HMA! STANDS WITH INTERNET PRIVACY

It’s the right we all must continue to fight for (and you thought “to party” was the most important right.)

As anyone who cares about the right to access the internet (and the right to privacy while doing so) knows, US President Trump recently reversed regulations passed under President Obama.  These regulations would have prevented internet service providers (ISPs) from selling users’ web browsing data without their consent. Now the ISPs have free rein over making money from everyday people’s personal information.

The HMA! team has obviously been following this story closely, from the time it began during the Obama administration. And our stance remains now what it was then and has always been. This is wrong. It is a violation of privacy, of the right to freely access information, and of the right to retain ownership of that information.

Firstly, let’s dive into what this piece of legislation means. Last October, President Obama passed regulations that required ISPs to obtain consent before collecting your personal browsing data. Set to go into effect later this year, those regulations are now dead in the water.  Arguably, since they hadn’t yet been implemented, the state of internet privacy is surely now the same as it’s always been? So why are President Trump’s measures so significant, and why has this become an issue? Let’s break it down. 

We’re all aware we’re being watched online. We’re all aware of hackers, identity thieves, and other dangers that go along with accessing the web. That we’re also tracked by legitimate companies isn’t news, either. Who hasn’t had a conversation with a friend about how creepy it is to Google something one day, then see an ad for it on your Facebook account the next? I’m sure we can all agree it’s sort of scary to know how much is known about us, but the conversation ends there. We never take the conversation further.

Let that sink in. We never take the conversation further. Imagine someone was following you around the grocery store, always at your elbow, watching you take every item from the shelf or the produce bin and put it in your cart. After making a run for your car, locking the doors, and getting the hell out of there, would there be anything else you’d talk about for the rest of that day? That week? You’d tell your friends, you might even tell the police, you’d do everything you could to prevent it from happening again.

For many of us, simply accepting this kind of surveillance as the price we must pay for using free online services is not okay. Not only does this new legislation violate that belief, it’s just another example of what seems like the government’s being controlled by the highest bidder.

We at HMA! believe no one has the right to to violate your online privacy, and certainly not to profit from it. We’ve spent years building and honing a service that embodies our belief that everyone should have access to any online information, everyone should be able to access it safely, and that no one should have to sacrifice device performance to do so. The fact that we have to continue reiterating these principles is proof of their importance: they never stop being challenged.

So, what now? Is internet privacy really dead?

It doesn’t have to be, not if ordinary people like all of us fight.

Hide My Ass! encourages you to stay educated and help educate those around you, so you can take action. Know what’s happening worldwide with internet privacy, censorship, access. We’ll continue to share the most relevant news on our Facebook and Twitter channels, as well as here on the blog. Pass along news you think others need to know. Then let your elected officials know what you think. This former Congressional staffer has good advice about how to be heard, and apps like Resistbot, Democracy.io, and Call to Action make it unbelievably easy to do so, repeatedly.  

Second, protect your privacy online. Period. Whether it’s from your ISP, Google, Facebook, or cyber criminals, you need to take responsibility for taking this step and encouraging those you care about to do so, too. You should look at and adjust your privacy settings, pay attention to what you opt into online, and install and use Hide My Ass! VPN (virtual private network) to encrypt your data and hide your activity.

So the next time you and your friends discuss the news of the day, like the rollback of the FCC regulations, or share how freaky you find it that search engines seem to know your every move, don’t stop with astonishment or outrage. Don’t just throw up your hands. Continue the conversation. Then do something about it, because online privacy is everyone’s right. And rights only stick around when they’re fought for.

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WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT NET NEUTRALITY?

What is net neutrality?

You are familiar with the internet? That wonderful thing that gives you access to this puppy video? Well, net neutrality is one of the principles that truly makes the internet great. It’s the concept that individuals using the internet should have open and equal access to all websites, applications, and content. The effect of this open market is that, for instance, startups can challenge established players. So who would ever want to get rid of that basic principle? Your internet service provider (ISP), that’s who.

