Privacy.News

A privacy news aggregator brought to you by the team at DP.News - "Informing You Without Watching you."

AP – Ban on facial recognition technology advances in Minneapolis

A proposal to ban the use of facial recognition technology by Minneapolis police and other city departments is advancing.

The technology has raised concerns by some who worry it could be a dangerous step toward a surveillance state where people’s movements are tracked the moment they leave their homes.

DP.News

https://digitalprivacy.news

  • Q&A: Zimbabwe’s Kuda Hove
    on January 25, 2021

    ‘There Are No Safeguards to People’s Right to Privacy’ By Maureen Nkatha With no active law on how private data…

  • COVID Fears Thwart Calif. Move to Protect DNA Information
    on January 22, 2021

    By Matthew Scott Last of two parts. An effort to give consumers more protection over the use of their DNA…

  • New Blow in DNA Privacy Fight
    on January 21, 2021

    By Matthew Scott First of two parts. Debate over how DNA obtained by direct-to-consumer genetic-testing companies can be used likely…

  • UK Girl, 12, Sues TikTok Over Claims of Breaching Her Privacy
    on January 20, 2021

    By Robert Bateman Social media app TikTok is facing a class-action lawsuit in the U.K., led by an unnamed 12-year-old…

  • What Happened? Marriott Breach
    on January 19, 2021

    Hotel Chain Hacked After Huge Attack  By Najmeh Tima “What Happened?” is an occasional feature by Digital Privacy News that…

  • Spotify’s ‘Seductive Surveillance’
    on January 15, 2021

    How Companies Use Personalization to Leverage Our Surrendering of Data   By Asa Hiken   I was elated when, last month, Spotify…

  • Facebook Can ‘Bypass GDPR’ After Court Ruling, Privacy Advocate Says
    on January 14, 2021

    By Robert Bateman An Austrian court has ruled that Facebook can process its users’ personal information without consent, owing to…

  • Chinese Drone Maker Accused of Privacy, Security Compromises
    on January 13, 2021

    By Christopher Adams Two cybersecurity firms reportedly have proven that software in Chinese-made drones compromise the privacy and security of…

  • ‘A Rich Seam to Mine’
    on January 12, 2021

    Meeting Planners See Information Bounty in Virtual Events From COVID By Joanne Cleaver  As a professional event planner and association…

  • Q&A: Kian Vesteinsson of Freedom House Research Group
    on January 11, 2021

    COVID Is ‘Laying the Foundation for the Future Surveillance State’ By Patrick W. Dunne Kian Vesteinsson is a research analyst…

Privacy News

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You can reach us at:

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Soundcloud: The Privacy Interview

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New York Times

Note: links go to external paywall

  • How to Make Data Privacy Real
    on January 20, 2021

    We need control over how our data is used. Thanks to California, there’s a promising new path.

Wall Street Journal

Note: links go to external paywall

    Los Angeles Times

    Note: links go to external paywall

    • Column: Pandemic, not privacy, tops list of 2021 consumer trends. Let's change that
      on January 22, 2021

      Market researcher Euromonitor predicts COVID will define 2021 consumer experiences. But their own report reveals a need for privacy safeguards.

    • California voters approve Prop. 24, ushering in new rules for online privacy
      on November 4, 2020

      Californians decided to approve new — and controversial — privacy rules for the internet.

    • With Prop. 24, California is trying to rewrite the rules of online privacy. Again.
      on October 15, 2020

      The ballot measure is intended to strengthen California's landmark data privacy law — so why are privacy groups against it?

    Washington Post

    Note: links go to external paywall

    • Soldiers injured in fresh border skirmish between India and China
      on January 25, 2021

      The clash took place in Sikkim, hundreds of miles away from the ongoing standoff in Ladakh.

    • Two days of total lockdown in a crowded Hong Kong neighborhood
      on January 25, 2021

      Hong Kong on Monday lifted an unprecedented two-day lockdown on an area in Kowloon’s Yau Ma Tei and Jordan neighborhoods, which restricted some 10,000 people to an area of less than half a square mile.

