privacy policy
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Cisco backs down over right to see your internet history
Got any spare sympathy for Cisco? The company just can't catch a break with its various hardware schemes, and now it's getting aggro from an unexpected direction: users of its generally reliable Linksys routers. Owners of E2700, E3500 and E4500 models recently discovered that their router login credentials stopped working following an automatic firmware update, and instead they were asked to sign up to the new Cisco Connect Cloud platform to regain access. If they sought to avoid this by rebooting the router, they reportedly lost control over their advanced settings, which led to a sense of being cajoled. To make matters worse, the Connect Cloud service came with a supplemental privacy policy that explicitly allowed Cisco to peek at a user's "internet history," "traffic" and "other related information." If Cisco discovered you had used your router for "pornographic or offensive purposes" or to violate "intellectual property rights," it reserved the right to shut down your cloud account and effectively cut you off from your router. Now, much as the world needs moral stalwarts, in this instance Cisco appears to have backed down and removed the offending paragraph, but not before alienating a bunch of loyal Linksys customers like ExtremeTech's Joel Hruska at the source link below.
Tiny fraction of required 270 million Facebook users squeak 'no' to changes
Facebook users rebuked proposed privacy changes in a vote on Friday -- to the tune of 87 percent -- but a thousand times higher turnout was needed for it to matter. As such, the company will likely proceed with the additions, which it said were needed to clarify current policies for European and US regulators. However, the company was sufficiently chastened by the anemic turnout of 342,600 voters to state that it was "pretty disappointing," and spokeswoman Jame Schopflin said in the future, they will consider the vote "advisory" if numbers were too low. Still, groups like Our Policy who started the petition for this referendum might want to pick their battles better next time.
Facebook to experiment with access for under-13s
Facebook is exploring options to connect kids to its social network, while ensuring it obeys federal laws. According to the Wall Street Journal, the social network is pushing for a more formalized structure for under-13s in an effort to curb users registering under a false age. Consumer Reports currently pegs the number of under-age users at around 7.5 million. Despite other privacy concerns, Facebook is reportedly looking to add buffers and parental controls to any kid-friendly version that might result from its current experiments. It could also tie parents' accounts to their little tykes' pages, allowing game purchases to be made through their bank details. Well, that new HQ isn't going to pay for itself.
Facebook to put privacy changes to vote thanks to policy group, its own rules
A vote on Facebook privacy rules prompted by 45,000 comments plastered on its governance page is likely to trigger consequences -- maybe some not intended. With Max Schrems' Our Policy site easily egging the number past the 7,000 threshold, the now-public social company must wait to see if 30 percent of its user base will object to the seemingly modest revisions. With the flock now numbering nearly 800 million, it seems unlikely that 230 million of them will bother to even vote, let alone strike the changes down. Given that and Facebook's privacy Czar Erin Egan saying that it will now revisit the vote policy, it's possible the only result will be a change in terms which could stymie future privacy efforts. Want to have your say? Check the more coverage link to find out where to go.
Facebook proposes more transparent privacy policy, wants to know what you think of it
Facebook's had some privacy foibles in the not-so-distant past, and has been working to improve its policies to better inform Facebook users how their info is exploited. Last year, the Irish Data Protection Commissioner's Office did an audit of Facebook's data usage approach, and determined that, while Facebook's doing a decent job, further details should be provided to us all. Well, the social network's recently responded by creating a Terms and Policies Hub to make its myriad policies easy to find. Additionally, it's adding new examples and explanations to its Data Use Policy about how the 'book employs cookies on its site, while also shedding some light on how our info's used for advertising and improving site operations. There's also a detailed description of the Activity Log tool that lets you see every bit of info you've entrusted to Mr. Zuckerberg, so you can better manage your pictures and wall posts. These changes aren't yet set in stone, however, because Facebook wants to know what you think before doing so. Just head on over to Facebook's Site Governance page to peruse the changes and provide feedback at your leisure, or tune into a live Q&A session with Chief Privacy Officer Erin Egan next Monday (May 14th) at noon ET to tell her face-to-digital-face.
