2021-08-18 09:30
Given the by-now inarguable importance of data protection to the online world today, it is extraordinary that one person and his organization have almost single-handedly shaped the privacy l… Read More
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Online Privacy blog by Private Internet Access VPN. Learn how an anonymous VPN can help protect you and your family along with other top tech news and info.
2021-08-12 13:36
As Privacy News Online has noted, one name that crops up frequently in the context of the EU’s General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR) is the privacy expert and activist Max Schrems. Bu… Read More
2021-08-09 17:40
For many Westerners, China is a country associated with widespread surveillance, stringent censorship, and human rights abuses in regions such as Hong Kong and Xinjiang. Despite that, the C… Read More
2021-07-29 10:43
One of the surest signs that privacy is becoming a major factor in the online world is the attempt by major Internet companies to claim that they value it. Mark Zuckerberg proclaimed that … Read More
2021-07-22 18:39
A few months ago, we wrote about dual-use surveillance systems – that is, technology that can be used for both peaceful and military purposes. The post discussed some limited efforts b… Read More
2021-07-20 10:57
As numerous posts on Privacy News Online demonstrate, Facebook is one of the biggest problems for privacy around the world. That problem just became bigger, as the company’s market cap… Read More
2021-07-06 08:20
Often it can seem that the battle to protect online privacy is hopeless, as companies gather ever-more data about us as we move around the internet. But in the background, the fightback is u… Read More
2021-06-14 19:00
One way of looking at privacy is in terms of controlling personal data. That means stopping others from accessing existing private information or collecting new personal data; and not allowi… Read More
2021-06-14 16:53
Surveillance systems often use biometrics to identify key aspects of individuals. A previous blog post discussed the use of gait recognition, behavioral biometrics, and even cardiac signatur… Read More
2021-06-11 13:26
Police forces across the world have revealed details of Trojan Shield, what is probably the most successful digital sting operation yet:
A series of large-scale law enforcement actions were… Read More
2021-06-08 17:00
You may have noticed that the Private Internet Access website recently got a makeover. We decided it was finally time to give our incredible VPN product the look and feel it deserves. We cou… Read More
2021-06-08 13:14
A few weeks ago, Privacy News Online wrote about the Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information taking action against Facebook, in a move that signalled growing unha… Read More
2021-06-03 17:29
Most modern browsers, Mozilla Firefox included, offer to save your usernames and passwords, making it easier to login to your favorite websites. Over time, these login credentials may change… Read More
2021-06-03 13:14
Working from home has become the norm for millions, perhaps billions, of people around the world. This huge shift in how people spend most of their waking hours naturally brings with it an… Read More
2021-06-01 14:35
The EU’s main privacy law, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is three years old. Access Now has produced what it calls an “implementation report”, which useful… Read More
2021-05-27 13:16
Back in 2018, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that the UK’s mass interception of fiber-optic cable traffic violated people’s right to privacy because of insuffic… Read More
2021-05-25 13:02
It’s no secret that many companies and governments try to collect as much personal information as possible. This might be because they believe this will improve the results of their a… Read More
2021-05-20 18:05
Back in January, Privacy News Online wrote about China’s important new privacy legislation, the Personal Information Protection Law. That post concentrated on the law’s extrate… Read More
2021-05-18 13:02
Back in February, Privacy News Online wrote about a major change to the way WhatsApp and Facebook accounts would be managed. New terms and conditions for WhatsApp users meant that the servic… Read More
2021-05-13 13:22
The modern smartphone is a wonder. In terms of raw computing power, an article on ZME Science compared an iPhone 6 with the computers used to send astronauts to the moon:
the iPhone 6’… Read More
2021-05-11 13:25
A recurrent theme on this blog has been the growing importance of controlling cross-border data flows, in part because of concerns about privacy. One increasingly popular approach with gove… Read More
2021-05-11 13:00
Whether you want your daily dose of cute cat videos or a step-by-step video guide for a software installation, YouTube is your go-to place no matter where you are in the world. With almost 5… Read More
2021-05-07 16:00
Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of May 7, 2021
What happens to privacy once AIs start hacking systems – and people?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has mostly figured in this b… Read More
2021-05-07 13:54
Highly-paid management consultants are generally regarded with a certain suspicion and perhaps envy by many people. A popular joke has it that a management consultant is someone who borrows… Read More
2021-05-05 18:00
This interview first aired on April 16, 2021
Timestamp Links & Questions:
[0:40] What is the ioXt Alliance, and why was it started?
