Hi everyone,
Minutes of Thursday 2 October meetup:
<http://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:LibrePlanet_Brisbane.
I will be updating it with details of past meetups.
- Our usual meetup time for November clashes with OSDC. For
November, will probably have some sort of meetup down on the Gold
Coast during OSDC. Ideas welcome.
News
----
- FSF endorses libreCMC router distro.
- Announcement: http://www.fsf.org/news/fsf-adds-librecmc-to-endorsed-distros-list
- libreCMC website: http://librecmc.org/
- Respects Your Freedom (RYF) certification of ThinkPenguin WiFi
router.
- Announcement: https://www.fsf.org/news/thinkpenguin-wireless-router-now-fsf-certified-to-r...
- Runs libreCMC.
- Third RYF-certified product by ThinkPenguin
- FSF & Debian collaborate to improve h-node hardware compatability
directory.
- Announcement: http://www.fsf.org/news/fsf-and-debian-join-forces-to-help-free-software-use...
- FSF statement on new Apple products, services:
https://fsf.org/news/free-software-foundation-statement-on-the-new-iphone-ap...
- shellshock
- Catastrophic remote execution vulnerability in GNU bash.
- FSF statement:
https://fsf.org/news/free-software-foundation-statement-on-the-gnu-bash-shel...
- GNOME 3.14 released
- http://www.gnome.org/news/2014/09/gnome-3-14-released/
- Conferences:
- OSDC 4-7 Nov Gold Coast: http://2014.osdc.com.au/
- Want to help out?
v o l u n t e e r (at) o s d c (dot) c o m (dot) a u
- linux.conf.au 12-16 Jan Auckland: http://linux.conf.au/
- LibrePlanet 2015 21-22 Mar Cambridge, MA: https://www.libreplanet.org/2015
- Theme: "Free Software Everywhere"
- CfP closes 2/11:
https://www.libreplanet.org/2015/call_for_sessions/
- Discussion on Matthew Garrett blog post "My free software will
respect users or it will be bullshit"
- http://mjg59.dreamwidth.org/32686.html
Talk
----
Andrew Roffey gave a talk about free software and privacy. Slides
at http://andrew.roffey.org/fs-privacy-final.pdf. Notes below.
Disclosure: Roffey is board member of the Australian Privacy
Foundation (APF); was not speaking as representative of APF.
What is privacy?
- A human right.
- Freedom from intrusion and interference. Freedom to seclude oneself.
- Information privacy; privacy and how it relates to information systems.
- CCTV example
- only an information privacy issue as of recently due to facial recog software.
- Before 1990s, information privacy wasn't as much an issue.
- Didn't collect massive data on people.
- General life activities were more or less anonymous by default ∴
few information privacy issues.
- Information privacy issues generally occur once info has been collected.
- Note on anonymity:
- Has been around a very long time; only recently being taken away.
Why privacy is important:
- Freedom of speech; chilling effect.
- Social networks monitored by employers, govt, etc limits free
expression.
Threats to privacy:
- Mass collection of data
- Number plate recognition; all travel used to be more or less
anonymous; now not so much.
- ATMs, EFTPOS; all transactions used to be more or less
anonymous; no longer so.
- Collection of geolocation info from phones.
- Individuals' *choice* to privacy is under threat.
- Companies using personal/personally identifying info.
- Social network "real name" policies (e.g. Facebook, Google+)
- 3rd party cookies tracking your web usage.
- "The Cloud"
- Don't store your data on *your* computer, store it on *their*
computer.
- Gmail keyword scanning, ostensibly for more relevant ads but
involves huge amounts of personal data collection.
- Data subject to patriot act; US Govt can collect it without
notification.
- Snowden revelations: companies cooperate with NSA to give them
access (or at least don't impede them).
- Australian government "metadata" access.
- Not content of comms, but everything else e.g. parties involved,
durations, locations (physical or network), etc.
- Mandatory data retention; all of this data being retained by
ISPs for long duration should govt wish to access.
- Skype
- Microsoft hits server after previously unadvertised server
address sent in msg.
- They are reading your messages.
- http://is.gd/7Qh773
- Ubuntu/Microsoft computer search bars
- Sends content of "start menu" searches to Amazon/Microsoft
- On by default (can be disabled)
- Reveals personal information including. information about
computer use habits to companies.
- Mobile phone tracking
- We know they're doing it in US
- In Australia by law the capability must exist for emergency use
(000/112 call) but we don't know if/how often it is being used by
authorities.
- Eavesdropping: http://news.cnet.com/2100-1029-6140191.html
- E-reader/music/movie/entertainment store purchases.
Free software and privacy:
- Freedom 0: you can be in control of your computer.
- Proprietary EULAs can add usage conditions and *permit* privacy
invasions.
- Freedom 1 (modification): malicious or questionable features can
be removed, and privacy features can be added/improved. Bugs can
be fixed.
- Freedoms 2 and 3: Important that people can *share* programs with
privacy-enhancing improvements.
Why free software is important:
- Legislation *can* help (or hinder) but is rarely
cross-jurisdictional.
- Laws can't keep up fast enough (even if law-makers are trying to
protect citizen privacy).
- Software can move a lot faster to improve user privacy and address
issues.
Some privacy-related free software:
- Network
- Tor (anonymity on internet). See also Tor browser bundle.
- GNUnet
- Web
- GNU Icecat: blocks 3rd party cookies, pixel images/cookies,
LibreJS built in (only runs free javascript)
- Email
- GnuPG (email encryption; parties known)
- bitmessage (parties anonymous)
- Chat
- Tox (Skype replacement; FSF high priority project)
- Payment
- Bitcoin
- Utilities
- bleachbit and shred (data shredding/cleaning)
- full disk encryption solutions
- Federated social networks:
- Look after your own data
- Diaspora
- Operating systems
- Replicant; aims to be completely free distribution of Android
- GNOME has a strong focus on privacy
Related groups:
- Free Software Foundation/GNU project
- rms has announced that privacy and communications is a new focus
for GNU.
- Electronic Frontier Foundation and Electronic Frontiers Australia
- no speciifc organisational committment to free software but a lot
of common goals. Also interested in censorship, copyright,
information policy, security etc.
- Australian Privacy Foundation
- Civil Liberties Australia
EOF
Thanks to everyone who came along - a new attendance record!
Stay tuned for info about the November meeting.
If you have something you'd like to present on or news or discussion
topics you'd like covered at a future meeting, drop me a line.
Cheers,
Fraser
