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Big Brother Is Watching

Started by H Needles; Last updated Feb 27, 08 6:56 AM CST by D Lim | View history

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Big Brother Is Watching

"The advance of civilization is nothing but an exercise in the limiting of privacy." -Janov Pelorat

Privacy concerns are on the rise in cyberspace, as marketers, mobile phone companies and social networks like Facebook tap into new levels of targeted advertising. "Protecting anonymity isn't a fight that can be won," said the Deputy Director of National Intelligence.

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Stories 41 - 60 of 95

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February 2008
- States Cracking Down on 'Spychip' Privacy Lapses
  
  Ars Technica | Feb 27, 08 9:02 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Radio Frequency ID tags—data-loaded microchips that track everything from shipping containers to cars to humans—increasingly are raising concerns with privacy advocates who worry the “spychips” could reveal too much about our lives, reports Ars Technica . Tech-savvy states such as Washington and California are trying to legislate RFIDs, banning non-consensual chip reading and regulating how RFIDs are used. More »
- Web Tracking Opt-Out Plan Gets Panned
  
  CNET | Feb 25, 08 3:13 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - An online advertisers trade group has proposed guidelines for targeted advertising that don’t satisfy recent FTC recommendations. The Interactive Advertising Bureau proposal would make it harder for consumers to know if a website was storing their information; FTC guidelines suggest a “clear, consumer-friendly, and prominent statement” and easy opting-out process on websites that plan to collect data for targeted ads. More »
- SWM No. 9,999,999 Seeks...
  
  Reuters | Feb 15, 08 2:00 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - In the crowded world of online dating, a love of beaches and sunsets isn’t enough anymore. To help Internet Romeos snag an e-date, experts offer tips for the perfect online profile, reports Reuters. No. 1: Ditch the old photos (the Saturday Night Fever getup gives you away) in favor of something recent. And opt for an expressive user name—think Live2Laugh, not JSmith101. More »
- Europe Moves to Fingerprint Travelers
  
  Washington Post | Feb 12, 08 1:25 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Just as Washington is pushing Europe to increase security, the European Parliament is considering fingerprinting every international traveler who enters or leaves the continent, the Washington Post reports. “It’s the only way to be really sure about identifying people,” an official said. The US backs the measure, which mirrors an American program, but some observers worry about privacy. More »
- Bush Demands Europe Step Up Flight Security
  
  Guardian (UK) | Feb 11, 08 12:50 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - In a move some EU officials call blackmail, the Bush administration is demanding that EU members implement a wide range of new air security measures. The US wants American air marshals on all inbound flights, an online screening permit process for all US-bound passengers, and personal information on anyone flying to or even over the country, the Guardian reports. More »
- This Way Out? Not Really
  
  New York Times | Feb 11, 08 11:35 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Just when you think you're out, Facebook pulls you back in, say wannabe ex-users who have tried in vain to delete their profiles. The site keeps archives of all profiles, unless they're manually deleted piece by piece, fanning privacy concerns already stoked by the Beacon fiasco. “It’s like the Hotel California,” one unwilling member told the New York Times . “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” More »
- Travelers Rage Over Seized Laptops
  
  Washington Post | Feb 7, 08 12:18 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - US border agents tell travelers there’s no difference between a laptop and a suitcase; both are fair game for searches. People crossing into the US have found their electronics confiscated, and their data copied, the Washington Post reports, all without explanation. “The government is going well beyond its traditional role of looking for contraband,” said one irate lawyer. More »
- Company Yanks Online Cell Directory
  
  MSNBC | Feb 2, 08 5:47 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Data company Intelius scoured business records and other sources and managed to compile around half the cellphone numbers in America, MSNBC reports. When it put those 90 million numbers online, available to anybody paying a $15 fee, people were outraged. Consumers were shocked to find their private cellphone numbers were easily accessible, and a wireless phone company threatened to sue. More »
January 2008
- AT&T Might Filter Internet Traffic
  
  Associated Press | Jan 23, 08 6:58 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - AT&T is considering steps to filter the Internet traffic it provides in order to stop illegal file-sharing, the AP reports. CEO Randall Stephenson, speaking to the World Economic Forum today, likened the company's role as passive participant in copyright infringement to witnessing a crime: "It's like being in a store and watching someone steal a DVD. Do you act?" More »
- GE Money Loses Data on 650,000 Credit Card Holders
  
  Associated Press | Jan 18, 08 4:29 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - GE Money has lost a computer tape with the personal information of up to 650,000 customers of JC Penney and other retailers, reports the AP. The tape went missing in the warehouse of a data storage company. There's "no indication of theft" and none of the data has yet been used, said a GE Money spokesman. More »
- Q&A: New technologies pose online privacy uncertainties, Rothenberg claims
  
  ComputerWorld | Jan 2, 08
  
  Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), spoke recently with Computerworld about online privacy issues...In this second installment, he gives his take on how young people view privacy and discusses the privacy ramifications of shopping courtesy cards, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and bar-coded driver's licenses.
- Ad Houses Will Need to Be More Nimble
  
  Wall Street Journal | Jan 2, 08
  
  The Web's emergence is forcing ad executives to succumb to marketers' demands that agencies reinvent how ads are created, and forgo their TV-centric approach. Clients are even calling for changes in the way ad firms are structured. But until now, few advertisers have spent more than 5% to 10% of their marketing budgets online. With the growth of online video and social networking, ad experts expect that percentage to jump significantly this year.
- Cell Phone Ads Slowed by Privacy Worries
  
  Associated Press | Jan 1, 08 7:50 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - With the mobile Internet and GPS location-based services expanding, marketers and mobile phone companies are anxious to tap into a new level of targeted advertising. But, the AP reports, carriers are proceeding with caution in implementing the ads because they don’t want the perception of a privacy invasion to spook customers. More »
December 2007
- Facebook Sneaks Up on BlackBerry Users
  
  San Jose Mercury News | Dec 26, 07 5:03 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - BlackBerry owners may have noticed a new icon appearing on their devices in the past week: a link to Facebook. Some T-Mobile smartphones are getting the icons whether or not customers want them. Facebook spokespeople say users can still decide whether to download the software, but to privacy groups the unwanted icons spell intrusion, reports the San Jose Mercury News. More »
- Should Web Giants Let Startups Use the Information they Have About You?
  
  Wired | Dec 20, 07
  
  Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), spoke recently with Computerworld about online privacy issues...In this second installment, he gives his take on how young people view privacy and discusses the privacy ramifications of shopping courtesy cards, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and bar-coded driver's licenses.
- Ask.com Addresses Privacy Worries
  
  Associated Press | Dec 11, 07 11:34 AM CST