Privacy on the Internet - some thoughts on issues and tools that you can use to keep your data private.

1. Privacy
Phil Bradley
Internet Librarian International
2013

2. But I’m doing nothing wrong!
• Does that mean you let people peer in at your
windows?
• Does it mean that you want to be bombarded
with adverts?
• Does it mean that you’re happy constantly
being monitored?
• Does it mean that you’re happy with other
people making money out of you?

3. (c) Chris Potter (2012) Title: Scales of Justice - www.flickr.com/photos/86530412@N02/7953227784

4. Which is more important to you?
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Ease of access to data
Convenience
Speed
Tailored content
Special offers
Advanced notice
Keeping up with friends
Reduced hassle
Privacy

5. A few facts
• 21% of internet users have had an email or
social networking account compromised
• 12% have been stalked/harassed online
• 11% have had important data stolen
• 6% have had their reputation damaged
• 4% have been led into physical danger
because of something that happened online
– http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Anonymityonline.aspx

6. Headline bad news
• The US Postal Service is involved with the Mail
Isolation Control and Tracking program
– 160 billion pieces of mail are photographed annually
• GCHQ handled 600m ‘telephone events’ each day
in 2012, had tapped more than 200 fibre optic
cables and could process data from 46 at a time
• The National Security Agency can reach 75% of all
US Internet traffic

7. Continued
• Commercial software exists which can spy on
mobile phones (Flexispy)
• Mobile phone pictures can be used to track
locations
• The microphone and webcam on your
computer can be remote activated
• “America has no functioning democracy”
Jimmy Carter, July 2013

8. And more...
• Gmail users have no "reasonable expectation"
that their communications are confidential
– http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/aug/14/google-gmail-users-privacy-email-lawsuit
• Microsoft has admitted that anything stored
in its cloud services, eg Outlook or Office 365
can be accessed by the US Govt under the
Patriot Act of 2001 or the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act of 1978

9. And a little more
• The UK’s National Physical Laboratory has
developed a walking gait recognition system
that can be used to help track a person
through a CCTV-monitored area by analysing
the way that they walk.
– http://www.theengineer.co.uk/news/npl-takesstep-forward-with-gait-recognitionsystem/1013972.article

10. And a tiny bit more
• 145 of the top 10,000 websites track users
without their knowledge or consent
– ‘Digital fingerprinting’ circumvents legal
restrictions imposed on cookies
– Flash based fingerprinting can uniquely identify
specific machines based on computer properties
such as screen size, fonts, plugins and installed
software
» Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Newsroom

11. Recycling bins can track your phone
http://qz.com/114174/city-of-london-halts-recycling-bins-tracking-phones-of-passers-by/

13. Who you are

14. Google

15. Google Account Settings

16. Account activity

17. Google Profiles

18. Facebook
• Always sign out of Facebook
– Closing the tab doesn’t sign you out
• View your timeline as it appears to ‘nonfriends’
– Click the cog wheel
– Timeline and tagging settings
– Who can see things on my timeline?
– View as

20. Check your privacy settings
• Who can see my stuff?
– Future posts
– Review all your posts
– Limit the audience for posts you’ve shared
• Who can contact me?
– Who can send you friend requests?
– Whose messages do I want filtered?
• Who can look me up?
– Using the email address or phone number
– Do you want other search engines to link to your
Timeline?

21. Deleting a Facebook account
http://www.facebook.com/help/delete_account

22. Deleting an account
• This can take up to one month
• Some data may be retained for 3 months
• Some content will always remain
• Download a copy of your Facebook
information first!

23. Facebook shadow profiles
• A friend looks for you, or installs an app on
their phone
– Facebook now has your phone number and email
address
• Seen the ‘people you might know?’ A 3rd party
uses the ‘Find friends’ option, has your details
(new or old) and can link old addresses
together

24. Can you stop this?
• Not really
• Theoretically illegal in Europe
• Tell all your friends never to refer to you on
Facebook, don’t install Facebook apps, don’t
put your details into their smartphone....

