AllYouCanTech

Data Breach Reveals Customer Details from 2K Redbox Rentals

# The Redbox Bankruptcy: A Data Privacy Catastrophe on the Horizon

In recent times, the downturn of physical media has become clear, with streaming platforms dominating the entertainment landscape. One of the most emblematic icons of the DVD rental age, Redbox, has encountered considerable difficulties. The company, previously a leading force in the rental industry, has now sought Chapter 7 bankruptcy under its parent organization, Chicken Soup for the Soul. While many express worries about the fate of the red kiosks and DVDs, a significantly more urgent matter has surfaced: the potential risk of sensitive customer information stored on Redbox kiosks being compromised.

## The Downfall of Redbox and Its Consequences

Redbox, famous for its user-friendly DVD rental kiosks found in grocery stores, pharmacies, and various retail environments, has been struggling amid the digital streaming surge. In June, Chicken Soup for the Soul initiated Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings, marking the liquidation of Redbox’s assets. As retailers hurry to eliminate the now-outdated kiosks, certain machines have ended up in the possession of hobbyists and tech enthusiasts.

While some individuals have creatively found new uses for the kiosks—such as operating the classic game *Doom* on them—others have uncovered a more troubling issue: the possibility of sensitive customer data being retrieved from the kiosks’ hard drives.

## The Data Privacy Dilemma

As reported by Lowpass and reverse engineer Foone Turing, certain Redbox kiosks possess a significant amount of customer information, including transaction histories, email addresses, zip codes, and even fragments of credit card numbers. Turing managed to recover records for more than 2,400 transactions from a Redbox hard drive, with data traced back to at least 2015. This information was kept locally on the kiosks, presumably as a backup in the event of internet failures.

Although the data saved on these kiosks represents merely a fraction of Redbox’s total transactions, the fact that any customer information is at risk is troubling. Turing’s discoveries indicate that Redbox did not implement sufficient measures to secure or adequately erase sensitive data from its kiosks prior to their decommissioning.

### What Information Was Compromised?

Turing’s research showed that the kiosks logged comprehensive details regarding rental transactions, including:

– **Customer email addresses and zip codes**
– **Titles of rented DVDs** and their rental dates
– **Partial credit card numbers** (the first six and last four digits)
– **Lower-tier transaction specifics** related to payments

While the kiosks lacked full credit card information storage, the presence of partial data combined with other identifying details still poses a significant risk to customers, especially if correlated with other data repositories.

## How Simple Was It to Access the Data?

According to Turing, extracting the data from the Redbox hard drive was relatively uncomplicated. Utilizing common, free tools, she could crack the hard drive image and recover the customer details. She observed that although the data was dispersed across various logs and databases, assembling the information was fairly effortless with basic hacking abilities.

“The device contains numerous logs, and customer details were distributed among several of them—typically fragmentary, but it’s rather easy to cross-reference them with other logs,” Turing elaborated. “With complete access to the hard drive, searching for items like email addresses and credit card numbers is straightforward.”

This level of accessibility underscores a significant weakness in Redbox’s data security protocols. The kiosks were designed to function autonomously, necessitating self-decryption without human assistance. This absence of encryption or secure data storage rendered customer information exposed to anyone with access to the hard drive.

## Legal and Fiscal Ramifications

The revelation of customer data from Redbox kiosks gives rise to serious legal and financial issues. In a court document filed in August 2024, Automated Kiosk Advisors LLC issued a warning regarding the potential hazards linked to inadequately removing and destroying the internal data storage within Redbox kiosks. The document stressed that Redbox hard drives must undergo secure reformatting to avert the exposure of sensitive personal data, such as credit card numbers, email addresses, and rental records.

The mishandling of customer data could also breach consumer privacy laws, such as the **Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA)**, which forbids the improper disclosure of video rental information. However, with Chicken Soup for the Soul undergoing bankruptcy proceedings, holding the company liable for any data breaches may be a daunting task.

## The Wider Privacy Challenge

While the Redbox predicament raises alarm, it is not an isolated case. Turing pointed out that similar privacy concerns frequently arise across numerous sectors, particularly regarding devices that locally store customer data. The insufficient implementation of data security measures and the failure to properly erase information before retiring devices are recurring issues that place consumers in jeopardy.

