How many libraries had "police having the tech to scan the RFID of a library book in a moving car" in their list of threat scenarios?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2024/05/14/police-car-surveillance-tech-uncovers-phones-pet-trackers-and-library-books/

Non-paywalled archived version - https://archive.is/bYszD

#libraries #privacy

[muting for the weekend - get some time away from the screen this weekend!]

New Police Tech Can Detect Phones, Pet Trackers And Library Books In A Moving Car

Italy-based surveillance company Leonardo says its tool creates a fingerprint of drivers and passengers by scanning for anything that emits a signal from their car, from smartphones to library books.

^{Thomas Brewster (Forbes)}

EU’s Von der Leyen Calls for More Censorship Amid Re-Election Campaign

https://reclaimthenet.org/eus-von-der-leyen-calls-for-more-censorship-amid-re-election-campaign

With elections coming up, western countries are pushing more and more for #censorship, #monero is getting delisted from exchanges, local monero has shutdown, and there is an increasing push for digital IDs, such as the legislation passed in Australia recently. Now more than ever people need to take their #privacy and freedoms into their own hands before they lose them.

EU's Von der Leyen Calls for More Censorship Amid Re-Election Campaign

Von der Leyen's push for the "European Democracy Shield" raises censorship and bias concerns ahead of reelection bid.

^{Didi Rankovic (Reclaim the Net)}

"The Facebook comma" 🧐

#gdpr #dataprotection #privacy #dataskydd

How about they help me by leaving me the **** alone?

I don't think they're capable of implementing that feature.

#Google #Meta #Privacy

Ugh. Am I the only one who finds it kind of creepy when she just looks out the window and says "What neighborhood am I in right now?" and Google's cyberstalker tells her exactly where she is?

#Privacy #Google #Meta #ProjectAstra #SurveillanceCapitalism

PSA: Google has now begun to roll-out the Ad Topics "feature" onto Android itself. It's not just in Chrome you have to disable the settings. Please #Boost to spread awareness.

If you didn't get the pop-up screen on your Android device (it looks like the first two screenshots), to opt-out of these settings:

1. Go to your device Settings
2. Press "Google"
3. Press "Ads"
   
   • While you're here, press the "Delete Advertising ID" button and delete it

   
   

4. Press "Ad Privacy"
5. Review: "Ad Topics", "App-suggested ads", and "App Measurement". Make sure all are labelled as "OFF". (This page will look like the third screenshot)

If you don't see "Ad Privacy" in Step 4 then it means that it hasn't been rolled out to you yet. You might need to wait and check back in a couple of days to see if/when it has been implemented to disable these settings.

EDIT: There's another setting to review. In step 2, scroll to "Personalize using shared data". Turn everything off.

Pt. 2 in Replies

#Android #Google #Privacy #AdTopics

⚡ Smart meter data can reveal your lifestyle habits and choices ⚡

The UK government rolled out smart meters with the pledge that they'd never share this data without the consent of users.

Then they started collecting it for 'fraud detection' to share it with credit agencies, local authorities and debt collectors.

They reduced the amount of data being collected under pressure by ORG.

BUT they're at it again ⬇️

#dataprotection #privacy #surveillance #ukpolitics

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/smart-meter-data-the-government-at-it-again/

Smart meter data: the Government’s at it again

Back in October 2022, ORG exposed Government plans to snoop on UK residents’ smart meters and energy consumption data.

^{Open Rights Group}

"The use of surveillance is being normalised in schools to such an extent that parents often have little understanding of how their children's data, images and footage is being captured and retained."

🗣️ @marianods, ORG Legal and Policy Officer.

Read more about the rise of surveillance in UK schools.

#CCTV #surveillance #privacy

https://thelead.uk/overheard-school-toilets-dangerous-rise-surveillance-uk-classrooms

Overheard in school toilets: The dangerous rise of surveillance in UK classrooms

CCTV and motion sensors are becoming more common in primary and secondary schools - the aim is to improve behaviour, but the cost is a worrying slide towards privacy infringements. 

