A Model for Your Data Double: What Your Behaviour Tells Algorithms
Have you thought about the impacts of your actions while online? Maybe you have deleted a post that you made in error, or accidentally clicked on an ad while browsing the web. Although these actions were accidental to you, they may have been perceived as intentional actions that characterize your online identity to an algorithm […]
Job-seeking in the Digital Age
As this academic year draws to a close, students looking toward their graduation with be flooding the job market looking for exciting opportunities to start off their careers. Many of them will head straight to the internet to kick-off their job search, relying on online career seeking services to put them in touch with potential […]
Book Review: Data and Goliath
Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World Bruce Schneier (2015) Digital Tattoo Rating: 4/5 1 2 3 4 5 Leave it on the shelf Give it a skim An informative read Would give to a friend A must read!!! Summary Once, while talking with Digital Tattoo contributor Elyse, […]
Digital Identity Digest (March 2019)
What are universities doing with all the data they collect about you? The Ubyssey published an article about how UBC intends to use students’ data to provide insights to support teaching and learning through its learning analytics project. Although it sounds like a positive development in education, some people are concerned about whether the extensive […]
In the News: Facebook pulls VPN from Apple App Stores over accusations of data harvesting
Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs, allow user internet traffic to be encrypted and redirected through a private server, creating added security for user data. Many people use these forms of anonymous browsing to transfer information, or mask geographic location. But what about the companies running the VPNs? Are they not able to see the traffic […]
In the News: Researchers develop sonar technology to steal smartphone passcodes
Last month, researchers from Lancaster University in England released work detailing a new technique where a smartphone’s built-in speaker and microphone can act as a sonar system to steal the phone’s unlock pattern. Sonar (Sound Navigation and Ranging) uses sound propagation to detect the surrounding objects and their movements [1]. In this case, the development […]
In the News: Banks Using Biometric Data to Increase Online Security
While voice recognition software and fingerprint authentication have become familiar features of many personal devices, they will soon be seen as precursors for more advanced forms of biometric technology commonly used and accepted. Currently, advanced techniques in tracking the way a user swipes, taps, types, or clicks can provide valuable data in authenticating a user, […]
In the News: Facial Recognition Software at Tokyo’s 2020 Olympics
The organizing committee for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games announced their plans to use facial recognition software as a security measure to verify the identities of athletes, officials, and media representatives at entry checkpoints. The intention behind the added technology is for increased security, comfort, and convenience, as stated in recent press release [1]. […]
In the News: Facebook Pushes for Facial Recognition Software
Despite facing legal trouble in the US for violating state privacy laws by misusing biometric data [1], or the ongoing investigation into the data mining practices of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook recently announced plans to implement facial recognition software in Canada and the European Union. This software was originally introduced within the United States […]
Guest Blog Post: Predictive Policing in the Nation’s Capital
On October 24th 2016, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) launched the Ottawa Police Strategic Operations Centre (OPSOC), an initiative to “use crime information to improve public and officer safety” [1]. A February 2017 article appearing on Motherboard, a Vice News channel, instead labelled OPSOC as a manifestation of a larger movement in police forces […]
People said…