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Self-Driving Cars are Here. Are Businesses, Consumers, and Lawyers Ready?

The introduction of the automobile changed not only American transportation, but American culture as well. While automobiles had existed since the late 1800s, they were typically very expensive and unreliable. However, in 1908, Ford released the Model T, an automobile made for the middle class. Sold for a measly USD $850 (a less measly USD $23,000 in today’s dollars), the Model T rapidly gained popularity in the United States [1]. Ultimately, the introduction of affordable mass-market automobiles led to the car-centric transportation system the United States has today. For over a century, this system has persisted, with wide interstate highways and large parking lots dominating American cityscapes.

But even after a century of automobile innovation, relatively little has changed about the fundamentals of driving. At least one passenger must control the car at all times, and if they lose control, even for a split-second, there could be disastrous consequences. Now, in 2021, those fundamentals are beginning to change. With massive tech companies like Uber and Amazon investing heavily in this emerging technology [2], it’s fair to wonder: How soon will self-driving cars become the norm? And how will this eventual change affect tech, law, and culture?

History of Autonomous Vehicles

One of the first autonomous vehicles came just a few years after the popularization of the automobile. However, this car was far from a technological masterpiece, closer to a life-size RC car than an automotive revelation. In 1925, electrical engineer Francis Houdina paraded a driverless sedan with a massive antenna down the streets of New York City. He controlled the car via remote control in a trailing vehicle. Ironically, the car crashed into another automobile full of journalists during the parade [3]. Despite the embarrassing end to the initial showcase, radio-controlled cars became tourist attractions for the next decade. Spectators were amazed by driverless cars, and automobile companies noticed. In 1935, Chevrolet even advertised the benefits of self-driving cars in an automobile safety video [4]. Even when mass-market automobiles were just beginning to flourish, a future filled with autonomous vehicles was dreamt by consumers and automakers alike. However, while automobile companies continued research and development into self-driving cars, it amounted to little else but prototypes and tourist gimmicks.

Beginning in the early 2010s, these prototypes and gimmicks began to have legitimate functionality. Cars manufacturers began to include features that were previously limited to autonomous vehicle prototypes. For example, in 2013, Mercedes-Benz released a luxury car featuring automatic braking, adaptive cruise control and parking assistance [5]. While this tech was exclusive to high-end cars years ago, features like parking assistance and automatic braking are regularly included in more affordable cars today. However, the biggest step toward a future with self-driving cars was made by Tesla. The electric-vehicle company introduced its “autopilot” software in 2015, allowing drivers to take their hands off the wheel while driving [6]. While Tesla’s autopilot feature isn’t fully autonomous, it is one of the first auto manufacturers to produce a mass-market vehicle with significant autonomous capabilities.

Why Autonomous Could be the Future

First and foremost, auto manufacturers are embracing self-driving cars because of their safety. Put simply, humans are not better drivers than robots. Self-driving cars would be able to make split-second decisions quicker than humans. Additionally, an autonomous vehicle future could wipe out incapacitated driving, which makes up 10% of all car crashes [7]. Altogether, one study states that a future with fully autonomous vehicles could cut traffic accidents by at least 34% [7]. While 34% fewer crashes may not seem like a massive decrease, it could have life-saving effects. There were an estimated 36,120 car crash fatalities in 2019 in the United States [8]. If 34% of those crashes were averted by autonomous vehicles, it could save over 12,000 lives each year.

Finally, consumers are drawn to autonomous vehicles because of their convenience. Self-driving cars could put an end to the stresses and anxieties of driving. After all, driving has always required the driver’s complete attention; to the point where eating while driving is heavily discouraged, and texting while driving is illegal in most states. Driving requires full, undivided attention. And for heavy-traffic areas or long road trips, this can be inconvenient for drivers. A future where drivers can send emails, talk to passengers or even nap is incredibly appealing to most drivers. While fully autonomous vehicles are still a long way away, it’s clear why consumers are interested in self-driving cars as well.

