Posts Tagged: privacy

Security experts just found two giant smartphone privacy issues

Advertisements and notifications are a common part of the whole smartphone experience. But according to two new reports, they present troubling privacy issues.
Digital Trends

Google just settled a $5 billion privacy suit involving Chrome browser

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.
Digital Trends

Facebook and Instagram may offer paid, ad-free plans in Europe to sate EU privacy concerns

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
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Microsoft releases fix for Windows 11 screenshot privacy bug

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

Report finds most period tracking apps don’t protect privacy

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

Is now the time to dump WhatsApp? Privacy advocates say yes

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 released, along with privacy, performance improvements and new features

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 […]

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Google announces major new privacy improvements

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 […]

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Senate bill would set privacy requirements for COVID-19 tracking

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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Viber messaging app boosts privacy with disappearing messages in regular chats

When it comes to messaging apps, privacy is something that many of us are getting increasingly concerned about, especially in the age of Zoom. With that in mind, Viber will soon allow its 1 billion users to control their own data in the form of disappearing messages in regular chats. Previously only available in secret […]

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Ford hopes you’ll trade some privacy for discounted car insurance

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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Better protecting kids’ privacy on YouTube

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.

What is made for kids content?

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.

An updated experience for made for kids content

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.

Continued investment in YouTube Kids

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


YouTube Blog

Gmail’s log of all of your purchases pops up in the privacy debate

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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Facebook pulls iOS VPN app following Apple’s privacy objections

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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UK privacy watchdog slaps Yahoo with another fine over 2014 hack

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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That was quick! Verizon to install adware on phones after privacy rules repealed

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.

Android Army–Digital Trends

Germany bans creepy doll over privacy concerns

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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Forget your bank, hackers say we should worry about smart sex toy privacy

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.

Wearables–Digital Trends

Runkeeper is the latest mobile app to run afoul of privacy advocates

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.

Android Army–Digital Trends

Privacy concerns kept Nest from making an Echo-like assistant

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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Article12 wants to ensure your right to privacy via your smartphone

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.

Mobile–Digital Trends

Facebook quizzes are (still) a privacy threat

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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