IF YOU thought you could protect your privacy on the web by lying about your personal details, think again. In online communities at least, entering fake details such as a bogus name or age may no longer prevent others from working out exactly who you are.
That is the spectre raised by new research conducted by Microsoft.The computing giant is developing software that could accurately guess your name, age, gender and potentially even your location, by analysing telltale patterns in your web browsing history. But experts say the idea is a clear threat to privacy - and may be illegal in some places.
…analytical software could use a vast range of such profiles to perform a probabilistic analysis of a person’s browsing history.
…experts say the idea is a clear threat to privacy - and may be illegal in someplaces.
…”They are arguably committing offences in a number of countries under a number of different laws if they make available software that defeats the security procedures internet users deploy to protect their privacy - from export control laws to anti-hacking laws.”
Also, Here is an easy-to-read paper describing how standard CGI environment variables are sufficient to identify many users, w/out having to pay attention to IP address. A Passive Attack on the Privacy of Web Users Using Standard Log Information (pdf)
via for more...
Also, of note: Laws are now being implemented to retroactively use your data against you.
Are you now or have you ever been against our Governments 'long war'!?
Asked at the Sedition Trial of 2010?
Post a Comment