Privacy winds blow through Clouds towards Switzerland • The Register

Unsafe harbour

Companies with links to the US will have to prove they are not simply shipping all data to the US, and this may prove impossible. The lack of oversight and control over use of the US PATRIOT Act renders the whole Safe Harbor agreement effectively meaningless, yet companies without such links will only have local legal leverage available as an offset to the risks posed by laws that effectively seek to bypass due process. Europe may be safer, but not safe.

via Privacy winds blow through Clouds towards Switzerland • The Register.

Amazon’s and Facebook’s Ad Privacy Practices Irk Ad Agencies | Digital – Advertising Age

Two of the biggest publishers on the web don’t use the advertising industry’s standardized ad-privacy program, and it’s a problem for even the largest digital-media buyers.

Facebook and Amazon both offer targeted display advertising that can sometimes incorporate behavioral data from third parties. However, while nearly every other relevant media firm, ad network and ad-data firm either uses the industry’s self-regulatory Ad Choices program or operates one that can be easily integrated with it, Facebook and Amazon do not.

via Amazon’s and Facebook’s Ad Privacy Practices Irk Ad Agencies | Digital – Advertising Age.

Privacy Icon in Facebook Apps as Facebook Itself Opts Out | Digital – Advertising Age

Facebook is not part of the ad industry’s self-regulatory program that notifies consumers about online data collection and ad targeting, but people can find the ubiquitous AdChoices icon on Facebook anyway: in third-party apps.

Facebook was among the top sites that displayed the small blue triangle-shape icon during the past week. But the symbol didn’t show up in display ads sold by Facebook or in the behaviorally-targeted ads served its Facebook Exchange — rather, the symbol appeared in ads served in Facebook apps.

via Privacy Icon in Facebook Apps as Facebook Itself Opts Out | Digital – Advertising Age.

Data cops seek ‘urgent clarification’ on new Facebook advertiser plans • The Register

Is anyone really surprised that FB are trying to leverage the profile data they have?

The company – which plunged onto Nasdaq in May this year – is doing everything it can to shake as much ad revenue out of the site as possible by unsurprisingly proposing to open its users’ data even more. Some have suggested that this means Facebook will build unified profiles of its users akin to, say, those of Google+.

For example, now that photo-sharing site Instagram is part of the Facebook family, one of the proposals is for the company to share data across its growing estate.

via Data cops seek ‘urgent clarification’ on new Facebook advertiser plans • The Register.

You’re not anonymous. I know your name, email, and company.

Another example of why just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Privacy advocates are already looking to strangle the ad industry. This just adds fuel to the fire. Users don’t even know they need to opt-out of this kind of tracking which leads to media stories and then people blocking all tracking technologies even the benign ones which fund the web.

For example, if [a visitor] went to XYZ.com and filled out a web form and then [the visitor] later visited 42floors.com, [42Floors] would be able to identify [the visitor] by name/email as well as company details even though [the visitor] never filled out a web form on [42Floors.com].

via You’re not anonymous. I know your name, email, and company..

Sitecom adds Do Not Track to its routers | bit-tech.net

Networking specialist Sitecom has announced an extension of the security software running on its top-end router models, adding support for the Do Not Track flag to all client devices.

Introduced in the latest version of desktop browsers, and slowly making its way to mobile devices, Do Not Track is a flag which tells sites that the user does not wish to be tracked between visits. Privacy fans claim its an important step in improving the state of the web, while advertisers have decried the technology by claiming it will limit the availability and diversity of Internet content and services for consumers.

via Sitecom adds Do Not Track to its routers | bit-tech.net.

Use of Tracking Cookies on the Rise as Advertisers Seek More Data From Web Surfers | Digital – Advertising Age

Nothing new here – The number of cookies dropped by websites is growing.

The number of third-party cookies — little pieces of software set on users’ machines to track web users for ad targeting or site analytics purposes — rose from 1,887 on the home pages of the most-popular 100 websites in May to 2,324 in October, according to research from the University of California at Berkeley Center for Law and Technology. That’s a 23% leap.

via Use of Tracking Cookies on the Rise as Advertisers Seek More Data From Web Surfers | Digital – Advertising Age.

Data cops: Facebook privacy plans must be ‘modified’ • The Register

Facebook remains tied to a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) settlement that “prohibits the company from changing privacy settings without the affirmative consent of users or misrepresenting the privacy or security of users’ personal information”.

Indeed, as of November 2011, Facebook agreed to bi-annual privacy audits for two decades as part of its deal with the FTC. At the time the US watchdog said Facebook must be clear about changes to its website, including providing a “prominent notice” to users.

The social network was told it should obtain “express consent” before a user’s information is shared beyond any privacy settings already established by an individual connected to Facebook.

Arguably then, Facebook is failing to honour at least part of its agreement with the FTC: the website did inform all of its users of the plans in an email outlining the proposed tweaks. But it may have fallen down on the requirement to seek “express consent” for sharing data beyond the limits set in place by users. That said, the stateside regulator is yet to publicly express any disquiet about the company’s incoming privacy policy overhaul.

In contrast, here in Europe, the office of Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner confirmed late last week that it was seeking “urgent clarification” from Facebook – whose European headquarters are in Dublin – about the changes.

via Data cops: Facebook privacy plans must be ‘modified’ • The Register.