Google getting on board, but can we stop behavioural tracking?
In the last year, the idea of a “do not track” mechanism for web surfers has gained currency. The name invokes the idea of the do-not-call list for telemarketers, which those of us who prefer eating dinner undisturbed will be well familiar. With Google this week endorsing the concept via its Chrome web browser, will […]
Facebook address move raises new privacy worries
Update 19/1/11 10am: Looks like Facebook have suspended this scary new feature for now. Facebook, by now almost synonymous with online privacy woes, has made another change to its platform that has privacy experts worried. The latest move, reported in several outlets, expands the information available to Facebook application developers. Now, users can grant applications […]
"Creepy" inquiry into online privacy puts AG on defensive
A Senate enquiry into online privacy continued with hearings at Parliament House on Friday, and both Google and the Attorney General’s Department found themselves on the defensive. The Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts appear to be taking our privacy online seriously, and followed up on written submissions with some probing questions. […]
Did Google steal your password?
Yesterday I spoke to the PM program on Radio National for a follow up on Google’s WiFi privacy debacle, and have spoken to a few other media outlets as well. No doubt there’s a lot of interest in the story because of Google’s household name and seemingly unstoppable rise towards digital dominance. The “don’t be evil” […]
SA Electoral amendments and anonymity online
There has been a lot of discussion about the recent changes to the South Australian Electoral Act 1985, and in particular the amendment to s 116 which extends the requirement of attribution to the internet. The law seems poorly drafted and unworkable, but it may not pose as much of a threat as is suspected. […]