Get off Fb. I don’t understand people who continue to support that platform.
37
You can run but, you can't hide.
5
Folks,
No one is doing a followup investigation of the security breaches at Equifax, Marriot etc. I believe now that the SSN, DoB, PP# and DL#'s of most Americans have been compromised by either foreign governments or criminals. Is the new Federal real ID secure? How do you make sure your online banking accounts are secure? I think a lot of us are just waiting with our heads in the sand, waiting for the proverbial storm to blow over. NYT should come up with a manual to secure that aspect before its too late ....
19
I would encourage everyone to go to Firefox. I have been a loyal Firefox users for about 15 years and never jumped on the Chrome bandwagon. Firefox has never been better!
The trick is to not pull all your eggs in one basket, and that is what Google is trying to do. Phone, Browser, email, search, etc ... all through them for maximum data collection. The best way to protect your privacy is to reduce your footprints with any given company as much as possible.
Lastly, for the more savvy people out there, take a look into pi-hole. You run it on a Raspberry Pi (whole thing cost ~$50 to put together) and it does DNS blocking of 'bad' websites. These include the truly dangerous or just the run of the mill tracker. Looking over the stats it collects, roughly 22% of my requests are to these 'bad' sites.
13
Some years ago, for a time, I was the security officer for a major university. Back then, all student names and addresses were available to the public. Part of my job was to decide which students were not required to have their information on public display. I can understand why celebrities, people with restraining orders against other people, and some others want such information kept private. However, I don't really understand why there is such animosity toward the types of advertising related information that Google and others collect and use to support free access. If I have to look at advertising on the internet, I would rather look at ads that are related to my interests rather than those that have no relevance to me. So I am curious as to what harm is likely to come to me if I don't take the steps to maximize the various privacy settings. How much of a reduction in in the various services supported by advertising are people willing to accept to gain more privacy?
@CaseyR This is the argument that law enforcement offers when they justify tracking everybody's movements via scanning plates. The problem is that power ALWAYS goes too far. Immoral and amoral schemers comprise a large percentage of our population. I would hope my security officer would be ever skeptical. It's his only tool.
18
Go to the store, pay cash. Buy goods and services from local vendors not Amazon. Do not use Google to browse and delete browser history. Talk on the phone using an inexpensive landline. Mail a letter with a stamp. These may keep HAL 9000 from knowing everything one day!
19
Existing online as an Avatar, is and always has been the best way to avoid tracking, and solve most privacy issues.
Using a prepaid debit card, purchased with cash transactions, always from a different location while traveling or outside your normal locale, also goes a long way in keeping your financial information just between you and your bank.
I always purchase debit cards with leftover travel cash as I transit an airport between connections, for use during the next month to pay bills, or make purchases online.
11
To really ensure your location isn't compromised when browsing, try the TOR project. Be patient - browsing will be slower.
7
Don't forget "new private window" access of websites (what it is called on safari) - this at least prevents sites (including the NYTimes!) from downloading the various facebook, google and other social media cookies on to your computer. Check this out - delete all your cookies, go on the NYTimes site without a private window and then recheck your cookies to see what the Times downloaded. Pretty amazing. And I was creeped out recently by an email from the NYTimes telling me what I had been reading for the last year. Mr. Confessore could write more about the Times own collection of our data!
30
"while meeting with confidential sources, I don’t want to risk that an app on my phone might be sending Facebook my location."
anyone meeting with confidential sources should turn off their phone prior to leaving the house and insist their contact do the same. Even if Facebook isn't tracking you the phone company is, able to see the cell towers your phone pings. And it turns out they sell this info to anyone as the NYT reported https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/10/business/location-data-privacy-apps.html and also reported in https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/01/t-mobile-sprint-and-att-still-selling-your-location-data-report-says/ A company suspicious of who Nick Confessore is talking to can simply watch everywhere he goes, perhaps also watching employees they suspect to see who is talking. Both phones in the same place, bingo!
17
I’m reading this article on the NYT app, which I like. But what kind of data does it harvest? Is there a detailed log of which articles I’ve read and the ones I just skimmed? The capability is there to capture all kinds of useful information.
