Tag Archives: privacy

Three Student Privacy Conversation Starters: ITS staff present at ASU Digital Trust Summit

By | July 16, 2021
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At the June 2021 Arizona State University (ASU) Digital Trust Summit, Svetla Sytch, ITS assistant director of privacy and IT policy, and Julia Silverman, an ITS intern fellow, shared the efforts U-M has taken to engage with the U-M community, and students in particular, in conversations about privacy. They outlined three initiatives that highlight the values of being open and honest, creating simple visual and multimedia materials, and working with students.

A smart speaker that doesn’t eavesdrop

By | June 9, 2021
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Sound waves and ear next to a table with home device.

Microphones are perhaps the most common electronic sensor in the world, with an estimated 320 million listening for our commands in the world’s smart speakers. The trouble, of course, is that they’re capable of hearing everything else, too. A team of University of Michigan researchers has developed a system that can inform a smart home—or listen for the… Read More »

AI – transformative and biased, say U-M panelists

By | April 26, 2021
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A panel of U-M experts discussed the film “Coded Bias” at a Dissonance Event on April 15. “Coded Bias” follows the journey of Joy Buolamwini, a computer scientist and digital activist based at the MIT Media Lab, as she worked with others to push for the first legislation in the U.S. to govern against bias in artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. The Dissonance organizing committee brought the panelists together for an online discussion of bias in AI, transformative opportunities for its use, and more.

Does Canvas allow faculty to track students online?

By | January 13, 2021
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montage of computer monitor, camera, phone, eye, question marks

Learning management systems like Canvas allow faculty to see some student activity. But UM-Dearborn’s Coordinator of Digital Education Chris Casey says it’s far from being a surveillance system. The rumor he hears most often is that faculty can see if students open other browser tabs or websites outside of Canvas. “This one is definitely false,” Casey says, noting… Read More »

New IoT devices for the holidays? Mind your privacy & security!

By | December 8, 2020
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Three turquoise circles with different internet-connected items such as a computer, home lights, and a washing machine are shown to be wirelessly connected to a rectangular mobile device.

Internet of things (IoT) devices can be great gifts, but those smart home speakers, thermostats, and cool wearables like watches and fitness trackers come with some security and privacy risks. To protect yourself and your personal data, follow these tips: Privacy Mute your smart speaker when not using it. Disable features you don’t use. Choose privacy settings for… Read More »

Roya Ensafi named inaugural Consumer Reports Digital Lab Fellow

By | September 25, 2020
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Roya Ensafi

Roya Ensafi, assistant professor of computer science and engineering, has been named an inaugural Digital Lab Fellow by Consumer Reports, with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The 2020-21 cohort consists of five public interest technology researchers from around the world, working on a 10 month collaboration with support and a stipend. As a fellow, Ensafi will… Read More »

Recording classes: (Some) rules of the road

By | September 14, 2020
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U-M classes are overwhelming being taught remotely this semester. This means that some instructors may, for a variety of reasons, wish to record their classes. The Safe Computing website has guidelines for instructors who plan to record class activities. Recordings where students can be identified—from in-person sessions or remote instruction via Zoom, BlueJeans, or any other videoconferencing application—are:… Read More »

Some children at higher risk of privacy violations from digital apps

By | September 10, 2020
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(iPad screen showing a child's game with a cartoon dog working a food stand and a monkey sitting at a desk with books. The iPad is held by a child's hands.)

Although federal privacy laws prohibit digital platforms from storing and sharing children’s personal information without verifiable parental consent, a study led by U-M researchers finds that those rules aren’t always enforced, and privacy violations are most likely to affect children from lower-education households. Children raised by parents without college degrees showed two to three times higher rates of… Read More »

Why we adopt then abandon online safety practices

By | April 28, 2020
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Creative binary code and digital padlock background. Programming and password concept.

To find out why people adopt and then sometimes abandon online safety measures, researchers from the School of Information surveyed more than 900 people about their use of 30 commonly recommended practices to guard against security, privacy, and identity theft risks. The team found that security practices like avoiding clicking on unknown links or emails were much more… Read More »