News

• Microsoft researchers say anonymized data isn't so anonymous

  Data routinely gathered in Web logs - IP address, cookie ID, operating system, browser type, user-agent strings - can threaten online privacy because they can be used to identify the activity of individual machines, Microsoft researchers say.

• Biometrics Institute to launch privacy charter

  The Biometrics Institute has announced the launch of its international privacy charter, with the document set to be released next week in Canberra.

• Facebook for the family: Family HQ launched after four week beta

  An Australian startup has added to a plethora of social networks after officially launching Family HQ; an Australian private social media site.

• Internet privacy conflicts

  The Wall Street Journal just published the sixth article in its excellent series about Internet privacy, or the lack of it.

• Surveys: Social-networking users worry about privacy

  Privacy remains a concern for a significant portion of people who use social-networking sites, if the findings from two recent surveys are any indication.

• Facebook targets face-tagging in photos

  Facebook, whose members upload more than 100 million photos every day, is testing a feature designed to streamline and increase the tagging of people in pictures.

• Privacy add-ons merged to create powerful tool for Web browsers

  A browser extension for Firefox has been combined with a set of privacy applications that give users more control over how their personal information is shared online.

• How Will Facebook Make Money?

  For many of people, Facebook is the first stop in any Web surfing session. It has developed into a highly engaging combination of online bulletin board, personal scrapbook, and group communication network. But did you ever wonder why, being all those things, Facebook is free?

• Microsoft researcher calls for information literacy

  While governments and other organizations are stepping up efforts at providing more information for public consumption, they should also provide tools to allow people to interpret this data, argued a Microsoft social media researcher.

• Facebook earns praise for privacy changes

  Facebook's decision to offer end-users simpler options to configure privacy controls on the social-networking site has received an initial thumbs-up from industry experts and privacy watchdogs.

• Internet privacy worries are eroding, Pew finds

  Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg's vision for a less private Internet is slowly coming to fruition, a survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project suggests.

• MySpace's new privacy pitch: Too little, too late

  MySpace is using Facebook's privacy fiasco for a little free publicity, announcing a one-click privacy feature that seems more like an attention grab than an actual play for Facebook users.

• Facebook fixing embarrassing privacy bug

  Facebook is fixing a Web programming bug that could have allowed hackers to alter profile pages or make restricted information public.

• Facebook privacy: mea culpa reality check

  The villagers have pitchforks and torches in hand and everyone seems to be converging on Facebook--the scourge of all things private and personal. I am here to disband the angry mob by asking the question "how did Facebook get your data in the first place?" and telling people to look in the mirror before attacking Facebook.

• Facebook unveils new security features

  Facebook took the wraps off Thursday on two new security features aimed at protecting users from phishers and other online scammers.