Privacy News

The latest privacy stories, summarized by AI

Apple's Hide My Email Could Unmask Real Addresses

A vulnerability in Apple's Hide My Email, an iCloud+ feature that creates anonymous aliases, could reveal users’ real email addresses. 404 Media, with EasyOptOuts, verified the flaw by generating an alias and linking it to an Apple account in about five minutes. Apple reportedly knew about the issue for over a year and said fixes were applied in a system update, but the vulnerability persisted. The story also notes Apple’s shift to a new anonymized domain for these emails (such as @privaterelay.appleid.com / @private.icloud.com), a change critics say could make it easier for sites to block anonymous signups.

8 days ago•Source: Gizmodo

Smart TVs Are Turning Into Data Traps for Ads

privacy

25.91 min•2 months ago

Smart TVs Are Turning Into Data Traps for Ads

Smart TVs are increasingly becoming data-collection devices as a sprawling network of ad-tech vendors tracks viewers through cookies, device IDs, IPs, precise/non-precise location, and user profiles. The article catalogs hundreds of vendors with cookie lifetimes spanning from days to years, notes some vendors don’t use cookies or rely on other storage, and highlights pervasive cross-device tracking and potential privacy risks for households. Viewers may need to adjust privacy settings or limit ad tracking on their TVs to curb data collection.

via Slate

AI in ad tech leaves a cookie trail across the web

privacy

25.915 min•2 months ago

AI in ad tech leaves a cookie trail across the web

via theregister.com

More Privacy Stories

privacy4 months ago•7 min saved

New App Warns When Smart Glasses Are in Your Area

Nearby Glasses is an Android app that scans for Bluetooth Low Energy signatures from smart-glasses makers (Meta, Luxottica, Snap) and notifies you when someone wearing smart glasses is nearby; it may misidentify mixed-reality headsets as glasses, and an iOS port is in development. The piece also notes privacy concerns about inconspicuous cameras and Meta's planned Name Tag facial-recognition feature for Ray-Ban/Oakley glasses.

via Lifehacker|

#android #bluetooth-low-energy #privacy

privacy4 months ago•2 min saved

DHS Moves to Unmask ICE Critics on Big Social Platforms

The Department of Homeland Security has issued hundreds of subpoenas to major social platforms to uncover identities behind anonymous accounts that criticize ICE or expose agents’ locations; DHS says the data is needed to protect officers, but civil liberties advocates warn it threatens privacy and free expression, noting many subpoenas are withdrawn before court review and the ACLU is offering legal help to affected users.

via Mashable|

#civil-liberties #dhs-subpoenas #ice

privacy4 months ago•25 min saved

The ad-tech cookie web: a comprehensive snapshot of rivals' tracking data

The Register compiles a sweeping inventory of third-party ad-tech vendors (TCF and others), detailing each vendor's cookie usage, durations, and data collection practices. The list shows cookie lifetimes ranging from days to multiple years, and data collected including IP addresses, device identifiers, location data, user profiles, and authentication-derived identifiers. It notes whether vendors use other storage, and whether they rely on legitimate interests or consent, with several vendors not using cookies or using alternative storage. The piece underscores how pervasive and varied online tracking is across the ad ecosystem.

via theregister.com|

#adtech #cookies #data-collection

privacy6 months ago•1 min saved

Record-Breaking Great White Sharks Capture Spotlight

Yahoo informs users about its use of cookies and personal data for site functionality, security, analytics, and personalized advertising, offering options to accept, reject, or customize privacy settings, with the ability to change preferences anytime.

via Yahoo News UK|

#advertising #cookies #personal-data

privacy6 months ago•1 min saved