UK test and trace data can be handed to police, reveals memorandum – that mission crept quickly

As if things were not going badly enough for the UK’s COVID-19 test and trace service, it now seems police will be able to access some test data, prompting fear that the disclosure could deter people who should have tests from coming forward. As revealed in the Health Service Journal (paywalled), Department for Health and Read more about UK test and trace data can be handed to police, reveals memorandum – that mission crept quickly[…]

Remember when Zoom was rumbled for lousy crypto? Six months later it says end-to-end is ready – but it’s not

The world’s plague-time video meeting tool of choice, Zoom, says it’s figured out how to do end-to-end encryption sufficiently well to offer users a tech preview. News of the trial comes after April 2020 awkwardness that followed the revelation that Zoom was fibbing about its service using end-to-end encryption. As we reported at the time, Read more about Remember when Zoom was rumbled for lousy crypto? Six months later it says end-to-end is ready – but it’s not[…]

Your Edge Browser Installed Microsoft Office Without Asking. NO!

Edge Chromium started out as a respectable alternative to Google Chrome on Windows, but it didn’t take long for Microsoft to turn it into a nuisance. To top it off, it looks like Edge is now a vector for installing (even more) Microsoft stuff on your PC—without you asking for it, of course. We don’t Read more about Your Edge Browser Installed Microsoft Office Without Asking. NO![…]

Five Eyes governments, India, and Japan make new call for encryption backdoors – insist that democracy is an insecure police state

Members of the intelligence-sharing alliance Five Eyes, along with government representatives for Japan and India, have published a statement over the weekend calling on tech companies to come up with a solution for law enforcement to access end-to-end encrypted communications. The statement is the alliance’s latest effort to get tech companies to agree to encryption backdoors. Read more about Five Eyes governments, India, and Japan make new call for encryption backdoors – insist that democracy is an insecure police state[…]

Apple made ProtonMail add in-app purchases, even though it had been free for years – this App store shakedown has a long scared list of victims

one app developer revealed to Congress that it — just like WordPress — had been forced to monetize a largely free app. That developer testified that Apple had demanded in-app purchases (IAP), even though Apple had approved its app without them two years earlier — and that when the dev dared send an email to Read more about Apple made ProtonMail add in-app purchases, even though it had been free for years – this App store shakedown has a long scared list of victims[…]

Google is giving data to police based on search keywords: IPs of everyone who searched a certain thing. No warrant required.

There are few things as revealing as a person’s search history, and police typically need a warrant on a known suspect to demand that sensitive information. But a recently unsealed court document found that investigators can request such data in reverse order by asking Google to disclose everyone who searched a keyword rather than for Read more about Google is giving data to police based on search keywords: IPs of everyone who searched a certain thing. No warrant required.[…]

Facebook Just Forced Its Most Powerful Critics Offline

Facebook is using its vast legal muscle to silence one of its most prominent critics. The Real Facebook Oversight Board, a group established last month in response to the tech giant’s failure to get its actual Oversight Board up and running before the presidential election, was forced offline on Wednesday night after Facebook wrote to Read more about Facebook Just Forced Its Most Powerful Critics Offline[…]

UK privacy watchdog wraps up probe into Cambridge Analytica and… it was all a little bit overblown, no?

The UK’s privacy watchdog has wrapped up its probe into Cambridge Analytica, saying it found no hard evidence to support claims the controversial biz used data scrapped from people’s Facebook profiles to influence the Brexit referendum nor the US 2016 presidential election. There was no clear evidence of Russian involvement, either. However, the UK’s privacy Read more about UK privacy watchdog wraps up probe into Cambridge Analytica and… it was all a little bit overblown, no?[…]

Europe’s top court confirms no mass surveillance without limits

Europe’s top court has delivered another slap-down to indiscriminate government mass surveillance regimes. In a ruling today the CJEU has made it clear that national security concerns do not exclude EU Member States from the need to comply with general principles of EU law such as proportionality and respect for fundamental rights to privacy, data Read more about Europe’s top court confirms no mass surveillance without limits[…]

The IRS Is Being Investigated for Using Bought Location Data Without a Warrant – Wait there’s a company called Venntel that sells this and that’s OK?

