Yahoo has dismissed fears of hacking and impersonation after it deactivates dormant user accounts, arguing that the risk of identity theft is incredibly low. The company announced last week that it would be culling those accounts not used for twelve months, prompting concerns that new sign-ups with recycled names could go on to “borrow” the
In the past couple of weeks, the NSA has, unsurprisingly, responded with a series of secret briefings to Congress that have left the public in the dark and vulnerable to misstatements and word games. Congress has many options at its disposal, but for true accountability any response must start with a special investigative committee. A coalition of over 100 civil liberties groups agrees. Such a committee is the right way the American people can make informed decisions about the level of transparency and the reform needed.
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While it may not come as much of a surprise to some people, the FBI has confirmed and admitted that they perform surveillance with drones on US soil. FBI Director Robert Mueller told the Senate Judiciary Committee today that they use drones for surveillance in the US, but “in a very, very minimal way, and
Ever since Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One and the new Kinect sensor, privacy advocates have been up in arms about how the Kinect watches and listens to its users at all times in order to be at the ready when a voice command or hand gesture is initiated. Lawmakers are also joining in, proposing a
The ability to turn your iPhone into a Wi-Fi hotspot is a fantastically useful little tool in and of itself. But Apple, being the generous overlord that it is, goes so far as to automatically generate a network key, keeping even the most absent-minded of Wi-Fi-beggared safe and sound. Or so we thought. According to a new study, iOS-generated passwords use a very specific formula—one which the experienced hacker can crack in less than a minute.
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In a time when it seems like the privacy we all enjoyed was just a smokescreen, it’s nice to know there’s at least one way to fight back against all the systems designed to keep track of our comings and goings. Developed by Japan’s National Institute of Informatics, these glasses include eleven LEDs that blast a privacy curtain of near-infrared light to obscure your face.
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Since surveillance culture is at the top of the news agenda, this new invention from Japan’s National Institute of Informatics couldn’t be more timely. It’s a pair of goggles that blocks facial recognition algorithms and ensures no-one can snap a pic of your mush without your permission. The wearable uses 11 near-infrared LEDs which shine a bright light that’s invisible to humans, but will dazzle any passing cameras. Admittedly, the technology is useless for cameras that aren’t sensitive to infra-red, which is why the institute is also working on reflective materials that’ll work with any imaging sensor — but that, unfortunately, isn’t quite ready for prime-time. Curious as to see it in action? Head on past the break for the video.
Filed under: Cameras, Wearables
Source: Diginfo News
Ten international privacy authorities—spanning Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Israel and more—have sent a letter to Google asking for it to address privacy concerns over Glass. A letter; yeah, that’ll work.
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When I was a kid, there was no image more closely associated with surveillance than the CCTV camera. Big Brother is watching, we were warned. The government is keeping tabs on you with video cameras on every street corner. Soon they may even install cameras in your home, they insisted. Honestly, that may have been preferable to what we ended up getting.
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When I was a kid, there was no image more closely associated with surveillance than the CCTV camera. Big Brother is watching, we were warned. The government is keeping tabs on you with video cameras on every street corner. Soon they may even install cameras in your home, they insisted. Honestly, that may have been preferable to what we ended up getting.
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