How to Get Secure Wi-Fi While Traveling
Is it worth the effort to secure your internet connection while traveling? Couldn't you just hop onto a free public Wi-Fi connection? You could — but you’d be putting yourself…
General Privacy News
Biometric Data Is a Disaster For Your Privacy – And It May Already Be Used Against You
We've written many times on the PIA blog about the increasing use of biometric systems as a way of establishing identity and controlling access. Biometrics being used in this way…
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…
Will GDPR’s Win Against Facebook Change Advertising?
We've just written about the mounting problems for Facebook and its parent company Meta. And to that list of issues can be added another one, potentially the biggest so far,…
Official FIFA World Cup Apps Raise Privacy Concerns
As the 2022 Football World Cup kicks into high gear, privacy experts have raised the alarm over the two apps required to attend the World Cup festivities — the official…
What I Learned About Privacy Laws in the US
US privacy laws in the world are improving constantly, but online privacy is still in its infancy. Despite the new legislation, Federal laws remain vague and State leaders have taken…
Should We Be Worried About Doorstep Surveillance – How Surveillance Is Changing Us & Society
Surveillance used to be something that spies did to a few high-value targets using absurdly expensive pieces of specialized equipment. The arrival of the Internet as a mass medium changed…
Politicians Still Underestimate Smart Cars’ Threat to Privacy
It was three years ago that we blog wrote about the privacy problems raised by "smartphones on wheels" – the fact that today's vehicles contain powerful computer systems and a…
Real-Time Bidding is Bad for Privacy and Promotes Disinformation
The PIA blog spends a lot of time discussing advertising, which might seem strange. But the sad fact is that today's online advertising model represents the most serious continuing assault…
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…