Category: Global Domination

Synology to enforce use of validated disks in enterprise NAS boxes. And guess what? Only its own disks exceed 4TB

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Synology has introduced its first-ever list of validated disks and won’t allow other devices into its enterprise-class NAS devices. And in a colossal coincidence, half of the disks allowed into its devices – and the only ones larger than 4TB – are Synology’s very own HAT 5300 disks that it launched last week. Seeing as Read more about Synology to enforce use of validated disks in enterprise NAS boxes. And guess what? Only its own disks exceed 4TB[…]

ProtonMail, Tutanota among authors of letter urging EU to reconsider encryption rules

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Encrypted service providers are urging lawmakers to back away from a controversial plan that critics say would undercut effective data protection measures. ProtonMail, Threema, Tresorit and Tutanota — all European companies that offer some form of encrypted services — issued a joint statement this week declaring that a resolution the European Council adopted on Dec. Read more about ProtonMail, Tutanota among authors of letter urging EU to reconsider encryption rules[…]

Firefox 85 removes support for Flash and adds protection against supercookies

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Mozilla has released Firefox 85 ending support for Adobe Flash Player plugin and has brought in ways to block supercookies to enhance a user’s privacy. Mozilla, in a blog post, noted that supercookies are store user identifiers, and are much more difficult to delete and block. It further noted that the changes it is making Read more about Firefox 85 removes support for Flash and adds protection against supercookies[…]

Fedora’s Chromium maintainer suggests switching to Firefox as Google yanks features in favour of Chrome

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Fedora’s maintainer for the open-source Chromium browser package is recommending users consider switching to Firefox following Google’s decision to remove functionality and make it exclusive to its proprietary Chrome browser.The comments refer to a low-key statement Google made just before the release of Chrome 88, saying that during an audit it had “discovered that some Read more about Fedora’s Chromium maintainer suggests switching to Firefox as Google yanks features in favour of Chrome[…]

Indian government slams Facebook over WhatsApp ‘privacy’ update, wants its own Europe-style opt-out switch

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Indian government has sent a fierce letter to Facebook over its decision to update the privacy rules around its WhatsApp chat service, and asked the antisocial media giant to put a halt to the plans.In an email from the IT ministry to WhatsApp head Will Cathcart, provided to media outlets, the Indian government notes Read more about Indian government slams Facebook over WhatsApp ‘privacy’ update, wants its own Europe-style opt-out switch[…]

Brave Will Become First Browser To Offer IPFS peer to peer content hosting

Posted on by Robin Edgar

On Tuesday, privacy-focused browser Brave released an update that makes it the first to feature peer-to-peer protocol for hosting web content. Known as IPFS, which stands for InterPlanetary File System, the protocol allows users to load content from a decentralized network of distributed nodes rather than a centralized server. It’s new — and much-heralded — technology, Read more about Brave Will Become First Browser To Offer IPFS peer to peer content hosting[…]

How to batch export ALL your WhatsApp chats in one go for non rooted Android on PC

Posted on by Robin Edgar

It’s a process that requires quite some installation and some good reading of the instructions but it can be done. The trick is to install an older version of WhatsApp, extract the key and then copy the message databases. Then you can decrypt the database file and read it using another program. The hardest bit Read more about How to batch export ALL your WhatsApp chats in one go for non rooted Android on PC[…]

AI upstart stealing facial data told to delete data and algorithms

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Everalbum, a consumer photo app maker that shut down on August 31, 2020, and has since relaunched as a facial recognition provider under the name Paravision, on Monday reached a settlement with the FTC over the 2017 introduction of a feature called “Friends” in its discontinued Ever app. The watchdog agency claims the app deployed Read more about AI upstart stealing facial data told to delete data and algorithms[…]

NYPD posts surveillance systems and use and requests comments

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Beginning, January 11, 2020, draft surveillance technology impact and use policies will be posted on the Department’s website. Members of the public are invited to review the impact and use policies and provide feedback on their contents. The impact and use policies provide details of: 1) the capabilities of the Department’s surveillance technologies, 2) the Read more about NYPD posts surveillance systems and use and requests comments[…]

WhatsApp delays enforcement of privacy terms by 3 months, following backlash

Posted on by Robin Edgar

WhatsApp said on Friday that it won’t enforce the planned update to its data-sharing policy until May 15, weeks after news about the new terms created confusion among its users, exposed the Facebook app to a potential lawsuit, triggered a nationwide investigation and drove tens of millions of its loyal fans to explore alternative messaging Read more about WhatsApp delays enforcement of privacy terms by 3 months, following backlash[…]

Turkey launches antitrust probe into WhatsApp and Facebook over the new privacy policy. Still can’t export Whatsapp chats.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

WhatsApp updated its privacy policy at the turn of the new year. Users were notified via a popup message upon opening the app that their data would now be shared with Facebook and other companies come February 8. Due to Facebook’s notorious history with user data and privacy, the new update has since then garnered Read more about Turkey launches antitrust probe into WhatsApp and Facebook over the new privacy policy. Still can’t export Whatsapp chats.[…]

Every Deleted Parler Post, Many With Users’ Location Data, Has Been Archived. Parler goes down. Still can’t export your Whatsapp history.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In the wake of the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by scores of President Trump’s supporters, a lone researcher began an effort to catalogue the posts of social media users across Parler, a platform founded to provide conservative users a safe haven for uninhibited “free speech” — but which ultimately devolved into a hotbed Read more about Every Deleted Parler Post, Many With Users’ Location Data, Has Been Archived. Parler goes down. Still can’t export your Whatsapp history.[…]

ODoH: Cloudflare and Apple design a new privacy-friendly internet protocol for DNS

