Will data privacy ever come first?
No. 28: Bringing you the news that matters in video privacy and security
A note from our Editor
Hi all,
A smart doorbell and security cameras installed around a house in Oxfordshire have been ruled as an invasion of the neighbour's privacy (as the devices in question captured footage of the neighbour's back of house and garden). Even though smart doorbells and home CCTV cameras are used to protect domestic security, using them still puts data handling obligations on the individual in situations where they are capturing and storing the personal data of others. Low cost, easy to install video doorbells and remote CCTV cameras offer lots of flexibility for deployment in and around homes - they are simple to buy, install and can be pointed anywhere, the burden of responsible usage and personal data protection therefore has to fall on the homeowner, rather than service and device providers. There are strict guidelines in the UK that govern the use of private CCTV systems but they don't yet extend to domestic environments. This ruling may be the first step towards looking at the area of domestic data capture - ie. individuals as data controllers with all the associated legal requirements for how that data is captured, stored and processed.
On a larger scale, both Google and Facebook are in the news again, thanks to their latest moves in the on-going privacy battle with Apple. Whilst Google is seemingly "bragging" that they have 'slowed down' EU privacy legislation advancements, they have teamed up with Facebook to try and skirt around Apple's privacy barriers on iPhones and other devices. Furthermore, both Google and Facebook are making large investments in the future of cable - to manage even more internet data traffic - in a bid to control more of the internet's infrastructure, which could lead to greater risks of data loss or breaches. In the context of growing lawsuits for both these companies, privacy worryingly still seems to be taken as a hindrance rather than a vital stepping stone to their future technological plans.
Even though privacy is increasingly considered across many areas of tech, the roles that Big tech companies are playing are advancing at such a pace that data protection legislation cannot keep up. Along with their growing global internet and data domination, much of Big tech still seems unwilling to sacrifice any kind of data for the sake of privacy, and the loopholes that they use to get around privacy are becoming increasingly difficult to block - let alone predict. Data protection agencies need to keep their policies evolving in a way that allows for future technological developments, whilst still protecting user privacy and fundamental human rights.
Emma
News
The War on Privacy: Big tech forms teams
Google and Facebook are teaming up in more ways than one: they now both own and co-own nearly 100,000 km of cable each - sparking privacy and security concerns surrounding their ownership of data. Meanwhile, they have also worked together to move around Apple's latest changes to their privacy on iPhones - by improving Facebook's ability to recognise users using browsers with blocked cookies.
Smart doorbells ruled as a possible invasion of privacy
A smart doorbell and security cameras installed in a house in Oxfordshire have been ruled as an invasion of privacy after the neighbour's back of house and garden was captured. Even though "purely domestic use" of personal data is exempt from data legislation, CCTV and smart doorbells are not.
The Guardian: Amazon asks Ring owners to respect privacy after court rules usage broke law
BBC: Neighbour wins privacy row over smart doorbell and cameras
Schools are forced to pause facial recognition plans
After the ICO has stepped in to investigate the use of facial recognition in schools, North Ayrshire Council in Scotland have temporarily paused their roll out. Privacy activists and parents are expressing serious concerns of the use of the technology in such sensitive environments as schools, and explicit guidelines need to be expressed.
BBC: Schools pause facial recognition lunch plans
The Independent: Facial recognition cameras installed in UK school canteens
The Guardian: ICO to step in after schools use facial recognition to speed up lunch queue
Tesco's making moves: fending off a potential cyber attack and a new "hands free" store
Britain's largest supermarket, Tesco, suffered a cyberattack over the weekend, rendering their website unusable by customers. They do not believe any customer information was taken. In the meantime, they have opened a hands-free checkout store in High Holborn, London as a trial, with a hope to release nationwide.
IT Pro: Tesco takes on Amazon with first checkout-free GetGo store
The Guardian: Tesco website and app back online after hack attempt
HIV Scotland is fined £10,000 for data breach
HIV Scotland have been fined £10,000 after an email was sent out containing the personal information of 105 people, including identifying people by name, and patient advocates representing people living in Scotland with HIV.
AI Snippet of the Week
Computers are changing: from number crunching to decision making
With key chipmakers pivoting to make chips more specifically tailored for AI, it seems that the way in which computers are made, how they're programmed and how they're used will ultimately change what they are for.
Policy Updates
US States are strengthening privacy laws for at-home DNA tests
US states including California, Arizona and Utah are cracking down on companies that collect DNA information for things like ancestry history. Since they are not considered medical tests, they are not under HIPAA regulation, meaning that these companies currently operate in a legal gray area.
WIRED: States Are Toughening Up Privacy Laws for At-Home DNA Tests
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