Without net neutrality, your ISP can begin to charge companies, websites, and products a premium to allow people faster access to their content. Your ISP can potentially then turn around and charge you for different levels of access (faster or slower), based on your location, websites you want to visit, or services you desire.

Imagine for a moment that net neutrality hadn’t existed in the early days of social media. Facebook probably never would have stood a chance. We’d all still be on Myspace worrying about who’s in our top eight. And no one wants that, right?

How did we get here?

Once upon a time, in the early 2010s, the FCC pushed to classify ISPs under the less regulated Title I. Then Verizon, owner of this cringe-worthy commercial and powerhouse ISP, sued the FCC and won. Over the next few years, debate of the issue raged.

Then, in 2014, John Oliver called on President Obama, the FCC, and the whole internetto bring public attention to the importance of preserving net neutrality.

A year later, the FCC passed landmark regulations making net neutrality a regulated practice under Title II. Title II is what we currently use to classify ISPs as telecommunications services, a highly regulated industry.

Fast-forward to 2017, and Ajit Pai, the current, Trump-appointed FCC chairman, claims that net neutrality hurts the growth of the internet service industry. Pai has for a long time been one of the loudest voices against net neutrality. And now he heads the Republican-controlled FCC that just voted to begin the process to get rid of net neutrality.

All this, despite the fact that hundreds of tech companies of all sizes support net neutrality. Hundreds of articles have been published about how much this will negatively impact the internet for everyone. The public seems to agree with keeping net neutrality.

So it’s not hard to pinpoint who’s behind this campaign against net neutrality. ISPs are already invading your internet privacy. They have been caught lying about the situation. Ajit Pai used to work for Verizon.

Bottom line: the internet has always been an open and free place. It’s the companies giving you access who seem to want to ruin that.

How can individual citizens make a difference?

John Oliver has covered everything from televangelists to Brexit. One of the few things he has covered more than once is net neutrality. That’s one way, and probably the best way, of measuring how serious this situation is.

When Oliver first covered the issue in 2014, he challenged everyone on the internet to publicly comment on the FCC website. Which made their site crash.

This time around, the FCC is prepared for a big rush of comments, and it will probably take many times the number of comments to convince them net neutrality ought to be preserved, because the people demand it.

But the people of the internet won’t be outdone. With websites like www.battleforthenet.com  which provides you with everything you need to fight for net neutrality. No seriously, everything. From a form that will send to your Congress members and the FCC to the relevant memes to post on your social media pages.

This fight will only be won with an overwhelming amount of public support. Don’t be silent. And see you in the comments section!

In the meantime, start thinking about how to begin to protect yourself. Without net neutrality, ISPs could potentially favor certain websites or locations. HMA! actively combats ISPs from viewing the websites you visit while hiding your location. Get Hide My Ass! to stay private online, safe from your ISP’s prying eyes.

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HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE WATCHED BY YOUR ISP?

Someone could be watching you. Right now. Really.

There’s a camera on your phone. Another on your laptop. Not to mention the increasing likelihood, given their rising popularity, that you have a smart home security system, meaning you have at least 2 more cameras trained on you. What’s to stop a hacker from getting to see your every move?

More and more people now cover their webcams and know to guard against mobile camera hijacking. The thought of your every physical move being seen, possibly recorded, is so creepily repulsive, so Black Mirror, so viscerally repugnant, that you’re unlikely to find anyone who’d be okay with letting it happen.

Hackable cameras aren’t even the worst of it

In case you’ve been off the grid, farming organic, hydroponic lettuces and building your zombie apocalypse shelter, internet service providers (ISPs) can now sell your browsing history to the highest bidder. Which means every Google search you do, cat meme page you visit, social media feed you scroll through via phone, tablet, laptop can be collected and used to target you for advertising. Privacy: no longer protected.

