When entering the United States, have agents taken away your computer or other devices, or have they demanded social media passwords? The Electronic Frontier Foundation is gathering stories from people who have had to surrender their devices or their social media account information at the border when it’s not clear what the feds are doing with this information. [More]
searches
Google Play Search Results Will Now Feature Sponsored Ads
By 2.26.15
The next time you visit the Google Play store to download an app, you’ll likely be greeted with an ad or two. [More]
Google's Mobile Search Lets You Find Businesses That Are Open Right Now
By 2.25.11
If it’s 4 a.m., you’ve been out all night and are in need of a burrito, Google is thinking of you. The search dynamo has added some heft to its smartphone search functionality, letting you sort businesses by whether they’re currently open, as well as distance distance and user rating levels. [More]
Use Doctor Finder To Prescreen Your Doctor
By 5.11.10
If you’re like most people, you pick a new doctor by going through an approved list provided by your insurer and selecting someone nearby. Doctor Finder from insiderpages.com hopes to make the process less random by providing reviews for doctors and dentists. You can search by zip code, then narrow down results by your insurer, distance, gender, specialty, language, and experience. [More]
Sprint Served Customer GPS Data To Cops Over 8 Million Times
By 12.3.09
An Indiana University grad student has made public an audio recording of a Sprint employee who describes how the company has given away customer GPS location data to cops over 8 million times in less than a year. Ars technica reports that “law enforcement [officers] could log into a special Sprint Web portal and, without ever having to demonstrate probable cause to a judge, gain access to geolocation logs detailing where they’ve been and where they are.” Update: Sprint says the 8 million figure refers to individual pings of GPS data, and that the number of individuals involved is in the thousands. [More]
Try These Search Terms If You Want Some Malware
By 6.11.09
Computer virus company McAfee has assembled a list of the top search keywords that are most commonly linked to malware exposure. The winning phrases are: word unscrambler, lyrics, myspace, free music downloads, phelps, game cheats, printable fill-in puzzles, free ringtones and solitaire. In addition, the general categories that are considered riskiest are: screen savers, free games, work from home, Olympics, videos, celebrities, music and news.
Verizon Refuses To Help Locate Body Of Missing Woman For Four Days
By 9.17.08
Verizon, which has no problem helping the government spy on its customers, suddenly turned stupid in June when a police department asked them for help finding the body of a woman who had been abducted on camera. Despite pleas from the woman’s parents, the police, and the FBI, it was four days before a technician was sent out to the appropriate cell tower. When that technician gave the police the location info, they found Kelsey Smith’s body within 45 minutes. Verizon won’t respond to requests for an explanation of why they couldn’t help sooner.
The Straight Scoop On If Stores Can Legally Stop You And Check Your Receipt
By 11.27.06
According to consumer reporter Asa Aarons, unless you’ve signed a membership agreement contractually obligating you, bag searches and receipt checks are voluntary. As in, you can refuse.
Ask The Consumerist: Do I Have To Let Stores Check My Receipt?
By 11.25.06
Reader Carlton writes in with a query:
EFF’s Talking Points For Contacting AOL on Data Leak
By 8.14.06
The EFF was none too happy about the AOL Search Records Data Leak. This is exactly the sort of thing that gets them to pull their lower lip over their heads in paranoid frustration.
Search AOL User Searches Like The Pros!
By 8.9.06
Why should we get all the fun of looking at AOL user search profiles? With these database programs people quickly scrapped together, now you can play too!
AOL User Positively ID’d Based On Search History
By 8.9.06
NYT matched user 4417749 to Thelma Arnold, 62, of Lilburn, Ga.
