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Universal Opt-Out: Privacy for consumers (from Perplexity.ai)
Universal Opt-Out: Privacy for consumers (from Perplexity.ai)
What is Universal Opt-Out?
What is Universal Opt-Out?
Universal Opt-Out is a way for you to tell websites and online services that you don't want them to collect or share your personal information. It's like putting a "Do Not Disturb" sign on your internet browsing.
How it Works
How it Works
One-time Setup: You can set it up once on your computer or phone, and it works automatically when you browse the internet.
Automatic Message: It sends a message to websites you visit, saying, "Please don't collect or share my information."
Protects Your Privacy: This helps keep your personal details more private when you're online.
Why It's Helpful
Why It's Helpful
Saves Time: You don't have to opt out on every website you visit.
Easy to Use: Once set up, it works in the background without you having to do anything.
Widespread Protection: It can work on many different websites at once.
How to Use It
How to Use It
You can turn on Universal Opt-Out in some web browsers like Brave or DuckDuckGo.
Sometimes, you might need to install a small program called an "extension" on your regular browser.
Your family members or local computer shop can help you set it up if needed.
What It Means for You
What It Means for You
Using Universal Opt-Out can help protect your privacy online. It's a simple way to tell websites to be more careful with your personal information, without you having to remember to do it every time you visit a new site.
One month free Perplexity Plus and a year if our school gets 500 responses
One month free Perplexity Plus and a year if our school gets 500 responses
Get a month free of AI search engine, Perplexity
Tech Companies Caught Listening via Microphone
Tech Companies Caught Listening via Microphone
Kim Komodo featured this topic in her weekly newsletter
Kim Komodo featured this topic in her weekly newsletter
This document highlights concerns about tech companies using smartphone microphones to gather data from private conversations for targeted advertising. The focus is on Cox Media Group (CMG), which has developed Active Listening software that uses AI to capture and analyze conversations. CMG’s program combines this data with user behavior to deliver highly specific ads. While CMG claims partnerships with major companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon, these tech giants have either denied involvement in the listening program or taken steps to distance themselves after the leak. The document suggests that this type of technology is likely widespread across the industry.
Smartphone safety tips:
On an iPhone:
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
Tap Microphone and turn off access for apps you don’t want listening by toggling the green switch off.
On an Android:
Go to Settings > Personal > Privacy and safety > App Permissions.
Tap Microphone, locate the app you want to block, and toggle the microphone access off.
How disinformation from a Russian AI spam farm ended up on top of Google search results
How disinformation from a Russian AI spam farm ended up on top of Google search results
A fake article about Volodymyr Zelensky’s wife buying a Bugatti with US aid was promoted by bots.
A fake article about Volodymyr Zelensky’s wife buying a Bugatti with US aid was promoted by bots.
A piece of Russian disinformation about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's wife buying a Bugatti with American aid money spread rapidly across the internet. The false story, which started on a French website called Vérité Cachée on July 1, claimed Olena Zelenska purchased a $4.8 million Bugatti in Paris. This story, entirely fabricated, was part of a network linked to Russian propaganda, using AI to create and disseminate content. Despite Bugatti debunking the story, it was picked up by pro-Kremlin media and social media influencers, such as Jackson Hinkle, which further amplified its reach. English-language websites then reported on it, making it a top search result on Google. This case illustrates how AI-enhanced disinformation campaigns can quickly undermine public trust in media. Researchers traced the network to John Mark Dougan, a former US Marine now in Moscow, who uses AI to produce and spread disinformation at scale. NewsGuard and other researchers have identified 170 websites as part of this disinformation campaign.
Still need your landline? California regulators just stopped AT&T from pulling the plug
Still need your landline? California regulators just stopped AT&T from pulling the plug
https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2024/06/landline-phone-service-preserved-california/
Summary:
Summary:
California’s Public Utilities Commission today rejected AT&T’s application to stop providing landlines and other services in areas where there is no other option.
The Public Utilities Commission also voted 5-0 today to begin proceedings to change rules for companies that are designated a carrier of last resort. It’s time to modernize those rules, said commission president Alice Reynolds, because a lot has changed in the past 30 years, including a shift toward cell phones and away from landlines, and it’s now part of the commission’s mandate to make high-speed internet access universally available.
Example of a really harsh privacy policy
Example of a really harsh privacy policy
https://www.mossy.com/privacy-policy
Summary:
Summary:
A student recommended that we look at this. It is an example of those privacy policies that we often skip over. Maybe we need to pay closer attention?
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