From the FTC: Google Inc. has agreed to pay a record $22.5 million civil penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it misrepresented to users of Apple Inc.’s Safari Internet browser that it would not place tracking “cookies” or serve targeted ads to those users, violating an earlier privacy settlement between the company and…
Category: Business
Creepy Quora erodes users’ privacy, reveals what you have read
Graham Cluley writes: Earlier this month, Quora made a decision which changes your privacy on the site. And they did it without asking your permission first. They decided to introduce “Views” – functionality which creepily reveals to others the articles you have been reading. In a trick presumably learnt from a chorus of other uncaring social networking…
App for disposable phone numbers launches
Meghan Kelly reports on disposable mobile phone number app that launched today: Burner launched today, an app that gives you one-off numbers that go dark after you’re done using them. But what happens when those numbers are used by criminals? The privacy-focused company says it is ready to deal with illicit behavior, and will comply…
Surveillance companies: real responsibility goes beyond the letter of the law
Eric King writes: Earlier this year, Privacy International began research into the corporate social responsibility policies of companies that sell communications surveillance technology. Given that this technology is known to facilitate human rights abuses in repressive regimes around the world, surveillance tech companies that claims corporate responsibility might be expected to address such concerns in…