EAGLE SCOUT | ISSUE NO. 24-20

NEWS | ByteDance fires intern for planting malicious code into AI models

22 Oct 2024

CHINA – After online rumors spread that Tiktok owner, ByteDance, lost tens of millions after an intern sabotaged its AI models, the company issued statement confirming that an intern was indeed fired in August for reportedly interfering with an AI model training task. It clarified, though, and denied rumors that the damage cost them "tens of millions" and involved thousands of GPUs. READ MORE

NEWS | Parents sue school after student is punished for using AI

16 Oct 2024

UNITED STATES - The parents of a student are suing his school after he was punished for using AI for a class project. The student says he only used AI to gather information, and not to write the entire project. The school argues that its policy prohibits students from using AI tools during in-class exams, writing assignments, homework or classwork, unless explicitly permitted and instructed. READ MORE

NEWS | Expert warns surveillance-based business models lead to data exploitation and privacy risks

28 Oct 2024

PHILIPPINES - Meredith Whittaker, president of Signal Foundation, spoke at the 2024 Social Good Summit about how tech companies use surveillance-based advertising to collect massive amounts of data on users. She warned that this approach has negative effects, including potentially influencing behaviors and public opinion. READ MORE

OPINION | AI, data privacy and cybersecurity

29 Oct 2024

PHILIPPINES - The rapid growth of AI brings both opportunities and risks, especially for data privacy and security. In the Philippines, the Data Privacy Act of 2012 ensures businesses handle personal data responsibly. But as AI adoption grows, stronger protections may be needed. Globally, privacy laws like the EU’s GDPR set strict standards, which the Philippines and other countries strive to follow. READ MORE

NEWS| Rights watchdog call out Gov’t for using social media to harass activists

15 Oct 2024

PHILIPPINES – In a report, Amnesty International Philippines has called on the government to set rules for social media companies, which some state forces use to harass activists. The report highlights how platforms like Facebook have been sused by government entities like the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to red-tag youth rights defenders. READ MORE