Smart Conversational Agents for Reminiscence

In this paper we describe the requirements and early system design for a smart conversational agent that can assist older adults in the reminiscence process. The practice of reminiscence has well documented benefits for the mental, social and emotional well-being of older adults. However, the technology support, valuable in many different ways, is still limited in terms of need of co-located human presence, data collection capabilities, and ability to support sustained engagement, thus missing key opportunities to improve care practices, facilitate social interactions, and bring the reminiscence practice closer to those with less opportunities to engage in co-located sessions with a (trained) companion. We discuss conversational agents and cognitive services as the platform for building the next generation of reminiscence applications, and introduce the concept application of a smart reminiscence agent

Exploring Self-Defining Memories in Old Age and their Digital Cues

Self-defining memories represent significant emotional events capturing the most important concerns in our lives. While much HCI work on memory technologies has focused on autobiographic memories and lifelogging technologies for capturing them, there has been little exploration of self-defining memories and how they may be supported by appropriate cues. This is important as such memories are key in the development and maintenance of sense of self, particularly in old age. We report on interviews with 8 older adults in their homes. Findings advance the understanding of self-defining memories and their possible cues with new insights into their relationship with self identities and cues’ specific qualities supporting richer emotional recall. Our findings led to several design implications such as novel technologies for curating self-defining memories and their cues, for embedding layered meaning in such cues across the lifespan, and for crafting them

Measuring the Brussels Effect through Access Requests

The introduction of the GDPR reheated the ongoing debate about the extraterritorial effect of European data protection law. In this debate, Anu Bradford argued that European data protection law affects global markets through the so-called "Brussels Effect", according to which policies diffuse primarily through market mechanisms. Specifically, this phenomenon operates even when the laws of non-EU countries, which set the rules for companies operating in those markets, have not changed to adopt provisions which equal those of EU law. In this paper we investigate empirically whether the introduction of the GDPR has initiated a “Brussels Effect”, improving compliance with data protection law and exporting GDPR standards outside of Europe. By measuring compliance with the right of access for residents of the EU and Canada, we find that this is indeed the case. We suggest that the GDPR’s stronger enforcement provisions are the key driver of this effect, which allows the EU to de facto unilaterally affect companies' behavior globally

Supporting stimulation needs in dementia care through wall-sized displays

Beside reminiscing, the increasing cognitive decline in dementia can also be addressed through sensory stimulation allowing the immediate, nonverbal engagement with the world through one’s senses. Much HCI work has prioritized cognitive stimulation for reminiscing or personhood often on small screens, while less research has explored sensory stimulation like the one enabled by large displays. We describe a year-long deployment in a residential care home of a wall-sized display, and explored its domestication through 24 contextual interviews. Findings indicate strong engagement and attachment to the display which has inspired four psychosocial interventions using online generic content. We discuss the value of these findings for personhood through residents’ exercise of choices, the tension between generic/personal content and its public/private use, the importance of participatory research approach to domestication, and the infrastructure-based prototype, illustrated by the DementiaWall and its generative quality

Between Hong Kong and Burma: Tracking UP007 and SLServer Espionage Campaigns

Special thanks to Valkyrie-X Security Research Group and ASERT. We are grateful to Jason Q. Ng and Kun Cleo Zhang for translation assistance, and Adam Senft, John Scott-Railton, and Ron Deibert for comments.In this research note, we analyze a malware campaign targeting Hong Kong democracy activists. Two new malware families are used in the campaign that we name UP007 and SLServer. Previous reports have shown overlap in the tactics, tools, and procedures used in this campaign in other operations targeting groups in Burma, Hong Kong, and the Tibetan community.This research was supported by the John D and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

We (Can’t) Chat: “709 Crackdown” Discussions Blocked on Weibo and WeChat

Data visualization by Andrew Hilts. We are sincerely grateful to Professor Ron Deibert, Sarah McKune, Jason Q. Ng, Adam Senft and Irene Poetranto for supervision, research assistance and insightful reviews.This report analyzes the information control practices related to a national crackdown on Chinese rights lawyers and activists on two leading Chinese social media networks. We document the Search filtering on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like service, as well as keyword and image censorship on WeChat, the most popular chat app in China

Censored Contagion: How Information on the Coronavirus is Managed on Chinese Social Media

Graphics design by Mari Zhou. Special thanks to Ron Deibert, John Scott-Railton, and Miles Kenyon for edits and comments.The analysis of YY and WeChat indicates broad censorship—blocking sensitive terms as well as general information and neutral references—potentially limiting the public’s ability to access information that may be essential to their health and safety.This project was supported by Open Society Foundations

Tibetans blocked from Kalachakra at borders and on WeChat

Special thanks to Tibet Action Institute for assistance and to Lhakpa Kyizom for permission to use photography.From January 2 to 13 2017, His Holiness the Dalai Lama is holding a popular Tibetan Buddhist teaching called Kalachakra in Bodh Gaya, India. Increased restrictions from the government of China has barred Tibetans in Tibet from attending the teachings. This report documents blocking of Kalachakra-related keywords on WeChat revealing how restrictions on the ritual extend online

Shifting Tactics: Tracking changes in years-long espionage campaign against Tibetans

Special thanks to PassiveTotal, Ron Deibert, Lobsang Gyatso, Sarah McKune, Adam Senft, and Nart Villeneuve.This report describes the latest iteration in a long-running espionage campaign against the Tibetan community. We describe how the attackers continuously adapt their campaigns to their targets, shifting tactics from document-based malware to conventional phishingThis research was supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (Professor Ronald J. Deibert, Principal Investigator)

Insider Information: An intrusion campaign targeting Chinese language news sites

We are grateful to China Digital Times, Epoch Times, Bowen Press, and HK01 for their participation.Thanks to our colleagues for review and assistance: John Scott-Railton, Lotus Ruan, Jeffrey Knockel, Lokman Tsui, Valkyrie-X Security Research Group, Andrew Hilts, Ron Deibert, and TNG.This report reveals a campaign of reconnaissance, phishing, and malware operations that use content and domains made to mimic Chinese language news websites.This project was supported by the John T. and Catherine D. MacArthur Foundation