In the NewsHere are summaries of recent, worthwhile articles about online privacy issues from other websites that piqued our interest.
Here are summaries of recent, worthwhile articles about online privacy issues from other websites that piqued our interest.
July 30th, 2022
Digital privacy is finally on the minds of lawmakers in Washington, but they can’t quite figure out how to act on it. According to the Washington Post, the Senate is considering a pair of bills focused on protecting kids. The House, meanwhile, is working on a bill that would address digital privacy for all Americans, regardless of age. Perhaps not surprisingly, each side thinks its approach is best. As a result…nothing? We’ll see.
Read full articleJuly 26th, 2022
Is the end of the social networking era on the horizon? Is it here already? A piece by Scott Rosenberg on Axios makes the case that the social networking model—after more than a decade at the top of our digital experience—is kaput. Following Tik Tok’s lead, Facebook now plans to “shape your online life around the algorithmically sorted preferences of millions of strangers around the globe.”
Read full articleJuly 22nd, 2022
Facial recognition technology is everywhere. Well, almost. And it’s becoming increasingly common. Officials in New Orleans just authorized its police force to employ it. And in London, police used the technology to scan more than 36,000 faces in just one busy weekend. Face it: This is the new face of surveillance.
Read full articleJuly 19th, 2022
If your Instagram feed is like everyone else’s, it’s gotten pretty messy lately. Suggested and recommended posts that have nothing to do with your interests. Video after video, each less interesting than the last. One solution: Quit Instagram! Another, less drastic option: clean up your feed. You’ll like it better, yes, but the big benefit: It’ll be more private. Cleaning up your feed gives you a bit more control over what you see. And that gives you a bit more control over how Instagram looks at you. This article explains how to do it.
Read full articleJuly 13th, 2022
The scam economy—fraudulent emails, robo calls, spam texts—cost victims nearly $6 billion last year. But it’s not just our dollars at risk. It’s our emotional well-being, too. A recent article in the Washington Post describes how the incessant intrusions from unknown numbers, and the need to guard against their entreaties, takes its toll on our mental health.
Read full articleJuly 8th, 2022
An interesting piece from Wired about the increasing importance of end-to-end encryption. The article uses recent Supreme Court rulings as a jumping-off point, but goes on to highlight the widespread benefits of incorporating the technology into daily life. The piece cites studies that refer to end-to-end encryption as a “human rights issue in the digital age.”
Read full articleJune 19th, 2022
We aren’t the only ones trying to blow the whistle, raise the flag, and holler from the hilltops. NPR and the Washington Post are sounding the alarm, too: App-builders are finding ways to track your kids, even though they know they’re not supposed to. On a recent episode of NPR’s Fresh Air, Washington Post columnist Geoffrey Fowler explained just how tech companies exploit loopholes in privacy laws to gather data on kids.
Read full articleJune 8th, 2022
You already know that your iPhone isn’t really off when its screen is dark. It wouldn’t be able to buzz when someone calls you if it were. But did you know that “powering down” doesn’t really do the trick, either? Bluetooth and other features continue operating in low-power mode. Researchers now warn that can leave you open to hackers.
Read full articleMay 26th, 2022
A win for privacy: Twitter will pay a $150 million settlement for deceptive advertising practices. According to the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission, the social media platform (and object—maybe?—of Elon Musk’s eye) illicitly used email addresses and phone numbers to better target the advertisements users see in their feed.
Read full articleApril 28th, 2022
Citing security concerns, Google is encouraging everyone who uses the company’s Chrome browser to upgrade to the latest version of the software. The new version addresses some 30 security fixes. That’s important. If you’re a Chrome user, upgrade now. For more information, read here and here.
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