Privacy

A recent EdTech article titled 3 Basic Digital Citizenship Standards All Educators Should Know and Teach, is a great read for both educators and parents. The article reminds adults that children look to them for media literacy tips, which is especially important in today’s news climate, with information posing as reliable not always being accurate. Parents and other significant adults also need to remind young people of the consequences of their digital actions and that a key part of digital etiquette is the understanding of copyright laws and plagiarism. In addition, both parents and students need to also understand the regulations that schools must follow to protect student data and privacy.

A NY Times article about Uber and its founder has revealed that the Uber app marks iPhones with persistent digital ID tags that remain even after users delete the app and wipe the phone. Although Uber claims the information collected has not been used for anything, there is still the question of whether or not apps can continue collecting information about you after it is deleted from the phone. The answer , according to an article on USA Today is neither yes nor no. The app downloads a “tag”, leaving behind a unique ID on an iPhone so the developer can recall the apps that were on it and the last Wi-Fi network the phone was logged onto. These marks are used to help a company prove that the phone belonged to an individual, says Joseph Jerome, privacy & data policy counsel for the Center for Democracy and Technology. Apple plans to take up the issue in developer conferences in May and June and will work on setting new security policies.

A NY Times article about Uber and its founder has revealed that the Uber app marks iPhones with persistent digital ID tags that remain even after users delete the app and wipe the phone. Although Uber claims the information collected has not been used for anything, there is still the question of whether or not apps can continue collecting information about you after it is deleted from the phone. The answer , according to an article on USA Today is neither yes nor no. The app downloads a “tag”, leaving behind a unique ID on an iPhone so the developer can recall the apps that were on it and the last Wi-Fi network the phone was logged onto. These marks are used to help a company prove that the phone belonged to an individual, says Joseph Jerome, privacy & data policy counsel for the Center for Democracy and Technology. Apple plans to take up the issue in developer conferences in May and June and will work on setting new security policies.

Fingerprinting has become a standard method of authenticating your identity, being that no two fingerprints are exactly alike. As it turns out, researchers at New York University and Michigan State University have recently found they are hardly foolproof. The team has developed a set of fake fingerprints that are digital composites of common features found in many people’s fingerprints. Through computer simulations, they were able to achieve matches 65 percent of the time, though they imagine the scheme might not be as successful in real life. Still, it is another link in the reasoning behind more two- step authentication methods for accessing information that many companies are promoting.

According to a study by CBT Nuggets, those who call themselves tech-saavy and who have high levels of education are more likely to be victims of identity theft. "Knowing about cybersecurity, understanding the risks, yet thinking that your tech smarts are enough is a recipe for a security disaster," writes Sue Marquette Poremba in a blog post. It turns out that people, including kids, do not use what they have learned about staying safe online for reasons cited as being too lazy, not wanting to be inconvenienced, or just not caring.

According to a study by CBT Nuggets, those who call themselves tech-saavy and who have high levels of education are more likely to be victims of identity theft. "Knowing about cybersecurity, understanding the risks, yet thinking that your tech smarts are enough is a recipe for a security disaster," writes Sue Marquette Poremba in a blog post. It turns out that people, including kids, do not use what they have learned about staying safe online for reasons cited as being too lazy, not wanting to be inconvenienced, or just not caring.

A newly updated list of resources on cyberbullying and digital safety is available on the web site of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State of Washington. A wide range of topics is included such as sexting, cyberbullying and family background resources.

A newly updated list of resources on cyberbullying and digital safety is available on the web site of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State of Washington. A wide range of topics is included such as sexting, cyberbullying and family background resources.

Officials in England are discussing a program in which data from the Facebook accounts of students and their parents could be used to predict a drop in academic performance. Officials say their review would be restricted to open online forums of individuals and groups on social media. While many feel this could be a useful tool in preventing problems before they start, there is always the concern of invasion of privacy.

Officials in England are discussing a program in which data from the Facebook accounts of students and their parents could be used to predict a drop in academic performance. Officials say their review would be restricted to open online forums of individuals and groups on social media. While many feel this could be a useful tool in preventing problems before they start, there is always the concern of invasion of privacy.