Gary Schildhorn sprang into action to help when he got a call in his son’s voice saying he’d landed in jail after getting into a car accident. That is, until he got a FaceTime call from his son, who was not actually in jail. Gary was the target of an AI voice cloning scam, one that nearly cost him $9,000. As AI technology advances, these scams are becoming more common and more effective. Digital forensics expert Hany Farid explains how the technology works and how people can protect themselves.

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TikTok is facing a looming ban in the United States. The company will make a final effort to argue its case before the Supreme Court on Friday; if it loses, the law forcing TikTok to spin off from its China-based parent company or be banned in the United States is set to go into effect on January 19. Will that mean the app disappears from users’ phones overnight? Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, breaks down what the ban would look like for users, in practical terms. And influencers Eli Rallo and Joanne Molinaro, aka The Korean Vegan, share what it would mean for people who make a living from the app.

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

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Many people voted for President-elect Donald Trump with the hope that he’d lower the cost of groceries and other essentials. But Trump’s promised tariffs on imported goods could raise the cost of products ranging from computers to cars to refrigerators. So, is there anything you should consider buying now, before that happens? CNN Business economics writer Elisabeth Buchwald has the lowdown. Read Elisabeth’s full article here.

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

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If you’ve been to the airport recently, you might have noticed something different while going through security: a TSA agent taking your photo. More than 200 US airports are now using facial recognition technology to identify passengers. Face scans can speed up the security process, but according to Dr. Joy Buolamwini, this technology comes with big picture risks. She explains what’s going on with these face scans — and how to opt out.

Read more about Dr. Joy’s nonprofit, the Algorithmic Justice League, here.

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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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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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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A new kind of deepfake revenge porn is sweeping the internet. Using artificial intelligence, bad actors can do things like superimpose your face on a nude body, creating convincing and harmful images. Tech companies and lawmakers are trying to play catch up, but the truth is these tools are still easy to access. So how can you and your loved ones stay safe from this dangerous technology? Carrie Goldberg, a lawyer specializing in digital harassment and sex crimes, has some answers.

If you've had someone create deepfakes of you, or if you're a parent and this happened to your child, we'd appreciate hearing from you about how you handled it. Email us at [email protected].

If you find an explicit image of yourself or a loved one on social media, here are some resources for getting it taken down:

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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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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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