Casey Oppenheim

Co-founder, CEO of @disconnectme.

[Casey Oppenheim @caseyoppenheim]

Does this seem okay? On the Crisis Text Line website TikTok pixel silently tracks someone's "Reach A Crisis Counselor" click along with their personal email.

[Disconnect @disconnectme]

On https://t.co/eP4sMGPy71, a service for people in mental health crisis, TikTok's pixel captured clicks on "Reach A Crisis Counselor" alongside the user's hashed email.

The email wasn't submitted through a form. It was siphoned from Google Tag Manager's dataLayer.

[Casey Oppenheim @caseyoppenheim]

Proud of this one. Our team dug into TikTok's updated pixel code, using our Lightbox data and running controlled experiments, documenting what the pixel collects on very sensitive health and other websites.

[Disconnect @disconnectme]

We helped the BBC investigate TikTok's tracking pixel. Here's what we found, and the technical evidence we can now share publicly.

TikTok's pixel is collecting data from cancer support sites, fertility clinics, and crisis mental health services, and many other sensitive websites.

🧵👇

https://t.co/j9U7v1Xpb9

[Disconnect @disconnectme]

Our CTO @patjack is featured on PBS NOVA’s “Secrets In Your Data” documentary. Excellent overview of the history of data collection and how your personal data is tracked. Check it out, especially the portion featuring Patrick starting around minute 14. https://t.co/cDF17lhyHY

[Disconnect @disconnectme]

We researched and discovered the super popular shopping app Temu was violating user privacy. As a result of excellent investigation by @vickynguyenTV @journalism_joe @todayshow Temu revised it’s privacy disclosures and data collection practices. https://t.co/Ef8mbZbNEr

[Patrick Jackson @patjack]

Temu was abusing an API on iOS that allowed them to probe and collect all the device’s IPv6 addresses. This included the user’s cellular IPs even if they were using Wi-Fi while using the Temu app.

[Disconnect @disconnectme]

We worked with @geoffreyfowler on this great article about TikTok privacy.

“Disconnect found TikTok has followed Facebook’s lead and ratcheted up how much data it collects, particularly including tracking webpages you visit outside of TikTok.” https://t.co/Q5kxQOrvFY

[Casey Oppenheim @caseyoppenheim]

@taliesan So cool

[Disconnect @disconnectme]

“A frightening number of kids’ apps are spying on them. Now parents can get some help to stop it. A new app called Do Not Track Kids acts like a privacy shield for iPhones and iPads used by children.”

@geoffreyfowler covers our newest app! https://t.co/p9cp6yZR3j

[Disconnect @disconnectme]

Excited to launch Do Not Track Kids: A Privacy App to Keep Children Safe Online. Tracking children should be illegal but current laws don’t work so kids are victims of intense online surveillance and manipulation. https://t.co/aeHjBPnijt h/t @thomasgermain

[Casey Oppenheim @caseyoppenheim]

@mysk_co @ProtonVPN We wrote about our research on iOS VPN leaks here. https://t.co/fRtNYN9zEi

[Casey Oppenheim @caseyoppenheim]

@robleathern Interesting white paper. Couldn’t find a product specific privacy policy / statement. Please share if you don’t mind. Thanks

[Casey Oppenheim @caseyoppenheim]

The nature of tracking we uncovered is incredibly disturbing and should absolutely be illegal. There’s no excuse for allowing this.

[Disconnect @disconnectme]

We partnered with @ConsumerReports to research @tiktok_us tracking. Turns out TikTok tracks outrageously sensitive activity (health, sexual assault, abortion, etc) on tons of websites even if *you've never used TikTok*. Check out these horrific examples. 🧵https://t.co/ZFcB4Hsv2V

[The Wall Street Journal @WSJ]

Obituary: Peter Eckersley found a mission in San Francisco: Protecting the world from online snooping. He died at age 44. https://t.co/waCscK30TC

[Casey Oppenheim @caseyoppenheim]

@bcrypt So very sad to hear this news. Such a great person. So grateful for my time with Peter.

[Casey Oppenheim @caseyoppenheim]

@dmarti Thinking more about their efforts on differential privacy, for example. https://t.co/yq5NHk54bQ

[Casey Oppenheim @caseyoppenheim]

Apple "privacy" push increasingly looks like self serving means to increase ad revenue. Under the shiny marketing Apple employs monopoly playbook--use dominant position to destroy ad competition and assert full control over user data on iOS/MacOS.
https://t.co/RiEotyaOux

[Casey Oppenheim @caseyoppenheim]

@dmarti As an avid Apple user since 1987 and privacy advocate who has read Apple's privacy policies regularly for years, I have no clue how much of my info Apple controls. But yes, Apple certainly benefits from tracking that occurs in iOS apps.

[Casey Oppenheim @caseyoppenheim]

@dmarti My assumption is Apple is looking for way to define fingerprinting so they can block competitors, but fingerprint users themselves. May not end up being enough space between the two...

[Casey Oppenheim @caseyoppenheim]

@dmarti Is it really true that Safari stops cross site tracking when in fact they allow fingerprinting, which is a means to track users across sites?

[Tatum Hunter @Tatum_Hunter_]

not-so-fun fact: your cell carrier likely has an on-the-side ad business that uses your web history, video viewing, call history or even precise location to help advertisers target you. Here's how to say no. https://t.co/iBR4osQ5p0