Your Profile Picture on Facebook Might Give Your Social Security Number Away

Recently, Facebook announced the acquisition of face.com, its partner in face recognition for over two years. The company expects to take instant facial recognition to the next frontier... mobile phones.

As if you didn't know uploading photos to Facebook, Google+ or other social networks can be dangerous to your privacy.

But did you know it might even give your social security number away? Facial recognition software, public profiles and photographs on social networks, and cloud computing has made it possible to mine for private information, almost instantaneously.

Courtesy: sxc.hu/Image ID: 1260785

The most important technical security conference series in the world, BlackHat USA, took place in Las Vegas on August 3-4, 2011. One of the key briefings: "How The Largest Real ID Database In The World Came To Be" a presentation by Prof. Alessandro Acquisti on how publicly available photos, like those available on Facebook, reveal sensitive information strangers online and offline, including their address, date of birth, marital status, sexual orientation, and even partial social security numbers.
When did this happen? Facial recognition software has been around for decades but it has now permeated into our daily lives. When you are taking a picture of your son's soccer team and your digital camera automatically focuses on your kid's face, it is using facial recognition software. You might also have noticed Google's Picasa, Apple's iPhoto, and Facebook know and can tag your photographs. These companies have acquired and deployed facial recognition software such as NevenVision, Riya, and PittPatt (Google), Polar Rose (Apple) and Face.com (Facebook). Meanwhile, uploading profile and other photographs online has become socially acceptable. In 2010, 2.5 billion photos were uploaded by Facebook users alone per month. Powerful cloud computing has made it possible to analyze and map this vast database to other publicly available data sources, and it is this convergence that has the potential to become particularly intrusive to our personal privacy.

In 2007, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University successfully de-anonymized and identified 10% of their subjects from match.com (where pseudonyms are common) using photos (and real names) from Facebook. In 2009, the same team used Facebook profile information to predict individuals' Social Security numbers. They successfully predicted the first five digits with about 30% accuracy in less than four attempts. In the same paper, Prof. Acquisti showed that he could predict an entire Social Security number with fewer than 1,000 attempts for close to 10% of people born after 1988.

The latest research and the subject of the BlackHat briefing is largely funded by National Science Foundation and U.S. Army Research Office and marries these two experiments. Therefore, it becomes possible to reveal social security numbers from online public profile photographs using PittPatt software (currently owned by Google) that Carnegie Mellon University originally developed.

Applications of this kind of technology exists in government surveillance programs in the U.S. and abroad. TV and movie viewers have many times seen it being used to nab terrorists in shows such as "24." In real life, Brazil is using "Robocop" style glasses in preparation of the 2014 World Cup. What is news is that such technology can be used and abused by private people using publicly available information.

What now? Opting-out is a limited option. Facebook and other social networking sites require real names and often encourage a publicly-searchable profile picture. The facial recognition software is also getting sophisticated so that it can better identify non-frontal photographs. On the regulatory front, Swiss and German privacy regulatory authorities have argued that Facebook's photo-tagging feature is not in compliance with the European Union's privacy laws. In June, the U.S. Social Security agency launched a new "randomized" numbering system, which will make such predictions more difficult for future generations. However, the key question is whether U.S. authorities will step in or if "Minority Report" style commercial application will become a reality much sooner than 2054.

Note: This article was previously published in Yahoo Voices. Author retains copyrights.

Reasons I Resist Shopping Daily Deal Websites

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Despite a refund policy that allows returns for buyer's remorse and store closings, when it comes to daily deal sites like Groupon, Livingsocial, AmazonLocal, DoubleTakeDeals, etc. I try not to scour them daily for shopping discounts. Here is why.

Super Easy Mother's Day Treat Recipes for Kids

With Mother's Day just around the corner, dads and older siblings are probably trying to find what to make for mom. Here are some simple treat ideas to surprise and delight your mother or grandmother for mother's day. Although adult supervision is needed, they can be prepared by kids three to five years old, using readily available items from the supermarket. So encourage your budding sous chef to whip up these mother's day treats. No prior cooking experience is necessary. The recipes are ranked in order of difficulty, even though my 4 year old son was able to make all of them, and boy was he proud!