Why Autonomous Cars Could Flounder

One of the biggest obstacles facing automakers isn’t one of technological capability, but legal culpability. Right now, in almost every car crash, one of the affected drivers is at fault. Most importantly, the at-fault driver is often on the hook for financial penalties. But if all vehicles are autonomous, and there’s a crash, who is responsible? Because we are nowhere near this level of automation yet, we simply don’t know what the law will be in the era of self-driving cars. Could auto corporations be found at fault? If they are, why would companies continue to make autonomous vehicles if each one could mire the company in a lawsuit? Simply put, there are massive legal questions regarding autonomous vehicles that we don’t know the answer to, and won’t know until self-driving cars are much more integrated into society.

Finally, concern among consumers regarding privacy could cause the future of self-driving cars to sputter. Autonomous vehicles could become yet another device that collects and sells your personal data to advertisers. Even worse, these self-driving cars would have access to loads of unique data points, including travel histories and voice recordings. And because self-driving cars require software updates for new roads, even cars could become subject to ransomware attacks and other cybercrime. While autonomous vehicles can offer unparalleled convenience for their users, they can also force new, invasive forms of surveillance.

Stay Safe with AXEL Go

While AXEL Go can’t protect your autonomous car from ransomware (yet), it can protect your most important files from cybercrime. Offering industry-leading encryption and decentralized blockchain technology, AXEL Go is the best way to protect yourself or your business from data breaches and cybercrime. With AXEL Go, there’s no compromise between security and privacy rights. After all, our business is protecting your data, not collecting it. If you’re ready to try the most secure file-sharing and storage software, get two free weeks of AXEL Go here. 

[1] History.com Editors. “Model T.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, April 26, 2010. https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/model-t

[2] Palmer, Annie. “Amazon Zoox Unveils Self-Driving Robotaxi.” CNBC. CNBC, December 14, 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/14/amazons-self-driving-company-zoox-unveils-autonomous-robotaxi.html

[3] Engelking, Carl. “The ‘Driverless’ Car Era Began More than 90 Years Ago.” Discover Magazine. Discover Magazine, May 17, 2019. https://www.discovermagazine.com/technology/the-driverless-car-era-began-more-than-90-years-ago

[4] Chevrolet Presents: The Safest Place. YouTube. YouTube, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cilh7br-P80

[5] Ingraham, Nathan. “Mercedes-Benz Shows off Self-Driving Car Technology in Its New $100,000 S-Class.” The Verge. The Verge, May 18, 2013. https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/18/4341656/mercedes-benz-shows-off-self-driving-car-technology

[6] Golson, Jordan. “Volvo Autonomous Car Engineer Calls Tesla’s Autopilot a ‘Wannabe’.” The Verge. The Verge, April 27, 2016. https://www.theverge.com/2016/4/27/11518826/volvo-tesla-autopilot-autonomous-self-driving-car

[7] Baldwin, Roberto. “IIHS Study: Autonomous Cars Won’t Avoid Majority of Vehicle Crashes.” Car and Driver. Car and Driver, November 10, 2020. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a32783046/iihs-autonomous-cars-not-as-safe-study/

[8] Media, NHTSA. “Early Estimates of 2019 Motor Vehicle Traffic Data Show Reduced Fatalities for Third Consecutive Year.” NHTSA. NHTSA, May 5, 2020. https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/early-estimates-2019-motor-vehicle-traffic-data-show-reduced-fatalities-third

Should Privacy be a Human Right?

privacy is a Human Right

With the advancements in the mass surveillance technology used by governments and corporations, maintaining individual privacy has never been more important. AXEL believes privacy is a fundamental human right that these powerful institutions need to acknowledge. Without a vigorous defense of this position, influential organizations will inevitably erode privacy protections and lead society down a dark, Orwellian path.

