All articles tagged with #data collection
Tom's Guide explains Roku logs what you watch to build ad profiles, but you can cut back on data collection with 3 steps: disable ad tracking, block microphone access for channels, and turn off Automatic Content Recognition (ACR). These changes reduce targeted ads and tracking while keeping most features, though other streaming services still collect their own usage data.
Meta is deploying an internal tool called MCI to US-based employees that records mouse movements, clicks, keystrokes, and occasional screenshots during work to train its AI agents. Meta says the data aren’t used for performance assessments and safeguards exist, but there’s reportedly no opt-out option on work laptops, triggering internal backlash.
Meta will begin tracking US employees’ mouse movements, clicks, keystrokes, and periodic screenshots across certain work apps to generate high-quality training data for future AI agents; the company says the data will help models perform everyday computer tasks and will not be used to evaluate employees, though European regulations could complicate similar monitoring there.
Startups are turning videos of people doing chores (filmed by gig workers who can earn up to $25/hour) into training data for robot control software, using footage of laundry folding, dishwashing, and more to teach robots how to interpret sensor input and decide movements. The approach blends human videos, teleoperation, and simulated data to scale robot learning, a process that experts say is data-intensive and costly, with real-world deployment still years away.
An independent audit finds that Google, Microsoft, Meta and a wide network of ad-tech vendors continue tracking users even after opt-outs. The report catalogs cookie and storage use across dozens of vendors, noting cookie durations ranging from days to years and data collected such as IP addresses, device identifiers, location data, browsing activity, user profiles, and consent choices. Some vendors do not use cookies and rely on alternative storage, while others justify processing via legitimate interest. Overall, opting out does not reliably stop pervasive cross-site tracking in the ad-tech ecosystem, underscoring ongoing privacy risks.
The Register exposes a sprawling, cookie-heavy ad‑tech ecosystem driven by AI, listing dozens of vendors and the data they gather (IP addresses, device identifiers, precise locations, user profiles) with cookie durations spanning from days to years. While some vendors cite consent or legitimate interest, others rely on alternative storage or “no cookies,” underscoring the scale of online tracking and the resulting privacy and regulatory concerns.
CBS News’ David Pogue debunks the idea that phones secretly overhear conversations for ads. Experts say ad targeting relies on inferences from online activity and household data rather than audio capture; Northeastern data shows no covert audio transmissions but substantial data collection. To reduce exposure, readers can use data-deletion tools, consider privacy-friendly browsers, and advocate for stronger consumer privacy laws.
Two California-backed class-action lawsuits in the Northern District of California allege LinkedIn secretly scans users’ browsers to detect installed extensions and shares related data with third parties; LinkedIn says it discloses such extension scanning in its Privacy Policy to detect abuse and protect site stability, while the suits draw on the BrowserGate report and involve Teamfluence, seeking damages and an injunction.
The Register exposes a sprawling network of ad-tech vendors whose cookie and non-cookie trackers collect vast user data—IP addresses, device identifiers, location (precise and non-precise), profiles, and browsing activity—often for long durations and sometimes under legitimate-interest justifications. The piece highlights how this data ecosystem, plus storage beyond cookies, could be used to train AI models and influence ad targeting, raising privacy concerns over how much online activity is captured and stored across dozens of vendors.
A Svenska Dagbladet investigation reveals Meta's Ray‑Ban smart glasses capture footage that is reviewed by human contractors for AI training, exposing bystanders to nude or sensitive content despite anonymization, highlighting ongoing privacy risks with wearable devices.
Yahoo describes how cookies and other technologies collect device information, measure usage, and enable personalized advertising, with options to accept all, reject all, or customize privacy settings via the Privacy Dashboard.
Texas and Samsung reached a settlement in which Samsung will halt ACR-based viewing data collection without express consent, overhaul its privacy disclosures, and deploy clear consent screens on its smart TVs; the agreement follows a Texas AG lawsuit alleging deceptive collection practices, while other manufacturers have not yet implemented changes.
An Echo privacy guide warns that default settings enable extensive data collection, including Amazon Sidewalk, indefinite storage of voice recordings, and optional human review to improve Alexa. To protect privacy, opt out of Sidewalk, set voice recordings to auto-delete after three months, disable the "Help Improve Alexa" feature, restrict Drop In to your household or turn it off, and regularly delete your sound history to minimize data exposure.
Samsung’s smart TVs collect viewing data, voice commands, and use this information for advertising and analytics by default (ACR and related features). To disable, go to Settings > Privacy Choices and turn off Viewing Information Services (ACR), disable Interest-Based Advertising, and switch off Voice Recognition Services. Doing so reduces data sharing with Samsung and targeted ads, though it won’t affect core TV performance.
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.