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Engineers at Cloudflare and Apple say they’ve developed a new internet protocol that will shore up one of the biggest holes in internet privacy that many don’t know even exists. Dubbed Oblivious DNS-over-HTTPS, or ODoH for short, the new protocol makes it far more difficult for internet providers to know which websites you visit. But Read more about ODoH: Cloudflare and Apple design a new privacy-friendly internet protocol for DNS[…]

Content Moderation Case Study: SoundCloud Combats Piracy By Giving Universal Music The Power To Remove Uploads (2014)

Posted on by Robin Edgar

n most cases, allegedly infringing content is removed at the request of rights holders following the normal DMCA takedown process. A DMCA notice is issued and the site responds by removing the content and — in some cases — allowing the uploader to challenge the takedown. SoundCloud has positioned itself as a host of user-created Read more about Content Moderation Case Study: SoundCloud Combats Piracy By Giving Universal Music The Power To Remove Uploads (2014)[…]

Whatsapp locks you in – you can’t export all your chats. And now it will share everything with Facebook

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Yes, you can back up your database and if you’re rooted, you can find a key to it, but that will give you the chat in database form. You won’t get your pictures and videos etc. You can download them seperately though. Yes, you can export a single chat / chatgroup, but doing that for Read more about Whatsapp locks you in – you can’t export all your chats. And now it will share everything with Facebook[…]

WhatsApp Has Shared Your Data With Facebook since 2016, actually.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Since Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014, users have wondered and worried about how much data would flow between the two platforms. Many of them experienced a rude awakening this week, as a new in-app notification raises awareness about a step WhatsApp actually took to share more with Facebook back in 2016. On Monday, WhatsApp updated Read more about WhatsApp Has Shared Your Data With Facebook since 2016, actually.[…]

If you’re a WhatsApp user, you’ll have to share your personal data with Facebook from next month – and no, you can’t opt out this time

Posted on by Robin Edgar

WhatsApp users must agree to share their personal information with Facebook if they want to continue using the messaging service from next month, according to new terms and conditions. “As part of the Facebook Companies, WhatsApp receives information from, and shares information with, the other Facebook Companies,” its privacy policy, updated this week, stated. “We Read more about If you’re a WhatsApp user, you’ll have to share your personal data with Facebook from next month – and no, you can’t opt out this time[…]

Singapore police can access now data from the country’s contract tracing app

Posted on by Robin Edgar

With a nearly 80 percent uptake among the country’s population, Singapore’s TraceTogether app is one of the best examples of what a successful centralized contact tracing effort can look like as countries across the world struggle to contain the coronavirus pandemic. To date, more than 4.2 million people in Singapore have download the app or Read more about Singapore police can access now data from the country’s contract tracing app[…]

Julian Assange will NOT be extradited to the US over WikiLeaks hacking and spy charges, rules British judge

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Accused hacker and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should not be extradited to the US to stand trial, Westminster Magistrates’ Court has ruled. District Judge Vanessa Baraitser told Assange this morning that there was no legal obstacle to his being sent to the US, where he faces multiple criminal charges under America’s Espionage Act and Computer Read more about Julian Assange will NOT be extradited to the US over WikiLeaks hacking and spy charges, rules British judge[…]

Access To Big Data Turns Farm Machine Makers Into Tech Firms

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The combine harvester, a staple of farmers’ fields since the late 1800s, does much more these days than just vacuum up corn, soybeans and other crops. It also beams back reams of data to its manufacturer. GPS records the combine’s precise path through the field. Sensors tally the number of crops gathered per acre and Read more about Access To Big Data Turns Farm Machine Makers Into Tech Firms[…]

Apple Told This Developer That His App ‘Promoted’ Drugs – after 6 years in the store

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In Apple’s world, an app can be inappropriate one day, but acceptable the next. That’s what the developer of Amphetamine—an app designed to keep Macs from going to sleep, which is useful in situations such as when a file is downloading or when a specific app is running—learned recently when Apple got in touch with Read more about Apple Told This Developer That His App ‘Promoted’ Drugs – after 6 years in the store[…]

China’s Secret War for U.S. Data Blew American Spies’ Cover

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Around 2013, U.S. intelligence began noticing an alarming pattern: Undercover CIA personnel, flying into countries in Africa and Europe for sensitive work, were being rapidly and successfully identified by Chinese intelligence, according to three former U.S. officials. The surveillance by Chinese operatives began in some cases as soon as the CIA officers had cleared passport Read more about China’s Secret War for U.S. Data Blew American Spies’ Cover[…]

Firefox to ship ‘network partitioning’ as a new anti-tracking defense

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Firefox 85, scheduled to be released next month, in January 2021, will ship with a feature named Network Partitioning as a new form of anti-tracking protection. The feature is based on “Client-Side Storage Partitioning,” a new standard currently being developed by the World Wide Web Consortium’s Privacy Community Group. “Network Partitioning is highly technical, but Read more about Firefox to ship ‘network partitioning’ as a new anti-tracking defense[…]

French Film Company Somehow Trademarks ‘Planet’, Goes After Environmental NGOs For Using The Word

Posted on by Robin Edgar

We cover a great many ridiculous and infuriating trademark disputes here, but it’s always the disputes around overly broad terms that never should have been trademarked to begin with that are the most frustrating. And that most irritating of those is when we get into geographic terms that never should be locked up by any Read more about French Film Company Somehow Trademarks ‘Planet’, Goes After Environmental NGOs For Using The Word[…]

Should We Use Search History for Credit Scores? IMF Says Yes

Posted on by Robin Edgar

With more services than ever collecting your data, it’s easy to start asking why anyone should care about most of it. This is why. Because people start having ideas like this. In a new blog post for the International Monetary Fund, four researchers presented their findings from a working paper that examines the current relationship Read more about Should We Use Search History for Credit Scores? IMF Says Yes[…]