The Roadmap for Privacy by Design in Mobile Communications: A Practical Tool for Developers, Service Providers, and Users data sheet 855 Views
Author:
Cavoukian, Ann and Marilyn Prosch
Publication Date:
Dec 2010
Publication Type:
Report/White paper
Abstract:
Privacy by Design is a concept that is virally spreading around the globe. The powerful concept of engineering privacy directly into the design of new technologies, business practices and networked infrastructure, in order to achieve the doubly-enabled pairing of functionality and privacy, has gained significant adoption by governments, researchers and industry, in any number of sectors. Now that the PbD paradigm has achieved this high level of acceptance, the next major question to be addressed is – how can PbD best be operationalized?
In this guidance document, we focus on the solutions presented by the panellists – in particular, the parties to which responsibility for the implementation of each were assigned. Distinct trends were noted in the types of solution associated with each party, and it became clear that the panellists’ responses could be collected into a practical tool for developers, service providers and users – a Roadmap for Privacy by Design.
Here, we begin by describing the necessity for such a tool in the mobile industry, and then detail the Roadmap, which begins with the Device Manufacturer, travels through the OS/Platform Developer, Service Provider, and Application Developer, and ends with the responsibilities assigned to Users themselves.
Four Billion Little Brothers? Privacy, Mobile Phones, and Ubiquitous Data Collection. data sheet 2409 Views
Author:
Shilton,Katie.
Publication Date:
Aug 2009
Publication Type:
Report/White paper
Abstract:
Participatory sensing technologies could improve our lives and our communities, but at what cost to our privacy? They place calls, surf the Internet, and there are close to 4 billion of them in the world. Their built-in microphones, cameras, and location awareness can collect images, sound, and GPS data. Beyond chatting and texting, these features could make phones ubiquitous, familiar tools for quantifying personal patterns and habits. They could also be platforms for thousands to document a neighborhood, gather evidence to make a case, or study mobility and health. This data could help you understand your daily carbon footprint, exposure to air pollution, exercise habits, and frequency of interactions with family and friends.
According to the Wall Street Journal, “[Data produced by the use of mobile phones] generates immense commercial databases that reveal the ways we arrange ourselves into networks of power, money, love and trust.” As mobile phone use increases and applications become increasingly sophisticated, the volume of mobile data we create continues to grow at an incredible rate, creating new possibilities and posing new challenges to notions of privacy.
Businesses want this data for marketing. Congress wants to regulate it. Activists and privacy advocates want to ensure that it is not used to compromise their safety or freedoms. Meanwhile, projects such as UN Global Pulse want to use information gleaned from mobile phone use to detect and prevent slow-onset humanitarian crises. We invite you to join us on the evening of June 30th for our next New York City-based Mobile Tech Salon as we explore these tough questions:
How do we determine socially beneficial uses for mobile data?
How can the safety, security, and privacy of individuals be respected while using mobile data to benefit them?
How can our mobile data be effectively aggregated and anonymized? Or can’t it?
We've heard much recently about information that is being tracked by mobile phone companies (see our recent post) and app developers. However, there are more overt security threats that are potentially more dangerous.
One of these threats is referred to as either a “roving bug” or a “remote listening” application. It is essentially the same concept as a conventional audio bug, except that it requires no hardware other than a smartphone. Once installed, remote listening software enables a 3rd party to call a phone, activate its speakerphone capabilities, and secretly transmit any sounds picked by its microphone to another phone number, where it can be monitored and recorded.
In today's Mobile Minute, we look at CGAP's coverage on branchless banking and micro-insurance, report on Nielsen and mobile privacy concerns, look at how the New York Times investigates Google's mobile approach and how smartphones are collecting data about cell towers and Wi-Fi hot spots. Lastly, a meetup for those interested in mHealth and ICT4D.
Interested in how branchless banking and micro-insurance can work together? GCAP has a roundup of three different organizations (from Ghana, the Philippines, and Kenya) that have paired mobile banking and micro-insurance in order to reach the unbanked and uninsured.
Safer Photos: How to Remove Location Information from Mobile Images data sheet 15248 Views
Author:
Melissa Ulbricht
Abstract:
This article and screencast shows you how to remove location information from photos taken on a mobile phone.
In a previous post, we described how to add location information to mobile content, including images and stories. For some reports, location information adds value, context, and interest to venue-specific reports. But today, we talk about how to remove that same location information. This is also detailed, step by step, in this screencast.
Today's Mobile Minute brings you coverage on an iPhone security hole, how mobile phones are used to transfer music in Mali, Facebook's continued mobile marketing strategy, and the Guardian's updated mobile web site.
Today's Mobile Minute brings you news about the continuous lack of Facebook privacy, the disagreement between IDC and Nokia on Nokia sales figures in India, a ranking of the top five free Android apps for journalists, a TNS study that found social media trumps e-mail as the most popular use for online mobile activity, and mapping indoor spaces with smartphone apps.
Cryptosms provides sms encryption for mobile phones running j2me. It is open source and under GPL license. It uses a public/private key scheme. See cryptosms.org for more details and a list of supported devices.
Tool Category:
Runs on a mobile phone
Key Features :
Public/private key pair encryption of sms, exchange of keys, key verification via fingerprint, completely separate from the normal sms programme, no interference with normal phone operations, all data (keys, received sms, addressbook) is in a crypto container secured with a passphrase...
As smartphones proliferate around the world, we ought to remain cognizant of what information we share on those phones with applications, application developers, advertisers and marketers. Phones are incredibly personal, always on, and always with most of us. As a result, they can reveal sensitive information. In fact, it is time for smartphone users to put pressure on application developers, platform providers, and eventually legislators to protect private and potentially sensitive information.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation recently published a paper on locational privacy. Because smartphones know where we are (using GPS, and if not, using applications such as Google’s My Location service), they can reveal a lot of information about activities, patterns of behaviour, and relationships we have.
TxtMob, a group SMS service and its creator, Tad Hirsch, a long-time MobileActive colleague, have ben subpoenaed by the city of New York to turn over information about TxtMob users and activists who participated in the 2004 protests against the Republican National Convention there.
In a blow to privacy and a chilling development to activists, the city, involved in a law suit, has requested that information about text messages, phone numbers, and other personal information is turned over to the city. Support is needed, so please go to TxtMob and donate.