It would be nice if the Times could talk about their own platform a bit and perhaps set an ethical example of good policies that are easy for the users to understand.
39
People need to wake up and realize that FACEBOOK & Google are data miners. Period. They sell your data to whomever and whatever organization will pay them a decent price for it. NOTHING in life is free folks. We are selling our souls and we are not making them accountable for their actions. That goes for the NYT's. Your organization ( and your organization is NOT ALONE) is astutely aware of many of the "highest bidders" FACEBOOK & Google sells information too. So WHY do you perpetuate the travesty??? If a large majority of the Public acted and cancelled their FACEBOOK & Google Accounts, both organizations would be disempowered. Still rich... they've already made billions but they would be dimempowered. They are getting away with destroying the privacy of the masses because we are allowing them to do so. Accountability is the responsibility of EVERYONE.
16
Interesting and helpful article until the end:
.
"For now, the only such device in my home is in my older daughter’s room. She really, really wanted a Google Home."
.
C'mon. Sometimes you just gotta play Dad. Go take the thing out, tell her why, again, and deal with the bad mood. The thing is bad and you know it. That's why they make parents. Go be a good one.
32
the back scratcher is great, i never travel without it.
For privacy protection, don't forget "new private window" access of websites (what it is called on safari) - this at least prevents sites from downloading the various facebook, google and other social media cookies on to your computer. To see the concern, check this out - delete all your cookies, go on a site without a private window and then recheck your cookies to see what the site downloaded. Even for news media sites. Pretty amazing.
5
I hate LinkedIn. Years ago I had a LinkedIn account, then the company I worked for told its employees we could not have LinkedIn accounts. So I closed my account. But it's like I never left! I was constantly getting e-mails from LinkedIn and nothing I could do seemed to be able to stop it.
So finally I turned off the e-mail account that LinkedIn was using, which was a royal pain as I had to switch a whole bunch of companies / websites to use the new e-mail account. But it was worth it, because I haven't had a single LinkedIn e-mail since doing that. I hate LinkedIn.
17
Isn’t all that information-collecting just their way of convincing advertisers to give them money? So they target me with ads. Not too scary. The article doesn’t even mention identity theft, which actually is scary. I slept better after we did a credit freeze to protect ourselves.
3
"Hey, Sonos, why can’t I just play my songs directly from my phone’s Music app?"
This is Apple's doing, not Sonos. The Music app is tied to Apple's own line of speaker, the HomePod. Other apps such as Spotify allows you to connect directly to Sonos without having to open the Sonos app.
8
Seems to me that protecting consumer privacy online should be a winning political issue in 2020. Where are the candidates on this?
37
I've never wanted to use any social media, especially Facebook, for all the reasons that have come out about their invasiveness.
LinkedIn is the only platform I'm on and initially signed up to help a cousin build her business network. I found myself in agreement with the author until it got to this near the end:
"I’ve shied away from voice-activated speakers like Amazon Echo. I find these devices extremely creepy. For now, the only such device in my home is in my older daughter’s room. She really, really wanted a Google Home."
Is it just me or is there a disconnect?
17
Several years ago I became aware of the way Facebook was invading our privacy and I lost a friend who kept posting pictures that included me in spite of asking her not to. I never did much on the site, never "liked" anything, and finally disabled the account. As for my Android phone: I always keep location off unless I need to call a ride service or get directions. I disable, disable, disable apps I can't remove.
Because I live in a country where cell phone theft is rampant, I do not use the internet on my phone for any reason, no banking, no email, nada.
Of course, it's my privilege to be retired and therefore really have no need to go online unless I'm at home where I use a computer. We use Whatsapp for messaging here and since I left Facebook, I don't get any more messages from them on that account.
I've read that 99% of cells get hacked. Maybe that's not true but even so, having all that personal data in an object that can easily be stolen gives me heebie jeebies.
Until we have better privacy protection on line, I'm cautious and guard my privacy as much as possible at a time when your every online click is being monetized by Social media giants
8
Thanks for reminding me to check all my phone apps for permissions, which I do periodically. Several needed their privacy settings updated and permissions to access other parts of my phone turned off. As I have an Android phone, I know that Google is tracking me, but I opt out of "personalized" ads. They are too creepy.
