Jeff Cassman, Author at Jeff Cassman

FTC Finds Amazon Ring Cameras Responsible for “Egregious Violations of Users’ Privacy,” Requires Data Deletion

In a proposed consent order released today, the Federal Trade Commission will require Amazon to “delete data products such as data, models, and algorithms derived from videos it unlawfully reviewed,” implement new privacy and security measures, and pay a fine of $5.8 million. The proposed order was published alongside a complaint finding that Amazon marketed Ring camera products on promises of security and privacy, but that the company implemented unreasonably lax cybersecurity practices and permitted employees nearly unlimited access to sensitive videos. The complaint alleges that Amazon’s practices were both unfair and deceptive.

In one case, an Amazon employee had access to dozens of cameras surveilling intimate spaces like bathrooms and bedrooms, which the employee used to spy on women. In another, Amazon failed to implement cybersecurity practices to prevent known hacking attacks, leading to bad actors severely harassing and spying on people through their indoor Ring cameras. The FTC has increasingly used data deletion and algorithmic disgorgement requirements to prevent companies from continuing to profit from wrongful practices after a database or algorithm is created. EPIC Senior Counsel Ben Winters authored a paper on algorithmic disgorgement last year.

EPIC regularly files comments in response to proposed FTC consent orders and complaints regarding business practices that violate privacy rights. In comments to the FTC last year, EPIC applauded the agency’s use of disgorgement penalties. In 2019, EPIC and a coalition of groups published a product warning for Ring cameras, citing ease of hacking, failures to protect personal information, and Amazon’s practice of sharing Ring videos with police departments without user consent. In 2021, EPIC filed a complaint against Amazon in Washington, DC highlighting Amazon’s unfair and deceptive use of deceptive design to prevent people from cancelling their Prime subscriptions.

Tips for Wildlife Photography | Homesteading Simple Self Sufficient Off-The-Grid

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FTC Announces $25 Million Fine Against Amazon for Kids Privacy Violations

Today the Federal Trade Commission announced a major enforcement action against Amazon, moving to fine the tech and retail giant $25 million and requiring updated data deletion practices. As the complaint explains, Amazon’s children’s data retention practices violated the Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA) Rule and Section 5 of the FTC Act. This enforcement action follows the 2019 complaint drafted by groups including the Center for Digital Democracy, Fairplay, and the Consumer Federation of America that called on the FTC to investigate Amazon for COPPA violations.

More than 800,000 children have their own Alexa profiles on Amazon devices that target and collect children’s personal data, retaining voice recordings and geolocation indefinitely—including when a child’s Alexa profile has been inactive. The FTC noted that even when parents requested that Alexa delete their children’s voice recordings, Amazon failed to honor those requests for a significant length of time, if at all. Instead, Amazon retained that data for its own use to improve its Alexa algorithm. In addition to Section 5 violations for unfair and deceptive business practices, the complaint charges that Amazon violated the COPPA Rule by retaining children’s voice recordings indefinitely and failing to provide parents with truthful notice or an effective opportunity to delete the recordings.

Under the proposed order, Amazon will be fined $25 million and required to delete inactive accounts held by children. Additionally, Amazon will be prohibited from “using geolocation, voice information, and children’s voice information subject to consumers’ deletion requests for the creation or improvement of any data product.” In a statement joined by Chair Kahn and Commissioner Slaughter, Commissioner Bedoya reiterated that data used to improve algorithms must be lawfully collected, emphasizing that “machine learning is no excuse to break the law.”

The FTC announced another enforcement action against Amazon today, addressing privacy violations from their Ring camera products and requiring data deletion. EPIC regularly advocates before the FTC for strong consumer protection and data protection safeguards, including privacy protections for children. The FTC previously considered EPIC’s recommendations in an early review of the COPPA Rule and incorporated several of EPIC’s recommendations in the 2013 regulations. EPIC filed comments in response to the FTC’s rulemaking on commercial surveillance, arguing for regulations that would safeguard the privacy of minors. Recently, EPIC led a coalition amicus brief to defend California’s Age-Appropriate Design Code.

