Terms of Service with Clare Duffy

It’s a familiar feeling if you spend enough time on the internet: you talk about something in the real world, and then you see that same thing advertised to you online. This uncanny experience has led many people to wonder: are our devices listening to us? And is that how online advertisers are able to serve such specific ads? David Choffnes, associate professor at Northeastern University, says it’s not that simple.

You can read the full study David discussed in this episode here.

What questions do you have about the technology in your life? Email us at [email protected].

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Conspiracy theories can take many forms, from misgivings about the first moon landing to false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. These kinds of beliefs are nothing new, but social media has helped make many of them more mainstream. As anyone who’s tried to reason with a conspiracy theorist knows, it’s hard to debunk such deeply held beliefs – and arguing with a loved one about them can be emotionally taxing. What if an AI chatbot could help? A recent study, published in Science, asked that very question — and the results were surprising. Thomas Costello, an assistant professor of psychology at American University and co-author of the study, breaks down the findings.

Try chatting with the bot yourself at debunkbot.com.

What questions do you have about the technology in your life? Email us at [email protected].

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CNN Audio’s senior producer Haley has a confession: she uses the same password for everything. Research shows she’s not alone. Why is this a problem? And what’s the safest way to create and manage your passwords? Rachel Tobac, an ethical hacker and CEO of SocialProof Security, has some answers that won’t make your head spin.

The password managers Rachel mentions include: Bitwarden, 1Password, Dashlane, and KeePass

What questions do you have about the technology in your life? Email us at [email protected].

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New technologies like artificial intelligence, facial recognition and social media algorithms are changing our world so fast that it can be hard to keep up. This cutting-edge tech often inspires overblown hype — and fear. That’s where we come in. Each week, CNN Tech Writer Clare Duffy will break down how these technologies work and what they’ll mean for your life in terms that don’t require an engineering degree to understand. And we’ll empower you to start experimenting with these tools, without getting played by them.

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As a new generation of kids grows up, many of them have had their childhoods posted online for the world to see. And not all of them are happy about it. This raises important questions for parents: how much should you share your kids’ lives on social media? When should you think twice before hitting “post”? Leah Plunkett, author of the book Sharenthood: Why We Should Think Before We Talk About Our Kids Online, has thought a lot about this — both as a lawyer and as a parent. She gives Clare some pointers about online privacy for kids.

If you’re a parent or have kids in your life, we want to hear from you. Do you have rules of the road for how much you share your kids online? Email us at [email protected].

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