My Digital FootPrint

Facebook asked a federal judge to dismiss a class action accusing it of exploiting children, claiming that Facebook users' "like" statements qualify as matters of public interest http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/08/08/38793.htm  "Expressions of consumer opinion, such as the plaintiffs' Like statements challenged here, have repeatedly qualified as matters of public interest under the First Amendment," Facebook claimed in a motion seeking "more definite statement or dismissal."   On behalf of their children, Melissa Dawes and Jennifer DeYoung filed a class action on June 1, claiming Facebook's non-negotiable terms of membership that say its members are subject to such advertising and marketing do not apply to minor children. The plaintiffs say children lack the capacity to consent to the use of their name and photographs for marketing, advertising and selling of goods and services. Facebook uses users' "Like" statements ...

Where does the balance lie between an individual's right to privacy and the public's right to know? http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/pm/2011/06/the_privacy_commission.shtml   The BBC has interviews with : Hugh Tomlinson QC , Zac Goldsmith MP , Max Mosley , Stephen Abell , Hugh Grant , Sir Charles Gray , Alan Rusbridger , Helen Wood , Max Clifford , Marcus Partington , John Kampfner , Christopher Graham , Louise Mensch , Andy Trotter , John Mullin , Avril Sanders Royle , Jimmy Wales You can  read more about the Commissioners here. The  draft terms of reference  are now available on the PM blog, and listeners have a week to  offer suggestions and alterations  for the Commission to consider, as well as proposals for witnesses. Evidence sessions will begin in mid-June. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/pm/2011/06/the_privacy_commission.shtml

Full document here  http://www.w3.org/2011/tracking-protection/charter-draft Scope The Working Group will produce Recommendation-track specifications for a simple machine-readable preference expression mechanism ("Do Not Track") and technologies for selectively allowing or blocking tracking elements. Proposed candidate technologies for this preference that the Working Group will consider include, but are not limited to, the use of an HTTP header to signal the preference and a site's response, and the use of a ECMAScript API or DOM property for the same purpose. Additionally, the Working Group will define the scope of that user preference and practices for compliance with it in a way that will inform and be informed by the technical specification. The group will actively engage governmental, industry, academic and advocacy organizations to seek global consensus definitions and codes of conduct. The Working Group may investigate monitoring of implementation and confor...

The definition of digital footprint DATA in the following blog is used with the most all embracing and generic meaning of data which includes all raw data (collected, implicit, implied, passive or active collection); meta-data (data that defines the data, tags and attributes about the data); and information, insight, knowledge derived from analysis. I start with an assumption that all digital footprint DATA has a creator (seller) and consumer (buyer) and all DATA needs context.  The simple examples of content, you take a photo of me and share it or a transaction, I buy something; highlight a critical point, both the creator (seller) and consumer (buyer) have rights to the DATA.  There are two special cases, one where the creator and consumer is the same body and the other where there is an intermediary or third party (buy something using credit). Irrespective of the structure there may need to be an agreement/ barter/ trade about the DATA and rights. Some of these ag...

Argument preview: How broad is the right to mine data? by Lyle Denniston The US Supreme Court held a one hour of oral argument on 26th April on the scope of constitutional protection for the modern phenomenon of “data-mining,” the creation of usable information out of masses of stored computer entries.  The case is  Sorrell, et al., v. IMS Health, et al.  (10-779 ).   Arguing for the state of Vermont, defending a law that limits the commercial use of such data, will be an assistant state attorney general, Bridget C. Asay of Montpelier.  Supporting such regulatory efforts, for the federal government, will be Deputy U.S. Solicitor General Edwin S. Kneedler, with ten minutes of time.  Speaking for data-mining companies and pharmaceutical manufacturers will be Thomas C. Goldstein of Goldstein, Howe & Russell in Washington, D.C.   Whilst it is an interesting question, the question should not be about the right to mine but the ri...

According to Samy Kamkar on this Blog post - and having tried it, it is spot on. android map  exposes the data that Google has been collecting from virtually all Android devices and street view cars, using them essentially as global wardriving machines.  When the phone detects any wireless network, encrypted or otherwise, it sends the BSSID (MAC address) of the router along with signal strength, and most importantly, GPS coordinates up to  the mothership . This page allows you to ping that database and find exactly where any wi-fi router in the world is located.  You can enter any router BSSID/MAC address to locate the exact physical location below, or try his demonstration router by hitting "Probe" ------ Personally tried and it is 100% spot on as per my image. I then looked up the IP address and this told me who owns the IP pipe and most likely the company I am sitting at.  I could do the same with a search at Companies House and the a...

