Google Tracking: Not Too Obvious Angle, Right?
June 18, 2021
Apple is the privacy outfit. Remember? Google wants to do away with third party cookies, right? Apple was sufficiently unaware to know that the company was providing a user’s information. Now Google has added a new, super duper free service. I learned about this wonderful freebie in “Google Workspace Is Now Free for Everyone — Here’s How to Get It.” I noted this paragraph:
Anyone with a Google account can use the integrated platform (formerly known as G Suite) to collaborate on the search giant’s productivity apps.
Free. Register. Agree to the terms.
Bingo. Magical, stateful opportunities for any vendor using this unbeatable approach. Need more? The Google will have a premium experience on offer soon.
Cookies? Nope. Better method I posit. And if there is some Fancy Dan tracking? Apple did not know some stuff, and I might wager Google won’t either.
Stephen E Arnold, June 18, 2021
TikTok: What Is the Problem? None to Sillycon Valley Pundits.
June 18, 2021
I remember making a comment in a DarkCyber video about the lack of risk TikTok posed to its users. I think I heard a couple of Sillycon Valley pundits suggest that TikTok is no big deal. Chinese links? Hey, so what. These are short videos. Harmless.
Individuals like this are lost in clouds of unknowing with a dusting of gold and silver naive sparkles.
“TikTok Has Started Collecting Your ‘Faceprints’ and ‘Voiceprints.’ Here’s What It Could Do With Them” provides some color for parents whose children are probably tracked, mapped, and imaged:
Recently, TikTok made a change to its U.S. privacy policy,allowing the company to “automatically” collect new types of biometric data, including what it describes as “faceprints” and “voiceprints.” TikTok’s unclear intent, the permanence of the biometric data and potential future uses for it have caused concern
Well, gee whiz. The write up is pretty good, but there are a couple of uses of these types of data left out of the write up:
- Cross correlate the images with other data about a minor, young adult, college student, or aging lurker
- Feed the data into analytic systems so that predictions can be made about the “flexibility” of certain individuals
- Cluster young people into egg cartons so fellow travelers and their weakness could be exploited for nefarious or really good purposes.
Will the Sillycon Valley real journalists get the message? Maybe if I convert this to a TikTok video.
Stephen E Arnold, June 18, 2021
Google: The High School Science Club Management Method Cracks Location Privacy
June 2, 2021
How does one keep one’s location private? Good question. “Apple Is Eating Our Lunch: Google Employees Admit in Lawsuit That the Company Made It Nearly Impossible for Users to Keep Their Location Private” explains:
Google continued collecting location data even when users turned off various location-sharing settings, made popular privacy settings harder to find, and even pressured LG and other phone makers into hiding settings precisely because users liked them, according to the documents.
The fix. Enter random locations in order to baffle the high school science club whiz kids. The write up explains:
The unsealed versions of the documents paint an even more detailed picture of how Google obscured its data collection techniques, confusing not just its users but also its own employees. Google uses a variety of avenues to collect user location data, according to the documents, including WiFi and even third-party apps not affiliated with Google, forcing users to share their data in order to use those apps or, in some cases, even connect their phones to WiFi.
Interesting. The question is, “Why?”
My hunch is that geolocation is a darned useful item of data. Do a bit of sleuthing and check out the importance of geolocation and cross correlation on policeware and intelware solutions. Marketing finds the information useful as well. Does Google have a master plan? Sure, make money. The high school science club wants to keep the data flowing for three reasons:
First, ever increasing revenues are important. Without cash flow, Google’s tough-to-control costs could bring down the company. Geolocation data are valuable and provide a kitting needle to weave other items of information into a detailed just-for-you quilt.
Second, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook pose significant threats to the Google. Amazon is, well, doing its Bezos bulldozer thing. Apple is pushing its quasi privacy campaign to give “users” control. And Facebook is unpredictable and trying to out Google Google in advertising and user engagement. These outfits may be monopolies, but monopolies have to compete so high value data become the weaponized drones of these business wars.
Third, Google’s current high school management approach is mostly unaware of how the company gathers data. The systems and methods were institutionalized years ago. What persists are the modules of code which just sort of mostly do their thing. Newbies use the components and the data collection just functions. Why fix it if it isn’t broken. That assumes that someone knows how to fiddle with legacy Google.
Net net: Confusion. What high school science club admits to not having the answers? I can’t name one, including my high school science club in 1958. Some informed methods are wonderful and lesser being should not meddle. I read the article and think, “If you don’t get it, get out.”
Stephen E Arnold, June 1, 2021
And about That Windows 10 Telemetry?
