Week 42: Facebook Scans Your Unshared Photos, Amazon Turns Your Doorbell into a Cop Cam, Jeeps Get Bricked by an Update

THE UNSEEN INVOICE

Every product comes with a price tag, but the most important costs are never printed on the receipt. This was the week our digital lives presented us with the invoice for convenience, revealing the steep price of privacy, autonomy, and planetary health we’ve been unknowingly paying all along. The fine print is finally coming into focus, and the bill is staggering.

THE PERSONAL DATA TAX
Facebook Wants Your Camera Roll as the company rolls out an opt-in feature allowing its AI to scan your unshared photos for “shareworthy” moments. Amazon Partners With Surveillance Firm by integrating its Ring cameras with Flock, an AI-powered network used by federal agencies and local police.

THE PLATFORM INFRASTRUCTURE TOLL
Jeep Bricks Its Own Cars after a software update renders numerous Wrangler 4xe vehicles completely inoperable, leaving owners stranded for over a week. AI Siphons Wikipedia’s Traffic with the open knowledge platform reporting a significant decline in visitors due to AI-powered search s…