11-12-2020, 11:08 AM | #51 | |||
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Why using Google VPN is a terrible idea
Google putting out a VPN to "protect people's privacy" is pretty ironic, considering their whole business model is to invade users' privacy as much as possible to better target people with their advertisements. When you choose a VPN, you should keep two things in mind: 1. Never use a free VPN, because those are generally run by companies who will turn around and monetize your data. The saying "If it's free, you are the product" certainly applies here. 2. Never trust Google to respect your privacy. Quote:
Last edited by Kodos : 03-31-2021 at 04:45 PM. |
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11-12-2020, 11:19 AM | #52 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Decatur, GA
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Your post may have had the exact opposite effect as I was like, there is a Google VPN? How much? It turns out it's now part of the 2TB Google One plan. So a nice new perk.
__________________
"A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages" -Tennessee Williams |
11-12-2020, 11:25 AM | #53 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Back in Houston!
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Opera also has a built-in VPN but it was bought by a Chinese conglomerate a few years ago so that's probably not the safest spot for your data, either
SI
__________________
Houston Hippopotami, III.3: 20th Anniversary Thread - All former HT players are encouraged to check it out! Janos: "Only America could produce an imbecile of your caliber!" Freakazoid: "That's because we make lots of things better than other people!" |
11-12-2020, 01:22 PM | #54 | |
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Quote:
You can lead a horse to water... I just try to provide useful info. It's up to you folks what you do with it. |
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03-31-2021, 04:39 PM | #55 | |
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/31/t...-browsers.html
You can do a lot to improve your privacy just by choosing a good browser. Personally, I use Firefox with some add ons (uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger, HTTPS Everywhere, and DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials) on my laptops. On my phone, it's Firefox and DuckDuckGo. Safari is a good browser as well. Basically, anything but Chrome, the most popular browser in the world. Anything you do in Chrome is sucked up by Google and used to target you better. Quote:
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03-31-2021, 04:52 PM | #56 |
This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off.
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: In Absentia
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I guess I'm in the minority, but I don't necessarily see targeted ads as a negative or invasion of privacy. Now, what ELSE they may do with information they collect is another question, but focusing on advertising as the primary evil is a losing argument to me. I rarely get ads that are in the way anymore, so it's just a matter of out of sight, out of mind as I scroll past stuff. If I get targeted for dog bones because I was on chewy.com ... *shurg*
__________________
M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete." |
03-31-2021, 05:12 PM | #57 |
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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It's more stuff like this:
1. Companies that collect lots of private info about individuals have been really bad about protecting that data. Sometimes they just keep it in an unencrypted file that anyone can access. 2. I don't mind advertising related to what I just searched on. If I search on a car on DuckDuckGo and it shows me a Honda advertisement, that's fine. I'll get annoyed if the ad follows me elsewhere around the net. 3. I just believe in a fundamental right to privacy. Companies don't need to know everything I've ever searched on or every site I've ever been to. I'm not here to be monetized. Last edited by Kodos : 03-31-2021 at 05:13 PM. |
04-06-2021, 10:14 AM | #58 |
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Home | Okuna
I'd love to see a privacy-centered social network like this one take off, but I realize it's a longshot because it's hard to reach the critical mass necessary to really become successful. On the other hand, they're small, so FOFC can dominate it from the start. Edit: Actually, it appears they have found an investor and are rebranding to be Somus. Currently, they are getting their ducks in a row for a launch with the new name. https://medium.com/okuna/the-path-forward-8d56ccf37b5c Last edited by Kodos : 04-06-2021 at 11:27 AM. |
05-20-2021, 03:12 PM | #59 | |
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/20/o...ection=Opinion
Kudos to Apple for giving users a chance to say they don't want to be tracked. Quote:
Last edited by Kodos : 05-20-2021 at 03:14 PM. |
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06-15-2021, 09:17 AM | #60 | |
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/14/o...-big-tech.html
Stuff like this is why I extracted myself from everything Google. They don't have any respect for their customers. Quote:
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01-10-2022, 11:49 AM | #61 |
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Betty White knew computer security.
Last edited by Kodos : 01-10-2022 at 11:53 AM. |
01-13-2022, 10:59 AM | #62 |
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Signal, WhatsApp and Telegram: Here's which secure messaging app you should use - CNET
If you're looking for privacy in a messaging app, Signal is the gold standard. |
01-13-2022, 11:39 AM | #63 | |
hates iowa
Join Date: Oct 2010
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Quote:
I started using Signal on January 6th of last year and haven't looked back. |
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02-17-2022, 10:02 AM | #64 |
n00b
Join Date: Feb 2022
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just use vpn or proxy cause it always helps
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02-17-2022, 04:55 PM | #65 |
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Stealing this link from the Biden thread.
