Why you should absolutely worry about the anti-privacy EARN IT Act
Because the internet is a strange and complicated place, the fate of your digital privacy is, at this very moment, intertwined with that of online message boards and comment sections. And things, we're sorry to report, aren't looking so hot.
At issue is the seemingly unrelated EARN IT Act. Pushed by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and a host of bipartisan co-sponsors, and voted on by the Senate Judiciary Committee last Thursday, the measure ostensibly aims to combat online child sexual abuse material. However, according to privacy and security experts who spoke with Mashable, the bill both directly threatens end-to-end encryption and promises to spur new and sustained online censorship by weakening Section 230 — a provision of the Communication Decency Act of 1996 that protects internet providers from being held liable for their users' actions.
https://mashable.com/article/earn-it-act-threatens-privacy-encryption-section-230/
#us #encryption #privacy
Because the internet is a strange and complicated place, the fate of your digital privacy is, at this very moment, intertwined with that of online message boards and comment sections. And things, we're sorry to report, aren't looking so hot.
At issue is the seemingly unrelated EARN IT Act. Pushed by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and a host of bipartisan co-sponsors, and voted on by the Senate Judiciary Committee last Thursday, the measure ostensibly aims to combat online child sexual abuse material. However, according to privacy and security experts who spoke with Mashable, the bill both directly threatens end-to-end encryption and promises to spur new and sustained online censorship by weakening Section 230 — a provision of the Communication Decency Act of 1996 that protects internet providers from being held liable for their users' actions.
https://mashable.com/article/earn-it-act-threatens-privacy-encryption-section-230/
#us #encryption #privacy
www.congress.gov
Text - S.3398 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): EARN IT Act of 2020
Text for S.3398 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): EARN IT Act of 2020
APD’s Secret Informants Eyeing Neighbors for “Suspicious” Activity, Leaked Documents Reveal
In early June, an intelligence center operated by the Austin Police Department was hacked, along with many others like it across the country. Known as BlueLeaks, the collection of leaked documents from the hack contains over 10 gigs of material taken from the Austin center. They reveal a secret citizen spying program that's active in the Austin area and across the country. The Chronicle has obtained copies of BlueLeaks and will report further on the documents in the coming weeks.
Known as a fusion center, the Austin Regional Intelligence Center (ARIC) is a partnership between 19 local law enforcement agencies, housed at the Texas Department of Public Safety complex on North Lamar. Established after the perceived failures of intelligence sharing that contributed to 9/11, fusion centers use a national networked database that is also shared with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. This network includes 78 DHS-recognized fusion centers, with at least one in each state. Texas currently has eight.
https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2020-07-24/apds-secret-informants-eyeing-neighbors-for-suspicious-activity-leaked-documents-reveal/
#us #austin #surveillance
In early June, an intelligence center operated by the Austin Police Department was hacked, along with many others like it across the country. Known as BlueLeaks, the collection of leaked documents from the hack contains over 10 gigs of material taken from the Austin center. They reveal a secret citizen spying program that's active in the Austin area and across the country. The Chronicle has obtained copies of BlueLeaks and will report further on the documents in the coming weeks.
Known as a fusion center, the Austin Regional Intelligence Center (ARIC) is a partnership between 19 local law enforcement agencies, housed at the Texas Department of Public Safety complex on North Lamar. Established after the perceived failures of intelligence sharing that contributed to 9/11, fusion centers use a national networked database that is also shared with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. This network includes 78 DHS-recognized fusion centers, with at least one in each state. Texas currently has eight.
https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2020-07-24/apds-secret-informants-eyeing-neighbors-for-suspicious-activity-leaked-documents-reveal/
#us #austin #surveillance
The Austin Chronicle
APD’s Secret Informants Eyeing Neighbors for “Suspicious” Activity, Leaked Documents Reveal
APD intel center puts spies among us
Forwarded from BlackBox (Security) Archiv
A vigilante hacker is sabotaging the Emotet botnet by replacing malware payloads with GIFs
Emotet botnet activity goes down as Emotet admins are wrestling with a vigilante for control over parts of their infrastructure.
An unknown vigilante hacker has been sabotaging the operations of the recently-revived Emotet botnet by replacing Emotet payloads with animated GIFs, effectively preventing victims from getting infected.
