Nine great industry news stories from this week you may have missed.
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Microsoft Teams’ new Together Mode is designed for pandemic-era meetings
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Microsoft is introducing some big updates to Teams including a "Together Mode" that's designed to create a virtual live avatar of yourself to help you better engage with meetings. Microsoft is using AI to segment your face and shoulders and place you and your co-workers together in a virtual space. The space could be a meeting room-like environment, coffee shop or other places you'd normally have face-to-face meetings. Microsoft is also adding in video filters and live reactions. Read about all the updates on The Verge.
Social media must add a do-not-track option for images of our faces
How can we prevent the abuse of facial recognition systems? A recent Venture Beat article argues there are three main ways to safeguard public interest: through the government, corporations and on an individual level. Learn how adding a "DO NOT TRACK ME" (DNT-ME) flag to images uploaded to social networking and image-hosting platforms could avoid abuse and set precedent for other use cases here.
Billions of passwords now available on underground forums, say security researchers
Usernames and passwords for over 15 billion accounts, including network administrator accounts, bank accounts and streaming services are in circulation online. According to ZDNET, Digital Shadows spent 18 months analyzing how hackers gain access to stolen accounts. The average cost to obtain credentials is $3,139 and the most valuable ones, which provide administrator-level access to organisations, can cost up to $120,000.
7 Strategies for Promoting Collaboration in a Crisis
Harvard Business Review collected a decade's worth of data on collaboration and financial performance across dozens of organizations, including professional service firms, financial institutions and health care organizations. The most highly collaborative workers — the top 10 per cent — grew their business during the crisis and continued that upward trajectory afterward. The performance of the middle group declined slightly during the crisis, but their revenues started to recover within a year. People in the third group hunkered down and dramatically reduced their collaboration with others. They guarded their clients and hoarded work. Learn the seven strategies for promoting collaboration in a crisis based on these findings here.
Privacy by design in Quebec
Quebec has introduced a new bill to update its legislation governing the protection of personal information in the private sector. Aram Kuyumjian, privacy lawyer and author of the recent National article, argues the legislation needs an overhaul to adjust to accepted international standards for data protection. If adopted in its current form, a business that collects personal information to offer a product or service would have to ensure the highest level of “confidentiality by default” of that information “without any intervention of the person concerned.” Read the full story here.
Clearview AI cancels contract with RCMP, says it’s no longer offering its facial recognition tech in Canada
After months of pressure from Canadian privacy regulators, American facial recognition provider Clearview AI has stopped trying to sell its services to law enforcement agencies in Canada while it is under investigation for the way it collects images from the internet. IT World Canada reports the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) announced July 6 that Clearview AI will cease offering its facial recognition services in Canada and that it’s cancelled its contract with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which was the firm’s last client in the country.
Royal Military College of Canada investigating cybersecurity attack
The Royal Military College (RMC) of Canada in Kingston, Ont., is currently assessing damage done by a cybersecurity attack, according to the Department of National Defence (DND). The DND has not clarified the extent of the breach, but said the incident took place on July 3 and forced the college’s temporary disconnection from its academic network. Read the full story on Global News.
TikTok to leave Hong Kong as security law raises worries
CBC reports TikTok will stop operations in Hong Kong, joining other social media companies in warily eyeing ramifications of a sweeping national security law that took effect last week. The short-form video app's planned departure from Hong Kong comes as various social media platforms and messaging apps including Facebook, Zoom, WhatsApp, Telegram, Google and Twitter balk at the possibility of providing user data to Hong Kong authorities.
How to deal with the pressures of returning to work
As we look ahead to a return to the office, a shakeup to our day-to-day is in the making. Ricoh Canada's recent blog shares what the future might hold for different people — and how business leaders and organizations can provide the right support.