^thelead.uk

Our CEOs Arne and Matthias signed an open letter against the EU Chat Control bill.

➡️ https://edri.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/48-NGOs-and-26-experts-warn-Mass-surveillance-and-undermining-encryption-still-on-table-in-EU-Council.pdf

Let's fight for #privacy together! 💪 🔒

And check here why Chat Control must fail: ➡️ https://tuta.com/blog/chat-control-criticism

Changes in the UK Data Protection and Digital Information Bill will exacerbate the existing power imbalances that migrants, refugees and asylum seekers have over their data.

This will lead to significant harms and an expansion of the #DigitalHostileEnvironment.

Read our briefing for more ⬇️

#dataprotection #DPDIBill #privacy #migrants #GDPR #ukpolitics

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/publications/briefing-how-the-dpdi-bill-harms-migrants-data-rights/

How the Data Grab Bill harms migrants’ data rights

Briefing on the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill If you are a migrant in the UK, asylum seeker, refugee or working on this issue, you should read this carefully.

^{Open Rights Group}

If you are the tech-savvy person within your family or friends group :

Never ever shame someone for coming to you for advice after being the victim of a scam, malware, or for using an unsecure product.

If you do this,
they might never come back to you later. They might just feel so ashamed they will just stay alone with their tech problems.

Instead, always tell them:

1. It was a good idea to come to you with this. Be empathetic with them 💚

2. Give them advice on how to minimize the damage now. Actionable advice 🚑

3. Help them harden their security for now and for the future. Recommend better products to them. But be careful not to overwhelm them with advice. One step at the time 🔒

4. Talk to them with respect and empathy. Tell them how the people who abused their trust are horrible and anyone can fall for the right scam. Remind them there are things to do to reduce the risks of being victimized again in the future, and help them slowly implementing these 💪

5. Be thankful they trusted you with this. It means they think highly of you 🥰

#Security #Privacy

Gentle Privacy and Security Reminder
for Organizations 🔒🗑:

One of the easiest way for your organization to not have data stolen in a data breach, is simply to not have this data.

One of the easiest way to save your organization future headaches and costs is to simply delete thoroughly the data you do not need anymore as soon as you do not need it anymore.

Whenever possible, it's even better to not collect it at all in the first place.

You might need to retain some data of course, but when an incident occurs, you will greatly reduce the harm, damage, and cost if you keep only the minimum data required.

You cannot be held accountable for the data you simply do not have.

Keep this in mind! ✔️✨

#TinyPrivacyTip #Privacy #DataMinimization #DataDeletion

Not mentioned in this article is Netflix "partnering" with Facebook, so both get access to info about you from the other.

#Privacy

I made a small Android app to launch a WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram chat with a phone number without saving it as a contact first.

https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.vinaygopinath.launchchat/

#fdroid #Android #WhatsApp #privacy

Launch Chat | F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository

Start a WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram chat without saving a number as a contact

^f-droid.org

Almost a decade ago I hacked together a private instant messaging for the wife and I with React and Firebase that we've been using ever since.

After years of sketchy patches and added features this monstrosity has reached a well deserved retirement and it’s finally time to rewrite everything with Vue and Supabase (just out of curiosity of trying them).

I haven’t written any real frontend for 2-3 years so it will be fun 🤪

#vuejs #react #frontend #privacy #typescript #supabase

#Grindr users seek payouts after dating app shared #HIV status with vendors

Grindr is facing a class action lawsuit from hundreds of users over the sharing of HIV statuses and other sensitive personal information with third-party firms.
#privacy

https://arstechnica.com/?p=2019386

Grindr users seek payouts after dating app shared HIV status with vendors

Grindr admitted sharing HIV status with software firms in 2018, said it stopped.

^{Ars Technica}

"Citizen, leave a copy of your home keys at the police station."

Hmm, people won't like that.

How about, "home-builders have a social responsibility ...[and must give police copies of all house keys]"

Much better.

#Europol taking another stab at the encryption fight.

