MetaFilter posts tagged with Privacy

Mozilla exec recommends you Bing it from now on

Nyarlathotep — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:06:12 -0800

"If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place." (SLYT) Because of this statement, made by Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Mozilla's director of community development Asa Dotzler has informed readers of his personal blog how to change Firefox's default search engine from Google to Bing. This is a pretty interesting stance coming from someone who works for a company that not only directly competes with Microsoft (the owners of Bing), but also derives a huge amount of its revenue from support from Google. (via)

8 Million Reasons for Real Surveillance Oversight.

chunking express — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:17:53 -0800

8 Million Reasons for Real Surveillance Oversight. "Sprint Nextel provided law enforcement agencies with its customers' (GPS) location information over 8 million times between September 2008 and October 2009. This massive disclosure of sensitive customer information was made possible due to the roll-out by Sprint of a new, special web portal for law enforcement officers."

The 1st Ammendment, the Internet, and a Served Debt

Diablevert — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:30:24 -0800

Wikipedia is being sued for publishing the names of two convicted killers. Wolfgang Werlé and Manfred Lauber killed well-known German actor Walter Sedlmayr in 1990. They were convicted of the crime in 1993 and sentenced to prison, and recently released. Under German law, publishing the name of a criminal after he has served his sentence is considered an undue infringement of privacy, and is illegal. Accordingly, the German Wiki removed the names of the killers off the page discussing the murder --- but the English language version of wiki, based in the US and operating under the First Ammendment, has not. Now the killers' lawyer has sued the Wikimedia foundation to get them to remove the names. The case raises important questions about the international enforcement of privacy laws. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has some strong opinions on the matter. And Wire's Threatlevel blog piles on, with pictures. The New York Time's own covergae of the case risks exposing them to legal action (and further enhacing the Streisand Effect): "In an e-mail message after the interview, [Mr. Stopp, the killers' lawyer] wrote, 'In the spirit of this discussion, I trust that you will not mention my clients’ names in your article.' Here's a sample of Mr. Sedlmayr's work, and a german language article about the killer's release.

Google answers data transparency concerns with Dashboard

zarq — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:18:56 -0800

This morning, Google launched a new feature called "Google Dashboard" that lets users view (and in some cases control,) what data is being stored on a range of more than 20 Google services, including Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Web History, Orkut, YouTube, Picasa, Talk, Reader, Alerts and Latitude. Services not currently included -- Analytics, AdWords, AdSense, and Book Search among others -- will be added in later versions. This new service may help address privacy concerns that have been raised over the years regarding various Google services. More from: * The Unofficial Google Blog * TechCrunch * The New York Times * CNET

What Does DHS Know About You?

chunking express — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:07:15 -0800

What Does DHS Know About You? A lot. The complete (annotated) report. [PDF]

Google Street View

Matthias Rascher — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:15:30 -0800

Google Street View is currently taking pictures in and around my home village. Google Japan has released a rather cute animated video explaining how the whole process works. Its main aim seems to be to respond to all the criticism regarding privacy issues. It's still cute, though.

Web browser history detection

homunculus — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:06:25 -0800

What the Internet knows about you. "This project was started by a small group of Web developers and security researchers in order to highlight the problem of Web browser history detection -- a problem which can dramatically affect the Web and hurt many people, if not solved quickly. Our direct goal is to educate the mainstream public and show them the direct consequences of allowing this aspect of Web browser behavior, as well as provide some solutions which mitigate the problem. However, since there are no existing satisfactory solutions, our other objective is to point the attention of browser developers to this issue and strongly encourage them to implement the necessary and long-overdue fixes." [Via]

Canada Reigns In Facebook

shoesfullofdust — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:08:13 -0800

Facebook agrees to privacy changes [Flash video | article]. After an investigation by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, which found that Facebook gave "confusing or incomplete" privacy information to subscribers and gave developers "virtually unrestricted access to Facebook users’ personal information", Facebook has agreed to address the Privacy Commissioner’s concerns. “These changes mean that the privacy of 200 million Facebook users in Canada and around the world will be far better protected.” - Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart. "The notion that some teenager, working in a basement halfway around the globe, that could have access to all of this personal information was unsettling, to say the least." - Elizabeth Denholm, Deputy Privacy Commissioner.

And like that... he's gone

homunculus — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:42:04 -0800

Gone Forever: What Does It Take to Really Disappear?

Canada getting all up in your Facebook

stinkycheese — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 09:47:29 -0800

In response to a complaint by law students at the University of Ottawa in May of 2008, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has found that Facebook is operating contrary to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. In other words, Facebook is breaching Canadian privacy law. Facebook has pledged to work with the Canadian government on this issue, and has 30 days to comply; if the Commissioner remains unsatisfied with their progress, they may take the case to Federal Court to force compliance.

