Academics Investigate the Age-Old Question: Is Your Phone Secretly Spying on You?
It’s a common belief, especially after the National Security Administration’s scandal with Edward Snowden, that the U.S. Government is spying on its citizens. Tech companies don’t do much to help this case, either. For example, many people have claimed that Facebook showed them ads for dog kennels when they have no dogs — but they […]
Obama to Pardon Manning but not Snowden in Final Hour
App developers across the country have been watching whistleblower cases with particular interest after Edward Snowden’s world-changing disclosure on the true scope of the NSA’s surveillance power. The tech community has overwhelmingly been in favor of a softer approach to Snowden and whistleblowers in general, circulating petitions for years to help pressure the Obama administration […]
Alleged NSA Leak Raises Alarms over Digital Security
While users often think of their phones and laptops as digital safe deposit boxes, the truth is that data is frequently more vulnerable than we’d like to think. In the wake of security contractor Edward Snowden’s NSA leaks, a group of hackers claims to have obtained even more critical NSA data this past week, and […]
What Developers Need to Know about the Email Privacy Act
Did you know that emails older than 180 days are available to federal officials without a search warrant? This is a surprising fact to most of us, particularly given the very public debate over mobile encryption taking place thanks to the Apple vs. FBI case. While the general public tends to view their email inboxes […]
How to Build Secure Mobile Apps That Keep User Data Safe
VR may have ruled the product side of this year’s SXSW Interactive, but security was the public issue most on the minds of iPhone app developers. The recent Apple vs. FBI court case over encryption very much drew security to center stage, with President Obama commenting that “this notion that somehow our data is different […]
Apple Cites First Amendment in San Bernardino Court Case
Apple is far from throwing in the towel in their high-profile court case with the FBI this month. While law enforcement continues to portray the tech giant’s stance on creating a “back door” into their products as a roadblock to justice, iPhone app developers worldwide — and much of the American public — believe the action […]
IOS 9 Promises New Privacy and Security Features
When Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly flogged rivals like Facebook and Google for profiting from the resale and monetization of user privacy data, some industry onlookers wondered whether his words amounted to little more than posturing. However, sources revealed that the upcoming iOS 9 operating system will offer advanced privacy and security features that will […]
British PM Pledges to Ban Encrypted Personal Communications if Reelected
With a reelection campaign on the horizon, United Kingdom’s Prime Minister David Cameron has gone on record as saying that he will introduce a ban on encrypted personal communications if he is returned to office. Cameron also said he plans to give the U.K.’s security agencies the authorization to intercept communications, with the blessing […]
Tech Company Execs Fuming Mad Over NSA Spying
The tech industry, and the world at large, is still reeling from the explosive revelations made public by infamous whistleblower Edward Snowden. In a recent interview, prominent venture capitalist Marc Andreessen claims that many tech industry leaders are fuming not only over the scandal, but at the Obama administration’s refusal to scale back its surveillance […]
NSA Spying Through Popular Mobile Apps Like “Angry Birds”
According to a report co-authored by The New York Times and the U.K. newspaper The Guardian, the National Security Agency and its British equivalent are using game apps like Angry Birds to collect users’ personal information. Details of the program, obtained from classified British intelligence files, indicate that Angry Birds and other “leaky apps” are […]