In a very promising development, a Belgian court has ruled that Facebook may no longer collect information about non-users. According to The New York Times, the court ruled that Facebook may no longer collect and store digital information from Belgians who do not have a Facebook account due to a lack of consent.
Facebook will appeal the ruling because it wants the right to track everyone on the Internet for monetary purposes. However, if Facebook loses and fails to abide by the court's decision it may be fined up to $270,000 per day.
I do not trust Facebook with my personal information. Even though I have a personal Facebook account, my profile photo shows my "favorite social media titan," and I have intentionally included incorrect personal information about myself. I do not utilize the platform to share my personal thoughts or activities because the data is sent to data brokers. Furthermore, Facebook is not transparent regarding how personal user information is utilized by its business partners.
Its too early to speculate on whether Facebook will ultimately win the case; however, my hope is that other countries around the world including the U.S. require Facebook, Google, etc... to become more transparent about their data collection and utilization practices. Those who do not use Facebook have an expectation that it will not destroy non-users' privacy. We may soon find out if the Belgian judiciary agrees.
Copyright 2015 by The Law Office of Bradley S. Shear, LLC All rights reserved.
Showing posts with label social media privacy speaker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social media privacy speaker. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Facebook "Unfriending" May Create Legal Liability
Be careful whom you Facebook "friend" and "unfriend" because this act may have legal consequences. An employment law case originating in Australia recently mentioned Facebook "Unfriending" in one of its decisions as a point of contention and it wouldn't surprise me if this issue gains more legal significance in similar cases around the world.
According to Wired UK, Australia's Fair Work Commission recently stated that that "unfriending" a work colleague showed a "lack of emotional maturity". Did the commission declare the act bullying? No; however, the fact that this was even mentioned demonstrates that the issue was on the minds of the commission's members and that it may play a larger role in future decisions.
This new development demonstrates the importance of creating reasonable digital policies and training and continually educating employees about online issues. The bottom line is that every digital mouse click and character posted may have legal repercussions. Therefore, its imperative to ensure that the legal issues inherent are understood before you "friend" or "unfriend" people on Facebook and other electronic platforms.
Copyright 2015 by The Law Office of Bradley S. Shear, LLC All rights reserved.
Friday, May 22, 2015
Adult Sex Website Hacked, Personal Data At Risk
The Internet and apps may be utilized for many productive and interesting activities. For example, users and companies may engage in Business to Business (B to B), Business to Consumer (B to C) commerce, general digital marketing/branding, etc.... However, some of the most popular digital activities include viewing porn and cheating on one's spouse.
In 2013, The Huffington Post reported that porn sites receive more traffic than Netflix, Amazon, and Twitter combined. Internet porn is ingrained in popular culture. Who can forget Avenue Q's catchy number, "The Internet is For Porn"? In addition to porn, many people utilize the Internet and apps to cheat on their spouses and significant others. For example, near the area where I live and work (in Bethesda), cheating website Ashleymadison.com ranked the Washington, DC area #1 for usage for the third year in a row. This distinction is nothing to brag about.
What many people may not realize is that when utilizing a website or app to find a sexual partner, you create a digital trail that puts your personal information at risk. For example, a married pastor in Michigan was recently exposed while utilizing a "hook up" app. He uploaded photos of himself and other personal information that appears to have led to his identification.
CNN is reporting that the website Adultfriendfinder.com was hacked in March and this incident appears to have exposed the personal information of millions of users. The data leaked may include very intimate details about users. The information exposed may be utilized to destroy personal lives, professional careers, and/or blackmail users.
The bottom line is that when using the Internet and apps it is very important to be cautious about the data you upload. To protect your personal privacy and safety (and your family's), its imperative to limit the personal information that you post about yourself and your family.
Copyright 2015 by The Law Office of Bradley S. Shear, LLC All rights reserved.
