KatsBits Community

General Category => Blog => Topic started by: kat on November 07, 2015, 07:51:49 PM

Title: Our Privacy isn't click-bait
Post by: kat on November 07, 2015, 07:51:49 PM
Be wary of click-bait articles like the one recently published in The Times, "Nobody cares about your dull life, my friend" (deliberately not being linked to by the way). Fortunately it's partially hidden behind a paywall so those not subscribed to that website won't be subjected to the diatribe of someone that either doesn't understand how data is collected and used, or does and just doesn't care (seems more of the latter than former given the supercilious tone of the article - "if you have nothing to hide...").
Quote
"Your life is dull, my friend[1]. Your affairs are drab and uninteresting[2]. Nobody wants you stupid PIN or your £832 life savings[3]. Nobody cares if you wrote a rude limerick about your boss[4] or signed an online petition in favour of seal-clubbing[5]... [6]"

[1] don't presume...

[2] cf. [6].

[3] tell that to Talk Talk customers (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3288127/Cyber-hacking-victims-fury-charged-245-leave-TalkTalk-call-grow-boss-step-down.html) finding their personal information being used to carry out various frauds, or members of Ashley Madison (ostensibly men it should be noted) being blackmailed after their details were obtained (http://siliconangle.com/blog/2015/09/06/ashley-madison-blackmail-for-bitcoin-scam-reaping-profits-for-extortionists/), or the c.500 million (UK) lost to credit card fraud in 2014 (http://www.theukcardsassociation.org.uk/plastic_fraud_figures/index.asp) (£1+ billion for all types of personal finance fraud). The list is endless...

[4] except perhaps "your boss" who might then fire the individual (freedom to speak goes both ways, freedom + consequence).

[5] tell that to Sir Tim Hunt (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11732143/Sir-Tim-Hunt-deserved-to-lose-his-job-over-chauvinist-comments-Nobel-Prize-winner-says.html), or Richard Dawkins (http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jun/09/is-richard-dawkins-destroying-his-reputation), or any number of persons, famous or not (http://www.wired.com/2013/03/richards-affair-and-misogyny-in-tech/), that have fallen foul of the online (often Twitter based) 'offense brigade' mobs, who, with the backing of poorly researched main-stream press, including the Times, often results in people loosing their jobs for the things they say. The list is long for this one too...

[6] it should be a great surprise then, just how much money and effort criminals and Governments alike put in to acquiring such "uninteresting" data, GCHQ, the NSA, spying agencies around the world spend trillions, at tax-payers expense, in their efforts to do so. Either it's a quango (con), or contrary to the article authors statement(s), our personal data is incredibly valuable for all sorts of reasons.
Title: Re: Our Privacy isn't click-bait
Post by: ratty redemption on November 07, 2015, 09:06:49 PM
well said kat.

it's very irresponsible for these "professional" main stream journalists to post articles like that, because some of their readers will take them at face value.

every day, my email account has several emails automatically flagged as spam. nearly all trying to trick naive people into giving out personal details, to then be used by criminals or marketing companies etc. i don't mind receiving them, because i know not to reply to, or click on any links in them. which often the service providers will warn users not to.

especially any links that are worded like "click here to unsubscribe from our service" because those just confirm to the spammers that the email account is active, and that the user is uneducated or foolish enough to click on links from strangers. i learned that the hard way when i was younger.

if our personal data wasn't being treated like the new gold rush, then hardly any phishing spam would be sent.

Title: Re: Our Privacy isn't click-bait
Post by: kat on November 07, 2015, 11:35:42 PM
The authors tune would change tout de suite if their card details were half-inched and account cleared of their £832/life savings.
Title: Re: Our Privacy isn't click-bait
Post by: ratty redemption on November 08, 2015, 12:08:06 AM
agreed, and whether someone has £1000 savings or £10 million, if it took them considerable time and effort to acquire that amount, then it's going to be a big deal to them. only an idiot or someone extremely spoiled would scoff at loosing money to fraud. besides it could happen more than once to the same person, if they were unlucky, and if the criminals consider them a soft target.

i'm not suggesting any of us should be paranoid, just aware these things can and unfortunately do happen, so we can at least try to minimize the risks.