Obama’s NSA Task Force Recommends NEW Reforms

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Q9q8nP7f-m5hWVV-7cmPJxJhdcoZbKb6oWhj2D3JG14xzw8p33unAnvL0E0iOWJLMdgUuyu__hdYOZeex1-bZZ934rJ4sqUeAco9CL1zHvHHEgjicE2ySvJO3fjc8s30izEgKgwVQ4xE/s320/NSA.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Privacy</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Q9q8nP7f-m5hWVV-7cmPJxJhdcoZbKb6oWhj2D3JG14xzw8p33unAnvL0E0iOWJLMdgUuyu__hdYOZeex1-bZZ934rJ4sqUeAco9CL1zHvHHEgjicE2ySvJO3fjc8s30izEgKgwVQ4xE/s1600/NSA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></a></div><div style="background-color: #f9f9f9; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Today, the much-anticipated findings of President Obama’s National Security Agency task force have hit the wire [<a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2013-12-12_rg_final_report.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">PDF</a>]. The non-binding 200 page report of 40-plus recommendations calls for the end of many of the most controversial programs.</span></div><div style="background-color: #f9f9f9; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here are the big takeaways:</span></div><div style="background-color: #f9f9f9; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">1. The government would no longer hold on to phone records in bulk</strong>. Instead, phone companies might warehouse the data for individual requests from the government. The recommendations say that the government should only access such data with a specific purpose, so it’s unknown how the NSA would continue to mine networks for patterns — or if it would be allowed to at all.</span></div><div style="background-color: #f9f9f9; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here’s the important quote, “We recommend that legislation should be enacted that terminates the storage of bulk telephony meta-data by the government.”</span></div><div style="background-color: #f9f9f9; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">2. Stop undermining global security standards</strong>. The NSA likes to maintain undiscovered hacking tools (“<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-day_attack" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">zero-day exploits</a>“) and force loopholes in Internet security standards. The work it’s doing to crack basic encryption falls along those lines as well. It helps them monitor more traffic, but makes the web overall a less safe place.</span></div><div style="background-color: #f9f9f9; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">3. No tech company “backdoors”.</strong> Google and other major tech companies have vigorously denied that they create special backdoor access for NSA spying, but the report recommends they cease this supposedly non-existent practice anyway. It is unclear whether such backdoors were currently being built out or already in existence.</span></div><div style="background-color: #f9f9f9; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box;">4. Organizational changes: </b>The director of the NSA should be confirmed by the Senate and open to civilians, there should be a new privacy board to review strategies, and the secret court should have a special public advocate. This differs from previous leaks to the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Wall Street Journal</em>, which implied that the panel recommend a civilian director.</span></div><div style="background-color: #f9f9f9; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">5. More transparency:</strong> The government should disclose the number of users who the NSA has requested to examine.</span></div><div style="background-color: #f9f9f9; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The panel follows a torrent of new developments, any of which may significantly alter the way U.S. intelligence agencies gather private data <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">en masse</em>. </span></div><div style="background-color: #f9f9f9; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nolifebeforecoffee/124659356/sizes/z/" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Image Credit: Flickr user nolifebeforecoffee</a>]</span></div><div style="background-color: #f9f9f9; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Source : <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/12/18/obamas-nsa-task-force-recommends-major-reforms/">TechCrunch</a></span></i></div>

Obama’s NSA Task Force Recommends NEW Reforms

Privacy Today, the much-anticipated findings of President Obama’s National Security Agency task force have hit the wire [ PDF ]. The non-bin...

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Privacy Policy : Spain Fines Google $1.23M

