Online Privacy
Information from About Guides and partners relating to Online Privacy
UK tech group questions legality of targeted ad service
(News) A service soon to be implemented by several U.K. ISPs that records people's Web activity in order to serve them targeted advertisements may violate data protection laws, a technology policy group warned the British government on Monday.
(News) A service soon to be implemented by several U.K. ISPs that records people's Web activity in order to serve them targeted advertisements may violate data protection laws, a technology policy group warned the British government on Monday.
CDT launches health privacy initiative
(News) Privacy needs to be a higher priority as the U.S. government and other groups push for adoption of health IT as a way to improve the country's health-care system, said the Center for Democracy and Technology, which has launched a health privacy initiative.
(News) Privacy needs to be a higher priority as the U.S. government and other groups push for adoption of health IT as a way to improve the country's health-care system, said the Center for Democracy and Technology, which has launched a health privacy initiative.
Does Your Security Suite Also Protect Your Privacy?
(Reviews) The major suites promise to safeguard your private data--but their protections vary.
(Reviews) The major suites promise to safeguard your private data--but their protections vary.
Ask.com Rises to the Top of the Pack in Search Privacy
(News) AskEraser puts you in control of your search data, giving Ask.com a leg up on rivals.
(News) AskEraser puts you in control of your search data, giving Ask.com a leg up on rivals.
EU Ponders Privacy of Internet Addresses
(News) Discussions about Google's plan to buy DoubleClick raised the question whether an IP address is legally private.
(News) Discussions about Google's plan to buy DoubleClick raised the question whether an IP address is legally private.
Critics Prompt Sears to Plug Web Site's Privacy Hole
(News) Part of the Managemyhome.com site goes offline after critics point out it revealed customers' purchasing histories.
(News) Part of the Managemyhome.com site goes offline after critics point out it revealed customers' purchasing histories.
Researcher Accuses Sears of Spreading Spyware
(News) A Harvard researcher is criticizing Sears of failing to meet FTC guidelines with marketing software it installs on users' PCs.
(News) A Harvard researcher is criticizing Sears of failing to meet FTC guidelines with marketing software it installs on users' PCs.
Google's DoubleClick Deal Brings Greater Focus on Privacy
(News) Google deal prompts Federal Trade Commission to recently propose a set of privacy principles for online behavioral advertising.
(News) Google deal prompts Federal Trade Commission to recently propose a set of privacy principles for online behavioral advertising.
Privacy Groups Pressure FTC to Watch Google
(News) Online rights groups continue to press the FTC to require privacy protections as conditions of Google's acquisition of DoubleClick.
(News) Online rights groups continue to press the FTC to require privacy protections as conditions of Google's acquisition of DoubleClick.
Facebook Sues Porn Company Over Hacking
(News) Social networking site claims a bot from the Canadian porn site tried to gather its members' data.
(News) Social networking site claims a bot from the Canadian porn site tried to gather its members' data.
Facebook doesn't budge on Beacon's broad user tracking
(News) Facebook's CEO and Founder Mark Zuckerberg has profusely apologized for missteps in the design and deployment of the Beacon ad system, but he remains unrepentant about what privacy advocates consider a particularly egregious feature.
(News) Facebook's CEO and Founder Mark Zuckerberg has profusely apologized for missteps in the design and deployment of the Beacon ad system, but he remains unrepentant about what privacy advocates consider a particularly egregious feature.
Facebook's Beacon Ad System Also Tracks Non-Facebook Users
(News) Facebook's controversial Beacon service tracks activities from all users in third-party partner sites, including people who never signed up with Facebook or who have deactivated their accounts, a researcher says.
(News) Facebook's controversial Beacon service tracks activities from all users in third-party partner sites, including people who never signed up with Facebook or who have deactivated their accounts, a researcher says.
Massachusetts Data Breach Puts Seniors at Risk
(News) Compromise of the state's insurance program could expose 150,000 residents to identity theft.
(News) Compromise of the state's insurance program could expose 150,000 residents to identity theft.
Facebook's Beacon More Intrusive Than Previously Thought
(News) A Computer Associates security researcher says that Facebook's controversial Beacon online ad system goes much further than expected in tracking people's Web activities.
(News) A Computer Associates security researcher says that Facebook's controversial Beacon online ad system goes much further than expected in tracking people's Web activities.