Log Cabin Kits & Ideas For Your New Homestead | Homesteading Simple Self Sufficient Off-The-Grid

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No Fuss Ways To Prepare Wheat Berries

7&&void 0!==arguments[7]?arguments[7]:window,c=this;this.name=e,this.funcName=i,this.parameters=null===n?null:p(n)?n:[n],this.isBlock=o,this.blockedBy=s,this.deleteWhenComplete=r,this.isError=!1,this.isComplete=!1,this.isInitialized=!1,this.proceedIfError=a,this.fWindow=l,this.isTimeDelay=!1,this.process=function(){f(“… func = “+e),c.isInitialized=!0,c.isComplete=!0,f(“… func.apply: “+e);var i=c.funcName.split(“.”),n=null,o=this.fWindow||window;i.length>3||(n=3===i.length?o[i[0]][i[1]][i[2]]:2===i.length?o[i[0]][i[1]]:o[c.funcName]),null!=n&&n.apply(null,this.parameters),!0===c.deleteWhenComplete&&delete t[e],!0===c.isBlock&&(f(“—– F’D: “+c.name),u())}},l=function(e,i,t,n,o,s,r){var a=arguments.length>7&&void 0!==arguments[7]?arguments[7]:window,l=this;this.name=e,this.path=i,this.async=o,this.defer=s,this.isBlock=t,this.blockedBy=n,this.isInitialized=!1,this.isError=!1,this.isComplete=!1,this.proceedIfError=r,this.fWindow=a,this.isTimeDelay=!1,this.isPath=function(e){return”/”===e[0]&&”/”!==e[1]},this.getSrc=function(e){return void 0!==window.__ezScriptHost&&this.isPath(e)?window.__ezScriptHost+e:e},this.process=function(){l.isInitialized=!0,f(“… file = “+e);var i=this.fWindow?this.fWindow.document:document,t=i.createElement(“script”);t.src=this.getSrc(this.path),!0===o?t.async=!0:!0===s&&(t.defer=!0),t.onerror=function(){f(“—– ERR’D: “+l.name),l.isError=!0,!0===l.isBlock&&u()},t.onreadystatechange=t.onload=function(){var e=t.readyState;f(“—– F’D: “+l.name),e&&!/loaded|complete/.test(e)||(l.isComplete=!0,!0===l.isBlock&&u())},i.getElementsByTagName(“head”)[0].appendChild(t)}},c=function(e,i){this.name=e,this.path=””,this.async=!1,this.defer=!1,this.isBlock=!1,this.blockedBy=[],this.isInitialized=!0,this.isError=!1,this.isComplete=i,this.proceedIfError=!1,this.isTimeDelay=!1,this.process=function(){}};function d(e){!0!==h(e)&&0!=r&&e.process()}function h(e){if(!0===e.isTimeDelay&&!1===n)return f(e.name+” blocked = TIME DELAY!”),!0;if(p(e.blockedBy))for(var i=0;i200||(f(“let’s go”),m(o),m(s))}function m(e){for(var i in e)if(!1!==e.hasOwnProperty(i)){var t=e[i];!0===t.isComplete||h(t)||!0===t.isInitialized||!0===t.isError?!0===t.isError?f(t.name+”: error”):!0===t.isComplete?f(t.name+”: complete already”):!0===t.isInitialized&&f(t.name+”: initialized already”):t.process()}}function p(e){return”[object Array]”==Object.prototype.toString.call(e)}return window.addEventListener(“load”,(function(){setTimeout((function(){n=!0,f(“TDELAY —–“),u()}),5e3)}),!1),{addFile:function(e,i,n,r,a,c,h,f,u){var m=new l(e,i,n,r,a,c,h,u);!0===f?o[e]=m:s[e]=m,t[e]=m,d(m)},addDelayFile:function(e,i){var n=new l(e,i,!1,[],!1,!1,!0);n.isTimeDelay=!0,f(e+” … FILE! TDELAY”),s[e]=n,t[e]=n,d(n)},addFunc:function(e,n,r,l,c,h,f,u,m,p){!0===h&&(e=e+”_”+i++);var y=new a(e,n,r,l,c,f,u,p);!0===m?o[e]=y:s[e]=y,t[e]=y,d(y)},addDelayFunc:function(e,i,n){var o=new a(e,i,n,!1,[],!0,!0);o.isTimeDelay=!0,f(e+” … FUNCTION! TDELAY”),s[e]=o,t[e]=o,d(o)},items:t,processAll:u,setallowLoad:function(e){r=e},markLoaded:function(e){if(e&&0!==e.length){if(e in t){var i=t[e];!0===i.isComplete?f(i.name+” “+e+”: error loaded duplicate”):(i.isComplete=!0,i.isInitialized=!0)}else t[e]=new c(e,!0);f(“markLoaded dummyfile: “+t[e].name)}},logWhatsBlocked:function(){for(var e in t)!1!==t.hasOwnProperty(e)&&h(t[e])}}}();__ez.evt.add=function(e,t,n){e.addEventListener?e.addEventListener(t,n,!1):e.attachEvent?e.attachEvent(“on”+t,n):e[“on”+t]=n()},__ez.evt.remove=function(e,t,n){e.removeEventListener?e.removeEventListener(t,n,!1):e.detachEvent?e.detachEvent(“on”+t,n):delete e[“on”+t]};__ez.script.add=function(e){var t=document.createElement(“script”);t.src=e,t.async=!0,t.type=”text/javascript”,document.getElementsByTagName(“head”)[0].appendChild(t)};__ez.dot={};!function(){var e;__ez.vep=(e=[],{Add:function(i,t){__ez.dot.isDefined(i)&&__ez.dot.isValid(t)&&e.push({type:”video”,video_impression_id:i,domain_id:__ez.dot.getDID(),t_epoch:__ez.dot.getEpoch(0),data:__ez.dot.dataToStr(t)})},Fire:function(){if(void 0===document.visibilityState||”prerender”!==document.visibilityState){if(__ez.dot.isDefined(e)&&e.length>0)for(;e.length>0;){var i=5;i>e.length&&(i=e.length);var t=e.splice(0,i),o=__ez.dot.getURL(“/detroitchicago/grapefruit.gif”)+”?orig=”+(!0===__ez.template.isOrig?1:0)+”&v=”+btoa(JSON.stringify(t));__ez.dot.Fire(o)}e=[]}}})}();]]> [] No Fuss Ways To Prepare Wheat Berries | Homesteading tallest) { tallest = thisHeight; } }); group.height(tallest); } equalHeight($(“.dg-grid-shortcode .dg_grid-shortcode-col”)); $(window).resize(function() { equalHeight($(“.dg-grid-shortcode .dg_grid-shortcode-col”)); }); }); ]]>

