Data Security / Privacy Protection
Advances in, news about, and failures in data/privacy protection and security.
Collection by Charles Baldwin
MIT Technology Review
Once hailed as unhackable, blockchains are now getting hacked
Summary · 8 min · · Often advertised as a safe place to invest and speculate, blockchain-based cryptocurrency exchanges present a tantalizing opportunity to hackers. As an increasing number of mega-hacks are revealed, even the largest platforms such as Bitcoin and Coinbase acknowledge some risk. Companies specializing in thwarting sophisticated digital thieves propose solutions such as network kill switches and eliminating smart-contract bugs. Regardless, billions of dollars per year disappear into cyberspace, without a chance of recovery. This is a must-read article for anyone considering trading on a cryptocurrency platform. · Shared by 288, including Martin Rajcan, Thomas Telandro, Chris Gledhill, Merkstatt@troet.cafe 📯, Mariella Petrigni 🌍 Translator, getAbstract, Oliver Reichenstein, 📁𝐦𝐫𝐯𝐧, Dr. Marigo Raftopoulos, 🇺🇦Evan Kirstel #B2B #TechFluencer, Matthias «Delay» Göbel, Nils Hitze, Khoi Vinh, Ralph Hutter, Ernie Smith is also @ernie@writing.exchange, Thomas Power, Florian Graillot, Damien de France 🌍 🕊️🇺🇦, fernand0, Ian M Calvert
TechCrunch
A huge database of Facebook users’ phone numbers found online
2 min · · Hundreds of millions of phone numbers linked to Facebook accounts have been found online. The exposed server contained more than 419 million records over several databases on users across geographies,… · Shared by 218, including Richard Gutjahr, Jonathan Kogan, Merkstatt@troet.cafe 📯, MΛRC VIDΛL, Brian Solis, Bjorn Larsen, Privacy Matters, Katja Evertz, 🇺🇦Evan Kirstel #B2B #TechFluencer, Thomas Fuchs , John Nosta, Charles Baldwin, DHH, Mark Tabladillo PhD, Matt Navarra, Troy Hunt, Builtvisible
The Washington Post
Review | Google Chrome has become surveillance software. It’s time to switch.
6 min · · Our latest privacy experiment found Chrome ushered more than 11,000 tracker cookies into our browser — in a single week. · Shared by 183, including Yann “不停” Heurtaux ⏚ @shalf@mastodon.social, Marc R Gagné MAPP, Jane, Dan Gillmor is at mastodon.social/@dangillmor, Bjorn Larsen, Mathew Ingram, ɐpuɐʎᴉW ᴉʇɐʍɥǝN, BrendanEich, Raphael Bratschi, Mark Kaigwa, Korben, Steven Sinofsky, W. Blake Gray, Javi Cantón @javicanton@mas.to, Gideonro, Thomas Byttebier, Grégoire Japiot 🌻, mrbrown, Vincenzo Tremonte, Tristan Nitot - nitot chez framapiaf point org
The Atlantic
Airbnb Has a Hidden-Camera Problem
9 min · · The home-rental start-up says it’s cracking down on hosts who record guests. Is it doing enough? · Shared by 153, including fernand0
WIRED
Google Tracks You Even If Location History's Off. Here's How to Stop It
6 min · · A new report shows that Google still tracks your location even if you thought you opted out. · Shared by 147, including Miguel, 📁𝐦𝐫𝐯𝐧, Javi Cantón @javicanton@mas.to, Yann “不停” Heurtaux ⏚ @shalf@mastodon.social, Kim Dik, Jane, Charles Baldwin, Amber Mac, Brad Brooks, Dominik Grolimund
NBC News
Millions of people uploaded photos to the Ever app. Then the company used them to develop facial recognition tools.
7 min · · “The app developers were not clear about their intentions," one Ever user said. "I believe it’s a huge invasion of privacy.” · Shared by 145, including Joan Lockwood, Azeem Azhar, Aimee Meifeu ✍️⚖️, Merkstatt@troet.cafe 📯, Scott Williams, Oliver Raduner, mastodon.social/@renestalder, Cory Doctorow @pluralistic@mamot.fr, OM, Charles Baldwin, Yvette Dubel, ACLU, Bjorn Larsen, Florian Hanke 🍎, Tobias Kopka, Kashmir Hill, Michael Duergner, Tibor Martini 🇺🇦 @tibor@mastodon.social
9to5Google
Chrome to limit full ad blocking extensions to enterprise users
3 min · · In a response to negative feedback, Google shared that Chrome's current ad blocking capabilities for extensions will soon be restricted to enterprise users. · Shared by 137, including Jeff Atwood, Ste Davies, Aleyda Solis 🇺🇦, Mark Kaigwa, Wesley Fryer, Ph.D. 🌎🎙🚀 wesfryer.com/after, David Walsh, BrendanEich, jean marc manach @manhack@social.tcit.fr, Dan Gillmor is at mastodon.social/@dangillmor, Mathew Ingram, Marko Saric, Builtvisible, Sachin Rekhi, Cory Doctorow @pluralistic@mamot.fr, Arin Basu, Tony Haile, Yann “不停” Heurtaux ⏚ @shalf@mastodon.social, Sébastien Bonset, Merkstatt@troet.cafe 📯
The New York Times
We Read 150 Privacy Policies. They Were an Incomprehensible Disaster.