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="intellitxt" name="intellitxt"></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Google has been slapped with a fine for breaking Spanish data protection laws with its privacy policy.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"> The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) said that Google does not provide enough details about its data collection, and imposed a €900,000 ($1.23M) punishment.<br /> That's $400,000 each for three separate violations of the Organic Act on Data Protection (LOPD) — collecting information, sharing data, and not properly informing users. The AEPD called Google's privacy rules "indeterminate and unclear."<br /> A new Google privacy policy <a class="" data-ls-seen="1" href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2401022,00.asp">went into effect</a> on March 1, 2012. It consolidated about 70 cross-site guidelines into one, but also switched to one profile for users across all services, rather separate logins for applications like YouTube, Search, and Blogger. It's that account consolidation bit that has privacy advocates up in arms.<br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFSQjvbKj5HfydgBkuKISoIVHGLtLZbFLOH-cBuji-hiVsTMytSyAUFZIm75ZkLdgVpzMB_Lf64djNqlF5n2tddgScgOLVHBMiKDdI90bbEoatAA6vE0LgluizuxufugHsC8nePQS-5F2/s1600/google-search.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFSQjvbKj5HfydgBkuKISoIVHGLtLZbFLOH-cBuji-hiVsTMytSyAUFZIm75ZkLdgVpzMB_Lf64djNqlF5n2tddgScgOLVHBMiKDdI90bbEoatAA6vE0LgluizuxufugHsC8nePQS-5F2/s1600/google-search.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Google Search</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table>The AEPD's action means that the California-based tech company must comply with Spanish data protection law and correct its practices ASAP.<br /> A Google spokeswoman told PCMag that the company will be examining the Spanish watchdog's report to determine next steps.<br /> "We've engaged fully with the Spanish DPA throughout this process to explain our privacy policy and how it allows us to create simpler, more effective services, and we'll continue to do so," she said in a statement.<br /> Dutch and French officials have also spoken out against Google's practices. Late last month, the Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) <a class="" data-ls-seen="1" href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2427792,00.asp">accused the search giant</a> of not adequately informing users about which personal data it collects and combines, and for what purpose.<br /><i>Source : <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2428617,00.asp">PCMag.com </a></i></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>

Privacy Policy : Spain Fines Google $1.23M

Google has been slapped with a fine for breaking Spanish data protection laws with its privacy policy. The Spanish Data Protection Agency (...

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Google's privacy policy : 'against Dutch law'

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ECJkE3EGFP3XnsSXcZFVSBUv8L35PhoTxgnJ1JkBwl8rToclBSVEKUpfXZual1lLdDyH_vDki1pLuxiTWHmRTSFPo-MqGBQuvsWYYSzR138VFCoTbuqcVLCJfffDnDTRZj2r79r8Sbo/s1600/cc.PNG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ECJkE3EGFP3XnsSXcZFVSBUv8L35PhoTxgnJ1JkBwl8rToclBSVEKUpfXZual1lLdDyH_vDki1pLuxiTWHmRTSFPo-MqGBQuvsWYYSzR138VFCoTbuqcVLCJfffDnDTRZj2r79r8Sbo/s1600/cc.PNG" width="360" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Google's practice of combining privacy policies across its various services has been found to be in violation of the Dutch law by the Netherlands' privacy regulator CBP (College BeschermingPersoonsgegevens) after extensive research on the matter.</div><div class="relatedContent alignRight" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 228, 233); border-bottom-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(221, 228, 233); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px; color: #252525; display: table; float: right; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin: 5px 0px 15px 20px; max-width: 220px; padding: 15px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;"><h3 style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></h3></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In 2012, Google implemented a significant change in its privacy policy, merging the individual policies from its numerous services into one uniform document — which, according to the search giant, was convenient and easier to understand.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">However, although presented as a measure to accommodate its users, the move immediately caught the attention of regulators across Europe, because it also allowed Google to combine user data from diverse services.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">That in turn, allowed Google to put together an extremely detailed user profile, all without asking its users for their permission. After all, users don't have the ability to opt out of the process of their different data sets being combined, can contain extremely sensitive information, such as their payment details, location data and details about online behaviour.