I choose to leave the location setting on just in case I am lost and need to be found. As an older adult, one can't be too careful, putting safety above privacy.
9
Love Mr. Confessore’s work. Understand sensitive nature of it and respect the effort he is making to safeguard that information. I’m retired now and have no sensitive connections. I feel comfortable that the boring details of my location, shopping, entertainment, etc. are not worth trying to conceal. I’m just doing what everybody else is.
3
Sonos sounds great but I dislike the app, too! But the app is likely collecting information about the music choices we're playing. Must confounding them, though, with me searching for Verdi and my teenage daughter playing her Lil Uzi Vert.
3
One thing I wouldn’t recommend is publishing precisely what privacy-protection measures I use in the New York Times . . .
12
Here in Canada there was a big uproar when Statistics Canada (a federal govt agency) announced it would be tracking a number of consumers to gather financial use patterns and data anonymously. Obviously, lots of privacy protections but people went berserk.
Meanwhile, all these same people are carrying around tracking devices with cameras and audio capabilities that track and catalog their every move - the East German Stasi would be amazed at what we're doing voluntarily. Maybe Stats Canada should just ask Google and Facebook to give them this info directly?
19
@SMC
You probably heard the new news that Revenue Canada is passing data onto the IRS without previously informing anyone.
By the way: the East German Stasis did not do amazement.
11
I've been using StartPage.com (formerly ixquick.com) for searching for many years. They advertise themselves as the "world's most private search engine". I don't know how true that is , but I do my best to avoid google.
6
We hear a lot about Google and Facebook, but what about Microsoft, and their Outlook e-mail and Edge browser? Also, Microsoft is making more apps available for the iPhone. Any issues there?
5
"I’m now hyper-conscious that every like, thumb click and scroll may go into my permanent Facebook record." Thank goodness I'm not the only one. I am comforted by this article, and know I'm not a paranoid nut thinking my internet activity is constantly tracked, even though I've never had a facebook account, never seen Instagram or Twitter (except photos of screen shots), run three ad-block programs, never had anything other than a flip phone, and don't own Apple products or use Windows 10. I have a land line at home and a land line at my law office- still gotta get a warrant for those- and I manage just fine. I was born during the Eisenhower administration, maybe that makes me cautious.
14
@vandalfan
You mention the Eisenhower administration. Those were the days - when the USA had a real president instead of the present fake POTUS disaster.
20
I feel the same way about most of these "helpful" home gadgets. If you want a thermostat that really learns Auber works great. Have had it for almost 12 years and I can call it and turn it on if I need the house warmed while out. Other than that what else would I need it to do? We have become obsessed with watching other people live versus living. I am not on Instagram, barely use Facebook other than the occasional sharing of NYT article and think I have sent one tweet when I first signed up when Twitter started. I don't have time to like someone's photos I still have countries to visit, national parks to see and new experiences to have. You may see the pics on my phone if I remember to show you, no likes required.
13
DuckDuckGo may not collect your info but their partner, Amazon, does.
13
Privacy is dead.
The idea of hiding doesn't seem to work any more.
Do we need to move in groups or herds and look like everybody else in zebra style?
Do we have to hold together more in solidarity and spread our information like a school of fish, the sharks can't get us all and might get confused?
Should we research two themes at once, that they are led off track, like the birds that limp and run away from the tree with their nest?
Maybe we should dump false information near our true values that if it is stolen it will ruin the thieves, like all the toxic plants do?
Should we take in several virtual identities like the parrots that mimic the cries of other birds?
Or is it just a matter of time, that we change our culture and develop a neutral look, like the snake that lies on it's back and pretends it is dead?
Maybe we should start to swap our social media accounts and our phones regularly like the Canadian geese that swoop places when flying?
Maybe we should multiply good journalists and reward them better, like the bees and ant's that with their sheer numbers are invincible?
41
Lieber Markus - Ihr Englisch ist hervorragend! I wish I could write German the way you do English. Congrats!
