Group items tagged

"Over the past four years, Google has admitted 'scanning and indexing' student email messages and data mining student users for commercial gain." What to take away? Data mining is present everywhere and better encryption is becoming more and more relevant in the digital life of a college student in 2018.

Even when college students use computer or electronic devices that belong to the school, any websites they visit, links they download, and videos they watch can offer behavioral information and data that is directly tied to that student's profile, and thus them too. It's important to be aware of this fact, and realize that whatever privacy you think that Mac in the back of the library offers you is in reality nonexistent. That Mac is uploading your data to the Cloud every minute you use it, and it's important to track and understand that your online information is being sent, without your consent, to other entities. So, be careful with what you search up next time.

Schools have a responsibility to protect your information, but it can be vulnerable to release or data breaches. Be careful when giving out personal information and try to educate yourself on your rights as a student so that you can best protect yourself.

Here's an example of surveillance vs. privacy that doesn't involve security. Instead, the goal is student learning.

Here's another angle on data mining and (prospective) college students...

To any future college students: Be careful of what you type on the internet or reveal about yourself in an online forum. Despite the shocking revelations of the size and scope of the government's surveillance programs revealed by Edward Snowden, the majority of Americans don't understand the kind of information the government has on them, have taken few steps to protect their online data, and believe that such programs don't go far enough in tackling terrorism. Ironically, these same Americans also overwhelmingly believe that consumers have lost protection of their data to companies who have used their clients' privacy as a commodity. I would advise you to be careful of what you post online, and follow a few steps, such as passwords, encryption, and clearing your cookies, to help protect at least some of your data online and allow you to remain private. These programs continue to this day, and it's important that you protect what little privacy remains.

What are the mechanisms behind surveillance? How precisely are people surveilled in the US?

This article, written by the one and only Cory Doctorow, highlights the privacy concerns associated with Google Chromebooks. More and more schools are issuing its students Chromebooks, which exfiltrate all data to Google data-centers and infringe one's privacy. This site also includes other interesting articles related to security and privacy.