Privacy Issues News

July 8, 2016

3 State Laws That Substantially Cut Gun Deaths

New Test Detects Drug Use from a Fingerprint

Privacy? Huge Identify Theft Risks

Computer Knows You Better Than Friends, Family

Latest Headlines

updated 5:00am EDT

Your Smartwatch Is Giving Away Your ATM PIN

July 6, 2016 — Wearable devices can give away your passwords, according to new research. In a new paper, researchers combined data from embedded sensors in wearable technologies, such as smartwatches and fitness ... read more

FBI Approach to Investigations Puts Security at Risk, Experts Say

June 16, 2016 — Experts say the FBI's efforts to compel Apple to write software to unlock an iPhone used by a terrorist reflects an outdated approach to law enforcement that threatens to weaken smartphones security, ... read more

Study of 81,000 Adults Examines Mental Illness, Gun Violence and Suicide

June 6, 2016 — People with serious mental illnesses who use guns to commit suicide are often legally eligible to purchase guns, despite having a past record of an involuntary mental health ... read more

Weak Spots in Europe's 'Right to Be Forgotten' Data Privacy Law

June 7, 2016 — In the first study of its kind, university researchers say that hackers can discover the identities of people who requested to be delisted under Europe's 'Right to be Forgotten' law. The law allows ... read more

Law Reform in Canada May Help Curb Organ Transplant Tourism

June 6, 2016 — Creating a confidential reporting system in Canada about organ transplant tourism could help reduce the practice and disrupt international networks, argues an ... read more

You Are Not as Anonymous as You Think Online

June 7, 2016 — You may not be anonymous as you think you are online; reveals a new study. Your browsing behavior can indicate your personality and provide a unique digital signature which can identify you, ... read more

Wide Geographic Differences in Treatment of Diabetes, Hypertension, Depression

June 6, 2016 — Widespread differences have been found in the treatment of patients with common chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and ... read more

International Law Allows for the Legalization of Cannabis

May 30, 2016 — The regulated cultivation and trade of cannabis for recreational use is permissible on the basis of states’ positive human rights obligations. Pleas for the regulated cultivation and trade of ... read more

Fukushima Nuclear Accident Is 'Wake-Up Call' for US to Improve Monitoring of Spent Fuel Pools

May 20, 2016 — The 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident should serve as a wake-up call to nuclear plant operators and regulators on the critical importance of ... read more

New Method of Producing Random Numbers Could Improve Cybersecurity

May 16, 2016 — A new method for producing truly random numbers could be used to encrypt data, make electronic voting more secure, conduct statistically significant polls and more accurately simulate complex systems ... read more

Medical Schools Tackle Opioid Painkiller Abuse

Hey, Siri. Why Are So Many Digital Assistants Female?

Equal Internet Access Remains A Right For All US Citizens

Oregon Allows Sale of Recreational Pot Edibles

Liability of Internet 'Intermediaries' in Developing Countries

June 30, 2016 — If someone posts illegal content on your website, are you liable? A new project addresses that question by examining the potential liability faced by website owners and other online service providers ... read more

Wireless, Wearable Toxic-Gas Detector

June 30, 2016 — Wearable, wireless sensors have now been developed by researchers, based on carbon nanotubes, that can detect toxic gases and can be worn by soldiers to detect hazardous chemical ... read more

New Tool to Measure Homeland Security Risks in US

June 30, 2016 — Researchers have validated a new risk assessment tool that can be used by the Department of Homeland Security to help evaluate decisions and priorities in natural disasters, terrorist events, and ... read more

Visual Cloud Computing Methods Could Help First Responders in Disaster Scenarios

June 23, 2016 — Visual data created by numerous security cameras, personal mobile devices and aerial video provide useful data for first responders and law enforcement. That data can be critical in terms of knowing ... read more

New System That Uses Sound to Alleviate Water Shortage

June 22, 2016 — New research shows how a special tool called a noise logger can detect leaks accurately and efficiently, before major roadwork is ... read more

Lacking Family Support, Those Transitioning out of Foster Care Need Financial Assistance

June 16, 2016 — Every year, more than 23,000 youth leave foster care after turning 18 and begin adulthood. Unlike their peers who can depend on family who serve as support systems, those coming out of foster care ... read more

Relationship Between School Security, Race, Research Shows

June 8, 2016 — Security measures in American high schools are meant to keep students safe. But research shows heightened security has unintended ... read more

Ships Flagged for Illegal Fishing Still Able to Get Insurance

June 6, 2016 — Rogue fishing vessels are able to secure insurance including those that have been flagged by international watchdogs for unlawful activity, new research ... read more

Survey Describes Values, Challenges of Largest Shareholder in US Forests: Families

June 2, 2016 — Family forest ownerships control 286 million acres of forestland, or 36 percent of the nation's forestland. New research reveals the motivations, management activities, future plans, and ... read more

Survey Reveals Few GPs Use Alternatives to Face-to-Face Consultations

May 24, 2016 — Despite policy pressure on GPs to offer consultations by email or internet video programs such as Skype, few GPs do and most have no plans to introduce them in future, according to a new study from ... read more

'Facebooking' Your Doctor's Appointment

May 24, 2016 — Telemedicine, which allows doctors to communicate, diagnose and even treat their patients remotely is on the rise thanks to advances in information technology. It allows healthcare workers to ... read more

For Women Re-Entering Workforce, Sharing Personal Information May Get You Hired

May 19, 2016 — A new study provides the first-ever evidence that women who reveal personal family-related information that could explain gaps in their resume (like staying home to raise a child) dramatically raise ... read more

Layout Change Can Make Licensing Agreements More Agreeable

May 12, 2016 — Changing the layout of long and tedious software licensing agreements may not only make those agreements more understandable, but may even make the users like them ... read more

In a Connected World, Privacy Becomes a Group Effort

May 11, 2016 — As the world grows more social and connects more online, privacy management is becoming more collaborative, according ... read more

Union Bargaining Coverage Has a Positive Impact on Some Aspects of Job Satisfaction

May 11, 2016 — Union bargaining coverage has significant positive associations with job satisfaction regarding pay and hours, academics have ... read more

First Amendment Offers Scant Protection for Professors

May 9, 2016 — When academics choose to litigate speech disputes with colleges and universities, they end up losing nearly three-quarters of the time -- a finding that points to the growing tension between academic ... read more

Not So Safe: Security Software Can Put Computers at Risk

May 4, 2016 — Is the antivirus program running on your computer really making your computers safer to use, say, for online banking? Is the parental control software you bought to keep your child off inappropriate ... read more

Risk Aversion Impedes Innovation in Information Technology

May 2, 2016 — Smartphones and tablets come from Asia and America, European industry is far behind. Causes are unfolded by a new study, e.g. risk aversion made the companies offer own data services at high prices ... read more

Crop Advances Grow With Protection, Study Suggests

Apr. 27, 2016 — A team of researchers examined the impact of intellectual property protection in a new study. They found intellectual property protection benefits both plant breeders and ... read more

Weighing the Pros and Cons of Mental-Health Apps

Apr. 26, 2016 — There are more than 165,000 mobile applications available for health care, with the largest category for people with mental-health disorders, managing everything from addiction to depression and ... read more

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