Net neutrality’s back: The FCC voted to restore net neutrality, saying ISPs can’t speed up, slow down or block access to specific sites or services. The FCC also wants to stop ISPs from selling customers’ personal info or using this info to train AI models. Now, the pros and cons of net neutrality are a 20-minute lecture starting with: Do we really want to open the door to government interference and regulation of private enterprise? Drop me a note here if you want to talk about net neutrality or another burning tech topic.
John Oliver busts data brokers, spurs Congress to action
Data brokers know if you have cancer, diabetes or a baby on the way. You might think that’s illegal under HIPAA — but as John Oliver revealed in his show “Last Week Tonight,” many data brokers reveal highly sensitive medical information. To urge Congress to limit data collection, he essentially blackmailed lawmakers with private data he legally obtained.
Now, before we go further, a quick disclaimer: I’m not going to get political with this article. But it’s pretty big news in the world of data collection, so I want to tell you about it. Tap or click here to find out which apps collect the most data on you.
If you’re wondering who John Oliver is, don’t worry — I’ve got you. I’ll break down who he is, what his show covered and why this story is so huge. Keep reading to find out how this late-night comedy show could finally urge Congress into clamping down on data brokerage.
Expect surveillance
If you’re browsing the internet without special protection, nothing you do is private. There are innumerable ways you’re tracked, as John Oliver broke down during his latest “Last Week Tonight” episode. He’s a British-American comedian famous for political commentary.
His show revealed that data brokers know your name, age, salary, marital status, sexuality, religion and more. These companies see you as an item on a menu. They’ll categorize you into groups with names like Couples with Clout, Ambitious Singles, Boomers and Boomerangs, Golf Carts and Gourmets and so on.
It’s all so marketers can better sell you things they think you’d like. But it can feel incredibly invasive. As Oliver pointed out, you can opt out of certain types of data collection. Tap or click here for a tool you can use to find and opt out of all the sites collecting your data.
Luckily, there are a few ways you can rein in the tracking, like going to Settings on your iPhone, hitting Privacy and turning off the toggle that says Allow Apps to Request to Track. On your Android, go to Settings > Google > Ads and toggle the switch for Opt out of Ads Personalization.
Not all sites will let you take back control, though
As Oliver said on this show, there’s no federal law requiring data brokers to honor opt-out requests. He pointed out that this can be incredibly dangerous for victims of domestic violence. An abuser could purchase a victim’s information for as little as $45 since private data isn’t always expensive.
Report says Facebook isn't being truthful about your data and new 'privacy' tool
Reporting on Facebook is a double-edged sword. On one hand, the company makes so many newsworthy decisions and impacts so many lives that it’s impossible not to talk about them. But on the other, it’s tough to appear objective when Facebook does so many creepy things!