Mario Trujillo, a legal representative for the **Electronic Frontier Foundation (EF)

Decrease in US Childhood Vaccinations as Increasing Number of Parents Choose Not to Immunize

# US Becomes Increasingly Susceptible to Outbreaks as Vaccination Rates Diminish to 92 Percent

The United States is confronting an escalating public health issue as the immunization rates among kindergartners persist in their downward trend, rendering the nation more susceptible to outbreaks of preventable illnesses. Recent figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that vaccination levels for essential childhood immunizations have fallen to about 92 percent for the 2023–2024 academic year, down from 93 percent the year prior, and 95 percent in 2019–2020. This reduction is troubling, as it distances the country from the 95 percent vaccination benchmark necessary to sustain herd immunity and curb the transmission of vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles, whooping cough, and polio.

## The Escalating Risk of Vaccine-Preventable Illnesses

Diseases such as measles, whooping cough (pertussis), polio, and tetanus, which were largely under control or eradicated in the US, are now poised for a potential comeback. Vaccines for these illnesses have demonstrated safety and efficacy over the years, yet an increasing number of parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children, citing personal or philosophical beliefs instead of medical reasons.

The CDC’s review revealed that vaccination exemptions have surged to a record high of 3.3 percent, an increase from 3 percent in the last academic year. Alarmingly, merely 0.2 percent of these exemptions are medically warranted, indicating that the overwhelming majority are predicated on personal convictions rather than healthcare needs. This trend is alarming, as it jeopardizes the collective immunity that shields communities from outbreaks.

## Decreasing Vaccination Rates: A Nationwide Issue

The CDC’s findings underscore that vaccination rates for four essential immunizations—MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis), VAR (chickenpox), and polio—have diminished across the nation. Specifically:

– **MMR coverage** has decreased to 92.7 percent, leaving approximately 280,000 kindergartners vulnerable to measles, mumps, or rubella.
– **DTaP coverage** has contracted to 92.3 percent, increasing the risk of whooping cough, a highly transmissible respiratory illness.
– **Polio vaccination** rates have plummeted to 92.6 percent, heightening fears about the resurgence of a disease capable of causing paralysis and potentially fatal outcomes.
– **VAR coverage** for chickenpox has fallen to 92.4 percent.

These declines, although seemingly minor, are crucial as they signify a rising number of children who are unprotected and at risk of these diseases. Herd immunity, which safeguards those who cannot be vaccinated (like infants or individuals with weakened immune systems), demands a vaccination rate of at least 95 percent for the majority of illnesses. Dropping below this level amplifies the risk of outbreaks, especially in areas with lower vaccination coverage.

## Increase in Exemptions

The uptick in vaccination exemptions is a significant contributor to the overall fall in vaccination rates. CDC’s findings indicate that 41 states and the District of Columbia experienced a rise in the number of kindergartners with one or more vaccine exemptions. Fourteen states now report exemption rates exceeding 5 percent, suggesting that even if all non-exempt children were vaccinated, these states would still not meet the 95 percent standard required for herd immunity.

This presents a stark contrast to the 2020–2021 academic year, during which only two states had exemption rates that jeopardized their ability to reach the 95 percent threshold. The increase in exemptions is predominantly due to non-medical reasons, with parents citing religious or philosophical opposition to vaccines. This trend is especially worrisome in states such as Idaho, where vaccination rates for critical vaccines linger around 80 percent, and the exemption rate stands at an alarming 14.3 percent.

## At-Risk Communities and Outbreak Threats

While the national vaccination rate hovers around 92 percent, it’s vital to acknowledge that vaccination levels can vary dramatically by state, city, and even neighborhood. Areas with clusters of low vaccination rates are particularly vulnerable to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illnesses. When substantial numbers of unvaccinated groups congregate, it becomes easier for infectious diseases to spread.

In recent years, the US has already witnessed surges in outbreaks of diseases like measles and whooping cough. For instance, in 2019, the US recorded the largest measles outbreak in over 25 years, with upwards of 1,200 cases documented. Many of these incidents were associated with communities exhibiting low vaccination rates. As vaccination levels continue to wane, the danger of comparable outbreaks escalates.