Here are a few suggestions re: your animal-kingdom remarks:
1) Zebras are individuals too, not all the same. Each looks different. If you take the trouble to get to know them.
2) Sharks, seals, etc, all love schools of fish. Seals even drive fish into schools to make dinner more plentiful and yummy. I've seen it myself.
3) Birds limping away from a tree dragging their nest with them? Hmm. If you say so.
4) We've got a toxic plant called Daphne, which seems named after a Richard Strauss opera. Not his best.
5) Parrots don't just mimic other birds. They are also able to mimic a Mensch. Cosima Wagner, widow of Richard Wagner, had a parrot who loved to mimic her daughter Eva who had a problem, constantly belching. Bad parrot.
6) Dogs do the trick of lying on their backs and feigning rigor mortis. They usually want to be massaged or, better, given a treat. Snakes never look "neutral."
7) You could make your point about Canada Geese better. They don't "swoop" much. The leader in the V-formation moves back every so often and is replaced by a goose from the V. Impressive.
8) Ants do seem invincible, likewise cockroaches. But bees are in big trouble these days, attacked by killer bees from warmer climates and bee illnesses which cause whole hives to commit suicide. The bee population is a real canary in the mine for Planet Earth. See Albert Einstein.
13
"We’re a pretty analog family. Aside from the requisite phones, laptops and iPad, I don’t have a lot of gear."
Missed irony alert. Unless his household is still listening to records and cassette tapes, there is no such thing as being an "analog family."
32
The article pretty much confirms what I've thought all along. That privacy is a thing of the past. What I try to do instead is not stand out. Watch what I post on Facebook and don't use websites I don't know. If you have a cell phone you can be tracked. More than this what can you do?
8
I’ve yet to be convinced as to why I should care if FB or any other company tracks my browsing habits. At least the advertisements I see are more relevant.
These services are not free to provide to consumers and utilization of user data is how consumers pay. The information you enter online is not private! Know that and live with it.
2
@Brian
I've always thought that if anyone is foolish enough to reveal data of any real import on social media that he deserves whatever befalls him. Otherwise, so much of our lives is a matter of public record that the alarm of ALL THE DATA Google and the like are collecting is overreaction.
So what if Google sees that I've told FB friends that I'm at a certain restaurant? A bit of research will show that I do not respond to most ads except when I'm feeling mischievous and I report them as being sexually explicit regardless of what they are really. If a firm is dumb enough to pay for this information it doesn't impact my life in the least.
8
@Jeffrey, I say the same thing about the ads that I see on FB. But I hate bothering with them. I try to tune them out. But sometimes I have a newsfeed full of a series of ads. Also, I don't always provide correct personal information; now, I wish I'd provided little to none.
1
Occasionally someone will point out that one can’t enjoy free services without the providers getting funding from somewhere (e.g. through selling targeted ads) – that consumers are essentially bartering their personal data for various modern conveniences.
Fair enough at some level…except for the implication that we’re getting fair market value. If large tech companies were simply making ends meet (and turning a modest profit), their headquarters would be less elaborate, and their employees would not be driving housing prices up. Our personal data is clearly worth vastly more than such companies are willing to admit.
Collect less data, or “pay” us what it’s actually worth. Either way, let us come to the table and negotiate the terms for the exchange. Anything else is some combination of theft and fraud.
28
When was the last time you purchased a product and negotiated a price for which the good was “actually worth?” Probably never. Go tell Apple their latest phone isn’t worth $1000 and see if you can get a discount.
If you don’t like the terms, don’t use the service. No one requires you to use FB, Twitter, etc. Maybe someday those services will offer a full privacy paid account option but I doubt consumers would be willing to part with their money for it.
3
@A Commercials on broadcast TV, available free, over the airwaves, was a necessary source of funding in the 1950's and 1960's, but now there are cable and satellite systems, which the consumer pays. I pay Spectrum enough to be ad-free.
4
@Brian
I would.
4
I do recommend going back to Firefox, as it works very well for me, both on my PC and my Android phone. DuckDuckGo is a good choice too for both devices too.
