PrivacyGroup

This page is an effort to maintain an updated collection of important work on privacy.

Questions To Answer

general place to put largish, privacy-related questions

• How much can a person at various levels of authority access of email sent from/to a University of Arizona email account? The rumor is that a lot can be accessed by a lot of people.
• Who is the privacy officer at the UA? What records are kept for audit in case of unauthorized disclosure?

Calendar

Events in this calendar are links to readings on differential privacy (requires javascript). <EventCalendar> namespace = PrivacyGroup_Event aspectratio = 1.35 </EventCalendar>

Tools help

operating systems

• Qubes ...OK, not an OS... (also here is a brief description of getting wireless networking working) NEW
• Tails

browsers

• Tor -- (get the Hardened Version, which includes AddressSanitizer (ASan) to detect memory corruption NEW). Also who uses Tor?
• Icecat -- It's like Firefox, but better. Does not support DRM with encrypted media extension technology, unlike Firefox.NEW

browser tools

• Random Agent Spoofer (blocks a variety of fingerprinting attacks)
• RequestPolicy (By Justin Samuel and Beichuan Zhang, of University of Arizona!)
• NoScript
• PrivacyBadger (EFF)
• Self-Destructing Cookies
• HTTPS Everywhere (EFF)
• BetterPrivacy (removes LSO's -- supercookies -- which survive normal cleaning of cookie cache)
• decentraleyes - runs CDN scripts locally, rather than using remote CDNs (which is trackable) NEW

testing for problems

• panopticlick
• browserleaks
• dns leak test -- Test whether you're leaking DNS information while on your VPN, and fix it

other tools

• Youtube-dl -- Downloads a variety of streaming formats -- not just for youtube! Can be used with torify (see below) to anonymously view streaming video/audio that otherwise compromises privacy (e.g., flash). Note the version in packages is often not up to date--install the latest with pip to get a version that actually works.NEW
• Torify -- A SOCKS proxy to the Tor network, and a wrapper to use it, so you can e.g. look up GPG keys, or perform WHOIS queries, anonymously. NEW
• Get a GPG key
• installing the latest GPG
• secure SSH
  • Using gpg-agent instead of ssh-agent

various

• you broke the internet, we'll build a gnu one
• EPIC privacy-related tools
• PrivacyPal, Automated Privacy Policy Parsing NEW (fixed)
• RAPPOR for privacy-preserving stats
• Surveillance Self Defense (EFF)

Additional Sources

why care about privacy?

video

• Edward Snowden came to the UA to talk privacy with Glen Greenwald and Noam Chomsky. I mirrored the video, originally available only via flash. This is audio only. NEW
• Edward Snowden discusses removing mounted microphones and cameras from cellphones, excesses of U.S. intelligence NEW
• 5 min recorded presentation I gave to local businesses on why they should care about privacy
• DoNotTrack documentary
• Why privacy matters
• Maciej Ceglowski's excellent talk

print

• it could happen to you, congress
• MLK Jr. and the history of bulk surveillance against people of color
• A review of the off-Broadway play 'Privacy', with Daniel Radcliffe NEW
• a few other reasons to care about privacyNEW

giving up privacy

• Americans say they want privacy, but act as if they don't
• The End of Privacy on NPR
• Atlantic article on an Arizona man whose anti-privacy views lead him to share everything, including passwords to email, banks, etc.
• Londoners give up their first born in agreeing to privacy policy
• Ai Weiwei, Privacy, and the future of surveillance

how universities can help

• Don't break Tor and tell the FBI before telling the Tor project
• boingboing on online privacy and libraries
• NSF "Dear Collegue" letter on privacy-related research
• Tor exit nodes list. Note the universities hosting! (MIT, UMich, BU, ...)

miscellaneous

• James Comey tapes his laptop camera, thus creating a "warrant-proof camera."
• Head of FTC won't use fitbit b/c of privacy worries
• Whoops, CISA included in budget bill
• List of printers that produce tracking dots
• ProtectionOfHumanSubjects
• Privacy Bibliography
• police and drone use in Baltimore
• U.N. Report on Encryption as a right. "... [T]he present report examines two linked questions. First, do the rights to privacy and freedom of opinion and expression protect secure online communication, specifically by encryption or anonymity? And, second, assuming an affirmative answer, to what extent may Governments, in accordance with human rights law, impose restrictions on encryption and anonymity?"
• CMU study supports that Google cannot police abuse of its ad system, resulting in violation of privacy
• CEO of Hacking Team interviewed on BusinessInsider