The sabotage, which started three days ago, on July 21, has grown from a simple joke to a serious issue impacting a large portion of the Emotet operation.
According to Cryptolaemus, a group of white-hat security researchers tracking the Emotet botnet, the vigilante is now poisoning around a quarter of all Emotet's payload downloads.
👀 👉🏼 https://www.zdnet.com/article/a-vigilante-is-sabotaging-the-emotet-botnet-by-replacing-malware-payloads-with-gifs/
#emotet #hacked #malware #botnet #Cryptolaemus
📡@cRyPtHoN_INFOSEC_DE
📡@cRyPtHoN_INFOSEC_EN
📡@BlackBox_Archiv
📡@NoGoolag
Emotet botnet activity goes down as Emotet admins are wrestling with a vigilante for control over parts of their infrastructure.
An unknown vigilante hacker has been sabotaging the operations of the recently-revived Emotet botnet by replacing Emotet payloads with animated GIFs, effectively preventing victims from getting infected.
The sabotage, which started three days ago, on July 21, has grown from a simple joke to a serious issue impacting a large portion of the Emotet operation.
According to Cryptolaemus, a group of white-hat security researchers tracking the Emotet botnet, the vigilante is now poisoning around a quarter of all Emotet's payload downloads.
👀 👉🏼 https://www.zdnet.com/article/a-vigilante-is-sabotaging-the-emotet-botnet-by-replacing-malware-payloads-with-gifs/
#emotet #hacked #malware #botnet #Cryptolaemus
📡@cRyPtHoN_INFOSEC_DE
📡@cRyPtHoN_INFOSEC_EN
📡@BlackBox_Archiv
📡@NoGoolag
ZDNet
A vigilante is sabotaging the Emotet botnet by replacing malware payloads with GIFs
Emotet botnet activity goes down as Emotet admins are wrestling with a vigilante for control over parts of their infrastructure.
In depth: Want a loan? China's tech giants are at your service
Huge troves of user data prove invaluable for insurance, healthcare and other services
Click into some of China's most popular apps these days and you'll soon be drowning in ads for loans.
"Borrow up to 200,000 yuan ($28,590) through Meituan's special loan service with a daily interest rate of less than 0.02% ..." "Important reminder! The interest rate on a Didi loan is lower than what you're paying on your credit card payments. Click here for more ..."
And if you aren't attracted by Meituan Dianping's "Monthly Delivery" or Didi's "Dripping Water Loan," you can take your pick from "Xiaomi Installments," "360 IOU," "Baidu Blooming Wealth" or "JD.com IOU."
Pushing financial services, especially loans, has become the latest "big thing" for internet and tech giants as they look to leverage their huge customer base to generate more revenue and profit as growth in their core businesses slows.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Caixin/In-depth-Want-a-loan-China-s-tech-giants-are-at-your-service
#asia #china #caixin #ads #privacy
Huge troves of user data prove invaluable for insurance, healthcare and other services
Click into some of China's most popular apps these days and you'll soon be drowning in ads for loans.
"Borrow up to 200,000 yuan ($28,590) through Meituan's special loan service with a daily interest rate of less than 0.02% ..." "Important reminder! The interest rate on a Didi loan is lower than what you're paying on your credit card payments. Click here for more ..."
And if you aren't attracted by Meituan Dianping's "Monthly Delivery" or Didi's "Dripping Water Loan," you can take your pick from "Xiaomi Installments," "360 IOU," "Baidu Blooming Wealth" or "JD.com IOU."
Pushing financial services, especially loans, has become the latest "big thing" for internet and tech giants as they look to leverage their huge customer base to generate more revenue and profit as growth in their core businesses slows.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Caixin/In-depth-Want-a-loan-China-s-tech-giants-are-at-your-service
#asia #china #caixin #ads #privacy
Nikkei Asia
In depth: Want a loan? China's tech giants are at your service
Huge troves of user data prove invaluable for insurance, healthcare and other services
Alipay allows pet owners to buy insurance by using facial recognition on their cats and dogs
Pet insurance has existed for a while, but it often involves filling out boring paper forms and taking a trip to the vet to implant a microchip in their furry friends. China’s e-payment giant Alipay has another idea.
