Hasta La Gadget!

Google must change its European privacy policy or run the risk of legal censure, with the UK joining Germany, Italy, France, and Spain in demanding the search giant modify its contentious “unified” policy. The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office, the independent privacy watchdog, confirmed this week it had contacted Google giving it until September 20 to rewrite its privacy policy, as currently it “raises serious questions about its compliance with the UK Data Protection Act.” If it fails to amend the policy, the ICO warns, Google could find itself the target of “formal enforcement action.”

The UK isn’t the first European country to take issue with Google’s single privacy policy that over-arches the majority of its services. Revealed in 2012, the updated terms & conditions replaced the individual agreements for each product with a single per-account policy; at the time, Google claimed it shaved around 60 different agreements to just one, billing it as a more efficient and understandable approach to data privacy.

However, critics also pointed out that Google was explicitly giving itself permission to share data from different services, and in the process build up a more complete picture of each individual user. For Google, that only led to benefits overall: the company would be able to, for instance, use calendar data, location data, and its own understanding of traffic status to give more accurate directions and suggestions on when to travel, what route to take, and by what method to take it, Google argued.

Google privacy policy changes explanation video:

That wasn’t enough to placate privacy watchdogs, however, and a bitter back-and-forth began as regulators sparred with Google’s own legal advisors. In February this year, the French National Commission for Computing and Liberties announced it was unsatisfied with Google’s explanations, and that it would investigate and potentially level fines at the company.

“Our privacy policy respects European law and allows us to create simpler, more effective services” Google said in a statement on the matter. “We have engaged fully with the authorities involved throughout this process, and we’ll continue to do so going forward.”

Meanwhile, a German watchdog announced this week that it would hold a legal hearing with Google’s policy at its core. Professor Johannes Caspar, who heads the Hamburg-based organization, said that Google’s 2012 policy “violates the company’s commitment to full transparency about the use and handling of the data.”

Data use is a sensitive topic at the moment, especially given the ongoing PRISM revelations that forced Google – among others – to categorically deny that the US NSA or any other security agency had “back door” access to its servers. Google is also the subject of privacy concerns in the US, particularly around its Glass headset, which has led one Congressional caucus to question the potential for abuse of wearables.

UK ICO statement:

“We have today written to Google to confirm our findings relating to the update of the company’s privacy policy. In our letter we confirm that its updated privacy policy raises serious questions about its compliance with the UK Data Protection Act.

In particular, we believe that the updated policy does not provide sufficient information to enable UK users of Google’s services to understand how their data will be used across all of the company’s products.

Google must now amend their privacy policy to make it more informative for individual service users. Failure to take the necessary action to improve the policies compliance with the Data Protection Act by 20 September will leave the company open to the possibility of formal enforcement action” Information Commissioner’s Office, UK

VIA The Guardian

Google must rewrite European privacy policy or face legal sanctions is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

In a blog post today, Twitter announced that they’re "experimenting with new ways of targeting ads," which is their way of saying they’re planning to track you around the web—even when you leave Twitter—and relay that information to advertisers to craft better ads. Here’s how to opt out.

Read more…

In an update on its Public Policy Blog, AT&T disclosed that it may begin selling anonymous user data to retailers and marketers, with the end goal being “to deliver more relevant advertising to… customers.” The carrier is far from the first to sell aggregate information — here’s looking at you, Verizon — but the provider is unique in combining data on TV, WiFi and wireless usage. The company said it could also provide aggregate info about users’ app usage and U-Verse info.

Also notable in the new privacy policy: AT&T notes that it could sell information about individual users, with the stipulation that the data would still be kept anonymous, and media research companies would only be able to use that info in aggregate reports. While this is hardly a case of AT&T pushing new privacy boundaries, users can opt out of the program (see the second source link below).

Filed under: Wireless, Mobile, AT&T

Comments

Via: FierceWireless

Source: AT&T Public Policy Blog, AT&T

Google began sending out invitations for its #ifihadglass round of the Google Glass Explorer program, and though it has been a few weeks, some participants are still awaiting their invitations. Google posted a small update on its Google+ page today, saying that the program is coming to a close as the company begins looking at other ways to expand it. In light of some of the questions that have been raised as a result, Google has published some rather extensive Glass FAQ.

The FAQ illuminate on a handful of categories of questions that have been raised over Glass, including general inquiries, specifications, software, and security/privacy. The general questions address what we already know about the device: what it does, whether it covers the eye, and what the Glass explorer edition is. Beyond this, however, is a look at our technology culture and how Glass fits in it.

In particular, Google says that Glass will not make people more dependent on technology as some say, with the company pointing out that device is not augmented reality and that the screen is, by default, inactive. According to the company, feedback from users who have been wearing Glass find that “after several weeks” their overall technology use decreases due to the reported efficiency of how the device provides access to information.

Beyond that is an addressing of privacy and security concerns, with Google stating that it has been “thinking very carefully” about both areas throughout the device’s creation. Information, says the company, is kept safe and secure, and that worries over whether Glass is constantly taking images or recording videos is unfounded, pointing out that the battery life only facilitates 45 minutes of recording.

The FAQ go on to address the privacy concerns of non-users, face recognition, third-party data sharing, and the instances in which it has been banned by some locations. You can read the entire write up for yourself, but the gist of it is that users should not fear the new technology. This comes shortly after Google failed to reassure a Congressional committee that raised concerns on these topics.

SOURCE: Google+

Google publishes Glass FAQ as latest round of invites wrap up is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It’s been a bit of awhile since we’ve heard about a large online service hack, but we should’ve knocked on wood when we had the chance. Ubisoft has confirmed that some of its “online systems” were hacked, with only usernames, email addresses, and passwords stolen. The game publisher says that financial information is safe, since that info isn’t kept by Ubisoft.

Obviously, Ubisoft is recommending that all account holders change their passwords on ubi.com, as well as on other websites where they use the same password. Of course, it’s good practice to not use the same password for everything, as that could start a chain reaction if your password gets stolen on one service.

However, Ubisoft says that the passwords are encrypted on their servers, so while the hackers didn’t have the passwords themselves at the time of the breach, Ubisoft says they “could be cracked, in particular if the password chosen is weak,” which is why the company is recommending that its users change their passwords as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, specifics about how the breach happened weren’t disclosed by Ubisoft “for security reasons,” but they said that the hack did not affect their Uplay gaming service. Currently, ubi.com is “under maintenance,” and isn’t accessible at this time because the publisher is working on solving the attack.

Ubisoft is just one of the multiple big game publishers that will be releasing games for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 later this year. Watch Dogs seems to be one of the big games to hit the new consoles in the fall, and the publisher looks to go all-in on the next-generation of gaming.

SOURCE: Ubisoft Blog

Ubisoft hacked with usernames and passwords stolen, financial info safe is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.