transparency Archives : PIA

Jan 31, 2024 |
Glyn Moody |
General Privacy News, Online Privacy, Social Media, Surveillance,

How Massive Server-to-Server Data Transfers Represent a Hidden Threat to Privacy

It’s well known that we are routinely tracked whenever we use the internet. Most people also understand that the primary business model online is surveillance advertising, whereby huge quantities of personal data are collected and aggregated in order to provide information for highly targeted digital advertising. While those facts are common knowledge, we still lack … Continue reading “How Massive Server-to-Server Data Transfers Represent a Hidden Threat to Privacy”

Sep 26, 2023 |
Glyn Moody |
General Privacy News, Governments, Online Privacy, Online Security, Social Media,

TikTok Hit with €345 Million GDPR Fine as Privacy Protection Becomes a Key Issue

TikTok has officially come of age: it has joined an exclusive club of companies that have been hit with major fines for infringing on the EU’s main privacy law, the GDPR. The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has imposed a €345 million fine (about $370 million) on the company for failing to protect children’s personal … Continue reading “TikTok Hit with €345 Million GDPR Fine as Privacy Protection Becomes a Key Issue”

Aug 31, 2023 |
Glyn Moody |
Censorship, General Privacy News, Governments, Online Privacy, Social Media, Surveillance,

What Does the EU’s Far-Reaching New Digital Services Act Mean for Privacy Worldwide?

The Digital Services Act (DSA) is a major new EU law with the potential to be as influential globally as the 2016 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It aims to end the current era of weak self-regulation, and to force companies to actively tackle some of the internet’s more harmful aspects. It includes rules to ensure … Continue reading “What Does the EU’s Far-Reaching New Digital Services Act Mean for Privacy Worldwide?”

Aug 20, 2023 |
Glyn Moody |
Cybersecurity, General Privacy News, Online Privacy, Online Security,

What Zoom’s AI Blunder Can Teach Us About Future Threats to Privacy

It’s no surprise that AI is starting to seep into every kind of digital service, even if the frenzy over generative AI seems to be dying down somewhat. But over on Stackdiary, Alex Ivanovs spotted something rather remarkable in Zoom’s updated terms and conditions that involved AI. The new wording seemed to give Zoom the right to … Continue reading “What Zoom’s AI Blunder Can Teach Us About Future Threats to Privacy”

Oct 8, 2021 |
Glyn Moody |
General Privacy News, Governments, Social Media, Surveillance,

From Surveillance Capitalism to “Influence Government”: Using Microtargeted Ads to “Nudge” People’s Everyday Behavior

Privacy News Online has written a number of times about “surveillance capitalism“, and its use of micro-targeted advertising to influence people’s buying decisions. But the worrying power of such highly-targeted advertising is not restricted to the world of commerce. As the Cambridge Analytica saga shows, it is also deployed in the world of politics, to … Continue reading “From Surveillance Capitalism to “Influence Government”: Using Microtargeted Ads to “Nudge” People’s Everyday Behavior”

Mar 11, 2021 |
Glyn Moody |
General Privacy News, Governments, Surveillance,

Algorithmic bias: how automated decision making has become an assault on privacy – and what to do about it

Trying to detect welfare fraud, where people claim benefits they are not entitled to, is not new. Nor is it unreasonable: taxpayers rightly want to know that their money is going to those who truly need it. But a natural tendency by the authorities to turn to computers to help with the process of spotting … Continue reading “Algorithmic bias: how automated decision making has become an assault on privacy – and what to do about it”

Aug 12, 2020 |
Glyn Moody |
General Privacy News, Governments, Surveillance,

Court finds UK police use of facial recognition technology breaches privacy rights, data protection laws and equality laws

Automated facial recognition has emerged as one of the most problematic technologies for privacy. That’s reflected in the increasing number of posts on this blog dealing with the issues it raises. Of particular concern is police use. The UK has been in the vanguard here, as has the pushback by privacy campaigners. A year ago … Continue reading “Court finds UK police use of facial recognition technology breaches privacy rights, data protection laws and equality laws”

Jul 29, 2020 |
Glyn Moody |
General Privacy News, Surveillance,

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 algorithmic management, as we described this year. The coronavirus lockdown has led to millions of people working from home for the first time. As well … Continue reading “Key questions raised about algorithmic transparency by new GDPR case brought against Uber by its drivers”