Google sends large amounts of obfuscated data from your phone to Google – no one knows what Google is collecting: Study Warns Android Phones From Samsung, Xiaomi And Others Are Spying On Users
But even the handset makers are harvesting data from your phone, as well as third-party apps.
Republican Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday condemned one of Missouri’s largest newspapers for exposing a flaw in a state database that allowed public access to thousands of teachers’ Social Security numbers, even though the paper held off from reporting about the flaw until after the state could fix it.
Source: Missouri governor slams newspaper for uncovering state data security flaw | NewsNation Now
The state’s education department online database public interface posted private information within the HTML page layout code, easily visible by (in many browsers) right clicking on the page and selecting View Page Source.
The Governor thinks it is a crime to right click in your browser and view the HTML source that the state’s web site delivered directly to every user of the web site, and has asked the state and a prosecutor to conduct an investigation.
The Missouri Governor, when it comes to information security laws, is an idiot. Lots more here.
An anonymous hacker claims to have leaked the entirety of Twitch, including its source code and user payout information.
The user posted a 125GB torrent link to 4chan on Wednesday, stating that the leak was intended to “foster more disruption and competition in the online video streaming space” because “their community is a disgusting toxic cesspool”.
Source: The entirety of Twitch has reportedly been leaked | VGC
The U.S. government is secretly ordering Google to provide data on anyone typing in certain search terms, an accidentally unsealed court document shows. There are fears such “keyword warrants” threaten to implicate innocent Web users in serious crimes and are more common than previously thought.
Thanks to dragnet surveillance that tracks and records everything we do, everyone is now a suspect of something, somewhere, some time. There is no escape.
The technology embeds immunization records into a child’s skin
Source: Invisible Ink Could Reveal whether Kids Have Been Vaccinated – Scientific American
President Biden has proposed that all personal bank records be turned over to the IRS every year. Really.
Specifically, the annual return would report gross inflows and outflows on all business and personal accounts from financial institutions, including bank, loan, and investment accounts but carve out exceptions for accounts below a low de minimis gross flow threshold
Source: The-American-Families-Plan-Tax-Compliance-Agenda.pdf
These rules would also apply to Paypal and other personal financial transactions.
Businesses would also have to report transactions conducted in cryptocurrencies.
Do benefits outweigh privacy concerns?
How do you feel about that in terms of privacy issues?
What would be left of privacy? Should all of our lives every moment and activities be forced shared with other entities?
Intrastate travel within Australia is also severely restricted. And the government of South Australia, one of the country’s six states, developed and is now testing an app as Orwellian as any in the free world to enforce its quarantine rules. People in South Australia will be forced to download an app that combines facial recognition and geolocation. The state will text them at random times, and thereafter they will have 15 minutes to take a picture of their face in the location where they are supposed to be. Should they fail, the local police department will be sent to follow up in person. “We don’t tell them how often or when, on a random basis they have to reply within 15 minutes,” Premier Steven Marshall explained. “I think every South Australian should feel pretty proud that we are the national pilot for the home-based quarantine app.”
Source: Is Pandemic Australia Still a Liberal Democracy? – The Atlantic
Meanwhile, Australia’s NSW has proven beyond any doubt that lock downs served no useful purpose. Even NSW’s premier is giving up on containing Covid without vaccines. Given time, everywhere ends up at the same destination.
Vaccines work. Masks work when proper masks are used, in proper fashion, in limited circumstances, but do not work to contain the spread at a societal level. Most mitigations do not work and eventually succumb to the virus.
Someone who wishes to frame you can set up a anonymous email account and email illicit photos to you. Apple will detect these photos and turn you over to the police.
APPLE has unveiled plans to scan U.S. iPhones for images of child sexual abuse – a move that has drawn applause from child protection groups but raised concerns among some security researchers. Tho…
While I do not use an iPhone, I do use a Mac Book. While I intended to continue using the Mac Book, I have also acquired a Surface Pro and this will hasten my migration off of all Apple products.
Suspect that by October, “Vaccine passports” will be required for all events, most businesses, and air travel, including domestic air travel.
NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — Ready to go out on the town before summer ends? In parts of the U.S., you might have to carry your COVID-19 vaccine card or a digital copy to get into restaurants, bars, nightclubs and outdoor music festivals.
Source: EXPLAINER: Will we need vaccine passports to do fun things? – NewsNation Now
There are hints the U.S. government will offer a national vaccination passport system based on smart phones or QR codes, with an announcement as soon as September. While its usage will not be mandated for use in the U.S., nor run by the government, it will be required for international air travel in bound and out bound. Many private sector organizations may also choose to use this system as well. In effect, a digital vaccine passport seems likely to be operational perhaps by October.
Are vaccine passports really enforceable? Retail businesses will now to have to put staff at all entry points to verify status. If you are not vaccinated, retail businesses can ask you to leave but if you do not, there is little they can do.
The idea of vaccine passports is gaining traction in public opinion and private enterprise as the delta variant threatens the travel rebound, a survey finds.
Source: Vaccine passports gain traction as delta variant threatens travel boom
See post below – coming in mid-September.
3 out of 4 airlines say they want proof of vaccination for all travelers.
This Federal ID will then be adopted by other businesses as a way of (their thinking) reducing their liability.
Starting this fall, expect to see vaccine passports required for airline and other travel, access to restaurants and other businesses. The app will likely double as a contact tracing app (with high unreliablity for that function) and from time to time during the year, will may forced into two week quarantines.
Welcome to 1984.