In the mist of understanding Facebook privacy and Apple location data issues – what about your Tweets, who owns them? This is a top blog at techblawg “ who owns your tweets ” The summary is:   You write it, you own it unless you are employed, bound by a contract, gave rights or did not quite understand that you were hoodwinked by someone else and that is whilst you are alive – when your dead it is a whole different problem.

If you want some background about the Apple issue I suggest you read materials from Alex Levinson especially his post titled 3 Major Issues with the Latest iPhone Tracking “Discovery” Personally I am not actually bothered that I didn’t read the 15,200 words of the Apple Terms and Conditions to discover that there are 86 words that cover off the use of your location.  I am slightly more worried that the lawyers see a massive opportunity to subpoena your phone and subsequently get your routes and routines which you cannot opt out of other than by not buying the iPhone.  Forget divorce lawyers I would be getting a request for every stop and search. “so where have you been since you bought into Apple sonny” Realising that your location data is cumulative across all your apple devices is probably something we did not realise either and having two phones or throwing away the one that has your hidden life on does not help either….. Is the...

Snooping: It's not a crime, it's a feature . New apps hijack the microphone in your cell phone to listen in on your life Article from ComputerWorld April 2011 or a more original one from ZDnet/ CNet in 2006 "A new class of smartphone app has emerged that uses the microphone built into your phone as a covert listening device -- a "bug," in common parlance. But according to app makers, it's not a bug. It's a feature! The apps use ambient sounds to figure out what you're paying attention to. It's the next best thing to reading your mind." dull, dull dull.   Fear, uncertainty and doubt sell - this is not new and even before apps like  Shazam and SoundHound .  In 2001 I reviewed a plan that wanted to determine what TV channel you were watching and come up with new recommendations based on using the microphone on a cell/ mobile.  There are several still trying such as IntoNow  want more there is a good write up on mashable . Like clicks...

About Give Me My Data Give Me My Data is a Facebook application that helps users export their data out of Facebook. Reasons could include making artwork, archiving and deleting your account, or circumventing the interface Facebook provides. Data can be exported in CSV, XML, and other common formats. Give Me My Data is currently in public-beta. Give Me My Data is developed by  Owen Mundy .  @owenmundy

Experts suggest that the Epsilon email breach actually took place in late March and we become aware of it in Early April through traditional media. Here is the full(est) list of companies who were affected. However, why do companies such as Capital One to Verizon hire Epsilon? Given the regulation and technical complexity relating to personal data storage and permission email it would appear that there is an economies-of-scale argument from having a specialist; but here is the rub, it introduces a single point of failure. Which leads to the question about who I “trust?” Customers placed their trust in companies and these companies gave their customer data to Epsilon who were not directly or implied in the trust relationship.  Who’s brand is damaged Epsilon or the house-hold name? Whilst I am sure that there are service level agreements between the parties but whilst personal data is seen as a liability (high cost to manage and maintain within regulation) th...

The AT&T Registry , powered by BlueKai, brings transparency to consumers by allowing them to see what preferences are being logged via the cookies on their computer. Furthermore, consumers can also control their anonymous profile by managing their topics of interest. Your preferences may be used anonymously to influence which types of marketing messages you receive across partner sites that we work with. Or you can choose to not participate at all via an  opt-out .

Image : I had a flashback of something that never existed The interpretation of "Do you want the right to be forgotten?" in my mind is a war of words and misunderstandings.  On the top of one hill overlooking the battle field is a camp full of the privacy brigade who are awash with good use cases and top attention grabbing headlines. Pitched up on the other hill are the web 2.0 companies who want your data so they can offer a service for free; avoiding pay walls, annoying advertising and slow death.  In no-mans land are the regulators and the battle is being watched by us as aware, but not really caring participants, who have a live stream and a back channel for those who happen to want to voice an opinion on the current trending social media platform.  This is different topic  to the "do not track me" debate .   So what do we (I) actually want..... A right - "something that affords me some kind of protection"   The W...