The choice of Gmail for company email service at the NY Times mystifies me. I would not trust an outside entity for this important business function. I certainly don't trust Google, as their reason for being is to monetize every last bit of data that they can collect about both users and non-users.
37
@Eric Phillips
The NYT probably chose gmail/Chrome, as did my former employer, because it's free. What I found so remarkable is that the interface between the two isn't very good and that some websites weren't fully functional on Chrome and I'd have to open them in 'ol reliable, Firefox.
4
@Eric Phillips I wouldn't trust them because they're probably seeing who their sources are. Watch for major leaks and outings of journalistic sources in the future. Sure they have decent products and their motto is "do no evil" but really do you believe such a behemoth catering to stock prices will actually follow that creed? Laughable.
8
@Eric Phillips, isn't Firefox and Yahoo owned by the same company? And Yahoo email has been hacked.
The Opera browser for windows offers a free virtual private network (VPN) for browsing, although it does not seem to be available on its mobile app. Tunnel Bear, an app available on Google, offers a free VPN for 500 MB, $10 monthly or $60/year for unlimited data.
1
I’m off social media just because of the mean comments. It started out so nice with friends and family sharing events but now the snark just makes me sad. I do miss it though.
8
If you try Firefox again, use the multi account containers add-on. It allows you to group sites into separate sandboxes. It's good for things like staying signed into your business and personal Gmail accounts at the same time. It is also nice for privacy, since the sites in one container have no knowledge of any browsing you do in other containers. You can setup a container just for Facebook, just for Google, one for banking, one for bills, etc.
21
I still have Windows 7 on my laptop, but use Linux almost always. Anymore it is not difficult to run both Linux and Windows/ IOS on the same machine for those things ( ie, Turbotax ) one can't do without.
Office suite programs, email clients, chat programs are all available, and most have been developed with an eye toward
strong personal privacy and configurability.
Linux is definitely techy and can be daunting, but it is possible to try many versions out from a CD without changing anything.
For some further info, look at Ubuntu.org or linuxmint.com, and the free software foundation - fsf.org.
9
@Mac I understand your reasoning for qualifying your recommendation of Linux by pointing out that it is "techy.". However, I would like to stress that for most people (people who do almost everything in a browser but sometimes write a document or make a simple spreadsheet), Linux can be easier. In both Ubuntu and Linux Mint, nearly all the software necessary is installed from the beginning. Many printers now work without having to install drivers. No need to install a PDF reader, etc. All software updates in the same place, so programs don't randomly pop up begging to be updated. No worries of whether you remembered to tell the updater not to install that toolbar you don't want. Many updates don't even require a restart and can be done in the background. The OS won't reset your default apps to MS stuff or spam you with ads for edge and office 365.
Tl;Dr: If you think you can get by with a Chromebook or smart phone, but want to keep a computer around, Linux will most likely be a good fit for you (and offer much more than a Chromebook).
2
Love the humanity represented by the backscratcher! An honest tool that supports you without any expectations of getting something back in the deal.
44
It seems to me that a backscratcher always gets something “back” in the deal . . .
3
Obviously, privacy is a huge topic and this article only touches on some light stuff. Various companies (not just Google and Facebook) can track you in so many ways now (on- and offline), and it's a losing battle, at least for now. I remember an old article from the Scientific American about how a company was experimenting in Toronto with tracking people via Wi-Fi: if your phone's Wi-Fi is on but not yet connected to a network, what it does is continuously searching for a network to connect to, while at the same time also broadcasting certain device-specific details which can identify you. Doesn't matter if you choose not to share your location; this thing can do it anyway.
While we're discussing approaches to privacy, I'd like to hear Mr Confessore's thoughts on American vs European laws (GDPR) on this. Are laws in the EU making a real, tangible difference beyond the legalese?
49
Many years ago, when I worked in radio, I had a personal rule that I would treat any microphone in the studio as an open mic going straight on the air. It saved me from a number of potentially job ending screwups. Now smart phones and voice activated speakers make everywhere we go a place that really does have an active microphone. Everywhere. All the time. Nowdays, maybe the smart plan is to say nothing at all, ever.
