US and Europe have different ideas about data and privacy
With a recent, but less publicized executive order from President Trump, there are things happening on both sides of the Atlantic with regard to personal data, and it looks like the US and the EU have very different ideas about which direction to take.
We all leave a digital trail these days, just going about our daily business. Much of it we don't think about, and we often consciously choose to trade this personal data ourselves, in exchange for free services. Think about it, your Internet searches, social media, the websites you visit and your location while you're doing it, even exercise activity and your home heating usage via a smart thermostat, all have data harvested and monetized by big business.
Microsoft, Google, Facebook and others write to House of Representatives asking for reform of NSA surveillance
A letter signed by more than 30 major technology companies has been sent to the House Judiciary Committee calling for a number of key changes to be made to NSA surveillance. The letter, signed by the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Google and Mozilla, asks lawmakers to make a number of considerations when reforming Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act.
The signatories refer to themselves as "U.S.-based companies that provide consumer and business technology, products, and services around the world through the use of electronic data." Their letter is timed to coincide with debate about the reform of Section 702 which is used to justify NSA surveillance programs, and is due to expire at the end of the year. There are calls for increased transparency and controls, as well as the suggestion that surveillance should be reined in.
Google search's Personal tab shows results from your emails, calendar and other G Suite content
Personalized results in Google search are not exactly new, but the company has now introduced a new way to section off truly personal results. A new Personal tab (which you would be forgiven for missing as it's a little hidden out of the way) filters search results to show you only matches from your own Google content.
What this means is that you are able to easily see search results from your Gmail emails, Google Photos, Calendar and other G Suite components without having to conduct searches in each one individually. But is there cause for concern when it comes to privacy?
One year from GDPR, organizations are struggling to get compliant by the deadline
The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force on May 25th 2018, but a new survey by data protection company Varonis shows companies are struggling to meet the deadline and are pessimistic about its effects.
The results from 500 IT decision makers in the UK, Germany, France and the US, reveal that 75 percent of organizations say they will struggle to be ready for the deadline.
Netgear clarifies precisely what data it collects from Nighthawk AC1900 R7000 router users
A recent firmware update to its Nighthawk AC1900 R7000 router saw Netgear start to collect analytics data from its users. This had many people upset because of concerns about privacy, but the company is at pains to stress that no personal data is being collected.
In addition to this, the company points out that the program is voluntary, and users are free to opt out at any time. Rather than anything sinister or underhand, Netgear says that the data collection is purely to isolate problems and improve the router.
1Password's new Travel Mode hides your private information from airport security
There have been numerous cases recently of travelers being forced to unlock their phones by security staff at airports. If you have all of your passwords for apps and online accounts stored in a password manager, this could mean that vast amounts of personal data become accessible -- but 1Password has a solution.
A new feature called Travel Mode enables users of the app to mark certain passwords and other data as "safe for travel." When the mode is activated, everything else which has not been flagged in this way is temporarily deleted from the device so it cannot be accessed.
Privacy warning: Netgear routers copy Windows 10 and start 'collecting analytics data'
A firmware update to the Netgear R7000 router adds a new feature that will concern privacy advocates. The update allows Netgear to start "collecting analytics data" and the release notes warn that: "NOTE: It is strongly recommended that after the firmware is updated to this version, you log back in to the router's web GUI and configure the settings for this feature."
Netgear says that the data collection is to help it "isolate and debug technical issues" and does not -- according to the company -- include details such as the websites that are visited, but it will still be a cause of concern for many people. It's hard not to draw parallels with Windows 10 which has managed to upset many users with its telemetry settings.
Privacy-focused Debian 9 'Stretch' Linux-based operating system Tails 3.0 reaches RC status
If you want to keep the government and other people out of your business when surfing the web, Tails is an excellent choice. The Linux-based operating system exists solely for privacy purposes. It is designed to run from read-only media such as a DVD, so that there are limited possibilities of leaving a trail. Of course, even though it isn't ideal, you can run it from a USB flash drive too, as optical drives have largely fallen out of favor with consumers.
Today, Tails achieves an important milestone. Version 3.0 reaches RC status -- meaning the first release candidate (RC1). In other words, it may soon be ready for a stable release -- if testing confirms as much. If you want to test it and provide feedback, you can download the ISO now.
Facebook hit with massive fine for providing misleading information about WhatsApp takeover
The European Commission has hit Facebook with a €110 million ($122 million) fine for "providing misleading information about WhatsApp takeover". The Commission previously expressed concern that the social media giant had not correctly communicated planned changes to its privacy policy.
The changes meant that Facebook was able to match data gathered from WhatsApp users to their Facebook account, even though the company said this was not the case. The "proportionate and deterrent fine on Facebook" is designed not only to punish Facebook, but also to send a message to other companies involved in mergers and acquisitions.
Time to check your Twitter settings as company updates its privacy policy and personal data usage
Fire up the Twitter app on your phone or tablet, or visit the Twitter website, and you'll probably be greeted by a message inviting you to check your settings. And you may well want to do so. Twitter is introducing key changes to its privacy policy which will enable it to use more personal data to personalize the user experience. In other words, ads and data sharing.
At the same time, the company is adding new controls which enable you to stop tailoring content to you based on your location, interests and other data. A new Your Twitter Data is a nod to increased transparency which not only shows you what data Twitter is storing about you, but allows you to control how it is used -- to a certain extent.
Google bringing Gmail 'Smart Reply' to iPhone and Android -- company will read your emails
Today is the start of Google I/O 2017 -- be sure to watch the keynote here. There will be plenty of interesting announcements from the company. While much of it will be developer focused, there is sure to be news that will tickle the fancy of consumers too.
Gmail is one of Google's most popular services, and today, the company announces that it is bringing a cool feature to it -- Smart Reply. What is it? Well, the search giant's computers will read your emails, and then offer suggested replies. The service will even use machine learning to improve by reading your replies too. Understandably, some people will have privacy concerns.
Updated BBC Privacy and Cookies Policy reveals targeted social advertising, and data sharing with TV Licensing
Just a few days ago, the BBC revealed that it was planning to introduce password checks for iPlayer users so it could ensure that a valid TV license is in place. Following on from this, the corporation has updated its Privacy and Cookies Policy.
The changes mean that personal information is shared with TV Licensing to check whether individuals have paid for a license. The BBC also says that it will use the personal data it collects to deliver "relevant advertising" on the likes of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
One in four European businesses don't know GDPR is coming
Every fourth European company has no idea GDPR is coming its way. Consequently, they don’t know about the dangers and the draconic fines that follow those that don’t comply with the upcoming regulation.
This is according to a new report by IDC Research, based on a poll of 700 European companies. More than half (52 percent) don’t know what the impact on their organization is.
Build 2017: Microsoft wants to avoid 1984
Microsoft has faced a lot of criticism regarding privacy in Windows 10, and rightfully so. Look, even if the company has good intentions for its use of telemetry, users are wise to question how their data is being used. Make no mistake, it is the user's data that is being transmitted to Microsoft's servers.
Today, however, at the 2017 Build developer conference, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella makes a shocking statement -- he is fearful of technology taking humanity down a dangerous path. He even mentions George Orwell's classic novel 1984 where "big brother" is always watching.
New solution aids forensic investigation of mobile devices
Whether it's due to a specific cyber attack, theft of data, or a wider criminal investigation, it's increasingly necessary to be able to capture evidence from mobile devices.
Forensic investigation software specialist Guidance Software is launching a new version of its EnCase product aimed at safely gathering data from mobiles.
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