Pew Internet and American Life project released a new study revealing that 69% of online Americans rely on "cloud computing" for many of their communication and productivity needs, including web-based email, online data storage and file sharing, or software programs…
Read More Use of cloud computing increasing, despite privacy concerns
During my studies in privacy and surveillance theory, I've gained an interest in technologies of obfuscation and resistance. Especially simple ones that nearly any average citizen can implement. TrackMeNot is a great example: a simple Firefox extension that periodically issues…
I’ve been ridiculously busy lately, and need to quickly catch up on some recent items of note: Scientific American has a nice special issue dedicated to "the future of privacy." Nothing new here for most privacy scholars, but it is…
Quickly, as I'm rushing out the door to teach: Google has announced it will (reluctantly) shorten the amount of time it holds fully-identifiable information, and will “anonymize” search records after 9 months, rather than the current 18 months. This is…
Reporting again from the SAA conference, I attended an excellent panel this morning on "Archival Ethics with Changing Practices: The Impact of Technology" (program; wiki page), featuring some excellent presentations on the way new information technology is spurring new ethical…
Read More Archival Ethics with Changing Practices: The Impact of Technology
Following up on Google's recent decision (over the 4th of July holiday weekend) to sneak a link to its privacy policy onto its homepage and SERPs, Ted Byfield did a quick analysis of the realative visbility of the privacy policy…
Read More Visibility of Googe’s Privacy Policy Depends on Where you Live
After coming under attack for refusing to add a simple hyperlink to help users find their privacy policy, Google has added the word “privacy”, with a link to its privacy policy, to its home page (image via Google): Google, for…
Read More Google (Quietly/Oddly) Adds Privacy Link to Homepage
Much of Google's resistance to adding a link to its privacy policy on its homepage seems to boil down to little more than aesthetics. As Steve Langdon, a Google spokesman, puts it: "We do believe that having very limited text…
Read More Disrupting Google’s homepage with a 14-charater string
As we know, Google refuses to place a link to its privacy policy on either its homepage or search results pages. It has been pointed out (thanks, Chris) that the California Online Privacy Protection Act of 2003 requires the operator…
The European Commission's Article 29 Data Protection Working Party has released their long-awaited "Opinion on Data Protection Issues Related to Search Engines" (PDF), something I've debated here. At first glance, it seems we're in agreement that the Data Protection Directive…
Read More Article 29 Working Party: Opinion on Data Protection Issues Related to Search Engines
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