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Showing posts with label personal data. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal data. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
ABA Webinar: Thursday, March 8, 2018
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
The tyranny of algorithms is part of our lives: soon they could rate everything we do; Guardian, March 5, 2018
John Harris, Guardian; The tyranny of algorithms is part of our lives: soon they could rate everything we do
"The tyranny of algorithms is now an inbuilt part of our lives.
These systems are sprawling, often randomly connected, and often beyond logic. But viewed from another angle, they are also the potential constituent parts of comprehensive social credit systems, awaiting the moment at which they will be glued together. That point may yet come, thanks to the ever-expanding reach of the internet. If our phones and debit cards already leave a huge trail of data, the so-called internet of things is now increasing our informational footprint at speed...
Personal data and its endless uses form one of the most fundamental issues of our time, which boils down to the relationship between the individual and power, whether exercised by government or private organisations."
"The tyranny of algorithms is now an inbuilt part of our lives.
These systems are sprawling, often randomly connected, and often beyond logic. But viewed from another angle, they are also the potential constituent parts of comprehensive social credit systems, awaiting the moment at which they will be glued together. That point may yet come, thanks to the ever-expanding reach of the internet. If our phones and debit cards already leave a huge trail of data, the so-called internet of things is now increasing our informational footprint at speed...
Personal data and its endless uses form one of the most fundamental issues of our time, which boils down to the relationship between the individual and power, whether exercised by government or private organisations."
Thursday, February 1, 2018
WTF is GDPR?; TechCrunch, January 20, 2018
Natasha Lomas, TechCrunch; WTF is GDPR?
"The EC’s theory is that consumer trust is essential to fostering growth in the digital economy. And it thinks trust can be won by giving users of digital services more information and greater control over how their data is used. Which is — frankly speaking — a pretty refreshing idea when you consider the clandestine data brokering that pervades the tech industry. Mass surveillance isn’t just something governments do.
The General Data Protection Regulation (aka GDPR) was agreed after more than three years of negotiations between the EU’s various institutions.
It’s set to apply across the 28-Member State bloc as of May 25, 2018. That means EU countries are busy transposing it into national law via their own legislative updates (such as the UK’s new Data Protection Bill — yes, despite the fact the country is currently in the process of (br)exiting the EU, the government has nonetheless committed to implementing the regulation because it needs to keep EU-UK data flowing freely in the post-brexit future. Which gives an early indication of the pulling power of GDPR.
Meanwhile businesses operating in the EU are being bombarded with ads from a freshly energized cottage industry of ‘privacy consultants’ offering to help them get ready for the new regs — in exchange for a service fee. It’s definitely a good time to be a law firm specializing in data protection."
"The EC’s theory is that consumer trust is essential to fostering growth in the digital economy. And it thinks trust can be won by giving users of digital services more information and greater control over how their data is used. Which is — frankly speaking — a pretty refreshing idea when you consider the clandestine data brokering that pervades the tech industry. Mass surveillance isn’t just something governments do.
The General Data Protection Regulation (aka GDPR) was agreed after more than three years of negotiations between the EU’s various institutions.
It’s set to apply across the 28-Member State bloc as of May 25, 2018. That means EU countries are busy transposing it into national law via their own legislative updates (such as the UK’s new Data Protection Bill — yes, despite the fact the country is currently in the process of (br)exiting the EU, the government has nonetheless committed to implementing the regulation because it needs to keep EU-UK data flowing freely in the post-brexit future. Which gives an early indication of the pulling power of GDPR.
Meanwhile businesses operating in the EU are being bombarded with ads from a freshly energized cottage industry of ‘privacy consultants’ offering to help them get ready for the new regs — in exchange for a service fee. It’s definitely a good time to be a law firm specializing in data protection."
Data is the new lifeblood of capitalism – don't hand corporate America control; Guardian, February 1, 2018
Ben Tarnoff, Guardian; Data is the new lifeblood of capitalism – don't hand corporate America control
"Over the past year, a growing number of people have come to realize that data has a dark side. The information revolution has turned out to be something less than total liberation. The digital sphere is not intrinsically democratic; rather, what matters is who owns it and how it’s organized.
