There’s no doubt about it: we’re living in a world of over-sharers. Bloggers, social media users, celebrity influencers… It seems like everyone wants to be a Kardashian these days; to give the world a close-up look into what’s happening behind the scenes of their lives or to share every thought that’s running through their head. […] View original post at …
WordPress 4.9.6 Beta 1 Adds Tools for GDPR Compliance
WordPress 4.9.6 Beta 1 is available for testing. It’s the first step in bringing GDPR (Global Data Protection Regulation) tools to WordPress. In addition to 10 bugs being fixed, this release heavily focuses on privacy enhancements. One of the first changes is the addition of a Privacy tab on the successful update screen. The message informs users that their sites …
Jetpack 6.1, Now With Even More Privacy Information
Jetpack 6.1 is available and is considered a general maintenance release. This version adds two improvements to the WordAds module. Users can now use the [wordads] shortcode to place an inline ad on any post or page. Support for the ads.txt file has also been added. A new filter is available that honors the Do Not Track feature. This filter …
New Team Forms to Facilitate GDPR Compliance in WordPress Core
As May 25th, the enforcement date for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) draws near, individuals and businesses are scrambling to make sure they’re compliant. I’ve read a number of blog posts throughout the WordPress community explaining the GDPR and what needs to be done for compliance and it’s a tough thing to grasp. The EU GDPR was designed to …
WPWeekly Episode 298 – GDPR, User Privacy, and More With Heather Burns
In this episode, John James Jacoby and I are joined by Heather Burns, Founder of WebDevLaw. We have a lengthy discussion about GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), what it is, what’s at stake, and its potential impacts on the WordPress ecosystem. We also discuss the cultural differences between the North American and European views on user privacy. When asked what …
Playing the Role of Online Reputation Manager
Over the years, I’ve received requests from people wanting their comments removed from the site. I recently received a request from a reader that I remove a comment they made three years ago because it was showing up in Google search results for their name. Normally, I ignore these requests as it makes me feel like I’m their online reputation …
UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd Links WordPress.com to the Spread of Terrorism
UK government officials are targeting online service providers after terrorist Khalid Masood killed four people and injured more than two dozen in an attack in Westminster last week. In an article published on the Telegraph Sunday morning, British Home Secretary Amber Rudd called on Google, Twitter, and Facebook to take action on extremist content. She also identified Telegram, Justpaste.it, and …
9 Ways to Protect Users and Clients from Breaking Their WordPress Site
Everyone makes mistakes from time to time. It happens. But when the mistake occurs within a website that you put a lot of time and effort into building, it can be frustrating to go back and re-do your work, no matter how minor the issue. As a WordPress developer, you know the platform inside and out. You’re also familiar with …
Privacy Checklist: 10 Tips for Protecting Visitors to Your WordPress Site
Businesses of all sizes—bloggers, SMBs, eCommerce companies, large enterprises, and more—understand the importance of having a website. Without it, a business is relegated to the more time – and labor – intensive (and not to mention outdated) method of increasing brand recognition and converting leads through cold calling and word-of-mouth. Plus, if your brand doesn’t have a website, you’re relying …
What’s the Deal with Cookie Consent Notices?
Surely you’ve seen them many times. They show up as banners at the top or bottom of webpages or as distracting popups. Virtually every website based in the EU is supposed to display them. What am I referring to? Cookie consent notices. Have you ever wondered why some sites display a cookie consent notice? Do you know whether or not your …