    The Markup

    Note: links go to external site

    • Tech Firms Profited from Far-Right Militia Content Despite Ban on “Three Percenters”
      on January 21, 2021

      Google and Facebook ran ads for “Give Violence a Chance” shirts and far-right militia merchandise, which also appeared on Amazon

    • Facebook Said It Would Stop Pushing Users to Join Partisan Political Groups. It Didn’t.
      on January 19, 2021

      According to Citizen Browser data, the platform especially peppered Trump voters with political group recommendations

    • Biden and Trump Voters Were Exposed to Radically Different Coverage of the Capitol Riot on Facebook
      on January 14, 2021

      Data from The Markup’s Citizen Browser project shows the different realities Americans inhabited on Facebook last week

    Wired

    Security and Privacy stories from Wired
    Note: links go to external site

    • The Truth About North Korea’s Ultra-Lockdown Against Covid-19
      on January 24, 2021

      The country has turned inward more than ever, leaving the true impact of the pandemic a mystery.

    • Flash Is Dead—but Not Gone
      on January 24, 2021

      Zombie versions of Adobe’s troubled software can still cause problems in systems around the world.

    • The FTC Cracks Down on Bot-Wielding Ticket Scalpers
      on January 23, 2021

      Plus: A security company creeper, Biden’s cyberteam, and the rest of this […]

    • Chrome and Edge Want to Help Solve Your Password Problems
      on January 23, 2021

      The line between browsers and password managers is blurring.

    • Parler Finds a Reprieve in Russia—but Not a Solution
      on January 21, 2021

      The far-right platform still hasn’t found a US-based home. Where it lands […]

    • A Site Published Every Face From Parler's Capitol Riot Videos
      on January 20, 2021

      Faces of the Riot used open source software to detect, extract, and deduplicate […]

    ZDNet

    Security coverage from ZDNet
    Note: links go to external site

    • Dutch COVID-19 patient data sold on the criminal underground

      Two individuals have been arrested in the Netherlands last week for selling data from Dutch COVID-19 systems on Telegram, Snapchat and Wickr.

    • That cute robot cop can instantly work out who you are

      They look so friendly, as they roll along your shopping mall. Some, though, are concerned about what robot cops are really up to.

    • Data of BuyUcoin cryptocurrency exchange traders allegedly leaked online

      A customer update, since removed, claimed the leak was “dummy data.”

    • DreamBus botnet targets enterprise apps running on Linux servers

      DreamBus botnet uses exploits and brute-force to target PostgreSQL, Redis, SaltStack, Hadoop, Spark, and others.

    KREBS

    Note: links go to external site

    • New Charges Derail COVID Release for Hacker Who Aided ISIS
      on January 19, 2021

      A hacker serving a 20-year sentence for stealing personal data on 1,300 U.S. military and government employees and giving it to an Islamic State hacker group in 2015 has been charged once again with fraud and identity […]

    The Intercept

    Note: links go to external site

      EFF

      Electronic Frontier Foundation
      Note: links go to EFF's site

      • For Many, the Arab Spring Isn't Over
        on January 25, 2021

        Ten years ago today, Egyptians took to the streets to topple a dictator who had clung to power for nearly three decades. January 25th remains one of the most important dates of the Arab Spring, a series of massive, civilian-led protests and uprisings that spread across the Middle East and North Africa a decade ago. Using social media and other digital technologies to spread the word and amplify their organizing, people across the region demanded an end to the corruption and authoritarian rule that had plagued their societies. Despite setbacks, much of the work that was started in 2011 […]

      • Twitter and Interoperability: Some Thoughts From the Peanut Gallery
        on January 25, 2021

        Late in 2019, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey floated "Project Blue Sky," a plan for an interoperable, federated, standardized Twitter that would let users (or toolsmiths who work on behalf of users) gain more control over their participation in the Twitter system. This was an exciting moment for us, a significant lurch towards an interoperable, decentralized social media world. We were especially excited to see Dorsey cite Mike Masnick's excellent Protocols, Not Products paper. It’s been more than a year, and Twitter has marked its progress with an “ecosystem review” that sets out its view of […]

      • EFF’s Top Recommendations for the Biden Administration
        on January 22, 2021

        At noon on January 20, 2021, Joseph R. Biden, Jr. was sworn in as the 46th […]

      • Political Satire Is Protected Speech – Even If You Don’t Get the Joke
        on January 20, 2021

        This blog post was co-written by EFF Legal Fellow Houston Davidson. Should an […]

      • Blyncsy’s Patent On Contact Tracing Isn’t A Medical Breakthrough, It’s A Patent Breakdown
        on January 20, 2021

        Stupid Patent of the Month Contact tracing is critical for limiting the spread […]

      • Oakland’s Progressive Fight to Protect Residents from Government Surveillance
        on January 20, 2021

        The City of Oakland, California, has once again raised the bar on community […]

      Reuters Technology

      Security and Privacy stories from Reuters
      Note: links go to external site

      • Chip industry group urges Biden admin to review export controls on China

        A semiconductor industry group on Monday called for a review of the Trump administration's export control policy, and urged the incoming U.S. Commerce Secretary to work with allies when curbing sales of U.S. technology to China for national security.