Key Senators Have Voted For The Anti-Encryption EARN IT Act | Electronic Frontier Foundation Law enforcement and some in the government are always pushing to weaken encryption in the name of stopping child porn or other egregious things. They try to frame encryption in the worst possible light and highlight its application in organized crime. They ask Google and Apple to put in backdoors to encryption so they can monitor text messages, email, and internet usage. Strong encryption is crucial to protect journalists, banking systems, internet commerce, etc., as well as people's basic right to privacy. |
06-29-2022, 03:48 PM | #66 | |
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Abortion Ruling Puts User Data Privacy in Focus. Here’s What to Know
I'm just going to repost something I just put on Facebook: The end of Roe v. Wade highlights just how vital data privacy is. Some states that have anti-abortion laws will look to prosecute individuals who they suspect may have gotten an abortion or helped someone else get one. They will subpoena tech companies like Apple and Google for evidence that an abortion took place, including location data, internet searches, texts and emails. Even though Apple's iMessages are end-to-end encrypted, law enforcement can still get access to texts if you use iCloud backups. If you want the gold standard for end-to-end encryption in your texting, use Signal (don't worry, it's free). For email, use an end-to-end encrypted email service such as Protonmail (they have free and paid tiers, but every tier gets the same encryption). Be aware that anything and everything you search on in Google is recorded and kept forever by Google (even if you never hit the enter button). Use a privacy-protecting search engine like DuckDuckGo if you are searching on sensitive information. Also, ditch Chrome, as it is just another avenue of data collection for Google. Use the Firefox or Brave browsers as an alternative. They are built around respecting the privacy of their users. I know I've said all of this before, but now is a perfect example of why this stuff is important. Protect your privacy, and just say no to the rampant data collection of Google and Facebook (go to Facebook through a browser rather than use their app--the app tracks everything you do, including your location). That's why Facebook knows you're dating somebody before your friends and family do. They also know if you are pregnant or having an affair. From the end of the linked article: Quote:
Last edited by Kodos : 06-29-2022 at 03:53 PM. |
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06-29-2022, 04:19 PM | #67 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
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Good article. I'd recommend Signal to everyone regardless. SMS is as unsecure as it gets and you should assume anyone can read those messages.
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06-29-2022, 10:20 PM | #68 | |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Back in Houston!
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Quote:
SI
__________________
Houston Hippopotami, III.3: 20th Anniversary Thread - All former HT players are encouraged to check it out! Janos: "Only America could produce an imbecile of your caliber!" Freakazoid: "That's because we make lots of things better than other people!" |
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06-30-2022, 06:52 AM | #69 | |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Quote:
To be fair, these mega tech companies have to follow the law and have fiduciary duty to their stockholders. I think the only answer they have is "we will follow the law but we'll take every legal avenue available to us to protect the information". Last edited by Edward64 : 06-30-2022 at 06:53 AM. |
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06-30-2022, 11:19 AM | #70 | |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Back in Houston!
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Quote:
Lawyers cost money and data is profitable - they're not protecting shit SI
__________________
Houston Hippopotami, III.3: 20th Anniversary Thread - All former HT players are encouraged to check it out! Janos: "Only America could produce an imbecile of your caliber!" Freakazoid: "That's because we make lots of things better than other people!" Last edited by sterlingice : 06-30-2022 at 11:19 AM. |
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06-30-2022, 02:32 PM | #71 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
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Twitter and Reddit do actually fight for their users in court. The rest just do whatever they are told.
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08-03-2022, 10:06 AM | #72 | ||
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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The privacy podcast that I follow recommends Eufy as a privacy-respecting option for video doorbells.
Quote:
The Wall Street Journal has an article about Ring and some of the other video doorbells. Ring (owned by Amazon) is very cozy with law enforcement, and police departments regularly promote Ring adoption. If you want to protect your home but also control whether any video you take is used by law enforcement, Eufy is the way to go. Why You Should—or Shouldn’t—Buy a Home Security Camera - WSJ Quote:
Last edited by Kodos : 08-03-2022 at 10:07 AM. |
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08-03-2022, 11:01 AM | #73 |
hates iowa
Join Date: Oct 2010
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In regards to Eufy, are the SD cards just installed inside the video doorbell? What's to prevent someone from just stealing your video doorbell and busting it, preventing you from having access to the video storage?