## Reasons Behind the Declining Vaccination Rates?

The CDC’s examination did not delve into the specifics of the reasons underpinning the declining vaccination rates, but experts hypothesize that various elements might be influencing this trend. One possibility

“The Influence of the Malleus Maleficarum in Triggering the Witch Trial Frenzy”

# The Impact of the Printing Press and Social Networks on the Proliferation of Witch Hunts in Early Modern Europe

From 1400 to 1775, Europe experienced a spike in witch trials, resulting in the execution of an estimated 40,000 to 60,000 people accused of witchcraft. This tragic era in history has captivated historians and social scientists alike, who have aimed to unravel the factors that led to such extensive panic. One of the most crucial components identified is the advent of the printing press, which significantly aided in the spread of ideas, especially through the release of witch-hunting manuals like the notorious *Malleus Maleficarum*.

The swift proliferation of witch trials throughout Europe, along with the harsh persecution of alleged witches, corresponds with a concept of social change referred to as “ideational diffusion.” This concept posits that new ideas, when bolstered by social networks, can become entrenched and provoke widespread behavioral shifts within society. A recent article published in *Theory and Society* examines how the emergence of the printing press and the impact of adjacent cities established ideal circumstances for the outbreak of witch-hunting fervor.

## The Impact of the *Malleus Maleficarum* and the Printing Press

The *Malleus Maleficarum*, initially published in 1487, emerged as one of the most impactful witch-hunting manuals during its era. Authored by Heinrich Kramer, a German cleric, the book outlined comprehensive guidelines on how to identify, prosecute, and execute witches. Its publication coincided with the burgeoning of the printing press, which enabled the mass creation and distribution of texts across Europe. This technological innovation meant that ideas could be disseminated more swiftly and broadly than ever before.

Historians have long pondered the influence of the *Malleus Maleficarum* in driving witch trials, but recent studies have yielded empirical evidence to corroborate this notion. Sociologist Steve Pfaff and his colleagues, including Kerice Doten-Snitker from the Santa Fe Institute, contend that the release of the *Malleus Maleficarum* and other similar texts directly impacted the surge in witch trials. Each new edition of the *Malleus Maleficarum* was succeeded by a rise in witch trials, indicating a distinct connection between the spread of these concepts and the actions of local populations.

## Ideational Diffusion and Social Contagion

The ideational diffusion theory asserts that cultural transformations occur when new concepts infiltrate a society and are reinforced by social networks. In the context of witch trials, the emergence of the *Malleus Maleficarum* offered a fresh lens through which to perceive witchcraft, reframing it from a relatively innocuous belief into a dire menace to society. This alteration in perception was further bolstered by the social networks of the period, especially the trade routes linking cities across Europe.

Doten-Snitker and her research team concentrated on the significance of these trade routes in propagating ideas surrounding witchcraft. They discovered that cities more closely tied to trade networks were likelier to witness witch trials, having been exposed to novel ideas from various sources. The dissemination of witch trials followed a pattern akin to social contagion, where the actions of neighboring cities impacted the probability of a city holding its own trials. This cascading effect generated a gradual wave of witch-hunting hysteria that spread across the continent.

## Modeling Cultural Change

Investigating how extensive cultural shifts occur has been a pivotal area of study for many years, with researchers like Damon Centola employing insights from epidemiology to comprehend how social networks can modify human conduct. Nonetheless, Doten-Snitker’s ideational diffusion model diverges from Centola’s in fundamental ways. While straightforward instances of social contagion, such as viral memes or chart-topping songs, can propagate quickly, more sophisticated expressions—like the escalation of witch trials—demand a more profound cognitive transformation.

According to Doten-Snitker, individuals must not only encounter a new idea but also engage with it and reinterpret their social environment in ways that render the idea persuasive. In the case of witchcraft, people had to come to believe that witchcraft was both real and a genuine threat to their communities. This cognitive transformation subsequently spurred changes in behavior, such as the persecution of those suspected of witchcraft.

## The Reduction of Witch Trials

While the ideational diffusion model elucidates how witch trials spread, it also prompts inquiries into why the frenzy eventually waned. By the late 17th century, the prevalence and severity of witch trials had significantly decreased. This transition can be traced to various factors, including growing pressures to focus on clear and consistent judicial practices. For instance, the use of torture to elicit confessions and the acceptance of dreams as evidence of witchcraft were increasingly dismissed.

Doten-Snitker posits that cultural transformations like the reduction of witch trials arise when new ideas overtake older ones. In