[1:31] What about the companies? Why shoul… Read More
2021-05-05 13:34
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has mostly figured in this blog because of its ability to sift through information – for example, finding patterns in data, or matching faces. But one of… Read More
2021-04-30 18:00
One of the greatest threats to privacy online is the tracking of users across multiple sites and services. This allows companies such as Facebook and specialist data brokers to build up high… Read More
2021-04-30 16:00
Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of April 30, 2021
As the battle to set 6G standards begins, UK spy agency warns China seeks to “control the global operating system”
W… Read More
2021-04-27 14:30
Two years ago, this blog noted that the latest generation of mobile communications, 5G, brought with it undoubted benefits, but also real risks to privacy. Even today, the threat of ubiquito… Read More
2021-04-27 13:12
The European Commission has unveiled proposals for what it terms “new rules and actions aiming to turn Europe into the global hub for trustworthy Artificial Intelligence”. Evide… Read More
2021-04-23 16:00
Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of April 23, 2021
Privacy organizations call for facial recognition to be regulated or even banned, as police turn to Clearview AI
Privacy concern… Read More
2021-04-21 19:35
This interview first aired on December 18, 2020
Timestamp Links & Questions:
[0:40] Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and the journey that led to you being one of the most wa… Read More
2021-04-20 13:30
A couple of weeks ago, this blog wrote about Facebook’s huge data leak of 533 million personal data records online. As that post noted, despite the huge numbers involved, this wasn&rs&hell…Read More
2021-04-16 18:00
Most people are aware of the recent rise of China as an economic, political and military superpower. Less well known is China’s massive infrastructure program known as the Belt and Ro… Read More
2021-04-16 16:00
Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of April 16, 2021
What the Great Personal Data Leak of 2021 tells us about Facebook
Last week, we reported on the 533 million Facebook users whose… Read More
2021-04-15 18:00
Earlier today, we announced that the ioXt Alliance Expanded their Certification Program for Mobile and VPN Security. This expansions includes a set of VPN-specific standards that were develo… Read More
2021-04-15 13:00
NEWPORT BEACH, California – April 15, 2021 – The ioXt Alliance, the Global Standard for IoT security, today announced that it is expanding its ioXt Compliance Program with a new… Read More
2021-04-14 18:47
This interview first aired on December 4, 2020
Timestamp Links & Questions:
[0:48] – Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and the steps in your career that led you to your… Read More
2021-04-13 22:00
At the beginning of last year, concerns about facial recognition technology increased with the appearance of the start-up Clearview AI. It was problematic for two main reasons. First, the si… Read More
2021-04-09 17:00
By now, many people will have heard about the appearance of 533,000,000 Facebook records online, first revealed in a tweet by Alon Gal at the weekend. You can find out whether you are one of… Read More
2021-04-09 16:00
Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of April 9th, 2021
Workplace surveillance is entering our homes and driving through our streets
Surveillance in the workplace is nothing new, but… Read More
2021-04-08 15:03
This interview first aired on October 9, 2020
Timestamp Links & Questions:
[0:40] – Why was Tutanota founded and what does it do?
[1:24] – Where did the name “Tutanota… Read More
2021-04-07 14:11
WiFi can be traced back to 1991, but it was in the late 1990s that the technology began to be taken up by the general public. Its success back then was by no means guaranteed. Although large… Read More
2021-04-05 20:41
The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU or short, is a regular critic of Facebook for its many privacy failures over the years. Yet, a recent update to its privacy statement reveals that… Read More
2021-04-05 14:15
Privacy News Online frequently writes about surveillance conducted by governments on their populations, or by companies on their users. Less well-known is the connection between governments… Read More
2021-04-02 16:00
Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of April 2, 2021
Are smartphone apps that constantly monitor a person’s movements and actions the future of parole – and parenting?
