The US Government can search your phone at the border without a warrant
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has ruled that border security doesn’t need a warrant to do a digital search of your device at borders. The court…
Surveillance
The battle over the EU’s far-reaching ePrivacy Regulation enters its final and crucial stage
The EU's GDPR has had a massive effect on privacy worldwide. But as a post explained back in 2018, there's more EU privacy legislation coming through which could have a…
Code is law: why software openness and algorithmic transparency are vital for privacy
This blog has written a number of times about the growing threat that low-cost, rapid DNA sequencing represents for privacy. The increased use of genetic material by the police to…
South Africa’s highest court bans bulk internet surveillance
South Africa’s Constitutional Court - or Concourt as it is often referred to - has banned mass surveillance of internet communications in the country. The court decisions came as a…
Police used geofence warrant to make Google to identify George Floyd protestors
In the aftermath of the George Floyd Protests, Police served Google with a geofence warrant to identify suspects in crimes committed during the protests. Minneapolis Police say that the looting…
Time to get rid of pervasive online ad tracking once and for all: the alternative is simple, effective, and fully respects privacy
This blog has been pointing out for years the fundamental incompatibility between privacy and the current online advertising model. Today, most Web sites seek to gather as much personal information…
China releases draft of major new privacy law: why it matters to everyone online
China has frequently figured in this blog, usually in the context of its censorship, surveillance activities, and wide-ranging abuse of human rights. But there's another side to the story. Like…
Defense Intelligence Agency gathered US smartphone location data without a warrant
The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is the most recent government agency that has been revealed to gather US smartphone location data without a warrant. This most recent revelation that the…
Tencent has been caught spying on your web browsing history with QQ Messenger
QQ Messenger, a popular Chinese instant messaging app by Tencent, was caught scraping web browser history with their desktop client. The discovery was made by Chinese internet users on the…
Not going dark: personal data from the Internet of Things ushers in a golden age for law enforcement
Last week, Privacy News Online wrote about the increasing use of vehicle forensics to solve crimes. These "smartphones on wheels" join a growing list of everyday devices that are becoming…