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‘privacy’ Stories

Google Glass facial-recognition service likely to stoke privacy fears

, May 25th 2013 Discuss [11]

Google’s Glass wearable could soon be able to recognize faces of those around the wearer, thanks to a dedicated service for human and object recognition that could be built into third-party apps. The handiwork of Lambda Labs, the special Glass facial recognition API will integrate into software and services using Google’s Mirror API for Glass, crunching shots from the camera and spitting out the identity of people and objects it recognizes. Lambda Labs expects the system to be used for real-world social networking and person-location services, though also warns that it could eventually fall foul of impending privacy regulation.

glass_face_recognition

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Xbox One Kinect includes “no listening” modes for living room privacy

, May 22nd 2013 Discuss [10]

Microsoft has attempted to reassure privacy-perplexed gamers that the new Xbox One will not be a permanent spy camera in their living room, promising that the updated Kinect sensor will support "completely secure" shut-down modes. Kinect will be a standard part of the new Xbox One package, with the new motion-tracking bar even more accurate and perceptive than before, capable even of tracking a gamer's heart rate with no physical contact. Read The Full Story

Google+ and Glass just got the upgrade for lifelogging everything

, May 18th 2013 Discuss [10]

If you’re still laughing at Google+, and at Google Glass, then it might be time to stop; Google has just shown that they’re its next route to digitally understanding everything about you, and it slipped that through in the guise of a simple photo gallery tool. Highlights is one of the few dozen new features Google+ gained as of I/O this past week, sifting through your auto-uploads and flagging up the best of them. Ostensibly it’s a bit of a gimmick, but make no mistake: Highlights is at the core of how Google will address the Brave New World of Wearables and the torrent of data that world will involve. And by the end of it, Google is going to know you and your experiences even better than you know them yourself.

Google Glass headset

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Google Glass privacy concerns must be addressed by June 14 says Congress

, May 17th 2013 Discuss [5]

Glass was nary more than a twinkle in Google's eye (pun intended) when many started voicing their concerns over privacy, followed shortly by preemptive bans against the wearable device by bars and similar associations. While Google has talked about Glass and privacy to various degrees over the past weeks, it is going to have to zero in on specific concerns by June 14, according to Congress. Read The Full Story

PayPal wants to get rid of passwords in favor of biometric security

, May 10th 2013 Discuss [7]

While passwords are the way of the land on the internet, PayPal's chief information security officer Michael Barrett says that passwords and PINs are obsolete and we need a new standard for security on computers and the internet. Barrett thinks that the next step is fingerprint scanners, which he believes will debut on smartphones at some point this year. Read The Full Story

DOJ docs reveal Facebook and email digging without a warrant

, May 8th 2013 Discuss [3]

The US Department of Justice and FBI can read your email, Facebook and Twitter messages, and other electronic content without needing a warrant first, government documentation reveals, in what's being seen as another slap at due process and privacy. Internal guidelines from US Attorney offices in multiple locations and acquired by the American Civil Liberties Union apparently suggest that investigators need not go through regular legal channels to arrange search warrants to dig in American's electronic communications. Instead, CNET reports, agencies are seemingly taking the easiest route they can to access email and messaging records, bypassing approval from a judge. Read The Full Story

White House hires Twitter legal director as chief privacy officer

, May 7th 2013 Discuss [1]

The White House has hired its first ever chief privacy officer, and the the person to take the helm for the first time is Twitter's legal director Nicole Wong, who has over a decade of experience dealing with both copyright and privacy law. The appointment of a chief privacy officer comes at a curious time, when a handful of privacy bills are trying to make their way through Congress. Read The Full Story

Path “Find Friends” blocked by Facebook for suspicious spam

, May 4th 2013 Discuss [3]

Facebook has blocked Path's access to its social graph due to Path's recent spam debacle. This will prevent Path from being able to access the social network's "Find Friends" feature, meaning the app won't be able to spam your contacts list with invites. However, users will still be able to login to Path via Facebook and they will still be able to share their content onto their walls. Read The Full Story

Syrian Electronic Army takes over E! Online’s Twitter Account

, May 4th 2013 Discuss [0]

The Syrian Electronic Army strikes again, and this time, their target was both E! Online and Justin Bieber. In a series of tweets, the SEA stated that Justin Bieber was coming out of the closet and admitting to his homosexuality in an E! Online exclusive. The group provided links following those tweets, presumably to malware infested sites. The SEA finished up their practical joke with the tweet, "The Syrian Electronic Army was here! Fans of @justinbieber, you have been trolled." Read The Full Story

FBI seeks to fine tech companies failing to comply with real-time wiretaps

, May 1st 2013 Discuss [1]

A new proposal from the government would require tech companies like Facebook or Google to allow law enforcement to place real-time wiretaps on a suspect's communication mediums, like messaging apps, emails, and more. Law officials would present a court-ordered request to the companies, and if the companies don't comply, they would receive a fine amounting to tens of thousands of dollars. If they choose not to pay the fine after 90 days, the fines will double each day afterwards. Read The Full Story

EFF praises Twitter, slams Verizon over user data protection

, May 1st 2013 Discuss [2]

Digital rights advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has released their annual report of which companies are the best at protecting its users data from the government, and the results may be surprising to some. The EFF reports that Twitter is the best when it comes to protecting user data, while Verizon, Apple, and didn't score so great. Read The Full Story

Google Glass Bulletproof lockscreen adds unofficial wearable security

, May 1st 2013 Discuss [0]

Security concerns around Google Glass and what data access those casually - or nefariously - picking up your wearable might have has prompted the first DIY lock system for the headset, Bulletproof. Resembling the standard Android lockscreen, but adding some head-detection smarts to prevent you from having to swipe in a code every time you want to use Glass, Bulletproof is the handiwork of Explorer Edition owner Mike DiGiovanni. Read The Full Story
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