Privacy law – not a new thing

Citizens demanding basic privacy is not a new phenomenon. Formal privacy law goes all the way back to 1361 AD in England[1]. Nevermind modern accouterments like cellphones, back then niceties such as plumbing and an easily traversable road system weren’t fathomable. It was the time of King Edward the III, with England and France engaged in what was to be known as ‘The 100 Years War.’ In other words, a LONG time ago.

The Justices of the Peace Act outlawed peeping toms and eavesdroppers under the penalty of imprisonment. It was a way to stop the town weirdo from spying on neighbors from behind a cow or haycart.

Today these concerns seem quaint, as every computer, cellphone, smartwatch, digital assistant, or any other piece of internet-connected technology is the equivalent of an eavesdropping creep. On the plus side, medicine advanced past the practice of bloodletting as a cure-all. So, we’ve got that going for us.

A decree from the United Nations

Fast-forward over half a millennium to 1948. The newly-formed international coalition, the United Nations, released the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights[2]. This short document outlined various human rights for all people. Article 12 states, “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home, or correspondence, nor to attack upon his honor and reputation. Everyone has the right to  the protection of the law against such interference or attack.”

While these UN guidelines are clear and concise, they lacked any true enforcement capabilities. Fantastic ideals in theory; often ignored in practice.

United States privacy law history

Unfortunately, The United States Constitution doesn’t explicitly guarantee privacy as a right. However, not all is lost. Throughout the years, there have been legal arguments that other liberties imply privacy rights. Examples include:

  • Stanford Law Review April 2010. A piece in the prestigious legal journal by Orin Kerr outlined an argument that sought to apply the Fourth Amendment to internet privacy[3]. The focus is on police-related intrusions, specifically dealing with warrant requirements for digital surveillance.
  • Griswold v. Connecticut. This 1965 case set the precedent that the Constitution grants privacy rights against government intrusion implicitly from other liberties established in the Bill of Rights[4]. While the case pertained to marital relations, the ruling set a precedent for the more general concept of implicit rights.

The current state of privacy

Two-thirds of countries have privacy regulations on the books[5]. So, everything’s all good, right? Time for privacy advocates to pack it up and celebrate their victory! No, things are not all rainbows and sunshine in this space. In fact, the situation is pretty bad.

Government privacy intrusions

The U.S. government spying on its citizens is nothing new. The practice dates back at least 70 years. Over this time, many groups (political activists, civil rights leaders, union participants, the far-Left, the far-Right, you name it) became surveillance targets of federal agencies like the FBI, CIA, and NSA. However, the devastating 9/11 attacks combined with advancing digital technology created a perfect storm for privacy intrusion at a scale never before seen.

The details of which were outlined by whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013[6]. Here are a few significant revelations of the leaks:

  • The NSA collected millions of peoples’ cellphone metadata (i.e., when calls are made/to whom) and location information[7]. A federal appeals court finally ruled this tactic illegal in 2020[8].
  • The NSA can easily break internet standard encryption methods to view private emails, financial transactions, and other personal data[9].
  • The NSA implemented a program code-named PRISM where the Big Tech companies would mine user data and turn it over to the agency upon request[10].

These only scratch the surface of the Snowden leaks. The story received enormous press coverage over the years, putting pressure on the federal agencies for more transparency. It is naive to think organizations like the NSA stopped using these tactics, though. After all, the courts didn’t ban illegal phone metadata collection until seven years after initial disclosure, after multiple other scandals[11].

Corporate intrusions

Of course, the government doesn’t have a monopoly on invading peoples’ privacy. Corporations are big players in the game, too (although, as seen in the PRISM program, the two entities can work together.)

Big Tech has a notorious reputation in this regard. Companies such as Facebook, Google, and Amazon collect so much personal data that their algorithms probably know people better than they know themselves.

The most known scandal involved Cambridge Analytica, a Big Data firm that bought user data from Facebook and used it to serve targeted political ads, allegedly resulting in a shift toward Donald Trump’s election[12].

