Spy pixels in email becoming the new normal

The use of “invisible” tracking tech in emails is now “endemic”, according to a messaging service that analysed its traffic at the BBC’s request. 66% of emails sent to its users’ personal accounts contained a “spy pixel”, even after excluding for spam.Emails pixels can be used to log:– if and when an email is opened– … Read more

Rioting at the Capitol, watch your privacy settings!

Key to bringing the mob to justice has been the event’s digital detritus: location data, geotagged photos, facial recognition, surveillance cameras and crowdsourcing. So when they stormed the Capitol their apps tracked them down and identified individuals from a trove of leaked smartphone location data. Read more about this article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/opinion/capitol-attack-cellphone-data.html

Browser favicons could be used to track you

Browser ‘Favicons’ can be used as undeletable ‘Supercookies’ to track you online. Favicons can break through incognito mode, VPNs, and Pi-holes to track your movement online. Read more of this article here: https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7v5y7/browser-favicons-can-be-used-as-undeletable-supercookies-to-track-you-online

DPA: Grindr 9.6 Million Euro for lack of consent for sharing data to 3rd parties

Norwegian Data Protection Authority issues intention to fine gay/trans dating app Grindr 9.6 million Euro for lack of consent when sharing data with third parties for marketing purposes. User data included gps location and use of the app, the latter considered to be a special category of personal data (sexual orientation). Fine appears to be … Read more

Digital corona passport a good idea?

The idea of global vaccination and health data being stored in centralized systems has many privacy experts freaking out. As the first vaccines against COVID-19 roll out, governments and institutions across the world are scrambling to figure out how to provide proof that someone has been vaccinated. Paper certificates, PDFs, wristbands and mobile apps have … Read more

How to stop advertisers following you all the time everywhere

Stop being followed by online shopping and advertisers with below great tips for computer, mobile and tablet, Facebook and Google.Find them here: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/consumer-advice/technology/amp32609843/stop-ads/

66% of EU Banks using US big tech cloud services forms risk

66% of EU Banks using US big tech cloud services forms risk

The European Commission is going after cloud computing, the online data storage business dominated by big American companies. A draft bill seeks to address concerns about dependence on a small group of providers: chiefly Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud and Microsoft Azure. The bill creates an oversight system designed “to preserving the Union’s … Read more

Does Instagram invade your privacy using camera access?

Last Thursday in the Northern District of California, Brittany Conditi filed a class-action complaint against Instagram and its parent company Facebook for invasion of privacy alleging that Instagram accessed users’ smartphone cameras when not using features that would require camera access, despite the defendants’ representations to the contrary. Specifically, the party who initiated the lawsuit averred … Read more