MIT Technology Review conducted an investigation to determine where the intimate photo of a woman using the toilet that was taken by her Roomba iRobot robot vacuum cleaner, and posted on Facebook, came from.
Facebook allows you to upload photos A woman lying down on the toilet seat with her shorts down circulated in private groups. A Roomba iRobot robot vacuum cleans this image. How does such an intimate image end-up on social networks?
MIT Technology Review was investigated Contacted the manufacturer We are trying to shed light on this mystery affair that reveals a lot more about the treatment of our private information!
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Employees and collectors who have accepted surveillance
In 2020, Internet users uploaded images of seemingly mundane scenes from low angles that sometimes reveal intimate scenes. One of the pictures shows a young woman wearing a t-shirt and sitting on the toilet with her shorts down. This photo, taken by a Roomba J7 robot cleaner from the brand iRobot, ended up on Facebook.
These devices should be controlled by the MIT Technology Review 15 screenshots shared in private group. These shots include minors. A young child lies on the ground and stares at the camera, amused. In short, intimate moments.
iRobot is Amazon’s upcoming acquisition worth $1.7 billion. These images are from Roomba robot vacuums. These images are from ” Special development devices that allow for hardware and software modifications These versions are not and never have been available for purchase. “. They belong to “ Employees and collectors who are paid “, who have signed agreements on image registration. Scale AI, a startup That tags audio, video, and photo data To train an artificial intelligence, retrieve the images captured.
Data workers spread an image
According to the manufacturer, the devices are capable of carrying A green mark This means that a video recording may be in progress. iRobot believes it is the responsibility these paid collectors. “Remove anything they consider sensitive from any space the robot is operating in, including children.” “
Simply put, iRobot considers people whose photos/videos appear in the datastream to be people whose videos or photos appear in the stream. You have agreed to this monitoring. The consent agreements were not available to MIT Technology Review. The terms were not available for discussion by collectors or paid employees.
How did this woman, who was sitting in the toilet, end up on Facebook? According to the MIT Technology Review These intimate and sensitive snapshots are shared by contracted data workers in private Facebook groups, but also Discord.
Manufacturers prize data
If images are taken without consent, consumers must agree to data monitoring on an ongoing basis. This applies to many devices, including smartphones and washing machines. This practice has become more common in recent years. Artificial intelligence has been introduced.
Data is a key ingredient in artificial intelligence. Manufacturers are looking for it. Machine learning is highly in demand and relies on data such as our voices and faces to train algorithms. The elements that come from real and dynamic environments such as our homes are extremely valuable. All we need is a device to consent to very vague privacy policies.
Companies have There is plenty of space for maneuvering to analyze and disseminate the collected information.
Source: technologyreview