The platform, run by Ant Financial – an affiliate of South China Morning Post owner Alibaba – has launched its first ever insurance program for cats and dogs. Enrolment is simple: Using the Alipay app, owners can set up a digital profile of their animals by taking a few pictures.
A close-up photo of the animal is used to establish a record of its nose print. Similar to how smartphones and law enforcement agencies use fingerprints to identify humans, dogs and cats are believed to have unique and permanent skin patterns on their noses.
https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3094053/alipay-allows-pet-owners-buy-insurance-using-facial-recognition-their
#asia #china #alipay #biometrics #facial #recognition
Pet insurance has existed for a while, but it often involves filling out boring paper forms and taking a trip to the vet to implant a microchip in their furry friends. China’s e-payment giant Alipay has another idea.
The platform, run by Ant Financial – an affiliate of South China Morning Post owner Alibaba – has launched its first ever insurance program for cats and dogs. Enrolment is simple: Using the Alipay app, owners can set up a digital profile of their animals by taking a few pictures.
A close-up photo of the animal is used to establish a record of its nose print. Similar to how smartphones and law enforcement agencies use fingerprints to identify humans, dogs and cats are believed to have unique and permanent skin patterns on their noses.
https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3094053/alipay-allows-pet-owners-buy-insurance-using-facial-recognition-their
#asia #china #alipay #biometrics #facial #recognition
South China Morning Post
Alipay launches facial recognition for pets
Ant Financial’s e-payment platform can identify pets by their unique nose prints.
Twitter contractors reportedly spied on the accounts of Beyoncé and other celebrities by creating fake help desk tickets
Twitter's lax internal policies allowed members of its security team to access the personal information of celebrity users, including Beyoncé, without their permission, Bloomberg reported Monday.
The security team, which is made up of 1,500 employees and contractors, has internal tools that allow it to see users' phone numbers, email addresses, and approximate location data in order to monitor accounts for fraud and content violations, the report said.
But widespread access to the tools and lenient rules around their use led some contractors to challenge each other to spy on celebrity accounts by submitting fake help desk tickets, former employees told Bloomberg.
https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-contractors-spied-on-beyonce-celebrity-accounts-report-2020-7
#twitter #privacy
Twitter's lax internal policies allowed members of its security team to access the personal information of celebrity users, including Beyoncé, without their permission, Bloomberg reported Monday.
The security team, which is made up of 1,500 employees and contractors, has internal tools that allow it to see users' phone numbers, email addresses, and approximate location data in order to monitor accounts for fraud and content violations, the report said.
But widespread access to the tools and lenient rules around their use led some contractors to challenge each other to spy on celebrity accounts by submitting fake help desk tickets, former employees told Bloomberg.
https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-contractors-spied-on-beyonce-celebrity-accounts-report-2020-7
#twitter #privacy
Facebook takes the EU to court over privacy spat
Facebook has pushed back against a European Union investigation into its practices, taking it to court over privacy concerns
Two investigations are being carried out into Facebook to find out if it breaches competition laws.
To gather information, the European Commission has demanded internal documents from Facebook that include 2,500 specific key phrases.
Facebook says that means handing over unrelated but highly sensitive data.
The European Commission says it will defend the case in court, and its investigation into Facebook's potential anticompetitive conduct is ongoing.
The social media giant has filed an appeal to the EU courts, arguing against the breadth of the document requests.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53558947
#eu #facebook #privacy
Facebook has pushed back against a European Union investigation into its practices, taking it to court over privacy concerns
Two investigations are being carried out into Facebook to find out if it breaches competition laws.
To gather information, the European Commission has demanded internal documents from Facebook that include 2,500 specific key phrases.
Facebook says that means handing over unrelated but highly sensitive data.
The European Commission says it will defend the case in court, and its investigation into Facebook's potential anticompetitive conduct is ongoing.
The social media giant has filed an appeal to the EU courts, arguing against the breadth of the document requests.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53558947
#eu #facebook #privacy
Troubleshooting for the MicroG alpha
♦ FCM doesn't register, microG crashes
Solution: Go to microG > GCM > options and turn off "Confirm new apps". Then try to reregister your apps again.
(It seems the confirmation dialog is not implemented yet)
♦ Network location not working
Follow the steps given by ploink here:
https://github.com/microg/android_packages_apps_GmsCore/issues/1100
♦ FCM doesn't register, microG crashes
Solution: Go to microG > GCM > options and turn off "Confirm new apps". Then try to reregister your apps again.
