Privacy Topic Center

News, trends, in-depth analysis and more about privacy and data privacy

Texas drone bill sparks a battle

The battle to find a balance between privacy concerns and the beneficial use of drones for commercial and law enforcement purposes is in sharp focus in a bill that's winding its way through the Texas legislature.
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How to keep the feds from snooping on your cloud data

A growing number of SaaS providers offer secure encryption log-in to Dropbox and other cloud storage vendors, meaning even they can't access the data you store. And neither can the government.

Google allowing Android app vendors to illegally collect user data, lawsuit alleges

Several users of devices running Google's Android operating system have filed an amended version of an earlier lawsuit accusing the company of illegally collecting, and allowing others to collect, extensive amounts of mobile user data without proper notice or consent.

State social media privacy laws a mixed bag for businesses

New social media privacy laws that have been enacted in several states around the country, or are in the works, present something of a mixed bag for businesses.

First California lawsuit over mobile privacy issues crashes

A California state court has dismissed a closely watched lawsuit charging that Delta Air Lines failed to comply with state privacy laws for mobile applications

Lookout will intercept privacy-invading mobile ad networks, apps

Mobile security vendor Lookout plans to start flagging as adware mobile apps that use aggressive ad networks if they don't obtain explicit consent from users before engaging in behavior that potentially invades privacy.

Bill would put mobile app vendors on the hook for privacy

The mobile industry's efforts to convince lawmakers that self-regulation alone is the best way to address growing concerns over privacy-invading mobile applications appears to be running into some headwind.

Payment card processors hacked in $45 million fraud

A vast debit card fraud scheme that allegedly netted US$45 million has been linked to the hacking of credit card processors in the U.S. and India.

U.S. lawmakers push apps privacy bill

New legislation introduced by a group of U.S. lawmakers would require mobile application developers to obtain consent from consumers before collecting their personal data and to secure the data they collect.

Name.com forces customers to reset passwords following security breach

Domain registrar Name.com forced its customers to reset their account passwords on Wednesday following a security breach on the company's servers that might have resulted in customer information being compromised.

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols: Google Glass will be a big deal, so deal with it

Some people are having fits about Google Glass. True, it will change how we think about privacy in public places, but such rethinking started years ago.

Sure, information has value, but don't forget the risks

Enterprises are clogging their arteries with information, most of which has no real value but carries costs and risks. The CPO can help in disposing of that information that can only cause harm. (Insider; registration required)

A matter of trust

It would be an understatement to say there are some New Zealanders who don't completely trust our government. There are probably more who have not yet completely overcome their mistrust of ICT.

Limiting the feds' snooping

Recent developments could portend the demise of National Security Letters, which allow the FBI to get private customer information without a judge's approval.

Fear of Facebook: 7 free apps that guard your privacy

Facebook users are constantly being told that their privacy is under siege. Here are seven apps that can help secure your personal data.

Outlook 2013 ... Even more interesting than 2012!

Gibbs reviews his predictions from last year and surveys the more than 400 predictions that he's been sent by IT professionals

Why social networks should be more like Facebook Poke

When it comes to Facebook users and their messages, almost nobody knows who can see or share their posts on social networks. And that's a problem that must be fixed, says Mike Elgan.

Preston Gralla: Is your fridge an IRS snitch?

Neither federal and state law nor the courts have come close to catching up with the privacy implications of so much of our data existing in a realm beyond our complete control.

Elgan: I want a military smartphone

The U.S. military wants to put smartphones in the hands of all deployed troops. Their phones are going to be better than regular smartphones, says Mike Elgan, and that's why he wants one.

Why smart people do dumb things online

David Petraeus, a brilliant man, did the dumbest thing imaginable with his email. He trusted it with his secrets. Mike Elgan offers other options for keeping private things private online.