Disclaimer: this is not about Foggy Bottom, the place. "Bottoms" is being used as a verb with connotations of lowness and swampiness for the conduct --alleged conduct-- of a data broker that would very much prefer that smart phone users remain in the dark about how it uses advertisements to track users movements.
The E.F.F. blogger rejoicing in the unlikely name of Bennett Cyphers describes how it works, how you can thwart it, and why such mass surveillance matters since it is sold to law enforcement without any probable cause or warrant.
This technology can reveal where the device-owner works, studies, sleeps, worships, frequents, works out, shops, goes for medical treatment, visits a ballot drop box, attends a protest, and more. Apparently, all they need is for a smart phone user to turn on an app. Watch out for those weather apps!
There are multiple links to other E.F.F. revelations about warrantless surveillance.
You always knew that you were "the product", but perhaps you did not know how much. Every time you click "Agree", you are signing a contract that is almost invariably one-sided (not your side), unilateral, and arbitrary.
E.F.F.'s bloggers Saira Hussain and Will Greenberg discuss other invasions of smart phone users' privacy, especially in the context of Electronic Monitoring, which might be especially egregious when the user has no choice about "consenting", and where the user also has to allow all contacts in the phone address book to be "shared" (and often monetized).
For anyone with copyrights to protect, the Copyright Alliance is working with RightsClick, and there will be a free webinar on copyrights which takes place on October 17th.
The webinar is free. RightsClick is offering prizes to Copyright Alliance members. Membership of the copyrightalliance.org is free. Membership of righsclick is not, apart from this webinar. For more info on RightsClick, see here https://rightsclick.com/about/
All the best,
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