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WOT (Web of Trust) browser extension caught sharing private data with third parties

The Internet is similar in many ways to an ocean. It connects various multi-cultured regions similar to (albeit much faster than) modern global shipping routes. Like an ocean has a vast surface covering millions of square miles, the Internet’s surface covers millions of topics and services, such as shopping, social media and entertainment. Most users of the Internet are like a boat motoring along on the ocean, mainly enjoying everything that the surface has to offer. Other, more consummate users, have experienced the varying levels of depth that remain hidden from the casual user’s eyes, comparable to the crew of a submarine as opposed to that of a smaller craft. It is this underlying worldwide presence (which often delves into activities of questionable legality) that keeps antivirus and anti-malware companies afloat in order to prevent some massive digital leviathan from wreaking havoc on everyone, from the casual user to regional power grids.

It is this fear of a giant, unknown, unseen monster that web-based companies prey upon in order to peddle their wares, some worthwhile, some not so much. While a lot of privacy advocates have recently focused their concerns toward news regarding a nondescript National Security Agency building in New York City, new attention has been drawn to the tools that are marketed to the average citizen under the guise of security.

There are numerous web browsers which can be used to traverse the internet, all of which have their own niches and functions designed to attract new users. Web browsers can range from the commonplace, such as Mozilla’s Firefox and Google’s Chrome, to the more privacy oriented like Tor, which provides anonymity through rerouting of the user’s request through numerous points worldwide. One feature that newer browsers have incorporated, which allows the user to personalize their experience, is extensions.

Extensions can be used for a multitude of functions that may not be immediately available on a bare-bones browser, but will not interfere with that specific browser’s originally intended purpose. These extensions are commonly authored using HTML, Java or CSS coding. Some extensions add new search engines, while others can add a new menu or toolbar where one does not currently exist. Other extensions are specific to certain websites, such as updating social media or online shopping.

Some users may choose to employ browser extensions designed for security purposes.  One such extension which has claimed to be a “Safe Web Search & Browsing” service since 2007, goes under the moniker of Web Of Trust (WOT). There are over 140 million installations of Web Of Trust on systems where the user desires a sense of security during typical day-to-day browsing. Unfortunately for users of WOT – one of the top privacy and security extensions available for Firefox or Chrome – it appears that the user’s privacy and security is not necessarily the company’s main focus.

Web Of Trust uses crowdsourcing as a means to rate websites based on their trustworthiness and how safe they are for children. This information is then used to display a simple stoplight style warning system when a user lands on a website. Based on the site’s reputation, the user sees a red display for unsafe sites and a green display for safe sites. This is done to avoid malware and scams. The problem lies in the fact that WOT collects data from the user and sells it to 3rd party sites. While a lot of other extensions do essentially the same thing, Web Of Trust was not properly anonymizing users’ data, and therein lies the problem.

Since the issue was brought to light via an investigation by the German TV Channel NDR, the extension has since been pulled from Chrome and Firefox, with little notification as to when (or if) an updated version would be released that fully honored users’ privacy rights. In the same way that a ship’s credibility lies in its ability to stay afloat, should software fail to deliver when it comes to user anonymity, it too shall sink.

Sources:

PCMag.com

LifeHacker.com

bezos-amazon

Amazon grocery store wants to be able to track you, must forfeit privacy to use

Amazon has recently launched their very own grocery store, Amazon Go. Their flagship location in Seattle features no check-outs and hopes to put the spotlight on the new, hassle-free shopping experience. The 1,800-square foot shopping space is currently limited to just the retail giant’s employees during the store’s beta program. It is expected to go public sometime in early 2017.

Shopping without having to wait in line at the check-out counter sounds quite advantageous, but will it really be all it’s cracked up to be? Perhaps not. After all, convenience comes with a price – and in this case, that price might just be your privacy.

In order to use the Amazon Go store, you will have to download and install the Amazon Go app. From there, you sign in with your account credentials, and go about your business. You simply take the  items you want off the shelves, put them in your bag and walk out. It’s not entirely clear how the app or the company will separate shoplifters from Amazon Go users. It’s likely that facial recognition technology is used to match you with your account – but either way, many feel that Amazon Go represents a substantial step forward into the future of the offline shopping experience. The real question is, what kind of future are we stepping into?

The store, and the shelves, come fully loaded with “computer vision, sensor fusion, and deep learning.” This means that the store can detect when items are removed and placed back onto the shelf. After you leave the store, your account is charged. So, essentially, the store itself actually watches and tracks you to see what you are buying, and then it charges your account when you leave with what you’ve picked out. It also sounds a little bit like the store can pick up on your shopping habits too. “Deep learning” is a rather concerning term; who do you think they want to learn about, and why?

Amazon maintains that the development of Amazon Go comes from nothing but the purest intentions. They explain:

Four years ago we asked ourselves: what if we could create a shopping experience with no lines and no checkout? Could we push the boundaries of computer vision and machine learning to create a store where customers could simply take what they want and go?

Our answer to those questions is Amazon Go and Just Walk Out Shopping.

Installing an app is bad enough; many apps take in far more information than most people realize. For example, many apps will access and upload your contact lists and address books, and sell that information to other parties. The collection and sale of personal information is becoming increasingly common, especially among free apps – after all, that is a primary way for them to make money. There are plenty of other ways to invade personal privacy through cellphone apps – location tracking, for instance.

