Category: Privacy

Iran’s coronavirus ‘diagnosis’ app looks more like a surveillance tool

[ad_1] AC19’s developer, Sarzamin Housmand (formerly Smart Land Solutions), is also known for developing government clones of Telegram that weren’t as secure as the real thing and were geared more toward enabling surveillance. While it’s not clear exactly what the Iranian government is doing with the data, it’s eager to brag about the scale. ICT […]

Google location data led police to investigate an innocent cyclist

[ad_1] The initial data had been anonymized like Google said it would in the past, but police had asked Google to provide information about McCoy’s account after noticing the unusual activity. Google notified McCoy of the request on January 14th of this year, but he had just a week to ask a court to block […]

Windows 10 gives users more control of what diagnostic data they share

[ad_1] Required data will include things like your IP address and the type and version of your device — data Microsoft needs to maintain and improve its products and services. Optional data will scrape less-critical info, like what pictures people are inserting into Word documents to provide better image options. If you’re a commercial customer […]

DuckDuckGo shares a list of thousands of web trackers that gather your data

[ad_1] Tracker Radar includes the most common cross-site trackers, plus detailed info on things like their prevalence, ownership, cookie behavior and privacy policy. According to CNET, the data set contains details on 5,326 domains used by 1,727 companies to track users online. DuckDuckGo hopes that developers will use Tracker Radar to block online tracking and […]

Banjo AI surveillance is already monitoring traffic cams across Utah

[ad_1] Banjo relies on info scraped from social media, satellite imaging data and the real-time info from law enforcement. Banjo claims its “Live Time Intelligence” AI can identify crimes — everything from kidnappings to shootings and “opioid events” — as they happen. Banjo presents many of the same concerns that similar companies have encountered. One […]

Russian court says facial recognition tech does not violate privacy

[ad_1] Activists had hoped the courts would ban the use of the technology, which was rolled out in the city throughout 2019 — the system cost at least 3.3 billion roubles ($50 million) and comprises more than 105,000 cameras. The system — which remained operational throughout the legal proceedings — is now being used to […]

FCC proposes token fines for carriers that sold phone location data

[ad_1] The networks followed a similar pattern, according to the FCC. They sold location access to aggregators that themselves resold access to service providers, with each carrier relying largely on “contract-based assurances” that they’d get permission from customers before accessing that info. As you might have guessed, that didn’t always happen — one Missouri Sheriff, […]

FCC may fine carriers for failing to protect phone location data

[ad_1] Officials didn’t make any settlement offers, according to the tipsters. That suggests it doesn’t believe a compromise is possible, although it also raises the likelihood that networks will try to fight any fines and have them reduced or tossed out. Fines wouldn’t be surprising given how egregious the alleged violations would be. Carriers not […]

Ford hopes you’ll trade some privacy for discounted car insurance

[ad_1] The companies are promising discounts of up to 40 percent, although that will likely vary. The insurance is available now in 39 states with notable exceptions like New York and Washington, although it should reach other states “over time.” This is more convenient than other forms of usage-based insurance. You don’t need to buy […]

Google search is showing invitations to private WhatsApp groups

[ad_1] You won’t want to count on these invitations leaving the web, either. A WhatsApp spokesperson asserted these links were shared in “searchable, public channels,” and that people who want to keep links private shouldn’t share them on publicly reachable sites. Google’s public search liaison, Danny Sullivan, reiterated this by saying it was “no different” […]