Apple Updates: Better iCloud Security
Apple has made two important announcements that will enhance privacy for its users, and that could have important beneficial knock-on effects around the world: Wired reported that Apple has dropped…
Encryption
Special Advisor to CJEU Confirms It’s a VPN’s World
For what is probably the first time, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), the EU's top court, is considering a case about the use of VPNs. When…
The EU Is Tackling a Serious Problem with the Wrong Approach: Real-Time Mass Surveillance
One of the most serious new threats to online privacy is currently working its way through the European Union's legislative system. No decent person can be against a regulation "laying…
Mental Health Apps Are Not As Private As You Think
Mental health apps have been in demand for a while now, but since the pandemic, their popularity grew by over 500%. I downloaded and used a few myself — mainly…
#NoPlaceToHide…for Stupid Ideas Like Backdooring End-To-End Encryption and Undermining Privacy
Government attempts to weaken cryptography to allow general surveillance are not new: they date back at least to the 1993 Clipper chip. Similarly, claims that children will be harmed by…
Instant Messaging Apps: How Private Are They & What Alternatives Are There?
Instant secure communication is a basic expectation in the 21st century. It's a way of keeping in touch with friends, family, work colleagues, and casual drinking buddies — without the…
Tails OS: The Amnesic Operating System That Covers Your Tracks
If you've ever done something super sneaky and prayed that no one would ever find out, you're in a similar position to Edward Snowden when he leaked highly classified information…
5 Really Wrong Myths About US-Based VPNs [Digital Privacy]
VPNs based in the United States frequently get unwarranted criticism, claiming that, by nature of them being based in the US, they are somehow “less secure” or “less private” than VPNs based…
Top Security Experts Warn: Client-side Scanning “Tears at the Heart of Privacy of Individual Citizens”
A couple of months ago, this blog wrote about Apple's Expanded Protections for Children, which turned out to mean client-side scanning (CSS). That is, code on your smartphone would be…
Australian Police Can Now Spy On Citizens, Disrupt Their Computers, Take Over Their Online Accounts, and Change Their Data
Privacy News Online has just written about a troubling proposal by Apple to carry out surveillance directly on iPhones. In Australia, the situation is even worse. There, the government has…