FTC: 8.3 million US victims of ID theft in 2005
(News) About 8.3 million U.S. residents -- nearly 4 percent of the nation's population -- were victims of identity theft in 2005, but few victims identified computer-related crime as the culprit, according to a U.S. Federal Trade Commission report released Tuesday.
(News) About 8.3 million U.S. residents -- nearly 4 percent of the nation's population -- were victims of identity theft in 2005, but few victims identified computer-related crime as the culprit, according to a U.S. Federal Trade Commission report released Tuesday.
Massive ID Theft Bust: 17 Charged
(News) The operators of a New York business have been charged with running a massive identity-theft and money-laundering operation that raked in more than $35 million.
(News) The operators of a New York business have been charged with running a massive identity-theft and money-laundering operation that raked in more than $35 million.
Online privacy policies need work, advocates say
(News) Online privacy policies need to be easier to understand and more conspicuous because few people now actually read them, said panelists at a U.S. Federal Trade Commission workshop on targeted online advertising.
(News) Online privacy policies need to be easier to understand and more conspicuous because few people now actually read them, said panelists at a U.S. Federal Trade Commission workshop on targeted online advertising.
Privacy groups call for do-not-track list
(News) A coalition of nine privacy and consumer groups have proposed a U.S. do-not-track list that would allow consumers to opt out of advertising efforts that track their movements online.
(News) A coalition of nine privacy and consumer groups have proposed a U.S. do-not-track list that would allow consumers to opt out of advertising efforts that track their movements online.
Gap contractor blamed for data breach
(News) An unnamed contractor is being blamed for a data breach at Gap Inc. that has compromised the data of about 800,000 people who applied for jobs with the U.S. clothing retailer.
(News) An unnamed contractor is being blamed for a data breach at Gap Inc. that has compromised the data of about 800,000 people who applied for jobs with the U.S. clothing retailer.
Questions remain about eBay members' info theft
(News) Questions abound over the posting of confidential information from eBay Inc. members on one of the vendor's discussion forums, a sinister incident that has many of the online marketplace's buyers and sellers worried.
(News) Questions abound over the posting of confidential information from eBay Inc. members on one of the vendor's discussion forums, a sinister incident that has many of the online marketplace's buyers and sellers worried.
Free gift offers dupe users into giving personal data
(News) The personal details of thousands of mostly U.S.-based PC users have been discovered stashed on a server located in France, another indication of use of the Internet to collect personal data on a vast scale.
(News) The personal details of thousands of mostly U.S.-based PC users have been discovered stashed on a server located in France, another indication of use of the Internet to collect personal data on a vast scale.
Study: Search engine privacy policies improving
(News) Search-engine providers have begun to compete with each other on privacy protections, but the U.S. still needs to adopt a national privacy law, says a report from the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT).
(News) Search-engine providers have begun to compete with each other on privacy protections, but the U.S. still needs to adopt a national privacy law, says a report from the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT).
Researchers: Web apps over Wi-Fi puts data at risk
(News) Users who access Google Inc.'s Gmail or the Facebook social-networking site over Wi-Fi could put their accounts at risk of being hijacked, according to research from Errata Security Inc., a computer security company.
(News) Users who access Google Inc.'s Gmail or the Facebook social-networking site over Wi-Fi could put their accounts at risk of being hijacked, according to research from Errata Security Inc., a computer security company.
Search Engines Battle it Out on Privacy Protection
(News) Microsoft, Google, and other search companies vie for the title of privacy protection king. Here's what that means to you.
(News) Microsoft, Google, and other search companies vie for the title of privacy protection king. Here's what that means to you.
Texas state Web site leaks sensitive information
(News) Troy Aikman may not be happy about it, but the State of Texas has made his address and social security number available via the Internet.
(News) Troy Aikman may not be happy about it, but the State of Texas has made his address and social security number available via the Internet.
Google hostile to privacy, group says
(News) When it comes to protecting the privacy of its users, Google Inc. ranks worse than any other Internet company, according to an interim report by Privacy International. The international watchdog group also accused Google of engaging in a smear campaign in response to its findings, and demanded an apology.
(News) When it comes to protecting the privacy of its users, Google Inc. ranks worse than any other Internet company, according to an interim report by Privacy International. The international watchdog group also accused Google of engaging in a smear campaign in response to its findings, and demanded an apology.
EU officials warn Google on search data retention
(News) European data protection officials have written to Google warning that the search giant may be in breach of E.U. privacy because of the way it retains data on individual searches.
