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It's Time to Panic About Privacy

nytimes.com

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Re: It's Time to Panic About Privacy

#41

Post by crispyambulance »

lotu wrote: post #24

This kinda feels like worrying about how the telephone would allow people to spread rumors and damaging information about each faster and further. Or perhaps discriminate against a potential job applicant based on their voice, instead only getting to see a letter. This feels like a non-tech person has realized what tech people realized 20 years ago. Technology makes everything we do faster and more efficient even if…

    >...what tech people realized 20 years ago.
OK, but don't forget it has been "tech people" blindly driving us to the edge of dystopia for the purpose getting people to click on stuff.

Re: It's Time to Panic About Privacy

#43

Post by SmellyGeekBoy »

mherrmann wrote: post #36

This was surprisingly weak. Security cameras? Who cares? Here's what we really should be worried about: Google. They know everything . Our browsing history. Probably which porn sites we visit. Our emails. Which services we use. Our passwords (if stored in Chrome). Our schedule. Where we are and where we're going (Maps). Security cameras? Laughable. Google (and to some extent FB, Microsoft and Amazon) is where the dan…

> Google (and to some extent FB, Microsoft and Amazon) is where the danger lies.

Not that it excuses the behaviour of the others of course but Facebook is by far the worst offender in this list. They've been repeatedly and consistently caught misusing the data they collect. At least Google are only using it to sell better targeted advertising (for now).

Facebook is also the easiest to avoid.

Re: It's Time to Panic About Privacy

#44

Post by SmellyGeekBoy »

StavrosK wrote: post #39
mherrmann wrote: post #36

This was surprisingly weak. Security cameras? Who cares? Here's what we really should be worried about: Google. They know everything . Our browsing history. Probably which porn sites we visit. Our emails. Which services we use. Our passwords (if stored in Chrome). Our schedule. Where we are and where we're going (Maps). Security cameras? Laughable. Google (and to some extent FB, Microsoft and Amazon) is where the dan…

So switch off them. Fastmail is better than Gmail, Firefox is better than Chrome, DuckDuckGo is pretty good, etc. Even switching some stuff is better than not switching any of it.

Indeed, I've recently switched from Chrome to Firefox and from Google search to DDG for this very reason. Every little helps.

Re: It's Time to Panic About Privacy

#46

Post by tysone »

blakesterz wrote: post #15

I didn't get much out of that, but the very last page says "This column is part of The Privacy Project, a series from The New York Times Opinion." which does seem much more useful and has a bunch more: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/opinion/internet-pr... And yes, The Privacy Project has a bunch of trackers on it.

related: The Times's publisher wrote that we're examining our policies and practices around data, too.

> "As with a politician railing against high drug prices while accepting campaign donations from big pharma, a news organization cannot talk about privacy on the internet without skeptical readers immediately, and rightly, examining its own practices for signs of hypocrisy."

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/opinion/sulzberger-new-yo...

Re: It's Time to Panic About Privacy

#47

Post by navaati »

crispyambulance wrote: post #41
lotu wrote: post #24

This kinda feels like worrying about how the telephone would allow people to spread rumors and damaging information about each faster and further. Or perhaps discriminate against a potential job applicant based on their voice, instead only getting to see a letter. This feels like a non-tech person has realized what tech people realized 20 years ago. Technology makes everything we do faster and more efficient even if…

>...what tech people realized 20 years ago. OK, but don't forget it has been "tech people" blindly driving us to the edge of dystopia for the purpose getting people to click on stuff.

They are not necessarily the same persons…

Re: It's Time to Panic About Privacy

#48

Post by jammygit »

tysone wrote: post #46
blakesterz wrote: post #15

I didn't get much out of that, but the very last page says "This column is part of The Privacy Project, a series from The New York Times Opinion." which does seem much more useful and has a bunch more: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/opinion/internet-pr... And yes, The Privacy Project has a bunch of trackers on it.

related: The Times's publisher wrote that we're examining our policies and practices around data, too. > "As with a politician railing against high drug prices while accepting campaign donations from big pharma, a news organization cannot talk about privacy on the internet without skeptical readers immediately, and rightly, examining its own practices for signs of hypocrisy." https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/opinio…

I read their privacy policy a while back and felt fairly grossed out by how contrary to their editorial stance and their actual practices were. Ended up subscribing to Ars because they turn the trackers off for subscribers.
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