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Surveillance and Privacy Story By: Aidan Gorneau

How has surveillance affected your life or the life of someone you know?

Because of the increased number of sponsored and hidden advertising we encounter online, it is becoming harder and harder for people to detect and deter scams and targeted content. last year, someone I know fell victim to an online scam, which was an advert on the school's intramural sports website in between the actual content. The advertisement was a simple button that said "sign up here," and when clicked sent you to a separate site where you could put in your credit card information, making you think you had signed up for the site you were originally on. Fortunately the person was able to change their credit card, however this type of targeted scam worked because of its hidden and vague description surrounded by dozens of other sponsored google advertisements.

Example of app privacy and location exploit

According to an investigation by the French daily Le Monde, the Strava fitness program, which their bodyguards use, makes it simple to trace the highly classified internet movements of international leaders, including Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, and U.S. President Joe Biden. Strava users were also discovered within Russian President Vladimir Putin's security team and French President Emmanuel Macron's.

The inquiry followed Macron's security activities on Strava and exposed the French leader's 2021 secret visit to the Normandy coastal resort of Honfleur. By following the Strava profiles of their bodyguards, Melania Trump and Jill Biden's whereabouts might have also been determined.

Le Monde identified 26 U.S. agents, 12 members of the French GSPR, and six members of the Russian FSO, all in charge of presidential security, who had public accounts on Strava. It pointed out that movements trackable on Strava could potentially lead to security breaches, especially when security agents travel in advance to places where leaders then stay and hold meetings.

In response, Macron’s office issued a reminder to agents asking them not to use the app, while the U.S. Secret Service stated that it doesn’t believe the protection they provide was compromised. The article concluded emphasizing the need for better regulations on how tech companies can use consumer data. It noted that consumers often grant app developers the right to use or sell their data when they agree to the terms of service, which can be a potential threat to their privacy and security.

How can apps and platforms be designed to maximize user privacy and security

Private Networks

Within a particular user group, private networks serve as an excellent way of securely sharing data. An @maine.edu network, for example, might be configured in a university context to restrict access to certain data to authorized users (staff, faculty, and students). Class schedules, grades, staff research, student projects, and more may fall under this category. to preserve privacy and security, this data is kept safe within the network and is not available to anyone outside of it. Furthermore, precise control over who has access to what is possible through the assignment of permissions at various levels. For example, a student may be able to view their class schedule and grades, but not those of other students. Strong network security measures, such as firewalls, are necessary for this strategy.

User Education

It is important to educate people about their internet privacy. This might be accomplished with the aid of easy-to-follow guidelines, tutorials, and reminders about the significance of data privacy and self-defense tactics. For instance, users should be made aware of the repercussions of sharing personal information, the importance of coming up with unique and strong passwords, and the operation of the program's privacy-enhancing features. Nonetheless, businesses must remain truthful about their data methods. It involves offering clear, understandable privacy policies that specifically outline things like: the information being collected, how it is used, who it is shared with, and how long it is stored. Transparency boosts users' trust, while user education that enables them to make informed decisions improves their overall privacy and security.

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