Category: Politics

Security Algorithms Need to be More Transparent

I wrote a piece for The Conversation, “It’s time to shine a light on the unseen algorithms that power ‘Big Brother’”. I try to make the point that we as citizens know very little about the algorithms that power the security services (not to mention all sorts of other things too). Which is troubling as there is a great potential for them to discriminate, or plane get things wrong. This is both potentially damaging to us, but it also makes them less useful. I also draw a comparison between these analytical algorithms and cryptographic algorithms, which are often deliberately opened up to ensure there strength. Analytical algorithms that have the power to refuse someone entry to a country, or potentially assist with putting someone behind bars, should also be open.It’s time to shine a light on the unseen algorithms that power ‘Big Brother’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Complex Beyond Regulation – Global Policy Journal Event

I gave a talk on the 18th of June for a event co-hosted by the Global Policy Journal and Durham University. The title of the talk was “Complex Beyond Regulation”, and its major theme was that the global financial system is now so complex that it is beyond our skill to regulate. I took this position (that some would say is a bit extreme) partly to provoke some debate around the topic, but also because it might not be as far from the truth as we would like. The global financial system is truly complex; it is a complex network of networks governed by numerous rules and regulations. How do we regulate such a system, and how do we overcome its inertia and cope with emergent properties? Talk slides Complex Beyond Regulation WebV.

ISC of Parliament 7th of November 2013

Intelligence and Security Committee in November. Present were, Sir Iain Lobban, Director, GCHQ, Mr Andrew Parker, Director General, Security Service, and Sir John Sawers, Chief, Secret Intelligence Service. They were answering questions on the behaviour of the intelligent services in light of the Snowden Leaks. They weren’t given much of a hard time. Worse, its not about giving them a hard time really, but they weren’t asked the right questions. One has to wonder if the right people were asking them.

William Hague Statement on Snowden Leaks 10th June 2013

I’m going to collect together important reports and parliamentary discussions etc on political response to the Snowden leaks. Partly for my own research into the leaks, but also as I think its useful to dig these things out into one place.

This is the statement from, and questions to William Hague MP (foreign security at the time) on the 10th of June 2013. The whole debate has an air of, “nothing to see here”. Interesting as before William Hague MP, Kenneth Clarke MP talks about his visit to a Bilderberg group meeting. Also has a humorous, “nothing to see here”, feeling to it.

The statement misses the point, spending a lot of the time praising good work of the security agencies. They do much good work, but it doesn’t justify the extreme level of invasion into our private lives by home and foreign security agencies. Or the systematic undermining of the security of the internet. Which could be exploited by organisations that aren’t there to look after us.