33
@LWeb
Read CITY OF SILENCE by MA Jingfang in the anthology INVISIBLE PLANETS edited by Ken Liu.
3
Seven years ago I took up nature journaling (that's pen on paper) which led to learning how to use watercolors. I find that it keeps me off the streets and away from technology.
65
@Kathleen, I read hardcopy books (from the library and occasionally the bookstore), magazines, and newspapers. So, similar. But I also read content online.
8
Google's ex-motto: Don't be evil. How ironic.
37
A home audio tip: ditch the Sonos, and install one or more Apple AirPorts in your network. Plug in the speakers of your choice (from cheap computer speakers to anything else with a 1/8" stereo plug) and then you can stream your music from any Apple device on your net. You can stream direct from your iPhone or use Remote on your iPhone to control an iTunes library on a computer. Handy and easy.
4
@coz85
Here's my tip. Put down or turn off your "devices" and make your own music. No privacy invasions possible.
9
@WaunaLand This is true with my CDs as well, played through a small unconnected stereo player.
9
@WaunaLand
I downloaded all my LPs, CDs and Apple Music to an old Mac.
4
I'm newly retired and cutting costs. Want to stop paying monthly for Microsoft Office, but I need a reasonably secure substitute for Outlook. I get creeped out when a word I write in an email shows up in ads - looking at you, Gmail.
27
@Maracia Protonmail, and it also has an app. Very secure.
6
@Maracia have you tried Mozilla Thunderbird? It's not the prettiest, but it is probably the mail client that best approximates the features of Outlook. It is the default mail client on Ubuntu and some other Linux distributions.
6
Was in a similar position a couple years ago and made the move to FastMail. Very happy with it.
What I’ve learned is that any email provider that respects your data is probably not going to be free. A bit of an adjustment after years with Gmail, but I’m OK with that!
13
I’ve had a difficult time explaining to my family why their online privacy should concern them. My intuition leads me to caution but I’ve been ineffective at formulating a compelling narrative for them. I would love to see that covered in an article like this.
59
Nick, if you ever read the comments, get a Yamaha THR10 amp for your guitars. It is a great practice amp and is the best solution for at home guitar sound without upsetting your neighbors. I have absolutely no affiliation with Yamaha, just another guy trying to get good sounds at home.
9
We're well on our way to implementing our own version of China's horrific "social credit score". The pieces are in place and all it takes is a government with a will to stitch them all together. Whatever Facebook and Google lack,m the NSA has. We're not in tinfoil hat territory here, all someone has to do is flip a switch. Rife with the opportunity for political manipulation, the Chinese system is armed with dire real world consequences, placing restrictions on one's future finances, housing, ability to travel - even locally, and marital prospects. With the ultimate purpose of turning its massive population into a herd of docile consumerist zombies, there has barely been heard a peep of protest. Sound familiar?
61
@stan continople
If you haven’t read 1984, do. We’re well on our way to.
7
@stan continople did a search on myself recently, to see what my credit score and online profile contains. One vendor used a phrase describing the result one would get, and it was nearly identical to 'social credit score'.
These background checks, so common in applying for employment, include every imaginable 'public' source of information on you....and the list of sources of information is a long one. Social Security, Department of Motor Vehicles, Credit Reporting Agencies, CORA databases, Social Media, etc., etc....
Available in some places for less than $25 bucks.
See "Stellar Wind"
former NSA operative William Binney who was a senior NSA crypto-mathematician, held his thumb and forefinger close together. "We are, like, that far from a turnkey totalitarian state."
10
We already have that. Your FICO score says hello.
5
My tech savvy 80 year old father always said Facebook wasn't safe. Now I wish I had listened to him.
70
@Doris O
The herd are the ones who have dragged the rest of us onto Facebook. They tyranny of the majority. Originally, it was a good idea. Now it's threatening to cost us our freedom, if it hasn't already in the last national election.
10
What would be really interesting is for the media to start looking into why any efforts to reward consumers (who own the personal data) are not moving forward.
the reality is that big media is getting wealthy on selling our data. it is high time for us, as the owners of our data..to get some of that scratch...
76