Bankrupt RadioShack doesn’t have a lot of assets left that anyone might want, but one very marketable asset is its mailing lists. Specifically, 65 million names and addresses and 13 million e-mail addresses. In March, RadioShack said that it wouldn’t be selling that information…yet. Now that it’s time to sell off the former company’s intellectual property, all of that contact inforamtion is potentially for sale again. [More]
privacy
New “Hello” App Puts Facebook In Control Of Screening, Blocking Phone Calls
By 4.22.15
Because we’ve somehow gotten to a place where we can no longer answer the phone without knowing exactly who is calling and why, Facebook is rolling out a new app, dubbed “Hello,” that effectively uses all the info Facebook has about its users to help you decide whether to answer/ignore/block incoming calls. [More]
FBI, TSA Issue Warning To Airlines Over Possible Flight Hackings
By 4.22.15
A week after a government report identified security weaknesses within the airline industry including the possibility that newer airplanes with interconnected WiFi systems could be hacked, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Transportation Security Administration issued an alert warning airlines to be vigilant about monitoring for such threats. [More]
The Other Danger Of Online Payday Loans: Identity Theft
By 4.16.15
Many people who seek online payday loans are already in a very vulnerable position when they take on the added risk of the excessive interest rates and often exorbitant fees associated with these short-term loans. But there’s another danger possibly lurking in the payday shadows: Having all their personal and financial data end up in the hands of cyber criminals. [More]
HSBC Finance Says Some Mortgage Customers’ Information May Have Been Compromised
By 4.16.15
Customers of HSBC’s U.S.-based finance division are the latest victims of a data breach, the bank confirmed this week in a letter to the New Hampshire Attorney General. [More]
FCC Looking Into Verizon “Supercookies” That Track Wireless Users’ Behavior
By 4.10.15
For years, the Internet behavior of all Verizon Wireless smartphone customers was being tracked by “supercookies” on their devices that they could not opt out of. After the tracking became public knowledge, the company recently gave its customers a way to shake off the invasive snooping, but that isn’t stopping the FCC from looking into whether the program violated federal guidelines. [More]
DEA Sued Over Secret Mass Surveillance Of Phone Calls
By 4.8.15
The backlash against the federal government’s surveillance programs continues. This time, the folks at Human Rights Watch have filed suit against the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, alleging that the DEA’s bulk collection of data related to certain phone calls made by the organization runs afoul of basic protections afforded by the Constitution. [More]
John Oliver Gets Edward Snowden To Explain Government Snooping In Terms Of Penis Photos
By 4.6.15
By June 1, Congress must decide whether or not to reauthorize certain sections of the controversial USA Patriot Act (aka the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act), but even though it’s been nearly two years since former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed the NSA’s massive and far-reaching data collection programs, many Americans either are only vaguely aware or don’t understand because it’s not easy to immediately see how things like PRISM and MYSTIC affect your daily existence. That’s why John Oliver not only went straight to Snowden for an explanation of these programs, but to have him put the snooping in terms many Internet-era perverts can understand: penis photos. [More]
Court Rules That Hulu Didn’t Know It Was Sharing Personal User Info With Facebook
By 4.2.15
Earlier this week, a federal court in California dismissed a nearly 4-year-old class-action lawsuit against Hulu that alleged the streaming video service illegally shared personal user information with Facebook. [More]
Retailers Only Have Eyes For You With Latest Online Marketing Efforts
By 4.1.15
On the one hand, it can be very convenient to get a coupon emailed to you based on your obsession with tacos. On the other, having every website you visit blast your eyes with ads for the same darn pair of lime green shoes you already bought as part of a Halloween costume and never intend to buy again. But some retailers say they’re working on tailoring such marketing efforts down to each person individually, to maximize effectiveness and cut down on irritation. [More]
Tens Of Thousands Of British Airways Frequent Flyer Accounts Hacked
By 3.30.15
If you’re having issues accessing your British Airways account to book your next flight, it’s likely a result of a weekend hack targeting the airline. [More]
Good News: RadioShack Says Consumer Information Isn’t Part Of Bankruptcy Auction
By 3.27.15
Earlier this week, we reported that the one of the assets of the former RadioShack empire up for sale is the tens of millions of names, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses that the retailer has collected from its customers. Many states’ attorneys general objected to this possible sale, noting that it may violate Texas law and the company’s own privacy policies. Fortunately, that consumer data is not yet for sale. [More]
Your Personal Data Could Be For Sale In RadioShack Bankruptcy Auction
By 3.24.15
Have you handed your name, address, e-mail address, or phone number over to RadioShack as part of a purchase or, inexplicably, when you returned an item that you bought with cash? As the bankruptcy auction of the smoldering remains of The Shack continues into its second day, we’ve learned that one of the assets for sale is RadioShack’s customer list, which includes more than 65 million mailing addresses and more than 13 million e-mail addresses. Update: The bankruptcy auction’s privacy ombudsman says that customer information isn’t for sale. Yet. [More]
Amazon’s Streaming Gaming Service Twitch Says It Might Be The Latest Victim Of A Data Breach
By 3.24.15
The long list of data breaches got a bit longer on Monday after Amazon-owned game streaming company Twitch determined hackers may have gained unauthorized access to some users’ account information. [More]
AT&T Asked RadioShack To Destroy Customer And Proprietary Information
By 3.23.15
The auction for the smoldering remains of RadioShack is happening right now at the offices of the company’s attorneys in New York City, and something caught our attention while we wait for news about the winning bidders and future of the Shack and its stores and employees. AT&T has filed an objection to the proceedings in court, asking RadioShack to destroy any sensitive information about customers and AT&T itself. [More]
Hilton HHonors Site Flaw Exposed All Accounts To Potential Hijacking
By 3.23.15
Following a report of a spike in hijacked accounts, Hilton recently asked its HHonors Awards members to change their passwords — offering them 1,000 bonus points if they did so before April 1. But cybersecurity experts say that hackers didn’t actually need passwords to take control of other folks’ HHonors accounts. [More]
Legislation Would Limit How Education Companies Use Students’ Online Data
By 3.23.15
With the use of technology now tightly tied to education, consumer advocates and parent groups have increasingly voiced concern about how student data is used. New legislation aims to alleviate worries over the exploitation of students’ personal information by placing restrictions on how that data can be used by third-party technology companies. [More]
