Privacy and data protection

Secret document on FISA snooping law released -- sort of

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has been successful in having a secret document released by the U.S. government, that helps U.S. authorities to interpret the federal snooping law, the Foreign Intelligence Services Act (FISA).

The trouble is, the document is pretty much entirely all redacted. (So much for transparency...)

In a nutshell, last month the U.S. Congress reauthorized the FISA Amendments Act for another five years, allowing the U.S. government and its law enforcement agencies to conduct "unconstitutional surveillance," according to the EFF. However, the law is complicated and lengthy, and there is a "… Read more

California AG issues first-in-U.S. mobile app privacy guidelines

California's attorney general issued long-promised guidelines on mobile privacy today. The "Privacy on the Go (PDF)" report address the varied interests in smartphone and mobile app development, including app developers, carriers, ad networks, and operating system makers.

"We are now offering this set of privacy practice recommendations to assist app developers, and others, in considering privacy early in the development process," Attorney General Kamala Harris wrote in an introduction to the guidelines.

Sarah Downey, online privacy analyst at online privacy firm Abine, agreed that it's important to get the various mobile interests focused on … Read more

Vint Cerf: Your shirt shouldn't have Internet access

LAS VEGAS--The Internet has come a long way since he helped create it in the 1970s, Vint Cerf told an audience at CES today -- but there are still some places it shouldn't go.

"What would happen if our clothes were Internet-enabled?" Cerf, Google's chief Internet evangelist, asked during a morning session at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

It's a question Cerf started asking himself in response to a problem as old as laundry: Where did that sock go? RFID chips attached to socks could answer that question -- "Hi, I'm sock #124L, … Read more

Like virginity, lost privacy is gone for good -- CES panelist

LAS VEGAS -- The future of privacy and the cloud occupied a sidestage at CES 2013 this morning, with one panelist comparing privacy lost to something else that can't be replaced.

"Getting your privacy back is like getting your virginity back," said Jim Reavis, Executive Director of the non-profit Cloud Security Alliance, from a room on the second floor of Las Vegas Convention Center North building. The on-stage conversation between Reavis and other privacy experts focused mainly on desired changes to how to make the nebulous concept of online privacy more user-friendly.

Sid Stamm, lead privacy engineer … Read more

China tightens the screws on Internet users

The Chinese government is once again imposing new restrictions on Internet use.

A decision approved today by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress institutes an "identity management policy," according to China's official Xinhua news agency. Such a policy requires Internet users to use their real names when registering with an online provider or mobile carrier.

Though most Chinese Internet users already use their real names to sign up for online accounts, the new policy makes it the law.

Li Fei, deputy director of the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the Standing Committee, did acknowledge … Read more

Turns out Snapchat, Poke videos don't actually disappear

Snapchat and Poke videos shared with other people are supposed to go poof after a few seconds, but their vanishing act isn't working exactly as advertised.

Snapchat and Facebook's Poke apps are designed for folks who want to share photos and videos with their socially networked friends -- though only briefly. The appeal of both apps is that the photos and videos vanish after up to 10 seconds. That's supposed to mean you can send someone a potentially embarrassing or "sexty" clip of yourself, firm in the belief that it won't stick around for … Read more

Facebook starts pushing out new privacy settings

Facebook has started dribbling out the latest changes to its ever-changing privacy controls.

New privacy notifications and menus are now greeting members as they log in to the social network, according to The Next Web. Facebook users in New Zealand seem to be the first on the list to have received these updates.

Based on screenshots published by TNW, members receive a new message alerting them to the changes and explaining how they can block specific users.

A privacy shortcut menu is now part of the main toolbar at the top of your Facebook page. Previously, you'd have to … Read more

Children's privacy law catches on to apps, social networks

The Federal Trade Commission today moved to make a key children's online privacy law more up-to-date in a world of smartphones and social networks.

The agency has approved amendments to the regulations implementing the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, that would require apps and Web sites that target children to obtain parental consent before collecting geo-location information, or photos, videos or audio files that include a child's image or voice. The law was also expanded to cover services that track kids' online activity -- namely, which sites they visit -- and then give the information … Read more

SpongeBob disappears from app store after privacy criticism

Anyone wanting to download the SpongeBob Diner Dash game from Apple's iTunes app store today is out of luck.

Nickelodeon has removed the app from the store after an advocacy group filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission alleging the game violated children's online privacy rights by collecting their e-mail addresses without parents' permission.

According to the Center for Digital Democracy, which filed the complaint earlier today, cable network Nickelodeon and mobile game-maker PlayFirst are misleadingly marketing the game and are violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

SpongeBob Diner Dash is a free app … Read more

China reinforces its 'Great Firewall' to prevent encryption

China has begun reinforcing its infamous firewall with new tech designed to prevent encrypted communication.

To prevent the more enterprising citizens of China from exploiting holes in the country's firewall through the use of virtual private networks and circumventors, the Chinese government is using new technology to block encryption, according to The Guardian.

The publication reports that both consumers and businesses are being hit by the new Internet barrier, which is able to "learn, discover and block" encrypted channels provided by VPN companies. According to one company that has a customer base in the Asian country, one … Read more