Facebook's Android app gains privacy-enhancing Tor support
Back towards the end of 2014, Facebook unveiled a new .onion address that allowed Tor users to visit the social network securely. Following on from this, the company is now giving Android users the ability to browse the site using Tor and the Facebook app.
Security, privacy and anonymity may be words readily associated with Tor, but few people would use them in the same sentence as Facebook. The social network says that there is increased demand for secure connections to Facebook from Tor-enabled browsers, hence spreading to the largest mobile platform. The news will make some mobile users happy, but there are currently no plans to migrate the feature from Android to iOS.
BlackBerry denies existence of security backdoors and blames 'cracked' encryption on user error
BlackBerry has spoken out to deny claims that its encryption has been cracked by groups associated with the police in the Netherlands. The company has long-prided itself on the level of security it offers, but that security has been called into question recently.
Reports circulated that Mexican drug lord El Chapo was able to be found partly because of his decision to use a BlackBerry (specifically a BlackBerry Z30, fact fans) to arrange interviews with actor Sean Penn. Coming after claims by the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) that it had been able to decrypt hundreds of encrypted emails on a BlackBerry handset, the Canadian company felt compelled to respond -- by blaming user error.
Interactive Advertising Bureau 'dis-invites' Adblock Plus from annual conference
Adblock Plus has been blocked from attending the IAB's (Interactive Advertising Bureau) upcoming leadership summit. The company has attended the meeting in the past, and had received an invite to this year's conference too -- but the IAB had a change of heart and retracted the invitation.
The meeting would have been an opportunity to meet with advertisers and to discuss Adblock Plus' Acceptable Ads guidelines later this week, but the IAB -- for reasons as yet undisclosed -- feels differently. In the interests of transparency (or airing dirty laundry in public, depending on your opinion), Adblock Plus has decided to go public with what's been happening.
Proxies and VPNs to be blocked by Netflix
Netflix is set to clamp down on VPNs and proxy tools used to access its services. A large proportion of Netflix content is region specific, and to get around licensing issues it has become increasingly common for people to spoof their location so they can watch their desired videos.
Netflix says it is doing what it can to ensure that people around the world have access to the same content, but until this is officially the case, the company is looking to enforce geographic restrictions more stringently. In the coming weeks, anyone who uses a proxy is likely to find it impossible to access content that is not licensed for viewing in their country.
Police could tap into router data to verify digital alibis
Law enforcement agencies are missing out on a vast amount of valuable data that could be used to convict criminals, or prove innocence. Dan Blackman from Edith Cowan University, Australia says that police are missing out on swathes of data that could be gathered from Wi-Fi devices.
For privacy advocates it's a suggestion that is likely to make the gag reflex kick in, but Blackman says that router data could be a valuable tool in fighting crime. Information such as device MAC addresses, coupled with data about connections to routers can be used to place individuals at the scene of a crime -- or away from it -- but timeliness is the key to success.
Brits acquiesce to internet surveillance but distrust data storage
UK web users are coming round to the idea of online surveillance by the government, but harbor concerns about how personal data will be stored. These are the findings of a survey by Broadband Genie that suggests terror attacks have led to a swing in public opinion of the Snooper's Charter.
But while people may be coming round to the idea of internet surveillance, they remain concerned about how private data -- such as browsing history -- will be stored. 27 percent of those surveyed said their opinion had been swayed by recent terrorist attacks by the likes of ISIS.
And this, boys and girls, is why online vigilantism is a terrible idea
I've written recently about the dangers of online vigilantes infringing on the free speech of others. Anonymous is one of the biggest offenders in this department, but there are numerous hacking groups that -- under the banner of fighting one evil or another -- take the law of the web into their own hands without a thought for the consequences.
Online vigilantes stir up populist support by throwing around the keywords associated with the enemy of the moment -- terrorists, ISIS, racists, fascists, communists, socialists, pedophiles. All very emotive issues, but vigilantism can all too easily get out of hand. This has just been demonstrated perfectly by YouTube star Keemstar who took it upon himself to expose a 62-year-old pedophile online through his DramaAlert podcast. The only problem is that he and his team got the wrong man.
Nvidia GPU driver bug could expose your Chrome Incognito porn browsing
If you have an online porn habit you like to indulge from time to time, you're probably well-acquainted with Chrome's Incognito mode. Like Microsoft Edge's InPrivate browsing, and Firefox's Private browsing, Google's browser includes a mode that can be used to keep your browsing secret. At least that's the idea...