Regardless of that hypothesis’s validity, data mining and selling are an everyday occurrence in Big Tech’s world. All one has to do is read the privacy policies or terms of service agreements the companies provide to get a glimpse at the breadth of knowledge they have about individuals. Easier said than done since those policies are thousands of words of legalese, but decipher them, and it becomes quite creepy.

Tougher legislation

Data privacy and protection are now mainstream topics. As such, some governments are enacting stronger legislation. The Gold Standard of these laws is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union. It is the most comprehensive data privacy law to date.

California took the main framework of the GDPR and passed a similar law called the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), which will take a few years to implement fully. While these are the best laws currently in effect, they still have loopholes that will undoubtedly lead to exploitation. Do they go far enough to protect everyone’s personal information? Only time will tell.

Be proactive

The GDPR and CPRA are much needed, but people should take matters into their own hands as well. Stop relying on “free” software from the megacorporations and search for privacy-based alternatives.

AXEL Go is the perfect solution for anyone looking for a private, secure file-sharing and storage platform. It has blockchain implementation, runs on the un-censorable InterPlanetary File System, and utilizes military-spec AES 256-bit encryption to ensure your files aren’t compromised. Sign up for a free Basic account and receive 2GB of online storage and enough network fuel for hundreds of typical shares. AXEL truly believes privacy is an inalienable human right. That’s why AXEL Go has industry-leading privacy features that will only get better. Download it today.

 

 

 

[1] English Parliament, “Justices of the Peace Act 1361”, legislation.gov.uk, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/Edw3/34/1

[2] The United Nations, “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights”, un.org, 1948, https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/#:~:text=Article%2012.,against%20such%20interference%20or%20attacks

[3] Kerr, Orin S. “Applying the Fourth Amendment to the Internet: A General Approach.” Stanford Law Review 62, no. 4 (2010): 1005-049. Accessed February 24, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40649623

[4] “Griswold v. Connecticut.” Oyez. Accessed February 24, 2021. https://www.oyez.org/cases/1964/496

[5] “Data Protection and Privacy Legislation Worldwide”, UNCTAD, Feb. 4, 2020, https://unctad.org/page/data-protection-and-privacy-legislation-worldwide

[6] Glen Greenwald, “Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind the NSA surveillance revelations”, The Guardian, June 9, 2013, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/09/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-surveillance

[7] Barton Gellman, Ashkan Soltani, “NSA tracking cellphone locations worldwide, Snowden documents show”, The Washington Post, Dec. 4, 2013, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-tracking-cellphone-locations-worldwide-snowden-documents-show/2013/12/04/5492873a-5cf2-11e3-bc56-c6ca94801fac_story.html

[8] Josh Gerstein, “Court rules NSA phone snooping illegal -after 7-year delay”, Politico, Sept. 2, 2020, https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/02/court-rules-nsa-phone-snooping-illegal-407727

[9] Joseph Menn, “New Snowden documents say NSA can break common Internet encryption”, Reuters, Sept. 5, 2016, https://www.reuters.com/article/net-us-usa-security-snowden-encryption/new-snowden-documents-say-nsa-can-break-common-internet-encryption-idUSBRE98413720130905

[10] Barton Gellman, Laura Poitras, “U.S., British intelligence mining data from nin U.S. Internet companies in broad secret program”, The Washington Post, June 7, 2013, https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/us-intelligence-mining-data-from-nine-us-internet-companies-in-broad-secret-program/2013/06/06/3a0c0da8-cebf-11e2-8845-d970ccb04497_story.html

[11] Zack Whittaker, “NSA improperly collected Americans’ phone records for a second time, documents reveal”, Tech Crunch, June 26, 2019, https://techcrunch.com/2019/06/26/nsa-improper-phone-records-collection/

[12] Dan Patterson, “Facebook data privacy scandal: A cheat sheet”, Tech Republic, July 30, 2020, https://www.techrepublic.com/article/facebook-data-privacy-scandal-a-cheat-sheet/

Why Data Breaches are so Damaging and how the Law has Failed Consumers

Very few times in history have a group of people sat down with the purpose of writing a set of new laws to improve society. Instead, what usually happens is that laws are written to solve specific problems. This leads to a litany of laws piling up over the decades. While it could always be debated how effective a particular law might be at accomplishing its goal, the rapid pace of technological advancement over the past 20 years – especially as compared to the pace of the lawmaking process – has introduced new challenges as laws become quickly outdated, sometimes even by the time they take effect.