Edit: So it looks like the SD card would be installed in the chime, which would be inside your house. Last edited by sovereignstar v2 : 08-03-2022 at 11:02 AM. |
08-03-2022, 11:03 AM | #74 | |
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Quote:
Yes. The SD card is installed inside the house. Last edited by Kodos : 08-03-2022 at 11:03 AM. |
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10-21-2022, 09:51 PM | #75 |
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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11-04-2022, 04:01 PM | #76 | ||
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/02/t...smid=share-url
If you're getting a surveillance camera for your house and would like to control whether or not police have access to the footage, you should avoid Amazon's Ring cameras and go for something like a Eufy camera, which allows you to store footage locally on storage media located inside your house, rather than in the cloud. Quote:
Quote:
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11-04-2022, 04:17 PM | #77 |
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Ah, looks like I am repeating myself from August! Oh well.
Last edited by Kodos : 11-04-2022 at 04:17 PM. |
11-04-2022, 06:44 PM | #78 |
This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off.
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: In Absentia
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We're all getting old, we understand.
__________________
M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete." |
11-04-2022, 06:53 PM | #79 | |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
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Quote:
This is good advice but I think one of the benefits with cloud storage is you can't just steal the storage device (guessing this runs on an SD card?). Seems like there are ways to set up your own storage remotely, but I imagine very few customers have that technical knowledge. |
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11-04-2022, 09:04 PM | #80 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Back in Houston!
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"You know, the courts might not work any more, but as long as everybody is videotaping everyone else, justice will be done."
SI
__________________
Houston Hippopotami, III.3: 20th Anniversary Thread - All former HT players are encouraged to check it out! Janos: "Only America could produce an imbecile of your caliber!" Freakazoid: "That's because we make lots of things better than other people!" |
11-04-2022, 09:39 PM | #81 | |
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Quote:
Well, if they’ve come in to your house to steal the storage device, you have bigger problems. |
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11-22-2022, 02:41 PM | #82 |
hates iowa
Join Date: Oct 2010
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11-22-2022, 03:43 PM | #83 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Back in Houston!
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Boy, it's a good thing we don't have a social credit system like that backwards country of China
/nervous chuckle/ SI
__________________
Houston Hippopotami, III.3: 20th Anniversary Thread - All former HT players are encouraged to check it out! Janos: "Only America could produce an imbecile of your caliber!" Freakazoid: "That's because we make lots of things better than other people!" Last edited by sterlingice : 11-22-2022 at 03:43 PM. |
11-26-2022, 11:34 PM | #84 |
hates iowa
Join Date: Oct 2010
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11-27-2022, 08:24 AM | #85 |
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Huh. I’ll have to check that video out when I’m on my laptop. Disappointing for sure. (I don’t have any cameras personally.)
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11-27-2022, 10:50 AM | #86 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Back in Houston!
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I feel like I'm the only house on the street without a Ring doorbell at this point
SI
__________________
Houston Hippopotami, III.3: 20th Anniversary Thread - All former HT players are encouraged to check it out! Janos: "Only America could produce an imbecile of your caliber!" Freakazoid: "That's because we make lots of things better than other people!" |
11-27-2022, 11:20 AM | #87 |
Coordinator
Join Date: Nov 2003
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None of that is remotely surprising to anyone who has worked in IT and has the slightest idea how most companies view the trade off between cost/performance/simplicity and security IMO. And that’s assuming that it’s an honest mistake and not a blatant attempt to gather and monetize data, which may not be the case seeing where this company is based.
With that being said, I had a ring for years in the US. I worked for Amazon and had a good friend/ex coworker who worked for Ring pre and post acquisition. I had no illusions about how secure and private that solution was either, I just have trouble getting worked up over somebody theoretically deciding they want the bother to have access to a camera feed from my driveway in near real time. Maybe I should have been more bothered about it, but eh. I assume anything I’ve ever done over the internet is available to somebody somewhere if they care enough to find it. |
04-03-2023, 01:46 PM | #88 |
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Most VPNs (especially if they are free) are not a good privacy tool. The Freedom of the Press foundation recommends:
TunnelBear Mullvad VyperVPN IVPN ProtonVPN Most others are harvesting your data and selling it. Consumer Reports had a good article about VPNs. |
04-26-2023, 09:49 AM | #89 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Back in Houston!
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Facebook is now having notification for their lawsuit settlement in Facebook, which sounds good in theory. However, in the world we live in, I'm just assuming FB is going to turn around and sell my settlement information, too.
SI
__________________
Houston Hippopotami, III.3: 20th Anniversary Thread - All former HT players are encouraged to check it out! Janos: "Only America could produce an imbecile of your caliber!" Freakazoid: "That's because we make lots of things better than other people!" |
09-27-2023, 04:01 PM | #90 | |
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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‘Unprecedented’ Secrecy in Google Trial as Tech Giants Push to Limit Disclosures
Quote:
Last edited by Kodos : 09-27-2023 at 04:01 PM. |
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10-07-2023, 09:51 AM | #91 |
hates iowa
Join Date: Oct 2010
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10-07-2023, 10:03 AM | #92 |
This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off.
