Fascinating piece by FTC technologist Ed Felten that I just got around to reading: When I wrote previously about differential privacy, a mathematical framework that allows rigorous reasoning about privacy preservation, I promised to work through an example to show how the theory works. Here goes. Suppose that Alice has access to a detailed database about everyone…
Category: Misc
Facial recognition software’s privacy concerns
James Temple writes that facial recognition technology has outpaced policy on its use: There are obviously useful applications, like automatically tagging your buddies in a social-network photo or – on an entirely different scale – recognizing known terrorists at airports. But there are frightening ones as well: allowing authoritarian states to identify peaceful protesters, enabling…
NTIA to address mobile privacy during July 12 meeting
Grant Gross reports: The U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration will step up work on an effort to develop mobile privacy standards on July 12, when the agency meets with mobile carriers, app developers and other stakeholders in the first of a series of meetings on online privacy. One of the likely discussions during the so-called multistakeholder…
IPv6, New Internet Protocol, Launches with Privacy Questions
EPIC reports: The Internet Society has announced the world launch of IPv6, which will dramatically expand the number of Internet addresses. IPv6 creates fixed IP addresses, allowing routine tracking of Internet-connected devices, such as laptops, cellphones, and soon many consumer appliances. This will make it easier for law enforcement agencies and advertisers to track users of Internet-based…