Can Trump get his hands on Silicon Valley's big data?
Does your company view data privacy as a tier-1 consideration? What can data visualisation learn from punks? How does data go dark? Did you (your kids) make it on Santa's Nice List? How much self- indulgence do Millennials need to give up to get on the property ladder? What could a tech-enabled Christmas look like in 2026?
Privacy
Can Trump's government get its hands on Silicon Valley's big data? Brian Feldman points out that even though most of the tech giants have released statements against Trump's so-called "Muslim database", this data can be collected by big-data analysis companies instead. In particular by Palantir - which is backed by tech billionaire and Trump transition advisor Peter Thiel. 😧
-> EXTREMELY WORRYING redacted documents have emerged which show how Palantir have been supporting the US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) to track and assess immigrants. 😱 The system, the Analytical Framework for Intelligence (AFI), would provide Trump with the profiling algorithms and framework necessary to implement "extreme vetting". 😶
The highest court in Europe has ruled that the bulk collection of citizens' internet browsing history is illegal under European laws. 🕵 This REJECTS the UK's infamously dubbed "Snooper's Charter" (which requires internet providers to store 12 months of browsing data and make it available to Government bodies). This is a win for privacy campaigners - who are particularly concerned by the extensive hacking powers granted in the Act. ✅
Reportedly ONE BILLION Yahoo's users personal data has been sold on the dark web. Alongside names, passwords and phone numbers, this personal data also includes backup email addresses (which potentially have the same password) and unencrypted security questions and answers - providing the purchaser with everything needed to unlock an account. 🤐
Kristina Bergman emphasises the importance of prioritising data privacy - as it could make or break the sale of your company. Data privacy is now a TIER-1 CONSIDERATION for investors, lawyers and startup founders - and if not dealt with diligently, it can "severely devalue or company or potentially even kill an M&A transaction entirely". Wonder what will happen to Yahoo now...🙃 - Data privacy laws are due to become extremely stringent, and data breaches EXPENSIVE, in May 2018 when GDPR legislation comes into action. 🤓
Visualisation
Andy Cotgreave discusses what data visualisation can learn from punks, by embracing messy visual exploration to improve skills and make new discoveries. 🤘 This has been seen throughout 2016 in #MakeoverMonday - a weekly data vis project which gets users to rework a chart and data to "retell the story more effectively, or find a new story in the data". 👍
Miscellaneous
EXCELLENT CURATION: A non-comprehensive list of awesome things other people did in 2016 by Jeff Leaks for Simply Statistics. There's always next year.. 💪
CryptXXX ransomware is currently offering victims a festive Christmas discount. Tis' the season? 😬💀
Comical interactive visualising the true cost for Millennials to get on the property ladder - through burritos, yoga classes, flights to Cancun, and more (of course). 🌮🌮🌮
Did you (or your kids) make it on Santa's Nice List? 😇 Gimmicky personalised visual by NATS of Santa's flight path. 🎉
Last-minute present 🎁 - use some free time over the holidays to learn Google Analytics essentials with help from Santa and his Elves.. 📈
Over 2016 already? 🎅 Here's what a tech-enabled Christmas might look like in 2026: when smartphones have been replaced by intelligence assistants (IA) - which can interpret how you really feel about your presents.. 🙈🎁
