Tag: Privacy
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Internet Privacy Is The Wrong Conversation
On April 2, the Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook is in hot water with government regulators in six European countries over its practice of tracking users’ movements across the web to sell targeted advertising. The kerfuffle illustrates the bind that the world finds itself in over tracking — the collection and sharing of data on…
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Twitter expands privacy on direct messages
Twitter is making it easier to take direct messages private, carving out a bigger space for targeted exchanges on the popular microblogging service. Previously, direct messaging could only occur between two Twitter users “following” each other, which basically allowed both parties to see whatever they posted publicly. As of Monday, a user can change the…
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There’s Something (Profitable) About Your Privacy
Why do so many companies hanker after apps? Smartphone apps, tablet apps, iOS apps, Android apps, the list is endless. Do apps need all the permissions they ask for? No. Would they work if they didn’t have all those permissions? 99% of the time, yes – they would work without a problem. For example, an…
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New Google security chief looks for balance with privacy
Google has a new sheriff keeping watch over the wilds of the Internet. Austrian-born Gerhard Eschelbeck has ranged the British city of Oxford; cavorted at notorious Def Con hacker conclaves, wrangled a herd of startups, and camped out in Silicon Valley. He now holds the reins of security and privacy for all-things Google. “The size…
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How Much Do You Know About Data Privacy?
Photo: Getty Images Anxiety about data privacy has reached a fever pitch. According to the Pew Research Center, 91% of Americans feel they’ve lost control over their personal data. But do you really know what you’re nervous about? Do you know what happens to your data? Test your knowledge about digital privacy with the following…
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5 tips for improving online privacy
If you want to watch who’s watching you online, Brett Gaylor’s “Do Not Track” is the series to stream. The seven-part “personalized documentary,” which premiered its first episodes on the National Film Board of Canada website Tuesday, focuses on the personal information Internet users are unwittingly sharing with companies as they surf the web. If…
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How Facebook knows your friends, better than you do
Image courtesy of Jennifer Daniel How does Facebook know who your friends are? There’s still a lot of confusion and misinformation about what Facebook’s doing when it “finds” your friends. Alas, Facebook’s actual process isn’t actually that sneaky or malicious. In fact, it involves this pretty complex academic field called, network science. In a nutshell, whenever you…
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Bell’s been tracking its customers habits
Gloria Nieto for The Globe and Mail The federal privacy watchdog says a Bell Canada targeted advertising program that tracks customers’ clicks, calls and television binges violated Canadians’ privacy rights. Canada’s privacy commissioner says Bell should have asked for express consent from its customers before beginning a data collection program that involves tracking their internet…
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John Oliver talks with Edward Snowden about Government Surveillance
On April 5th, John Oliver sat down with Edward Snowden to discuss the NSA and Section 215’s renewal on June 1, 2015 and the debate the needs to happen to reform it. To their surprise the average American citizen is not aware of the NSA’s activities or who Edward Snowden is or how his actions have…
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Millennials are indifferent about digital privacy
A study released by the American Press Institute last month found that only 20% of Millennials worry all or most of the time about their digital privacy. Just two in 10 (20%) of Millennials worry about digital privacy “all/most of the time,” 46% said they worry “only a little” and 34% said they “don’t worry…
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Our rights as citizens are now under attack
Graham Hughes/Canadian Press The Canadian Bar Association is challenging the federal government on its contentious proposed anti-terror legislation, asking whether Bill C-51 is striking a proper balance between managing risk and safeguarding the privacy rights of Canadian citizens. The bill threatens balance between risk and privacy and would provide intelligence agencies and police with more…
Richelle Sibolboro 