$0.75 – about how much Cambridge Analytica paid per voter in bid to micro-target their minds, internal docs reveal

Cambridge Analytica bought psychological profiles on individual US voters, costing roughly 75 cents to $5 apiece, each crafted using personal information plundered from millions of Facebook accounts, according to revealed internal documents. Over the course of the past two weeks, whistleblower Chris Wylie has made a series of claims against his former employer, Cambridge Analytica, Read more about $0.75 – about how much Cambridge Analytica paid per voter in bid to micro-target their minds, internal docs reveal[…]

Cambridge Analytica’s daddy biz SCL had ‘routine access’ to UK secrets

Cambridge Analytica’s parent biz had “routine access to UK secret information” as part of training it offered to the UK’s psyops group, according to documents released today. A letter, published as part of a cache handed over to MPs by whisteblower Chris Wylie, details work that Strategic Communications Laboratories (SCL) carried out for the 15 Read more about Cambridge Analytica’s daddy biz SCL had ‘routine access’ to UK secrets[…]

Grindr’s API Surrendered Location Data to a Third-Party Website—Even After Users Opted Out

A website that allowed Gindr’s gay-dating app users to see who blocked them on the service says that by using the company’s API it was able to view unread messages, email addresses, deleted photos, and—perhaps most troubling—location data, according to a report published Wednesday. The website, C*ckblocked, boasts of being the “first and only way Read more about Grindr’s API Surrendered Location Data to a Third-Party Website—Even After Users Opted Out[…]

Mozilla launches Facebook container extension

This extension helps you control more of your web activity from Facebook by isolating your identity into a separate container. This makes it harder for Facebook to track your activity on other websites via third-party cookies. Rather than stop using a service you find valuable and miss out on those adorable photos of your nephew, Read more about Mozilla launches Facebook container extension[…]

Wylie: It’s possible that the Facebook app is listening to you

During an appearance before a committee of U.K. lawmakers today, Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie breathed new life into longstanding rumors that the Facebook app listens to its users in order to target advertisements.Damian Collins, a member of parliament who chaired the committee, asked whether the Facebook app might listen to what users are discussing Read more about Wylie: It’s possible that the Facebook app is listening to you[…]

Dutch government pretends to think about referendum result against big brother unlimited surveillance, ignores it completely.

Basically not only will they allow a huge amount of different agencies to tap your internet and phone and store it without any judicary procedures, checks or balances, they will also allow these agencies to share the data with whoever they want, including foreign agencies. Surprisingly the Dutch people voted against these far reaching breaches Read more about Dutch government pretends to think about referendum result against big brother unlimited surveillance, ignores it completely.[…]

Facebook Blames a ‘Bug’ for Not Deleting Your Seemingly Deleted Videos

Did you ever record a video on Facebook to post directly to your friend’s wall, only to discard the take and film a new version? You may have thought those embarrassing draft versions were deleted, but Facebook kept a copy. The company is blaming it on a “bug” and swears that it’s going to delete Read more about Facebook Blames a ‘Bug’ for Not Deleting Your Seemingly Deleted Videos[…]

‘Big Brother’ in India Requires Fingerprint Scans for Food, Phones and Finances

NEW DELHI — Seeking to build an identification system of unprecedented scope, India is scanning the fingerprints, eyes and faces of its 1.3 billion residents and connecting the data to everything from welfare benefits to mobile phones. Civil libertarians are horrified, viewing the program, called Aadhaar, as Orwell’s Big Brother brought to life. To the Read more about ‘Big Brother’ in India Requires Fingerprint Scans for Food, Phones and Finances[…]

Jaywalkers under surveillance in Shenzhen soon to be punished via text messages

Intellifusion, a Shenzhen-based AI firm that provides technology to the city’s police to display the faces of jaywalkers on large LED screens at intersections, is now talking with local mobile phone carriers and social media platforms such as WeChat and Sina Weibo to develop a system where offenders will receive personal text messages as soon Read more about Jaywalkers under surveillance in Shenzhen soon to be punished via text messages[…]

Any social media accounts to declare? US wants travelers to tell

The US Department of State wants to ask visa applicants to provide details on the social media accounts they’ve used in the past five years, as well as telephone numbers, email addresses, and international travel during this period. The plan, if approved by the Office of Management and Budget, will expand the vetting regime applied Read more about Any social media accounts to declare? US wants travelers to tell[…]

You can now use your Netflix subscription anywhere in the EU

‘This content is not available in your country’ – a damn annoying message, especially when you’re paying for it. But a new EU regulation means you can now access Netflix, Amazon Prime and other services from any country in Europe, marking an end to boring evenings in hotels watching BBC World News. The European Commission’s Read more about You can now use your Netflix subscription anywhere in the EU[…]

Chrome Is Scanning Files on Your Computer, and People Are Freaking Out

The browser you likely use to read this article scans practically all files on your Windows computer. And you probably had no idea until you read this. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. Last year, Google announced some upgrades to Chrome, by far the world’s most used browser—and the one security pros often recommend. Read more about Chrome Is Scanning Files on Your Computer, and People Are Freaking Out[…]

Grindr: Yeah, we shared your HIV status info with other companies – but we didn’t charge them! (oh and your GPS coords)