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Insufficiently informed</strong></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">CBP chairman Jacob Kohnstamm strongly condemned the way Google handles its user data: "The way Google has combined personal data since the introduction of the revised privacy conditions on 1 March 2012 is in violation with the Dutch Data Protection Act," he said in a statement.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Google combines personal data of internet users obtained via different kinds of Google services without properly informing its users and without asking them for permission. Our research shows that Google does not sufficiently inform its users about what personal data the company gathers and to what end. Google is creating an invisible web of our personal data, without our permission and that, by definition, is forbidden according to Dutch law."</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">No legal action… yet</strong></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Although Google's practices have found to be violation of Dutch Law, the privacy regulator said it currently has no intention to fine Google, provided that the company is willing to make changes.</div><div class="relatedContent alignLeft" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 228, 233); border-bottom-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(221, 228, 233); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px; color: #252525; display: table; float: left; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin: 5px 20px 15px 0px; max-width: 220px; padding: 15px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;"><h3 style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></h3></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"We have meanwhile invited Google for a hearing, after which we will decide if and how we are going to deploy any means necessary with regard to enforcement of the law," the CBP said. </div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Meanwhile, the Dutch branch of Google has responded to the allegations: "Our privacy policy respects European legislation and allows us to create simpler and more efficient services. During this process, we have seized each and every opportunity to engage in discussion with the CBP and we will continue to do so."</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">That in turn, allowed Google to put together an extremely detailed user profile, all without asking its users for their permission. After all, users don't have the ability to opt out of the process of their different data sets being combined, can contain extremely sensitive information, such as their payment details, location data and details about online behaviour.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Insufficiently informed</strong></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">CBP chairman Jacob Kohnstamm strongly condemned the way Google handles its user data: "The way Google has combined personal data since the introduction of the revised privacy conditions on 1 March 2012 is in violation with the Dutch Data Protection Act," he said in a statement.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">No legal action… yet</strong></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Although Google's practices have found to be violation of Dutch Law, the privacy regulator said it currently has no intention to fine Google, provided that the company is willing to make changes.</div><div class="relatedContent alignLeft" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 228, 233); border-bottom-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(221, 228, 233); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px; color: #252525; display: table; float: left; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin: 5px 20px 15px 0px; max-width: 220px; padding: 15px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;"><h3 style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></h3></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"We have meanwhile invited Google for a hearing, after which we will decide if and how we are going to deploy any means necessary with regard to enforcement of the law," the CBP said. </div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Meanwhile, the Dutch branch of Google has responded to the allegations: "Our privacy policy respects European legislation and allows us to create simpler and more efficient services. During this process, we have seized each and every opportunity to engage in discussion with the CBP and we will continue to do so."</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #252525; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>Via:<a href="http://www.zdnet.com/googles-privacy-policy-merger-against-dutch-law-7000023772/"> ZDNet</a></i></div>