(It seems the confirmation dialog is not implemented yet)
♦ Network location not working
Follow the steps given by ploink here:
https://github.com/microg/android_packages_apps_GmsCore/issues/1100
Google victory in German top court over right to be forgotten
A German court has sided with Google and rejected requests to wipe entries from search results. The cases hinged on whether the right to be forgotten outweighed the public's right to know.
Germany's highest court agreed on Monday with lower courts and rejected the two plaintiffs' appeals over privacy concerns.
In the first case, a former managing director of a charity had demanded Google remove links to certain news articles that appeared in searches of his name. The articles from 2011 reported that the charity was in financial trouble and that the manager had called in sick. He later argued in court that information on his personal health issues should not be divulged to the public years later.
The court ruled that whether links to critical articles have to be removed from the search list always depends on a comprehensive consideration of fundamental rights in the individual case.
https://m.dw.com/en/google-right-to-be-forgotten/a-54326877
#europe #germany #google #privacy
A German court has sided with Google and rejected requests to wipe entries from search results. The cases hinged on whether the right to be forgotten outweighed the public's right to know.
Germany's highest court agreed on Monday with lower courts and rejected the two plaintiffs' appeals over privacy concerns.
In the first case, a former managing director of a charity had demanded Google remove links to certain news articles that appeared in searches of his name. The articles from 2011 reported that the charity was in financial trouble and that the manager had called in sick. He later argued in court that information on his personal health issues should not be divulged to the public years later.
The court ruled that whether links to critical articles have to be removed from the search list always depends on a comprehensive consideration of fundamental rights in the individual case.
https://m.dw.com/en/google-right-to-be-forgotten/a-54326877
#europe #germany #google #privacy
Deutsche Welle
Google victory in German top court over right to be forgotten
A German court has sided with Google and rejected requests to wipe entries from search results. The cases hinged on whether the right to be forgotten outweighed the public's right to know.
System76 is porting Coreboot to AMD Ryzen
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2020/07/26/system76-reveals-an-open-source-surprise-for-amd-ryzen-fans
#coreboot #amd #ryzen #System76
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2020/07/26/system76-reveals-an-open-source-surprise-for-amd-ryzen-fans
#coreboot #amd #ryzen #System76
Forbes
System76 Reveals An Open Source PC Surprise For AMD Ryzen Fans
"We will be the only ones in the universe offering these processors with open source firmware"
Brazil antitrust watchdog questions Facebook's WhatsApp payment fees
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil’s antitrust watchdog is asking Facebook Inc (FB.O) to explain the fee structure for its short-lived payments service launched in June in partnership with card processor Cielo SA (CIEL3.SA), according to a document seen by Reuters.
The service on Facebook’s WhatsApp messaging platform was blocked by Brazil’s central bank eight days after the launch.
Facebook charged merchants a 4% fee per transaction, above market prices, but transfers among individuals were free.
Cade, as the watchdog is known, said it wanted to understand the rationale for the fee and see if the deal prevented other card processors from joining the payment platform as Cielo dominates Brazil’s market with a 40% share.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-brazil/brazil-antitrust-watchdog-questions-facebooks-whatsapp-payment-fees-idUSKCN24S2QQ
#brazil #whatsapp #antitrust
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil’s antitrust watchdog is asking Facebook Inc (FB.O) to explain the fee structure for its short-lived payments service launched in June in partnership with card processor Cielo SA (CIEL3.SA), according to a document seen by Reuters.
The service on Facebook’s WhatsApp messaging platform was blocked by Brazil’s central bank eight days after the launch.
Facebook charged merchants a 4% fee per transaction, above market prices, but transfers among individuals were free.
Cade, as the watchdog is known, said it wanted to understand the rationale for the fee and see if the deal prevented other card processors from joining the payment platform as Cielo dominates Brazil’s market with a 40% share.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-brazil/brazil-antitrust-watchdog-questions-facebooks-whatsapp-payment-fees-idUSKCN24S2QQ
#brazil #whatsapp #antitrust
Special Report: Rite Aid deployed facial recognition systems in hundreds of U.S. stores
(Reuters) - Over about eight years, the American drugstore chain Rite Aid Corp quietly added facial recognition systems to 200 stores across the United States, in one of the largest rollouts of such technology among retailers in the country, a Reuters investigation found.