In 2013, The Huffington Post reported that porn sites receive more traffic than Netflix, Amazon, and Twitter combined. Internet porn is ingrained in popular culture. Who can forget Avenue Q's catchy number, "The Internet is For Porn"? In addition to porn, many people utilize the Internet and apps to cheat on their spouses and significant others. For example, near the area where I live and work (in Bethesda), cheating website Ashleymadison.com ranked the Washington, DC area #1 for usage for the third year in a row. This distinction is nothing to brag about.
What many people may not realize is that when utilizing a website or app to find a sexual partner, you create a digital trail that puts your personal information at risk. For example, a married pastor in Michigan was recently exposed while utilizing a "hook up" app. He uploaded photos of himself and other personal information that appears to have led to his identification.
CNN is reporting that the website Adultfriendfinder.com was hacked in March and this incident appears to have exposed the personal information of millions of users. The data leaked may include very intimate details about users. The information exposed may be utilized to destroy personal lives, professional careers, and/or blackmail users.
The bottom line is that when using the Internet and apps it is very important to be cautious about the data you upload. To protect your personal privacy and safety (and your family's), its imperative to limit the personal information that you post about yourself and your family.
Copyright 2015 by The Law Office of Bradley S. Shear, LLC All rights reserved.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Will the FTC Investigate Turn and Verizon Wireless For Privacy Killing Zombie Cookies?
A very troubling recent ProPublica investigation found that Turn, an online advertising company is "using tracking cookies [i.e. "Zombie Cookies"] that come
back to life after Verizon [Wireless] users have deleted them." These revelations are very troubling and demonstrate why stronger privacy laws are needed and why state and federal regulators need to investigate and take action against those companies that abuse their access to our personal information.
According to ProPublica, "Some users try to block such tracking by turning off or deleting cookies. But Turn says that when users clear their cookies, it does not consider that a signal that users want to opt out from being tracked....Turn executives said the only way users can opt out is to install a Turn opt-out cookie on their machine. That cookie is not designed to prevent Turn from collecting data about a user - only to prevent Turn from showing targeted ads to that user. ProPublica's tests showed that even Verizon users who installed the Turn opt-out cookie continued to receive the Turn tracking cookie as well. Turn said despite the appearance of the tracking cookie, it continues to honor the opt-out cookie. Initially, Turn officials also told ProPublica that its zombie cookie had a benefit for users: They said they were using the Verizon number to keep track of people who installed the Turn opt-out cookie, so that if they mistakenly deleted it, Turn could continue to honor their decisions to opt out. But when ProPublica tested that claim on the industry's opt-out system, we found that it did not show Verizon users as opted out. Turn subsequently contacted us to say it had fixed what it said was a glitch, but our tests did not show it had been fixed."
Within a couple of days of ProPublica's excellent investigation, Turn announced that it "would stop using tracking cookies [i.e. Zombie Cookies] that are impossible to delete." While this is a welcome development there are many questions left unanswered. For example:
How long was Turn using Zombie Cookies?
What information was Turn's Zombie Cookies collecting and how was it being utilized?
Will Turn permanently delete all the data its Zombie Cookies collected?
How can we verify that the Zombie Cookie program has been terminated?
How can Turn be trusted not to create similar programs that are as troubling as the Zombie Cookie?
Zombie and Super Cookies are not only a threat to our personal privacy, they are also a threat to our personal safety and may lead to hidden discrimination against people based upon their race, religion, sexual orientation, age, health, etc...
Last week, during President Obama's history making privacy speech at the FTC he stated, "[i]f we are going to be connected we need to be protected." Will Turn and its advertising clients change its practices and heed the President's call to better protect our privacy?
Copyright 2015 by Shear Law, LLC All rights reserved.