This type of tracking isn’t new. Google and Facebook have built their businesses on making money by tracking us. So what’s different about letting Comcast, for example, in on the dough? One very important word: consent. With Google and Facebook, we essentially trade our information to get a free service in return. But to get access to the internet in the first place, we have to pay our ISPs. And then they want to make money from our data, on top of that.

Not cool, bro. Not cool.

So why doesn’t this invasion of privacy hit most of us in the gut the way a webcam creeper (criminal, actually) does? I think it’s because we imagine a distance that isn’t really there. So let me collapse that distance and walk you through what’s reallyhappening when you’re exposed online.

What if your ISP moved in with you? Literally.

Most of us use the internet constantly, yet think nothing of what we’re giving away.

So walk through my day with me. I mean, with me and my ISP.

My phone alarm rings. I open my eyes, and there it is: my ISP. Stubbly, bedhead-y, and totally freaking me out. (Or, if a different visualization suits you, think Single White Female.) Trying to ignore it, and before I even get out of bed, I check Facebook and Twitter, while my ISP reads over my shoulder. I like a few of my friends’ selfies, and my ISP writes that down. Check weather, read a few emails (ISP taking screenshots now), then I — we, rather — get out of bed.

My ISP gives itself a piggyback ride on me as I make my way downstairs, sits on my lap at breakfast while I read the news, always scribbling things down in its little notebook. Now I’m freaked and annoyed.

In the car on the way to work, my ISP watches the directions I use. Now I notice it’s making a call to someone else every time it writes down what I do. Who is it talking to? What is it saying? Why won’t it answer my questions? Why is it in my face? Is it going to hurt me?

Before I eat my lunch, I obviously have to post a photo of the plate to Instagram. There’s my ISP. During lunch, I catch up on NBA news, and by now my ISP is breathing on my neck, practically attached to me at the elbow.

After work and dinner, I open my laptop and pick something to binge-watch on Netflix. But it’s gotta be something I can follow while still paying bills, doing a little shopping, and then disappearing down the internet rabbit hole reading up on musicians I like, searching for upcoming cultural events, basically searching on anything and everything that pops into my head like a conspiracy theory about Avril Lavigne, pop punk star of the early 2000s, being replaced with a lookalike. Right before bed, one last YouTube video before I conk out.

By the end of the day, I get pretty tired of my ISP, so I try to crouch over my laptop, cover the screen, block its huge, wandering eyes. It’s no use, though. It sees everything.

What you can do about it

These moments represent only a fraction of the time most of us spend online every day, during which we regularly and usually unwittingly reveal information about our likes and dislikes, habits, political leanings, age, gender, weight, values, income, professional history, possessions, family, friends, products and brands we use … and on and on.

And while there isn’t literally a big, hairy ISP (or a creepy blonde one) right in your face the whole time you’re online, you really ought to imagine there is, so that you get as skeeved as you should. And then do something about it, like keep all your online activity private, which is your right, using a (surprise!) VPN.

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SOCIAL MEDIA DO’S AND DON’TS FOR JOBSEEKERS

Increasing numbers of employers, recruitment agencies and HR professionals are actively searching your social media accounts to find out about the real you, and often decide whether to offer you a position based on your profile. We take a look at some of the social media do’s and don’ts for job seekers to help you land your dream job.

The interview process is something that, for the vast majority of job seekers, is a nerve-racking, stomach churning experience with bouts of sweating, mumbling, and the occasional corpsing moment. But now job seekers have something else to think about  – social media, and how it can affect their chance of gaining employment.

In the days before social media, the CV played the pivotal role of providing future employers with our best attributes, and we could keep things we’d rather not divulge about us to ourselves. But nowadays it’s very hard to avoid social media as our information is out there on the world wide web, but there are a number of social media do’s and don’ts for job seekers to help avoid rejection!

