Privacy

19-Year-Old Facebook CEO Didn’t Take Your Privacy Seriously, Either

Today, Facebook is having an emergency meeting to discuss their site’s privacy problem. But these instant messages, supposedly sent by CEO Mark Zuckerberg in Facebook’s early days, suggest that user privacy may have always been an afterthought. https://gizmodo.com/dont-worry-facebook-is-having-an-all-hands-meeting-to-5537712 The messages were uncovered by Silicon Alley Insider, who is no stranger to excavating the unsavory details…

Social Media Kyle VanHemert May 13

Listen To Giz Discuss Cloud Computing On NPR

Gizmodo’s very own Wilson Rothman was on NPR recently to talk about cloud computing. You can listen to him give the lowdown (in most dulcet tones) on NPR’s site.

Tech News Kyle VanHemert May 13

The Devolution of Facebook Privacy

What you’re looking at is a tidy visualization of what Facebook’s default privacy settings looked like back in 2005. What follows is that same image, recalibrated for 2010. It’s worse than you think. The problems with Facebook’s attitude towards privacy have been thoroughly documented. But there’s still something about watching the gradual creep of intrusion…

Social Media Brian Barrett May 12

Diaspora: The Student-Made, Privacy-Respecting Facebook Alternative

As Facebook completes its Galactic Senate-to-Imperial Empire transformation, four enterprising NYU students thought the world could do with a social networking service that wouldn’t treat your personal information like advertiser catnip. So they started building Diaspora. https://gizmodo.com/the-devolution-of-facebook-privacy-5537408 They conceive of it as the “privacy aware, personally controlled, do-it-all distributed open source social network,” one on…

Social Media Kyle VanHemert May 12

YouTube Now Lets You Mark Embarrassing Videos As “Unlisted”

In the past, the only way to make YouTube videos semi-private was to limit them to being viewed by 25 people. Now you can mark your clips as “unlisted” and have a “secret” link instead. Here’s how it works: Now, you can mark your videos as “unlisted.” This means only people who have the link…

Privacy & Security Rosa Golijan May 12

Amazon Will Correct Your Error-Filled Ebooks, Nervously

If a paper book contains an embarrassing error, publishers and authors just grit their teeth until the next edition comes out. If an ebook contains the same, publishers can just issue a correction, right? For Amazon, it’s not that simple. The pragmatic approach to error correction in ebooks would be to simply update the book.…

Commerce John Herrman May 11

Inside the NYPD’s Spycam Nerve Center

Click to viewWhen Faisal Shahzad left his bomb-loaded car parked in Times Square, every step of his escape route through Manhattan was caught by both police and private spycams. If they’re the NYPD’s eyes, this room is its central nervous system. The brief look at the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative’s surveillance HQ offered to 60…

Privacy & Security Brian Barrett May 10

More Reasons Why You Should Still Quit Facebook

The response to the Top Ten Reasons You Should Quit Facebook was huge, although not without objections or doubts. Here are the some definitive answers from Dan Yoder that you should share on your Facebook walls…before disabling your account. https://gizmodo.com/top-ten-reasons-you-should-quit-facebook-5530178 It’s no exaggeration to say I’ve been overwhelmed by the response to my post on…

Social Media Dan Yoder May 10

Yes, Airport Screeners Do Make Fun of Your Tiny Penis

This man, former TSA screener Rolando Negrin, apparently has a tiny penis. It was revealed to his TSA coworkers by the TSA’s fancy electronic no-hands strip searcher. They mocked him for nearly a year. Then he snapped. https://gizmodo.com/nudists-fully-support-peeping-airport-scanners-5447163 According to the arrest report, Negrin said “he could not take the jokes any more and lost…

Privacy & Security Matt Buchanan May 7

How to Fool Face Recognition Systems With Make Up

The next time you see someone with a make up style that puts David Bowie to shame, don’t laugh too much. He or she may be cleverly fooling face recognition and detection systems with a crazy or asymmetrical design. It’s generally not easy to avoid being spotted by face recognition and detection systems because they…

Privacy & Security Rosa Golijan Apr 23

Facebook’s Privacy Changes Get Scary

Facebook’s long had some privacy issues, and now that they’re broadening their reach on the web, who knows what’ll happen next? Oh, right. We do: 2007 – Facebook Beacon links your purchases at online stores to your Facebook account so your friends (and marketers) can see what you’re buying. http://valleywag.gawker.com/329419/does-facebook-beacon-spy-on-you-without-asking 2010 – Facebook makes it…

Social Media Adam Frucci Apr 23

Blippy Reveals Credit Card Numbers On Google

Heard of Blippy? It’s a “fun and easy way to see and discuss what everyone is buying.” It’s also a service that’s putting scads of credit card numbers online. Whoops! Also: very bad. UPDATED: The numbers above have been blurred, and there are no names attached to them other than Blippy user names (which, hey,…

Privacy & Security Brian Barrett Apr 23

Fusion Garage Sends Email to All Their 64 JooJoo Customers In Cc:

