The Firefox Browser is a privacy nightmare on desktop and mobile
The Firefox Browser is not as private as you may think - especially on iOS and Android. Mozilla recently announced that they would be allowing any Firefox user a means…
Survey finds majority of Americans are concerned about data collection by governments and companies
The majority of Americans are concerned about how their data is used by companies and the government. This is based on a research study by Pew released in late 2019.…
Can hardware ever be trusted? The Betrusted project aims to find out by going back to basics
As previous posts have noted, the Internet of Things is being widely embraced in the form of so-called "smart speakers" and other devices. That's despite the fact that few of…
4000 “smart” streetlights in San Diego contain always recording cameras and microphones
As you walk down the street, it’s hard to imagine that your privacy could be violated by the street light above you - but in San Diego, California, this nightmare…
Police forces around the world continue to deploy facial recognition systems, despite no evidence of their utility
Last month, this blog wrote about governments around the world continuing to trial facial recognition systems, and the growing concerns this is provoking. There's one area in particular where facial…
FBI used Graykey to unlock an iPhone 11 Pro, which was previously thought to be the most secure iPhone
A recent article by Thomas Brewster at Forbes highlights the fact that the FBI is able to unlock iPhones using a product called Graykey. Specifically, a product called Graykey was…
US government urges everyone to update Mozilla Firefox to v72.0.1 because of an active exploit that allows remote code execution
The US government’s Department of Homeland Security is urging all Firefox users to update to v72.0.1 as soon as possible. Earlier this week, a zero day vulnerability was found in…
Android community worried about presence of “Chinese spyware” by Qihoo 360 in Samsung smartphones and tablets
Earlier this week, the Android community on Reddit erupted in discussion over a thread titled: “Chinese Spyware Pre-Installed on All Samsung Phones (& Tablets)” that has since been labeled as…
Why 2020 will be make or break time for transatlantic personal data transfers
The transfer of personal data lies at the heart of much of online activity. Since many of the leading online companies were founded and have their headquarters in the US,…
Facebook reversed cryptocurrency ad policy ahead of Libra announcement
Facebook, the social media platform used by billions, had banned cryptocurrency related ads for a year and a half starting in January of 2018. During this time period, Facebook’s ad…
Samsung smart TVs are set to upload screenshots of what you’re watching
Samsung’s privacy policy reveals an unnerving reality: that Samsung smart TVs are sending clips of whatever is playing on the television to be sent back to Samsung. It’s hard to…
As public fears mount over online surveillance and lack of control, advertising industry gets privacy religion – sort of…
A new Pew Research Center survey confirms what readers of this blog already know: many people are deeply worried about the routine tracking of their activities online: A majority of…
What do you get if you put DNA and facial recognition together? Today, it’s China; tomorrow, maybe everywhere else
Two themes crop up again and again on this blog: facial recognition and DNA sequencing. Both technologies on their own are powerful, and steadily becoming greater threats to privacy. So…
Indian government is shutting down internet access in major cities in an attempt to disrupt democracy
Millions of Indian citizens are currently without internet access as the Indian government has taken the controversial move of shutting down internet access in major cities around the country. NDTV…
Smile as you buy your holiday goods in a store – you are probably being watched, tracked and analyzed
Amazon may have started out by selling books, but it is now getting heavily into the surveillance market. There are four main sectors where it is already working on solutions…