A… Read More
2021-04-01 15:59
Workplace surveillance has become increasingly common since this blog first wrote about it back in 2017. One recent development is that it has moved into the home as more people now work th… Read More
2021-03-26 16:01
Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of March 26th, 2021
Countries in the European Union attempt to water down privacy protections
With the European Union’s ePrivacy Regulation… Read More
2021-03-25 14:22
In the four years since Privacy News Online first wrote about corporate surveillance as the principal business model for much of the Internet, the practice has become a mainstream concern. P… Read More
2021-03-25 14:00
This interview first aired on September 25, 2020
Timestamp Links & Questions:
[0:50] – Could you tell us a little bit about what you do in your position as Director of Information… Read More
2021-03-24 16:30
A couple of years ago, Privacy News Online wrote about the use by parents of ankle bracelets to track their childrens’ whereabouts. That’s a relatively rare application of the te… Read More
2021-03-22 20:30
Sadly, we have all become so accustomed to having our data bought and sold that it rarely surprises anyone to hear about yet another company filling their coffers with the proceeds of your p… Read More
2021-03-22 18:37
Graham Ivan Clark, age 18 was sentenced to three years in prison followed by three years of probation after pleading guilty to hacking into high-profile Twitter accounts when he was 17 years… Read More
2021-03-19 18:00
Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of March 19th, 2021
Algorithmic bias: how automated decision making has become an assault on privacy
An automated decision-making system was empl… Read More
2021-03-18 13:00
This interview first aired on September 18, 2021
Timestamp Links & Questions:
[0:44] – How did the name “Orchid” come to be?
[2:27] – Could you tell us a little… Read More
2021-03-16 16:00
Last month, this blog noted that the EU’s important ePrivacy Regulation has now entered the final stretch of its legislative passage. An article on the Lawfare blog has spotted an int… Read More
2021-03-15 17:00
This interview first aired on September 11, 2020.
Timestamp Links & Questions:
[0:52] – To start off, could you expand more on what Index on Censorship does and what steps in your… Read More
2021-03-12 17:00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV1d9QW7wg0
Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of March 12th, 2021
China’s Sharp Eyes CCTV surveillance program redefines the Neighborhood Watch… Read More
2021-03-11 21:30
Trying to detect welfare fraud, where people claim benefits they are not entitled to, is not new. Nor is it unreasonable: taxpayers rightly want to know that their money is going to those w… Read More
2021-03-11 18:26
Google recently declared that it will stop selling targeted ads based on your internet history as provided by third party cookies, and is instead working o… Read More
2021-03-08 15:03
Brave Browser, the secure and private browser launched by Brendan Eich in 2018, has recently announced the acquisition of Tailcat and the release… Read More
2021-03-05 17:21
Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of March 5th, 2021
Judge rules that California can continue with its net neutrality law
Californians first passed their net neutrality law, SB 822… Read More
2021-03-04 17:05
A Chinese government program known as the Sharp Eyes Project is the latest example of China’s technological surveillance infrastructure. There are over 200 million public and priv… Read More
2021-03-02 22:18
A recent Congressional hearing held by the Subcommittee on National Security, International Development, and Monetary Policy sought to examine the use of cryptocurrencies in financing domest… Read More
2021-03-02 20:53
It was only last week that Privacy News Online wrote about introducing vaccine passports in order to provide additional freedoms to those who have received one of the Covid-19 vaccines. And… Read More
2021-03-02 15:06
This interview originally aired on August 28th, 2020.
Timestamp Links & Questions:
[0:50] – Can you give a quick introduction of who you are, where you work, and what you do?
[1:3… Read More
2021-02-26 20:53
Judge John Mendez of the US District Court for the Eastern District of California has ruled to let the state of California enact SB 822, a net neutrality law that was passed in the aftermath… Read More
2021-02-26 17:00
Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of February 26th, 2021
Clubhouse users are teaching each other how to stay private from Instagram
Users on the audio only social media app have be… Read More
2021-02-24 14:08
It is almost exactly a year ago that this blog first talked about the implications of Covid-19 for freedom of speech, surveillance and privacy – one of the earliest to do so. Since th… Read More
2021-02-22 21:16
WhatsApp has confirmed that users that don’t accept their controversial new privacy policy will eventually have their accounts deleted. The new privacy policy’s roll out has been… Read More
2021-02-22 19:48
This interview originally aired on August 14, 2020.
Timestamp Links & Questions:
[0:51] – Could you tell us what Let’s Encrypt does and what led you to co-found it?
[3:02] =… Read More
2021-02-19 22:58
One of the first things that you hear to do on Clubhouse is to add your Twitter and Instagram accounts to your Clubhouse profile for discoverability because otherwise there’s really no… Read More
2021-02-19 17:01
Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of February 19th, 2021
The government can search your phone at the border without a warrant
A Court of Appeals has ruled that border security can… Read More
2021-02-17 21:22
Spotify has been granted a patent on using your phone’s microphone to analyze the sounds around you for the purpose of giving song recommendations. The technology would listen for envi… Read More
2021-02-16 19:00
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has ruled that border security doesn’t need a warrant to do a digital search of your device at borders. The court decision reverses a 20… Read More
2021-02-16 16:16
The EU’s GDPR has had a massive effect on privacy worldwide. But as a post explained back in 2018, there’s more EU privacy legislation coming through which could have a similarl… Read More
2021-02-12 21:19
This interview originally aired on August 7, 2020.
