Category Archives: Privacy

Yarra Plenty Regional Library Contracts BiblioCommons

In the public interest.

The use of foreign IT platforms to access libraries, to borrow, extend loans etc. is the beginning of digitisation but more importantly it allows foreign IT digital companies to be in a position of licencing their IT software to make an ongoing profit and to gather and share data.

The days of being able to go to a library and no be identified, filmed, barcoded and monitored are over. People are being asked for ID when there is no reason why security need be ramped up. This is big brother under the guise of protecting the public. I am glad I am in my 50’s as I couldn’t bare to be in this type of world as a young person who will be constantly identified, nothing in their lives will be private. I urge people to read the Terms and Conditions and Privacy statements, as they impact our future freedoms.

I do not consent to data gathering, profiling, sharing of my data. I also do not consent to access being denied if I disagree as a democratic citizen. I am not a consumer.

This is an interesting comment. It is noteworthy as iPhones and other data gatherers indicate they will pass on information to law enforcement. I am all for a WARRANT. I think that is a fair comment.

Another interesting statement from below:

You can opt out of recording your non-identifying site-activity data on Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. The add-on prevents the Google Analytics JavaScript (gtag.js, ga.js, analytics.js, and dc.js) that is running on websites from sharing information with Google Analytics about visit activity.

BiblioCommons does not share information in response to law enforcement requests unless it is presented with a warrant or other legal compulsion.

Here are the terms and conditions of BiblioCommons

BiblioCommons International Privacy Statement

Last updated: Apr 15, 2019

Yarra Plenty Regional Library has entered into an agreement with BiblioCommons to provide an online service that will make it easier to track your holds and renewals and find the titles you are looking for. In addition, you may also choose to use this service to share ratings and commentary about the titles you find at Yarra Plenty Regional Library, and to connect with other library users. When you use the pages in Yarra Plenty Regional Library’s catalogue that say “Powered by BiblioCommons” in the lower left-hand corner of the screen, you are using what is referred to in this document as the “BiblioCommons Service,” and any information that is collected or shared here will be governed by this Privacy Statement. The problem is that this can change and we are expected to be aware. It is complex and fraught with privacy and hacking issues. The fact companies are based in either the US or in this case Canada, means they are outside Australian laws enter public services where personal data is held.

I personally do not consent to data sharing by a foreign company where it is not clear to the public that this is happening, as they are not fully informed, nor do they have a say or vote in it. It makes democracy a word.

https://yprl.bibliocommons.com/info/privacy

BiblioCommons believes that effective privacy controls are the cornerstone of open and engaged communities. We have implemented the standards described on this page to protect the privacy of all users, at the same time providing the opportunity to share information about books, movies and music for those who are interested. By using the BiblioCommons Service, you agree to the terms of this BiblioCommons Privacy Statement and the BiblioCommons Terms of Use. The BiblioCommons Privacy Statement and BiblioCommons Terms of Use can be accessed anytime through the links at the bottom of each page that is powered by BiblioCommons; together they are the only documents that govern your relationship with BiblioCommons.

Is this the only policy governing the use of my information on services offered by the library?

No. Information you provide on the BiblioCommons Service may be transmitted to your library and its designated service partners, where it will be handled according to the policies your library has implemented in those environments. Please check the library’s website to view these documents, or speak to a librarian.

Yarra Plenty Regional Library may have additional policies that govern other aspects of the services we offer. Please check the library’s homepage to view these documents, or speak to a librarian.

What types of information are collected on this service?

Several types of information may be collected and stored on the BiblioCommons service:

  • Personal information
  • Borrowing information
  • Shared content
  • Feedback and Suggestions
  • Non-Identifying information.

You will find a description of how this information is handled in the sections that follow.

Personal Information

What personal information is gathered?

BiblioCommons gathers personal information that you provide or choose to import from Yarra Plenty Regional Library. If you register for the BiblioCommons Service, your library barcode, PIN and borrower ID, name, birth month and year, and email address are automatically loaded into your on-line account from your library record. If some of this information is not available in your record you may be asked to provide it.