Top Medicinal Herbs To Grow At Home

Thinking of planting medicinal herbs in your home? Here are the top 5 medicinal herbs you should consider growing, and why.

Medicinal herbs have been gaining increasing popularity, as a natural replacement for pills and antibiotics. They are now considered to be not only cheaper, but also a healthier way to deal with a variety of aches and ailments. In addition, gardening is the perfect remedy against stress and anxiety. Here are 5 medicinal herbs that you can easily grow at home.

Thyme

This ancient and aromatic herb is famous for its antiseptic properties. You can use it to treat sore throat, coughs, indigestion, acne and arthritis.

The easiest way to grow thyme is to buy seedlings from a gardening store. Pick a sunny spot at home to place the pot and fill it with soil. Add some compost and ensure that there is good drainage. You should plant seedlings at least 20 centimeters apart. Thyme is usually harvested in summer. Gardeners should make sure they leave a few centimeters of the stem, so that it can grow again.

Basil

Basil possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is useful in cases of nausea, lack of appetite, headaches and even kidney stones.

Pick a pot and soil type that will ensure adequate drainage. Buy basil seeds and sow them 2 to 5 centimeters apart. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of compost and moisten the soil a bit. Place pot in a warm and sunny spot and protect it from cold. See how you can grow it indoors here.

Chamomile

Chamomile flower heads are used to relieve skin irritation, indigestion, anxiety and tension.

The best time to plant chamomile is in late winter or early spring months. It thrives well in a loose, sandy soil that drains well. Buy a celled planting tray in order to ensure enough space between stables. Place 2-3 seeds in each cell and cover them with the soil. Place the tray at moderate light and keep the soil moist. When seedlings are about 1 centimeter high, remove unhealthy ones from the tray.

Lavender

This beautiful and aromatic plant has a great calming and relaxing effect on the nervous system. It also eases pain and possesses antiseptic properties when applied to skin cuts and bruises.

Gardening experts would tell you that lavender is a Mediterranean herb, so it requires lots of sunlight. Pick a well-lit and warm location, which will also provide good shelter in the…

Ireland Fines Meta €1.2 Billion, Orders Halt of Personal Data Transfers to U.S.

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has fined Meta €1.2 billion and ordered the company to suspend transfers of personal data to the United States within five months, finding that Meta’s transfers violation the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. The order also requires Meta to delete EU users’ personal data unlawfully transferred to the U.S. and to bring its processing into compliance with the GDPR.

The order arises from the long-running dispute over cross-border transfers of EU residents’ personal data to the U.S. In 2013, privacy advocate (and EPIC Advisory Board member) Max Schrems filed a complaint alleging that Facebook violated EU law when it transferred personal data to the U.S., where surveillance law fails to provide adequate privacy protections or remedies for non-U.S. persons. The dispute ultimately led the European Court of Justice to invalidate both the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Agreement (in Schrems I) and the U.S.-EU Privacy Shield Agreement (in Schrems II, a case in which EPIC participated as amicus).

Following Schrems II, Meta continued to carry out cross-border data transfers on the basis of “standard contractual clauses,” which purport to provide EU user data with protections equivalent to the GDPR when transferred to other countries. But Monday’s decision—the result of an investigation by the Irish DPC and a recent ruling by the European Data Protection Board—rejected Meta’s argument that these clauses adequately safeguard the fundamental rights of EU data subjects.