According to ProPublica, "Some users try to block such tracking by turning off or deleting cookies. But Turn says that when users clear their cookies, it does not consider that a signal that users want to opt out from being tracked....Turn executives said the only way users can opt out is to install a Turn opt-out cookie on their machine. That cookie is not designed to prevent Turn from collecting data about a user - only to prevent Turn from showing targeted ads to that user. ProPublica's tests showed that even Verizon users who installed the Turn opt-out cookie continued to receive the Turn tracking cookie as well. Turn said despite the appearance of the tracking cookie, it continues to honor the opt-out cookie. Initially, Turn officials also told ProPublica that its zombie cookie had a benefit for users: They said they were using the Verizon number to keep track of people who installed the Turn opt-out cookie, so that if they mistakenly deleted it, Turn could continue to honor their decisions to opt out. But when ProPublica tested that claim on the industry's opt-out system, we found that it did not show Verizon users as opted out. Turn subsequently contacted us to say it had fixed what it said was a glitch, but our tests did not show it had been fixed."
Within a couple of days of ProPublica's excellent investigation, Turn announced that it "would stop using tracking cookies [i.e. Zombie Cookies] that are impossible to delete." While this is a welcome development there are many questions left unanswered. For example:
How long was Turn using Zombie Cookies?
What information was Turn's Zombie Cookies collecting and how was it being utilized?
Will Turn permanently delete all the data its Zombie Cookies collected?
How can we verify that the Zombie Cookie program has been terminated?
How can Turn be trusted not to create similar programs that are as troubling as the Zombie Cookie?
Zombie and Super Cookies are not only a threat to our personal privacy, they are also a threat to our personal safety and may lead to hidden discrimination against people based upon their race, religion, sexual orientation, age, health, etc...
Last week, during President Obama's history making privacy speech at the FTC he stated, "[i]f we are going to be connected we need to be protected." Will Turn and its advertising clients change its practices and heed the President's call to better protect our privacy?
Copyright 2015 by Shear Law, LLC All rights reserved.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
French Police Told To Erase Social Media Profiles
According to CNN, "French law enforcement officers have been told to erase their social media presence and to carry their weapons at all times because terror sleeper cells have been activated over the last 24 hours in the country". The Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack and subsequent terrorist attacks on civilian targets in France have led the police to rethink cyber safety and security in the country.
The order to erase social media profiles in France is not unique. Last November, UK police officers were told not to discuss their jobs on social media. In 2009, the Pentagon mulled banning soldiers using social media and in 2011 China banned its soldiers from using social media.
I believe it is time for the U.S. military, federal and state government agencies, and law enforcement officials re-evaluate their social media policies. Privacy is not just cool but a necessity for personal safety and national security.
Too many self-described social media experts/consultants/ninjas/gurus/etc....are telling people how important it is to create detailed public LinkedIn profiles, share your most personal information on Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Twitter, etc... Some of the phrases these "experts" utilize when providing their advice include, "social media is about a conversation", "be authentic", "sharing is caring", etc... Don't trust any social media consultant who shares too much personal information online and/or uses Twitter or other digital platforms to have regular public conversations.
It is time for Internet users to re-evaluate their relationship with social media and digital platforms that are not created with a privacy first mentality. Privacy is hip and in because sharing too much may destroy your reputation, get you fired, or get you killed. Therefore, you need to ask yourself if its time to limit or erase any of your social media profiles.
Copyright 2015 by Shear Law, LLC All rights reserved.
The order to erase social media profiles in France is not unique. Last November, UK police officers were told not to discuss their jobs on social media. In 2009, the Pentagon mulled banning soldiers using social media and in 2011 China banned its soldiers from using social media.
I believe it is time for the U.S. military, federal and state government agencies, and law enforcement officials re-evaluate their social media policies. Privacy is not just cool but a necessity for personal safety and national security.
Too many self-described social media experts/consultants/ninjas/gurus/etc....are telling people how important it is to create detailed public LinkedIn profiles, share your most personal information on Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Twitter, etc... Some of the phrases these "experts" utilize when providing their advice include, "social media is about a conversation", "be authentic", "sharing is caring", etc... Don't trust any social media consultant who shares too much personal information online and/or uses Twitter or other digital platforms to have regular public conversations.
It is time for Internet users to re-evaluate their relationship with social media and digital platforms that are not created with a privacy first mentality. Privacy is hip and in because sharing too much may destroy your reputation, get you fired, or get you killed. Therefore, you need to ask yourself if its time to limit or erase any of your social media profiles.