May 28, 2021
The article “How to Disable Telemetry and Data Collection in Windows 10” reveals an important fact. Most Windows telemetry is turned on by default. But the write up does not explain what analyses occur for data on the company’s cloud services or for the Outlook email program. I find this amusing, but Microsoft — despite the SolarWinds and Exchange Server missteps — is perceived as the good outfit among the collection of ethical exemplars of US big technology firms.
I read “Three Years Until We’re in Orwell’s 1984 AI Surveillance Panopticon, Warns Microsoft Boss.” Do the sentiments presented as those allegedly representing the actual factual views of the Microsoft executive Brad Smith reference the Windows 10 telemetry and data collection article mentioned above? Keep in mind that Mr. Smith believed at one time than 1,000 bad actors went after Microsoft and created the minor security lapses which affected a few minor US government agencies and sparked the low profile US law enforcement entities into pre-emptive action on third party computers to help address certain persistent threats.
I chortled when I read this passage:
Brad Smith warns the science fiction of a government knowing where we are at all times, and even what we’re feeling, is becoming reality in parts of the world. Smith says it’s “difficult to catch up” with ever-advancing AI, which was revealed is being used to scan prisoners’ emotions in China.
Now about the Microsoft telemetry and other interesting processes? What about the emotions of a Windows 10 user when the printer does not work after an update? Yeah.
Stephen E Arnold, May 28, 2021
Could the Google Cloud Secretly Hide Sensitive Information?
April 7, 2021
It is odd seeing Google interested in protecting user information, but Alphabet Inc. follows dollar signs. The high demand for digital security is practically flashing bright neon dollar signs, so it is not surprising Google is investing its talents into security development. Tech Radar shares that simpler applications could lead to better security in the article, “Google Cloud Is Making It Easier For Developers To Smuggle ‘Secrets’ In Their Code.”
A big problem with application development is accidentally exposing sensitive information via the source code. Bad actors can hack applications’ code, then steal the sensitive information. Google Cloud fused its Secret Manager service (a secure method to store private information) with its Cloud Code IDE extensions that speed up cloud-based application development.
The benefits of the merged technologies are:
“The integration allows developers to replace hardcoded data with so-called Secrets, a type of global object available to applications at build or runtime. This way, cloud applications can make use of the sensitive data when needed, but without leaving it exposed in the codebase.
According to Google, the new integration will make it easier for developers to build secure applications, while also avoiding the complexities of securing sensitive data via alternative methods.”
In the past, developers hardcoded sensitive information into their codebase. It made it easier to recall data, but savvy bad actors could access it. Many applications know that hardcoding sensitive information is a security risk, so hey make users run the gambit with authentication services.
Secret Manager and Cloud Code IDE could eliminate the authentication hassle, while protecting sensitive information.
Whitney Grace, April 7, 2021
Microsoft: Your Computer, Your Data. That Is a Good One
March 23, 2021
The online news stream is chock full of information about Microsoft’s swing-for-the-fences PR push for Discord. If you are not familiar with the service, I am not going to explain this conduit for those far more youthful than I. Like GitHub, Discord is going to be an interesting property if the Redmond crowd does the deal. If we anticipate Discord becoming part of the Xbox and Teams family, the alleged censorship of software posted to GitHub will be a glimpse of the content challenges in Microsoft’s future.
The more interesting development is the “real” news story “Microsoft Edge Could Soon Share Browsing Data with Windows 10.” The idea is that a person’s computer and the authorized users of the computing device will become one big, happy data family.
The article states:
Called share browsing data with other Windows features, it is designed to share data from Edge, such as Favorites or visited sites, with other Windows components. Search is a prime target, and highlighted by Microsoft at the time of writing. Basically, what this means is that users who run searches using the built-in search feature may get Edge results as well.
And what does Microsoft get? Possibilities include:
- Federated, fine grained user behavior data
- Click stream data matched to content on the user’s personal computer
- Real-time information flows
- Opportunities to share data with certain entities.
What happens to the user’s computer if said user does not accept such integration? The options range from loss of access to certain data to pro-active interaction to alter the functioning of the user’s computing device.
Why is this such a good idea? Microsoft, like Amazon, Facebook, and Google realize that the days of the Wild West are coming to an end. There are new sheriffs with new ideas about right and wrong.
Thus, get what one can while the gittin’ is good as the old times used to say.
But “What about security and privacy?” you ask? One response is, “That’s a good one.” Why not try stand up?
Stephen E Arnold, March 23, 2021
Dark Patterns: Fool Me Once, Fool Me Twice, Heck Fool Me for Decades
March 18, 2021
I find “dark patterns” interesting. Whether one is used by T-Mobile to make it almost impossible to opt out of the firm’s data slurping and selling biz or the Facebook trick of making “log out” tough to see. There are other, more ingenious methods; for example, if you want to read a super duper white paper, just provide a name and email address. The action flips the switch on spam and scam operations. (Who doesn’t enjoy cybersecurity solutions which cannot detect SolarWinds and Exchange type breaches for three, six, 12 months, or more.
