UK Parliament Releases Facebook Document on the Handling of User Data, Australia Set to Give Law Enforcement Power to Access Encrypted Messages, Microsoft Open-Sourced Windows UI/UX Frameworks, Iridium Browser New Release and CrossOver 18.1 Now Available
News briefs for December 5, 2018.
The UK Parliament released a 250-page previously sealed Facebook document that reveals how the company handled crucial decisions regarding user data. The Verge reports that "In emails released as part of the cache, Facebook executives are shown dealing with other major tech companies on 'whitelisting' for its platform" and that according to British lawmaker Damian Collins "the agreements allowed the companies access to user data after new restrictions were put in place to end most companies' access. Companies offered access included Netflix and Airbnb, according to the emails." You can see the 250-page document here.
Australia plans to give law enforcement and intelligence agencies the ability to access encrypted messages on platforms like WhatsApp, putting public safety concerns ahead of personal privacy. Bloomberg reports that "Amid protests from companies such as Facebook Inc. and Google, the government and main opposition struck a deal on Tuesday that should see the legislation passed by parliament this week. Under the proposed powers, technology companies could be forced to help decrypt communications on popular messaging apps, or even build new functionality to help police access data."
Microsoft yesterday open-sourced Windows Forms, the WinUI (Windows UI Library) and WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation). According to Phoronix, the full source code is available on GitHub and the UI/UX frameworks are now open source under the MIT license. For more information, see this Windows blog post.
Iridium Browser recently released build 2018.11.71 for Debian-based systems. The new version is based on Chromium 71.0.3578.30, and it's available for Fedora and openSUSE as well. Iridium Browser is "Iridium Browser is based on the Chromium code base. All modifications enhance the privacy of the user and make sure that the latest and best secure technologies are used. Automatic transmission of partial queries, keywords and metrics to central services is prevented and only occurs with the approval of the user. In addition, all our builds are reproducible and modifications are auditable, setting the project ahead of other secure browser providers." You can download it from here.
CodeWeavers announced the release of CrossOver 18.1 yesterday for both Linux and macOS. According to the announcement, "CrossOver 18.1 restores controller support for Steam on both macOS and Linux. macOS customers with active support entitlements will be upgraded to CrossOver 18.1 the next time they launch CrossOver. Linux users can download the latest version from here.
Jill Franklin is an editorial professional with more than 17 years experience in technical and scientific publishing, both print and digital. As Executive Editor of Linux Journal, she wrangles writers, develops content, manages projects, meets deadlines and makes sentences sparkle. She also was Managing Editor for TUX and Embedded Linux Journal, and the book Linux in the Workplace. Before entering the Linux and open-source realm, she was Managing Editor of several scientific and scholarly journals, including Veterinary Pathology, The Journal of Mammalogy, Toxicologic Pathology and The Journal of Scientific Exploration. In a previous life, she taught English literature and composition, managed a bookstore and tended bar. When she’s not bugging writers about deadlines or editing copy, she throws pots, gardens and reads.
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