Category: Privacy and Data Protection

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The CIA to provide evidence of HwaWei involvement with Chinese Military and Intelligence

Even if true, where is the beef? That HwaWei got funded by Chinese military and intelligence is not an issue. Do we already forgot the “Fritz Chip”, the use of (Western-sponsored) State malware in intelligence and criminal investigation and so on?

From a national security and public policy perspective, it is ? logic that a sovereign state explores all the possibilities to obtain superiority over its foes and “friend” too. Thus – if confirmed – the proof offered by CIA of HwaWei involvement with the national security apparatus shouldn’t surprise. Continue reading “The CIA to provide evidence of HwaWei involvement with Chinese Military and Intelligence”

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The German DatenschutzKonferenze to issue non viable GDPR compliance hints for medical research

The Datenschutzkonference (DSK) the body that gathers the German Data Protection Authorities has published a document on the relationship between the Recital 33 of the GDPR and its application to scientific research. And as often happens when this topics is involved, the results are useless, inconsistent and inapplicable. A more detailed analysis will allow us to understand the reason for such a harsh judgment on this document. Continue reading “The German DatenschutzKonferenze to issue non viable GDPR compliance hints for medical research”

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That’s None of Your Business or “The Apple’s Sense toward Privacy”

That’s none of your business, ? is the rather crude concept Apple has chosen for an iPhone advertising campaign. The video is all about a “stay away” attitude and portrays signs of banning, shredding documents and – in the end – a padlock that turns into a bitten apple, the company’s trademark.

From a subject whose only (legitimate) objective is to sell as many products as possible, one cannot expect him to take into account the complex debate on the nature – and even before that on the very existence – of the right to privacy, and therefore one cannot complain that he has used a concept that is obsolete and unsuitable in our times. Continue reading “That’s None of Your Business or “The Apple’s Sense toward Privacy””

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Facebook to move from a public square into a living room. When the cure is worse than the disease

According to The Conversation, there is an upcoming shift of Facebook’s approach to its user privacy. This quote from Mark Zuckerberg clarifies the position of the company:

Over the last 15 years, Facebook and Instagram have helped people connect with friends, communities, and interests in the digital equivalent of a town square. But people increasingly also want to connect privately in the digital equivalent of the living room.

While the news has been (cautiously) saluted as an improvement of Facebook’s attitude towards the core of its business, actually the proposed cure is worse than the disease.

If, as Zuckerberg says, Facebook is going to move from a public square to a living room, this actually weakens the meaning of privacy because:

1 – it sends the message that privacy equals secrecy, while the notion of privacy is far wider,

2 – if everything is private, nothing is private. By not making
distinction between the intimate sphere and the public space, Facebook is
turning people into faceless being.

3 – Furthermore, by enhancing the “private ring” notion, people will lose the main role of a social network (in the sociological meaning of the word): challenging our individual and assumptions, become accustomed to diversity.

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Race is the new black

Since people have been anesthetized to the “privacy threats” that everybody and his cousin is seeing around, now “race” is the new trend to bash profiling, surveillance and whatever else the “human rights ? warriors” pick as “enemy-of-the-day”.

This article from wired.com – that matches the same “philosophy” of this one published by Wired.it about the racism of algorithm – hints at ? a new trend to give trollers something to (keyboard) fight for: forget privacy, RACE is the buzzword-to-go to show righteous indignation!

Algorithms are bad for RACE, Artificial Intelligence is bad for RACE, face recognition is a RACE thing… computer and RACE, smartphone and RACE, videogames and RACE, RACE, RACE, ? RACE, RACE, RACE, RACE, RACE, RACE, RACE, RACE, RACE, RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE, ?RACE.

p.s. Sorry Monty Python.