Heart Shaped 3 Layer Strawberry No-Bake “Cake”

Active cook time: 10 minutes

Nothing says “I love you, Mom” like a breakfast in bed. While dad can make tea, have your preschooler make this special “heart shaped 3 layer strawberry cake.” It is not really a cake, but pretty and eminently edible, it is bound to bring smiles to your kids and mom. You will need two slices of mom's favorite sliced bread (something that goes well with jam), strawberry or mixed berry jam (I love Smucker's Orchard's Best, which is free of high fructose corn syrup), and a heart shaped cookie cutter.

Help your child use the cookie cutter to cut out four heart shaped pieces of bread. Using a spoon or knife, spread strawberry jam on three pieces of the bread. Arrange carefully on top of each other to make the cake. Happy Mother's Day!

Chocolate covered strawberries

Active cooking time: 10 minutes, post prep time: 30-60 minutes

Peak strawberry season is fast approaching, and they are my favorite fruit for dipping in chocolate. Strawberries are also the right size for kids to handle. You will need to purchase dipping chocolate, such as Baker's and a pound of strawberries, preferably with stems. If dad is a fancy cook, you can use any chocolate (or a couple of varieties) you want, and use a double boiler or stovetop. For everyone else, the microwave is the way to go. For easy cleanup, use parchment paper.

Wash and pat dry the strawberries. Follow package directions to melt the chocolate in the microwave, making sure not to overheat. Stir. Using a fork or a toothpick, have your child dip the strawberries, one by one, twirling as they go. Then carefully shake off excess chocolate and place on parchment paper. Repeat until done (dad might need to take over). Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour until the chocolate coating is set. Carefully lift from parchment paper (usually comes off easily), and serve to your happy mom.

Icecream sundae Mini Phyllo Cups

Active cooking time: 15 minutes

This is a triple delight, with chocolate, ice-cream and a cherry to top off your fabulous Mother's Day treat. You will need chocolate chips (any kind, say dark chocolate for mom, milk for the kids), Athens Mini Fillo Shells or another brand of pre-made phyllo dough cups, mom's favorite ice cream and and a jar of maraschino cherries. You will also need a cookie sheet and some parchment paper.

Set oven to preheat to 350 degrees. Arrange parchment paper on a cookie sheet, then place frozen phyllo cups. Place 3-4 chocolate chip cookies in each cup. When oven is ready, bake phyllo cups according to package directions, usually 3-5 minutes, keeping an eye not to burn the cups or the chocolate. When cups appear to just start getting crisp, remove. Spoon one teaspoon of mom's favorite ice cream. Add sprinkles. Top off with a maraschino cherry. Serve immediately.

Putting a Cap on My Dental Costs

courtesy: sxc.hu/Image ID: 197080

Dental costs can create big dents in the wallets of Americans who are not covered by dental insurance. Unfortunately, even those who have coverage often have to foot a large bill, as most dental insurance covers only the most basic of services.

Here are 10 ways I save money on my dental expenses.

Should Charities Like Smile Train Abuse Sick Children's Photos to Raise Funds?

Should a charity like Smile Train use a sick child's photo printed outside an envelope to raise funds for its own cause? Especially when a small percentage of the donations are actually going to cure cleft palate with surgeries? Is this ethical or exploitation?

Read more HERE...

More financial analysis on Smile Train, and how its "program expenses" include overhead items like CEO salary, pension and 401(k), even rent for its Madison Avenue offices.

How I Reduce Electricity Use by Up to 25% and Lower My Energy Bill

Using electricity and other energy in a smart and conscientious way can help lower your utility bill by up to 25%. Here are some of my tricks to save money on my electric bill.

Read more HERE

USDA Should Clean American Beef Industry to Eradicate Mad Cow Disease

On April 24, USDA confirmed that a fourth case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or BSE, commonly known as mad cow disease, has been discovered. It is the first case of mad cow disease in the United States since 2006. BSE is a fatal brain wasting disease amongst cows that can be transmitted to humans who eat infected beef. The human version, called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), which has not been reported, is also fatal.

Photo courtesy: Marijnvb, sxc.hu

USDA stated that a single cow, already dead and waiting to be pulverized at a rendering plant in central California, had tested positive for a mutant strain of the brain wasting BSE. The mad cow was never meant to be eaten, USDA's press release seemed to reassure Americans, and the particular strain of BSE isn't linked to contaminated feed (some strains of mad cow can appear spontaneously in older cows instead of being transmitted). But the only convincing reassurance that I read "as the epidemiological investigation progresses," was that milk, even from BSE cows, is safe.

