privacy

Yesterday Twitter launched a new video sharing app called Vine. The service lets you compose and share six-second videos using its iPhone app. As Sharon Vaknin pointed out, currently there's no way to set any of your videos, or even your profile, to "private." Any videos you upload are going to be public; viewable by anyone using the service.

There is a way to create a video using the Vine app and share it privately, however. It's not an ideal workaround (that would be privacy settings in the app) but it's an easy way … Read more

The number of official requests Google receives for information about its users is steadily increasing -- particularly in the United States, which between July and December once again outpaced the world.

In the second half of 2012, Google received 8,438 requests for information, up 6 percent from the first half of 2012. Globally, Google received 21,389 requests for information, up 2 percent from the first half 2012. The number of requests went up even as the number of users affected went down -- a 9 percent decrease in the United States, and 3 percent globally.

The countries making … Read more

Worried about all those security cameras tracking your every move? Try rocking one of these visors and enjoy anonymity once again.

At least that's what Isao Echizen from Japan's National Institute of Informatics is trying to achieve with the Privacy Visor (PDF).

Developed with Seiichi Gohshi of Kogakuin University, the visor has a near-infrared light source that messes up cameras but doesn't affect the wearer's vision, according to the institute. … Read more

Anyone interested in how Google's privacy policies over the years can easily compare previous versions, thanks to an archive the company has set up online. But one of the earliest privacy policies is nowhere to be found -- and it's a shame, filmmaker Cullen Hoback says, because it's a policy that put users' privacy first.

"A cookie can tell us, 'This is the same computer that visited Google two days ago,' but it cannot tell us, 'This person is Joe Smith' or even, 'This person lives in the United States,'" reads the policy, published in … Read more

It's easy to write a quick post on Twitter or Facebook in a moment of joy -- or rage -- exclaiming your emotion with a few profane words in tow. But over time the way we want to use a social network may change, and it might make more sense for Facebook to become a professional representation of yourself. And with Graph Search just around the corner, your Facebook past is going to be extremely easy to search; possibly surfacing a side of you you'd rather not have your potential employers or family members see. Heck, you may … Read more

Proposed legislation in the European Union would force tech companies that have access to user data -- such as Facebook, Google, and Microsoft -- to report any security breaches to local cybersecurity agencies, the Financial Times reported today.

This is the European Commission's effort to make private companies accountable for privacy and security problems, European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes told the Financial Times.

If passed, the measure would require each of the EU's 27 member states to set up local cybersecurity agencies to implement security standards on online networks. Social networks, e-commerce companies, and large online platforms … Read more

A new draft bill published today aims to increase privacy for mobile app users.

Led by U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), the bill aims to legally require app developers to publicize how they gather information and also let users request deletion of their stored data.

To create the draft language for the bill, Johnson and his Web-based initiative, AppRights, held meetings with members of the Internet community, public-interest groups, app developers, and other industry stakeholders. Dubbed "The Application Privacy, Protection, and Security Act of 2013," or the APPS Act, the bill "addresses the public's growing … Read more

It looks like some cheaters in Japan aren't embracing the latest advances in technology.

According to a Wall Street Journal article, older flip phones are the communication device of choice for players looking to sneak around and keep the phone evidence hidden. For those people, the importance of subterfuge is greater than the importance of having the latest smartphone technology.

Fujitsu F-series phones have earned a reputation as "infidelity phones." They have potent privacy features that make it pretty much impossible for significant others to snoop into extracurricular texts and calls. They also hide the fact that you're using advanced privacy features, making the phone seem totally innocent.… Read more

With one little update, Instagram is out to quiet critics of its continued growth following last month's privacy policy debacle.

The photo-sharing app has 90 million monthly active users, according to its just-updated press page, as first spotted by All Things D. This is the first time the Facebook-owned property has reported active users. Previously, Instagram said that it had 100 million registered users.

The number confirms what CNET has suspected for weeks: Instagram has fully recovered from its December privacy scandal. The photo app maker had changed its terms of service with language that suggested that it would … Read more