Can we make the web more inclusive or will our online reality always be a lawless wasteland of trolls and lies?
While leaks and whistleblowers continue to be valuable tools in the fight for data privacy, we can’t rely on them solely to keep big tech companies in check.
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Most of us are probably having our data tracked in some form. And while there are regulatory safeguards in place to protect user privacy, it’s hard to say whether these are enough.
A partnership between Google and the Ascension hospital network in the United States has raised health data privacy concerns for citizens globally.
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Know the difference between an EMR, EHR and PHR? Our digital data expert sets the record straight.
DNA database giant Ancestry lets members access international records including the convict and free settler lists, passenger lists, Australian and New Zealand electoral rolls and military records.
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A US judge has allowed police access to the major DNA database without users’ consent (including Australian users). It’s a timely reminder that we urgently need genetic privacy legislation.
If only it were as easy as pushing a button.
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Many sites offer the ability to ‘opt out’ of targeted advertisements, but doing so isn’t easy. Simplifying and standardizing opt-outs would help improve privacy on the web.
User agreements are often long, complex and inaccessible texts that don’t help users understand what exactly is being done with their information.
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As more data are collected, it’s important for the public to understand how their health information is being used. But user agreements are often complex, lengthy and written in inaccessible language.
YouTube has been forced to change the way it presents videos to children.
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The complex user-generated nature of YouTube content for kids is proving difficult to control for the online giant, who have been issued with a US$170 million fine for breaching children’s privacy.
Is privacy what you can’t see, or where you don’t look?
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Privacy starts with the body and extends to digital data. There are few rules governing what companies can do – yet people can’t effectively protect their own privacy.
Your online activity can be turned into an intimate portrait of your life - and used for profit.
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An entire industry exists to trade on your personal data - everything from your shopping habits to your political views and medical conditions. The results can genuinely harm consumers.
There are more radiological scans than ever, but too few radiologists to interpret them.
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Facebook is built on harvesting platform data about its users, crunching that to predict behaviours and allegiances and then selling this package to advertisers. That hasn’t changed yet.
As police face greater obstacles with encryption, courts are divided on whether compelling people to reveal their passwords is legal.
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In a recent Canadian court case, defence and prosecution argued over whether a suspect was required to provide his password to allow for a search warrant to be executed on his phone.
Companies aren’t living up to their privacy policies’ promises.
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States like California have been at the forefront of privacy innovation in recent decades. A possible federal law could bring their experimentation to a halt, harming consumers.
Smart city planning will need to address data collection and protecting the privacy of minors in public space.
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The history of how Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiaries manage children and data is a troubling one. How will Sidewalk Labs address concerns about minors and privacy in Toronto’s Quayside project?
Technology can significantly improve governments’ surveillance abilities.
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Consumers want better protection for their data, and businesses want clear national laws. Yet there is virtually no consensus about what a broad privacy law should entail.