Because human operators are used...

Skeptic — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:11:41 -0800

Voicemail-to-text firm Spinvox strenuously denied accusations that they infringed privacy standards by actually having the voicemails transcribed by human operators in low-wage countries. Unfortunately, that's exactly what their own patent applications say they do. Also, apparently they aren't paying the transcribers...

Google Pedicab

AzraelBrown — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:17:23 -0800

Everybody knows about the Google Van now, some love it, some hate it, but it has become an assumed condition now that, if you're near a street, Google Maps might have your picture (I'm at work!). Living further off the path might seem like a solution to avoid detection, but Google has stepped off the roadway and into more scenic routes with the Google Tricycle. Being unpowered and smaller allows Google to get their 360° photographs from vantage points other than the curb in front of your house. Google Street Views won't just include streets anymore: they plan to cover national parks, bicycle paths, college campuses, theme parks, any any other public place which isn't exactly van-friendly.

Neurosecurity

homunculus — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:29:23 -0800

Neurosecurity: security and privacy for neural devices. "An increasing number of neural implantable devices will become available in the near future due to advances in neural engineering. This discipline holds the potential to improve many patients' lives dramatically by offering improved—and in some cases entirely new—forms of rehabilitation for conditions ranging from missing limbs to degenerative cognitive diseases. The use of standard engineering practices, medical trials, and neuroethical evaluations during the design process can create systems that are safe and that follow ethical guidelines; unfortunately, none of these disciplines currently ensure that neural devices are robust against adversarial entities trying to exploit these devices to alter, block, or eavesdrop on neural signals. The authors define 'neurosecurity'—a version of computer science security principles and methods applied to neural engineering—and discuss why neurosecurity should be a critical consideration in the design of future neural devices." [Via Mind Hacks]

Privacy trumps idiocy...finally

dejah420 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:08:50 -0800

In an 8-1 ruling, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that school officials violated an Arizona teenager's rights by strip-searching her for prescription-strength ibuprofen, declaring that U.S. educators cannot force children to remove their clothing unless student safety is at risk. Clarence Thomas demurred, suggesting that panties would become the new drug underground.

Name, Rank, Serial Number

hippybear — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:11:12 -0800

"Please list any and all, current personal or business websites, web pages or memberships on any Internet-based chat rooms, social clubs or forums, to include, but not limited to: Facebook, Google, Yahoo, YouTube.com, MySpace, etc.," the City form states. There are then three lines where applicants can list the Web sites, their user names and log-in information and their passwords. The City of Bozeman takes their job application process too far?

Pinwale

homunculus — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:33:51 -0800

NSA E-Mail Surveillance Renews Concerns in Congress. "Since April, when it was disclosed that the intercepts of some private communications of Americans went beyond legal limits in late 2008 and early 2009, several Congressional committees have been investigating. Those inquiries have led to concerns in Congress about the agency’s ability to collect and read domestic e-mail messages of Americans on a widespread basis, officials said. Supporting that conclusion is the account of a former N.S.A. analyst who, in a series of interviews, described being trained in 2005 for a program in which the agency routinely examined large volumes of Americans’ e-mail messages without court warrants. Two intelligence officials confirmed that the program was still in operation." [Via]

FCC claims authority to conduct warrantless searches

notashroom — Thu, 21 May 2009 10:42:45 -0800

The FCC investigated a pirate radio station in Boulder, Colorado earlier this month and left a copy of their official inspection policy asserting that they have the authority to perform warrantless searches of private property if there is any FCC-licensed equipment on the property, including cordless phones, cell phones, wireless routers, intercom systems, and baby monitors.

Section 303(n) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, (Act) gives the Federal Communications Commission the "authority to inspect all radio installations associated with stations required to be licensed by any Act, or which the Commission by rule has authorized to operate without a license under section 307(e)(1), or which are subject to the provisions of any Act, treaty, or convention binding on the United States . . ." 47 U.S.C. 303(n) Both Section 303(n) of the Act, and the Rules which implement the Act, grant the right to inspect most radio operations to the Commission, and by delegated authority to the Commission's Bureaus and agents. The Enforcement Bureau conducts inspections of radio installations as part of the Bureau's function to "[e]nforce the Commission's Rules and Regulations." 47 CFR 0.111(a). Both licensees and non-licensees must allow an FCC Agent to inspect their radio equipment. Along with the privilege of possessing a license come responsibilities such as knowing the applicable rules, including allowing the station to be inspected. Licensees should be aware of the Commission's right to inspect. Equally important, FCC Agents are allowed to inspect the radio equipment of non-licensees. Non-licensees include those individuals or entities operating in accordance with Part 15 of the Rules. Non-licensees also include those who should have a license to operate their equipment but have not obtained a license and are operating without authority.

