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I think this actually is directly related to the question of privacy today.
If I lived where you are and got that message, I would simultaneously think it is very good from a public safety viewpoint they have that tool, and very disturbing from a privacy viewpoint.
If we feel we can trust the authorities, which I do want to do, then I naturally want them to be able to respond quickly to suspicious activity. It could easily save a life, catch a perpetrator, stop a crime. But it's also one more occasion when someone can be watching you.
I prefer to have trust in its good use, and so that would be how I took it. But some people probably would think me naïve, and they may be right....
So there's the dilemma, one of the dilemmas of our times.
Bob.
When one door closes, another opens.
-- Cervantes, Don Quixote
Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row
Apple is taking the unprecedented step of removing its highest level data security tool from customers in the UK, after the government demanded access to user data.
Advanced Data Protection (ADP) means only account holders can view items such as photos or documents they have stored online through a process known as end-to-end encryption.
But earlier this month the UK government asked for the right to see the data, which currently not even Apple can access.
Apple did not comment at the time but has consistently opposed creating a "backdoor" in its encryption service, arguing that if it did so, it would only be a matter of time before bad actors also found a way in.
Now the tech giant has decided it will no longer be possible to activate ADP in the UK.
Speaking of digital privacy, I noticed a peculiar situation as of late. On my home network, I have several computers to which I use Remote Desktop to access. If I perform a search on or chat about it on an Internet forum, on my main computer, then later I will see ads referencing those topics on the networked computers, on which I didn't search or write about those topics.
Digital privacy is not only fragile. It's been severely compromised. Scrubbing the Internet for my personal information and requesting removal is task that I find myself doing occasionally.
US could ask foreign tourists for five-year social media history before entry
Tourists from dozens of countries including the UK could be asked to provide a five-year social media history as a condition of entry to the United States, under a new proposal unveiled by American officials.
The new condition would affect people from dozens of countries who are eligible to visit the US for 90 days without a visa, as long as they have filled out an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) form.
Since returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump has moved to toughen US borders more generally - citing national security as a key reason.
Analysts say the new plan could pose an obstacle to potential visitors, or harm their digital rights.
It would be cool if all other countries would do the same for US citizen visiting their country. Or maybe i am missing the point, the more US social media you use, the more credits you get for entering the US. ;-)
Google upgrade starts scanning all your photos. Be very careful
Google has now confirmed the biggest upgrade to Gemini we have seen. This is the culmination of recent iterations, and sees AI link all your Google platforms together to personalize its offering. For some this is a game-changer. For others, it’s terrifying.
This upgrade comes first to Google’s AI subscribers in the U.S., but will then roll out to everyone, everywhere and will also be available free in some form. Google says it’s “a step towards truly personal AI.” If it works as billed it’s undoubtedly powerful.
First and foremost this connects Gmail, of course. And in doing so revisits misleading stories around Google opting users into having their inboxes used to train AI by default. But Gmail is just one of those connected apps. And arguably, it’s not the most sensitive.
Google says that if you upgrade, "your Google Photos data is used to infer your interests, relationships to people in your photos, and where you’ve been, including by associating your face with corresponding location data and timestamps.” And inferring intelligence from photos is a heavy focus within the example use cases Google has released.
For example, suggesting tire types for a family car by “referencing our family road trips to Oklahoma found in Google Photos” and then providing the license plate by pulling “the seven-digit number from a picture in Photos.”
TikTok is tracking you, even if you don't use the app. Here's how to stop it
TikTok keeps track of everything you do on its app – no surprises there. What's less obvious is how the company follows you around other parts of the internet that have nothing to do with TikTok.
In fact, TikTok collects sensitive and potentially embarrassing information about you even if you've never used the app. Over the past week, I've watched websites sending TikTok data about cancer diagnoses, fertility and even mental health crises. It's part of a tracking empire that extends far beyond the social media platform. Now, thanks to a new set of features, TikTok is poised to expand its network and see even more details about your life.
The change comes just weeks after the sale of TikTok's US operations to a group of companies with ties to US President Donald Trump. The deal has led to fresh privacy concerns from some human rights experts and users, though TikTok says it has transparent guidelines on how it responds to government requests for data.
Fortunately, this is a privacy story with a positive note. Some easy steps you can take in about five minutes will help you keep your information out of TikTok's hands.
Note: The following article contains the name of a platform which is blacklisted by this site, so you will see blanks instead of the platform's name (also abbreviated as 'dd').
Hackers Expose Age-Verification Software Powering Surveillance Web
Three hacktivists tried to find a workaround to ’s age-verification software. Instead, they found its frontend exposed to the open internet.
Ten days ago, the social chat app announced that it would launch “teen-by-default” settings for its global audience. As part of this update, all new and existing users worldwide will have a teen-appropriate experience, with updated communication settings, restricted access to age-gated spaces, and content filtering that preserves privacy and meaningful connections, the platform said.
This, of course, means that to use the way you are used to, you’ll have to let it scan your face, and the internet wasn’t happy. Many communities quickly announced their move to other platforms. Others, like the security researcher Celeste, who goes by the handle vmfunc, were convinced there would be a workaround.
Together with two other researchers, they set out to look into Persona, the San Francisco-based startup that’s used by for biometric identity verification – and found a Persona frontend exposed to the open internet on a US government authorized server.
In 2,456 publicly accessible files, the code revealed the extensive surveillance Persona software performs on its users, bundled in an interface that pairs facial recognition with financial reporting – and a parallel implementation that appears designed to serve federal agencies. On Monday, stated that it will not be proceeding with Persona for identity verification.
Beyond offering simple services to estimate your age, Persona’s exposed code compares your selfie to watchlist photos using facial recognition, screens you against 14 categories of adverse media from mentions of terrorism to espionage, and tags reports with codenames from active intelligence programs consisting of public-private partnerships to combat online child exploitative material, cannabis trafficking, fentanyl trafficking, romance fraud, money laundering, and illegal wildlife trade.
Once a user verifies their identity with Persona, the software performs 269 distinct verification checks and scours the internet and government sources for potential matches, such as by matching your face to politically exposed persons (PEPs), and generating risk and similarity scores for each individual. IP addresses, browser fingerprints, device fingerprints, government ID numbers, phone numbers, names, faces, and even selfie backgrounds are analyzed and retained for up to three years.