When it comes to Amazon, they are no strangers to privacy invasion. In addition to their new Big Brother-style store, the company has also recently launched the Amazon Echo – the home robot that hears just about everything you say and do. Alexa is the name given to the Amazon Echo, described as your own robotic personal assistant. Unlike its competitors, such as Apple’s Siri or Microsoft’s Cortana, the Echo is it’s very own device. It sits in your home, waiting for your command. All you have to do is say, “Alexa” and the device turns on and speaks. However, the device supposedly streams audio for “a fraction of a second” before the “wake word” is even spoken, and continues to stream audio until the request is “fulfilled.” The device also uploads an undisclosed amount of personal data to Amazon’s servers.  What for? Who knows. And while you can delete the audio files from the app for Alexa, it is not clear whether or not doing so also purges your personal information from the company’s servers.

So, Amazon can listen to you at home, and watch you while you go grocery shopping. What will they think of next?

Sources:

VentureBeat.com

TheGuardian.com

GovTech.com

TSA

Police state: Congress to expand TSA to buses, trains

If you’ve traveled by airplane in the years following the terrorist attack on September 11th, 2001, then you’ve inevitably had a terrible experience dealing with the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Much to the chagrin of everyone who utilizes public transportation often – as well as anyone who simply enjoys American freedoms – comes the news that Congress is planning to expand the TSA from only air travel to the likes of buses and trains.

Yes, soon you will be unable to avoid the TSA.

A new bipartisan bill has been introduced that will attempt to expand the TSA’s power immensely, including bringing the organization into new modes of transportation. Sadly, it seems as though senators on both sides of the line, both Republican and Democrat, are in support of the bill. As of today, it appears as though it has a very good chance of passing.

Claire Bernish of The Free Thought Project reports, “Besides the non-fatal bombs detonated and discovered in areas around New York City and New Jersey, the senators cited the DHS Office of Inspector General’s recent report sounding alarm bells over the lack of security in, well, every other system of transport in the United States besides aviation, which the TSA obviously already makes unbearable.”

This is a frustrating advancement on nearly every level. From fondling unsuspecting travelers to the general inconvenience that comes with having them search through private items, the TSA should be downsized significantly instead of expanded significantly. In all honesty, what good have they really done? Have they actually helped matters at all, or are they merely there to spy on law-abiding citizens?

During a time when it seems as though our freedoms as Americans are being taken away one by one, the expansion of the TSA is further proof that libertarians and conservatives have logical reason to be afraid of electing more leftists into office. As is usually the case with those on the far left, they seem to want a never-ending amount of power for the federal government, which ends up putting the safety of the American people at risk.

With the election quickly approaching, one of the most important questions that Americans should be asking themselves is: “Do I want to be free?” If the answer is yes, and it certainly should be, then considering which candidate actually cares about liberty should be of utmost importance. Before long, the TSA might be coming to our own homes. …

Sources:

TheFreeThoughtProject.com

TheDailySheeple.com

Edward Snowden

Snowden sheds light on recent NSA hack; talks false flags

Edward Snowden is an American hero.

In the modern era, it’s difficult to think of someone more patriotic than Snowden, considering the man essentially ruined his own life in order to expose the truth of the NSA’s corruption to the American public at large.

Currently living in Russia under political asylum, Snowden has remained a popular figure in regards to free speech and journalism in the years following his exposure of the NSA. With well over two million followers on Twitter, Snowden remains active on the social network — often revealing information about political issues regarding the NSA.

Recently, the iconic whistleblower revealed via Twitter his theory that the Russians are behind the recent NSA hack. He tweeted, “This leak looks like a somebody sending a message that an escalation in the attribution game could get messy fast.”

If Snowden’s theory is correct, there could be devastating consequences. If it is revealed that the United States government has been targeting their own allies, we could be facing a World War III scenario. The current political landscape of the entire world is dangerous and uncertain, and there’s no doubt that the revelation of allies attempting to destroy each other would lead to a complete disaster for the entire planet.

As a result, it’s important for everyone — from civilians to soldiers — to be prepared for the absolute worst. There’s no telling when and where the collapse will begin, but it seems to become more and more likely every day. Recent email and server hacks have revealed that governments all across the world are lying to their citizens and each other. It’s only a matter of time before there is violent retaliation in response to this form of deception.

Right now, we don’t know exact details regarding the NSA hack or who was responsible. The only thing to know for sure is that if nothing drastic changes — and soon — then war is inevitable.

 

Sources:

TheIntercept.com

RT.com

Hillary Clinton

The beginning of the end: Hillary Clinton’s platform advocating for stricter surveillance state

When it comes to Crooked Hillary Clinton, there are very few instances when any of her views are even remotely understandable. Virtually everything she says is a lie. But even when you take that into account, the issues she is actually transparent and open about are all completely horrifying. When it comes to this corrupt politician, there is no winning.

One of the most appalling stances Hillary has taken is fighting hard to enact stricter surveillance measures on the American people. Under the ridiculous guise of “safety,” Clinton has openly supported the idea of infringing on individuals’ rights to privacy.

Even when Clinton was basically forced to be critical of the NSA — back in 2015, shortly after the Edward Snowden conflict — she used language and rhetoric that refused to take any side on the issue. As a result, most Americans quickly realized that she was trying to play both sides in order to protect her political standing. She would initially lean towards defending the American people’s rights, but would ultimately back the NSA and the surveillance state.

Of course, that’s exactly what happened.

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, though. After all, she was quoted as saying, “How much is too much? And how much is not enough? That’s the hard part,” in regards to the amount of power the NSA should have. There’s no doubt that she believes that government organizations should have more control, power and resources than the country’s citizens. Politicians like Hillary believe that they own us — they believe that they’re above the law — so they continue to expand their own power by weakening ours.

This is a classic authoritarian leftist maneuver. Trying to suppress the rights of the people by pretending they’re doing it for our own good is shady and condescending. People like Clinton clearly think we’re all stupid enough to fall for this. Should she unfortunately be elected this fall, we’re all in serious danger of being spied on everywhere we go.

 

Sources:

Bitcoinist.net

TheAtlantic.com