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 TechNews
Google Redraws the Borders on Maps Depending on Who's Looking
Google and other online mapmakers revise borders depending on who is viewing them, in deference to diplomats, policymakers, and their own executives, according...
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 News
This Could be Microsoft's Most Important Product in 2020. If It Works...
ElectionGuard isn't designed to make voting machines safe from hackers. It's meant to make hacking them pointless.
From ACM TechNews
Texas Man Close to Exoneration After Algorithm Leads to New Suspect
A man convicted for murder is on track to have his conviction overturned, thanks to an algorithm that reanalyzed DNA and pointed to a new suspect.
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 News
Researchers Have Already Tested YouTube’s Algorithms for Political Bias
More moderation associated with more hate speech and misinformation, not politics.
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
Mac Software Threats Climbed 400% in 2019, More Than Microsoft Windows, Report Says
A report from cybersecurity company Malwarebytes concluded that Mac computers are more vulnerable to software threats than Microsoft Windows systems.
From ACM TechNews
An Algorithm That Grants Freedom, or Takes It Away
Local authorities in the U.S. and Europe use predictive governance algorithms to assess people's risk of criminality, and base probation, jail time, and other decisions...
From ACM News
The End of Internet Freedom?
Russia and other countries are turning to more stringent Internet controls that threaten the free flow of information.
From ACM TechNews
Brazil Takes a Page From China, Taps Facial Recognition to Solve Crime
Brazil is following China's example and adopting facial-recognition technology to crack down on crime.
From ACM TechNews
The Top 10 Software Flaws Used by Crooks
Researchers at cybersecurity firm Recorded Future report that eight of the top 10 software flaws most commonly exploited last year were associated with Microsoft...
From ACM TechNews
FAA Moves Toward Certifying Specific Drones for Package Deliveries
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has proposed new safety standards for specific unmanned-aircraft models, a significant step toward eventually authorizing...
From ACM TechNews
Facebook to Pay $550M to Settle Facial Recognition Suit
Facebook has agreed to play $550 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over its use of facial recognition technology in Illinois.
From ACM TechNews
Pinterest Bans Misinformation About Voting, Census
The Pinterest platform has banned the posting of misleading information related to voting or the census.
From ACM News
The Secret History of Facial Recognition
Sixty years ago, a sharecropper's son invented a technology to identify faces. Then the record of his role all but vanished.
From ACM TechNews
Illinois Law Gives Candidates Rights to Understand How Employers Use Algorithms to Rate Job Interviewees
A new law in Illinois aims to give job candidates a better understanding of how companies use artificial intelligence to screen video interviews.
From ACM TechNews
Critical Flaw Demonstrated in Common Digital Security Algorithm
Researchers have demonstrated a security flaw in the widely used SHA-1 security algorithm that would allow bad actors to fake files and the information within them...
From ACM TechNews
Scientists Try to Help Congress Get Smarter About Tech
Government scientists and technologists are trying to help U.S. lawmakers become more technology-savvy.
From ACM News