Category Archives: Law: Privacy

Cynic.al Indeed

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Michael Froomkin

The new Ashley Madison Hack lookup tool is at https://ashley.cynic.al/.

As the site notes, just because an email is in there doesn’t prove the person who uses it signed up. But I would find it at least suggestive once we have some evidence that the DB itself is the real thing. (I suppose this doesn’t suffice.)

Thirty-six million — 36 million! — names in the hacked Ashley Madison database? Perhaps North Americans really are not that different from the French when it comes to affairs, just sneakier.

That said, (unlike some and some more) I don’t look forward to an orgy of outing with much pleasure, and think it likely will hurt more people than it helps. I guess I believe that at least in some cases, although certainly not all, the pig really is happier than Socrates.

Posted in Internet, Law: Privacy | Comments Off on Cynic.al Indeed

Time for Your Annual Privacy Checkup

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Michael Froomkin

Privacy Checkup – My Account – Google

Posted in Internet, Law: Privacy | 2 Comments

Be Warned

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Michael Froomkin

EDRi, Microsoft’s new small print – how your personal data is (ab)used:

Summing up these 45 pages, one can say that Microsoft basically grants itself very broad rights to collect everything you do, say and write with and on your devices in order to sell more targeted advertising or to sell your data to third parties. The company appears to be granting itself the right to share your data either with your consent “or as necessary”.

This was particularly ominous:

Also, when device encryption is on, Windows automatically encrypts the drive Windows is installed on and generates a recovery key. The BitLocker recovery key for the user’s device is automatically backed up online in the Microsoft OneDrive account.

That said, there will be a few things you can turn off by deep diving into your computer’s settings and the Privacy Dashboard. And, I suspect, by not having a Microsoft Account or a OneDrive at all.

Microsoft’s new services agreement goes into effect on 1 August 2015, only a couple of days after the launch of the Windows 10 operating system on 29 July.

Posted in Law: Privacy, Software | Comments Off on Be Warned

Caroline Thinks It’s Creepy (and Ugly)

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Michael Froomkin

creepyWhen I got home yesterday, this ad (which is actually just the front of a very involved mailer that opens up to have three more sales sheets inside) was waiting for me in the day’s mail. I’m used to getting ‘personalized’ mail that addresses me by name — often by the wrong name since I haven’t been called by my legal name since birth. But this was the first piece of direct mail that linked my name and my wife’s. Since I spend much of the day reading and thinking about databases, identification, and privacy, I wasn’t terribly creeped out about this, but Caroline clearly was, saying it was “excessively personal.” I don’t think the problem was the knowledge that someone knows we are together, since we haven’t made much secret of it for the last 26 years or so. Caroline also asked me to note that the necklace is very ugly.

The ad does make me wonder how often things like this turn up with the wrong name on it (fortunately, my wife’s name is indeed Caroline). Or just after people die, or break up. Could get ugly. Queue references to the famous Target incident.

Note to marketers: I believe that when we had the insides of our wedding rings engraved with our names we exhausted our demand for personalized jewelry.

Posted in Law: Privacy | 2 Comments

We Robot 2016 Official Logo

Posted on April 11, 2015 by Michael Froomkin

We-Robot-2016-web-Banner

Posted in Law: Privacy, Robots, Talks & Conferences | Comments Off on We Robot 2016 Official Logo

Register Now for Coral Gables Chamber Candidates Forum 3/31/15

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Michael Froomkin

The Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce will be having a marathon candidates’ forum on March 31st at the University of Miami Fieldhouse. Doors open at 5:30 with the Group IV debate at 6pm; then it’s group V, and ending with the Mayoral candidates. I’m going to guess an hour each, since the event ends at 9pm.

The Chamber of Commerce candiate forum web site invites attendees to register (free) by March 27th — but I’m betting they’ll let you in even if you don’t RSVP.

It’s unfortunate for me that the event overlaps a little with the terrific Data Privacy and Security Law Summit being held on campus all day on the 31st. Fortunately, I’m just doing the welcome at the start of the event, so I guess I can duck out at the end.

Posted in Coral Gables, Law: Privacy | Comments Off on Register Now for Coral Gables Chamber Candidates Forum 3/31/15