Posts Tagged ‘Communications privacy’
What Your PC Knows
If someone could secretly stand behind you and monitor everything you’ve done on your PC, what would they discover about you that you would prefer to keep private? Thanks to new technologies that secretly track everywhere you go on the Internet, that’s an appropriate comparison of the threat you face unless you take advance precautions. [...]
What’s Your Identity Worth?
Identity theft has met the law of supply and demand. The law of supply and demand won. Yes, identity theft is now so pervasive that the value of individual identities has fallen sharply. What’s more, a wealthy person’s identity, with perfect credit, isn’t worth much more than a deadbeat’s identity. That value, by the way, [...]
Encryption Works!
If you use a technology called “encryption” properly, not even the government can read the information on your computer. With encryption software, no one but you and your intended recipient can read your e-mail messages, text messages, instant messages, etc. You can even encrypt your entire hard disk to protect everything on your PC from [...]
When Cameras are Outlawed, Only Outlaws will Have Cameras!
If you witness police misconduct and record it as a video on your phone or camera, you won’t be welcomed as a hero. In several U.S. states, you could be subject to a long prison sentence. In recent years, dozens of videos documenting police misconduct have been posted on YouTube. But prosecutors haven’t generally punished [...]
Internet Telephony: Cheap, but NOT Private
Only a few years ago, it seemed like a dream: place—or receive calls—from anywhere you have an Internet connection, for only a few dollars a month—or for free? With a technology called “voice over Internet Protocol,” or VOIP, you now can. VOIP technology chops your phone conversations into digital packets and sends them over the [...]
Congress Inveighs Against Surveillance Abuses—in China
It’s great to know that our elected representatives are vigilantly guarding civil liberties. Only, they’re much more concerned about surveillance in other countries, not here in the USA. Case in point: China. Over the last few weeks, congressional civil libertarians have revived legislation that, if enacted, would forbid U.S. companies from selling electronic surveillance equipment [...]
Can Police Search Your Cell Phone without a Warrant?
Modern cell phones do a great deal more than simply send and receive calls. They’re sophisticated personal computers with the same capabilities, and more, of a laptop PC. You can use them to send and receive e-mail and instant messages, browse the Internet, keep track of your appointments, take photos and videos, etc. If you [...]
Supremes to Rule in Electronic Privacy Case
“Sexting”—sending sexually explicit text messages—is an increasingly popular pastime. And it’s one with increasing legal fallout. Tiger Woods allegedly “sexted” women in several different countries. His messages will no doubt be a prominent part of any divorce proceeding that his wife, Elin Nordegren, eventually initiates. Several teenagers in the USA face child pornography charges related [...]
How Thieves Can Use Your GPS—and Cell Phone—to Rob You Blind
Modern electronic technologies such as GPS and cell phones are wonderfully convenient. But they’re also irresistible targets for thieves. GPS devices are now the number one item being stolen from motor vehicles. You might think that thieves might simply fence your GPS at a local pawnbroker. That’s often the case, but a more sophisticated thief [...]
Yahoo, Verizon: Our Spy Capabilities Would Shock You
Every now and then, ordinary citizens can glimpse the breadth and depth of the surveillance infrastructure erect to monitor us. In the last few days, Americans have had such an opportunity, thanks to privacy researcher Christopher Soghoian, a doctoral student at Indiana University. On December 1, Soghoian published an audio recording of a presentation to [...]