· The average policy took 18 minutes to finish and required a college-level reading ability. · Shared by 133, including Merkstatt@troet.cafe 📯, Aleksandra Wisniewska, Avinash Kaushik, Esther Schindler, Antonio Vieira Santos, Sam DeZerga, Charles Baldwin, Cameron Yick ~ @hydrosquall@vis.social on mastodon, Nathan Benaich, Privacy Matters, Javi Cantón @javicanton@mas.to, Rick Powell, Bjorn Larsen, mastodon.social/@renestalder, John Battelle, Cory Doctorow @pluralistic@mamot.fr, #MuskOut (not parody)
CNBC
Google uses Gmail to track a history of things you buy — and it's hard to delete
3 min · · Google collects the purchases you've made, including from other stores and places like Amazon, and saves them on a page called Purchases. · Shared by 127, including Merkstatt@troet.cafe 📯, George M 🇪🇺, Yvette Dubel, Matt Cutts, Builtvisible, Charles Baldwin, Prof. Arun Kumar वाघचौरे, cbz, Grégoire Japiot 🌻, Kiki, Javi Cantón @javicanton@mas.to, Ralph Hutter, Kaspar Manz
Fast Company
Google’s new reCAPTCHA has a dark side
5 min · · The latest version of the bot detector reCaptcha is invisible to users and has spread to more than 650,000 websites. It’s great for security—but not so great for your privacy. · Shared by 121, including Aral Balkan, Aimee Meifeu ✍️⚖️, Charles Baldwin, Merkstatt@troet.cafe 📯, Kaspar Manz, Mark Kaigwa, Simone Corsi 💻🚀, Rick Powell, Tristan Nitot - nitot chez framapiaf point org, Yvette Dubel, BrendanEich, Builtvisible
The New York Times
How E-Commerce Sites Manipulate You Into Buying Things You May Not Want
5 min · · Research released this week finds that many online retailers use so-called dark patterns to influence what shoppers decide to purchase. Cracking down on the practice could be difficult. · Shared by 119, including Merkstatt@troet.cafe 📯, Steven Sinofsky, Marko Saric, Neil Lee, Chris Messina, Anthony Hamelle, Gerrit Eicker, Aline Holzwarth, UX Design Weekly, Jane, Lilach Bullock, Arie Goldshlager, rudolph regter, Charles Baldwin, Mathew Ingram, tcherno
The Verge
Facebook’s image outage reveals how the company’s AI tags your photos
2 min · · ‘Oh wow, the AI just tagged my profile picture as basic’ · Shared by 118, including Mark Kaigwa, Josep M. Ganyet, Mari Smith, hiten.eth, Florian Hanke 🍎, Real Python, Charles Baldwin, Builtvisible, Filippo Valsorda @filippo.abyssdomain.expert, Steven Sinofsky, Merkstatt@troet.cafe 📯, Ronald van Loon, Thomas Power, Matt Navarra, Mahantesh Biradar
The New York Times
In Stores, Secret Bluetooth Surveillance Tracks Your Every Move
7 min · · As you shop, “beacons” are watching you, using hidden technology in your phone. · Shared by 114, including Javi Cantón @javicanton@mas.to, Dan Gillmor is at mastodon.social/@dangillmor, Oliver Raduner, Aleksandra Wisniewska, Sam DeZerga, Jane, Luca Like, ɯoɔ ʇop pןɐʍuɐƃɐɹ uo ǝɯ puıɟ, Miguel, Trey Tweets Into the Void, Charles Baldwin, Carissa Véliz
telegra.ph
Why WhatsApp Will Never Be Secure
6 min · · The world seems to be shocked by the news that WhatsApp turned any phone into spyware. Everything on your phone, including photos, emails and texts was accessible by attackers just because you had… · Shared by 113, including Peter Fenton, Dmitry Solovyev, osioke.eth, Thomas Power, Johannes Lenz, Yvette Dubel, Charles Baldwin, Paolo Sinelli, Josep M. Ganyet, Rick Powell, Rainer Luginbühl ☝, Ferit (at 🏠) 🌙, 瑞拿頭
The New York Times
Opinion | It’s Time to Panic About Privacy
· We claim to want it, companies claim to provide it, but we all just accept that, well, you have no privacy online. · Shared by 113, including Aimee Meifeu ✍️⚖️, Fern, Korben, Pooja Nanda, Ferit (at 🏠) 🌙, @ShannaPeeples@mastodon.nl, Charles Baldwin, Stacey Higginbotham, 瑞拿頭, Merkstatt@troet.cafe 📯, ɐpuɐʎᴉW ᴉʇɐʍɥǝN, Alfie Kohn
Motherboard
T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T Are Selling Customers' Real-Time Location Data, And It's Falling Into the Wrong Hands
9 min · · T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T are selling access to their customers’ location data, and that data is ending up in the hands of bounty hunters and others not authorized to possess it, letting them track most phones in the country. · Shared by 109, including FlyerTalk, Tom Connor, mastodon.social/@renestalder, Miguel, Charles Baldwin, Charlie O'Keefe @charlieok@hachyderm.io