Privacy Protection

When we speak to judges about online privacy protection, we always stress that the danger of having their private information accessible online is very real.

Sadly, that point was proven yet again just days ago in Wisconsin, where a retired judge, Hon. John Roemer, was murdered in what police describe as a targeted attack. According to the state’s attorney general, the gunman had selected targets who were "part of the judicial system,” and that the targeting was based on court cases.

Recently, Google added an option for users to opt-out of their private information being shown in search results. However, it is important to understand that this does not provide you with a sufficient level of protection against your address and your phone number is easily accessible online.

Why Google Did It

Spurred by GDPR and California Privacy legislation, Google has been under increased pressure to police the publication of private information on its search engine.

How do “people finder” and other websites acquire addresses, phone numbers and other private information? One way is by gathering that information from apps that collect it.

The company PureVPN recently published an article online entitled "8 Worst Apps for Privacy You Need to Avoid in 2022." Not surprisingly, the list included some of the most popular apps available, now used by millions of people.

Murders of police officers rose by nearly 60% during 2021, amid a wider rise in violent crime across the US, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray.

As if this number was not concerning by itself, The FBI also revealed that in a high percentage of these cases, the officers killed were targeted and ambushed. According to the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), there were 103 "ambush-style attacks" on officers in 2021, resulting in 130 officers shot and 30 killed.