Japanese court orders Google to halt Instant search for suggesting one man be fired
Could Google Instant suggest you out of a job? According to one Japanese man's claims, that search algorithm is precisely what landed him a pink slip and permanent spot on the unemployment line. The Kyodo News Agency is reporting that a string of unflattering searches performed by the plaintiff's former employer allegedly linked him to a host of illegal and unflattering behavior, leading to his eventual termination. Baseless claims of a paranoiac? One Tokyo court doesn't think so, as the search giant's been issued an injunction that temporarily bars the use of autocomplete in the country. So far, Mountain View's refused to bow down to the order and maintains its service is consistent with user privacy policies. Our currently jobless John Doe-san would beg to differ and had previously sought the company's assistance in deleting the offending queries before seeking judicial aide, albeit to no avail. Should be interesting to see how this case plays out, seeing as the infraction is the first of its kind and could potentially alter the legal parameters of internet queries. We'll keep you posted on further developments as this courtroom drama continues to play out.
FTC wants new privacy framework: asks for simple controls, transparent policies
There's plenty of people bothered by the dossiers of data companies like Facebook and Google can (and do) compile on their users, particularly in places across the pond. Now, the Federal Trade Commission has come up with a privacy framework to help address consumer concerns and provide companies with best practices to proliferate better privacy policies. This new plan is articulated in the FTC's recently released privacy report, and seeks to persuade companies to adopt a Privacy by Design ethos. Companies can do this by building in simplified privacy controls throughout product development and making info collection and practices transparent to users.In order to meet these goals, the FTC came up with a five-pronged approach. First up is the widespread implementation of a Do Not Track system -- for which the W3C is currently creating an international standard -- that has already made its way into Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome to make it easy to opt out of targeted ads. Mobile services are also a priority, as the FTC wants concise, meaningful privacy disclosures to make them easy to digest when on smaller screens. Next, the FTC wants consumers to be able to easily find what personal info is held by data brokers, and is pushing those data brokers to create a centralized website to that end. ISPs, social networks, operating systems, and other so-called "large platform providers" are also under scrutiny for their ability to comprehensively track consumers, and the FTC will have a public workshop later this year to "further explore" issues related to that capability. Lastly, the Commission is working with the Department of Commerce to create business sector-specific codes of conduct, and pledges to continue to take action against companies that don't abide by their own policies.In order to assuage fears that its framework puts too big of a financial burden on small businesses, the FTC made clear that it doesn't apply to companies that collect data from less than 5,000 customers and don't share that data with third parties. Sounds like a good plan, fellas, but we won't get too excited until we see the big boys actually implementing it.
EU: Google's new privacy policy breaches European law
Remember how proud Google was when it unified all of its services under a single privacy policy? Well, Big G's excitement was tempered when the EU asked it to hold off on the policy's implementation while it investigated the changes. And its enthusiasm is likely all but extinguished now that EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding has declared the policy to be in breach of European law. She found fault with the fact that the EU wasn't consulted in the policy's formation, the policy doesn't meet transparency requirements, and it allows Google to give people's private data to third parties. No word on what Europa's governing body will do with such findings in hand, but it seems certain that the crew in Mountain View's got some policy revisions to make. Guess simplifying those privacy policies wasn't so simple, was it?
White House gets behind online 'bill of rights,' companies to adopt 'do not track'
President Obama is throwing his weight behind a consumer bill of rights that includes protections against online companies in particular, and aims to safeguard customer privacy. While the plan doesn't come prepackaged with a new set of laws for companies to abide by, the Commerce Department is working to develop enforceable policies with help from the concerned parties. The bedrock of the new bill of rights is that consumers should have control over the kind of data companies collect and what they do with it. Internet firms would have to be transparent about what information is gathered and how it's used. There is also a call for limitations on the use of certain personal data. As part of the push a number of major players in the field, including Google, have agreed to include a "Do Not Track" button in their browsers and to honor the system -- the latter being a tiny detail that has made implementations of the feature ineffective until now. Hit up the source links for a few more details.
Last chance to clear out Google Web History before the great data convergence
The end is nigh! For about 59 different Google ToS documents at least. After today, the new consolidated privacy policy will go into effect on March 1st, which will also consolidate much of your data across Google's properties. That means this is a your last chance to clear out El Goog's "you archives" before the great convergence of 2012. If you're not keen on Google sharing your information between its various products (though, you seemed to be okay with it being collected in the first place) today is the day to go and delete it all. Of particular concern for some is Web History, which collects your searches and sites visited and has, until now, been walled off from the rest of the Google empire. For complete instructions for how to clear out your Google Web History hit up the source link.Update: The EFF has clarified, and we feel it necessary to follow suit, that disabling your web history does not stop Google from collecting data about you. What it does mean is that after 18 months that information is partially anonymized and that certain features, like custom search results, will not be enabled. Just as importantly, we mistakenly said that Wednesday, February 22nd was your last chance to turn off the feature. The new ToS does not go into effect until March 1st.
