Why 5G is a huge future threat to privacy
The next-generation of mobile communications, 5G, is currently a hot topic in two very different domains: technology – and politics. The latter is because of President Trump's attempts to shut…
Glyn Moody
Glyn Moody is a freelance journalist who writes and speaks about privacy, surveillance, digital rights, open source, copyright, patents and general policy issues involving digital technology. He started covering the business use of the Internet in 1994, and wrote the first mainstream feature about Linux, which appeared in Wired in August 1997. His book, "Rebel Code," is the first and only detailed history of the rise of open source, while his subsequent work, "The Digital Code of Life," explores bioinformatics - the intersection of computing with genomics.
Posts by GlynMoody:
“Digital strip-searches”: police increasingly downloading everything from smartphones – including from crime victims
Full-body scanners are now a routine sight at airports. Most people are resigned to these virtual strip-searches, despite the obviously intrusive nature of appearing naked to the machines' operators. But…
“The future is private” says Zuckerberg; not with him, judging by new investigations of Facebook for data protection failures
Another week, another declaration from Mark Zuckerberg that he's really serious about putting privacy at the heart of Facebook. During his keynote speech at the Facebook Developer Conference F8, he…
How to use a FreedomBox running open source software to regain control of your online privacy
As numerous posts on this blog have noted, some of the biggest threats to privacy come from Internet giants like Facebook and Google. The centralized nature of their services allows…
Here’s how Internet of Things malware is undermining privacy
The Internet of Things (IoT) is increasingly part of our everyday lives, with so-called "smart" speakers especially popular, But for all their undoubted technical merits, they also represent a growing…
China’s AI-based prisons – both indoors and outdoors – offer a warning of how privacy may die elsewhere
Online freedom of speech is under attack around the world. The EU's new Copyright Directive is about to become law, and brings with it a need to filter all uploads…
Zuck’s back, calling for “new rules” for the Internet, which will entrench Facebook’s power, but do nothing for privacy
Last month, Privacy News Online looked at a 3000-word essay entitled "A Privacy-Focused Vision for Social Networking", written by Mark Zuckerberg. It's a measure of the political pressure that Facebook…
The march to mandatory, nationwide DNA databases picks up pace around the world
DNA is without doubt one of the new frontiers for privacy – and for the loss of it. As we wrote last year, genetic privacy is becoming a thing of…
AI-based predictive policing systems widely used in US and UK, despite concerns about privacy, and flaws in the approach
Back in 2017, Privacy News Online wrote about a massive police system being built in China that would allow "predictive policing" – the ability to spot criminals before they even…
Don’t be fooled: the main beneficiary of Mark Zuckerberg’s apparent embrace of privacy is Facebook, not you
Last week, you could have been forgiven for thinking that privacy had finally arrived. Mark Zuckerberg published a 3000-word essay entitled "A Privacy-Focused Vision for Social Networking", and wrote: As…