How can the private sphere be protected online?

The personal data of Internet users is the new gold. Whether it’s cybercriminals, online giants or intelligence agencies - they all want to get their hands on it. That’s because control over this kind of information means power. But how can the private sphere be protected?
 

Can privacy war between tech giants force industry changes?

 Facebook and Apple are at odds over new rules on tracking users’ activity.

Social media tracks a lot of what we say and do online. You Google something you have thought about buying, and then you are hounded by advertisements for whatever that was, seemingly everywhere you look.

Now two of the world’s biggest tech giants – Apple and Facebook – appear to be going to war over just how much data tech companies should take and how much say users should have.

Who is right: Facebook or Apple?

 The world’s richest companies are going head to head in a very public argument, one which affects both their bottom lines. It is all about profits.

In one corner, there is Apple, not only the most dominant company in tech, but the highest valued brand in the world. Its devices are in the hands of more than a billion people.

The Database: Collecting the world's financial data

We investigate how some private companies use personal financial information and the human impact this has.

What do you do if your bank account suddenly gets closed and you and your business can no longer function - and you have no idea why?

You discover it is because you are on a database that you did not even know existed, saying that you have links with "terrorism" and therefore few banks will deal with you.

This happened to two organisations in London which were listed on a database used by the banking system to combat money laundering and other financial crimes.

AI and our health data: A pandemic threat to our privacy

The coronavirus pandemic gives big tech firms a chance to access the holy grail of datasets - medical records.

AI and our health data: A pandemic threat to our privacy

Put yourself in the shoes of the NHS, the United Kingdom's tax-payer funded public health service. You treat about a million patients every 36 hours and that is pre-pandemic. The amount of health data you are now churning out is enormous - and you want to harness that data in the fight against COVID-19.

So you turn to the private sector and get technology companies to help you do that. Seems to make sense, but here is the issue: Companies with chequered histories over data handling start landing those contracts. And, to date, the British government has refused to disclose the contractual terms

Coronavirus: Tracking the Outbreak, or Spying on People?

In the race to protect public health, are governments harming privacy rights? Plus, Trump's coronavirus misinformation.

Coronavirus: Tracking the Outbreak, or Spying on People?

In the worldwide battle against COVID-19 - more governments are looking at our phones to track the infected and to prevent the virus from spreading.

China, South Korea, Israel, Italy and others are using phone location software, along with CCTV video and credit card records, among other tools, to do that.

Governments are understandably eager to use every weapon at their disposal in this fight and phone tracking has already proven effective in some places - such as China.

New technology: Are we trading our privacy for convenience? | The Bottom Line

How the same devices we happily carry in our pockets are being weaponised against us.

It is the age-old debate that accompanies all new advancements in technology: We love to adopt the latest tech, and we do not think too much about the consequences for our safety and privacy.

Facial recognition is great to unlock a phone, but it is also being used by security agencies to pick us out of the crowd.

The internet still holds the promise to make our lives easier and knowledge more accessible. But it comes with the price of selling ourselves to "surveillance capitalism".

Going incognito with VPNs in the age of surveillance

A look at why the market for Virtual Private Networks has expanded, enabling users to spread and access information.

Virtual Private Networks first came into use in 1996 and are among the most enduring innovations in online browsing with popularity on the rise around the world.

VPNs were originally developed as tools for corporations and governments to connect their offices in different countries, to make it easier for people to work together.

But as surveillance and control of the web have increased, a market has emerged and expanded - for people to work around internet blocks and to hide their location online.

Check Into An Airbnb: Get Spied On

A family from New Zealand traveling with their four children and a niece checked into their Airbnb in Ireland only to discover they were on T.V.  The father an IT security specialist did a scan of the homes Wi-Fi network and discovered a camera hidden in what looked like a smoke detector.  How f-ing creepy is that?  What did Airbnb have say about this illegal intrusion?  

"It was such a shock. It was just a really horrible feeling," Nealie Barker told CNN.

She called Airbnb to report the camera. "They had no advice for us over the phone," she said. "The girl just said that if you cancel within 14 days, you won't get your money back."

A client calls to inform you that there is a illegal hidden camera in the residence and your first reaction is to offer information on refunds?  What a grand business model. 

The family relocated to a nearby hotel and called Airbnb the following day. "They still didn't seem to grasp the seriousness of the issue. They were treating it like a canceled booking," Nealie Barker said. Ultimately, Airbnb's trust and safety team promised to conduct an investigation, and it temporarily suspended the listing.

Not caring about the family and more concerned with losing a listing Airbnb completely exonerated the owner of residence after an internal investigation.  

 if Mrs. Baker hadn’t posted about the incident on Facebook and local news stations in New Zealand hadn’t picked up the story Airbnb would have done nothing about the property owner who installed the camera. 

In a statement, Airbnb told CNN: "The safety and privacy of our community -- both online and offline -- is our priority. Airbnb policies strictly prohibit hidden cameras in listings and we take reports of any violations extremely seriously. We have permanently removed this bad actor from our platform."

How many people had used that property? How many were filmed? What did the owner do with the video?   

How safe is your personal information on the internet?

With several recent data breaches, are governments and companies doing enough to protect our information online?




In today's digital world, data is king. And as we move more and more of our lives online, the risk of fraud and identity theft grows ever larger.

Hundreds of billions of dollars are lost every year because of cyber attacks, and it's something that affects us all; individuals, businesses and governments alike.

In February, hackers accessed an account held by Bangladesh's central bank at New York's Federal Reserve. They tried to steal almost a billion dollars - and managed to get $81 million. It's been described as the biggest online theft in history.

Now, it's been revealed they did it using SWIFT, the global financial network that banks use to transfer billions of dollars every day.

Officials from SWIFT warned customers this week that hackers are also targeting other financial institutions using their network.

Bill Maher: 'What Happens In Vegas, Stays In Vegas' Should Apply Everywhere

Bill Maher's New Rules on the price we're paying for the lack of privacy in America, whether it's the NSA, or the telecoms or social networking and what should be done about it. MAHER: And finally, New Rule, the ad slogan, 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" must be expanded to include the entire country,…