The DPC’s order could have major consequences for other platforms and companies that transfer personal data between the EU and U.S. The proposed Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework may provide companies with a legal basis to continue such transfers when the European Commission’s approval is finalized, though concerns remain that the framework fails to provide EU citizens with adequate remedies for unlawful surveillance.

17 Awesome Treehouse Ideas For You And The Kids

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Transitional Food Preps: Staying Fed Between Storage and Cultivation

You’ve spent the last few years stacking emergency transitional food in the pantry, in the closet of the guest bedroom, and in the garage. You bought a grain mill and have stuffed pound after pound of rice, beans, pasta, and wheat berries into mylar. You’ve couponed until you’re blue in the face, joined a wholesale club, taken advantage of every sale on oatmeal and canned tuna. Even with all you’ve managed to put away, you realize in the back of your mind that, for the long-term, it will become necessary to shift from food storage to food production, so you’ve planted fruit trees in your landscape beds and stashed an impressive mix of vegetable seeds in the freezer.

But what if the transition isn’t as cut and dry? Environmental conditions, social unrest, illness within your family, or a steeper-than-anticipated learning curve could delay the ability to move into full-scale agricultural production. All of a sudden, then, your one-year food supply will have to stretch to 14 months or longer. Perhaps you discover too late that your stockpiled provisions, while loading you up with the necessary calories, lack one easy-to-overlook micronutrient.

Above: Food storage will get you through the initial stages of an emergency, but in the long run, it is not enough.

Food security during a major event should not only focus on stored food and Little House on the Prairie-esque self-sufficiency, but also on “transitional food production” — systems that can generate some nutrition even during a bugout or shelter-in-place scenario. Wise preppers should consider how they can implement smaller-scale food production that will help stretch their flour and freeze-dried meals, while giving them a wide range of nutrients. In the event of a delayed growing season, a crop failure, or a need to lay low a little longer, mushrooms, eggs, and sprouts are examples of sustainable foods that can help fill the gaps between what’s in the cupboards and what will eventually spring up in the garden. Furthermore, many families are accustomed to a good bit of variety in their diets, and these items can make the 99th serving of rice and beans a little more tolerable.

Transitional Food Systems Should Meet Three Criteria

1) They should be portable enough to be transported to a bugout location and back or moved into a sheltered space with relative ease.

2) They should provide significant nutrition for their bulk and weight.

3) The knowledge, skills, and equipment required to produce these foods should be easily attainable for the majority of folks.

Mushrooms To-Go

Mushrooms are the only non-animal food source of Vitamin D. They have more protein than most vegetables, they provide significant levels of riboflavin and niacin, and they’re relatively easy to grow — or at least some species are. While growing morels isn’t impossible, it’s not as reliable an undertaking as producing shiitakes or oysters.

Author Jeff CassmanPosted on May 26, 2023Categories ChickensTags ChickensLeave a comment on Transitional Food Preps: Staying Fed Between Storage and Cultivation

EPIC, Coalition Urge FCC to Prevent Misuse of Family Tracker Apps in Safe Connections Act Reply Comments

On May 12, EPIC, the Clinic to End Tech Abuse (CETA), the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), Public Knowledge, and supporters including 10 other survivor advocacy and direct service organizations filed reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission regarding its implementation of the requirements of the Safe Connections Act of 2022. The rulemaking seeks to help survivors of domestic violence separate their phone line from a shared account with an abuser, to protect the privacy of calls with hotlines and shelters, and to support survivors experiencing financial hardship through affordability programs.

The coalition emphasized the support in the record for survivor self-certification and a presumption of financial hardship, identified logistical challenges with some commenter proposals, and built a more robust record regarding the privacy concerns facing survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

The coalition also called upon the FCC to investigate “dual-use” apps like family trackers, to articulate its legal authority to prevent survivor CPNI from purely stalkerware apps, to require carriers to protect survivor data from unauthorized access by law enforcement or the carrier’s own employees, and to decline to disclose in 911 calls that the call comes from a line separated under the Safe Connections Act.

EPIC, CETA, NNEDV, Public Knowledge, and its sign-on partners also urged the FCC to give phone carriers guidance in how to support survivors with phone device-related privacy and safety concerns, such as stalkerware, a concern the FCC included in this rulemaking as a result of the advocacy of EPIC and its partners at the Notice of Inquiry stage.

EPIC advocates for laws, regulations, and policies that safeguard user privacy and protect users from technology-facilitated abuse and harassment, including actions against stalkerware developers. EPIC also filed an amicus brief urging that dating platform companies be held liable when they ignore harassment and abuse.