The results of this are acutely apparent in the cross-section between the fields of cybersecurity and consumer protection, namely data breaches.

The magnanimity of consumer protection laws in the United States were written for a society concerned with immediate product safety and compensation for resulting injuries, not for the nebulous and incalculable injuries that may be sustained by potential millions when private records are exposed.

Why are data breaches so damaging?

The unique problem of data breaches stems from the fact that the breach of privacy carries in of itself no specific harm. Instead, it is the later misuse of information that has been breached that may lead to ensuing harm. However, with data breaches occurring on a near-daily basis, the causality of specific financial or reputational damage is nigh impossible to link to a single breach causally; with our laws written around the concept of calculable damages being the source of justified remuneration, we are left constantly and increasingly victimized but unable to seek just compensation.

Some would argue that even more problematic is the irreparable nature of many of the most severe data breaches. Once a name and social security number are leaked, that identity is permanently and irreversibly at risk for being used fraudulently. While one could always apply for a new social security number, the Social Security Administration is extremely reluctant to issue new identities, and while that is a debate for another time, it goes to show just how difficult it can be to recover from a breach. Victims are permanently marred and at increased risk for future injuries resulting from a single breach, no matter how much time has passed.

Because of the damage resulting from a data breach being so far removed temporally and causally from the actual breach itself, adequate compensation is rarely won, if it is even sought. Was it the Equifax breach, the MoviePass breach, or one of the innumerable other breaches this year that resulted in your identity being stolen and used to take out fraudulent loans a decade from now?

Moreover, even if you should find that it was MoviePass’ negligence that leads to your identity being stolen, what compensation can you seek from a company that has been defunct for years? Our laws were not written to address these issues adequately. Our legal system often does not ponder questions of uncertainty and possibility, and that’s the perfect summary of what victims face in the aftermath of a breach; uncertainty and possibilities.

For all the uncertainty victims face, the solutions going forward as a country are equally opaque.

It would be easy to write some draconian law to punish companies for exposing private data, but as is often the case, that could have unintended consequences, such as pushing data overseas where even looser security and weaker privacy laws may exacerbate the problem. Instead, it’s going to take a significant shift in our collective-consciousness over how data is handled.

Laws written for managing telecommunications and transmissions in that era are being used to handle complex cybersecurity and data privacy cases.

This can’t come just from one party though; companies need to seriously consider what data they need to collect, and what information needs to be retained on a long-term basis. Consumers have to take ownership of their data and demand a higher quality of service from corporations and governments over how their data is collected and used.

As a whole, we must recognize the value of data, and the dangers we expose ourselves to by collecting it (and why it might even be best to not collect data at all in many circumstances).

Just like holding valuables such as gold and art entails a security risk, so too does data. If people started treating data like the digital gold it really is, maybe then we could all come together to work out a solution.

But until then, I’ll be keeping my data to myself.

Projects We Love: PrivacyWall

This is part of our series highlighting startups who share our mission of trying to bring data privacy back to users.

You’ve had a rough week, maybe it’s a relationship or health problem, but either way, you’re feeling down. Fortunately, your family is there for you, and reach out to console you through a few private messages on social media.

Mom: “I know it’s expensive, I’m sorry your health care doesn’t cover it, we’ll do what we can to help you pay.”

Dad: “Don’t worry sport, she’s just going through a phase, I’m sure you guys will work through it.”

