Tag: privacy

Arizona High Court Misses Opportunity to Uphold Internet Users’ Online Privacy

It’s an uncontroversial position that EFF has long fought for: Internet users expect their private online activities to stay that way. That’s why law enforcement should have to get a search warrant before getting records of people’s Internet activities. 

But in a disappointing decision earlier this month, the Arizona Supreme Court rejected a warrant requirement for services to disclose Internet users’ activities and other information to law enforcement, a setback for people’s privacy online.

In a 4-3 opinion, the Arizona high court ruled in State v. Mixton that people do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in information held by online services that record their online activities, such as IP address logs. According to the Court, that information is not protected by either the federal Constitution’s Fourth Amendment or the state’s constitution, because people disclose that information to third-party online services whenever they use them, a legal principle known as the third-party doctrine.

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Telegram feature exposes your precise address to hackers

If you’re using an Android device—or in some cases an iPhone—the Telegram messenger app makes it easy for hackers to find your precise location when you enable a feature that allows users who are geographically close to you to connect. The researcher who discovered the disclosure vulnerability and privately reported it to Telegram developers said they have no plans to fix it.

The problem stems from a feature called People Nearby. By default, it’s turned off. When users enable it, their geographic distance is shown to other people who have it turned on and are in (or are spoofing) the same geographic region. When People Nearby is used as designed, it’s a useful feature with few if any privacy concerns. After all, a notification that someone is 1 kilometer or 600 meters away still leaves stalkers guessing where, precisely, you are.

Stalking made simple

Independent researcher Ahmed Hassan, however, has shown how the feature can be abused to divulge exactly where you are. Using readily available software and a rooted Android device, he’s able to spoof the location his device reports to Telegram servers. By using just three different locations and measuring the corresponding distance reported by People Nearby, he is able to pinpoint a user’s precise location.

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Montreal woman says officer insisted on searching her lunch bag during curfew stop

Sarah Vresk was heading to work at around 4 a.m. Tuesday when she was stopped near her home by Montreal police and asked to prove she had the right to be on the road during curfew.

“I got my letter out of my glove compartment and he asked for my ID. I gave him that,” said Vresk. “He then asked me what was in my bag.”

Vresk demanded to know why that mattered, and why she wasn’t free to go after showing a letter from her employer stating she works for a snow-removal contractor and needs to be on the job during curfew.

The officer questioned the validity of that letter, saying it’s just a piece of paper, and threatened to give her a ticket anyway, Vresk said. The officer accused her of delaying detainment by not co-operating and showing the bag’s contents.

Vresk finally gave into the officer’s demands, allowing him to inspect her lunch bag.

The officer then returned to his cruiser to check her credentials while his partner took over questioning. Finally, Vresk was let go without a ticket.

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Creepiest Tech Guide of 2020 — Activity Trackers, Wireless Headphones, Smart Speakers, OMG!

For many years experts have warned about privacy AND cybersecurity risks associated with “Smart” (see 1, 2, 3), wireless, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices and technology (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).

Thanks to Mozilla for publishing their 2020 guide to help you determine which products are too invasive for your comfort level. Hint: if privacy matters to you even the slightest – completely avoid Amazon’s new Halo health band.

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The National Association of REALTORS® to start policing private lives of members.

The newly Woke National Association of REALTORS® has long had requirements that you behave in a professional manner while on the job.

“The recommendations propose a new Standard of Practice, 10-5, that states: ‘REALTORS® must not use harassing speech, hate speech, epithets, or slurs based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.”

Sure, a list like that can be problematic, but at least now it only applies TO YOUR ENTIRE LIFE.

“Additionally, the recommendations propose changes to professional standards policy to expand the Code of Ethics’ applicability to all of a REALTOR®’s activities, not just those that are real estate–related.”

Their speech codes no longer only apply to real-estate related activity but also to everything-related activity as well. What if your activities include being active in your church and your faith is at odds with current progressive orthodoxy?

Why, it’s almost as if the NAR’s rules prohibiting discrimination against someone for their religious beliefs themselves discriminate against people for their religious beliefs. This suggests the motive here might be something other than being anti-discriminatory.

Which reminds me, you know why the NAR is really excited about these new rules?

“We have this amazing ad campaign that says ‘That’s Who We R,’ ” Difanis said, which includes being leaders and role models in the community, ‘and this is who we need to be.'”

Whatever it takes to get that “SOLD!” sign!

Of course, we all have to remember that this is not a government or state actor enforcing a law. It’s merely a private organization with great cache, they are America’s largest trade association after all. They hold enormous sway over state licensing boards requiring that you behave in a manner they prefer ALL the time. If you don’t comply with the new speech codes, you risk being reported as a bigot to your state licensing board which determines whether or not you can continue to work as a real estate agent.

“As a result, associations would be required to share with the state real estate licensing authority final ethics decisions holding REALTORS® in violation of the Code of Ethics in instances where there is reason to believe the public trust, as expanded by the proposed revision, may have been violated.”

But it’s not like that’s censorship or anything.

That would be wrong.

“Discussions started in the wake of nationwide social unrest after the death of George Floyd and after local, state, and national REALTOR® associations fielded an ‘unprecedented’ number of complaints about members posting hate speech on social media.”

Work as a real estate agent? Watch what you say because they can search your social media accounts going back three years should there ever be an alleged infraction.

But this is not censorship, okay? Stop thinking that.

Hmm, maybe we can discipline you for that, too.

Speaking freely has suddenly become really problematic. After all, what is a “slur?” The definitions of words are a lot more fluid than they used to be. Remember a month ago when “sexual preference” was okay? Yeah, it’s not anymore.

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