A sure way to lose customers: upload their private information to Facebook

I’m still blocked from seeing my advertising preferences on Facebook on the desktop, the only place where you can edit them, something that has plagued them for years and which they’re unlikely to fix. I commonly say that Facebook’s databases are ‘shot to hell,’ which I’ve believed for many years, and this is another example […]

Read More… from A sure way to lose customers: upload their private information to Facebook



Old-school Brexit

I was led by this Tweet to have a peek at the Draft EU–UK Trade Cooperation Agreement and can confirm that on p. 931 (not p. 921), under ‘Protocols and Standards to be used for encryption mechanism: s/MIME and related packages’, there is this: The text: The underlying certificate used by the s/MIME mechanism has […]

Read More… from Old-school Brexit



Oh look, a Gmail privacy leak—it’s really, really time to stop using them

Still want to use Gmail? How’s this for discouragement? Google is now rewriting all URLs in gmail/gsuite email messages, *including those downloaded via IMAP*, to go via Google URL redirection, which is a HUGE privacy leak. they're editing the actual message bodies in your inbox.#google #privacy #gmail #security — Jeffrey Paul (@sneak) 🏴 (@sneakdotberlin) October […]

Read More… from Oh look, a Gmail privacy leak—it’s really, really time to stop using them



Two big reasons not to use Gmail

I was absolutely shocked to learn this is how Gmail works.   If I read this correctly, #Google lets more than one person use a single email address (in this case, over 200!)? How daft! Why would they do that? pic.twitter.com/KtTO6PnDEI — Jack Yan 甄爵恩 (@jackyan) September 27, 2020 PS.: This was the image linked […]

Read More… from Two big reasons not to use Gmail



Reaching the end of Facebook

With the new season of Alarm für Cobra 11: die Autobahnpolizei nearly upon us, I decided I’d pop into my Facebook group (I’m still an admin) to see what had been happening. I’ve been there a few times this week and I have discovered some of the site’s latest features.    Groups: these now have […]

Read More… from Reaching the end of Facebook



After 18 months, some progress on the Meizu M6 Note

That was an interesting day in cellphone land. I collected the Meizu M6 Note from PB last Friday and switched it on for the first time in the small hours of Tuesday.    I originally wasn’t pleased. I had paid NZ$80 for a warranty repair (there is provision under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 in […]

Read More… from After 18 months, some progress on the Meizu M6 Note



Facebook exploits COVID-19 for profit, and viral thoughts

A lot of the world’s population has come together in the fight against COVID-19. Except Facebook, of course, who is exploiting the virus for profit. Facebook has done well in the first quarter of 2020 with positive earnings. Freedom From Facebook & Google co-chairs Sarah Miller and David Segal note (the links are theirs): ‘Facebook […]

Read More… from Facebook exploits COVID-19 for profit, and viral thoughts



Google isn’t working

I’ve done several Zoom meetings since the pandemic was declared, and two Google Hangouts. While I’m not thrilled at having to use two companies with patchy (to say the least) records on user privacy, the meetings (three for Medinge, one for another board I sit on) have been productive, and the only bottleneck has been, […]

Read More… from Google isn’t working



Are you doing on Facebook what Facebook does on Facebook? They’ll sue you

Pxfuel/Creative Commons CC0 1·0 Here’s quite a funny one for you this Easter weekend: Facebook apparently has filed suit against companies that do the following, according to Social Media Today. • Companies that sell fake followers and likes, which Facebook has pushed harder to enforce since New York’s Attorney General ruled that selling fake social […]

Read More… from Are you doing on Facebook what Facebook does on Facebook? They’ll sue you



I prefer the 99 per cent who don’t rely on Google

Almost three screens of apps, none of which require Google. I had a good discussion on Twitter today with Peter Lambrechtsen, and if you want to have a peek, it’s here. He’s a really decent guy who makes some good points. But it does annoy me that my partner, whose phone is a stock standard […]

Read More… from I prefer the 99 per cent who don’t rely on Google