News and Analysis

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News & Analysis

No Body's Business But Mine - What You Can Do If You Are A Menstruation App User

Photo by Jake Hills on Unsplash Our research has shown how some apps like Maya by Plackal Tech and MIA by Mobbap Development Limited were – at the time of the research – sharing your most intimate data about your sexual life and medical history with Facebook. Other apps like Mi Calendario, Ovulation

Long Read

No Body's Business But Mine: How Menstruation Apps Are Sharing Your Data

PI undertook dynamic analysis of various menstrution apps using its own data interception environment to look at the data they share with Facebook.

Long Read

Privacy International study shows your mental health is for sale

A study by Privacy International reveals how popular websites about depression in France, Germany and the UK share user data with advertisers, data brokers and large tech companies, while some depression test websites leak answers and test results with third parties. The findings raise serious concerns about compliance with European data protection and privacy laws.

News & Analysis

Taking a depression test online? Go ahead, they're listening

This article is part of a research led by Privacy International on mental health websites and tracking. Read our full report. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO ), 25 percent of the European population suffers from depression or anxiety each year, yet about 50% of major depressions

News & Analysis

Identity schemes and data protection: lessons from Ireland's Public Services Card

The Irish Data Protection Commissioner has made a ruling on the controversial Public Services Card (PSC) that has described much of what is is done with the card as unlawful. The PSC has proven controversial: introduced in 2012 for welfare claimants, it's use expanded to more and more uses

Long Read

How intrusive is communications data?

It is common ground that bulk collection of content would be a deprivation of the right to privacy. That is an inexcusable or unjustifiable step too far. Repeatedly the Government whether in litigation or legislating, has emphasised that they are not taking content in bulk. Content is the forbidden

Long Read

Your adversary has a face

This blog is about our new Twitter bot, called @adversarybot. If you want to follow the account, please do watch the pinned 'Privacy Policy' tweet before you do so.

News & Analysis

After Watson: Mandatory data retention by telecommunications operators

A recap of what happened in the UK, after CJEU's Tele2/Watson judgment

Long Read

Two states admit bulk interception practices: why does it matter?

Six years after NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked documents providing details about how states' mass surveillance programmes function, two states – the UK and South Africa – publicly admit using bulk interception capabilities . Both governments have been conducting bulk interception of internet

News & Analysis

Stage 3 - The policing of social benefits: punishing poverty

Picture: XoMEoX CC BY 2.0 1. Definitions of ‘fraud’ lack transparency and are often deceptive. States often define ‘fraud’ in vague and overbroad terms, which creates a seemingly compelling catch-all justification for denying or terminating benefits. The general public will often support this

News & Analysis

Stage 2 - Maintaining social benefits: under surveillance and control

Picture: Antti T. Nissinen, CC BY 2.0 In addition to the issues we highlighted in stage 1, where intrusive personal information is required in order to apply for social benefits, recipients who seek to maintain their social benefits are required to regularly disclose similar information and are also

News & Analysis

Stage 1 - Applying for social benefits: facing exclusion

Picture: Christian Schnettelker 1. The process of applying for social benefits subjects people to humiliating and punishing scrutiny . It is gruelling and harmful in and of itself. It requires people to invest significant time and resources, and to disclose vast amounts of personal information. For

News & Analysis

3 Levels by Panoptykon - Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

Twitter may have used your personal data for ads without your permission. Time to fix AdTech!

On Tuesday, Twitter disclosed that it may have shared data on users with advertising partners, even if they have opted out from personalised ads, and shown people ads based on inferences made about the devices they use without permission. According to Twitter, the issue was fixed on Monday, even

Long Read

Africa: SIM Card Registration Only Increases Monitoring and Exclusion

Image credit: Emil Sjöblom [ ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)] Prepaid SIM card use and mandatory SIM card registration laws are especially widespread in countries in Africa: these two factors can allow for a more pervasive system of mass surveillance of people who can access prepaid SIM cards

News & Analysis

Review of 'The Great Hack' documentary

Image: The Great Hack publicity still, courtesy of Netflix. This is a review of the documentary 'The Great Hack' originally published on IMDb. This documentary is a fascinating account of The Facebook/Cambridge Analytica data scandal. In early 2018, Cambridge Analytica became a household name. The

News & Analysis

Joint letter to new British Home Secretary on the future of the immigration and asylum system

Privacy International has joined over 30 organisations working with migrants and refugees to write to the newly appointed British Home Secretary to raise a number of pressing issues, which require action if the immigration and asylum system is to regain the trust of the public. The letter below was