Anyone who isn’t an expert on the internet would be hard-pressed to explain how tracking on the internet actually works. Some of the negative effects of unchecked tracking are easy to notice, namely eerily-specific targeted advertising and a loss of performance on the web. However, many of the harms of unchecked data collection are completely opaque to users and experts alike, only to be revealed piecemeal by major data breaches. In the near future, Firefox will — by default — protect users by blocking tracking while also offering a clear set of controls to give our users more choice over what information they share with sites.
Tag: surveillance capitalism
👓 The Information on School Websites Is Not as Safe as You Think | New York Times
Some tracking scripts may be harmless. But others are designed to recognize I.P. addresses and embed cookies that collect information prized by advertisers.
The idiotic places we end up seeing surveillance capitalism just kills me.
Administrators: But they were give us the technology for free…
Really? Why not try pooling small pieces of resources within states to make these things you want and protect your charges? I know you think your budget is small, but it shouldn’t be this expensive.
👓 Zuck’s Empire of Oily Rags | Locus Magazine
For 20 years, privacy advocates have been sounding the alarm about commercial online surveillance, the way that companies gather deep dossiers on us to help marketers target us with ads. This pitch…
👓 Logs populi or, Thanks, Netflix! | Vicki Boykis
Tech is already cynical about data collection, but the public is just starting to understand its implications.
👓 Google will permanently disable a control on its new $50 speaker after the gadget listened in on some users | Business Insider
Google Home Mini is losing the ability to use it by touching the button on the top, after a reviewer raised concerns that it was recording without his consent.
👓 Don’t Sell Your Soul or Students to an Edtech Brand | Rafranz Davis | Medium
There are plenty of reasons why teachers join ambassador programs. For some, this is how they gain access to potentially great tools that…
EFF’s full-page Wired ad: Dear tech, delete your logs before it’s too late | Boing Boing
EFF has run a full-page ad in this month's Wired, addressed to the technology industry, under the banner "Your threat model just changed," warning them that the incoming administration has vowed to spy on and deport millions of their fellow Americans on the basis of religion and race, and that they are in grave risk of having their services conscripted to help with this effort. (Trump is also an avowed opponent of net neutrality)