Hookup fixer Grindr is on the defensive after it shared sensitive information, including HIV status and physical location, of its app’s users with outside organizations. The quickie booking facilitator on Monday admitted it passed, via HTTPS, people’s public profiles to third-party analytics companies to process on its behalf. That means, yes, the information was handed Read more about Grindr: Yeah, we shared your HIV status info with other companies – but we didn’t charge them! (oh and your GPS coords)[…]

Most of 2.2 billion Facebook users had their data scraped by externals – because it was easy to do

At this point, the social media company is just going for broke, telling the public it should just assume that “most” of the 2.2 billion Facebook users have probably had their public data scraped by “malicious actors.” […] Meanwhile, reports have focused on a variety of issues that have popped up in just the last Read more about Most of 2.2 billion Facebook users had their data scraped by externals – because it was easy to do[…]

Cambridge Analytica whistleblower: Facebook data could have come from more than 87 million users

Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie says the data the firm gathered from Facebook could have come from more than 87 million users and could be stored in Russia. The number of Facebook users whose personal information was accessed by Cambridge Analytica “could be higher, absolutely,” than the 87 million users acknowledged by Facebook, Wylie told Read more about Cambridge Analytica whistleblower: Facebook data could have come from more than 87 million users[…]

Yes, Cops Are Now Opening iPhones With Dead People’s Fingerprints

Separate sources close to local and federal police investigations in New York and Ohio, who asked to remain anonymous as they weren’t authorized to speak on record, said it was now relatively common for fingerprints of the deceased to be depressed on the scanner of Apple iPhones, devices which have been wrapped up in increasingly Read more about Yes, Cops Are Now Opening iPhones With Dead People’s Fingerprints[…]

Great, Now Delta airlines Is Normalizing Casual Fingerprinting

Delta Airlines announced Monday that it’s rolling out biometric entry at its line of airport lounges. With the press of two fingers, Delta members will be able to enter any of Delta’s 50 exclusive lounges for drinks, comfortably unaware of the encroaching dystopian biometric surveillance structure closing around travel. Thanks to a partnership with Clear, Read more about Great, Now Delta airlines Is Normalizing Casual Fingerprinting[…]

Facebook Acknowledges It Has Been Keeping Records of Android Users’ Calls, Texts

Last week, a user found that Facebook had a record of the date, time, duration, and recipient of calls he had made from the past few years. A couple days later, Ars Technica published an account of several others — all Android users — who found similar records. Now, Slate Magazine is reporting that Facebook Read more about Facebook Acknowledges It Has Been Keeping Records of Android Users’ Calls, Texts[…]

New Slack Tool Lets Your Boss Potentially Access Far More of Your Data Than Before, without notification

According to Slack’s new guidelines, however, Compliance Exports will be replaced by “a self-service export tool” on April 20th. Previously, an employer had to request a data dump of all communications to get access to private channels and direct messages. This new tool should streamline things so they can archive all your shit-talk and time-wasting Read more about New Slack Tool Lets Your Boss Potentially Access Far More of Your Data Than Before, without notification[…]

How to Find Out Everything Facebook Knows About You

If you can’t bring yourself to delete your Facebook account entirely, you’re probably thinking about sharing a lot less private information on the site. The company actually makes it pretty easy to find out how much data it’s collected from you, but the results might be a little scary. When software developer Dylan McKay went Read more about How to Find Out Everything Facebook Knows About You[…]

US cops go all Minority Report: Google told to cough up info on anyone near a crime scene

Efforts to track down criminals in the US state of North Carolina have laid bare a dangerous gap in the law over the use of location data. Raleigh police went to court at least three times last year and got a warrant requiring Google to share the details of any users that were close to Read more about US cops go all Minority Report: Google told to cough up info on anyone near a crime scene[…]

Telegram Loses Bid to Block Russia From Encryption Keys

Telegram, the encrypted messaging app that’s prized by those seeking privacy, lost a bid before Russia’s Supreme Court to block security services from getting access to users’ data, giving President Vladimir Putin a victory in his effort to keep tabs on electronic communications. Supreme Court Judge Alla Nazarova on Tuesday rejected Telegram’s appeal against the Read more about Telegram Loses Bid to Block Russia From Encryption Keys[…]

Windows 10 S (for Surface) and Cortana force you to use Edge and Bing, and Windows Mail forces links to open in Edge

Windows 10 S, Microsoft’s new locked-down operating system that comes bundled with the Surface Laptop, won’t allow you to change the default Web browser away from Microsoft’s own Edge. Furthermore, Edge’s default search provider can’t be altered: Bing is all you get. Curiously you can download other browsers from the Windows Store, such as Opera Read more about Windows 10 S (for Surface) and Cortana force you to use Edge and Bing, and Windows Mail forces links to open in Edge[…]

Booking Flights: Our Data Flies with Us – the huge dataset described

Every time you book a flight, you generate personal data that is ripe for harvesting: information like the details on an ID card, your address, your passport information and your travel itinerary, as well as your frequent-flyer number, method of payment and travel preferences (dietary restrictions, mobility restrictions, etc.). All that data becomes part of Read more about Booking Flights: Our Data Flies with Us – the huge dataset described[…]