PlayStation Network ID moniter sacked, falls under Sony Entertainment Network umbrella on Feb. 7
Listen up, those of you with PlayStation Network IDs. Sony Computer Entertainment International has announced that, as of February 7th, PSN IDs will change into SEN IDs as a part of its existing Sony Entertainment Network The company has aimed the move at clearly unifying the services of PSN and SEN, such as Music Unlimited. Fret not, however, as Joystiq notes that the change is basically a looks-only affair, meaning your current account information and related services will remain the same. Notably, the moniker refresh won't apply to the PSP, which will curiously remain under the PSN moniker for network services. The news comes as a part of SCEI's updated Terms of Service and privacy policy, both of which take effect on the same day. Those changes, by the way, appear to mainly be regarding location-based services for PS Vita, and parental controls for sub-master accounts. After all of the bad times PSN has been through, partnering up closer to SEN might just be the refreshed outlook on (online) life it needed all along -- and hopefully with less downtime. Hit up the source link below for the full details.Update: We've adjusted the post to clarify that the PlayStation Network will remain named as such, but that PSN IDs have now become SEN IDs.
EU regulators ask Google to 'pause' its privacy changes, need more time to investigate
Google has gone to great lengths to clarify its revamped privacy policy, but a regulatory body in the European Union thinks the company is moving a little too fast. Today, European regulators formally requested that Google "pause" its rollout, in order to give the EU more time to investigate its forthcoming changes. "Given the wide range of services you offer, and the popularity of these services, changes in your privacy policy may affect many citizens in most or all of the EU member states," the EU's Data Protection Working Party wrote in a letter to Google CEO Larry Page yesterday. "We wish to check the possible consequences for the protection of the personal data of these citizens in a coordinated way." The body didn't specify how much time it would need to investigate, but it stressed that doing so would help to ensure absolute transparency among European users. "[W]e call for a pause in the interests of ensuring that there can be no misunderstanding about Google's commitments to information rights of their users and EU citizens, until we have completed our analysis," the letter reads. Viviane Reding, Europe's commissioner on data protection, heralded the move as an important step in asserting EU authority over online privacy and regulations, but Google was somewhat taken aback by the request. "We briefed most of the members of the working party in the weeks leading up to our announcement," said company spokesman Al Verney. "None of them expressed substantial concerns at the time, but of course we're happy to speak with any data protection authority that has questions." It's worth noting that Google isn't legally bound to heed the Working Party's request, though we'd expect the company to seek some sort of compromise with Europe's regulators, as it has in the past.
Google clarifies what isn't changing with new privacy policy
As you may remember, roughly a week ago Google issued a major overhaul of its privacy policies -- condensing some 60 scattered terms of service into a single document covering a vast majority of its internet empire. Of course, this raised concern, confusion and led to stories circulating the web about the inherent danger of the revised TOS. Truth be told, most of the wild-eyed fear mongering was done by those who either had not read or had not understood what the simplified policies mean (though, we hardly fault them for being suspicious). Google is looking to allay those fears however, and has released the full text of a letter written to congress clarifying the new TOS. The important information here is presented on the Google Public Policy Blog as bullet points and that is what's not changing. Users will still be able to search without signing in, opt out of targeted ads, export their data and maintain fine-grained control over their private data. Oh and Google will never, we repeat never, sell your information to advertisers. Hit up the source link if you're still in need of more details.
Google updates ToS, shares your data across its services (video)
You're you, right? Of course you are. If you have an Account, Google knows that too and now, with an updated and streamlined Google Terms of Service, you're even more you than ever before. The company is consolidating most of its more than 70 separate privacy documents into a single Privacy Policy that is so important it gets capitalized. The biggest change? If you have a Google Account, your information will now be shared across the company's many services. Scary? Don't fear -- the company is taking this time to re-iterate its pledge to never sell your personal information, never share it externally and to continue to support the Data Liberation Front. Viva transparency.