I read “California Bans Dark Patterns That Trick Users into Giving Away Their Personal Data.” The write up reports:
The concept [Dark Patterns] was coined in 2010 but is slowly being addressed in US legislation, with California this week announcing that it is banning the use of dark patterns that stop users from opting out of the sale of their personal data.
The idea of tricking users began a long time ago. The fine P.T. Barnum said:
There’s a sucker born every minute.
How about those free online services?
The article makes clear that regulators are quick to act. Those using dark patterns have to mend their ways in 30 days.
Then what? Let’s use a free online service and free email to share ideas. I have a better idea. Let’s use Clubhouse to discuss options.
Stephen E Arnold, March 18, 2021
Alleged China Data Slurping
March 16, 2021
I spotted an interesting “statistic.” The source was the article “China Harvesting 20% of World’s Data Including from India.” So one-fifth of the world’s data. The write up phrases the assertion this way:
… Approximately 20 per cent of the world’s global population are “being either directly or potentially set up for the Chinese government to collect all of their private data”.
An expert from the cyber security firm Strike Force is quoted as saying:
“If the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) has access to 20 per cent of the data going through the world’s VPNs generally, they should be expected to be using that data for a massive global spying operation that could translate into winning wars, shifting global power, and aiding the rise of an empire,” the expert warned.
If accurate, glib dismissals of TikTok or Zoom links to China may have to be re-evaluated in the shadow of the alleged data slurping.
Stephen E Arnold, March 16, 2021
Search and Privacy: Those Log Files Are Tempting However
March 11, 2021
Search has been a basic Internet function since its inception, but when it was first invented protecting users’ privacy was not a concern. Nowadays a simple search reveals users’ interests, locations, and much more information that can be sold or stolen. TechRadar explains why search needs to be redesigned with privacy as the top priority: “Why We Need To Rebuild Internet Search, Putting User Privacy First.”
Early Internet developers wanted to make money from their new invention in order to build new technology. Investors and developers were happy, because there was a profit. Early Internet advertising, however, transformed into a big privacy problem today:
“Problems later emerged because what started out as a quick fix to a short-term problem turned into a central part of the internet’s architecture. Like anything else in tech, engineers quickly went to work optimizing advertising to be as efficient as possible, stumbling into a situation where the world’s biggest and most powerful companies were suddenly incentivized to gather more and more personal data on users to sell advertising. This resulted in algorithms to maximize engagement on content sites that prioritized instinctive and emotional decisions – or “fast thinking” as the Nobel Prize winner in behavioral economics Daniel Kahneman calls it.”
The information superhighway has turned into a giant consumerism tool that spreads fake news, radicalization, pushes unneeded products and services, and feeds on peoples’ insecurities. Driving sales to stir the economy is one thing, but the spread of misinformation and radicalization leads to dangerous situations, including the recent coup attempt on Washington D.C. and constant backfires against science.
User-experience drives technology design and development, so any new search protocols must have today’s ease of use. Currently multi-party computation (MPC) replicates blockchain-like technology so it protects users’ privacy. Selected computers directly access encrypted data without knowing anything about the data, dubbed zero-knowledge computation.
Zero-knowledge computation is a good solution to protecting user privacy, but there is a big problem preventing more development: money. Advertisers and businesses love the current search system, because it feeds their bottom line. Most users do not protect their data, but if they demanded more privacy protections then organizations would invest more money in that area.
Whitney Grace, March 11, 2021
Sweden: Herring and Privacy
March 10, 2021
Considering all the privacy-related charges European authorities have made against tech companies, we are surprised to learn that “Swedish Authorities Pass On Personal Data of Web Visitors to Google” from the Big News Network. It sounds like the transgressions may not have been intentional. We are told:
“A number of government agencies in Sweden pass on personal data belonging to individuals who visit their websites to Google despite guaranteeing anonymity, local media reported on Thursday. More than 80 government agencies and over 150 authorities pass on personal data in the form of IP addresses belonging to those using their websites without informing them, according to Radio Sweden News. The European Court of Justice has ruled that IP addresses can be used to identify individuals, according to the report. The information is then stored on servers in the United States, making the issue more sensitive as personal data protection is not as strong as within the European Union.”
We are given the example of Statistics Sweden, which had more than 10 million visits last year alone. The agency’s communications director seemed surprised to learn the site has been forwarding IP addresses to Google for over two years. Since Radio Sweden News broke the story, several Swedish agencies and authorities have removed Google Analytics from their websites. Better late than never, we suppose, just like herring nine ways.
Cynthia Murrell, March 10, 2021
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