Amazon says it’s the “new neighbourhood watch” but Ring may just be another technology that gives police too much data and lets neighbourhoods double down on their biases.
Uber’s first safety report revealed 107 deaths and nearly 6,000 sexual assaults over two years. But the rideshare service may still be safer than the alternatives.
As more people of color move to the suburbs, they might not find the full range of opportunities that white European ethnic groups did for most of the previous century.
Personal data is valued primarily because data can be turned into a private asset. That has significant implications for political and societal choices.
Since 1990, the homicide rate has declined by 20%. Researchers are still figuring out what’s behind the trend: increased incarceration, improvements in the economy or even aging populations.
The collection and analysis of data used for making policy should be independent and open to ensure public trust in decision-making. The debate over alcohol licensing shows why this matters.
Over the past decade, more teens have attempted suicide. The trend has vexed researchers, but it’s that much more difficult to determine whether a fictional TV show has had any role.
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne
Former postdoctoral researcher on machine learning applied to chemical engineering and currently science communicator for the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan), University of Tokyo