If you participate in some optional services, for example youth and literacy programs, BiblioCommons may also ask for additional information, such as your ZIP/postal code, education level and gender, in order to support program evaluation.

How is my personal information used?

We use your personal information to create an online account in your name, provide the services that you have requested, monitor and improve the service, keep your library record up to date, and customize content. We may store some of this information in a secure third-party data repository. We do not share your information or activity with ad networks or other entities that are not directly involved in the services you choose to use.

If you choose to share information or opinions about books, movies, music, and other topics, participate in online conversations, or create selections using Lists or My Shelves (“Shared Content”), information such as the username or name you have chosen to display, your library affiliation(s) and age group may accompany your Shared Content and appear on a profile page that summarizes your Shared Content. If you would like to change your username or modify the information that is made publicly available in connection with these features, please visit your Settings.

BiblioCommons may disclose your personal information and any content associated with your account if required to do so by law or in a good faith belief that such disclosure is reasonably necessary to: (a) satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request, or (b) enforce the Terms of Use, including investigation of potential violations hereof.

Is my personal information protected?

Information in your BiblioCommons account that personally identifies you is encrypted and stored in a secured facility in Canada. This information will be used by BiblioCommons and Yarra Plenty Regional Library to deliver the services you request in accordance with this Privacy Statement. BiblioCommons will not share, gift, sell, rent or trade your personal information (e.g., your email address or month and year of birth). But we may display Shared Content (defined below) in the BiblioCommons Service, or make other commercial uses of Shared Content.

Law Enforcement Requests

BiblioCommons does not share information in response to law enforcement requests unless it is presented with a warrant or other legal compulsion.

Can I change or delete my personal information?

You may alter or delete any of the personal information in your BiblioCommons account except for your name, birth information and your library card number(s); please contact your library staff to make changes to these. If your personal information is updated either through the BiblioCommons Service or directly on your Yarra Plenty Regional Library account with the help of library staff, we will synchronize the new information in both locations.

At any time, you may delete your BiblioCommons account without deleting your Yarra Plenty Regional Library account. To delete your BiblioCommons account, please contact the BiblioCommons Privacy Officer. Note that while your BiblioCommons account information will not be available after deletion, some of that information may persist on memory discs.

Do I have to provide contact information?

No, you do not need to provide contact information to use the BiblioCommons Service. However you may choose to do so in order to receive notices related to your use of the library through the BiblioCommons Service. Your contact information will not be used by BiblioCommons for any other purpose without your consent, or shared with any party other than Yarra Plenty Regional Library without your direction to do so. We encourage you to check Yarra Plenty Regional Library’s policies to understand the other ways in which your contact information may be used by Yarra Plenty Regional Library.

BiblioCommons may send email or display messages on the service that provide you with the choice to take advantage of new features and functionality based on your past activity and stated preferences. To change your preferences for system messaging, please go to My Settings.

What measures are in place to protect children?

Parts of the BiblioCommons Service are open to children under the age of thirteen. However additional measures have been taken to protect their privacy and safety. Patrons under the age of thirteen (13) years (“minors”) will be restricted from using the BiblioCommons Service to communicate directly with other patrons; provision may be made for a more permissive service for minors with parental consent. While the Terms of Use prohibits the use of the BiblioCommons Service to arrange meetings with minors, children should be advised never to arrange meetings with strangers over the Internet.

Community-created content may not be appropriate for children. The BiblioCommons Service contains functionality that will enable you to collapse community-created content that has been flagged by Users who feel the content may be offensive to some users. Enabling this functionality will help decrease the likelihood of children encountering objectionable material when using the BiblioCommons Service.

Where can I learn more about internet safety for users under the age of 18?

We recommend that parents and guardians discuss internet privacy and safety with their children. When using the internet, children should be advised:

  • never to give out personal information such as their real name, phone number, email address, or school without first consulting their parents or guardians, and
  • never to arrange a meeting with someone they met online.

