Ever since I started writing the Red Tape Chronicles, people (mostly journalists) have complained that I cover two very different topics: tech gone bad and consumer ripoffs. I’ll admit it: I don’t care. Often enough, these subjects overlap. You don’t care if a hacker is stealing your money or a [Keep reading]
Tis the season of panic shopping. It’s not quite “I’d better just buy an e-gift card” season yet, but almost. It’s the time where people start to resort to online shopping as its easier and faster, shopping online for mums is particularly popular as they always have so many to [Keep reading]
While you were busy digesting turkey and playing with your smartphone, a remarkable thing happened to American culture. More people shopped online than in stores on Black Friday this year, according to Adobe Systems, a remarkable digital milestone. And, as you might imagine, a disaster for old-fashioned stores. It’s time to [Keep reading]
Nearly one-third of U.S. workers describe themselves as “free agents,” and talk of the “gig economy” has grown so loud that it’s an issue in the presidential campaign. As more people look online for work that supplements —or replaces — their old-fashioned paycheck and helps pay down debts, it seems [Keep reading]
I talked to NBC’s Pete Williams yesterday about the encryption debate that has raged since the Paris terror attacks. The debate got additional legs when New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance released a white paper Wednesday arguing that Apple and Google should be forced to include backdoors in their smartphones. [Keep reading]
Hey parents! You won’t believe the contracts your kids have been roped into. Like a fine print virus spreading quickly around the globe, under-aged teen-agers are suddenly being shrink-wrapped into contracts of dubious enforceability all around the web. The situation highlights a conundrum for companies targeting the 13-17 crowd: how [Keep reading]
It’s natural to look for a scapegoat after something terrible happens, like this: If only we could read encrypted communications, perhaps the Paris terrorist attacks could have been stopped. It’s natural, but it’s wrong. Read every story you see about Paris carefully and look for evidence that encryption played a role. There’s a [Keep reading]
Nov. 20, 2001 — The FBI is developing software capable of inserting a computer virus onto a suspect’s machine and obtaining encryption keys, a source familiar with the project told MSNBC.com. The software, known as “Magic Lantern,” enables agents to read data that had been scrambled, a tactic often employed [Keep reading]
From the file of, “Thank God someone finally did something about this,” an alleged tech support scam has been shut down by the Federal Trade Commission and two state attorneys general. By now, you are well versed in the scam, which I “fell” for more than a year ago: One [Keep reading]
Imagine a “credit score” that didn’t measure the likelihood that you will pay bills, but instead the likelihood that you’ll be a troublemaker. To your town, or your company or your government. Your “citizen score” would drop if you posted anything negative on social media — or if any of your friends [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan