The Hot Topic: Internet Privacy.

The testimony of Mark Zuckerberg before the Congress following the Cambridge Analytica scandal that brought the issue of internet privacy into the public domain. Currently, it is a widely discussed topic that elicits divergent reactions depending on the individuals' orientation. Many people are unable to decide who is responsible for ensuring internet privacy. Is it the government, internet users or the firms that provide the services?

The responsibility to protect people’s data is beared by companies. If consumers don’t like what companies are doing with their data, they are free to leave the platforms and take their data with them — Jimenez

https://www.nyunews.com/2018/04/19/4-20-news-debate/.

(1 image,1 link,1 quotation ,116 words)

Shadow Profiles on Facebook

The issue of data security and internet privacy has escalated to unimaginable levels. Facebook is collecting information and creating "shadow profiles" of people who have not signed up to use the platform. The presence of shadow profiles becomes evident when new users sign up to use Facebook for the first time. The expectation is that Facebook knows nothing about the new users but on signing up, suggestions of friends appear.

You’ve said everyone controls their data, but you’re collecting data on people who are not even Facebook users, who never signed a consent or privacy agreement and you’re collecting their data — Ben Luján..https://www.informationsecuritybuzz.com/expert-comments/new-Facebook-privacy-issues/.

(1 image,1 link,1 quotation ,118 words)

Europe’s New Privacy Rule.

The implementation of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) makes Europe the safest place to surf the internet and the American companies are scared. Following years of intense deliberations, the European Union has finally agreed to impose tough rules designed to close loopholes in the way companies handle, store and use data collected from individuals. GDPR gives the consumers more control over what information is collected and obliges companies to handle the data more carefully.

"The text is actually quite easy to read and it makes organizations like ours aware of the data they hold "— Gianfranco Cecconi

https://www.economist.com/news/business/21739985-complying-will-be-hard-businesses-it-will-bring-benefits-too-europes-tough-new
(1 image,1 link,1 quotation ,103 words)

All Stakeholders Must Play Their Part

All Stakeholders Must Play Their Part.

The recent Cambridge Analytica scandal brought Face book into the spotlight while other companies watched as matters unfolded from the background. Mark Zuckerberg made important remarks that revealed that Face book is just one of the companies that breach consumer data but go unnoticed until a scandal that is similar to that of Cambridge Analytica happens.Zuckerberg also support the European Union new privacy law which will require companies to get permission from companies before collecting, browsing  or using any data. The truth of the matter is that companies are pushed by market forces to collect consumer data so that they survive the competition.”There’s usually a preference for using competition and market forces in cases like this”— Maurice Stucke.

http://fortune.com/2018/04/20/facebook-data-privacy-problem-fix/

(1 image,1 link,1 quotation ,125 words)

Data Breeches Affect Children Too

  

Researchers from the International Computer Science Institute have made shocking revelations that more than half of the child-directed android apps potentially violate the US law and the Children’s online privacy protection act (Coppa) on how data are been collected, shared and used by the under 13. Most of these apps collect and share contact information of the children without obtaining consent or applying reasonable security measures. The app developers blatantly ignore their contractual obligation to protect children’s privacy on their platforms. Government regulators are to blame for the poor enforcement.

For years, the FTC has failed to address how both Google and Facebook routinely undermine consumer privacy — Jeffrey Chester

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/apr/16/child-apps-games-android-us-google-play-store-data-sharing-law-privacy.

(1 image,1 link,1 quotation ,109 words)

Ancient Mine Shafts in Timna National Park, Israel.
Photo Credit: Sara Toth Stub

Reporter, Sara Toth Stub, wrote an article describing her exploration and photography of an intriguing national park in the Israeli Negev Desert. The title of the article is "The Israeli Park with a Valuable Secret" and includes many details about the many rock formations and caves found int he area, with photos to match. She also spends time discussing the fascinating history behind the ancient mine shafts and caves that were used by people thousands of years ago. She descriptively rights about the area around the mines. "Specks of green and blue copper ore dotted the gravel-covered trail as I approached the park's oldest mines, dug as early as 4500BC." The full article is very interesting and informative and you can read it by Clicking Here.

[1 image, 1 link, 1 quotation, 126 words]

New Cancer Detection Goggles

Dr. Misseal Garcia and Professor Viktor Gruev. Leaders of The Research Team

Carmen M. Llona, with Fox News, wrote an article documenting the developments made by researchers at the University of Ilinois and Washington University on cancer detecting technology. She writes about their newly invented goggles that can detect cancer during surgery. "The goggles, which were tested on mice and women with breast cancer, have an integrated camera that can pick up infared signals beneath the surface of the tissue." Before the surgery, a green dye is injected into the patient which then specifically latches onto cancer cells, after this the cells give off an infrared signal that the naked eye can't detect but the camera in the goggles can. To read the full article Click Here.

[1 image, 1 link, 1 quotation, 115 words]