The digitization of everything has made this abundantly clear. As more of our lives are made into data, the companies that control that data have grown rich and powerful. It’s not merely that they know so much about us, from our favorite type of toilet paper to our favorite type of porn. It’s that they use what they know to inform algorithmic decisions that have a significant impact on society as a whole –decisions like what kind of news (if any) we consume, or how long we go to prison.
But the stakes are even higher. The emphasis on personal data has obscured the fact that data is not just personal – it’s commercial, industrial, financial. The reason that corporations are so concerned about who controls the packets that flow through the world’s fiber-optic cables is because a vast array of profit-making activities now depends on them."
"Over the past year, a growing number of people have come to realize that data has a dark side. The information revolution has turned out to be something less than total liberation. The digital sphere is not intrinsically democratic; rather, what matters is who owns it and how it’s organized.
The digitization of everything has made this abundantly clear. As more of our lives are made into data, the companies that control that data have grown rich and powerful. It’s not merely that they know so much about us, from our favorite type of toilet paper to our favorite type of porn. It’s that they use what they know to inform algorithmic decisions that have a significant impact on society as a whole –decisions like what kind of news (if any) we consume, or how long we go to prison.
But the stakes are even higher. The emphasis on personal data has obscured the fact that data is not just personal – it’s commercial, industrial, financial. The reason that corporations are so concerned about who controls the packets that flow through the world’s fiber-optic cables is because a vast array of profit-making activities now depends on them."
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Privacy experts alarmed as Amazon moves into the health care industry; Washington Post, January 30, 2018
Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post; Privacy experts alarmed as Amazon moves into the health care industry
"Amazon.com on Tuesday announced a joint partnership with Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan to create an independent health-care company for their employees, putting an end to months of speculation that the technology giant was eyeing a foray into the medical industry. It’s yet another endeavor for the company, which last year spent $13.7 billion to enter the grocery business with its acquisition of Whole Foods Market. (Jeffrey P. Bezos, the founder and chief executive of Amazon, also owns The Washington Post.)
[Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan Chase join forces to tackle employees’ health-care costs]
But as the online retailer expands into new industries — cloud computing, drones, tech gadgets, moviemaking and now health care — some privacy experts say the company’s increasingly dominant role in our lives raises concerns about how personal data is collected and used. What happens, for example, when a company that has access to our weekly shopping lists, eating habits and in-home Alexa-based assistants also becomes involved in our medical care?"
"Amazon.com on Tuesday announced a joint partnership with Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan to create an independent health-care company for their employees, putting an end to months of speculation that the technology giant was eyeing a foray into the medical industry. It’s yet another endeavor for the company, which last year spent $13.7 billion to enter the grocery business with its acquisition of Whole Foods Market. (Jeffrey P. Bezos, the founder and chief executive of Amazon, also owns The Washington Post.)
[Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan Chase join forces to tackle employees’ health-care costs]
But as the online retailer expands into new industries — cloud computing, drones, tech gadgets, moviemaking and now health care — some privacy experts say the company’s increasingly dominant role in our lives raises concerns about how personal data is collected and used. What happens, for example, when a company that has access to our weekly shopping lists, eating habits and in-home Alexa-based assistants also becomes involved in our medical care?"
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Companies brace for European privacy rules; Axios, August 1, 2017
Sara Fischer, Kim Hart, Axios; Companies brace for European privacy rules
"U.S. companies are largely unprepared for what's about to hit them when sweeping new EU data laws take effect next year. The regulation — the General Data Protection Regulation (or GDPR) — is intended to give users more control of how their personal data is used and streamline data processes across the EU. Companies that fail to comply with the complex law will face steep fines of up to 4% of their global annual revenue.
Why it matters: Europe has by far taken the most aggressive regulatory stance on protecting consumer privacy and will in many ways be a litmus test for regulating the currency of the data economy. It impacts a huge number of businesses from advertisers to e-commerce platforms whose data flows through EU countries. That means everyone from Google to your neighbor who sells shoes on eBay could be affected."
"U.S. companies are largely unprepared for what's about to hit them when sweeping new EU data laws take effect next year. The regulation — the General Data Protection Regulation (or GDPR) — is intended to give users more control of how their personal data is used and streamline data processes across the EU. Companies that fail to comply with the complex law will face steep fines of up to 4% of their global annual revenue.