      Hacker News

      Note: links go to external site

      • Upvote to encourage more people to visit New Links on Hacker News
        on January 25, 2021

      IAPP

      Intl Assoc of Privacy Professionals
      Note: links go to external site

      • Roundup: China, EU, US and more
        on January 25, 2021

        In this week’s global legislative roundup, WhatsApp could face a 50 million euro fine for allegedly failing to adhere to EU General Data Protection Regulation transparency requirements. In the U.S., the Biden administration appointed Christopher Hoff, CIPP/E, CIPP/US, CIPM, as deputy […]

      • Moving beyond notice and choice to welcome a fiduciary standard
        on January 25, 2021

        Starting off the year with a bang, the New York State Legislature reintroduced the New York Privacy Act, Assembly Bill 8680, a carbon copy of a bill from the previous legislative session. In many respects, the bill borrows heavily from its coastal companion, the California Privacy Rights Act, as it […]

      • Database exposes data on 220M Brazilians
        on January 25, 2021

        Somag News reports databases belonging to an unidentified Brazilian organization were left open to expose personal data on more than 220 million individuals. Names, birthdates and individual taxpayer registry identification were revealed in the breach, along with distinct vehicle information, […]

      • 'Privacy Around the Globe: Ghana'
        on January 25, 2021

        In this month's installment of "Privacy Around the Globe," IAPP Vice President and Chief Knowledge Officer Omer Tene will speak with Data Protection Commission of Ghana Executive Director Patricia Adusei-Poku. Join the IAPP Jan. 26 on LinkedIn Live as Adusei-Poku discusses privacy under Ghana's law […]

      Internet Society

      Note: links go to external site

      • Closing in on Equity: Truist EPIC Grant Seeks to Expand Potential in Communities through Broadband Access
        on January 25, 2021

        The image was shared around the world.­ Two little girls hunched over their laptops on a concrete sidewalk, accessing the free WiFi at a fast-food restaurant in order to complete their schoolwork. It was a bleak reminder of the stark digital divide in the United States, where millions are excluded […]

      • Indigenous Communities Must Have Internet Access on Their Own Terms
        on January 20, 2021

        A shorter version of this article was first published in the Toronto Star. With the recent launch of the Universal Broadband Fund, or UBF, the federal government has committed to addressing the connectivity gap that is far too real for many people living in Canada. Over the past eight months, […]

      Vice

      Note: links go to external site

      • Former LulzSec Hacker Releases VPN Zero-Day Used to Hack Hacking Team
        on January 25, 2021

        A security researcher has released an exploit for SonicWall VPNs that was originally found by Phineas Fisher in 2015.

      Top Stories

      • GIZMODO – 2.28 Million People Registered on Dating Site MeetMindful

        Millions of users of the dating site MeetMindful got some unpleasant news on Sunday. ZDNet reported that the hacker group ShinyHunters has dumped what appears to be data from the dating site’s user database. The leak, which was confirmed by the company, purportedly contains the sensitive information of more than 2.28 million of the site’s registered user.

      • WSJ – WHO Plans Privacy, Security Rules for Covid-19 Vaccine Certificates

        The World Health Organization is working on technical details and privacy standards for digital coronavirus vaccine certificates to give individuals proof of immunization that could be accepted in other countries.

      • IAPP – Washington Privacy Act passes through Senate committee

        The Washington State Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology passed the latest iteration of the Washington Privacy Act. State Sen. Reuven Carlyle, D-Wash., announced on Twitter the bill passed with a 12–1 vote. The bill has now been referred to the state's Senate Ways & Means Committee.

      • ZDNet – Hackers publish thousands of files after government agency refuses to pay ransom

        The hackers behind the ransomware attack on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have published thousands of stolen files after the organization refused to pay the ransom.

        Scotland's government regulator for protecting the environment was hit with a ransomware attack on Christmas Eve, with cybercriminals stealing 1.2 GB of data in the process. Almost a month on from the attack, SEPA services remain disrupted – but despite this, the agency has made it clear it won't engage with those behind the attack.

