Privacy Issues News

October 14, 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 8:34am EDT

Just Give Me Some Privacy

Oct. 12, 2016 — Not everyone who strives to navigate the internet without being tracked is up to no good. This is the underlying premise of a qualitative study led by researchers who gathered the stories of people ... read more

When Hackers Turn out the Lights

Sep. 16, 2016 — The development of the smart power grid and the smart meter in our homes to accompany it brings several benefits, such as improved delivery and more efficient billing. Conversely, any digital, ... read more

Setting Up a Decoy Network May Help Deflect a Hacker's Hits

Sep. 9, 2016 — Computer networks may never float like a butterfly, but information scientists suggest that creating nimble networks that can sense jabs from hackers could help deflect the stinging blows of those ... read more

RetroScope Opens Doors to the Past in Smart Phone Investigations

Aug. 11, 2016 — The increasing use of mobile technology in today's society has made information stored in the memory of smart phones just as important as evidence recovered from traditional crime scenes. Now ... read more

Android Apps Can Secretly Track Users' Whereabouts, Researchers Find

Aug. 10, 2016 — New research reveals that some Android apps may automatically transmit sensitive information, such as the routes you travel, through the phone's built-in sensors. A malicious developer, he says, 'can ... read more

Serious Security Threat to Many Internet Users Highlighted

Aug. 9, 2016 — Researchers have identified a weakness in the Transmission Control Protocol of all Linux operating systems since late 2012 that enables attackers to hijack users' internet communications completely ... read more

1967 Solar Storm Nearly Took US to Brink of War

Aug. 9, 2016 — A solar storm that jammed radar and radio communications at the height of the Cold War could have led to a disastrous military conflict if not for the US Air Force's budding ... read more

System Helps Protect Privacy in Genomic Databases

Aug. 9, 2016 — In a new study, researchers describe a new system that permits database queries for genome-wide association studies but reduces the chances of privacy compromises to almost ... read more

Hacking the Business Model of Adware, Scareware, Other Unwanted Software

Aug. 4, 2016 — A team of researchers is offering the first public view into practices that deliver unwanted advertising and software bundled with legitimate downloads. Their research suggests that some of the ... read more

Sharks Get Bad Rap When Viewed With Ominous Background Music

Aug. 4, 2016 — In a new study, researchers found that the background music in shark documentaries affects viewers' perceptions of sharks. The researchers suggest that ominous background ... read more

ACLU Blasts Alleged Yahoo Mail Scans

Why You Shouldn't Google Amy Schumer — Or A Bunch Of Other Celebrities

India's Poor Fear 'rent-a-Womb' Industry Shut Down

Beachegg, the New Tech to Bamboozle Beach Bandits

Rise of the Internet Has Reduced Voter Turnout

Sep. 16, 2016 — During the initial phase of the internet, a “crowding-out” of political information occurred, which has affected voter turnout, new research ... read more

App Vs. Website: Which Best Protects Your Privacy?

Sep. 12, 2016 — Should you use the app -- or a web browser -- for that? That's the question that researchers ask in a new study that explores how free app- and web-based services on Android and iOS mobile ... read more

Political Inequality Leads to Digital Inequality

Sep. 8, 2016 — During the Arab Spring, the internet was frequently seen as a 'liberation technology.' According to this view, it fosters political transparency, political rights and democracy. New ... read more

Telecom Networks Could Back Up GPS Time Signals, Say Experts

Sep. 8, 2016 — Experts involved in the operation of US civilian and military time standards have worked with two companies to identify a practical GPS backup possibility: commercial fiber-optic telecommunications ... read more

US Rules for Targeted Killing Using Drones Need Clarifying, RAND Report Asserts

Sep. 8, 2016 — Current US policies on using drones for targeted killing are characterized by ambiguities in interpretations of international law and too many generalities, despite recent efforts by the Obama ... read more

Scientists Show That 'Superman' Disguise Could Actually Work

Aug. 31, 2016 — Small alterations to a person’s appearance, such as wearing glasses, can significantly hinder positive facial identification, new research ... read more

One in Two Users Click on Links from Unknown Senders

Aug. 29, 2016 — Most people know that e-mails and Facebook messages from unknown senders can contain dangerous links. However, many users still click on them and researchers have investigated why. The results: up to ... read more

Researchers Find Vulnerabilities in iPhone, iPad Operating System

Aug. 25, 2016 — An international team of computer science researchers has identified serious security vulnerabilities in the iOS -- the operating system used in Apple's iPhone and iPad devices. The ... read more

Survey Shows Broad Support for National Precision Medicine Study

Aug. 17, 2016 — In a recent survey designed to measure public attitudes about the Precision Medicine Initiative Cohort Program, a majority of respondents expressed willingness to participate in the nationwide ... read more

Computer Scientists Reveal History of Third-Party Web Tracking

Aug. 15, 2016 — Researchers have presented the first-ever comprehensive analysis of third-party web tracking across three decades and a new tool, TrackingExcavator, which they developed to extract and analyze ... read more

In Right Balance, Environmental Regulations Increased Firms' Profits, New Study Finds

Aug. 12, 2016 — CEOs and corporate lobbyists often spend plenty of time decrying how potential government regulations will affect their bottom line, but a new study finds that the US Clean Water Act, when ... read more

World Should Consider Limits to Future Internet Expansion to Control Energy Consumption

Aug. 11, 2016 — The world should consider ways to limit data growth on the internet to prevent run-away energy consumption and help limit carbon emissions, say leading computer ... read more

Researchers Develop Tool to Counter Public Health IT Challenges

Aug. 9, 2016 — Front-line protection of US communities against disease epidemics relies on seamless information sharing between public health officials and doctors, plus the wherewithal to act on that ... read more

Despite Expectations of Privacy, One in Four Share Sexts, Study Finds

Aug. 4, 2016 — A new study from Indiana University researchers shows that although most people who engage in sexting expect their messages to remain private, nearly one in four people are sharing the sexual ... read more

Live-Streaming Crime

Aug. 3, 2016 — In a new study, researchers examine the legal rights of people to record and live stream and any potential right to be free from being recorded and streamed in public ... read more

Globally Protected Areas Benefit Broad Range of Species, Largest Ever Study Reveals

July 28, 2016 — The largest ever analysis of globally protected areas reveals for the first time that they do benefit a broad range of species. By analysing biodiversity samples taken from 1,939 sites inside and ... read more

Did Your Smart Watch and Fitness Tracker Just Give Away Your PIN?

July 11, 2016 — A new research report reveals that popular wearable devices may leak information as you use them. Researchers discovered that the motions of your hands as you use PIN pads, which is continually and ... read more

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

Friday, September 16, 2016