I wouldn’t like to guess if we’ve behaved enough this year to get the winning lottery numbers from Father Christmas, but I’ve got my fingers crossed nonetheless. And, reflecting back on this year and some of the huge tech scandals we’ve seen, I’m definitely in with a shot! There was actually a whole host of naughtiness going on, from both government and private enterprise all over the world. Sweeping legislation saw our privacy coming under new threats from the most unlikely of places.
Take for example, the Facebook scandal in early 2018. Remember hearing about how our data was being mined and sold to Cambridge Analytica, affecting some 87 million people? This major breach seemed to trickle downwards, with dozens of large businesses being named and shamed in the press for similar transgressions… just check out this infographic by pioneers in the fight for digital privacy since 2013, BestVPN.com.
Infographic created by BestVPN.com
I remember the faff of having to sort my own GDPR out for this blog. I ended up paying someone to do it for me out of sheer frustration. At the time, our inboxes were literally inundated with emails from companies begging for us to opt in to their newsletters. When the deadline was upon us, the sigh of collective relief was audible - finally we’d get clutter-free inboxes. Yet, guess what? I’m still receiving just as much spam as before, from big companies who really ought to know better.
There’s also a new privacy news story that I expect to get lots of coverage as we head into the New Year. In April 2018, the Golden State killer who terrorised people in the California and Sacramento area from 1974 to 1986, was caught and arrested thanks to online DNA and genealogical databases. Investigators ran the killer’s decades-old DNA through genealogical websites and found relatives with matching segments of DNA. They then followed clues to individuals in the family trees to determine whether they were potential suspects, and triangulate the killer’s identity.
This development was welcomed by many, after all, Joseph James DeAngelo murdered 12 people and raped 51 others. Yet, this could set a dangerous precedent if this data falls into the wrong hands. In fact, the unusual manner in which the Golden State Killer case was cracked has sparked much debate.
Privacy advocates are concerned that popular companies such as 23andme & Ancestry leave the door open to sharing a customer’s genetic information with law enforcement, and beyond. They say that doing so represents “Orwellian state overreach” or, even worse, that the imperfect technology involved puts innocent people at risk. There has also been grumblings that genetic testing sites sell “purportedly anonymised” genetic data to third parties, typically to drug makers. Expect more on this in 2019…
On a lighter note - how about winning a 50 Inch 4K Samsung TV?
Enough of all the naughtiness, I’m here to share the news that BestVPN are giving away a 50” Samsung 4K TV with HDR - just in time for Christmas. Donated by the VPN provider NordVPN, this amazing prize will be winging its way to one very deserving winner very soon.
With stunning 4K quality picture, it boasts impeccable visuals and plenty of smart TV features to satisfy all your entertainment needs. This state-of-the-art TV could be yours if you can answer a single question involving the infographic above - just check out BestVPNs Naughty or Nice list for yourself, and enter via Gleam
To celebrate the launch of Disney’s Finding Dory film, Crocs are offering one lucky family the chance to win two pairs of children’s Crocs from the Finding Dory range, as well as a family ticket to see the film with all the family at a participating Vue Cinema. The winning family will also receive a Tsum Tsum soft toy of Dory herself as well as a variety of Crocs merchandise (including a duffel bag, notebook and pen).
