April 2011 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

Re: [Air-L] Apple surveilling children ... Ethical? Legal?
by Seda Guerses 26 Apr '11

26 Apr '11

dear michael, from a privacy and surveillance studies perspective, there are a number of ethical questions/issues, which include the following: 1) there is the usual problem of population surveillance and social sorting. as phone companies move onto 4g, i hear from different sources that they are moving towards voip and multi-layer quality system: if the customer pays more she will get better sound and connectivity quality and if not than something that the customer will be happy with (supposedly). given that apple or google or for that matter any other service provider can profile their profitable customers and decide where to improve their services, and where to let the infrastructure remain under-serviced etc. is a typical problem of social sorting. this is not specific to apple. however, thanks to the fact that this data is found, we now know that they have the dataset to do this. whether they do this, and what their criteria are for selecting "good customers" and "unimportant customers" (or what those categories are) is still not transparent to anyone but those companies. 2) for exactly the advantages of counter-surveillance that it makes possible, as well as arguments that say that this data should not only be available to private/for-profit companies, but also to a greater public who might want to use this data for non-profit projects, there is an argument to be made to keep the data accessible and available to whoever owns the phone, to allow them to share this data with peers or parties they want to collaborate with on public projects. 3) the problem with the above is that it assumes that phone owners will always have the legal protections granted to make sure that they can use the data in their phones/backup devices only for whatever it is they want to use it for and the collection of this data by any party is not going to cause any undesirable affects and harms. it turns out this is a naive position. we live in a world, where police and law enforcement have made a practice out of claiming any data they can get their sensors on. we had a similar problem in belgium, although at a much smaller scale: mobib, the access card for public transportation in brussels has an rfid chip that is not encrypted/protected and includes the name, address and the last three locations of the person. since the card includes an rfid chip, it enables anybody in the vicinity to read the contents of the card. while typical ghastly stories are of children being kidnapped, people being stalked, or spouses querying each others' whereabouts (which make popular headlines), the less popular stories are of police profiling protesters, employers their employees, etc. and that without the knowledge of the person holding the card. given that phones have become very important for political action across the world, but also in general to the organization of life, the description of the subject, who is free and has nothing too hide, and who can selectively disclose the location data on her phone is definitely not universal (whether such a subject exists is another question). as you are also pointing out, such a depiction erases matters of gender, age, race, class etc. and dismisses the power relations that are reconfigured through such data. 4) further, the reduction of location data to a series of coordinates also leaves out the fact that this data makes sense when it is connected within and across contexts. especially smart phones collect a lot of other data, which when linked with location data, allows for very elaborate narrations of the subject, to herself, but also to others. i think we need to find a way to talk about the ethical and legal problems, while taking into consideration how the design and use of these technologies reconfigure power relationships globally for different subjects/communities. 5) i can imagine this will be a fun and challenging question for colleagues at the technology and law departments. my intuition is that a question can be raised about the proportionality of the collection of so much potentially sensitive data. but then legislation like the eu data protection directive looks at such collection only in relation to the data collectors and processors: in this case, it is completely legal for telecom providers to collect this data. possibly, the privacy articles from the european convention of human rights have to be invoked to grant legal protection to such data on a device owned/controlled by the user. if i hear something back from some of our colleagues, i would be happy to let you know. i am aware that this is a rather data-centric view of things, i nevertheless hope it is helpful. best, s. Message: 1 Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2011 20:56:37 -0500 From: Michael Zimmer <zimmerm(a)uwm.edu> To: aoir list <air-l(a)aoir.org> Subject: Re: [Air-L] Apple surveilling children ... Ethical? Legal? Message-ID: <A3A290AA-5412-4FD1-8859-C9BBF486B615(a)uwm.edu> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 That cellphone companies and operating systems track locations of phones isn't all that surprising (how long have you been with your current mobile provider? They have locational data on you for that amount of time, too). Apple, like most everyone else, wants to have a good mapping of locations where its products are used, and it can do that through triangulating cell towers, wi-fi locations, etc (Essentially the same reason that Google was collecting wi-fi data with its Street View cars). The core problem here is that Apple is syncing an unencrypted file with any computer the phone connects with, which seems to serve little use value. I've been digging around, and hope to find time to blog about this. In a nutshell, I'm leaning towards Occam's razor as an explanation (bad code design), rather than evilness. That, certainly, isn't meant to excuse what is happening, but just to contextualize it. Some useful background reading: How Apple tracks your location without consent, and why it matters - Ars Technica http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/04/how-apple-tracks-your-location-wi… Apple Is Tracking You To Build Something Very Valuable: Its Location Database http://techcrunch.com/2011/04/21/apple-tracking-location-database/ Do Apple, Google and Microsoft Know Your Every Step? A Handy Chart - Gizmodo http://gizmodo.com/#!5794891/do-apple-google-and-microsoft-know-your-every-… -Michael Zimmer -- Michael Zimmer, PhD Assistant Professor, School of Information Studies Co-Director, Center for Information Policy Research University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee e: zimmerm(a)uwm.edu w: www.michaelzimmer.org