One gamer and unashamed porn consumer found that his X-rated browsing sessions were exposed by Diablo III. Running the game on his Mac, Evan Andersen found that cached images from his Incognito browsing sessions were displayed as the RPG title loaded. He managed to grab screenshots of the bug in action, and even went as far as writing a program to show what's happening.
Tech firms ready to work with US spy agencies to combat IS and online terrorism
Silicon Valley met with the US government on Friday to discuss how to tackle online terrorist propaganda from the likes of IS. At a closed-door meeting, Tim Cook and representative of Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft and other tech firms spoke with White House officials to try to find a way to combat terrorists on the web.
Joined by the likes of the NSA and FBI, the technology firms, and the Obama administration are seeking ways to stop terrorist propaganda being disseminated online. IS has already proved itself to be a masterful manipulator of the media, and has successfully used social networks such as Facebook and Twitter to get its message out.
If you're fine with Microsoft's approach to privacy in Windows 10, you're out of touch
Yeah, I'm going to bang that drum again. We've talked endlessly about privacy and telemetry in Windows 10. Endlessly. It's brought up some interesting issues for debates, led to comparisons between Microsoft and Google, and lots and lots of lots of bile. A case in point is an article from dear, dear Mr Ed Bott over on ZDNet. Mr Bott refers, subtweet style, to my recent article about Microsoft recording how long people are using Windows 10.
He refers -- albeit indirectly -- to me (and writers like me who question Microsoft) as a "dedicated Microsoft hater" and a "clueless writer" peddling in clickbait. He suggests I'm not interested in facts; this despite the fact I have gone out of my way to garner such delights from Microsoft. Bott completely -- COMPLETELY -- misses the point. I can only hope he does so on purpose because otherwise he just sounds disingenuous and a bit stupid. The problem here is not that Microsoft is gathering data (as it is perfectly entitled to do so), but the lack of transparency surrounding it. Microsoft does nothing to help itself.
Oscobo is a privacy-focused search engine that won't sell your data
Using the web can mean selling your soul to the devil. Or Google. (Which you may well regard as the same thing.) With the increased interest in privacy there is a new market for tools and services that help to protect users. Catering to web users who are concerned about how Google might use search data, Oscobo is a new search engine that promises not to track users.
Founded on the belief that "personal data should remain just that -- personal", Oscobo is a UK-based company that says it won't store any data about its users, let alone share it with anyone else. With the controversy surrounding the snooper's charter, it makes sense that the privacy-focused search engine should start life in the UK, but there are plans to expand further afield to provide tailored results for people around the world.
No backdoors thanks, we're Dutch
Unlike other countries, notably the UK and China, that have been busy passing laws to allow them to snoop on encrypted communication, the Dutch government has decided that strong encryption is vital to the health of its digital economy and the privacy of its citizens.
The country's minister of security and justice Ard van der Steur writes in an official statement that the Dutch executive cabinet endorses, "...the importance of strong encryption for Internet security to support the protection of privacy for citizens, companies, the government, and the entire Dutch economy. Therefore, the government believes that it is currently not desirable to take legal measures against the development, availability and use of encryption within the Netherlands".
Why is Microsoft monitoring how long you use Windows 10?
The various privacy concerns surrounding Windows 10 have received a lot of coverage in the media, but it seems that there are ever more secrets coming to light. The Threshold 2 Update did nothing to curtail privacy invasion, and the latest Windows 10 installation figures show that Microsoft is also monitoring how long people are using the operating system.
This might seem like a slightly strange statistic for Microsoft to keep track of, but the company knows how long, collectively, Windows 10 has been running on computers around the world. To have reached this figure (11 billion hours in December, apparently) Microsoft must have been logging individuals' usage times. Intrigued, we contacted Microsoft to find out what on earth is going on.
Microsoft's promise of spying warnings is an empty gesture
Yesterday we reported that Microsoft will warn users of 'state-sponsored' attacks on their accounts. Sounds great, but does it actually mean anything? Is it a useful service by the tech giant, or just PR bluster?
Considering the covert nature of spying and digital attacks, coupled with legislation around the world, it seems likely that the announcement is little more than meaningless hot air. In the UK, for instance, the planned snooper's charter would make it illegal for companies to alert users to hacking and surveillance by British agencies.
US is spying on its allies for 'national security' purposes
Even though US president Barack Obama promised to end the eavesdropping on highly-positioned officials among US allies, which was revealed during the Edward Snowden events, it seems that some officials are still under close watch by the NSA.
Among those is the prime minister of one of US' biggest allies -- Israel. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the White House decided to keep certain high-ranking officials under close watch, including Netanyahu and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, president of Turkey.
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