Privacy & Surveillance Overview

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary and concepts related to the lecture on Privacy & Surveillance, emphasizing definitions important for understanding the implications of data collection and privacy.

Metadata

Data about data (e.g., sender, recipient, timestamp, subject line) that may be collected without consent.

Data

The actual content of communication (e.g., email body, attached files).

Digital Fingerprinting

A unique set of device characteristics used to recognize a device across sessions.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

A security measure requiring multiple forms of verification to access an account.

Location Tracking

Technologies that continuously reveal a device's location through various means.

Trace Data

Metadata left unintentionally during digital interactions; often invisible to users.

Web Browser Fingerprinting

Techniques that identify users based on their device and browser characteristics.

Biological fingerprints

Unique, immutable identifiers that persist over time, used in forensic science.

Privacy expectations

Assumptions about the level of privacy one has in public spaces.

Predictive Marketing

Analyzing consumer data to anticipate future purchases and behaviors.

Cookies

Small text files stored by browsers that track online behavior.

Remarketing

Advertising strategy that targets users with ads for products they previously viewed.

CIA Triad

A model for information security consisting of confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Digital footprint

The trail of data that users leave behind while using the internet.

Surveillance as a Service

Business model monetizing the aggregation of surveillance and fingerprint data.

Legal landscape

The framework of laws regulating data privacy and surveillance.

Location identifiers

Signals like GPS and Wi-Fi that help pinpoint a user's geographic location.

IP address

A unique string of numbers identifying a networked device, used for geolocation.

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)

A technology that allows devices to communicate using minimal power for proximity detection.

Trace data

Implicit metadata generated by digital activity, often collected by companies.

Fingerprint Linking

The process of matching a fingerprint or device fingerprint to a database record.

Duo push notification

A security feature that requires user confirmation after providing a password.

Ethics of data collection

Considerations regarding the morality of collecting and using personal information.

Profiling

The process of analyzing data to create a detailed description of an individual.

Public spaces

Areas where individuals may have reduced expectations of privacy.

Targeted advertising

Marketing strategy that delivers personalized ads based on user behavior.

NSA Utah Data Center

A facility that collects and manages large amounts of metadata.

Data privacy

The aspect of data protection that concerns the proper handling of sensitive data.

Personalization

Customization of user experience based on data profiling.

Consumer data sources

Platforms and services that gather and sell personal information.

Predictive shopping

Using data analytics to suggest products based on user behavior.

Legal compliance

Adhering to laws and regulations regarding data access and privacy.

Vague privacy protections

Unclear legal guidelines surrounding individual privacy rights.

Security keys

Physical tokens used in MFA to enhance account security.

Digital identifiers

Unique markers used to identify users or devices on the internet.

Marketers' strategies

Tactics employed to target consumers based on their online behavior.

Online behavior tracking

Monitoring and analyzing users' actions across digital platforms.

Behavioral data

Information gathered from observing user actions online.

User-agent string

A line of text automatically sent by a browser that identifies the browser type.

Persistent identifier

A unique identifier that remains unchanged over multiple sessions.

Privacy implications

Potential consequences of data collection practices on individual's privacy.

Court compelling data

Legal orders that require companies to disclose user data for investigations.

Unique fingerprint

A fingerprint that can distinctly identify an individual or device among many.