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Re: [Air-L] Air-L Digest, Vol 81, Issue 23
by pearse stokes 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

Thanks for the replies. I'm completely aware that the 'data' is one sided. However, the fact that Google are doing something wrong doesn't excuse Apple doing something wrong. Similarly, I'm aware that questioning the ethics or legality of Apple's actions is inflammatory. However, what I'm trying to open up is the question about data like this being stored when the data relates to legal minors. The 'being sent back to Apple' component of this is not really a valuable component of the data as Apple would argue that the phones do indeed come under their remit and are therefore all little repositories for Apple ... who can collect the data when they see fit. Essentially, what I would like to do, is leaver the fact that younger people use these devices, be they Apple's iPhones, or Android, or software like Chrome, that essentially track, or monitor young people to put a different spin on this topic. As has been pointed out, there's endless reading on this topic. I just wanted to see what people thought about the ethics of monitoring young people. Again, Apple may not have received the information or cared about it, but the device is still doing it. So, is it okay? For those of us in academia, would we monitor respondents without consent? Would we monitor legal minors without consent? Pearse Stokes

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Apple surveilling children ... Ethical? Legal?
by pearse stokes 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

I've recently posted the following on my blog. I'd love to hear people's thoughts on this ... So, for the last week there has been a huge debate about Apple and their iOS 4 software’s ‘tracking’ ability. For those who don’t know, Apple’s iPhone’s since iOS 4 have been tracking their owners – keeping a file on the phone and on any computer the deveice has been synced with that records the whereabouts of the phones owner. Clearly the clandestine nature of this applicaiton indicates Apple’s own stance; that this is fundamentally unethical and that they are doing something that their customers would strongly disagree with. That’s all fine, its all fairly cut and dry. The sooner an open source iOS reaches the same level of proficiency of say, Linux on computers, I’ll make the switch. The big question that I want to consider, and I would hope others with an interest in technology and society would consider it too, is ‘What is Apple doing when it stores the information of younger users?’ Essentially, for kids and younger teenagers who own iPhones, Apple has been tracking them. Apple has in fact been surveilling children and legal minors. While some older users or parents may not have an issue with their own whereabouts being tracked, I’m sure they would take issue with someone, anyone, compiling a list of their kids’ whereabouts. So, thoughts? If you are interested, here’s an app that will allow you see your own whereabouts, you’ll be able to see the information that Apple have captured represented on a map. Its interesting; http://dvice.com/archives/2011/04/your-iphone-is.php -- Pearse Stokes http://cyberanthropology.wordpress.com/2011/04/24/apple-surveilling-childre…

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CFP: Crossroads in Cultural Studies 2012 -- Paris
by Gilbert B. Rodman 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

