It’s also why we should be skeptical of Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that Facebook will become a more “privacy-focused platform” that emphasizes features like ephemeral, expiring information. Truly ephemeral communications are certainly obscure, but it’s unclear what information Facebook will scrub on the front end (for users) and the back end (from the company). If its use continues to grow and the right regulations aren’t instituted, we might lose the ability to go out in public without being recognized by the police, our neighbors and corporations. It is even being used at summer camps so parents can automatically receive photos in which their children appear. Sign up for Charlie Warzel’s limited-run newsletter to explore what’s at stake and what you can do about it.]

Source: New York Times April 17, 2019 19:27 UTC