Klint Finley writes: Data collected from customers is routinely anonymized and then sold or otherwise disseminated for research purposes. But does anonymization work? One particularly high profile case was Netflix’s release of its customer data as part of its machine learning algorithm contest. According to Forbes’ firewall blog, researchers were able to de-anonymize some of this…
Category: Business
Google’s Web mapping can track your phone
Declan McCullagh reports: If you have Wi-Fi turned on, the previous whereabouts of your computer or mobile device may be visible on the Web for anyone to see. Google publishes the estimated location of millions of iPhones, laptops, and other devices with Wi-Fi connections, a practice that represents the latest twist in a series of…
Franken, Blumenthal introduce mobile privacy bill
Cecilia Kang reports: Senators Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Wednesday introduced a smart phone privacy bill that would require companies like Apple and Google to get permission from users before sharing geo-locational data with third parties. The bill comes amid increased concern that mobile phone and apps makers are collecting information about a consumer’s…
Public Notice of Class Action Settlement: Krist Oil Company
Seen on the web site of the Wisconsin Office of Privacy Protection: Public Notice of Class Action Settlement Date of Breach: Dec 1, 2006 through Nov 30, 2009 Company: Krist Oil Company CITGO gas stations Data Stolen: Receipts printed displayed more than last 5 digits of credit or debit card numbers A lawsuit was filed…