Read more HERE...


It really is time for USDA to clean up American beef. Take a tougher stance against bovine growth hormone. No pink slime, no non-vegetarian cows eating soybean meal laced with blood, chicken and pigs! The same applies to our nation's cannibal poultry and pork. While yesterday's mad cow may be the only one, it is time for USDA to make some dramatic changes to our meat industry.

Related news: USDA Confirms Single Mad Cow Disease Case in California

Jamie Oliver Discusses Pink Slime in US Ground Beef

Prepare to be grossed out. Here on the Season Premiere of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution filmed in Los Angeles and aired on April 12, 2011, Jamie Oliver showed how 70% of America's ground beef contains leftover cow parts containing e.coli and salmonella that has been treated with ammonia. Yup, PINK SLIME containing window cleaner!

USDA Confirms Single Mad Cow Disease Case in California

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed on April 24 America's fourth case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a dairy cow from central California. According to the USDA, the carcass of the animal is being held under state authority at a rendering facility in California and will be destroyed.

Rendering, which dates to the early Egyptians, is a polite term used to describe the business of disposing of dead animals. According to the National Renderers Association, more than 205 rendering facilities in the United States and Canada pick up 59 billion pounds of inedible animal by-products annually from slaughterhouses, restaurants, farms, even shelters, which are then steam cooked. Products from the resulting brew is used as lubricants, polish, wax, as well as lipstick, gel capsules, and soap. They are also used in livestock feed and animal food, possibly resulting in cannibalistic practices. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency details the rendering process in this document.

Courtesy: sxc.hu

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy has been linked to tainted livestock feed containing brain and spinal matter. Humans eating infected beef can develop vCJD (Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease), a fatal brain wasting disease with unusually long incubation periods measured in years. According to the CDC, the median age of age for vCJD patients was 28 years.

As of October 26, 2009, a regulation issued by FDA in April 2009 came into effect establishing an enhanced BSE-related feed ban in the United States. This enhanced ban will further harmonize BSE feed control measures in the U.S. with those in Canada (see below). In addition, FDA continues to enforce its important 1997 mammalian-to-ruminant feed ban through its BSE inspection and BSE feed testing programs.

FDA has published two rules to protect animals and consumers against BSE by prohibiting the use of most mammalian protein in the manufacture of animals feeds given to ruminant animals (no cannibalism) and by removing specified risk materials (SRM), primarily brain and spinal tissue of aged animals, from all animal feed. These rules were published in 1997 and 2008. Canada has similar rules for safeguarding against BSE.
The press release from USDA stated "The United States has had longstanding interlocking safeguards to protect human and animal health against BSE. For public health, these measures include the USDA ban on specified risk materials, or SRMs, from the food supply. SRMs are parts of the animal that are most likely to contain the BSE agent if it is present in an animal. USDA also bans all non-ambulatory (sometimes called "downer") cattle from entering the human food chain. For animal health, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ban on ruminant material in cattle feed prevents the spread of the disease in the cattle herd."

Samples from diseased cow were tested at USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa. Results confirmed the cow was positive for atypical BSE, a very rare form of the disease not generally associated with an animal consuming infected feed and happens spontaneously. The laboratory results are being shared with international animal health reference laboratories in Canada and England, which will review our confirmation of this form of the disease. USDA will also be conducting a comprehensive epidemiological BSE investigation in conjunction with California animal and public health officials and the FDA.

Since vCJD is fatal in humans, cases of BSE often lead to panic among consumers and beef export bans. As a result, the USDA reiterated that the BSE infected animal was never presented for slaughter for human consumption. Additionally, USDA reminded consumers that cow milk does not transmit BSE.

Related news: First Person: Managing the Risk and Cost of Food Borne Illnesses in a World of Food Recalls

Also published on Yahoo Voices. Author retains copyright.

Colbert Report: Starbucks Used Cochineal Bug Based Coloring

Here is Colbert's Tuesday, April 17, 2012 "Thought for Food" report, where he discusses Starbucks' pink frappucinos colored with cochineal, or crushed beetles. Video courtesy: Colbertnation.com 


           

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