Offal off-limits? Officially, no.

Lemurrhea — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:00:10 -0800

The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that a search of your trash doesn't violate your privacy. This decision is in line with that of the United States. For those interested in the issues surrounding privacy in Canada, the blog of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner is an invaluable resource. (prev)

MugTube?

joe vrrr — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:23:43 -0800

Real-time mugshots from Tampa Bay. In the tradition of The Smoking Gun's Arresting Images, The St. Petersburg Times is now publishing mugshots gathered from county sheriff's web sites in the Tampa Bay area. Sort by gender, age, height, weight or eye color. From the newspaper's disclaimer: Those appearing here have not been convicted of the arrest charge and are presumed innocent. Do not rely on this site to determine any person's actual criminal record.

Shame of the Survivors

permafrost — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:29:40 -0800

In 1996, sixteen children and one adult died in Dublane, Scotland after Thomas Hamilton walked into a school armed with four handguns. In 2009, journalist Paula Murray tracked down and befriended several of the survivors on Facebook, waited until they turned eighteen, and then wrote this article for the Sunday Express. The Express have now pulled the original article from their site, hence the Flickr link. There's a post at Graham Linehan's blog which pretty much sums up my feelings on this. The UK Press Complaints Commission is looking into the story, but as Linehan points out it's not like they're known for savage tenacity or anything.

"this chattering-class version of Heat magazine"

paduasoy — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 00:55:33 -0800

The novlist Julie Myerson has written a book, The Lost Child, about her son's addiction to cannabis, the violent behaviour she says this caused and her tough love policy. Extract. Her son is angry that she's published it, and says his parents over-reacted: "I wasn't doing anything that most other teenagers do, but such was their naive terror of drugs they were acting like six-year-olds". It comes out through MumsNet that Julie Myerson was the anonymous author of a Guardian column, "Living with Teenagers," which described her children's behaviour candidly without their knowledge. Extract. Myerson first denied this. The Guardian discusses whether it was right to publish the columns. Myerson is interviewed about whether she was right to publish The Lost Child. Her partner, and son's father, Jonathan Myerson supports her: This is an emergency. Her son says she's addicted to writing. The tag line "this chattering-class version of Heat magazine" is from Libby Purves's comments. Many commentators consider Myerson was wrong to publish: Ian Jack in the Guardian, Tim Lott in the Independent, balanced by a positive review also in the Independent. The Daily Mail has dug up some more dirt from Myerson's sister. And here's an article by Myerson from 2001 about getting her son into the right school.

Everyone's Favorite Upstart Mom-and-Pop Search Engine Tries to Yank Watchdog's Funding

univac — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:57:24 -0800

Bob Boorstin, Google's Director of Policy Communications, wrote a letter to the Rose Foundation, suggesting that the foundation stop funding Consumer Watchdog, an outspoken Google critic. Google later apologized for sending the letter. The latest accusations involve claims that Google lobbied Congress to gain the ability to profit from the sale of electronic medical records, a claim that Google denies. Consumer Watchdog countered that Google should back up its denial by fully disclosing its lobbying efforts.

10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know

Afroblanco — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:37:10 -0800

10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know thank you, Schneier

Another Day, Another Dispute at Facebook

etaoin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:06:14 -0800

A NEW FACEBOOK CONTROVERSY A NEW FACEBOOK CONTROVERSY has developed, this time over photos of women breastfeeding their babies. But Facebook is standing firm.. The protesters have also formed a Facebook group, of course, Hey Facebook, Breastfeeding Is Not Obscene. It's not the first controversy at the social networking site and this blog documents activities, rumors and news about Facebook. The site was criticized after one moron posted photos showing himself costumed as a Virginia Tech shooting victim. Privacy and user data are always issues at the site. There was the Facebook Beacon program, that tracked users' activities on the Web to a much greater extent than originally anticipated. And for students, there's the matter of parents using Facebook, driving their children crazy. For the love of god -- don't let parents join Facebook has more than 6,400 members, mostly teenagers embarrassed or angry that their parents use the site, fearing a loss of privacy. But not everyone has the same complaint; this blogger was happy to find his grandfather on the site. And now Facebook itself is battling site aggregator Power.com in an effort to control access to user information.

Is Big Brother's little cousin willing to blink?

Law Talkin' Guy — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 09:32:24 -0800

In a move applauded by some internet privacy advocates, Yahoo will retain personally identifiable search information for only 90 days. This places it above competitors Google and Microsoft in terms of protecting user privacy. Congressional representatives are taking notice, but others criticize Yahoo's method of preserving user anonymity as not enough, hearkening back to AOL's massive data leak in 2006.