(News) European data protection officials have written to Google warning that the search giant may be in breach of E.U. privacy because of the way it retains data on individual searches.
New Services Help Prevent Identity Theft
(Reviews) These services also help ease the pain of recovering from ID theft.
(Reviews) These services also help ease the pain of recovering from ID theft.
Bill Clinton backs electronic health records
(News) Former U.S. President Bill Clinton on Thursday advocated an electronic medical records (EMR) law and said blogs could aid the U.S. political process.
(News) Former U.S. President Bill Clinton on Thursday advocated an electronic medical records (EMR) law and said blogs could aid the U.S. political process.
Researchers say they peeled The Onion Router
(News) Researchers in the U.S. say they've successfully shown how attackers could compromise a network designed to make it harder to trace Internet surfers and the Web sites they are viewing.
(News) Researchers in the U.S. say they've successfully shown how attackers could compromise a network designed to make it harder to trace Internet surfers and the Web sites they are viewing.
How Much Does Google Know About You?
(howto) If you think your search keywords are private, think again.
(howto) If you think your search keywords are private, think again.
Privacy Watch: Online Service Provides Easy Access to Your Private Data
(howto) Privacy Watch: Online Service Provides Easy Access to Your Private Data
(howto) Privacy Watch: Online Service Provides Easy Access to Your Private Data
Yahoo Tailors Graphical Ads to Users' Search Queries
(news) Yahoo Tailors Graphical Ads to Users' Search Queries
(news) Yahoo Tailors Graphical Ads to Users' Search Queries
Privacy Watch: New Services That Peep Into Your Inbox
(howto) Two companies track recipients' handling of any message that carries a snippet of HTML code.
(howto) Two companies track recipients' handling of any message that carries a snippet of HTML code.
Medical Records May Go Online
(news) Health industry, tech firms, government agencies might collaborate to build a secure database of patient records.
(news) Health industry, tech firms, government agencies might collaborate to build a secure database of patient records.
Three Minutes With Spybot's Creator Patrick Kolla
(news) The author of Search & Destroy wages war against ever-sneakier spyware and competitors who poach on his name and reputation.
(news) The author of Search & Destroy wages war against ever-sneakier spyware and competitors who poach on his name and reputation.
Privacy Advocates Swap Horror Stories
(news) Computers, Freedom and Privacy conference questions policies and practices, and names the infamous.
(news) Computers, Freedom and Privacy conference questions policies and practices, and names the infamous.
Home Office: Learn (Almost) Anything About Anybody
(howto) But protect details about yourself from others trying to dig up dirt on you.
(howto) But protect details about yourself from others trying to dig up dirt on you.
Who's Watching You Surf?
(news) Citizen-rights groups turn to courts, Congress to keep tabs on legal surveillance.
(news) Citizen-rights groups turn to courts, Congress to keep tabs on legal surveillance.
Privacy Watch: What Your Antivirus Software Won't Tell You
(howto) Some security apps ignore surveillance programs.
(howto) Some security apps ignore surveillance programs.
What Color Is Your Privacy Today?
(news) Red alert: EPIC launches Privacy Threat Index to raise awareness online.
(news) Red alert: EPIC launches Privacy Threat Index to raise awareness online.
ACLU Sues for Details on Federal Snooping
(news) Civil-liberties organizations want data on the scope of surveillance under Patriot Act.
(news) Civil-liberties organizations want data on the scope of surveillance under Patriot Act.
ACLU Campaign Challenges Patriot Act
(news) Privacy unnecessarily threatened under broad surveillance powers, civil liberties group charges.
(news) Privacy unnecessarily threatened under broad surveillance powers, civil liberties group charges.
A Year Later, Online Privacy and Security Still Weak
(news) Guarding both virtual and physical shores remains a challenge of checks and balances.
(news) Guarding both virtual and physical shores remains a challenge of checks and balances.
Privacy Watch: Just Say 'No' to Spam--Again
(howto) Sudden changes in some Web sites' policies can open the doors to spam.
(howto) Sudden changes in some Web sites' policies can open the doors to spam.
Privacy Groups Fight for Chat Room Rights
(news) Anonymity isn't guaranteed, and you could end up in court, say online privacy advocates.
(news) Anonymity isn't guaranteed, and you could end up in court, say online privacy advocates.