User identity is broken on social networks. Biometric data about people, protected by encryption, could return the balance of power to where it belongs—with consumers. More
Opinion Security & Privacy Society The Internet
Why Schrage Left Facebook
Elliot Schrage was a loyal and effective leader for Facebook, but his departure indicates significant shifts are underway at this so-controversial company. Watch who the next policy chief is to see if real change is likely. More
Media & Marketing Partner Insights Security & Privacy
Customer Personalization Faces Trust Crisis
New research from Salesforce shows that before companies can earn the right to personalize their customer experience, they need to earn their customers’ trust, a challenge in the wake of recent security breaches. More
Community Insights Security & Privacy
Small Business Expert: GDPR is Hard but Necessary
Europe's Global Data Protection Regulation takes effect today. While large companies like Google and Amazon have the resources to figure out the law’s intricacies, millions of small businesses do not. More
Security & Privacy Society Techonomy Events
The Facebook-WhatsApp Lesson: Privacy Protection Necessary for Innovation
WhatsApp founder Jam Koum's breakup with Facebook speaks to how the internet economy could evolve, how competition and innovation could be encouraged, if regulators simply do their job. More
Security & Privacy Society The Internet
Why We’re Obsessed With Facebook
In 2016 Mark Zuckerberg famously stood on our stage and declared that the idea of fake news on Facebook influencing the election was "crazy." Techonomy from its founding has been closely attentive to Facebook and its impact. Here we chronicle the path that led to Zuckerberg's testimony to Congress this week. We've written numerous stories, hosted company executives on stage, and published important opinion from outsiders. More
Global Tech Government Opinion Security & Privacy
How the FTC Could Have Prevented the Facebook Mess
The FTC issued a 2011 consent order against Facebook to protect the privacy of user data. But the Commission never enforced the order, even as Facebook disregarded its provisions. If the order had been enforced, there would be no Cambridge Analytica story. More
Media & Marketing Security & Privacy Society
Facebook, GDPR, and the Perils of Online Advertising
The revelations about how Cambridge Analytica exploited Facebook raise a host of questions about both companies. Most pressing for users of Facebook: its lack of oversight and transparency betray a company that seems to care more about its business partners than its users. The problem is not unique to Facebook. More
GDPR Will Expose Brands That Don’t Care About Their Customers
The scramble by companies everywhere to comply with Europe's General Data Protection Regulation has largely been about avoiding the risk of being fined. But instead, it should raise questions about what values companies apply to their interactions with customers. More
Global Tech Security & Privacy
Cyber Vulnerabilities Threaten Kenya’s Vaunted Fintech
More than 75 percent of Kenyan citizens have access to financial services through mobile devices, increasing the risk of cybercrime and putting pressure on public and private stakeholders to invest more in cybersecurity. More
Partner Insights Security & Privacy
As GDPR Nears, the Era of Data Responsibility Has Arrived
Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation is coming quicker than many companies are ready for. While the penalties for noncompliance loom large, the rules present a chance for companies to put data security at the forefront of operations and to develop responsible data policies. This article was prepared by our partner, IBM. More
Analytics & Data Science Security & Privacy
FDA Opens the Doors for Consumer Genetic Testing, But is the Technology Ready?
Genetic testing is going mainstream, but is the science ready for prime time? The marketing of genetic tests to consumers raises short-term risks and may even threaten the longer-term promise of the technology. More
From the Magazine Security & Privacy
Me Tarzan, You Alexa
Voice interfaces seem to be everywhere, and are evolving rapidly. But Alexa, Cortana, Google Assistant, and Siri point towards the future of AI, and an automated society. More
Analytics & Data Business Security & Privacy
Lessons from Equifax: Don’t Delegate the Bits and Bytes
Executives must start to hold themselves accountable for the safety and soundness of their software—and that starts with the simple acknowledgement that in many cases, the biggest risk they are managing is their own ignorance. More
Business Community Insights Security & Privacy
Delaware Drives Blockchain Innovation
Delaware is the corporate home to the biggest tech companies and many others in the Fortune 500, but it wants to continue to innovate in the services and tools that it offers companies. So the state is breaking new ground in regulation by facilitating the use of blockchain technology for record keeping and other purposes. On August 1st, the state's initial blockchain law goes into effect. More
Business Security & Privacy Society
Are Connected Toys Worth the Risk?
Children's toys and rooms are quickly becoming connected, like just about everything else. Parents may find monitors useful and talking toys a merciful distraction, but is this new digital world safe? Big companies like Mattel, whose Hello Barbie is illustrated here, may handle the responsibilities, but the raft of startups creeping toward our children's lives may be another matter. More
Media & Marketing Security & Privacy
Brands, Too, Get Attacked in an Era of Conflict & Terror
Today terrorism is sadly becoming an ongoing challenge. Even as people and communities suffer, brands are also newly challenged. One of the London terrorists wore a jersey from football team Arsenal, which was widely noted in coverage. If we are now in an era of constant conflict, what can companies do to mitigate the risks? More
Talking with Tezos Co-Creator Kathleen Breitman
Kathleen Breitman is person of the hour. Her company developed Tezos, a new blockchain-based cryptocurrency whose ongoing fundraising has raised over $200 million since July 1. We talked to her about why she thinks this is the way to make a better internet, and a better world. More
Analytics & Data Articles We Like Government Security & Privacy
“Omigod!”…and other Exclamations Upon Reading WSJ’s Piece on Facial Recognition in China
Do you want your photo flashed on a sign at an intersection? If not, don't jaywalk in China. Leave aside what happens if you're a dissident traveling in a new region. Here's a headline the WSJ used for this must-read article: "The All-Seeing Surveillance State Feared in the West is a Reality in China." More
Community Insights Security & Privacy The Internet
Will Your Next Password Be a Brainwave?
Secure internet authentication with today's technology is more and more difficult. Even two-factor authentication is not enough. But at UC Berkeley, the next frontier in biometrics-based security is emerging: meet passthoughts—your brainwaves as an identifier, unique to an individual yet changeable anytime. More
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