Privacy
Yesterday was Data Privacy Day, which Apple marked by publishing an excellent summary setting out just how little online privacy we actually have. "A Day in the Life of Your Data" explains how third-party companies can track user data across websites and apps. On average, it says, mobile apps include six 'trackers' designed for the "sole purpose of collecting and tracing people and their personal information". The document also details features Apple will roll out in the next major version of its mobile operating systems. App Tracking Transparency will require developers to request permission from users to track them. Google and Facebook are furious about the change; the latter complained this week about Apple's "dominant platform position," and is reported to be preparing an antitrust lawsuit. Which is an intriguing line of attack from a company like Facebook.
"Social catastrophe": We have mixed feelings about Apple, whose recent security performance has been lamentable and which definitely has questions to answer about how it operates its own iOS ecosystem. But an address by Tim Cook to the Computers, Privacy, and Data Protection Conference yesterday brilliantly sums up the problematic relationship we currently have with on-line communication. "At a moment of rampant disinformation and conspiracy theories juiced by algorithms, we can no longer turn a blind eye to a theory of technology that says all engagement is good engagement -- the longer the better -- and all with the goal of collecting as much data as possible," he said. "It is long past time to stop pretending that this approach doesn't come with a cost -- of polarisation, of lost trust and, yes, of violence. A social dilemma cannot be allowed to become a social catastrophe." The presentation is well worth a watch.
Capitol Hill: A lively discussion is taking place about the use of artificial intelligence and cellphone data to identify rioters who took part in the rampage on Capitol Hill. Big Think explores the issues and what they augur for individual privacy.
Cleaning up: We hope we're realistic about most people's reluctance to spend time fiddling around with privacy and security settings, but perhaps Data Privacy Day is a reminder that there are things we can do to protect our personal data. Checking social media apps, deleting unused ones, adopting a password manager and turning on two-factor authentication where available are all relatively simple actions that can have a disproportionate benefit on privacy and security. If in doubt about where to start, take a look at our guides.