Why it matters: Europe has by far taken the most aggressive regulatory stance on protecting consumer privacy and will in many ways be a litmus test for regulating the currency of the data economy. It impacts a huge number of businesses from advertisers to e-commerce platforms whose data flows through EU countries. That means everyone from Google to your neighbor who sells shoes on eBay could be affected."
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Israel firms urged to align with new EU privacy rules; The Times of Israel, June 7, 2017
Shoshanna Solomon, The Times of Israel; Israel firms urged to align with new EU privacy rules
"Personal data is any information relating to an individual, whether it relates to his or her private, professional or public life. It can be anything from a name, photo, email address, bank details, posts on social networking websites, medical information, or even a computer’s IP address...
The new EU rules will affect all organizations — whether in Israel or globally — that store or process personal data of European citizens. It doesn’t matter in which country the organization is based, said Ido Naor, a senior security researcher at cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab...
The new European rules may also prompt Israel to tighten its own privacy rules to align them with the new European norms, Tevet said."
"Personal data is any information relating to an individual, whether it relates to his or her private, professional or public life. It can be anything from a name, photo, email address, bank details, posts on social networking websites, medical information, or even a computer’s IP address...
The new EU rules will affect all organizations — whether in Israel or globally — that store or process personal data of European citizens. It doesn’t matter in which country the organization is based, said Ido Naor, a senior security researcher at cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab...
The new European rules may also prompt Israel to tighten its own privacy rules to align them with the new European norms, Tevet said."
GDPR: EU Goes Against The Global Grain To Protect Privacy; Forbes, June 7, 2017
Simon Crosby, Forbes; GDPR: EU Goes Against The Global Grain To Protect Privacy
"Could it be that the EU is about to save the internet? At a time when internet users worldwide are increasingly under surveillance by governments, service providers, advertising networks and social media websites, it seems that one of the internet’s greatest promises -- open communication for all -- has been lost. But the EU has an opportunity to sway the outcome with the recently adopted General Data Protection Regulation, which will become law next year.
The EU’s implementation of GDPR has an opportunity to become the most important globally recognized set of principles to protect online privacy. In recent developments, President Donald Trump and his administration promised to mandate rapid improvements in U.S. cybersecurity, but they quickly acquiesced to commercial interests by overriding regulations that the Federal Communications Commission had set up to legitimize the sale of subscriber information by ISPs.
What does GDPR mean for consumers? In short, it will strengthen the practice of fundamental privacy rights of individuals and put users back in control of their personal data. This level of regulation will apply to both corporations and governments and will have the potential to inherently disrupt the protocols for data protection on a global scale."
"Could it be that the EU is about to save the internet? At a time when internet users worldwide are increasingly under surveillance by governments, service providers, advertising networks and social media websites, it seems that one of the internet’s greatest promises -- open communication for all -- has been lost. But the EU has an opportunity to sway the outcome with the recently adopted General Data Protection Regulation, which will become law next year.
The EU’s implementation of GDPR has an opportunity to become the most important globally recognized set of principles to protect online privacy. In recent developments, President Donald Trump and his administration promised to mandate rapid improvements in U.S. cybersecurity, but they quickly acquiesced to commercial interests by overriding regulations that the Federal Communications Commission had set up to legitimize the sale of subscriber information by ISPs.
What does GDPR mean for consumers? In short, it will strengthen the practice of fundamental privacy rights of individuals and put users back in control of their personal data. This level of regulation will apply to both corporations and governments and will have the potential to inherently disrupt the protocols for data protection on a global scale."
Monday, June 5, 2017
IoT Devices Becoming More Important in Criminal Investigations; Inside Counsel, June 1, 2017
Amanda Ciccatelli, Inside Counsel; IoT Devices Becoming More Important in Criminal Investigations
"In addition, an area of the law which will evolve because of IoT being utilized in court is privacy law. Fitbit's privacy policies clearly state that they will cooperate with a legal subpoena or warrant. Moreover, they outline that user’s information will be stored unless the account is completely closed, and even then, the information will only be destroyed per the company's regular maintenance schedule. Accordingly, users have consented to this application.
She explained, “Users of IoT need be cognizant of the fact that these very personal devices, worn by us every minute of the day or listening in our homes, come at a very real privacy cost…If IoT is in use, users must balance the risk that their data will be used in court."
