Privacy

Advocates Call For Tougher Leader At California Department Of Toxic Susbstances Control

June 5, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>A Santa Monica-based advocacy group that has been critical of the <a href="http://http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/">California Department of Toxic Substances Control</a> called on Gov. Jerry Brown Thursday to appoint a new director who will raise regulation standards on contaminated sites and bring reform to the agency.</p>

U.S. States Probe eBay Cyber Attack As Customers Complain

May 22, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p id="yui_3_9_1_1_1401224232619_1426">BOSTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - EBay Inc came under pressure on Thursday over a massive hacking of customer data as three U.S. states began investigating the e-commerce company's security practices.</p> <p id="yui_3_9_1_1_1401224232619_1429">Connecticut, Florida and Illinois said they are jointly investigating the matter. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman requested eBay provide free credit monitoring for everyone affected.</p>

Google Bracing For A Flood Of European Takedown Requests

May 16, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Google hasn’t said much in public about how it plans to deal with a European court ruling that says individuals have a “right to be forgotten.”  But reports from across the pond suggest the company is already gearing up for a flood of requests from people who don’t want certain information about themselves showing up in an Internet search.</p>

EU Court Hands Google a Missing Links Quandary

May 13, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p><b>Google and other Internet companies may have to comply with requests to make links to certain personal data go away -- at least, in Europe. The idea seems to be that people have a right to let some things slip into oblivion, even if there was nothing illegal about their publication. "This ruling tips the balance a little bit back towards privacy by obscurity," said Consumer Watchdog's John Simpson.</b></p>

Eric Schmidt Has an Interest. Is It a Conflict?

May 13, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p class="story-body-text">Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York last month appointed a three-person commission to offer thoughts on the use of technology in schools.</p> <p class="story-body-text">The group, the governor’s office said in a statement, will be “charged with advising the state on how to best invest” the $2 billion the governor plans to raise in a “Smart Schools” bond issue in the fall.</p>

FTC Settles Privacy Case With Snapchat

May 8, 2014  ·  John M. Simpson

<p>The <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2014/05/snapchat-settles-ftc-charges-promises-disappearing-messages-were">Federal Trade Commission has just settled</a> a major privacy case with <a href="http://www.snapchat.com/">Snapchat</a>, the developer of a <img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2774" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/images_snapchat-flashy-features.jpg" style="width: 190px; float: right; height: 187px;" width="500" height="491" />popular messaging app.  Snapchat promised its users that pictures and videos, called "snaps" would quickly disappear after being viewed by the recipient.<br /> <br />

Glassholes Meet Up At West Hollywood Bar

May 5, 2014  ·  John M. Simpson

<p>Google's privacy invading wearable computing device, <a href="https://www.google.com/glass/start/">Glass</a>, has been taking a lot of <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/04/29/my-awkward-week-with-google-glass/">well deserved hits</a> lately,<img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2737" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/images_google-glass1.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 160px; float: right; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 2px;" width="850" height="682" /> and the Internet giant seems to have launched a PR campaign to bolster the device's plummeting image.

Big Data Report to Obama Urges Reforms On Breach Notice, ECPA, Consumer Rights

May 5, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>May 1 --The White House May 1 released a <a class="bluenobold" href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/big_data_privacy_report_may_1_2014.pdf">report</a> on big data, calling for progress on national data breach notification legislation, Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) reform and the Obama administration's proposed consumer privacy bill of rights.</p>

White House Big-Data Panel Wants Privacy Protections, Ignores NSA Debate

May 1, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p id="first_paragraph">Congress should take action to protect privacy in response to a growing big-data revolution, a White House panel has recommended, but its report does not address wide-ranging surveillance and data-collection programs at the U.S. National Security Agency.</p>

White House Report Embraces ‘Big Data,’ Privacy Rules

May 1, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p class="abstract">Washington (AFP) - A study ordered by US President Barack Obama and released Thursday concludes that analysis of "big data" can help society in many ways, from improving health care to spurring economic growth.</p> <p>But the report also said the vast expansion of computer analytics of large data banks creates new threats to privacy, and recommended updated rules and laws to protect stored information.</p>

Google No Longer Scanning Apps for Education Users’ Email

May 1, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>On Wednesday, Google’s Bram Bout, Director of Google for Education, <a href="http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2014/04/protecting-students-with-google-apps.html">announced</a> that the company will no longer scan the email addresses of 30 million students, teachers and administrators who use the Google Apps For Education suite. Google has also removed the "enable/disable" toggle for the Apps for Education Administrator console.</p>

Google Changes Gmail-Scanning Policy for Apps for Education to Protect Students’ Personal Info

April 30, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google will stop looking for advertising ideas in the emails of students using a suite of the Internet company's free products tailored for schools.</p> <p>The changes announced Wednesday affect Google's "Apps for Education" service that has been offered to schools for the past seven years.</p>