In the hearts of New York and metro Los Angeles, Rite Aid deployed the technology in largely lower-income, non-white neighbourhoods, according to a Reuters analysis. And for more than a year, the retailer used state-of-the-art facial recognition technology from a company with links to China and its authoritarian government.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-riteaid-software-specialreport/special-report-rite-aid-deployed-facial-recognition-systems-in-hundreds-of-u-s-stores-idUSKCN24T1HL
#us #biometrics #facial #recognition
(Reuters) - Over about eight years, the American drugstore chain Rite Aid Corp quietly added facial recognition systems to 200 stores across the United States, in one of the largest rollouts of such technology among retailers in the country, a Reuters investigation found.
In the hearts of New York and metro Los Angeles, Rite Aid deployed the technology in largely lower-income, non-white neighbourhoods, according to a Reuters analysis. And for more than a year, the retailer used state-of-the-art facial recognition technology from a company with links to China and its authoritarian government.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-riteaid-software-specialreport/special-report-rite-aid-deployed-facial-recognition-systems-in-hundreds-of-u-s-stores-idUSKCN24T1HL
#us #biometrics #facial #recognition
San Francisco Police Accessed Business District Camera Network to Spy on Protestors
The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) conducted mass surveillance of protesters at the end of May and in early June using a downtown business district's camera network, according to new records obtained by EFF. The records show that SFPD received real-time live access to hundreds of cameras as well as a "data dump" of camera footage amid the ongoing demonstrations against police violence.
The camera network is operated by the Union Square Business Improvement District (BID), a special taxation district created by the City and County of San Francisco, but operated by a private non-profit organization.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/07/san-francisco-police-accessed-business-district-camera-network-spy-protestors
#us #surveillance
The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) conducted mass surveillance of protesters at the end of May and in early June using a downtown business district's camera network, according to new records obtained by EFF. The records show that SFPD received real-time live access to hundreds of cameras as well as a "data dump" of camera footage amid the ongoing demonstrations against police violence.
The camera network is operated by the Union Square Business Improvement District (BID), a special taxation district created by the City and County of San Francisco, but operated by a private non-profit organization.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/07/san-francisco-police-accessed-business-district-camera-network-spy-protestors
#us #surveillance
NYPD subpoenaed reporter’s phone records in leak case
New York, July 27, 2020 – The New York City Police Department should refrain from subpoenaing journalists’ phone records or other information that could reveal sourcing, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
On July 14, a New York-based freelance journalist who works for the Daily Mail received a letter stating that their phone records had been obtained from their cellphone provider, AT&T, and were being used in a leak investigation within the police department, according to the journalist, who asked that their name not be disclosed, citing fear of harming relationships with sources, and a report by the New York Daily News.
A lawyer representing a police officer who was interviewed under suspicion of involvement in the leak sent the journalist a copy of a complaint relating to the case, which stated that the journalist’s records had been subpoenaed from their cellphone provider; when the journalist’s lawyer sought to obtain a copy of the subpoena from the telecom provider, AT&T refused, citing a policy against disclosing subpoenas related to criminal investigations, the journalist said.
https://cpj.org/2020/07/nypd-subpoenaed-reporters-phone-records-in-leak-case/
#us #newyork #journalist #privacy
New York, July 27, 2020 – The New York City Police Department should refrain from subpoenaing journalists’ phone records or other information that could reveal sourcing, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
On July 14, a New York-based freelance journalist who works for the Daily Mail received a letter stating that their phone records had been obtained from their cellphone provider, AT&T, and were being used in a leak investigation within the police department, according to the journalist, who asked that their name not be disclosed, citing fear of harming relationships with sources, and a report by the New York Daily News.