"In addition, an area of the law which will evolve because of IoT being utilized in court is privacy law. Fitbit's privacy policies clearly state that they will cooperate with a legal subpoena or warrant. Moreover, they outline that user’s information will be stored unless the account is completely closed, and even then, the information will only be destroyed per the company's regular maintenance schedule. Accordingly, users have consented to this application.
She explained, “Users of IoT need be cognizant of the fact that these very personal devices, worn by us every minute of the day or listening in our homes, come at a very real privacy cost…If IoT is in use, users must balance the risk that their data will be used in court."
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
US and Europe have different ideas about data and privacy; Beta News, May 30, 2017
Nigel Tozer, BetaNews; US and Europe have different ideas about data and privacy
"With a recent, but less publicized executive order from President Trump, there are things happening on both sides of the Atlantic with regard to personal data, and it looks like the US and the EU have very different ideas about which direction to take...
"With a recent, but less publicized executive order from President Trump, there are things happening on both sides of the Atlantic with regard to personal data, and it looks like the US and the EU have very different ideas about which direction to take...
Much of this you might not care about, but personal medical records, mental health, legal records, finance etc. or other areas probably cross the line for you, it's personal after all. The trouble is, the lines between what's shared and what’s kept truly private are blurring.
Some camps think that the pendulum has swung too far in favor of business, and that there should be a rebalancing with more power handed back to the individual. While this view can be found in the US as well, it's the EU that has chosen to legislate to protect its citizens. This comes in the form of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) coming into force in May 2018."
Friday, May 26, 2017
Is Privacy Still a Big Deal Today?; Knowledge@Wharton, May 25, 2017
Kartik Hosanagar, and Tai Bendit, Knowledge@Wharton;
Is Privacy Still a Big Deal Today?
"Americans value their privacy, but they are also resigned to giving up their personal data in order to transact with a company. Is there a better way for both sides to get what they want? This opinion piece by Kartik Hosanagar (@khosanagar) and Tai Bendit examines that question. Hosanagar is a professor of technology and digital business at Wharton. He was previously a cofounder of online marketing firm Yodle Inc. Bendit is a senior at Wharton studying economics with a concentration in operations, information, and decisions. He is joining LinkedIn as a business strategy and analytics analyst.
A version of this article was previously published on LinkedIn."
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
WSJ Privacy Test: Who Can See Your Personal Data?; Wall Street Journal, May 24, 2017
[Video] Geoffrey A. Fowler, Wall Street Journal;
WSJ Privacy Test: Who Can See Your Personal Data?
"People would care more about privacy if they knew how exposed they already are online, says WSJ Personal Tech columnist Geoffrey A. Fowler. In an experiment, he showed a handful of strangers their own personal info—and managed to shock every one."
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
How to Protect Your Privacy as More Apps Harvest Your Data; New York Times, May 1, 2017
Brian X. Chen, New York Times; How to Protect Your Privacy as More Apps Harvest Your Data
"Opt out for good
Deleting your app from your phone or computer often isn’t enough. You’ll remove data from the device itself, but not from the company’s servers.
If you’ve lost trust in a company, make the cleanest break possible: Delete your account. In the case of an app like Uber, for example, you can submit a request on the company’s website to have your account deleted. Similarly, with Unroll.me, you can log in to the site and click through the settings to delete your account.
Even after doing that, you will have to reconcile with the idea that the company will probably hold on to the information you have already shared.
“Data you’ve provided to the service as part of using the service is data that they can store and continue to use,” Ms. Sandvik said. “It falls under the terms of service.”
"Opt out for good
Deleting your app from your phone or computer often isn’t enough. You’ll remove data from the device itself, but not from the company’s servers.
If you’ve lost trust in a company, make the cleanest break possible: Delete your account. In the case of an app like Uber, for example, you can submit a request on the company’s website to have your account deleted. Similarly, with Unroll.me, you can log in to the site and click through the settings to delete your account.
Even after doing that, you will have to reconcile with the idea that the company will probably hold on to the information you have already shared.
“Data you’ve provided to the service as part of using the service is data that they can store and continue to use,” Ms. Sandvik said. “It falls under the terms of service.”