Friend: “Hey man, let’s meet up for a drink this weekend, cheer up!”

After reading your messages, you lay down in bed to rest and start scrolling through social media to pass the time until you fall asleep, and you’re astounded by what you find.

Ads.

But not just the usual ads for food, or some new tech gadget.

“Lower your healthcare costs now! Save 20% off market rate plans!”

“Relationship trouble? Local family counseling is available!”

“Cheapest beer in town, and half-price shots on Fridays!”

Maybe it’s just coincidence, or maybe every single thing you say or do online is being tracked and sold to advertisers… That “free” social media website has to make money somehow.

And that’s where PrivacyWall comes in- a startup that is returning data privacy and security to users. By blocking unwanted data collection by everyone from Facebook to Google, PrivacyWall puts you back in the driver’s seat.

Why PrivacyWall?

Every website you visit, every search you type in, every message you send and photo you post, it’s all tracked, recorded, and monitored. PrivacyWall is the “off” switch we’ve been waiting for.

By blocking over 3,000+ trackers from many of the largest tech companies in the world you can once again browse the internet without fear of being tracked like the target of a CIA investigation. We expect privacy in our homes, and we should get the same treatment on the internet.

PrivacyWall even blocks Facebook Connect from building a shadow profile of your online activity when you are not on Facebook. If you didn’t know, that convenient “log-in with Facebook” turns that account you just signed up for into another data collection point for Facebook to build a profile on you.

If you didn’t know that, you aren’t alone. And that’s exactly why PrivacyWall blocks threats you don’t even know about yet. Because you shouldn’t have to become a security expert and worry about your private information being leaked just because you used Facebook to sign-up for a food delivery app, or a dating site, or anything.

You deserve privacy, and PrivacyWall is a step towards a more private world.

Do Your Apps Know Too Much About You?

Two years ago something incredible happened.

A simple computer game brought the world together and got gamers out and about into the big wide world. But after the immediate rush of excitement about “catching ‘em all”, users started to realize something a little more sinister about the Pokemon Go app.

As well as letting them throw imaginary Pokeballs in real-life locations, the iOS version of the app was caught accessing almost all of users’ Google account information – everything from emails down to photos.

Two years later, Mark Zuckerberg made a statement about the vague data collection techniques apps were using through Facebook. He was keen to iterate that Facebook does use sound clips from videos recorded directly onto Facebook to serve relevant ads after questions around this became louder and louder.

But his statement wasn’t exhaustive enough in covering what exactly our apps know about us.

This is because of the ambiguous nature of app permissions.

They tend to be oversimplified so as not to overwhelm the user, but below the simple sentences and soothing reassurances they can gather a huge amount of data with every single interaction.

Of course, some data collected is absolutely necessary for the apps to work in the first place. For example, a photo app won’t work if it can’t access your photos, and Uber needs your location information so it can pick you up in the right place – duh.

But once you give apps that need information access to your data, they can start to worm their way under the surface to dig out more and more information about you and your behavior.

Take location access as an example.

Once you give away your location, app makers are then able to use that information to figure out what floor of a high-rise you live on or the places you visit the most.

Why Apps Want Your Data

Data is gold for app makers. With information about their user base, apps can perform all sorts of other actions, like:

  • This is the key activity app makers do with the data they’ve gathered. Knowing everything about you means they can serve up relevant ads and charge advertisers more and more for being so highly targeted.
  • Curated content. This keeps users sticking around for more. If they’re seeing more of what they like, they’re more likely to engage with the content and keep coming back for more.
  • App development. Data can be really useful for knowing what users do and don’t like, which can be used in the future to improve the app or make another app altogether.

A whopping one-third of consumers don’t think advertisers collect data from them.

App Permissions: What Do Your Apps Know About You?

Now you know why your apps might want to scrape together the digital breadcrumbs of you, let’s take a look at what they actually know about you, because it can be easy to jump to conclusions and envision a Big Brother type scenario which often isn’t the case.

