Privacy Blog

"Friends don’t let friends get spied on.' – Richard Stallman, President of the Free Software Foundation and longtime advocate of privacy in technology.

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Handshake Goes Live With an Uncensorable Internet Browser

From an article by Daniel Kuhn in the CoinDesk web site: Handshake set out to disrupt the World Wide Web of internet names. Now it’s looking to reinvent browsing. Today, as the Handshake Network records its 1 millionth transaction, HandyBrowser will go live. It’s a dedicated way to access the uncensorable internet ecosystem made possible through the distributed Handshake Network, as well as anything else you would normally search for. […]

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Multiple “CIA Failures” Led to Theft of Agency’s Top-Secret Hacking Tools

Your tax dollars at work: the CIA developed all sorts of (mostly illegal) tools to spy on Americans and foreign citizens alike and the unwittingly allowed those tools to fall into the hands of anyone and everyone in the world. In early 2017, WikiLeaks began publishing details of top-secret CIA hacking tools that researchers soon confirmed were part of a large tranche of confidential documents stolen from one of the […]

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Civil Rights Groups Urge Large Facebook Advertisers to Boycott the Platform in July

Facebook totaled nearly $70 billion in ad revenue last year. The company also has a history of inaction against harmful content, including misleading and improperly targeted ads. The ads are targeted to YOUR specific political, financial, and other interests. How did Facebook find out all this information about you? By collecting all sorts of your personal information that you and other people posted on Facebook and elsewhere. Not a bad […]

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DataLocker DL3 1TB Encrypted External Hard Drive

One device should be an excellent method of keeping backups of your Windows, Macintosh, or Linux computer safe from prying eyes. It obviously would also be an excellent method of sending a lot of data to someone else in a method that is safe. Want to keep your cryptocurrency wallet safe? Copy the wallet to this external encrypted hard drive, unplug the drive, then erase the wallet from the computer. […]

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Zoom Relents and Agrees to Give Free Users End-to-End Encryption

In a blog post, Zoom CEO Eric S Yuan says that the company has “identified a path forward that balances the legitimate right of all users to privacy and the safety of users on our platform”. He goes on to explain that this means end-to-end encryption will be offered to everyone as an add-on. Details may be found at https://betanews.com/2020/06/18/free-zoom-end-to-end-encryption.

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Use of Genealogy DNA in an Iowa Cold Case Conviction Was Unconstitutional, According to the Defense Attorney’s Claims

The state’s use of genetic testing to convict an Iowa man in a 40-year-old cold case was unconstitutional, according to a motion filed in Linn County court. Jerry Lynn Burns, 66, was found guilty in February of first-degree murder in the 1979 stabbing death of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids. While waiting to receive the mandatory life sentence that comes with a conviction on that charge, Burns’ attorney has […]

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Coronavirus Tracing App a Test for Privacy-Minded Germany

Germany launched a coronavirus tracing app Tuesday that officials say is so secure even government ministers can use it, though developers acknowledge it isn’t perfect yet. Smartphone apps have been touted as a high-tech tool in the effort to track down potential COVID-19 infections. Experts say finding new cases quickly is key to clamping down on fresh clusters, especially as countries slowly emerge from lockdowns and try to avoid a […]

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The Dangers of Facial Recognition: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Want to learn about just some of the dangers of the widespread use of facial recognition software? John Oliver takes a look at facial recognition technology, how it’s used by private companies and law enforcement, and why it can be dangerous. The video is available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/jZjmlJPJgug or in the video player below. Caution: the video contains some profanity.

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How to Get the Most Out of Signal and Encrypted Chat

Of all the popular text messaging, voice conversation, and 2-way video services available today, Signal is probably the one that offers the best privacy, using end-to-end encryption on all information sent and received. Assuming you are interested in such privacy concerns, you will want to read Brian Barrett’s article, How to Get the Most Out of Signal and Encrypted Chat, in the Wired web site at: https://www.wired.com/story/signal-tips-private-messaging-encryption/.

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