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EFF's Latest Privacy Report Criticizes Amazon and WhatsApp Over Policies That 'Fall Short' (betanews.com)

Posted by msmash on from the reality-check dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report: The Electronic Frontier Foundation has published the latest edition of its "Who has your back" privacy report. This is the seventh report from the digital rights group, and this year it criticizes both WhatsApp and Amazon for having policies that "fall short of other similar technology companies." Four big telecom companies -- AT&T, Comcast, T-Mobile, and Verizon -- performed very poorly, while at the other end of the scale Adobe, Credo, Dropbox, Lyft, Pinterest, Sonic, Uber, Wickr, and WordPress were all praised. In all, the report rates 26 technology companies in five key areas relating to privacy and government data requests: "Follows industry-wide best practices," "Tells users about government data requests," "Promises not to sell out users," "Stands up to NSL gag orders" and "Pro-user public policy: Reform 702." While the report points out that some progress has been made, generally speaking, in the technology world, AT&T, Comcast, T-Mobile, and Verizon were all awarded a single star out of a possible five. Amazon and WhatsApp both scored just two out of five, leading the Electronic Freedom Foundation to say: "We urge both Amazon and WhatsApp to improve their policies in the coming year so they match the standards of other major online services."

12 comments

  1. It's bidness by OffTheLip · · Score: 2

    In all seriousness, EFF will never be on the same page as money making corporations. I think EFF adds awareness value and that is important.

  2. The LUDDITE EFF can't app apps! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The LUDDITE EFF is too stupid to know how to app apps, so they're running a LUDDITE smear campaign against appy apps like AppsApp and Appy App Saga! ONLY apps can app apps!

    Apps!

    1. Re:The LUDDITE EFF can't app apps! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i cut off my donger and replaced it with an app

    2. Re:The LUDDITE EFF can't app apps! by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      Wait, but EFF does have an app?

  3. Ballmer, is that you? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well, inquiring minds want to know...

  4. A privacy policy is like a campaign promise by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

    They're both bullshit, but at least you can verify one of them.

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    1. Re:A privacy policy is like a campaign promise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It still says a lot when you don't even bother to promise anything good. It says you have absolutely no intention of ever falling on the right side of things.

    2. Re:A privacy policy is like a campaign promise by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      Bad intentions and broken promises are worse than none at all. In no way does it "fall on the right side of things". It's exactly the opposite.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    3. Re:A privacy policy is like a campaign promise by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Just wait for governments.
      "Austria wants to spy on messaging apps, Australia not far behind" (July 11, 2017)
      http://www.zdnet.com/article/a...
      "... install monitoring software on computers and mobile devices of suspects using messaging tools with end-to-end encryption.. "
      Time to be "illuminated by the law".

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  5. Uber? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How much did Uber pay to get on that list?

  6. Wassup w/ WhatsApp? by unixisc · · Score: 1

    I know that WhatsApp is FaceBook owned, and that FaceBook is hated in this department, but aside from that, what are the issues w/ WhatsApp? Just them peeping into our contacts list and pulling up the profiles of those people (if they're already on WhatsApp) based on the phone#?

  7. GDPR Compliance by danielzip53 · · Score: 1

    For Europeans at least this should change somewhat for the better next year with the GDPR being enforced.
    Especially given the penalties for breaches!