Google's privacy policy : 'against Dutch law'

Google's practice of combining privacy policies across its various services has been found to be in violation of the Dutch law by the Ne...

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Microsoft Store now selling snarky anti-Google 'Scroogled' mugs and T-shirts

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthym0aj7ttu4CzQ8vfSuqt-qdD79ntHvcR-rkzxTNvBgqsR6IiW7ZDOVzrnQdE1iJi9rvANZj0z6UJ1BB_0568MqRSXnqasLA5oubCEMRw7o6qbZ6HmXpHhpgH0r_7pBhoAW3XVwP11vA/s1600/scroogled-coffee-mug-100069331-large.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthym0aj7ttu4CzQ8vfSuqt-qdD79ntHvcR-rkzxTNvBgqsR6IiW7ZDOVzrnQdE1iJi9rvANZj0z6UJ1BB_0568MqRSXnqasLA5oubCEMRw7o6qbZ6HmXpHhpgH0r_7pBhoAW3XVwP11vA/s1600/scroogled-coffee-mug-100069331-large.png" /></span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.7em; margin-bottom: 0.7em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Are you shopping for the perfect holiday gift for your conspiracy theorist friend who harbors a deep, seething rage for Google's "<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2053357/how-to-keep-your-real-name-and-face-out-of-googles-ads.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">Your face in ads</a>" policy? Good news! Microsoft's got you covered with a new Scroogled store stocked with mean-spirited gems like the coffee mug above.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.7em; margin-bottom: 0.7em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The new wares—found in a corner of <a href="http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/cat/Scroogled/categoryID.67575900" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">the virtual Microsoft Store</a>—is an expansion into the physical realm for Scroogled, Microsoft's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear,_uncertainty_and_doubt" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">FUD</a>-spreading smear campaign against Google. Over the past year, Scroogled has levelled its guns at Google Shopping's pay-to-play system, <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2028715/microsoft-steps-up-scroogle-campaign-against-google-with-advocacy-twist.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">Gmail's automated ads</a>, and Google Search's practice of <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9241786/Microsoft_turns_Scroogled_into_Schoolgled_in_new_anti_Google_attack_ad" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">placing ads next to results</a>. (You know, like the ones Bing has, too.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVf-h-NKa1p9E71_eYKrpc3AO498mxsFjZ-IySAHmX2_z1j1brz4FE7JYiDfWBTQI97DabuTS0yjCVh9RM9cTL3tNPtkzlgB49CbAauJib3_cfXckInHWin9Jw_vUTdiPD71-YQaxAQ03n/s1600/scroogled-shirts-100069332-large.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVf-h-NKa1p9E71_eYKrpc3AO498mxsFjZ-IySAHmX2_z1j1brz4FE7JYiDfWBTQI97DabuTS0yjCVh9RM9cTL3tNPtkzlgB49CbAauJib3_cfXckInHWin9Jw_vUTdiPD71-YQaxAQ03n/s1600/scroogled-shirts-100069332-large.png" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.7em; margin-bottom: 0.7em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yeah, it's sad. But Microsoft <a href="http://blogs.computerworld.com/internet-search/22981/microsofts-nasty-anti-google-scroogled-ads-pay-offor-do-they" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">claims the low blows are working</a>, for what it's worth (which probably isn't much, considering Bing's <a href="http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2307115/Google-Fails-to-Gain-Search-Market-Share-Bing-Steals-From-Yahoo" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">paltry 18 percent share</a> of the search market).</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.7em; margin-bottom: 0.7em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And while we're talking For What It's Worths, the Electronic Frontier Foundation's recent "<a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/11/encrypt-web-report-whos-doing-what" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">Encrypt the Web</a>" report gave Google a perfect score for trying to keep your data safe from prying eyes. Microsoft, meanwhile, scored 1 out of 5 on the testing criteria—just like MySpace.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.7em; margin-bottom: 0.7em;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Via : <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2065477/microsoft-store-now-selling-snarky-anti-google-scroogled-mugs-and-t-shirts.html">PCWorld</a></span></i></div>

Microsoft Store now selling snarky anti-Google 'Scroogled' mugs and T-shirts

Are you shopping for the perfect holiday gift for your conspiracy theorist friend who harbors a deep, seething rage for Google's " ...

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The private information Facebook now makes public [ How to ] Make it private