The Association for Cultural Studies is very pleased to release the Call for Papers for the next Crossroads in Cultural Studies conference, to be held 2-6 July 2012 in Paris, France. Conference details are below. Submission forms for both papers and sessions can be found on the conference website: http://www.crossroads2012.org We look forward to seeing many of you in Paris next year! Cheers, Gil Rodman Acting Chair, ACS ===== We are pleased to announce that the 9th International Conference Crossroads in Cultural Studies will be held in Paris, France, from July 2nd to 6th, 2012, hosted by Sorbonne Nouvelle University and UNESCO. The city of Paris has a long and complex history as a crossroad between cultures and peoples. Paris has played an important role in the development and circulation of the works of authors and thinkers that have shaped the postcolonial imagination in a significant way. Drawing on their tradition of comprehensive and critical thought, the organizers seek contributions in the form of papers and panels that will continue to examine the intersection between culture, power and knowledge from within the framework of Cultural Studies. The conference will also be hosted by UNESCO, the international organization that has always championed cultural diversity and difference. Given the long association between Cultural Studies research and UNESCO, this conference should be an occasion for Cultural Studies to look back on its own evolution as well as explore new scholarly insights. * 12 World-class Keynote Speakers from all over the world will address the conference at keynote and plenary sessions. Among them, Sarah Ahmed, Marie-Hélène Bourcier, Jeremy Gilbert, Achille Mbembe, Walter Mignolo, Bobby Noble, Phaedra Pezzullo, Françoise Vergès. With the participation of Stuart Hall and Jacques Rancière (to be confirmed). * State of the art conference topics. All topics relevant to Cultural Studies, especially new and innovative areas of research are welcome. * Submit your proposal now! The call for papers and organized panel proposals is now open. Check the submission guidelines and submit before September 30, 2011. * ACS Assistance Scheme for Crossroads 2012. The Association for Cultural Studies will offer a small number of grants to assist participants from ACS under-represented regions with travel accommodation or registration expenses. * Attractive and convenient accommodation in the heart of the city of Paris and close to the conference venues. Cheaper campus accommodation will also be available close at hand at the International Paris University Campus. * Spread the news. Please forward this message to your colleagues and friends! We look forward to seeing you in Paris in 2012! Prof Éric Maigret (Conference Director) on behalf of the National and Local Committees Sorbonne Nouvelle University, Paris Website: http://www.crossroads2012.org Contact: crossroads2012(a)univ-paris3.fr

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RSMCC submission deadline approaching: May 16, 2011
by Jennifer S. Earl 23 Apr '11

23 Apr '11

Please consider submitting. The deadline for this volume is May 16, 2011. Call for Papers----Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change (Please forward and distribute widely) Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change, a peer-reviewed volume published by Emerald Group Publishing/JAI Press, encourages submissions for Volume 33 of the series. This volume will have both thematic and open-submission sections and will be guest edited by Jennifer Earl (University of California, Santa Barbara) and Deana Rohlinger (Florida State University). For the open-submission/non-thematic section, submissions appropriate to any of the three broad foci reflected in the series title will be considered. The special section of Volume 33 will focus on new and old media in social movements, conflicts, and change. We encourage submissions on the relationship between older media (e.g., newspapers, books, music, radio and network and cable television) and social movements, conflicts, or change, or between new media (e.g., the Web) and social movements, conflicts, or change. Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change (RSMCC) is a fully peer-reviewed series of original research that has been published annually for over 30 years. We continue to publish the work of many of the leading scholars in social movements, social change, and peace and conflict studies. Although RSMCC enjoys a wide library subscription base for the book versions, all volumes are now published both in book form and are also available online to subscribing libraries through Emerald Insight. This ensures wider distribution and easier online access to your scholarship while maintaining the esteemed book series at the same time. RSMCC boasts quick turn-around times, generally communicating peer reviewed-informed decisions within 10-12 weeks of receipt of submissions. To be considered for inclusion in Volume 33, papers should arrive by May 16, 2011. Send submissions as a WORD document attached to an email to BOTH Jennifer Earl and Deana Rohlinger, guest RSMCC editors for Volume 33, at jearl(a)soc.ucsb.edu and drohling(a)fsu.edu. Remove all self-references (in text and in bibliography) save for on the title page, which should include full contact information for all authors. Include the papers title and the abstract on the first page of the text itself. For initial submissions, any standard social science in-text citation and bibliographic system is acceptable. RSMCC Website: http://info.emeraldinsight.com/products/books/series.htm?PHPSESSID=ao67n2qd… Jennifer Earl Associate Professor of Sociology SS&MS 3129 University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9430 P: (805) 893-7471 F: (805) 893-3324 http://www.soc.ucsb.edu/faculty/earl/ ********************************* Jennifer Earl Associate Professor of Sociology SS&MS 3129 University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9430 P: (805) 893-7471 F: (805) 893-3324 http://www.soc.ucsb.edu/faculty/earl/ *********************************

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Deadline Extended for JITP Editorship Proposals - Now May 15, 2011
by Stuart Shulman 22 Apr '11