A lawyer representing a police officer who was interviewed under suspicion of involvement in the leak sent the journalist a copy of a complaint relating to the case, which stated that the journalist’s records had been subpoenaed from their cellphone provider; when the journalist’s lawyer sought to obtain a copy of the subpoena from the telecom provider, AT&T refused, citing a policy against disclosing subpoenas related to criminal investigations, the journalist said.
https://cpj.org/2020/07/nypd-subpoenaed-reporters-phone-records-in-leak-case/
#us #newyork #journalist #privacy
Committee to Protect Journalists
NYPD subpoenaed reporter’s phone records in leak case - Committee to Protect Journalists
New York, July 27, 2020 – The New York City Police Department should refrain from subpoenaing journalists’ phone records or other information that could reveal sourcing, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On July 14, a New York-based freelance…
Forwarded from Pavel Durov
I hope you all liked the latest Telegram update – our 8th major update this year. This new version of Telegram could have become available to you several days earlier. But it didn’t, because of Apple’s desire to control every mobile app in the world. Few iPhone users realise how the policies of Apple make their lives worse. That’s why I decided to write the post below.
Forwarded from Pavel Durov
7 Reasons Every iPhone User Should Be Worried About the App Store’s 30% Tax
In the last few months, many prominent app developers voiced their disapproval of the App Store policies Apple imposes on all apps. Why should that concern you if you own an iPhone? Here are 7 reasons.
HIGHER PRICES. Apple’s 30% commission makes all apps and digital goods more expensive for you. It goes on top of the price you pay to developers for any services and games you buy on your phone. You pay more for every app, even though Apple already charged you a few hundred dollars more for your iPhone than it cost to make. In short, you keep paying even after you have paid.
CENSORSHIP. Some content in apps like Telegram is unavailable to you because Apple censors what is allowed on the App Store, which it fully controls to enforce the 30% tax. Apple even restricts us – app developers – from telling our users that certain content was hidden for iPhone users specifically at their request. Apple should realize how ridiculous their attempt to globally censor content looks: imagine a web browser deciding which websites you are allowed to view.
LACK OF PRIVACY. In order to install an app from the App Store, you must first create an Apple account and log in using it. After that, every single app you download and every push notification you receive is tied to your account, making you an easier target to track. Since the main reason you have to use an Apple account to download an iPhone app is Apple’s desire to enforce their 30% commission, the cost of their greed also includes your private data.
DELAYS IN APP UPDATES. You get new versions of your apps several days or weeks after they are actually ready, because Apple’s review team is notoriously inefficient and often delays approval for no apparent reason. You would think Apple could use the billions of dollars it receives from third-party apps to hire additional moderators. Somehow they are unable to do even that, and us – big apps like Telegram – typically have to wait several days or even weeks to publish updates.
FEWER APPS. Apple’s 30% commission on apps goes on top of all the other expenses developers must pay for: government taxes such as VAT (~20%), wages, research, servers, marketing. Many apps would have been net profitable in a world without Apple’s 30% commission, but being forced to surrender 30% of their revenue to Apple makes them unsustainable. As a result, many of them go bankrupt and lots of great apps you could have enjoyed just don’t exist.
MORE ADS IN APPS. Because Apple makes selling premium services and accepting donations one-third less meaningful for developers, many of them are forced to show ads in their apps in order for their companies to survive. Apple’s policies skew the entire industry towards selling user data instead of letting them adopt more privacy-friendly business models like selling additional services to their users.
WORSE APPS. Billions of dollars are taken from developers who could have otherwise spent those funds on improving the quality of the apps you use every day. Instead, this money rests idly in Apple’s offshore bank accounts and does nothing for the world, while app developers struggle to find resources for the research and development the world needs.
The situation is so bad that one would expect Apple’s 30% cut to be unsustainable. Yet it’s been around for more than 10 years and is still there. In my Telegraph post below, I'm explaining how Apple has been able to trick consumers and regulators into inaction for so long.
In the last few months, many prominent app developers voiced their disapproval of the App Store policies Apple imposes on all apps. Why should that concern you if you own an iPhone? Here are 7 reasons.
HIGHER PRICES. Apple’s 30% commission makes all apps and digital goods more expensive for you. It goes on top of the price you pay to developers for any services and games you buy on your phone. You pay more for every app, even though Apple already charged you a few hundred dollars more for your iPhone than it cost to make. In short, you keep paying even after you have paid.
CENSORSHIP. Some content in apps like Telegram is unavailable to you because Apple censors what is allowed on the App Store, which it fully controls to enforce the 30% tax. Apple even restricts us – app developers – from telling our users that certain content was hidden for iPhone users specifically at their request. Apple should realize how ridiculous their attempt to globally censor content looks: imagine a web browser deciding which websites you are allowed to view.
