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US politicians quiz Google on Glass privacy - 19 mai 2013
US politicians are seeking reassurances from Google that its smart spectacles will respect personal privacy.
A letter has been sent to Google signed by eight members of a Congressional caucus seeking answers about Google Glass.
The letter poses eight questions for Google about the data the gadget will collect (...)
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Mobile location data ’present anonymity risk’ - 27 mars 2013
Scientists say it is remarkably easy to identify a mobile phone user from just a few pieces of location information.
Whenever a phone is switched on, its connection to the network means its position and movement can be plotted.
This data is given anonymously to third parties, both to drive services for the user (...)
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Google Transparency Report shows rise in data requests - 27 janvier 2013
Data from Google shows the number of requests for user information from law enforcement agencies are at an all time high.
The search giant said it had received 21,389 applications from government officers and the courts over the last six months of 2012.
That is 17% up on the same period the previous year, and (...)
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Life under a lens - 27 janvier 2013
Our pick of the week’s science and technology stories explore our innermost fears, a world under surveillance and bringing Neanderthals back from the dead.
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Google makes concessions to avoid legal action in US - 4 janvier 2013
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has decided not to take legal action against Google at the end of a 19-month investigation into the search giant.
It found Google had not biased its search results to favour its products.
Google has agreed to give advertisers access to more information about their campaigns and (...)
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UAE authorities ’detain 18-year-old blogger’ - 10 décembre 2012
An 18-year-old blogger has been arrested in the United Arab Emirates, human rights activists say.
Mohammed Salem al-Zumer was reportedly detained by state security officers in the emirate of Sharjah on Wednesday and taken to an unknown destination.
He was said to have posted comments online supporting detained (...)
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Divisions over internet governance intensify in Dubai - 10 décembre 2012
Rival visions over governance of the internet have emerged at a UN conference in Dubai.
Russia, the UAE and others are proposing that 193 countries have "equal rights to manage the internet" including its technical specifications.
They want this stated in an international communications treaty.
By contrast, the (...)
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Tracking adverts set to jump across gadgets - 7 décembre 2012
Adverts could soon be following people around the different gadgets they use.
Although tracking ads follow people as they browse different websites, Drawbridge uses statistics to do the same across devices.
It gathers information on which gadgets are being used and what is being done with them to build up (...)
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Student group to take Facebook to task in Irish court - 4 décembre 2012
Facebook’s alleged violations of European data laws are to be scrutinised in court by a student group.
Europe v Facebook is unhappy about "half-hearted solutions" following an audit by the Irish Data Protection Commissioner.
The group says it will take the IDPC to court for what is sees as failures to implement (...)
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Anti-piracy group takes child’s laptop in Finland - 2 décembre 2012
The father of a child accused of illegally downloading music in Finland has paid a 300 euros (£243 ; $390) fine to a Finnish anti-piracy group.
He had refused to pay the original settlement of 600 euros and sign a non-disclosure agreement.
A police warrant was then issued to confiscate the laptop of the girl, who (...)
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Privacy groups call for Facebook changes U-turn - 27 novembre 2012
Two US privacy groups have asked Facebook to reconsider proposed changes to its terms of service that they say violate commitments to protect users.
The social network plans to end user voting on its privacy policy, and allow the sharing of information across its services.
Facebook is also planning to get rid of (...)
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US school tag tracker project prompts court row - 24 novembre 2012
A court challenge has delayed plans to expel a Texan student for refusing to wear a radio tag that tracked her movements.
Religious reasons led Andrea Hernandez to stop wearing the tag that revealed where she was on her school campus.
The tags were introduced to track students and help tighten control of school (...)
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Microsoft patents smart glasses with augmented reality - 23 novembre 2012
Work on digital glasses that overlay information on top of the user’s view of the world has been carried out by Microsoft.
A patent granted to the US tech firm describes how the eyewear could be used to bring up statistics over a wearer’s view of a baseball game or details of characters in a play.
The (...)
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Facebook criticised over decision to stop public privacy votes - 23 novembre 2012
Facebook is set to remove the ability for users to vote on changes to its data privacy policy, in a move that has angered campaigners.
In an email to all members, Facebook said it wanted a "more meaningful" way for users to give feedback.
The site has also proposed combining information across its other (...)
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UK government threatens firms over hidden customer data - 17 novembre 2012
The UK government has repeated its threat to legislate if businesses do not voluntarily release data gathered on customers who ask to see it.
An initiative called Midata calls on firms to provide details to the public in a "machine-readable" format.
Ministers had warned in August they would introduce a new law (...)
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Help wanted on O2 porn piracy cases - 17 novembre 2012
A digital rights group is seeking financial help to stop an adult film-maker contacting Britons suspected of pirating pornographic movies.
The Digital Rights Group has applied to intervene in a legal battle between O2 and Golden Eye International.
In 2011, Golden Eye started legal action to make O2 reveal the (...)
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Online shopping technology faces OFT focus - 16 novembre 2012
UK regulators have begun seeking information on how firms may be monitoring online shoppers in order to target them with different prices.
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) will consider how consumer data is collected and if any activities could be illegal.
The OFT said it wanted to gather more information in (...)
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Spike in government surveillance of Google - 14 novembre 2012
Governments around the world made nearly 21,000 requests for access to Google data in the first six months of this year, according to the search engine.
Its Transparency Report indicates government surveillance of online lives is rising sharply.
The US government made the most demands, asking for details 7,969 (...)
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Apple paid only 2% corporation tax outside US - 4 novembre 2012
Apple paid less that 2% corporation tax on its profits outside the US, its filing with US regulators has shown.
Apple paid $713m (£445m) in the year to 29 September on foreign pre-tax profits of $36.8bn (£23.0bn), a rate of 1.9%.
It is the latest company to be identified as paying low rates of overseas tax, (...)
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Russia internet blacklist law takes effect - 1er novembre 2012
A law that aims to protect children from harmful internet content by allowing the government to take sites offline has taken effect in Russia.
The authorities are now able to blacklist and force offline certain websites without a trial.
The law was approved by both houses of parliament and signed by President (...)