More information about children’s safety online can be found on the following sites.

Safety tips for children:

Tips for parents:

Borrowing Information

Is my borrowing record tracked?

No. Lists of your current loans, due dates, outstanding fees, etc. may be loaded from your library record during your sessions online, but this information is not stored on your BiblioCommons account, and it is never shared with other users. You may choose to create a record of your recently-borrowed titles if this service is supported by your library; information about recently borrowed items is never made available to the public unless you choose to enter specific titles on your shelves or in other Shared Content. If you do not choose to enable the recently-borrowed feature, no automatic record of your borrowing will be created.

Shared Content

What is Shared Content?

You may use the BiblioCommons Service to record information or opinions about books, movies, music, and other topics, participate in online conversations, or create selections using Lists or My Shelves; all of this content is called “Shared Content”. Shared Content may be useful for your own reference and can help other users find resources and information.

When you contribute content to an individual title, that title is automatically added to My Shelves, a collection that gathers all of the titles to which you have contributed content or chosen to add to your shelves. You may also create Shared Content by interacting with others through messaging, forums, or collaborative guides.

Can Shared Content be viewed by the public?

Shared Content has been designed for sharing, and is usually public. However you may make portions of your Shared Content private by using your Privacy Settings. In addition, messages sent directly to other users through the service are not publicly viewable.

If you are uncomfortable with the idea of sharing content with others, you may decide not to use My Shelves or contribute ratings, comments, guides, or other types of Shared Content. You do not need to create Shared Content in order to use the BiblioCommons Service.

Will my name be visible with my Shared Content?

Content and messages that you leave in public view or send to other users will be accompanied by the username that you create, or by whatever display name that you choose at a later date in your account settings. This display name is also linked to your profile page, which includes links to your Shelves, your shared Lists, and any other profile information you choose to display.

Can I change my Shared Content?

Shared Content that is not interactive may be edited or deleted on this service at any time. Deleted content is removed from our data bases and inaccessible to other users, but may remain in our data back-up system and in third-party search indexes like Google. Shared Content that is not deleted may remain available on the BiblioCommons Service indefinitely, even if you have closed your library account.

Messages and chat cannot be deleted or edited once they have been sent. They are logged and archived indefinitely. In the event of complaints regarding violations of the BiblioCommons Terms of Use, this type of information may be used by BiblioCommons to investigate.

Interactive Shared Content that other users may respond or contribute to, such as discussions or collaborative guides, may be visible to others indefinitely in association with your display name, and may persist after your BiblioCommons account is terminated.

Other Information

Feedback and Suggestions

When you submit feedback or suggestions they will not be considered confidential and may be stored with your name and email address for analysis and follow-up.

Non-Identifying Information

BiblioCommons also records anonymous information and activity in order to improve the quality and scope of the features and content you access through the BiblioCommons Service. For example:

  • Information such as your browser type or IP address may be used to help us understand how visitors use the service over time and how it might be improved.
  • Data from your account may also be aggregated in an anonymous way.
  • Anonymous search logs are analyzed to improve the search algorithms.
  • Activity such as borrowing and reading may be aggregated anonymously to guide the development of the library’s collections or to allow publishers to understand how their titles are being used.
  • Non-identifying information may be stored in a secure online service such as Google Analytics for use by BiblioCommons or your library. You can opt out of recording your non-identifying site-activity data on Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. The add-on prevents the Google Analytics JavaScript (gtag.js, ga.js, analytics.js, and dc.js) that is running on websites from sharing information with Google Analytics about visit activity.

Cookies

Cookies are small files used to enhance the functionality of websites.

BiblioCommons may set and access temporary session cookies on your computer in order to make our system easier for you to use. In addition, a more persistent cookie is used to store your user preferences. These files do not contain or transfer any personally-identifiable information.

You may also choose on the log-in page to save your username in a cookie by checking “remember me.”

If you wish to be notified when you receive a cookie, you may set your browser to do so.