Image : I had a flashback of something that never existed The interpretation of "Do you want the right to be forgotten?" in my mind is a war of words and misunderstandings.  On the top of one hill overlooking the battle field is a camp full of the privacy brigade who are awash with good use cases and top attention grabbing headlines. Pitched up on the other hill are the web 2.0 companies who want your data so they can offer a service for free; avoiding pay walls, annoying advertising and slow death.  In no-mans land are the regulators and the battle is being watched by us as aware, but not really caring participants, who have a live stream and a back channel for those who happen to want to voice an opinion on the current trending social media platform.  This is different topic  to the "do not track me" debate .   So what do we (I) actually want..... A right - "something that affords me some kind of protection"   The W...

  Wired Magazine readers are receiving personalized versions of the magazine, with their personal details spilled across the cover.    http://blogs.forbes.com/kashmirhill/2011/02/01/wired-uk-tries-to-creep-out-readers-with-invasive-personalized-covers/ http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/02/behind-the-scenes-of-wired-uk-magazines-personalized-covers/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter   Personally, if you don't know what is out there why are you playing with digital fire.  Fear, Uncertainty and doubt sells security solutions that are not secure or stops you from engaging.  It is all in the presentation, if you told someone where you live, don't be surprised how they know where you live, however, creepy is when someone implies, works out, buys your data and uses it.  But there are different laws for that.   Storm in a tea cup.

   I have written about the boundaries between value and creepy many times - are few examples are linked here, however this is a good one as it shows that one is about detail, moving, real time and what others can find out about you without you knowing - the other is about sentiment What is interesting is that both require the same level of detailed knowledge, it is all how it is presented that makes one acceptable and one creepy... Previous Blogs on creepy For non Harry Potter readers - from Wikipedia..... The Marauder's Map   The Marauder's Map is a magical map of Hogwarts created by James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew while they were at Hogwarts, during which time they gained extensive knowledge about the school grounds, such as its various hidden passages, from their frequent night-time adventures together.   At first glance, the Map is simply a blank piece of parchment; but when the user points his wand at the Map and says, "I solemn...

This is my own twist to an article by Lauren McKay, Associate Editor of CRM. The original post http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/Editorial/Magazine-Features/Eye-on-the-Customer-72857.aspx We set up digital footprints without knowing When we get it wrong and it's funny, dangerous it can go viral and be like a millstone forever.  They is no knowing what you will do or say that can go viral or why. You may think you have control, set the setting or ticked the box but you don't. Someone else can cut and paste anything and then your in trouble. However, there is value in your data and companies want access to it, sometimes what they find or imply is creepy Privacy is dead - trust is king.  It does not matter if you have the rights, if I don't like it there's going to be problems. Conversely, you may not have rights, but do something that create value, I may love you. The customer is always right.

Original BBC story http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11945774 MET REQUESTS TO TfL 2007 - 4,939; denied 747 2008 - 6,074; denied 1,279 2009 - 5,619, denied 918 2010 - 6,576, denied 810 The Met Police has made record requests for data on London commuters, a majority of whom use Oyster smartcards, the Green Party has said. Transport for London (TfL) figures show the Met made 6,576 requests in 2010, but it was turned down 810 times. Noel Lynch, chairman of London Green Party, called for "rigorous safeguards to protect people's privacy". The Met said the rise in requests was due to the rise in Oyster usage as the data helps trace a person's movement. Figures obtained by the Green Party from TfL show that in 2007 the Met made 4,939 requests, but 747 of those requests were turned down. The number of requests rose to 6,074 in 2008, of which 1,279 were turned down. In 2009 police requests fell to 5,619 in 2009, but the Met were denied information on 91...

Today I presented at the BCS privacy day , following me was David Birch and David Lund from EnCoRe  #bcsprivacy It occurred to me during the presentations that keeping all data makes everything factual in the future.  Apparently we want control, traceability and evidence.  How much of this requirement (to keep all data) is this driven because we can collect and store it or because someone has sat down and done the analysis that says that there is real value in doing so? (ignoring the fact that Government wants to do it, however WikiLeaks could change that thinking as well) I believe that there is an important and deeply human characteristic which is story telling.  To tell a story, that you remember and pass on, requires that you are allowed to have some leeway or ability to ad-lib as the real story becomes a slow evolution to the moral.   Providing a lame excuse would be very dull if everyone had all the facts, why should we store everything an...

It is probably easier to cross the creepy test than most people think, and the issue being damage to brand and not achieving any value. An example could be using Bluetooth to track shoppers, whilst anonymous the direct marketing targeted to your on your handset feels like an invasion/ violation.  There is probably another axis which covers off adoption/ acceptance/ knowledge.