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: In Absentia
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I wonder how long until that data finds its way into a free database where law enforcement uses it to locate a murderer and then chaos ensues when it's determined to have originated from 23andMe.
__________________
M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete." |
03-15-2024, 11:12 PM | #93 |
hates iowa
Join Date: Oct 2010
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03-16-2024, 04:32 AM | #94 | |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Quote:
I saw that. I'm sure they have it covered in the "small print" agreement but yeah, hope they get slammed for it. I've worked in software where the vendor says they will use the data but it'll be consolidated and used for performance tuning and maybe shared with other clients as best practice etc. However, nothing will not be individually identifiable. |
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03-16-2024, 10:26 AM | #95 |
Coordinator
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Land O Lakes FL
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Haven't we reached a point in our society where the expectations should be that companies are going to share the data that is collected either directly or indirectly? Obviously, I don't think that it is right and this may sound defeatist. I just don't know why we would have the expectations of companies to not use the collected information as they see fit whether in a consolidated or individual manner.
My mother had the tracking device under a usage based insurance plan before she stopped driving. Every incident where she went above the posted speed limit, sudden braking, accelerating too fast from from a complete stop and a host of other things were captured with date, time, street/intersection location of each incident. Why would the insurance companies not pay for such information for every driver? Why would the car companies not sell it to them? Why would we think that they are just going to track "them" and not "us"?
__________________
"The blind soldier fought for me in this war. The least I can do now is fight for him. I have eyes. He hasn’t. I have a voice on the radio, he hasn’t. I was born a white man. And until a colored man is a full citizen, like me, I haven’t the leisure to enjoy the freedom that colored man risked his life to maintain for me. I don’t own what I have until he owns an equal share of it. Until somebody beats me and blinds me, I am in his debt."- Orson Welles August 11, 1946 |
03-16-2024, 10:46 AM | #96 |
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Privacy should be considered a fundamental right. Stuff like this should be banned. First of all, the car companies should be forced to get your consent to track your data, instead of the current situation where you are defaulted into being tracked with few or no options to opt out. Second, if someone profits from your data, it should be the consumer who has consented to having their data tracked. The surveillance state has to be stopped.
Last edited by Kodos : 03-16-2024 at 11:15 AM. |
03-16-2024, 01:46 PM | #97 | |
Coordinator
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Land O Lakes FL
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Quote:
Yeah I am not sure that the concept of fundamental rights exist anymore but that is a topic for another thread. I agree with what you are saying in general. My point is we as a society have gone too far down the road of consenting to having data collected and tracked to be shocked that the data that is collected and tracked is used against us and for profit. If you weren't able to read that Times story, the driver of the leased Chevy Bolt EV who had his rates jacked up was the owner of a software company. Without casting aspersions at this man, I will just say that I am confident that more than a few software companies are collecting and tracking data and then selling that information to companies like LexisNexis without their customer' explicit consent. At the very least, they are selling software to other companies to do the tracking and collecting. I have seen no reason to expect that the companies won't share the data. They rarely suffer any consequences either legally or from the public in terms of their bottom line
__________________
"The blind soldier fought for me in this war. The least I can do now is fight for him. I have eyes. He hasn’t. I have a voice on the radio, he hasn’t. I was born a white man. And until a colored man is a full citizen, like me, I haven’t the leisure to enjoy the freedom that colored man risked his life to maintain for me. I don’t own what I have until he owns an equal share of it. Until somebody beats me and blinds me, I am in his debt."- Orson Welles August 11, 1946 |
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03-16-2024, 01:58 PM | #98 | |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
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Quote:
Same. It'll come down to consumers demanding it if it'll ever happen. And right now, it doesn't seem like most consumers care. I think it would take a massive data breach where everyone's e-mail or messages were exposed to cause people to take it serious. |
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03-16-2024, 03:32 PM | #99 | |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Behind Enemy Lines in Athens, GA
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Quote:
This. And it's really not even that new a thing, certainly nothing that depends on cutting edge tech or the social media era. Some of the earliest things I learned when I switched over to ad agency side of the media business was how to buy things like mailing lists that targeted people with certain characteristics. And you could get pretty granular with those lists. And that was the 1990s. Those evolved to email lists, junk mail evolved into spam, and so forth.
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"I lit another cigarette. Unless I specifically inform you to the contrary, I am always lighting another cigarette." - from a novel by Martin Amis |
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08-15-2024, 07:02 PM | #100 |
hates iowa
Join Date: Oct 2010
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Sounds like there might have been a data breach of a data aggregator and it might include lots of social security numbers. Scary
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