Copyright 2015 by Shear Law, LLC All rights reserved.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Do You Really Want to Destroy Your Privacy By Using A Social Login?
In general, when signing into a website to check your personal account, you need to use a unique user name/password. However, for years other sign in options have included to sign in with your Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, etc... account. This other option is called a social login.
According to VentureBeat, Google is catching up to Facebook in market share regarding social logins. Facebook has 43% of the market while Google has 40%. Social logins have proliferated because companies want to track you for monetization purposes.
I don't use social logins and I don't recommend anyone who values their privacy to utilize social logins. Facebook and Google are advertising companies that sell your personal data points for profit. Facebook is selling your personal information to data brokers and Google has paid tens of millions of dollars in fines for intentionally misleading users about its privacy practices.
There is no reason to sign into non-Facebook/non-Google websites with a Facebook or Google social login. These companies may send your personal information to data brokers, insurance companies, the police, employers, etc...
Will 2015 be the year that users wise up and avoid social logins?
Copyright 2015 by Shear Law, LLC All rights reserved.
According to VentureBeat, Google is catching up to Facebook in market share regarding social logins. Facebook has 43% of the market while Google has 40%. Social logins have proliferated because companies want to track you for monetization purposes.
I don't use social logins and I don't recommend anyone who values their privacy to utilize social logins. Facebook and Google are advertising companies that sell your personal data points for profit. Facebook is selling your personal information to data brokers and Google has paid tens of millions of dollars in fines for intentionally misleading users about its privacy practices.
There is no reason to sign into non-Facebook/non-Google websites with a Facebook or Google social login. These companies may send your personal information to data brokers, insurance companies, the police, employers, etc...
Will 2015 be the year that users wise up and avoid social logins?
Copyright 2015 by Shear Law, LLC All rights reserved.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
10 Social Media Privacy New Year's Resolutions
I have listed below 10 New Year's resolutions for those who want to better protect their personal privacy in the Social Media Age:
1) Limit social sharing. Privacy is cool and hip and sharing too much is not.
2) Don't take nude selfies.
3) Send fewer emails and make more phone calls and have more face to face meetings.
4) Use disappearing apps cautiously.
5) Keep your smartphone location off unless using it for directions.
6) Don't trust apps or online services that have bad privacy policies/practices.
7) Don't trust Facebook with your personal information because its agreements with data brokers destroy your privacy.
8) Don't trust Google's Gmail, Apps, etc... because its privacy policy allows for unfettered data mining and user profile creation that destroy your privacy.
9) Limit Twitter and other public social media conversations.
10) Advocate for stronger digital privacy laws. Lawmakers and regulators need to hear your voice!
These 10 recommendations are the tip of the ice berg. Data brokers, employers, schools, insurance companies, financial firms, law enforcement, etc... are watching your social media profile so limit your digital footprint. In the Social Media Age, this famous proverb should still be followed: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."
Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2015 and beyond!
Copyright 2014 by Shear Law, LLC All rights reserved.
1) Limit social sharing. Privacy is cool and hip and sharing too much is not.
2) Don't take nude selfies.
3) Send fewer emails and make more phone calls and have more face to face meetings.
4) Use disappearing apps cautiously.
5) Keep your smartphone location off unless using it for directions.
6) Don't trust apps or online services that have bad privacy policies/practices.
7) Don't trust Facebook with your personal information because its agreements with data brokers destroy your privacy.
8) Don't trust Google's Gmail, Apps, etc... because its privacy policy allows for unfettered data mining and user profile creation that destroy your privacy.
9) Limit Twitter and other public social media conversations.
10) Advocate for stronger digital privacy laws. Lawmakers and regulators need to hear your voice!
These 10 recommendations are the tip of the ice berg. Data brokers, employers, schools, insurance companies, financial firms, law enforcement, etc... are watching your social media profile so limit your digital footprint. In the Social Media Age, this famous proverb should still be followed: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."
Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2015 and beyond!
Copyright 2014 by Shear Law, LLC All rights reserved.
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