The body tasked with oversight of the IRS announced in a letter that it will investigate the agency’s use of location data harvested from ordinary apps installed on peoples’ phones, according to a copy of the letter obtained by Motherboard. The move comes after Senators Ron Wyden and Elizabeth Warren demanded a formal investigation into Read more about The IRS Is Being Investigated for Using Bought Location Data Without a Warrant – Wait there’s a company called Venntel that sells this and that’s OK?[…]

Facebook revenue chief says ad-supported model is ‘under assault’ – boo hoo, turns out people like their privacy

Facebook Chief Revenue Officer David Fischer said Tuesday that the economic models that rely on personalized advertising are “under assault” as Apple readies a change that would limit the ability of Facebook and other companies to target ads and estimate how well they work. The change to Apple’s identifier for advertisers, or IDFA, will give Read more about Facebook revenue chief says ad-supported model is ‘under assault’ – boo hoo, turns out people like their privacy[…]

Former Patent Litigator Becomes Federal Judge And Begins Advertising For Patent Trolls To Come To His Court (And They Have In Droves)

For years, you may recall that we would write about the insane nature of forum shopping for patent trolls, in which the trolls would flock to the federal courts in East Texas. Going back nearly 15 years, we wrote about how East Texas courts became grand central for patent troll cases, leading to all sorts Read more about Former Patent Litigator Becomes Federal Judge And Begins Advertising For Patent Trolls To Come To His Court (And They Have In Droves)[…]

US govt wins right to snaffle Edward Snowden’s $5m+ book royalties, speech fees – and all future related earnings

The US government’s Department of Justice has won its multi-million-dollar claim to Edward Snowden’s Permanent Record book royalties as well as any future related earnings. A federal district court in eastern Virginia this week ruled that Uncle Sam was entitled to the proceeds of Snowden’s bestseller, an estimated $5.2m, and “any further monies, royalties, or Read more about US govt wins right to snaffle Edward Snowden’s $5m+ book royalties, speech fees – and all future related earnings[…]

Instagram and Facebook Messenger Are Merging Chat Functions

Facebook announced today that Messenger and Instagram are, for all intents and purposes, merging. Chat features from Messenger will become available to Instagram users, and folks on either service will be able to reach out to one another without needing to download a separate app. “Today, we’re announcing an update to Instagram DMs by introducing Read more about Instagram and Facebook Messenger Are Merging Chat Functions[…]

Who watches the watchers? Samsung does so it can fling ads at owners of its smart TVs

Samsung brags to advertisers that “first screen ads”, seen by all users of its Smart TVs when they turn on, are 100 per cent viewable, audience targeted, and seen 400 times per TV per month. Some users are not happy. “Dear Samsung, why are you showing Ads on my Smart TV without my consent? I Read more about Who watches the watchers? Samsung does so it can fling ads at owners of its smart TVs[…]

Blowback Time: China Says TikTok Deal Is A Model For How It Should Deal With US Companies In China

We’ve already covered what a ridiculous, pathetic grift the Oracle/TikTok deal was. Despite it being premised on a “national security threat” from China, because the app might share some data (all of which is easily buyable from data brokers) with Chinese officials, the final deal cured none of that, left the Chinese firm ByteDance with Read more about Blowback Time: China Says TikTok Deal Is A Model For How It Should Deal With US Companies In China[…]

China says it won’t approve TikTok sale, calls it ‘extortion’. Finally someone calling it what it is.