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0wONPJzN8lMu7cAR8ki9-qBskTy5s3aHKaVlPC8ehuBfU-lFTh79GdJltE-GmaO7J0kR_DlI7VROhbuDBx4q45c8a65kxsVHu6AcbI3D2S51oMavPMS10Bf0eKtyOqTtAAb4fLZIl4Uh4/s1600/bootcamp3_610x406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0wONPJzN8lMu7cAR8ki9-qBskTy5s3aHKaVlPC8ehuBfU-lFTh79GdJltE-GmaO7J0kR_DlI7VROhbuDBx4q45c8a65kxsVHu6AcbI3D2S51oMavPMS10Bf0eKtyOqTtAAb4fLZIl4Uh4/s640/bootcamp3_610x406.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 19.9950008392334px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You may have been one of the many Facebook users contacted by the company last week about the demise of the "Who can look up your Timeline by name" search setting. The Facebook e-mail announcing the discontinuation of the feature goes on to explain how to limit what information you share on the service. Unfortunately, there's no longer a way to limit globally the personal information Facebook shares with everyone; you can do so only for each separate post using the audience selector.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 19.9950008392334px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The <a href="http://www.facebook.com/help/167709519956542" style="border: 0px; color: #2964bf; cursor: pointer; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Facebook Help Center</a> states the following:</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Your name, gender, username, user ID (account number), profile picture, cover photo and networks (if you choose to add these) are available to anyone since they are essential to helping you connect with your friends and family."</span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 19.9950008392334px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Facebook users are installing apps from developers who help themselves to the users' private information without offering a clear mechanism for retrieving the data. Users have no way of knowing what the information includes or how it will be used, let alone whether it is accurate. Nope, no privacy risk there.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 19.9950008392334px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Facebook App Settings page lets you control the information about you that friends can share when they use apps. You can uncheck any or all of the 17 categories of information presented.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 19.9950008392334px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div class="cnet-image-div image-LARGE2 float-none" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; float: none; line-height: 19.9950008392334px; margin: 10px auto; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 610px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="Facebook App Settings option for friends sharing your information with apps" class="cnet-image" height="331" src="http://asset2.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2013/11/12/11_12_13_Facebook1_610x331.jpg" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="610" /></span><div class="image-caption" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.133em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Uncheck the categories of personal information you don't want your friends to be able to share with the Facebook apps they use.</span></div><span class="image-credit" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.133em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Credit: Screenshot by Dennis O'Reilly/CNET)</span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 19.9950008392334px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 19.9950008392334px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The App Settings page indicates that you can prevent apps and Web sites from accessing other categories of information by "turning off all Platform apps." To do so, click Edit to the right of "Apps you use" on the App Settings page, and click the Turn Off Platform button.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 19.9950008392334px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><cnet:image alt="Facebook App Settings "Apps you use" options" apps="" caption="Disable all app sharing by selecting the Turn Off Platform button in the Facebook " credit="Screenshot by Dennis O'Reilly/CNET" crediturl="" float="none" id="33842846" settings.="" size="LARGE2" targeturl="" use="" you=""></cnet:image></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 19.9950008392334px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Privacy promises to European users come up empty</b><br />Imagine if Facebook, Google, and other services had to notify you of the information they collect about you, how the companies will use the information, the third parties they will share the information with, and how you can restrict use and disclosure of the information.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 19.9950008392334px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now imagine you're given the ability to opt out of the collection and use of your information beyond what is necessary to transact your business with the companies. Even better, imagine having to opt in to the use of your personal information in any way other than the original purpose for which you supplied the information.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 19.9950008392334px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These are two of the seven Safe Harbor Privacy Principles that US companies agree to comply with for their customers residing in European Union countries. Export.gov provides an <a href="http://export.gov/safeharbor/eu/eg_main_018476.asp" style="border: 0px; color: #2964bf; cursor: pointer; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">overview of the Safe Harbor requirements</a>. The principles specify that individuals be afforded access to the personal information the companies collect about them and be able to correct, amend, or delete the information.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 19.9950008392334px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/us-european-union-safe-harbor-nsa-99495.html" style="border: 0px; color: #2964bf; cursor: pointer; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Politico's Erin Mershon</a> points out, the Safe Harbor Framework is intended to allow US companies to comply with the EU's stringent privacy regulations. The rules have been a sticking point in light of the National Security Agency's widespread surveillance. Some Europeans believe US firms use the Safe Harbor Framework to avoid complying with the EU's privacy requirements.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 19.9950008392334px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Julie Brill defends the Safe Harbor Framework, EU officials point out the lack of enforcement efforts by the FTC. Safe Harbor guidelines rely on companies self-certifying, so to a great extent the framework operates on the honor system.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 19.9950008392334px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At a meeting last month of the European Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee, an executive at Galexia, an Australian management consulting firm that researches Safe Harbor compliance, highlighted the program's lax enforcement. According to <a href="http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/view/34973/hundreds-of-us-companies-lie-about-safe-harbor-conformance/" style="border: 0px; color: #2964bf; cursor: pointer; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">InfoSecurity</a>, Galexia's Chris Connolly told the committee that 427 US companies make false claims about their Safe Harbor compliance.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 19.9950008392334px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A more-widespread compliance shortcoming relates to the Safe Harbor regulations' dispute-resolution requirements. Connolly testified that about 30 percent of the 3,000 self-certifying organizations offer no dispute-resolution options, and a large number of those companies that claim to provide dispute resolution, instead refer customers to the American Arbitration Association, which charges complainants from $120 to $1,200 per hour, with a minimum of 4 hours, on top of a $950 administration fee.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.9950008392334px;">Some EU officials are calling for the cancellation of the Safe Harbor program, which has been in place for 13 years. Viviane Reding, vice president of the European Commission and EU justice commissioner, spoke at a seminar in Washington, D.C., late last month and recommended the only way for the US to restore Europe's trust is to enact privacy legislation that provides EU citizens with a right of redress when their privacy is violated, as</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.9950008392334px;"> </span><a href="http://www.bna.com/surveillance-concerns-put-n17179879801/" style="border: 0px; color: #2964bf; cursor: pointer; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 19.9950008392334px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bloomberg BNA's Stephen Gardner</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.9950008392334px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.9950008392334px;">reported last week.</span></span><br /><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Source : <a href="http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57612001-285/the-private-information-facebook-now-makes-public/">CNET </a></span></i>

