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Looking for "Privacy"

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carlp • Aug 27, 2024, 1:01 pm EDT

Telegram Founder & CEO Arrested in France in Chilling Blow to Free Speech

The arrest of Pavel Durov, the visionary behind Telegram, in Paris on Saturday marks a dangerous precedent in the global war against free speech. Durov, who has been a staunch defender of privacy and free communication, was detained at Le Bourget Airport by French authorities under the pretext of an ongoing investigation into cybercrimes. This alarming move raises serious concerns about the lengths to which governments will go to suppress platforms that champion unfiltered discourse and protect user privacy. Durov, whose private jet touched down on August 24, was swiftly apprehended by France’s National Anti-Fraud Office. The arrest is linked

3 minutes

johnd • Aug 15, 2024, 3:22 pm EDT

Another Week, Another Massive Data Leak

In what could be one of the most significant data breaches in history, the Social Security numbers of virtually every American may have been compromised. This breach, potentially affecting billions, highlights the ongoing vulnerabilities in the way sensitive information is stored and managed. Four months ago, a notorious hacking group, identified as USDoD, claimed to have stolen an extraordinary amount of personal data from a major data broker known as National Public Data (NPD). This broker provides personal information to a range of clients, including employers, private investigators, and agencies conducting background checks. The hacking group initially offered to sell

3 minutes

johnd • Jul 12, 2024, 2:07 pm EDT

AT&T Data Breach Highlights Need to Rethink Data Collection Practices

In a stark reminder of the risks in the digital age, AT&T has disclosed a massive data breach exposing the call and text records of tens of millions of its cellphone customers and many non-AT&T customers. The breach, which occurred between May 1, 2022, and October 31, 2022, brings to light critical issues in how and why data is collected and stored, raising questions about the necessity and security of such practices. The Scope of the Breach AT&T’s announcement revealed that the compromised data includes the telephone numbers of “nearly all” of its cellular customers, as well as those of

3 minutes

Kenneth Shortrede • Jun 19, 2024, 11:24 am EDT

Apple’s AI Integration: Privacy Sacrificed at the Altar of Security

This is an opinion piece written by Kenneth Shortrede, Senior Software Engineer at Byte Federal. His opinions are his own, Byte Federal stands with him against the relentless invasion and erosion of privacy across the globe. In its relentless march towards innovation, Apple has announced plans to weave artificial intelligence (AI) into every fabric of its ecosystem. This ambitious vision promises a seamless, intuitive user experience powered by sophisticated AI algorithms. However, beneath this veneer of convenience lies a stark reality: the erosion of user privacy. Apple has long marketed itself as a champion of user privacy, often touting its

4 minutes

carlp • May 16, 2024, 9:25 am EDT

Tornado Cash Conviction Sets A Dangerous Precedent

A Dutch court has convicted Alexey Pertsev, a developer behind the crypto-anonymizing service Tornado Cash, sparking a heated debate about privacy rights and regulatory overreach. Pertsev was sentenced to more than five years in prison for his alleged role in laundering $1.2 billion in cryptocurrency. The case highlights escalating tensions between privacy in the digital age and the application of longstanding banking regulations to new industries. The Role of Crypto Mixers in Maintaining Privacy Tornado Cash, like other crypto mixers, operates by obscuring the origins and destinations of cryptocurrency transactions. This process is designed to enhance user privacy by mixing

3 minutes

arusso • Apr 24, 2024, 10:43 am EDT

SEC Lawyers Resign After Federal Judge Criticizes Agency in Crypto Case

Two lawyers from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Michael Welsh and Joseph Watkins, have resigned following a significant reprimand from a federal judge. The judge criticized the Wall Street regulator for abuse of power concerning legal action against a cryptocurrency platform, Digital Licensing Inc. Details of the Alleged Misconduct In July, the SEC filed charges against DEBT Box and its executives, accusing them of defrauding investors out of at least $49 million. Following these charges, the court, led by Judge Shelby, agreed to the SEC’s request to freeze the company’s assets and place the firm into receivership. However, the

2 minutes

johnd • Apr 18, 2024, 12:24 pm EDT

House Passes FISA 702 Renewal & Looks to Expand Surveillance Powers

Instead of letting the Patriot Act expire, the way it was always intended to, it’s being expanded. The US House of Representatives has passed the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), embedded within the Reauthorization of the Intelligence Surveillance Act (RISAA). The bill, passed last Friday, contains what could be the most substantial expansion of domestic surveillance since the Patriot Act, according to critics like Senator Ron Wyden, who described the expanded powers as “terrifying.” Under the existing framework, electronic communications service providers such as Verizon and Google are compelled to assist the NSA in

2 minutes

arusso • Feb 20, 2024, 10:07 am EST

Is Self Custody Under Attack?

Significant concerns have been raised about the future of financial autonomy, as the United Kingdom appears to be tightening its grip on cryptocurrency transactions, particularly those involving self-custodial wallets. Kraken, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, has been compelled to inquire into its UK users’ self-custodial wallet activities, citing unspecified local regulations. Kraken’s Unprecedented Request to UK Users Kraken’s recent directive to its UK clientele to verify their self-custodial wallets or validate their identities marks a departure from the traditional ethos of cryptocurrency, which values privacy and user autonomy. This development, first highlighted by Kraken’s UK user James Van Straten, signifies a

3 minutes

johnd • Jan 25, 2024, 2:11 pm EST

EFF and 110+ NGOs Challenge the UN’s Cybercrime Treaty

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and 110 other groups have united to convey to the United Nations that they are unhappy with a proposed treaty on cybercrime. Since May 2021, countries in the United Nations have been working together to create a set of rules for dealing with cybercrime. If these rules are accepted by all the countries in the UN, it would be the first time the UN would have a firm agreement on how to handle cyber issues. This agreement could become a definitive set of rules worldwide, helping countries work together to stop and investigate cybercrime and

2 minutes

johnd • Oct 26, 2023, 1:10 pm EDT

A Risk to Financial Privacy: Unpacking FinCEN’s New Rule Proposal

In a world where data is the new oil, privacy is a luxury few can afford. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is proposing new rules that would significantly encroach on the privacy of Bitcoin and crypto users in the US and could, in fact, threaten the entire existence of companies doing business in the industry. The proposal aims to make sweeping changes to how financial entities, from banks to Bitcoin and crypto services, handle information related to transactions involving “mixing.” Mixing is typically defined roughly as a process used to obfuscate the origins of cryptocurrency funds. The biggest problem in FinCEN’s

3 minutes