A 2014 survey conducted by Jobvite found that 93 per cent of recruiters are turning to social media, mostly LinkedIn, before offering a position. According to the survey, 73 per cent of recruiters have hired job seekers through social media. However, a word of warning – 55 per cent of recruiters have changed their minds after reviewing a job seekers social media profile, and it’s not good news –  61 per cent of those reconsideration were negative. Fortunately, there are a number of social media do’s and don’ts for job seekers to help avoid this.

How social media can damage your current and future career

Thanks to social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google+ our lives are an open book. We’re addicted to keeping up with the latest trends, posting endless images of our food, weighing in on various topics, offering advice, and occasionally,perhaps, putting ourselves in a less than positive light. We seek “likes” and “shares” – we adore the attention we receive. It’s safe to say we’re addicted to social media. But take a minute to think about what you post online. What type of impression would a recruiter have of you after reviewing your online social media profile? Would that GIF of you downing 10 tequilla slammers go down well with a future or even your current employer?

As increasing numbers of employers and recruitment agencies are searching your social media accounts to see if the person behind the CV is the same person online, we take a look at some of the top social media do’s and don’ts for job seekers.

Social media do’s and don’ts for job seekers

Social media do’s

Privacy Settings – First things first. Check your privacy settings on your social media accounts, especially on some of the more popular sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Facebook tends to change its privacy settings more than we have hot dinners, so adopt the habit of reviewing your settings regularly. If you’re unsure about who can see your Facebook posts, you can colour code them, which will resolve this issue.

LinkedIn – If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, then may be it’s time to set one up – pronto. As the survey from Jobvite found, 93 per cent of employers use LinkedIn to find job seekers. It’s important to spend some time updating your profile to ensure all relevant information, including relevant keywords are included that will allow employers to easily find you. Join LinkedIn groups, share interesting relative articles, get involved in conversations – but watch your grammar and spelling!

Show interest in companies – “Like” and follow companies you’d like to work for, and connect with people who have common professional interests –  this tells companies that you are really interested in working for the company.  But steer away from bombarding them with messages. Don’t become a social media job seeking stalker!

Secure your device – Ensure your devices – your smartphone, PC or Mac, are updated with the latest security updates and use a VPN when accessing public Wi-Fi. Attackers are out there – and can easily steal your username and passwords to your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn accounts and do all sorts of damage to your social media accounts!

Google yourself – Most of us have done this at some point.. While it’s interesting to see how many times we pop up in Google results, a lot of information about us is revealed to employers from our rantings and ravings to the images we post on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Google yourself now and see what the net says about you!

Social media don’ts

Don’t knock your boss! As tempting as it may to occasionally bad mouth your employer or moan about how bored you are at work – don’t! These could be seen by not only your current employer but future bosses too, and could leave a less than desirable lasting impression about you. Think of the theory 6 degrees of separation – “connecting any two people in a maximum of six steps”, which is often evident on social media sites.

And remember – the net never forgets – your comments, criticisms and dodgy photo’s (as funny as they may seem at the time) could come back to haunt you.

Don’t lie! – A great social media don’ts tip is to ensure that what’s in your CV matches your LinkedIn profile. Bear in mind that employers will very likely check your LinkedIn profile, so avoid inflating your profile with job titles you never owned (rocket scientist extraordinaire) and double check that your dates of employment match your CV. A recruiter could ask you about these ‘discrepancies’ during your interview.

Unemployed – If you’re unemployed or currently in between jobs, it’s best not to advertise this on your social media accounts, especially on LinkedIn. What you can do is tell recruiters the type of job that you seeking. Keep it positive!

Abandon accounts – We’ve all been there, created a social media account but then forget to update it. Instead of opening numerous social media accounts, pick 2 or 3 and update them once or twice a week.

You’ve worked hard on your CV, you’re prepped for the interview, you’ve researched the company you want to work for – but do your social media accounts represent you in a positive light? Does your social media ‘personality’ match your CV?

Hopefully these tips for social media do’s and don’ts for job seekers will help you to get the job you want! Don’t be a social media wrecking ball!

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