privacy

Simple, effective tool

This simple, little, Internet Explorer privacy tool may not look like much, but it successfully password-protected user-selected Web sites.

IEProtect requires that you enter a master password that you will enter each and every time you access the program. The user interface is extremely simple to operate, with all of your menu commands at the top of a small window. The help feature provides a link that takes you to the publisher's Web site. Each Web site that you add is displayed below the command buttons. Password protecting sites is as easy as clicking the Add Site button, entering … Read more

Privacy tool fails to protect

This privacy program aims to clear your browsing history and free up space on your computer; however, several error messages prevented us from getting a clear picture of this program's abilities.

During the installation process for ID Privacy Shield, we received an error message. We were able to bypass it and move on to the user interface, which was quite eye-catching. From first glance, it appeared very easy to navigate, with prominent command buttons running down the left side of the window. The program includes a history cleaner, file shredder, and disk cleaner. But more often than not, when … Read more

Podcast: Watchdog on Facebook's democratic foray

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on February 26 that, from now on, the company will post proposed changes to its terms of service and other policies for member input.

If more than 7,000 people comment, the policy will be put to a vote, and the result "will be binding, if more than 30 percent of all active registered users vote."

Based on Facebook's current 175 million user base, that's nearly 53 million people, which makes it questionable whether the company will ever get sufficient voter turnout.

CBS News and CNET Technology analyst Larry Magid discuss … Read more

What Facebook's democratic gesture might mean

Facebook's decision to open up its policy making to user input is a very nice gesture but it's not exactly on par with the American revolution or the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Thursday that from now on the company will post proposed changes to its terms of service and other policies for member input. If more than 7,000 people comment, the policy will be put to a vote and the result "will be binding if more than 30 percent of all active registered users vote." Based on Facebook's current 175 million user base, … Read more

CNET News Daily Podcast: Facebook goes (even more) public on privacy

At a press conference Thursday morning, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company is taking steps to improve terms of service and its overall policies. Central to that move is involving users in decision-making. Webware editor Rafe Needleman explains.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Today's stories:

Live blog: Facebook press conference on privacy

Microsoft lawyer 'won't speculate' on Linux suits

What's changing through Windows 7 beta

Cisco sheds jobs as it 'realigns' business

Telstra CEO departing amid government animosity

NASA hacker McKinnon moves closer to extradition

Live blog: Facebook press conference on privacy

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hosted a press conference that started at 11 a.m. PST Thursday to discuss "the new steps Facebook is taking to improve user understanding and ownership of the Facebook terms of service and, more generally, the policies of the Facebook service." The play-by-play is here. Facebook's full announcement is posted below as well.

Experts: States need uniform policy for health IT

WASHINGTON--With the incentives provided in the recently signed stimulus package for the adoption of health information technology, lawmakers across the country are expecting to be able to improve their states' health care by collaborating on a nationwide network of health data.

Creating such a network, however, is a dizzying prospect bogged down by conflicting state laws regarding privacy and patient consent, policymakers acknowledged Tuesday at a conference of the National Governors' Association's State Alliance for e-Health.

Laws and policies governing the use of electronic health information vary widely by state, and even within states different agencies interpret the jumble … Read more

Worried about Facebook privacy? Use controls

All of the hoopla about Facebook's controversial user policy sidesteps the point about what social Web users really need to know about protecting their privacy and intellectual property.

The latest controversy erupted last week after a blog trumpeted an otherwise largely ignored change in Facebook's terms of service that would have granted Facebook an "irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license" to use your material and "use your name, likeness and image for any purpose, including commercial or advertising."

Needless to say, the privacy and users' rights community and a lot of bloggers … Read more

Slow to prevent file recovery

As its name suggests, Prevent Restore keeps others from restoring deleted files by filling in unused sectors on your hard drive. It worked as promised, but it took a long time to do its job.

Each time we tried to access the program through the desktop icon, we received an error message. We were able to bypass it and move on to the user interface, but it was a mark against the program. Prevent Restore comes with a wizard that makes it especially easy to get started. First, it asked us to select which disk we wanted to run the … Read more

Week in review: Facebook's about-face

Facebook users take their privacy very seriously--and the social-networking site received that message loud and clear.

Facebook created a firestorm of controversy earlier this week as word spread that it had changed a longstanding but little-publicized claim to an "irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license" for promotional efforts--which would no longer expire if a member deleted his or her Facebook account.

Facebook reorganized its terms of service on February 11. In a blog post, company legal representative Suzie White provided an explanation. "We used to have several different documents that outlined what people could and … Read more