Your smartphone is actually packed full of sensors which can decipher your whereabouts, what speed you’re traveling at (including what form of transport you’re traveling on), and which way up you’re using your phone.

But you’re not completely powerless.

This is where app permissions come in, a.k.a. the “barrier” between app makers and the data stored in your phone. When a pop-up shows up on your phone with a permission request, it’s up to you to decide how much data you pour into the hands of the app maker.

However, this is easier said than done, and that’s because very few apps give detailed explanations about what information they’re going to collect and use.

Many app makers do this in the interest of their users; they don’t want to overwhelm them with technical drivel, so they keep it simple. But this means that a lot of users don’t actually know the full extent of what they’ve agreed to.

If you want to know exactly what an app can and can’t see about you, there’s a way.

On an Android device:

  • Open the settings app
  • Go to the Apps & Notifications center
  • Choose an app and click Permissions

On an iOS device:

  • Go to the Settings app
  • Choose an app
  • See the Permissions that are listed

On both kinds of devices, you can usually switch off permissions with a toggle button to pick and choose what data can and can’t be collected (though bear in mind that some apps need certain permissions in order to run).

And, though this is a good starting point to find out what your apps know about you, it doesn’t always give you the full story.

Take the incident with Uber recently, where it was discovered that the app was secretly recording screen activity on iPhones. The company hit back that this was to improve functionality with the Apple Watch app, but it just goes to show that even if you think you know what an app can find out about you, there might be something more sinister going on.

How Are Things Changing When It Comes to Apps and Data?

Phone providers are now cracking down on what app makers can and can’t do when it comes to permissions – particularly location permissions.

When requesting location access, app makers now have to adhere to the “only when using the app” rule, which means they can’t track users when they’re not inside the app.

But while control settings are getting tighter, they’re also getting more and more convoluted. App makers are starting to bundle permission choices together and still aren’t quite there with letting their users know exactly what they’ll be using data for.

Apps that require users to “unlock” a particular permission in order to use the app as it’s supposed to be used are doing so without giving away whether they might share it with marketers and advertisers too.

What it boils down to is this: people have every right to choose what they do and don’t want apps to access, but there’s not much they can do if the app in question needs their location or access to their photos to work as they’re supposed to.

In these instances, it’s up to the user to decide whether they want to continue to use the app or give it up entirely.

And, until app makers get clearer with what they use data for, many users will remain in the dark about what data app companies are collecting about them and what they’re doing with that information.

A Beginner’s Guide to Staying Safe Online

Every week it seems a new security breach is hitting the headlines so we can be forgiven for thinking the online world is a dangerous place.

Earlier this year, Facebook was lambasted for sharing user data with third party apps, while those with Androids were shocked to learn that their mobile was tracking their every move thanks to built-in location tracking tacked onto Maps and Photos.

And then there was the Amazon Echo incident, where customers realized their every interaction was being gathered together to build a case about who they are and their shopping habits.

So yes, we’d be forgiven for thinking the online world is a scary place.

Sure, the internet has impacted our lives in amazing ways, but there is a dark side just like with everything else.

But because we’ve been so eager to dip our toes into the countless benefits that the internet brings (being able to communicate with anyone, anywhere is pretty priceless), we’ve lost some of our personal privacy along the way. It’s kind of an exchange – we let you do this in exchange for this information about yourself.

This isn’t about to stop anytime soon.

We like the freedom to contact someone on the other side of the world with the click of a button. We like being able to next-day-deliver something we’ve coveted for all of five minutes. We like being able to read our favorite news stories without having to shell out for a hard copy.

Handing over our data for online freedom is the price we pay. Everything we do on the web leaves a digital trail that can be swept up and used by corporations and governments.

