September 24, 2014
Home Depot’s announcement of a massive data breach highlights the need for proper data security. The announcment Read the rest of this entry »
Pro publica in Stanford Promises Not to Use Google Money for Privacy Research reports on Google providing funding to Stanford University’s Centre for Internet and Security provided that it does not use it to undertake privacy research. Tied grants are usually Read the rest of this entry »
RINF in Drone Nation: 300 companies and public bodies using arial surveillance tech (not my spelling of aerial) and the Independent in Drones are filling Britain’s skies: Look up now to see what is looking back down at youreports on the soaring, pun intended, use of drones in British skys and the consequential call for greater privacy protections. The reportage is consistent with earlier reports and articles, that the increasing affordability of drones and their constantly improving ability to remain aloft for longer and longer and perform more and more functions make them a valuable tool for many businesses and governmental authorities. The problem has always been the inability of government to set out coherent and enforceable regulations to allow their use but also protect competing interests and rights of others. Clearly privacy is Read the rest of this entry »
September 22, 2014
The Economist has taken an interest in privacy issues for some time now. Its latest offering focuses on adversting and its use of cyber tracking devices, such as cookies and surveillance tools such as beacons in Stalkers, Inc. It further covers the issue in Little Brother. The USA privacy landscape is looser than in Australia and the polar opposite to that which exists in Europe. The key exposure for Read the rest of this entry »
The media has spilt several barrels of ink over the the unauthorised access of nude and otherwise compromising photographs of various celebrities in icloud, notably Jennifer Lawrence, with Nude photos of Jennifer Lawrence and other celebs posted by hacker and Jennifer Lawrence nude photo backlash: online community slams privacy breach withthe cybersecurity consequences in Celebrity nude photo theft: How to make sure your phone’s photos stay secure and Andrew Hornery: Jennifer Lawrence pics aren’t the scandal, lack of iCloud security is just to name a few articles. After short pause there is another reported breach of cyber security of Read the rest of this entry »
September 19, 2014
There are no mandatory data breach notification laws in any jurisdiction in Australia. In that regard Australia lags the USA where 47 o f the 50 states have such laws. A voluntary system of notification results in patchy notification, often after or in anticipation of negative publicity. The Age in Government agency leaks customer details without telling reports on the reluctance on a yet unknown government agency to notify the less than 50 customers whose personal information, which included their full names, addresses and sums on their bills, was leaked through a Bpay View system. The agency Read the rest of this entry »
September 18, 2014
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has announced a settlement against Yelp and Tinyco for improperly collecting childrens’ information in breach of Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. Yelp will pay $450,000 civil penalty while TinyCo will pay $300,000 civil penalty. Each of the breaches were quite serious but all too typical. Failing to obtain consent or inadequate disclosure is a chronic Read the rest of this entry »
September 13, 2014
US Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor has highlighted the importance or privacy, most notably in United States v Jones. Her concurring opinion went further than the majority in highlighting impact on privacy of technology. Her opinion clearly highlights a willingness to develop privacy law to deal with these developments. In that context her reported comments about the privacy implications of drones in Read the rest of this entry »
On Wednesday 10 September the The Privacy Commissioner issued a press release Mobile apps must put user privacy first as part of a world wide review by regulators of mobile apps in May. The nub of the findings is that mobile apps fall far short in providing necessary information to users of what will be done with personal information. Nothing much new here. Mobile apps are woefully inadequate in both Read the rest of this entry »
September 11, 2014
The Information Commissioner’s Office in Global survey finds 85% of mobile apps fail to provide basic privacy information again highlights the generally lamentable approach most mobile apps towards the use of private information. This is but the latest in a long line of reports about the weaknesses of mobile apps in both privacy protection and informing users what will be done with their personal information. Given many mobile apps Read the rest of this entry »