Timestamp Links & Questions:
[0:47] – Can you give a quick introduction of who you are, where you work, and what you do?
[1:14] … Read More
2021-02-12 17:00
Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of February 12th, 2021
Police served warrant on Google to identify George Floyd protestors
Police used a type of warrant known as a geofence warra… Read More
2021-02-10 19:27
This blog has written a number of times about the growing threat that low-cost, rapid DNA sequencing represents for privacy. The increased use of genetic material by the police to identify… Read More
2021-02-10 16:16
South Africa’s Constitutional Court – or Concourt as it is often referred to – has banned mass surveillance of internet communications in the country. The court decisions c… Read More
2021-02-08 20:16
In the aftermath of the George Floyd Protests, Police served Google with a geofence warrant to identify suspects in crimes committed during the protests. Minneapolis Police say that the loot… Read More
2021-02-06 20:00
This blog has been pointing out for years the fundamental incompatibility between privacy and the current online advertising model. Today, most Web sites seek to gather as much personal inf… Read More
2021-02-05 17:00
Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of February 5th, 2021
UK Police Chief falsely claims that end to end encrypted messaging “puts lives at risk”
The Detective Chief Supe… Read More
2021-02-04 16:34
An unannounced update to Raspberry Pi OS has added Microsoft’s GPG key and apt repository for VSCode to the popular operating system previously known as Raspbian which is used on milli… Read More
2021-02-01 17:49
Google will be updating its in house iOS apps to avoid scaring users with a tracking permission prompt. Apple’s iOS14 privacy upgrades – specifically Apple’s App Tracking T… Read More
2021-02-01 17:21
The Metropolitan Police in the United Kingdom (UK) really really don’t want Facebook to bring end to end encryption to Facebook Messenger and Instagram. In fact, a police chief went so… Read More
2021-01-29 17:00
Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of January 29th, 2021
TikTok tracks you even if you never made an account
TikTok’s privacy policy allows the social media company to track a… Read More
2021-01-28 16:11
China has frequently figured in this blog, usually in the context of its censorship, surveillance activities, and wide-ranging abuse of human rights. But there’s another side to the st… Read More
2021-01-25 16:39
The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is the most recent government agency that has been revealed to gather US smartphone location data without a warrant. This most recent revelation that th… Read More
2021-01-25 16:36
TikTok gathers information on users and shares it with third parties, even if you’ve never made a profile. VICE reporter Riccardo Coluccini – who has used the app but had never m… Read More
2021-01-22 17:00
Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of January 22nd, 2021
Tencent has been caught spying on your web browsing history with QQ Messenger
A popular Chinese messaging desktop client, QQ… Read More
2021-01-20 16:00
QQ Messenger, a popular Chinese instant messaging app by Tencent, was caught scraping web browser history with their desktop client. The discovery was made by Chinese internet users on the Q… Read More
2021-01-19 21:41
The GDPR is a powerful, far-reaching piece of legislation, but one whose full potential the EU data protection authorities have so far failed to realize. Research from DLA Piper shows that… Read More
2021-01-19 14:00
Apple’s new privacy labels inform users about what information the app (VPN or otherwise) is sending back to the app’s developers – and for what purpose. There has been a l… Read More
2021-01-15 17:00
Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of January 15th, 2021
Not going dark: personal data from the Internet of Things ushers in a golden age for law enforcement
A new report from the Br… Read More
2021-01-14 16:58
The rollout of privacy labels in all apps available in the iOS app store has revealed the massive amount of information that Facebook collects through Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. This r… Read More
Not Going Dark: Personal Data From The Internet Of Things Ushers In A Golden Age For Law Enforcement
2021-01-13 18:13
Last week, Privacy News Online wrote about the increasing use of vehicle forensics to solve crimes. These “smartphones on wheels” join a growing list of everyday devices that ar… Read More
2021-01-12 16:18
The United Kingdom (UK) High Court has ruled that the country’s security and intelligence agencies can no longer use “general warrants” as legal writ for property interfere… Read More
2021-01-08 17:00
Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of January 8th, 2021
Police are increasingly using digital vehicle forensics to solve cases
Police departments around the country have been solvin… Read More
2021-01-06 15:34
For three and half years now, Privacy News Online has been warning about the huge, and largely ignored, danger of micro-targeted ads and real-time bidding (RTB). The approach sounds plausib… Read More
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