The problem is in the transparency of it all. Legalese in tiny fonts that are unreadable with the naked eye pull the wool over users’ eyes. We want to sign up to Twitter so we can see what everyone’s saying about the latest celebrity scandal, so we blindly tick the “yes” box without really agreeing to have our data scraped through and sold on for who knows what purpose.

Giving away even the tiniest snippets of data about yourself can leave you at risk from less-than-stellar companies, but there are steps you can take to limit how much data is siphoned from your internet activity.

If you’re not tech savvy and don’t know how to navigate the ins and outs of the World Wide Web, let us help you out.

Encrypt Your Email

Email is not going anywhere anytime soon. In 2017, more than 270 billion emails were sent, a number that’s set to increase to 320 billion by 2020.

We hear all the time about email accounts getting hacked, and this form of online communication has been hailed as the absolute worst for security. This is because a single email message gets passed around several different servers before it reaches its final destination.

You can keep the content of your messages private with encryption. Some email providers already offer this as standard, but for others you might need to download an add-on or a plugin. When it comes to the metadata that accompanies your emails though (the sender, receiver, time stamps etc), there’s nothing you can do as the internet routing system needs this information to do its job.

Hide Your History

We often get sucked into a wormhole on the internet and find ourselves knee deep in cute cat videos when all we wanted was to find a review for the new washing machine we’ve got our eye on.

It’s hard to believe that anyone would be interested in the meandering trail we took to get to the cat videos, but this information can be used by companies to know what sites we visit the most and how we get from one to the other.

This log of sites you visit is known as your “clickstream”, and you can take a look right now at the online journey you’ve taken over the past day by simply clicking “History” and then “Full Browsing History” when your browser is open.

This information isn’t private unless you always browse the web in Incognito mode so the sites don’t retain your Cookies (watch the video below to understand what Cookies are), or to download a free tool that obscures your clickstream.

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Get Savvy with Your Social

It always seems to be social media sites hitting the headlines with privacy concerns (we’re looking at you, Facebook), and that’s because social channels are filled with a bounty of information about their users; from date of birth to restaurants you regularly check into and your closest friends, these sites literally have an incredible low-down on you.

But again, it’s the price we pay to stay in the loop and to share filtered pics with our nearest and dearest.

The best advice here for eliminating any chance of your data being scraped and used elsewhere is to delete all of your social media accounts.

If that seems too drastic, give yourself peace of mind by having your accounts on the highest security settings possible (here’s a great guide to help you do that) and leaving out any identifying information like your date of birth or your home town.

We can’t control what others post on social media (and sometimes they’ll post stuff about us that disappears into the ether), but we can control what we hand over to the grasping hands of big corporations.

Leave Your Location Out of It

There’s something thrilling about checking into a new place, whether we’re humblebragging about visiting the latest high-end restaurant or simply want people to know that we’re Out There Having Fun.

But location data can be incredibly valuable if it falls into the right hands.

Think about it: not only are you providing information about where you are and what you’re doing there, you’re handing over data like what time of day you like to do that activity, and you’re even giving nearby locations the chance to target you with ads while you’re in the vicinity.

The answer here is simple: turn off your location when you don’t need it and avoid using sites that require you to “check in” or need location information.

Other Things You Can Do

Encrypting your email, being elusive with your social media information, and avoiding the lure of “checking in” are good starting points for protecting your online data privacy.

But, taking it further, you can ensure that your password across everything is not something that can easily be guessed. Instead of having a password, go for a passphrase that is made up of multiple words, numbers, and symbols.

And, when it comes to your search engine habits, be ruthless.

Many of the big search engines make a note of your searches and build a profile of you to serve up relevant ads. If you want to avoid this, you need to avoid the big guys and instead use a search engine that doesn’t track your every search term (the oddly-named DuckDuckGo is good for this).

Protecting online data is a big concern for most internet users, but for the tech-phobic it can be truly terrifying, especially if you don’t even know how to start protecting yourself.

Hopefully these tips will point you in the right direction and help you get your privacy back under control, pronto.