Telecoms win immunity in wiretapping case, US court approves separate suit against the government
Looks like a case of good news-bad news for the Electronic Frontier Foundation in its fight against warrantless wiretapping. A US appeals court upheld a 2008 ruling, granting telecoms such as AT&T, Verizon and Sprint immunity for cooperating with the government in its surveillance activities. Still, Judge Margaret McKeown of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals insists that immunity only applies to telecoms, not the government, and that "the federal courts remain a forum to consider the constitutionality of the wiretapping scheme and other claims." Indeed, while the 9th Circuit upheld immunity for telecoms, it also gave the go-ahead for a separate suit against the NSA, former president George W. Bush, senior members of the Bush administration and President Obama for using AT&T's network to conduct "an unprecedented suspicionless general search," according to the filing. The court's decision to allow this suit to proceed marks a reversal of an earlier ruling, in which a lower court said the plaintiffs did not have legal standing to pursue the case. [Image courtesy PBS]
Verizon begins collecting user data for targeted ads, is kind enough to offer 'opt-out' escape route
Verizon still wants to collect your personal information, but it'll understand if you decide to opt out. Really, it's cool. No hard feelings. The provider said as much yesterday, in an e-mail titled "Important notice about how Verizon Wireless uses information." The missive, sent to all VZW customers, essentially lays out the company's revamped privacy policy, originally unveiled last month. Under the new framework, Verizon will be able to monitor your browsing history, location, app usage, and demographic data, all in the name of targeted advertising and vaguely-titled "business and marketing reports." The good news is that you can always opt out of the scheme, either by phone or online. The bad news is that you'll probably have to explain the whole thing to your grandma.
Google Buzz settlement approved by FTC, yearly privacy audits incoming
Mountain View's lawyers can collectively breathe a sigh of relief, as the FTC has accepted an earlier proposal relating to Buzz's numerous privacy violations. The service -- which already settled one suit and is scheduled for rendezvous with the grim reaper -- was singled out by the commission for misleading users by partially opting them in, even after they had explicitly declined to do so. As punishment, Google will be required to field yearly audits from an independent party for the next twenty years (!). Don't mess with the law government, kids.
Verizon wants to know where you go, what you look at, that's all
Verizon's got a couple of loose ends to tie up. It's nothing important, you understand, just a tweak to its privacy policy that will allow the carrier to monitor your physical movements and browsing activities. It actually did much the same thing back in 2007 to monitor phone calls. The aim, of course, is to tailor ads to your interests, while also gathering information about your habits that it can sell on to others in the form of "business and marketing reports." Oh, one more thing: VZW promises not to share any information about you "personally" and it also gives you the option to opt out. (Opt out.)
Senator Schumer blasts OnStar for 'brazen' privacy violation, calls for FTC investigation
Last week, OnStar issued a privacy notice informing customers that it would continue to collect data on vehicles still connected to its servers, even for those who have already canceled their subscriptions. The move elicited a chorus of protests from Democratic privacy advocates in the Senate, including Chris Coons, Al Franken and, most recently, Charles Schumer, who wrote a letter to the FTC yesterday calling for an investigation into what he sees as a bold violation of consumer rights. "By tracking drivers even after they've canceled their service, OnStar is attempting one of the most brazen invasions of privacy in recent memory," the New York Senator said. "I urge OnStar to abandon this policy and for FTC to immediately launch a full investigation to determine whether the company's actions constitute an unfair trade practice." Find out more about OnStar's new policy, after the break.
Australians might want to pick up Witcher 2 on GOG
In a fairly cheeky response to the Australian ratings board's censorship of CD Projekt's The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, digital distributor GOG has updated its privacy policy to allow users to decide their own location when making purchases, rather than having their location tracked by IP. Shoppers living in Australia can sidestep the censorship (as well as the bizarre price hike to $69.99 AUS that came about due to "licensing issues") by setting their country of origin as ... well, just about anywhere else. In a sly press release announcing the privacy policy change (posted after the jump), GOG Managing Director Guillaume Rambourg said the site "has always been about trusting the user," explaining, "We've come to the conclusion that there are a number of issues with using a customer's IP address to determine what offer they are being presented with from GOG.com." Well, to be fair, we'd consider "paying more money for a censored game" to be a fairly troubling issue.