LACK OF PRIVACY. In order to install an app from the App Store, you must first create an Apple account and log in using it. After that, every single app you download and every push notification you receive is tied to your account, making you an easier target to track. Since the main reason you have to use an Apple account to download an iPhone app is Apple’s desire to enforce their 30% commission, the cost of their greed also includes your private data.
DELAYS IN APP UPDATES. You get new versions of your apps several days or weeks after they are actually ready, because Apple’s review team is notoriously inefficient and often delays approval for no apparent reason. You would think Apple could use the billions of dollars it receives from third-party apps to hire additional moderators. Somehow they are unable to do even that, and us – big apps like Telegram – typically have to wait several days or even weeks to publish updates.
FEWER APPS. Apple’s 30% commission on apps goes on top of all the other expenses developers must pay for: government taxes such as VAT (~20%), wages, research, servers, marketing. Many apps would have been net profitable in a world without Apple’s 30% commission, but being forced to surrender 30% of their revenue to Apple makes them unsustainable. As a result, many of them go bankrupt and lots of great apps you could have enjoyed just don’t exist.
MORE ADS IN APPS. Because Apple makes selling premium services and accepting donations one-third less meaningful for developers, many of them are forced to show ads in their apps in order for their companies to survive. Apple’s policies skew the entire industry towards selling user data instead of letting them adopt more privacy-friendly business models like selling additional services to their users.
WORSE APPS. Billions of dollars are taken from developers who could have otherwise spent those funds on improving the quality of the apps you use every day. Instead, this money rests idly in Apple’s offshore bank accounts and does nothing for the world, while app developers struggle to find resources for the research and development the world needs.
The situation is so bad that one would expect Apple’s 30% cut to be unsustainable. Yet it’s been around for more than 10 years and is still there. In my Telegraph post below, I'm explaining how Apple has been able to trick consumers and regulators into inaction for so long.
Telegraph – Pavel Durov
7 Myths Apple Is Using to Justify Their 30% Tax on Apps
Apple spends a lot of money on PR and lobbying in order to keep their monopoly power. If you follow the debate around Apple’s 30% cut that results in higher prices and worse apps, you are guaranteed to encounter at least one of the false narratives disclosed…
Encryption laws are hurting Australia's tech sector, Atlassian says
Rushed bill makes overseas companies reluctant to engage with local players, MPs told
The tech giant Atlassian says controversial encryption laws have damaged the reputation of the technology sector, discouraged talent from working in Australia, and harmed an industry that could help drive economic growth in the nation’s post-Covid-19 recovery.
An inquiry into the encryption laws resumed on Monday before the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security, hearing from the industry leader Atlassian, which said it was presenting concerns on behalf of other players who “do not have the resources to engage in such advocacy”.
The laws created a system for law enforcement agencies to request or compel technical assistance from technology companies, including to create capabilities such as backdoors to get around the encryption in some of their products.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jul/27/encryption-laws-are-hurting-australias-tech-sector-atlassian-says
#australia #encryption #laws
Rushed bill makes overseas companies reluctant to engage with local players, MPs told
The tech giant Atlassian says controversial encryption laws have damaged the reputation of the technology sector, discouraged talent from working in Australia, and harmed an industry that could help drive economic growth in the nation’s post-Covid-19 recovery.
An inquiry into the encryption laws resumed on Monday before the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security, hearing from the industry leader Atlassian, which said it was presenting concerns on behalf of other players who “do not have the resources to engage in such advocacy”.
The laws created a system for law enforcement agencies to request or compel technical assistance from technology companies, including to create capabilities such as backdoors to get around the encryption in some of their products.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jul/27/encryption-laws-are-hurting-australias-tech-sector-atlassian-says
#australia #encryption #laws
the Guardian
Encryption laws are hurting Australia's tech sector, Atlassian says
Rushed bill makes overseas companies reluctant to engage with local players, MPs told
How Google harvests and uses your data, and what you can do about it
US technology giant Google’s business model is built on collecting data about consumers when they use its services. But what you might not be aware of is how deep, detailed and intrusive some of this collection is, and how you can take steps to control it.
Asking Google for answers has become second nature for many of us and whether we do that on our phones, PCs or with our voices, our queries are likely stored and tied to our specific Google accounts.
