ammunition, Report Says. 

The Pentagon is increasingly focused on the notion that the might of U.S. forces will be measured as much by the advancement of their algorithms as by the ammunition...

How the Pentagon Is Preparing For the Coming Drone Wars
From ACM News

How the Pentagon Is Preparing For the Coming Drone Wars

More than a decade after the improvised explosive device became the scourge of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon is battling another relatively rudimentary...

Driverless Cars Promise Far Greater Mobility For the Elderly and People With Disabilities
From ACM TechNews

Driverless Cars Promise Far Greater Mobility For the Elderly and People With Disabilities

Autonomous vehicles stand to benefit mobility-challenged seniors and other people with physical, cognitive, and mental disabilities.

Texas Gunman's Iphone Could Reignite Fbi-Apple Feud Over Encryption
From ACM News

Texas Gunman's Iphone Could Reignite Fbi-Apple Feud Over Encryption

The FBI and Apple are bracing for another potential fight over encryption, this time because of the iPhone of the dead gunman in Sunday's Texas church shooting,...

Russian Ads, Now Publicly Released, Show Sophistication of Influence Campaign
From ACM News

Russian Ads, Now Publicly Released, Show Sophistication of Influence Campaign

Lawmakers on Wednesday released a trove of ads that Russian operatives bought on Facebook, providing the fullest picture yet of how foreign actors sought to promote...

Twitter Bans Russian Government-Owned News Sites Rt and Sputnik from Buying Ads
From ACM News

Twitter Bans Russian Government-Owned News Sites Rt and Sputnik from Buying Ads

Twitter is banning two Russian government-affiliated news sites from advertising on its platform, the social network said Thursday.

Russians Took a Page from Corporate America By ­sing Facebook Tool to Id and Influence Voters
From ACM News

Russians Took a Page from Corporate America By ­sing Facebook Tool to Id and Influence Voters

Russian operatives set up an array of misleading Web sites and social media pages to identify American voters susceptible to propaganda, then used a powerful Facebook...

Russian Facebook Ads Showed a Black Woman Firing a Rifle, Amid Efforts to Stoke Racial Strife
From ACM News

Russian Facebook Ads Showed a Black Woman Firing a Rifle, Amid Efforts to Stoke Racial Strife

One of the Russian-bought advertisements that Facebook shared with congressional investigators on Monday featured photographs of an armed black woman "dry firing"...

U.s. Moves to Ban Kaspersky Software in Federal Agencies Amid Concerns of Russian Espionage
From ACM News

U.s. Moves to Ban Kaspersky Software in Federal Agencies Amid Concerns of Russian Espionage

The U.S. government on Wednesday moved to ban the use of a Russian brand of security software by federal agencies amid concerns the company has ties to state-sponsored...

How Apple Is Bringing US Into the Age of Facial Recognition Whether We're Ready or Not
From ACM News

How Apple Is Bringing US Into the Age of Facial Recognition Whether We're Ready or Not

A whiff of dystopian creepiness has long wafted in the air whenever facial recognition has come up. Books, movies and television shows have portrayed the technology...

After Visa Delays, Afghan Girls' Robotics Team Arrives in D.c. For Global Competition
From ACM TechNews

After Visa Delays, Afghan Girls' Robotics Team Arrives in D.c. For Global Competition

U.S. President Donald J. Trump had to intervene to allow a team of teenage Afghani girls trying to enter the FIRST Global Robotics Challenge to enter the U.S.

Here's What You Need to Know About the Google E.u. Fine
From ACM News

Here's What You Need to Know About the Google E.u. Fine

The European Union's head of antitrust enforcement announced a record $2.7 billion fine against Google on Tuesday, accusing the search engine for illegally favoring...

How Hacked Computer Code Allegedly Helped a Biker Gang Steal 150 Jeeps
From ACM News

How Hacked Computer Code Allegedly Helped a Biker Gang Steal 150 Jeeps

A Tijuana-based biker club have been charged with stealing 150 Jeep Wranglers using stolen computer code and key designs, the U.S. Justice Department announced....

How a Supreme Court Ruling on Printer Cartridges Changes What It Means to Buy Almost Anything
From ACM News

How a Supreme Court Ruling on Printer Cartridges Changes What It Means to Buy Almost Anything

Last week, the Supreme Court dealt a major blow to corporations that try to use patent law as a weapon against other firms, saying that companies can only be sued...

FCC Votes to Start Rolling Back Landmark Net Neutrality Rules
From ACM News

FCC Votes to Start Rolling Back Landmark Net Neutrality Rules

The Republican-led Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to begin undoing a key decision from the Obama era that could relax regulations on Internet...
Sign In for Full Access
» Forgot Password? » Create an ACM Web Account