• Jan 13, 2021
  • Glyn Moody
  • Cybersecurity, General Privacy News, Governments, Surveillance,

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 “smart” – that is, incorporating powerful computers, often linked to the Internet – and therefore of interest to law enforcement. Recent posts on this blog … Continue reading “Not going dark: personal data from the Internet of Things ushers in a golden age for law enforcement”

0

  • Feb 26, 2020
  • Glyn Moody
  • Cybersecurity, General Privacy News,

The enemy within: welcome to the Internet of gaslighting

Two and a half years ago, this blog warned about the Internet of “listening, eavesdropping, spying things” that were starting to become more popular. Today, smart speakers are found in many homes, and people seem largely oblivious of the privacy issues. Beyond these obvious spies that many invite into their homes, there are the more … Continue reading “The enemy within: welcome to the Internet of gaslighting”

0

  • Jan 22, 2020
  • Glyn Moody
  • Cybersecurity, General Privacy News,

Can hardware ever be trusted? The Betrusted project aims to find out by going back to basics

As previous posts have noted, the Internet of Things is being widely embraced in the form of so-called “smart speakers” and other devices. That’s despite the fact that few of these hardware systems can be regarded as secure: leaks of personal data can and do occur in multiple ways. Mostly, that is because the software … Continue reading “Can hardware ever be trusted? The Betrusted project aims to find out by going back to basics”

0

  • Nov 7, 2019
  • Glyn Moody
  • General Privacy News, Governments, Social Media,

Google, Facebook and many others are coming for your health data: watch out for your privacy

Last week, Google announced that it would be buying Fitbit, valuing the 12-year-old company at $2.1 billion. Many have seen this as an attempt to boost Google’s position in the wearables sector. So far, the company’s Wear OS platform has made relatively little impact. The acquisition certainly improves Google’s position, but it is only part … Continue reading “Google, Facebook and many others are coming for your health data: watch out for your privacy”

0

The next great platform shift is underway, and that could be really bad for privacy

The first computing era was based on the keyboard. Mainframes, minicomputers, personal computers – they were all controlled using fingers typing out commands. Later on, the graphical front end of the Macintosh and Windows allowed people to point and click, but the keyboard was still there for text to be entered at some point. The … Continue reading “The next great platform shift is underway, and that could be really bad for privacy”

0

  • Dec 29, 2018
  • Glyn Moody
  • Cybersecurity, General Privacy News, Surveillance,

Google wants to spy on everything you do at home, in every room (including the bathroom), to help “improve” your family

Smart speakers and the Internet of Things are undoubtedly impressive considered purely as technology. That may explain why they are increasingly popular. But as this blog has pointed out a number of times, they raise huge questions about privacy that many users seem unaware of. Moreover, we have only just started the journey towards making … Continue reading “Google wants to spy on everything you do at home, in every room (including the bathroom), to help “improve” your family”

0

  • Dec 22, 2018
  • Glyn Moody
  • General Privacy News, Governments, Surveillance,

As facial recognition systems continue to spread, so do concerns about their deployment

Facial recognition is hardly new – Privacy News Online has been writing about the topic for years now. But it is becoming more and more the norm, as some recent news shows. For example, the following story from Rolling Stone: Taylor Swift fans mesmerized by rehearsal clips on a kiosk at her May 18th Rose … Continue reading “As facial recognition systems continue to spread, so do concerns about their deployment”

0