22 Apr '11

The deadline for submitting proposals to become the next Editor-in-Chief of JITP has been extended to May 15, 2011. http://www.umass.edu/jitp/CfE-JITP.pdf We are giving potential candidates more time to develop their proposals. If you are thinking about it, please speak to your institution about the nature of their support for your candidacy. Also, feel free to set up a time to talk with me about the current status of the journal. I would be more than happy to talk to interested potential editors about the job. JITP has more members (800+) and more papers in various stages of review (based on ~100 submissions per year) than at anytime in its history. The growth in readership and interest in the journal has been steady. Increasingly, I hear that JITP is a high impact journal in Europe and we are starting to get more interest from Asia. So, this is a very nice opportunity. I hope qualified candidates will seriously explore it. ~Stu

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Three days left to register for JITP 2011 - "The Future of Computational Social Science"
by Stuart Shulman 22 Apr '11

22 Apr '11

"The Future of Computational Social Science" There are three days left to register at the regular fee for the annual meeting of the Journal of Information Technology & Politics. This year, JITP 2011 is taking place May 16 & 17, 2011 at the University of Washington. Space is very limited and the fee for late registration increases starting April 26. http://www.umass.edu/jitp/2011.htm In addition to a great keynote, a distinguished invited panel, a poster and demo session, and a vendor panel, we are very pleased with the collection of new papers working their way toward inclusion in a special edition of the journal. Also, we are devoting time to an extended discussion of the future of the journal itself, including policies for review, standards for publication, and editorial board rotation in addition to more general discussions of how to grow the 800+ JITP member base. JITP 2011 is hosted and sponsored by The Center for American Politics & Public Policy and the Department Political Science at the University of Washington. Other sponsors include the Center for Communication & Civic Engagement, Microsoft, Google, IdeaScale, Survey Analytics, The UMass Amherst Departments of Political Science and Computer Science, Taylor & Francis, The Qualitative Data Analysis Program, Context Miner & Texifter. See you in Seattle! ~Stu

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Re: [Air-L] essay "internet & culture"?
by Denise N. Rall 22 Apr '11

22 Apr '11

Charles - This is just to follow up on Maria Bakardjieva and her work. I remember a presentation that she gave on blogs (2007) which referred to the micro, meso and macro level of analysis for the blog authors. As I remember, she used it to develop a schema for engagement between blog author and intended or unintended audiences. If anyone can point me to the paper which cites this schema, or the source of this framework, I would be most grateful, off-list is fine. Cheers, Denise Denise N. Rall, PhD. Textile Artist & Exhibitor, Presenter, POPCAANZ, Popular Culture Assoc Australia-New Zealand 30 June-1 July Auckland, NZ Lismore NSW AUSTRALIA Mobile +(61)(0)438 233344 Fax +(61)(0)2 6624 5380 http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/esm/staff/pages/drall/ --- On Fri, 15/4/11, Charles Ess <charles.ess(a)gmail.com> wrote:

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the return of surveyfail
by Katie Morrissey 21 Apr '11

21 Apr '11

Thought some folks on the list might find this update interesting. Remember "surveyfail" back in 2009? When those two former Boston University students attempted to do a survey of various LiveJournal fanfiction/fandom groups using highly dubious methods and managed to anger whole legions of the internet in the process? They had a book deal at the time (which the research was for) and apparently it's now available for pre-ordering: A Billion Wicked Thoughts: What the World's Largest Experiment Reveals about Human Desire by: Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam http://www.amazon.com/Billion-Wicked-Thoughts-Largest-Experiment/dp/0525952… Given the tags the book is being given on Amazon, I'm assuming word of this must be circulating somewhere online. Has anyone here seen any discussion of it? I've been working on a project that discuses surveyfail and I'd like to follow the conversation if I can. Thanks! Katie Morrissey University of Wisconsin Milwaukee morriss9(a)uwm.edu

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seeking social voting references
by Libby Hemphill 21 Apr '11

21 Apr '11

Hi all, I'm looking for any and all papers that report on empirical studies of social voting mechanisms and behaviors (e.g., thumbs up on YouTube, Like on Facebook, Digg). I'm happy to compile the list and share it with anyone who's interested. Please reply off-list. Thanks! -- Libby Hemphill, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Technical Communication Lewis Department of Humanities Siegel Hall 218 - 3301 S. Dearborn Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL 60616 USA Email: libby.hemphill(a)iit.edu Voice: 312.567.3465 Fax: 312.567.5187

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