Advertisements and notifications are a common part of the whole smartphone experience. But according to two new reports, they present troubling privacy issues.
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Google has agreed to settle a $ 5 billion lawsuit brought by claimants who accused the web giant of privacy invasion by tracking their online activities.
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Meta may add a paid subscription option to Instagram and Facebook in Europe, according toThe New York Times. The ad-free tier is meant to address European Union (EU) regulations that have diminished some of Meta’s most lucrative data-collection methods. The company said in April that advertising in the EU made up 10 percent of the company’s total revenue.
The move would be the first time Meta has deviated from its standard model of a single free platform supported by advertising (and associated data collection). The NYT says the company would continue offering free ad-supported versions of Facebook and Instagram in the EU. It’s unknown exactly when the company would launch the ad-free tiers or how much they would cost.
Company “insiders” cited by the NYT believe offering a paid ad-free variant could help “alleviate some European regulators’ concerns,” even if few people use it. The optional tier “could serve Meta’s interests in the region,” they added.
An ad-free option for European users would mark one of the most significant splits between consumer tech in the EU and the US. Meta and other social platforms have been forced to adapt as the GDPR and other regulations take hold. The EU fined Meta €1.2 billion in May for moving EU citizen’s data to US-based servers. In addition, the company was fined €265 million in 2022 for failing to prevent millions of Facebook users’ mobile numbers (and other data) from being scraped and posted online.
“This shows that tech companies are complying with the E.U.’s digital regulations, suggesting that they remain beholden to governments and not the other way around,” Columbia University law professor Anu Bradford told The New York Times.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/facebook-and-instagram-may-offer-paid-ad-free-plans-in-europe-to-sate-eu-privacy-concerns-190926273.html?src=rss
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Microsoft has released a pair of emergency updates to address the “aCropalypse” security flaw found within its native Windows 10 and 11 screenshot editing apps. As Bleeping Computer reports, the company began testing a fix for the vulnerability earlier this week shortly after it was discovered by retired software engineer Chris Blume.
On Friday evening, Microsoft began rolling out public updates for Windows 11’s Snipping Tool as well as Windows 10’s Snip & Sketch app. You can manually prompt Windows to patch the app you use by opening the Microsoft Store and clicking on “Library,” followed by “Get Updates.” Microsoft recommends all users install the updates.
The aCropalypse flaw was first discovered on Pixel devices, and subsequently addressed by Google in Android’s recent March security update. In the case of Windows 11’s Snipping Tool, it turned out the utility wasn’t properly overwriting cropped PNG data. The issue did not affect all PNG files, but the concern was that bad actors could exploit the vulnerability to partially recover edited images, particularly those that had been cropped to omit sensitive information. As with Google's March Android update, Microsoft's patches won't protect images that were previously created with its screenshot tools.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-releases-fix-for-windows-11-screenshot-privacy-bug-195412172.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
Mozilla released a report that found most popular period tracking apps don’t protect user privacy, which is a red flag in a post-Roe v. Wade landscape.
Mobile | Digital Trends
Should users really consider leaving WhatsApp, and do suitable alternatives exist? We asked technology, social media, and privacy experts.
Mobile | Digital Trends
Android 11 TV is arriving on the Android TV platform, enabling many features showcased during Google’s #11weeksofsummer virtual event. The update to Android TV closely follows the release of Android 11 for phones and tablets. It includes the same core enhancements to performance and privacy, such as how the platform now supports allowing application permissions […]
Come comment on this article: Android 11 TV released, along with privacy, performance improvements and new features
Earlier this week, the CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai, announced changes being made to the way Google handles your privacy—mainly, how long they will keep your information, and what you can do about it. Pichai says, “…we focus on three important principles: keeping your information safe, treating it responsibly, and putting you in control.” The […]
Come comment on this article: Google announces major new privacy improvements
Now that COVID-19 lockdowns are slowly starting to lift in the US, a group of senators want to set privacy expectations for the contact tracing apps that could help keep the virus in check. Senators Marsha Blackburn, Jerry Moran, John Thune and Roger…
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Ford thinks it has a way to make car insurance more appealing: taking advantage of the data available from connected cars. It's teaming up with Nationwide to introduce its own take on usage-based insurance. If you have one of several 2020 Ford or L…
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Last September, we announced a series of changes to better protect kids and their privacy on YouTube and to address concerns raised by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Specifically, that all creators will be required to designate their content as made for kids or not made for kids in YouTube Studio, and data from anyone watching a video designated as made for kids will be treated as coming from a child, regardless of the age of the user.
