Privacy
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When the Database Gets it Wrong
One of the outgrowths of the digitization and mass collection of personal information is the ability to match disparate bits of data into a profile of individual, a profile that can then be used to make certain judgments about that person. Privacy considerations aside for a moment, when it works it is tremendously powerful. But… Continue reading
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2007 International Privacy Rankings (from EPIC and Privacy International)
Just published at Privacy International At the same time, technological advances, technology standards, interoperability between information systems and the globalisation of information have placed extraordinary pressure on the few remaining privacy safeguards. The effect of these developments has been to create surveillance societies that nurture hostile environments for privacy. Continue reading
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Register – Google Changes “Street View” Privacy Policy
Google’s Street View — think of it as zooming in beyond the rooftops from Google Earth — captures precise images of everything in a 360? radius as its photographers (mounted cameras in VW Bugs) cruise U.S. streets. The benefit is that you can check out, say, landmarks for that restaurant you want to visit, or… Continue reading
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HP Leak Case
One of the most fascinating examples of how technology may be used to infringe on one’s privacy is the recent case involving HP that turned on three factors:- One, the availability of personal information online (in this case cell phone records) – Two, the lack of effective authentication on those sites – Three, the lack… Continue reading
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Generation Y and Privacy
To those born in the last twenty-five years, attaining their “fifteen minutes of fame” is as easy as populating a MySpace or facebook template. In contrast to the tech-savvy of older generations they are untroubled by the privacy implications of posting personal information on line. They often view these networking sites as digital confessionals where… Continue reading