Thursday, January 12, 2017
KFC China is using facial recognition tech to serve customers - but are they buying it?; Guardian, 1/11/17
Amy Hawkins Guardian;
"Of course, the prospect of a company storing data about customers’ faces and fried-chicken preferences raises the ever present trade-off between convenience and privacy. One woman tells me she wouldn’t use the machine for that reason, but most customers are nonplussed. “In China, you don’t have any privacy anyway,” said Li.
He’s right, sort of. Beyond the world of fast-food, personal data in China is becoming an increasingly valuable commodity. A Chinese newspaperrecently conducted an experiment, which found that a citizen’s private data, including apartments they’d rented and internet cafés they’d visited, could be bought using their personal ID number at the cost of just 700RMB (£82). Meanwhile, the government is rolling out a “social credit” system of digitally stored information about a person’s credit history, consumption habits and incidences of “conduct that seriously undermines … the normal social order”. The system also awards points for good behaviour; a person’s point score affects their ability to travel abroad, buy property and enrol their children in certain schools, among other privileges."
KFC China is using facial recognition tech to serve customers - but are they buying it?
"Of course, the prospect of a company storing data about customers’ faces and fried-chicken preferences raises the ever present trade-off between convenience and privacy. One woman tells me she wouldn’t use the machine for that reason, but most customers are nonplussed. “In China, you don’t have any privacy anyway,” said Li.
He’s right, sort of. Beyond the world of fast-food, personal data in China is becoming an increasingly valuable commodity. A Chinese newspaperrecently conducted an experiment, which found that a citizen’s private data, including apartments they’d rented and internet cafés they’d visited, could be bought using their personal ID number at the cost of just 700RMB (£82). Meanwhile, the government is rolling out a “social credit” system of digitally stored information about a person’s credit history, consumption habits and incidences of “conduct that seriously undermines … the normal social order”. The system also awards points for good behaviour; a person’s point score affects their ability to travel abroad, buy property and enrol their children in certain schools, among other privileges."
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Companies are making money from our personal data – but at what cost?; Guardian, 8/31/16
Jathan Sadowski, Guardian; Companies are making money from our personal data – but at what cost? :
"Data appropriation is a form of exploitation because companies use data to create value without providing people with comparable compensation... In short, rampant practices of data appropriation allow corporations and governments to build their wealth and power, without the headache of obtaining consent and providing compensation for the resource they desire. Data appropriation is surely an ethical issue. But by framing it as theft, we can lay the groundwork for policies that also make it a legal issue. We need new models of data ownership and protection that reflect the role information has in society. In the Gilded Age 2.0, a laissez-faire attitude toward data has encouraged a new class of robber barons to arise. Rather than allow them to unscrupulously take, trade and hoard our data, we must reclaim their ill-gotten gains and reign in the data imperative."
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Data Privacy Pact Must Be Forged Between Europe And U.S., Regulators Warn; HuffingtonPost.com, 10/16/15
Julia Fioretti, HuffingtonPost.com; Data Privacy Pact Must Be Forged Between Europe And U.S., Regulators Warn:
"Companies could face action from European privacy regulators if the European Commission and United States do not come up with a new system enabling them to shuffle data across the Atlantic in three months, the regulators said on Friday. The highest EU court last week struck down a system known as Safe Harbour used by over 4,000 firms to transfer personal data to the United States, leaving companies without alternatives scrambling to put new legal measures in place to ensure everyday business could continue. Under EU data protection law, companies cannot transfer EU citizens' personal data to countries outside the EU deemed to have insufficient privacy safeguards, of which the United States is one."
Saturday, September 5, 2015
London clinic leaks HIV status of patients; BBC News, 9/2/15
BBC News; London clinic leaks HIV status of patients:
"The 56 Dean Street clinic in Soho sent out the names and email addresses of 780 people when a newsletter was issued to clinic patients. Patients were supposed to be blind-copied into the email but instead details were sent as a group email. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the breach was "completely unacceptable". Speaking at a conference in Manchester, Mr Hunt said patients needed to feel confident the NHS would look after their personal data. He said: "The truth is that we will throw this all away if we lose the public's trust in our ability to look after their personal data securely. "If we are going to win that trust we need to strengthen the independent oversight of data security within the NHS to a level that we don't have at the moment.""
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