      EPIC

      Electronic Privacy Info. Center
      Note: links go to external site

      • European Parliament Guidelines Call for Moratorium on Facial Recognition
        on January 22, 2021

        In a report released January 20, 2021 the European Parliament outlines the need for new legal frameworks for artificial intelligence and biometric surveillance. The report raises concerns about both civilian and military uses of artificial intelligence, mass surveillance, and deepfakes. The […]

      • EPIC Obtains Internal AI Commission Emails From Schmidt, Others
        on January 20, 2021

        EPIC, as part of the open government case EPIC v. AI Commission, has obtained additional records from the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. The documents include emails from Commission chair and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt illustrating Schmidt’s close relationship with […]

      • EPIC to Washington Legislature: Pass Commonsense AI Regulation
        on January 20, 2021

        EPIC Equal Justice Works Fellow Ben Winters testified today before the Washington Legislature in support of a bill to establish transparency and accountability around state automated decision-making and ban certain dangerous applications of AI. Under SB5116, public and regularly updated algorithmic […]

      BBC

      Note: links go to external site

      • Covid: Facebook suspends Israel PM Netanyahu's chatbot
        on January 25, 2021

        The bot asked about people's Covid vaccination status, breaching a policy on private medical data.

      • Facebook's Oversight Board to rule on Trump ban
        on January 21, 2021

        The new board will decide whether the former president can use Facebook and Instagram again.

      CDT

      Center for Democracy & Technology
      Note: links go to external site

      • Commercial Companies and FERPA’s School Official Exception: A Survey of Privacy Policies
        on January 22, 2021

        This 2-pager was authored by Jack Becker. PDF version here. COVID-19 and Edtech Platforms COVID-19 has presented obstacles to in-person learning, with many schools opting to use education technology (“edtech”) platforms as a solution. However, concerns about student privacy have emerged, […]

      Privacy International

      Note: links go to external site

      • Aligning remedies in abuse of dominance cases with data protection principles
        on January 22, 2021
      • PI highlights the need for urgent reform of the use of personal data in political campaigning.
        on January 20, 2021
      • Data Exploitation and Political Campaigning: A Company Guide Resource
        on January 19, 2021
      • Mi DNI, mi identidad: El impacto de los sistemas de identificación sobre las personas transgénero en Argentina, Francia y en Filipinas.
        on January 15, 2021

      Reddit “/privacy” (reader beware)

      Warning ... we don't moderate this ... which is why it's hidden at the bottom-right ... but the Reddit /privacy group is often (very) early in breaking digital privacy related stories ... anyway, links go to Reddit (obviously), travel at your own risk.

      • Moving Across the World as Privately as Possible
        on January 25, 2021

        I don't mean moving illegally, I'll immigrate legally as I am able to. I have the opportunity to move to a country where I have zero information footprint […]

      • how long does google keep ip logs?
        on January 25, 2021

        I've searched for the answer but cant find one for ip logs. Only that they keep data in your search logs for eighteen months. Is the IP used when creating an […]

      • Google announces plan to tackle privacy issues in online advertising. Company attempts to chart middle ground between Apple’s privacy-first approach and the needs of advertisers.
        on January 25, 2021

        submitted by /u/trai_dep [link] [comments]

      • Personal and medical data of Dutch residents who did a covid test leaked.
        on January 25, 2021

        Source (Dutch): https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/nederland/artikel/5210644/handel-gegevens-nederlanders-ggd-systemen-database-coronit-hpzone It basically comes […]

      • How sure can we be that deleted accounts are really ever gone?
        on January 25, 2021

        To a large social media company, is there really any difference between an active account and a deleted account? Obviously the deleted account is not going to […]

      • does windows 10 file explorer send microsoft a hash of every file you open?
        on January 25, 2021

        i remember it in the news at the time, and they rolled the "feature" into 7 & 8 as well. but some searching now isn't turning anything up, so is this […]

      • Google Effort to Kill Third-Party Cookies in Chrome Rolls Out in April
        on January 25, 2021

        submitted by /u/andyholla84 [link] [comments]

      • iOS 14 AppTrackingTransparency Framework - What does this mean for user privacy?
        on January 25, 2021

        Hey everyone, I have been doing a lot of reading into what exactly is happening with iOS 14's new privacy framework and what it means for iOS users once the […]