The September 20 deadline for a purported TikTok sale has already passed, but the parties involved have yet to settle terms on the deal. ByteDance and TikTok’s bidders Oracle and Walmart presented conflicting messages on the future ownership of the app, confusing investors and users. Meanwhile, Beijing’s discontent with the TikTok sale is increasingly obvious. Read more about China says it won’t approve TikTok sale, calls it ‘extortion’. Finally someone calling it what it is.[…]

Ex-eBay global intel staffers to admit they cyberstalked online tat bazaar’s critics – who got pig heads, funeral wreath, and more in the mail

Four of the seven former eBay employees charged with cyberstalking a couple critical of the web auction house are scheduled to plead guilty next month. In June, the US Justice Department charged six former staffers – director of safety and security James Baugh, 45, of San Jose, California; director of global resiliency David Harville, 48, Read more about Ex-eBay global intel staffers to admit they cyberstalked online tat bazaar’s critics – who got pig heads, funeral wreath, and more in the mail[…]

Spain’s highway agency is monitoring speeding hotspots using bulk phone location data – is that even allowed here?

Spain’s highways agency is using bulk mobile phone data for monitoring speeding hotspots, according to local reports. Equipped with data on customers handed over by local mobile phone operators, Spain’s Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) may be gathering data on “which roads and at what specific kilometer points the speed limits are usually exceeded,” according to Read more about Spain’s highway agency is monitoring speeding hotspots using bulk phone location data – is that even allowed here?[…]

Cambridge Analytica boss disqualified from running a company for 7 years

Alexander James Ashburner Nix (45), from Holland Park, West London, has signed a disqualification undertaking, accepted by the Secretary of State on 14 September 2020. Within the undertaking, Alexander Nix did not dispute that he caused or permitted SCL Elections Ltd or associated companies to market themselves as offering potentially unethical services to prospective clients; Read more about Cambridge Analytica boss disqualified from running a company for 7 years[…]

Firefox usage is down 85% despite Mozilla’s top exec pay going up 400%

Mozilla recently announced that they would be dismissing 250 people. That’s a quarter of their workforce so there are some deep cuts to their work too. The victims include: the MDN docs (those are the web standards docs everyone likes better than w3schools), the Rust compiler and even some cuts to Firefox development. Like most Read more about Firefox usage is down 85% despite Mozilla’s top exec pay going up 400%[…]

Facebook says it may quit Europe over ban on sharing data with US

Facebook has warned that it may pull out of Europe if the Irish data protection commissioner enforces a ban on sharing data with the US, after a landmark ruling by the European court of justice found in July that there were insufficient safeguards against snooping by US intelligence agencies. In a court filing in Dublin, Read more about Facebook says it may quit Europe over ban on sharing data with US[…]

Trump Pushes to Reap Extensive Biometric Data From Immigrants, Americans, never delete them

Six million would-be U.S. immigrants face expanded collection of their biometric data, including iris scans, palm-, and voice-prints, facial recognition images, and DNA, under a proposed federal rule. The Department of Homeland Security also for the first time would gather that data from American citizens sponsoring or benefiting from a visa application. Years in the Read more about Trump Pushes to Reap Extensive Biometric Data From Immigrants, Americans, never delete them[…]

The Hype Machine by Sinan Aral: how does social media form our decisions

Drawing on two decades of his own research and business experience, Aral goes under the hood of the biggest, most powerful social networks to tackle the critical question of just how much social media actually shapes our choices, for better or worse. Aral shows how the tech behind social media offers the same set of behavior-influencing levers to both Russian hackers and brand marketers—to Read more about The Hype Machine by Sinan Aral: how does social media form our decisions[…]

Epic’s new filing claims Apple lied about Fortnite’s popularity: Apple used Google Trends data!

There’s a new development in the high-profile game of chicken between Apple and Epic. The Fortnite developer’s latest legal filing claims that Apple “cherry-picked” Google data in its own legal filing earlier this week to support its narrative that Fortnite’s declining popularity is the impetus behind all this drama. Apple has repeatedly argued that Epic Read more about Epic’s new filing claims Apple lied about Fortnite’s popularity: Apple used Google Trends data![…]