#Encryption #privacy #infosec #cybersecurity #europe #surveillance

"The truth is that the ability to build Facebook-like services is relatively common. What was rare was the moral recklessness necessary to go through with it..." 👉 https://mastodon.social/@gyokusai/112301065732034869

I'd only add that in addition to showing certain people certain things to get them to act a certain way, these systems also afford the ability to manage what *not* to show those people - basically, keeping their bubble tidy.

#SurveillanceCapitalism #tech #SocialMedia #business #privacy @pluralistic

J. Martin

2024-04-20 01:57:53

And while we’re at it, here’s @pluralistic's “Zuck’s Empire of Oily Rags” again, probably the best essay on Zuck’s Evil Empire ever written:

“No one would pay very much for this oil, but there were a lot of oily rags, and provided no one asked him to pay for the inevitable horrific fires that would result from filling the world’s garages with oily rags, he could turn a tidy profit.”

https://locusmag.com/2018/07/cory-doctorow-zucks-empire-of-oily-rags/

Cory Doctorow: Zuck’s Empire of Oily Rags

For 20 years, privacy advocates have been sounding the alarm about commercial online surveillance, the way that companies gather deep dossiers on us to help marketers target us with ads. This pitch…

^{Locus Online}

Forcing a Chinese company to sell TikTok won’t solve the biggest problem with #TikTok: the fact that so people get their “#news” from platforms that are designed to hijack attention for commercial gain, not to deliver reliable information.

If China wants information on Americans, it can buy data from companies since there are no effective #privacy laws.

And American-owned Facebook and X have shown themselves to be as bad or worse as TikTok at spreading #misinformation.

https://theconversation.com/tiktok-fears-point-to-larger-problem-poor-media-literacy-in-the-social-media-age-226667

TikTok fears point to larger problem: Poor media literacy in the social media age

If the US wants to protect young people from misinformation and foreign influence, focusing on TikTok is barking up the wrong tree.

^{The Conversation}

I doubt it have any purpose, but expecting more scam call and misinformation with fake faces.

Please prove me wrong.

#internetsecurity #internetsafety #networksecurity #privacy #scam

European Data Protection Board finds that 'consent or pay' is not valid consent

#Privacy
https://www.edpb.europa.eu/news/news/2024/edpb-consent-or-pay-models-should-offer-real-choice_en

Open letter: Mass surveillance and undermining encryption still on table in EU Council

https://edri.org/our-work/open-letter-mass-surveillance-and-undermining-encryption-still-on-table-in-eu-council/

#privacy #eu #europe #encryption

Open letter: Mass surveillance and undermining encryption still on table in EU Council - European Digital Rights (EDRi)

Today, 17 April, EDRi, in a coalition with 50 civil society organisations and 26 individual experts, call on Member State representatives not to agree to the proposed EU Council position on the Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) Regulation whilst so many criti…

^{European Digital Rights (EDRi)}

Anytime a new privacy app/tool pops up, you're right to be initially skeptical. How the FBI secretly ran its own tech startup to wiretap the world:

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/joseph-cox/dark-wire/9781541702691/

#Privacy #Spyware #Surveillance

Dark Wire

The inside story of the largest law-enforcement sting operation ever, in which the FBI made its own tech start-up to wiretap the world, shows how cunning bot...

^{Hachette Book Group}

This post I co-authored with Falastine Saleh delves into the impact of Israeli surveillance technologies in Palestine and how localized instances of its use contribute to widespread global adoption.

It also highlights how spyware & surveillance companies navigate global scrutiny by rebranding and establishing offices worldwide, all while a network of venture capital firms facilitate their operations & help them avoid much needed accountability:

https://blog.torproject.org/surveillance-as-a-service-global-impact-of-israeli-defense-technologies-on-privacy-human-rights/

#Privacy #Surveillance

Surveillance as a Service: The Global Impact of Israeli “Defense” Technologies on Privacy and Human Rights | Tor Project

There is a growing need for a global stance against the use of technology for oppression. This post delves into the impact of Israeli surveillance technologies in Palestine and how localized instances of its use contribute to widespread acceptance an…

^{blog.torproject.org}