Privacy Tips
April 11th, 2023
Face filters, in-app features that allow you to alter your appearance, present themselves as innocuous fun. Look! I have puppy eyes! But like just about everything app-related (and like most topics we cover here) there’s a downside. Two, really: They can be creepy—especially “age filters”—and they’re awful when it comes to users’ privacy, providing permanent “faceprints” to the companies that own them.
Let’s focus on those age filters. These are filters that allow…... Continue reading >
March 23rd, 2023
You may have suspected this already, but deepfake videos, in which footage is heavily manipulated, are here. And, predictably, they’re alarming. Students in a school about an hour north of New York City recently fabricated a video that showed—even though it never happened—a middle school principal going on a racist rant. To be clear, the principal didn’t say what the video showed him saying. And that, of course, is what’s so alarming.
It offers…... Continue reading >
March 14th, 2023
Tech companies and advertisers want your email address. Don’t give it to them. A recent article in the New York Times likens your email address to a “digital breadcrumb” and advises you to keep that crumb to yourself. As one advertising executive said to the Times, “I can take your email address and find data you may not have even realized you’ve given to a brand. … The amount of data that is out there on us…... Continue reading >
February 26th, 2023
Your infant grandson sitting on the (endlessly patient) family dog. His older sister’s kindergarten portrait. The giddy dance they perform every time you play “Yellow Submarine.” They’re all moments you cherish and want to remember. And you know your friends would love them, too. So you do what so many of us do now. You share them. Not just with your closest confidants, but with hundreds of “friends” and countless people you’ll never meet.
... Continue reading >
February 22nd, 2023
Wired and others are reporting on a new bug that can slip past Apple’s security standards and access your messages, photos, and call history. Now would be a good time to update your iPhone, iPad, and any other Apple devices you’ve got. Researchers have identified a bug “that could allow criminal hackers to break out of Apple’s security protections and run their own unauthorized code.” Not good. Update.
... Continue reading >
February 1st, 2023
Even our government is making money off of your personal data. Sure, it’s legal, but is it right?
You likely know that mega businesses, such as Amazon, social media and search engine companies, collect vast amounts of data about us. That’s so they can target their goods and services more precisely to customers. It’s all in the name of helping advertisers reach specific audiences and demographics.
And…... Continue reading >
January 19th, 2023
Ever wonder how the pros—the privacy pros, the people who make a career out of studying digital privacy—live? Consumer Reports put out a piece at the end of last year that gives a glimpse into the lives of the experts. Do they use Alexa? Is their home completely wired? Some good tips in here, including (gasp!) using an alias to sign up for services and discounts.
... Continue reading >
December 27th, 2022
Every year we make New Year’s resolutions. Sometimes we succeed, often we don’t. Either way, resolutions can be useful. They indicate an awareness that something about the way we live needs to change. For many of us, the way we use technology—smartphones, fitness trackers, social media—needs to change. So here are a handful of resolutions aimed at improving our relationship with tech. They’ve got two things going for them: they’re important…... Continue reading >
January 4th, 2023
They’re tracking your days. Now they want to track your nights, too.
At bedtime, the last thing you should have to think about is a large, multinational corporation bent on keeping track of your activity while you slumber. But in this era of permanent connection, in which personal data is the new currency, surveillance is a round-the-clock concern.
Amazon’s Halo Rise is the latest effort to collect and monetize information…... Continue reading >
December 2nd, 2022
Here’s a quick tip on how NOT to make your wish list this holiday season. Don’t send links. If you’ve got a bunch of gift ideas to share with someone, write them down. Type them out. Talk about it. But don’t send an email or text full of links. Here’s why.
You scour the internet for the things you want to buy for the holidays. Your partner does the same. Your kids, online natives…... Continue reading >