China expands Great Firewall to block HTTPS traffic that uses TLS 1.3 and ESNI
The Great Firewall of China is getting longer. Chinese censors upgraded the GFW to be able to block HTTPS traffic that uses TLS 1.3 and ESNI. We know about this…
Surveillance
Chinese gamers will need to verify their real names on all games by September
China is rolling out a real name authentication and verification system for all gamers in the country by September as a way to track gamers and make sure that they…
Key questions raised about algorithmic transparency by new GDPR case brought against Uber by its drivers
Back in 2017, this blog noted a new threat to privacy from the increasing use of workplace surveillance. Once people's work is quantified automatically, it can then be used for…
Top EU court sinks main framework for sending personal data across the Atlantic
The Privacy Shield framework for transferring personal data across the Atlantic was brought in to deal with a problem created by the EU's GDPR. According to the latter, the personal…
Privacy-loving EU building massive travel surveillance system for visitors that will affect billions of people
As this blog has noted, for all its faults, the European Union's GDPR represents one of the most important attempts to protect digital privacy. Although it concerns the EU and…
Tim Hortons is being sued for tracking your GPS location even when the app was off
Tim Hortons is facing a class action lawsuit for its data collection practices - which include tracking your GPS location through their mobile app even when the app was turned…
After exaggerated claims about their importance, here’s the reality of contact tracing apps
Back in February, this blog was one of the first to warn that the obvious technological response to the coronavirus – the use of contact tracing apps – raised important…
HongKongers prepare for China and new national security law by scrubbing digital footprint
As China takes over Hong Kong with a new national security law, Hongkongers prepare by cleaning up their social media presence. Before, under the now demolished “one country, two systems”…
Big win for online freedom in EU: key parts of France’s new “hate speech” law ruled unconstitutional
One of the most worrying trends in today's online world is a move by governments against "hate speech". That's a vague term in itself, so policing it is hard. Making…
Top suppliers halt sales of facial recognition technology to the police – how much of a win is that really?
As this blog has noted, police forces around the world have been pushing for the routine deployment of real-time facial recognition technologies. It's an attractive option for politicians. It offers…