privacy

The percentage of Internet users who say they're worried about how much of their personal data is made available to third parties -- often without their permission -- is on the rise. It's also been revealed that the vast majority of Internet users ... have taken some action towards removing their personal information from the web. The figures come from the Pew Internet ... (view more)

A Google court filing says users of its Gmail service and their contacts have no right to expect privacy. It's a controversial position that will undoubtedly catch the attention of privacy-minded consumers and Google's main rival, Microsoft. The ... filing is a response to a class action lawsuit brought by action group Consumer Watchdog, which has complained about the way Google automatically scans emails and uses the contents to decide which advertisements to show a Gmail user when he or she logs in to the site. The case focuses on Gmail users and the terms and conditions they agree to before ... (view more)

A prominent security firm says browser vendors like Mozilla, Microsoft, and Google aren't doing enough to protect your privacy. In a recent report, NSS Labs suggested that features like "Do Not Track" represent half-hearted efforts to keep users' ... personal data safe. Do Not Track is designed to protect browser users' privacy by requesting that websites avoid tracking them through cookies, the small pieces of data sent from a website and stored in a user's web browser. Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE), Mozilla's Firefox, Google's Chrome, and Safari currently offer some form of Do Not Track. ... (view more)

Eight members of the United States Congress have written to Google demanding the company address privacy issues involving its Google Glass project. The device, which essentially blends a smartphone with a pair of spectacles, has raised questions ... about data handling. The letter comes from the Bipartisan Congressional Privacy Caucus, which doesn't have any formal powers but offers elected officials a way to discuss topics they consider important. (Source: house.gov ) It's clear from the letter that members of Congress are suspicious of Google. The letter points to the controversy surrounding ... (view more)

Microsoft is targeting Google's Gmail in a new campaign designed to steer Internet email users towards the Redmond, Washington-based firm's own Outlook.com service. The basis for that attack: Google doesn't do enough to protect the privacy of Gmail ... users. The Microsoft campaign, which is being carried out across the United States, is called "Don't get scroogled by Gmail." At the heart of that campaign: the fact that Google scans Gmail inboxes to figure out which advertisements should be displayed along with the messages. Microsoft Investigates Responses to Gmail ... (view more)

Facebook has implemented changes designed to simplify users control over their privacy on the site. The move follows complaints about, and even a government investigation into, the site's treatment of its members' personal data. According to ... Facebook, the changes are intended to improve privacy three ways: giving information when most needed; showing how data will appear; and improving removal of data that is already online. (Source: fb.com ) Privacy Information Easy to Find Because of the changes, you need no longer hunt through settings pages to find the most relevant privacy options. A ... (view more)

Delta and United Airlines are among 100 firms that have been told they are breaking California's privacy laws. The problem: these companies have smartphone and tablet applications that don't give customers adequate information about the way they ... handle personal data. Kamala Harris, California's attorney general, insists companies are breaching the California Online Privacy Protection Act, which says app users must get clear details about the personal data collected and how it will be used. These 100 companies are among many more offenders but happen to own the 100 most popular apps breaching ... (view more)

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is going ahead with a $1 billion program that will help it find persons of interest more rapidly. Between now and 2014 the money will be used to upgrade the FBI's facial recognition system and national ... fingerprint database. Officially, the upgrading program is called "Next Generation Identification" (NGI). The idea has been percolating for at least two years. In 2010, FBI representative Richard Vorder Bruegge first discussed the bureau's desire to use facial recognition technology to "identify subjects in public datasets." Bruegge ... (view more)