The private information Facebook now makes public [ How to ] Make it private

You may have been one of the many Facebook users contacted by the company last week about the demise of the "Who can look up your Timel...

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Privacy groups ask FTC to check tech firms' link to NSA

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iqNqwiL4WtV_1Z5aLHjrJjKc2RVT-a07xpiMsSJeClHqlgHre_T8BJu4jV-G2TRyTYBcXcMo4mayYE2oQccGhz6DYgs6pZEy0ed-_p1iBqAj1pALu2TkZZO98zvuhSoZ470-ZIpmcLs/s1600/privacy_nsa_security-100053240-thumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iqNqwiL4WtV_1Z5aLHjrJjKc2RVT-a07xpiMsSJeClHqlgHre_T8BJu4jV-G2TRyTYBcXcMo4mayYE2oQccGhz6DYgs6pZEy0ed-_p1iBqAj1pALu2TkZZO98zvuhSoZ470-ZIpmcLs/s400/privacy_nsa_security-100053240-thumbnail.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.7em; margin-bottom: 0.7em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Several advocacy groups are calling for an investigation into Internet companies Yahoo and Google whose networks were secretly accessed by the National Security Agency (NSA).</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.7em; margin-bottom: 0.7em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In a letter sent last week, the groups asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) find out how the NSA could extract so much data without the knowledge of Google and Yahoo.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.7em; margin-bottom: 0.7em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"The Commission should pursue this investigation because it routinely holds itself out as the defender of consumer privacy in the United States," the authors said. "It is inconceivable that when faced with the most significant breach of consumer data in U.S. history, the Commission could ignore the consequences for consumer privacy."</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.7em; margin-bottom: 0.7em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The letter, signed by officials from the Electronic Privacy Information Center, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, Center for Digital Democracy, and other organizations, follows recent reports that the NSA gained access to millions of consumer records by secretly tapping directly into data streams from major Internet companies.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.7em; margin-bottom: 0.7em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The reports prompted fresh concern about NSA surveillance activities and of the privacy of data being held by the world's largest Internet companies.</span></div><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-top: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Firms deny compliance</span></h2><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.7em; margin-bottom: 0.7em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and others have insisted that they divulge consumer information to the NSA and other government agencies only under appropriate court orders. Each has denied providing any help to the NSA and other spy agencies gathering data on Internet users.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.7em; margin-bottom: 0.7em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In fact, in a court filing last week the companies demandedthat the government release more information about the kind of data that Internet companies are being asked to provide the NSA.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.7em; margin-bottom: 0.7em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The letter from the privacy groups stands out because it seeks to hold Google and Yahoo responsible for the NSA's data collection activities because of a lack of network security controls.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.7em; margin-bottom: 0.7em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.7em;"><br />Rotenberg said consumer privacy groups have long urged Internet companies to adopt better privacy and security practices to safeguard the information they collect. He noted that privacy groups have asked Internet companies to minimize data collection when possible and to delete unneeded data.</span>"We are saying that the companies should do more to protect the privacy of user data and that the FTC has a responsibility to police these practices, particularly since both Google and Facebook are subject to consent orders concerning privacy," said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of EPIC.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.7em; margin-bottom: 0.7em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Therefore, Internet companies must be held responsible for breaches of data they store, he said.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.7em; margin-bottom: 0.7em;"><i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Via:<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2064300/privacy-groups-ask-ftc-to-check-tech-firms-link-to-nsa.html"> PCWorld</a></span></i></div>

Privacy groups ask FTC to check tech firms' link to NSA

Several advocacy groups are calling for an investigation into Internet companies Yahoo and Google whose networks were secretly accessed by t...

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