External Sites

The Internet is a big place: take care to guard your personally identifying information. This website may link to other websites that collect personal information. We recommend that you review the privacy policies of these sites before providing them with any personal data.

Changes to this Privacy Statement

This privacy statement may change from time to time in response to new laws, or to an evolution in BiblioCommons policies or practices. We encourage you to check this privacy statement from time to time for changes. Your continued use of BiblioCommons after a change will signify your acceptance of the new terms.

Change of Service

In the event that Yarra Plenty Regional Library discontinues its participation in the BiblioCommons Service, the Yarra Plenty Regional Library may transfer your information to a new service of a similar nature. In addition, Yarra Plenty Regional Library may agree to have your information transferred to a successor entity of BiblioCommons or to any entity which purchases substantially all of the assets related to BiblioCommons or a division of BiblioCommons.

Comments? Questions? Contact us. privacy@bibliocommons.com

Privacy Officer
BiblioCommons
119 Spadina Avenue, suite 1000
Toronto, ON M5V 2L1, Canada
tel. 1 (647) 436 6381

Snowden Cell Phones Spying and ID

In the public interest.

I give no consent to my location, ID and my data being gathered (bulk connections). I have nothing to hide but I like my privacy as a woman. I realise the company’s believe they own my data and believe they can sell it. I do not give consent.

Susan Carew

NOTES: Snowden’s comments –

Central problem is you do not know what the phone is doing!

According to Snowden you can turn off your phone but how do you know it is off he says. Old phones mean you can take the battery out that stops signals. The phones now are sealed. Airplane mode doesn’t turn off wifi. We don’t know what the phone is doing or what it is connected to? Apps talk want it to stop after using e.g. messenger, weather app. People need to be able to make intelligent decisions not just app by app on a connection by connection basis. You may use Facebook – want to connect to Facebook content servers, want to be able message a friend but you don’t want it to talk to an ad server or analytics server or third party (monitoring your behaviour). Facebook crams them (third party) into every app you download, you don’t know as you can see it, problem with data collection today. Industry built on keeping this invisible. Need to make activities of our devices (iPhone, computer) more visible and understandable to the average person and give them control. Say there is a little green icon spokes coming off, every app your phone is talking to, all hosts talking to. Once every 3 seconds phone is checking in with Facebook. No-one wants spying. If people could press a button to turn off apps ie. Facebook etc. People would want no spying. Google and Apple do not allow the button to exist. If the companies think it is not understood, too complex then it needs to be simplified. It is a problem.

Stories data breached, companies spying here or there, manipulating purchases, search results, hiding things on your timeline – influence and manipulate in different ways. Happens as a result of single problem – which is inequality of available information. They can see everything about you , what you device is doing, they can do anything with your device. You paid for the device, increasingly governments and corporations own it. we do all the work, pay taxes, costs… People work hard but they are owning less. The young people do not know what they are losing.

Data became a commodity, valuable to Google an social media platform, making billions of dollars earned, people are accustomed, difficult to turn that horse around. Snowden says money becomes power and influence. Information becomes influence.

Surveilance states they won’t relinquish as they embed this reality. The permanent record is the story of our lives.

Permanent record is the subject of the book.

You life how intentionally BY DESIGN both government and corporate realised it was in their mutual interest to conceal data collection activities to increase the breadth and depth of their sensor networks spread out throughout society. Back in the day Intelligence collection in US (sigin) was sending FBI agent to put alligator clips in a building, or disguised as a workman bug in a building or built satellite listening, in desert, parabolic collector listening to satellite emissions. Satellite links were owned by military and exclusive to government not affecting everyone broadly, all surveillance was targeted. What changed with technology was surveillance becomes indiscriminately, dragnet, ‘bulk collection’ should become dirties phrases in the language if we have decency. This this was intentionally concealed from us, government did it used classification, companies did it, denied it, they say you agreed to this. You didn’t agree to anything. They say they put Terms of Service page up, you clicked. You clicked a button said I Agree when you are trying to open an account to talk to friends, email etc. You were not agreeing to 600 page legal form, even if read you wouldn’t understand. Even if did, the first para says this agreement can be changed anytime by the company.

