PRIVACY + SECURITY BLOG

News, Developments, and Insights

high-tech technology background with eyes on computer display

Big Data, Big Data Breaches, Big Fines and Other Privacy + Security Updates

By Daniel J. Solove Co-authored by Professor Paul Schwartz This post is part of a post series where we round up some of the interesting news and resources we’re finding. This post includes developments from the first part of 2015. For a PDF version of this post, and for archived issues of previous posts, click […]

If the Empire in Star Wars Had Big Data

Star Wars Privacy and Security Awareness Darth Vader

. . . the Empire would have won. A search of records would have revealed where Luke Skywalker was living on Tatooine.  A more efficient collection and aggregation of Jawa records would have located the droids immediately.  Simple data analysis would have revealed that Ben Kenobi was really Obi Wan Kenobi. A search of birth […]

The Sony Data Breach: 3 Painful Lessons

  by Daniel J. Solove The Sony data breach is an exclamation mark on a year that is already known as the” Year of the Data Breach.” This data breach is the kind that makes even the least squeamish avert their eyes and wince. There are at least three things that this breach can teach […]

How Should the Law Handle Privacy and Data Security Harms?

by Daniel J. Solove In three earlier posts, I’ve been exploring the nature of privacy and data security harms. In the first post, Privacy and Data Security Violations: What’s The Harm?, I explored how the law often fails to recognize harm for privacy violations and data breaches. In the second post, Why the Law Often […]

Big Data and Our Children’s Future: On Reforming FERPA

by Daniel J. Solove Last week, the White House released its report, Big Data: Seizing Opportunities, Preserving Values. My reaction to it is mixed. The report mentions some concerns about privacy with Big Data and suggests some reforms, but everything is stated so mildly, in a way designed to please everyone. The report is painted […]

FBI Plans Data Mining Project

Data Mining

Several years ago, the Department of Defense began developing a program called Total Information Awareness, a massive data mining project analyzing personal information on every citizen of the United States. After a series of blistering op-eds and strong negative public reaction, the Senate voted to stop all funding for the program.

Soup for Me at $5 but No Soup for You (Or Maybe at $10)

Behavioral Targeting

There is still more interesting grist from the national telephone survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.  The report has an extensive discussion of price discrimination – offering different prices for the same product or service to different customers based on behavioral profiling. This practice is already happening.  Supermarket discount cards are an example […]