One Tuesday evening last month, around 10:30 PM, I received an encrypted text message from someone identifying himself as "Tim." The message had a clandestine feel to it, including a link to a website. This site contained data compiled from public figures, revealing their personal information.
The situation was far from a major scandal. The website displayed the Spotify listening habits of approximately 50 individuals, including politicians, tech executives, and journalists. This data was obtained from information that they seemingly didn't realize was publicly accessible. The website was playfully named the "Panama Playlists," a reference to the more significant Panama Papers leak.
The concept was clever and, to be honest, amusing. The site revealed that Vice President JD Vance enjoys listening to Justin Bieber and the Backstreet Boys, apparently while cooking, based on the playlist's title. It also showed that the well-known weatherman Al Roker is a fan of Elton John, having played the song "Philadelphia Freedom" 151 times in the previous year.
However, the humor faded when I scrolled down and discovered that my name, along with that of my colleague Kashmir Hill, was included on the list. If two reporters who specialize in technology and privacy were unknowingly sharing personal information, how many others were in the same situation?
5 Comments
Karamba
It made me laugh! And it highlights how data is collected, even if it is entertaining.
Comandante
Using public data to showcase someone's playlists still doesn't feel natural. It is a breach of privacy.
Bella Ciao
This is a wake-up call about privacy settings. Everyone should review their online presence.
Mariposa
It's fun and games until your data is exposed. This could lead to targeted harassment.
Habibi
The author is being surprisingly flippant about this. This is a serious breach of privacy, no matter how innocuous the data seems.