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Category Archives: Privacy

Google is making its internal video-blurring privacy tool open source

engadget: “Google has announced that two of its latest privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs), including one that blurs objects in a video, will be provided to anyone for free via open source. The new tools are part of Google’s Protected Computing initiative designed to transform “how, when and where data is processed to technically ensure its privacy… Continue Reading

Spam texts are out of control, say all 51 attorneys general

FoxNews:”A proposal to force cellphone companies to block certain spam texts is gaining momentum. Meanwhile, there are simple things you can do right now to stop spam texts, which I’ll get to shortly. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has expressed his support for a proposal by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to put an end… Continue Reading

Inventing the dark Web: Criminalization of privacy and the apocalyptic turn in the imaginary of the Web

Inventing the dark Web: Criminalization of privacy and the apocalyptic turn in the imaginary of the Web by Thais Sardá, Simone Natale, and John Downey. First Monday, Volume 27, Number 11 – 7 November 2022. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.5210/fm.v27i11.12691 “This paper examines how the deep Web, i.e., Web sites that are not indexed and thus are not… Continue Reading

Face Recognition Tech Gets Girl Scout Mom Booted From Rockettes Show — Due to Where She Works

NBC 4 New York: “A recent incident at Radio City Music Hall involving the mother of a Girl Scout is shedding light on the growing controversy of facial recognition, as critics claim it is being used to target perceived enemies — in this case, by one of the most famous companies in the country. Kelly… Continue Reading

Forever connected: the realities of parenting and growing up online

Password and Malwarebytes: “Forever connected: the realities of parenting and growing up online Have you posted those baby photos?” Decades ago, this would have sounded like gibberish. Today, we hear it all the time. Underneath these words is the understanding that we’ll share nearly everything online. And kids face the same expectation to build and… Continue Reading

Robot vacuum companies say your images are safe, but a sprawling global supply chain for data from our devices creates risk.

MIT Technology Review: “…The data collected by robot vacuums can be particularly invasive. They have “powerful hardware, powerful sensors,” says Dennis Giese, a PhD candidate at Northeastern University who studies the security vulnerabilities of Internet of Things devices, including robot vacuums. “And they can drive around in your home—and you have no way to control… Continue Reading

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, December 17, 2022

Via LLRX – Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, December 17, 2022 – Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly… Continue Reading

Delete Your Phone Number From Twitter Before They Sell It

Lifehacker: “According to a new report on Platformer, after alienating advertisers and losing revenue, Twitter plans to sell location data and phone numbers to advertisers, whether you like it or not. Now is a great time to remove that information from your account. Even if Musk’s platform never implements these changes, you’re probably better off… Continue Reading

Riana Pfefferkorn on End-to-End Encryption for iPhone Backups to iCloud

LawFare Podcast: “Last week, Apple made an announcement about some new security features it would be offering to users. One of those features involves users’ ability to opt in to encryption for iPhone backups to iCloud. While this new feature will enhance data privacy and security for those users who choose to opt in, it… Continue Reading

3 Takeaways About Abortion Litigation Since Dobbs

Brennan Center: “In Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade and held that there is no federal constitutional right to an abortion. This shifted the battle for reproductive rights primarily to the states. Dozens of lawsuits have since been filed under state constitutions and statutes challenging abortion bans, many… Continue Reading