I’ve got to admit that I find this funny, sad, and admirable at the same time. Fusion Garage sent this email to their only 64 JooJoo buyers—out of 90 pre-orders—exposing all their addresses: https://gizmodo.com/joojoo-tablet-these-court-docs-show-only-90-preorders-5505724 Dear Sir and Madam, Thank you for supporting JooJoo. We hope to get your feedback about the JooJoo Tablet. Please revert…

Privacy & Security Jesus Diaz Apr 23

Your Government Requested Google User Data This Many Times

Google’s new Government Request tool shows exactly how many times governments from around the world either asked Google to remove content or to provide user information. And how often Google complied. It’s quite the roadmap to intrusion. The figures correspond to the second half of 2009, and will be updated every six months. Brazil currently…

Tech News Brian Barrett Apr 21

Spying School District Snapped Thousands of Student Photos

In February, Philadelphia’s Lower Merion School District had remotely activated webcams of school-provided MacBooks 42 times. In fact, the school snapped thousands of photos in total. https://gizmodo.com/school-spies-students-through-their-laptop-cameras-5474614 A collection one especially creepy district employee called the “little LMSD soap opera.” The Philadelphia Inquirer has the latest news in the saga, which you can catch up…

Privacy & Security Kyle VanHemert Apr 17

Why The Original Patriots Would’ve Revolted Against Surveillance

Let’s just imagine we could transport an Internet-connected laptop back to the 1790s, when the United States was in its infancy. The technology would no doubt knock the founders out of their buckle-top boots, but once the original patriots got over the initial shock and novelty (and clearing up Wikipedia controversies, hosting an AMA and…

Privacy & Security Nadia Kayyali and Dave Maass - EFF Apr 16

And The Answer To One Of Cryptography’s Mysteries Is . . . 42

Generating truly random numbers is notoriously difficult. But now, using a quantum system, researchers have managed to create 42 genuinely random numbers. Their discovery is a major breakthrough for cryptography, and could one day enable truly private communication online. Violating Bell’s inequalities In today’s issue of Nature, a group of scientists describe how they generated…

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 14

Imagine the US Postal Service Opened, Scanned, and Emailed All Your Letters

Think about it: US Postal Service employees actually opening and scanning all your letters, and then sending you emails with their content with the option to receive the physical letter if you choose to. Scarily unreal? Not if you’re Finnish. If you live in Finland, that’s exactly what the government wants to do to “reduce…

Privacy & Security Jesus Diaz Apr 2

Microsoft Attacks Google Chrome on Privacy

Click to viewMicrosoft has apparently decided that a good way to promote Internet Explorer 8 is by attacking Chrome over privacy concerns. Like, say, right here in this video. But something doesn’t add up. The claims, leveled by IE project manager Peter LePage, sound ominous: “As I start to type an address into the address…

Tech News Brian Barrett Mar 31

Google Street View, Meet Your Avian Nemesis

Now leading the privacy crusade against Google: birds! Spotted in the English beachside town of Brighton, where even the gulls are nervous about the Big G. [Google Maps]

Privacy & Security John Herrman Mar 18

19-Year-Old Facebook CEO Didn’t Take Your Privacy Seriously, Either

Listen To Giz Discuss Cloud Computing On NPR

The Devolution of Facebook Privacy

Diaspora: The Student-Made, Privacy-Respecting Facebook Alternative

YouTube Now Lets You Mark Embarrassing Videos As “Unlisted”

Amazon Will Correct Your Error-Filled Ebooks, Nervously

Inside the NYPD’s Spycam Nerve Center

More Reasons Why You Should Still Quit Facebook

Yes, Airport Screeners Do Make Fun of Your Tiny Penis

How to Fool Face Recognition Systems With Make Up

Facebook’s Privacy Changes Get Scary

Blippy Reveals Credit Card Numbers On Google

Fusion Garage Sends Email to All Their 64 JooJoo Customers In Cc:

Your Government Requested Google User Data This Many Times

Spying School District Snapped Thousands of Student Photos

Why The Original Patriots Would’ve Revolted Against Surveillance

And The Answer To One Of Cryptography’s Mysteries Is . . . 42

Imagine the US Postal Service Opened, Scanned, and Emailed All Your Letters

Microsoft Attacks Google Chrome on Privacy

Google Street View, Meet Your Avian Nemesis

Apple’s New Wearables Push Will Start with Glasses In 2027, Report Says

Crypto Investor at Center of Trump Corruption Allegations Now Sees Himself as ‘Victim’

Southwest Is About to Limit Power Banks on Flights

Damn, the ‘Power Rangers’ Reboot Could’ve Had Four Movies

The Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Team Wants to Go the Distance

‘Lee Cronin’s The Mummy’ Will Please Gross Horror Fans

Somehow Paramount’s ‘Avatar’ Movie Has Leaked, Too

The World Is Basically Begging for Another iPod

Anker’s EufyMake E1 Finally Brings Printers Out of the Dark Ages

This Loud-Ass Party Speaker Almost Got Me High AF

Asus Zenbook A16 Review: Start Considering Snapdragon on PC, for Real

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 Review: Almost Better than My Ecobee

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

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