privacy

Worried about all those security cameras tracking your every move? Try rocking one of these visors and enjoy anonymity once again.

At least that's what Isao Echizen from Japan's National Institute of Informatics is trying to achieve with the Privacy Visor (PDF).

Developed with Seiichi Gohshi of Kogakuin University, the visor has a near-infrared light source that messes up cameras but doesn't affect the wearer's vision, according to the institute. … Read more

Anyone interested in how Google's privacy policies over the years can easily compare previous versions, thanks to an archive the company has set up online. But one of the earliest privacy policies is nowhere to be found -- and it's a shame, filmmaker Cullen Hoback says, because it's a policy that put users' privacy first.

"A cookie can tell us, 'This is the same computer that visited Google two days ago,' but it cannot tell us, 'This person is Joe Smith' or even, 'This person lives in the United States,'" reads the policy, published in … Read more

It's easy to write a quick post on Twitter or Facebook in a moment of joy -- or rage -- exclaiming your emotion with a few profane words in tow. But over time the way we want to use a social network may change, and it might make more sense for Facebook to become a professional representation of yourself. And with Graph Search just around the corner, your Facebook past is going to be extremely easy to search; possibly surfacing a side of you you'd rather not have your potential employers or family members see. Heck, you may … Read more

Proposed legislation in the European Union would force tech companies that have access to user data -- such as Facebook, Google, and Microsoft -- to report any security breaches to local cybersecurity agencies, the Financial Times reported today.

This is the European Commission's effort to make private companies accountable for privacy and security problems, European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes told the Financial Times.

If passed, the measure would require each of the EU's 27 member states to set up local cybersecurity agencies to implement security standards on online networks. Social networks, e-commerce companies, and large online platforms … Read more

A new draft bill published today aims to increase privacy for mobile app users.

Led by U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), the bill aims to legally require app developers to publicize how they gather information and also let users request deletion of their stored data.

To create the draft language for the bill, Johnson and his Web-based initiative, AppRights, held meetings with members of the Internet community, public-interest groups, app developers, and other industry stakeholders. Dubbed "The Application Privacy, Protection, and Security Act of 2013," or the APPS Act, the bill "addresses the public's growing … Read more

It looks like some cheaters in Japan aren't embracing the latest advances in technology.

According to a Wall Street Journal article, older flip phones are the communication device of choice for players looking to sneak around and keep the phone evidence hidden. For those people, the importance of subterfuge is greater than the importance of having the latest smartphone technology.

Fujitsu F-series phones have earned a reputation as "infidelity phones." They have potent privacy features that make it pretty much impossible for significant others to snoop into extracurricular texts and calls. They also hide the fact that you're using advanced privacy features, making the phone seem totally innocent.… Read more

With one little update, Instagram is out to quiet critics of its continued growth following last month's privacy policy debacle.

The photo-sharing app has 90 million monthly active users, according to its just-updated press page, as first spotted by All Things D. This is the first time the Facebook-owned property has reported active users. Previously, Instagram said that it had 100 million registered users.

The number confirms what CNET has suspected for weeks: Instagram has fully recovered from its December privacy scandal. The photo app maker had changed its terms of service with language that suggested that it would … Read more

It's my birthday today and Jeff is still making me write the blog for today's episode, but I'm fine with that because today is an exceptional show. Not just because Richard "Gems" Peterson lived up to his nickname on two occasions, but also because the stories are exceptionally strange.

First we'll look at how cheaters in Japan are getting away with their infidelity with the help of an older Fujitsu phone, simply because of a layer of stealth security that gives users privacy that would make the Ethan Hunts and James Bonds of the world jealous.

Not that we're suggesting you take tomorrow off and cheat on your spouse, but at least the misstep that leads to you getting caught will be your fault, not technology's.… Read more

As details of Facebook's Graph Search unfolded this morning, users heaved a sigh of relief when they learned that Facebook would not be exposing our innermost privacies with its latest product -- the company would simply search the data we've already (willfully) shared and make it easily accessible to friends.

Your data. Easily accessible to friends.

In the new search bar, a Facebook user can search for something like, "Friends who like 'Star Wars' and cooking." Immediately, Facebook will dig through that user's friends' likes and interests to find relevant matches. Facebook doesn't magically … Read more