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The Morning Download: Companies Are With Their Workers, Every Step of the Way
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Ship Sticks Director of Operations Brian Dauer and his team use a program called ActivTrak to observe how employees spend their time in front of their computers. PHOTO: JOSH RICHIE FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
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Good day, CIOs. Companies are on notice that they can’t monitor and record their customers’ every move, but when it comes to employees, privacy is a different matter. Employers are arming themselves with new, more aggressive technology to measure how workers spend their time, and there's nothing that employees can do about it, Te-Ping Chen reports for The Wall Street Journal.
We’re with you, every step of the way. Brian Dauer, director of operations at Ship Sticks, begins his day by checking the browser activity of employees. The West Palm Beach, Fla., company, which ships sports gear and other luggage, last year installed software that tracks the websites employees visit minute-by-minute. It has the ability to take remote screenshots of workers’ computers.
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“We’re not the Big Brother type,” Mr. Dauer said. But as Ship Sticks has expanded rapidly—growing to about 80 employees since 2011—the software, ActivTrak, has been invaluable in helping boost productivity, he said. “If someone’s browsing ESPN.com for five minutes, we’ll see that,” Mr. Dauer said.
On the road. Restaurants are using software to observe each of their waitstaff’s sales in real time. Drivers who work for United Parcel Service Inc. and Uber Technologies Inc. have their speed patterns tracked to boost efficiency and safety. “It’s kind of creepy,” says Hans Schelke, 56 years old, who drove for Uber for four years in the San Francisco area before retiring in January.
On the hospital floor, too. Hospitals are installing sensors to detect nurses’ handwashing practices and their location on the floor at all times. At AdventHealth Celebration in Florida, for example, more than 200 nurses’ whereabouts are tracked to gain a better idea of how to improve productivity and workflow.
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FaceApp has been downloaded more than 95 million times world-wide, with more than 20 million of those downloads occurring since July 11. PHOTO: KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
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Facing the risk. An artificial intelligence-driven photo editing app went viral, setting off a new round of alarms about security and privacy. FaceApp allows users to upload images of themselves, which are manipulated into glimpses of some past or future self.
Sudden surge in popularity. FaceApp, downloaded more than 95 million times since it was developed in Russia in 2017, got a boost this month after celebrities such as the Jonas Brothers and LeBron James posted images of themselves that were edited by the app, the Journal reports.
More than 20 million of those downloads occurred since July 11, the Journal says, citing mobile analytics firms Sensor Tower Inc. It is most popular in India, followed by the U.S., and is currently the No. 1 downloaded iPhone app in all but one of the 84 markets the firm tracks, the Journal reports.
Adding to alarm over fake images. FaceApp is the latest tool for creating synthetic images that look incredibly real. Such technology has been used to create fake news, fake videos and fake photos. Congress is looking into the threat of deepfakes as the 2020 election approaches, WSJ Pro AI reported last month.
FaceApp set off more alarms in Congress.The Democratic National Committee and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued warnings about the app Wednesday, saying users could be vulnerable to privacy violations because of its vague terms of service.
One expert said that such technology could make it easier to compromise security systems that employ facial recognition as a means of authenticating users. “Your facial image is the most sensitive biometric that exists, and by placing your facial image on this program, you’re placing yourself at risk of identity theft,” said Ann Cavoukian, executive director of Global Privacy and Security by Design Center, and former privacy commissioner of Ontario. “In this instance, there’s zero security, zero privacy."
Fears that FaceApp can access a user’s photo library appear to be unfounded, though.
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Equifax headquarters in Atlanta. PHOTO: MIKE STEWART/ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Equifax nears $700 million settlement. Equifax Inc. is nearing a deal to settle a slew of state and federal investigations into a 2017 data breach that exposed nearly 150 million Americans’ Social Security numbers and other sensitive personal information.
Under the agreement, the credit-reporting firm would pay around $700 million to settle with the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and most state attorneys general, according to people familiar with the matter. The deal would also resolve a nationwide consumer class-action lawsuit, they said. (WSJ)
Tech rally powers stock gains. Together, Microsoft Corp., Apple Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Facebook Inc. have accounted for 19% of the S&P 500’s total return this year, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices data through Thursday. (WSJ)
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Everything Else You Need to Know
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China has signed a secret agreement allowing its armed forces to use a Cambodian navy base, as Beijing works to boost its ability to project military power around the globe, according to U.S. and allied officials. (WSJ)
Federal Reserve officials signaled they are ready to cut interest rates by a quarter-percentage point at their coming meeting, while indicating the potential for additional reductions. (WSJ)
Iranian forces seized a British-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, as mounting tensions between Tehran and the West risked further disruption of commercial shipping in the strategically vital waterway. (WSJ)
With a red, bushy beard and a ball marked with a shamrock, Shane Lowry was a perfectly Irish champion on a perfectly Irish day. He won the British Open with a score of 15 under par. (WSJ)
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