Michael Zimmer, PhD, is a digital privacy and data ethics scholar at Marquette University
The Montreal Gazette has a feature story on how the combination of cellphone cameras and the World Wide Web has resulting in the rise of "cyber-shaming" - a new kind of public shaming for wrongdoers, from litterbugs and bad drivers…
Read More All Eyes On You: Cellphone cameras & cyber-shaming
MIT's Technology Review has a brief article about advances in zoom technology for cellphone cameras. This adds a new dimension to the privacy and surveillance threats cellphone cameras pose. We experienced a major advancement in camera zoom technology around the…
Read More Cellphone Cameras That Zoom…What would Warren & Brandeis Think?
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that TiVo is collecting and selling data on what parts of broadcasts people are rewinding for review and what commercials they are skipping. Dubbed "StopWatch," this data-collection practice reflects the growing ease with which various…
I've been meaning to blog about the discussion at Concurring Opinions regarding the rise of "cyber-shaming" - the act of posting online elements of seemingly private conversations or events that you happened to overhear or witness. Examples include the posting…
Read More Cyber-shaming, Limited Privacy, and Contextual Integrity
The NY Times has a feature today on the prevalence of GPS-enabled cell phones for the surveillance of one's kids. (Boost Mobile [page has audio] has also been pitching their GPS tracking features to adults so you can "know where…
Another example of the need for value-conscious design: Wired News summarizes a damning report from four University of Washington researchers that reveals how security flaws in the new RFID-powered Nike + iPod Sport Kit make it easy for tech-savvy stalkers,…
There has been a spurt of media attention paid to the privacy and surveillance concerns of GPS enabled cellphones: GPS Surveillance Creeps into Daily Life (New Standard) Cellphone as Tracker: X Marks Your Doubts (New York Times) Phone service allows…
On the heels of Microsoft's recent release of privacy guidelines for software developers, here's an excellent example of another company working with privacy scholars to try to protect end-user privacy when using location-based mobile devices. From ComptuerWorld: Intel Drafts Privacy…
Read More Intel Drafts Privacy License for Mobile Device Software
USA Today reports that the NSA has been secretly collecting the phone call records of virtually all American citizens who have recently used a phone, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth: The NSA program reaches into homes and…
Sprint recently launched its Family Locator cellphone tracking program, entering the growing market of GPS-based cellphone surveillance products. Sprint has apparently engaged in value-sensitive design of this service: The child is notified by a text message each time his or…
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