If you have an Android phone, or use your Google account with certain apps or services on the iPhone, there's a good chance the data associated with the apps you use and your physical location is also collected.
https://www.smh.com.au/technology/how-google-harvests-and-uses-your-data-and-what-you-can-do-about-it-20200728-p55g95.html
#australia #google #privacy
US technology giant Google’s business model is built on collecting data about consumers when they use its services. But what you might not be aware of is how deep, detailed and intrusive some of this collection is, and how you can take steps to control it.
Asking Google for answers has become second nature for many of us and whether we do that on our phones, PCs or with our voices, our queries are likely stored and tied to our specific Google accounts.
If you have an Android phone, or use your Google account with certain apps or services on the iPhone, there's a good chance the data associated with the apps you use and your physical location is also collected.
https://www.smh.com.au/technology/how-google-harvests-and-uses-your-data-and-what-you-can-do-about-it-20200728-p55g95.html
#australia #google #privacy
Surveillance state: 18 of the world’s 20 most monitored cities are in China
China is home to 18 of the world’s 20 most monitored cities and over half the surveillance cameras in use globally, according to a study by British technology website Comparitech.
But while the use of live video surveillance continues to grow, the study said that more cameras do not necessarily reduce crime rates.
“A primary argument in favour of closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance is improved law enforcement and crime prevention … [But] a higher number of cameras just barely correlates with a lower crime index,” it said.
The study compared the number of public surveillance cameras with the crime indices reported based on surveys by Numbeo, a crowdsourced database.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3094666/surveillance-state-18-worlds-20-most-monitored-cities-are-china
#asia #china #surveillance
China is home to 18 of the world’s 20 most monitored cities and over half the surveillance cameras in use globally, according to a study by British technology website Comparitech.
But while the use of live video surveillance continues to grow, the study said that more cameras do not necessarily reduce crime rates.
“A primary argument in favour of closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance is improved law enforcement and crime prevention … [But] a higher number of cameras just barely correlates with a lower crime index,” it said.
The study compared the number of public surveillance cameras with the crime indices reported based on surveys by Numbeo, a crowdsourced database.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3094666/surveillance-state-18-worlds-20-most-monitored-cities-are-china
#asia #china #surveillance
South China Morning Post
Surveillance state: 18 of the world’s 20 most monitored cities are in China
Beijing and Shanghai each have at least 1 million surveillance cameras, a study finds, but Taiyuan and Wuxi are the most surveilled on a per capita basis.
Mozilla's next-gen Firefox hits stable after a year of previews, without full extension support (APK Download)
Mozilla has been working on a brand new version of Firefox for Android, nicknamed 'Fenix,' for over a year at this point. The new codebase slowly trickled down from Preview to Beta, and at long last, the aging stable browser is now receiving the update. However, fans of the stable browser might still notice a few features missing.
The stable version of Firefox for Android has not been significantly updated since July 2019, while Mozilla's developers have focused solely on the new codebase. The stable app has now been updated from v68 to v79, and now uses the codebase from Firefox Preview/Beta. Compared to the older version, there's a more modern interface with a bottom address bar, an updated GeckoView engine with improved performance, more privacy options, Collections (tab groups), dark mode support, and other changes.
https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/07/28/mozillas-next-gen-firefox-hits-stable-after-a-year-of-previews-without-full-extension-support-apk-download/
#android #mozilla #firefox
Mozilla has been working on a brand new version of Firefox for Android, nicknamed 'Fenix,' for over a year at this point. The new codebase slowly trickled down from Preview to Beta, and at long last, the aging stable browser is now receiving the update. However, fans of the stable browser might still notice a few features missing.
The stable version of Firefox for Android has not been significantly updated since July 2019, while Mozilla's developers have focused solely on the new codebase. The stable app has now been updated from v68 to v79, and now uses the codebase from Firefox Preview/Beta. Compared to the older version, there's a more modern interface with a bottom address bar, an updated GeckoView engine with improved performance, more privacy options, Collections (tab groups), dark mode support, and other changes.
https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/07/28/mozillas-next-gen-firefox-hits-stable-after-a-year-of-previews-without-full-extension-support-apk-download/
#android #mozilla #firefox
Android Police
Mozilla's next-gen Firefox hits stable after a year of previews, without full extension support (APK Download)
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