NOTE: They built a legal paradigm that presumes RECORDS collected about us DO NOT BELONG TO US. This is one of the core principles on which mass surveillance from the government perspective in US is legal. Government says it is legal, it is fine. Our perspective as a public, says that is the problem this isn’t okay, the scandal is not in their breaking the law, it is in that they DON’T HAVE TO BREAK THE LAW. It is called a third party doctrine, legal principle Smith vs Maryland. Established a precedent that the record don’t belong to the guy they belong to the company. The company has ownership over records, back in 1970s. Still relying on this precedent. No-one has a privacy right over their lives (data collection). Not data being manipulated but PEOPLE being MANIPULATED.

MY COMMENTS:

Everyone jumps on the bandwagon to make money without a backward glance to the social cost to democracy.I personally do not feel safe and I do not want people I do not know where I am and gathering my data about what I do, where I go, who I speak to, who my friends are. I don’t want people accessing my blog if they are monitoring me rather than reading my blog out of interest. It is a form of surveillance. This feels to me like stalking. I am alarmed by the facts raised above that my data is not mine, YES IT IS. What I am doing now is my thoughts on a page they do not belong to WordPress, the IP company or those surveilling me. I revoke other rights that state I have agreed, I haven’t. This provides insights into FOI requests and why no data is forthcoming. I am not fully informed.

In addition:

I have real concerns about the medical effects cancer and EMF with iPhones. This is a real problem.

The apps are companies they are not just little icons (analytics) and it is too much for the average person to understand and make clear decisions.

The homeless guy living in the bush I met recently is probably right to be there. He is free. He is not accessing digital. He has let go of this society. I can understand why that is a good thing.

Link to Snowden’s paper (Introspection Engine [iPhone 6]: https://boingboing.net/2017/09/08/impaired-judgment-phones.html

Personal Data Protects in California

We need far more protections to ensure consumer data is not used, sold, profiled etc. I have real concerns of this ‘Brave New World’ that is arising around all of us. I do not feel comfortable having my face photographed, filmed or facially recognised. I actually find this threatening, particularly since a camera and light turned on in Canberra (with police insignia) after I had walked to Australian Federal Parliament to ‘make homelessness visible’. It wasn’t a protest yet I was earmarked a Person of Interest.

I also was cut off Centrelink as I was told I had to join a Job Provider I wasn’t interest in, as I find them ineffective and I have concerns about the ‘forced compliance model’ affecting democratric rights. So I am a conscientious objector. In both cases I have been designated a POI. So for me I am very uncomfortable with profiling, tracking and ID’s when it can be used by those who are not just to intimidate or undermine a person they regard as opposing their views. The totalitarian approach typically is a control paradigm and they react negatively when confronted by diverse views. The psychology typically views dissent as disloyalty and there is a tendency to seek to criminalise what they don’t want to hear. This can happen in personal lives but when in positions of authority it is very concerning as it is unquestioned control. That is my concern. I can see those who are not democratic or open to different voices being punitive and potentially dangerous.

This article is from the United States and is discussing consumer privacy and rights. The US is having debates about the Cambridge Analytica data gathering and breaches. This is incredibly important as people’s data can be used, changed to cause possible harm. That is my concern.

https://hbr.org/2018/07/what-you-need-to-know-about-californias-new-data-privacy-law

Regulation

What You Need to Know About California’s New Data Privacy Law

July 11, 2018

Recommended

jul18-11-686932265-pmimages

pm images/Getty Images

Late last month, California passed a sweeping consumer privacy law that might force significant changes on companies that deal in personal data — and especially those operating in the digital space. The law’s passage comes on the heels of a few days of intense negotiation among privacy advocates, technology startups, network providers, Silicon Valley internet companies, and others. Those discussions have resulted in what many are describing as a landmark policy constituting the most stringent data protection regime in the United States.

