Privacy

Smartphones Like Apple’s iPhone Hold Treasure Trove of Data on Users’ Lives

April 22, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> In the sexy but increasingly scary world of smartphone forensics, insiders have a name for all the personal information purposely or unknowingly stored inside that iPhone or Android or Blackberry in your pocket.</p> <p> They call it your "digital fingerprints."</p> <p> With the right tools and physical access to your smartphone, anyone can tap into the private details of your life: texts, photos, tweets, Facebook ramblings, doctor's appointments, favorite hiking trails, and maybe even what you had for dinner last night at that little French bistro on the corner.</p>

Who’s afraid of the WTO? You should be

April 21, 2011  ·  Carmen Balber

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Privacy Groups Urge Public to Push for Industry Adoption of Google Buzz Settlement Terms

April 21, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> A coalition of leading privacy groups urged the public to push for industrywide adoption of the tough online data protection terms the government imposed on Google as part of a <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/31/business/la-fi-google-privacy-20110331" target="_self" rel="noopener">recent settlement</a> of complaints about its Buzz social network.</p>

Google Email Bid Facing Hurdles

April 14, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <strong>L.A.'s city controller has launched an inquiry into delays over security issues.</strong><br /> <br /> Google Inc.'s big push to supply email services to governments around the country is running into headwinds both from federal agencies and its marquee client, Los Angeles City Hall.<br /> <br />

Will Google’s Legal Woes Define How Far It Crossed The Creepy Line?

April 14, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <strong>Consumer Watchdog’s scorecard is full of “evil” tally marks against Google. Some claim that Microsoft is spreading FUD, but legal woes facing Google seem to disagree that Google hasn’t crossed creepy line.</strong></p>

Safari The Latest To Include “Do Not Track”

April 14, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Safari is the latest browser to hop aboard the "Do Not Track" bandwagon.<br /> <br />

Privacy Advocates Say McCain-Kerry Bill Falls Short

April 13, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Consumer privacy advocates aren't blasting the online privacy bill introduced by Senators John McCain and John Kerry; but they aren't completely on board either.</p> <p> While major tech companies like <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/133516/20110412/john-mccain-john-kerry-online-privacy-privacy-rules-do-not-track.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HP and Microsoft approve of the bill</a>, consumer privacy advocates are more guarded. Consumer Watchdog and the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) are saying it's merely a "good start."</p>

Consumer Groups Welcome Bipartisan Privacy Effort, But Warn Kerry-McCain Bill Insufficient to Protect Consumers’ Online Privacy

April 12, 2011  ·  John M. Simpson

<p> <img class=" size-full wp-image-2048" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ftc.jpg" style="width: 100px; height: 100px;" width="100" height="100" />WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A coalition of consumer groups and privacy advocates welcomed the bipartisan effort by Senators John Kerry and John McCain to craft online privacy legislation today, but said their bill needs to be significantly strengthened if it is to effectively protect consumer privacy rights in today’s digital marketplace.<br />  <br />

US Senators Introduce Online Privacy ‘Bill Of Rights’

April 12, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<div id="hn-headline"> WASHINGTON, D.C. — US senators John Kerry and John McCain introduced an online privacy bill Tuesday that seeks to strike a balance between protecting the personal information of Web users and the needs of businesses to conduct electronic commerce.</div> <p> The former Democratic and Republican presidential candidates said the bipartisan legislation would require companies gathering data to allow a consumer to "opt-out" of having their information collected.</p>

Sens. Kerry and McCain Unveil Major Bill To Safeguard Consumers’ Online Data

April 12, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Two leading U.S. senators introduced bipartisan privacy legislation Tuesday to safeguard consumer information online, aiming to prevent the misuse of personal data while not squelching the advertising that fuels the Internet economy.</p>

Legislation Would Let You Opt Out of Online Web Tracking

April 12, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Sens. John Kerry and John McCain proposed online privacy legislation Tuesday that for the first time would give web users the right to demand they not be tracked in cyberspace.</p> <p> Still, the measure was met with resistance from privacy advocates who said the Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights Act of 2011 did not go far enough.</p>

Kerry, McCain Introduced Online Privacy Bill

April 12, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <b>Privacy advocates criticize a bill focused on online data collection introduced Tuesday.</b></p> <p> Two high-profile U.S. senators have introduced legislation designed to give consumers more control over what information about them is collected online, but privacy advocates said the bill will do little to curb wide-spread data-collection practices now in place.</p>