In November, we released a setting in Studio to make it easier for creators to designate their content. And today, we will begin to roll out these changes globally. We wanted to outline what you will start to see in the coming days.
According to the FTC, a video is made for kids if it is intended for kids, taking into consideration a variety of factors. These factors include the subject matter of the video, whether the video has an emphasis on kids characters, themes, toys or games, and more.
To help us identify made for kids content, in November we introduced a new audience setting in YouTube Studio to help creators indicate whether or not their content is made for kids. Creators know their content best, and should set the designation themselves. We also use machine learning to help us identify this content, and creators can update a designation made by our systems if they believe it is incorrect. We will only override a creator designation if abuse or error is detected.
YouTube now treats personal information from anyone watching children’s content on the platform as coming from a child, regardless of the age of the user. This means that on videos made for kids, we limit data collection and use, and as a result, we need to restrict or disable some product features. For example, we no longer serve personalized ads on this content or support features such as comments, live chat, notification bell, stories, save to playlist, and others.
Many creators around the world have created quality kids content for their audiences, and these changes will have significant impact. We’re committed to helping creators navigate this new landscape and to supporting our ecosystem of family content. We’ll share more in the coming months. In the meantime, we continue to engage on this issue. For example, we participated in the FTC’s public workshop and submitted our comment on COPPA, where we discussed the importance of clear guidelines that help creators live up to their legal obligations and support access to quality kids content.
We still recommend parents use YouTube Kids if they plan to allow kids under 13 to watch independently. In fact, tens of millions of people use YouTube Kids every week, and recently we saw an all-time high of weekly viewers since the app’s launch. Starting today, you will see a YouTube Kids promotion across all made for kids content. We also continue to improve the product. For example, we recently launched signed-in support for YouTube Kids on the web and connected devices — such as smart TVs — so parents can now access and control their child’s YouTube Kids experience across even more surfaces.
Responsibility is our number one priority at YouTube, and this includes protecting kids and their privacy. We’ve been significantly investing in the policies, products and practices to help us do this. Today’s changes allow us to do this even better and we’ll continue working to provide children, families and family creators the best experience possible on YouTube.
— The YouTube Team
Facebook has given Privacy Checkup a fresh coat of paint and an overall upgrade, which makes it more helpful when it comes to keeping your account secure. When you access the feature — simply search for "Privacy Checkup" on the platform to do so –…
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As we become ever more aware about the data companies are tracking about us, we're even more concerned about how they're using it. During I/O 2019, Google highlighted efforts to streamline the way people can view and manage the data it stores about t…
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Apple's increasingly tougher stance on app privacy has led Facebook to pull one of its iOS apps. The Wall Street Journal has learned that Facebook is removing its VPN-based Onavo Protect program from the App Store after Apple warned the social networ…
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Yahoo still isn't done facing the consequences for its handling of a massive 2014 data breach. The UK's Information Commissioner's Office has slapped Yahoo UK Services Ltd with a £250,000 (about $ 334,300) fine under the country's Data Protecti…
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Verizon’s AppFlash, a new app rolling out to the carrier’s customers in the coming weeks, can track app usage and use it to target ads. The Electronic Frontier Foundation notes that it could, too, be used by hackers as a common point of attack.
The post That was quick! Verizon to install adware on phones after privacy rules repealed appeared first on Digital Trends.
My Friend Cayla is a smiling, blonde doll that can answer questions and play games by pairing with a smart device. She might also be spying on you.
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It’s natural to worry about data privacy, but we tend to do it about banks, passwords, and email accounts. A hacking team now says we should be concerned about the things smart sex toys reveal about our intimate lives as well.
The post Forget your bank, hackers say we should worry about smart sex toy privacy appeared first on Digital Trends.
If you’re concerned about privacy, it may be time to find a new fitness tracking app. Runkeeper is reportedly tracking users, even when the app isn’t in use, and selling that data to advertisers. The company has earned a formal complaint in Europe.
The post Runkeeper is the latest mobile app to run afoul of privacy advocates appeared first on Digital Trends.
With the announcement of two new Echo speakers, Amazon also revealed that those voice-controlled devices (and the Fire TV) now play nice with Nest thermostats. According to Recode, the Google-owned connected home company thought about making an Echo-…
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Named after Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which grants the right to privacy, this Zurich company wants to replace Blackberry. Article12 has contracted a manufacturer to provide its secure operating system on a secure device.
The post Article12 wants to ensure your right to privacy via your smartphone appeared first on Digital Trends.
An online quiz that illustrates the words you use the most on Facebook as a "word cloud" has gone viral — and it's a great reminder of why you should be wary of connecting ostensibly fun games with your account. UK-based VPN comparison website Compa…
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