Is This Thing On? Decoding Audacity’s Privacy Update

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Is This Thing On? Decoding Audacity’s Privacy Update

Changes in the data-collection policy for a hugely popular audio editing app are highlighting old and new tensions in digital trustworthiness, and how open-source software can offer solutions. A Familiar Tune: The Vague Privacy Policy Audacity has been a touchstone for open-source editing software for years. Since its first open-source release in 2000, the app has garnered over 100 million downloads, giving rise to vibrant online communities of users. To understand the implications of Audacity’s July 2 update and its widespread backlash, it’s crucial to keep in mind the app’s open-source community. Diving into Audacity’s Privacy Updates Let’s look at two explicit changes in Audacity’s policy and their impact for software users and broader regulations. First, the July 2 update …

Meet The Colorado Privacy Act: An Intro To CPA Compliance

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Meet The Colorado Privacy Act: An Intro To CPA Compliance

Colorado joins the ranks of California and Virginia in passing comprehensive consumer privacy legislation. Here’s how the latest privacy law stacks up to other frameworks, and what it could teach us about the future of American privacy regulation. Privacy Protections for the Centennial State On July 7, Colorado’s governor signed the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA) into law, which codifies data privacy rights for the state’s almost 6 million residents. The CPA takes effect on July 1, 2023. Looking at a national scale, the CPA is grounded in the general business obligations and user provisions articulated in recent legislation from California and Virginia. However, its additions are significant and could shape expectations for other jurisdictions’ privacy legislation in the future. Here …

See A Dark Pattern, Defeat A Dark Pattern

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See A Dark Pattern, Defeat A Dark Pattern

I first learned about dark UX patterns when I worked at Blizzard Entertainment, where our UX team fought endlessly to thwart any experiences that could be remotely perceived as dark patterns, since it is so prevalent in the games industry. Using some of those learnings as my foundation, I led an interactive session on UX dark patterns at The Rise of Privacy Tech‘s Virtual Summit in June alongside my colleague Simon, the Director of Design here at Ethyca. I’ll take you through the highlights here, but to see a recording of the session (with all the audience engagement!), check out their YouTube channel here in the coming weeks! Meet Dark Patterns In 2010, UX researcher Dr. Harry Brignull coined the …