The Internet of Things is Surveillance
The IOT is back in the news again this week. A judge has ordered Amazon to turn over audio data from an Alexa device related to a murder investigation. There's…
Search Results for: smart homes
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…
Facial recognition concerns go mainstream in the US, as cities and companies bring in bans
Recently, FaceApp was much in the headlines. It allows users to submit photos of faces and modify them in interesting ways – making peple look older, or younger, or changing…
How to remove your voice search history from Amazon, Google or Siri
Many people report strange targeted adverts showing up after a specific conversation with someone. The general consensus is that our mobile devices and smart tech is monitoring us, which is…
Analog Equivalent Privacy Rights (19/21): Telescreens in our Living Rooms
The dystopic stories of the 1950s said the government would install cameras in our homes, with the government listening in and watching us at all times. Those stories were all…
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…
Freedom of speech, surveillance and privacy in the time of coronavirus
The situation concerning the Covid-19 coronavirus is serious, although it is not yet clear whether it will develop into a pandemic affecting billions of people worldwide. The story so far…
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…
Taiwan is using a phone location “electronic fence” to help police track quarantined individuals
The government in Taiwan has rolled out an “electronic fence” to keep quarantined individuals in their homes. The “electronic fence” uses mobile phone data to notify police if the cell…
Information Hygiene: Most People Haven’t Connected Their Dots Are Getting Connected
Your refrigerator tells you when milk expires. Your cameras tell you remotely of anything unusual happening in your home. Your wi-fi-connected scale tells you about your BMI and body fat…