25. Namechk.com

26. Delete me!

27. And for newsletters

28. Knowem.com

29. Email addresses
Abine MaskMe: http://www.abine.com/maskme/

30. Email addresses

31. Where you are

32. Ipchicken.com

33. Plotip.com

34. Who.is

36. 192.com

37. BT.com

38. Plugging the leak!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spike55151/

39. • Disguise your IP address with a Virtual Private
Network (VPN) tool
– Spotflux http://www.spotflux.com
– Hotspot Shield http://www.hotspotshield.com
• Remove details from 192
– ‘Removal of personal details’
• Go ex-directory with BT
• Add WHOIS privacy via your domain registrar

40. Opt out of directory services with

41. UnlistMy.Info

42. What is your browser saying?
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IP Address
JavaScript
Java Applet
Content filters
Flash Player
Geolocation

43. Panopticlick.eff.org

44. Plugging the leak!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spike55151/

45. You should:
• Disable Javascript and Java
• Use a VPN tool (previously mentioned)
• Stop using Chrome, Internet Explorer or Safari
• Use Tor as a private browser, or Firefox,
Opera

46. Tor http://www.torprject.org

47. ‘The Onion Router’
• Software you can install to hide your identity
while you browse
• Originally developed for the US Navy
• Your communications take a random pathway
through several relays to cover your tracks,
and these are encrypted

48. Who uses it?
• Family and friends
– To protect themselves, children and dignity
• Businesses
– To research competition, keep business strategies
confidential
• Activists
– To report abuses or corruption
• Media
– To protect their research and sources

49. Where you go
• You can be tracked by cookies, the ‘Like’
button and Google +1
– Regardless of whether you click on the buttons or
not
• Your browser also tracks you
• Location services in Facebook and Twitter can
track you

50. ‘Ready or not?’ http://bit.ly/16X2DWA

51. Plugging the leak!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spike55151/

52. ‘Do not track’
• Browser option ‘Do not track’
– Not entirely effective
• Disconnect http://www.disconnect.me
– Prevents sites inc. Facebook, Google, Twitter and
Yahoo from tracking your activities

53. Disconnect

54. More ‘do not track’
http://www.ghostery.com/
http://bit.ly/13VN67V
https://www.abine.com/dntdetail.php
http://privacyfix.com/start
http://priv3.icsi.berkeley.edu/

55. Browse websites secretly

56. Firefox

57. Searching
• When you search and click on a link your
search term is usually sent to that site, along
with browser and computer information.
• Those sites may have third party adverts
which build profiles about you, and those
adverts can then follow you around.
• Your profile can then be sold on.

58. Searching cont.
• Google stores your searches
• Which can then be legally requested
https://www.google.com/transparencyreport
/userdatarequests/

59. Plugging the leak!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spike55151/

60. http://duck.co/topic/duckduckgo-billboard-in-san-francisco
Search engines that don’t store data

61. Search engines that don’t track
you
https://www.ixquick.com/
https://www.startpage.com/
http://blekko.com/
http://www.ask.com

62. And some more
http://zeekly.com/
https://search.motherpipe.com/
https://www.blippex.org/
http://gibiru.com/
https://anonymous-gibiru.com/

63. Oh, and a couple more
https://qrobe.it/
https://gigablast.com/

64. http V https
• Without ‘https’ your traffic is unencrypted
• This leaves you open to government
monitoring and persistent 3rd party cookies

65. Hints and tips
• Do not accept search engine cookies
• Do not use email options with a search engine
• Use a variety of different search engines
• Avoid using terms with your name attached

66. Removing yourself from results
• Ask the webpage owner/author
• Ask Google to remove the cached version
– http://bit.ly/1854209
• Ask Google to remove content on Blogger, G+
– http://bit.ly/1767B3W
• Bury bad content with BrandYourself
– https://brandyourself.com

67. Removing yourself from Google maps

68. Cloud Storage
https://www.boxcryptor.com/

69. Live Chats
https://crypto.cat/

70. Downloading
http://btguard.com/

71. Prevent access to your data by apps
http://mypermissions.org/

72. Remove data & activities
http://www.hotcleaner.com/

73. Video chat
• Stop using Google hangouts or Skype

74. Video viewing
• Stop watching YouTube

75. Cloud Storage
• Forget Google Drive or Dropbox

76. Fake name generator (.com)

77. Useful organisations
• Open Rights Group
– https://wiki.openrightsgroup.org
• Big Brother Watch
– http://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/
• Electronic Frontier Foundation
– https://www.eff.org/

78. Questions? Concerns?
• Email me at
• philipbradley@gmail.com
Or
• philb@philb.com