Much of the political impetus behind the law’s passage came from some major privacy scandals that have come to light in recent months, including the Cambridge Analytica incident involving Facebook user data. This and other news drove public support for a privacy ballot initiative that would have instituted an even stricter data protection regime on companies that deal in consumer data if the state’s residents voted to pass it in November. But after intense negotiation, especially from leading internet companies and internet service providers, the backers of the ballot initiative agreed to drop the initiative and instead support the passage of the law.

The new law — the California Consumer Privacy Act, A.B. 375 — affords California residents an array of new rights, starting with the right to be informed about what kinds of personal data companies have collected and why it was collected. Among other novel protections, the law stipulates that consumers have the right to request the deletion of personal information, opt out of the sale of personal information, and access the personal information in a “readily useable format” that enables its transfer to third parties without hindrance.

The law notably establishes a broad definition of “personal information,” drawing in categories of data including a consumer’s personal identifiers, geolocation, biometric data, internet browsing history, psychometric data, and inferences a company might make about the consumer. The protections over this data are to be enforced by the state’s attorney general, though consumers will maintain a private right of action should companies fail to maintain reasonable security practices, resulting in unauthorized access to the personal data. (The data breach protection applies to a set of personal data that is narrower than that protected in the more general privacy protections.)

Perhaps the primary issue that firms are contending with is that the law’s requirements could threaten established business models throughout the digital sector. For instance, companies that generate revenue from targeted advertising over internet platforms — such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google — must, as the law is currently written, allow California residents to delete their data or bring it with them to alternative service providers. This restriction could extend to internet service providers such as AT&T and Verizon, which collect broadband activity data (web browsing data) and could attempt to use it to generate behavioral profiles to enable digital advertising. These measures might significantly cut into the profits these firms currently enjoy, or force adjustments to their revenue-growth strategies. They could also further impact any businesses that advertise on digital platforms, as the service they are purchasing — highly targeted advertising — might become less precise as a result of the new protections afforded to individual consumers.

Some firms stand to lose even more. Data brokers such as Acxiom, Epsilon, Experian, and Oracle, for example, generate profits by collecting quantities of data on individual consumers and selling it to third parties — be they ad networks, marketers, retailers, or any other type of interested business. These are precisely the kinds of practices that are directly threatened by the consumer’s rights to deletion and to opt out of sale of data.

While the law, which is set to come into effect at the start of 2020, technically applies only to California residents, it will most likely have much broader implications. Most major companies that deal in consumer data, from retailers to cellular network providers to internet companies, have some Californian customers. That will leave those companies with two main options: either reform their global data protection and data rights infrastructures to comply with California’s law, or institute a patchwork data regime in which Californians are treated one way and everyone else another. That last option can be more expensive for companies, and could disgruntle non-Californian customers should they be given fewer data privacy options by the service provider. Indeed, similar questions about Americans’ data rights arose during Mark Zuckerberg’s congressional testimony in regard to Facebook’s compliance with new European regulations.

Critically, the legislature has left open the door to amendments to the new law. We can also expect the state attorney general to work with public stakeholders to develop more specific compliance guidance for the industry over the months ahead. In the time before the law is enforced, we are likely to see more debate among industry leaders, consumer advocates, and everyone in between — all of whom will wish to affect the law and its enforcement to their own benefit.

Dipayan Ghosh is a Fellow at New America and the Harvard Kennedy School. He was a technology and economic policy advisor in the Obama White House, and formerly served as an advisor on privacy and public policy issues at Facebook. Follow him on Twitter @ghoshd7.

I

Edward Snowden on Mass Surveillance and Democracy

In the public interest.

We require a apolitical faction (independent) that can challenge the government, he states.

Edward Snowden: “If I end up in Guantánamo I can live with that” | Guardian Interviews

Edward Snowden Live from Russia

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden: ‘I don’t want to live in a society that does these sort of things’

Edward Snowden on ‘Snowden angels’ and his warning for Canada