The federal telecom regulator is reminding Canadians to stay vigilant on their cellphones as more phishing messages are being sent by text. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) told Global News on Thursday that between July and September, 83 per cent of all phishing messages reported to its spam reporting centre were sent as texts. While spam messages sent by email are still the most common type of spam reported, a CRTC spokesperson said in a statement “a shift does appear to be happening for the category of phishing…
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US border forces are seizing Americans’ phone data and storing it for 15 years | Engadget
If a traveler’s phone, tablet or computer ever gets searched at an airport, American border authorities could add data from their device to a massive database that can be accessed by thousands of government officials. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) leaders have admitted to lawmakers in a briefing that its officials are adding information to a database from as many as 10,000 devices every year, The Washington Post reports. Read full story here: US border forces are seizing Americans’ phone data and storing it for 15 years | Engadget
Read MoreScanning students’ homes during remote testing is unconstitutional, judge says | Ars Technica
As the pandemic unfolded in spring 2020, an Educause survey found that an increasing number of students—who had very little choice but to take tests remotely—were increasingly putting up with potential privacy invasions from schools. Two years later, for example, it’s considered a common practice that some schools record students throughout remote tests to prevent cheating, while others conduct room scans when the test begins. Read full story here: Scanning students’ homes during remote testing is unconstitutional, judge says | Ars Technica
Read MoreHitting the Books: How can privacy survive in a world that never forgets? | Engadget
As I write this, Amazon is announcing its purchase of iRobot, adding its room-mapping robotic vacuum technology to the company’s existing home surveillance suite, the Ring doorbell and prototype aerial drone. This is in addition to Amazon already knowing what you order online, what websites you visit, what foods you eat and, soon, every last scrap of personal medical data you possess. But hey, free two-day shipping, amirite? The trend of our gadgets and infrastructure constantly, often invasively, monitoring their users shows little sign of slowing — not when there’s…
Read MorePrivacy bill would set out rules on use of personal data, artificial intelligence | CTV News
OTTAWA – The federal Liberals plan to introduce privacy legislation today to give Canadians more control over their personal data and introduce new rules for the use of artificial intelligence.The bill, to be presented by Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne, aims to fulfil his mandate to advance the federal digital charter, strengthen privacy protections for consumers and provide clear rules for fair competition in the online marketplace. The digital charter spells out 10 principles that range from ensuring control over information to meaningful penalties for misuse of data. Read full story…
Read MoreWas Tim Hortons’ App Improperly Tracking Users? Privacy Commissioner To Decide | Global News
Canada’s privacy commissioner will report Wednesday on the results of an investigation into whether the Tim Hortons mobile ordering app was improperly tracking users’ whereabouts without their explicit consent. The 23-month-long investigation came after National Post reporter James McLeod obtained data showing the Tim Hortons app on his phone had tracked his location more than 2,700 times in less than five months. Read full story here: Was Tim Hortons’ App Improperly Tracking Users? Privacy Commissioner To Decide | Global News
Read MoreSome Top 100,000 Websites Collect Everything You Type—Before You Hit Submit | Ars Technica
When you sign up for a newsletter, make a hotel reservation, or check out online, you probably take for granted that if you mistype your email address three times or change your mind and X out of the page, it doesn’t matter. Nothing actually happens until you hit the Submit button, right? Well, maybe not. As with so many assumptions about the web, this isn’t always the case, according to new research: A surprising number of websites are collecting some or all of your data as you type it into…
Read MoreYour Digital Footprint: It’s Bigger Than You Realize | c|net
A few years ago, Ken Crum started getting uncomfortable with how much of his life seemed to be online. The long-time computer programmer was particularly concerned by what companies appeared to know about him. The amount of personal information was mind-boggling to the 66-year-old Texan, who recently moved from Dallas to the small town of Weatherford. Data brokers were collecting his personal details. Social media was targeting ads at him. Then one day, after shopping at a local home improvement store, he got an email from the company asking how…
Read MoreClearview AI Aims To Put Almost Every Human In Facial Recognition Database | ARS Technica
The controversial facial recognition company Clearview AI reportedly told investors that it aims to collect 100 billion photos—supposedly enough to ensure that almost every human will be in its database. “Clearview AI is telling investors it is on track to have 100 billion facial photos in its database within a year, enough to ensure ‘almost everyone in the world will be identifiable,’ according to a financial presentation from December obtained by The Washington Post,” the Post reported today. There are an estimated 7.9 billion people on the planet. Read full…
Read MoreIRS Backtracks On Sketchy Facial Recognition Plan Following Public Outcry | Mashable
Activism, it turns out, still gets results. That’s the takeaway following a Monday morning announcement that the IRS intends to shift away from requiring Americans use a private facial-recognition service to verify their identities on the IRS website. The about face comes after sustained criticism from privacy experts, grassroots activists, and even elected officials. “This is big,” wrote Senator Ron Wyden Monday morning. “The IRS has notified my office it plans to transition away from using facial recognition verification, as I requested earlier today. While this transition may take time, the administration…
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