All articles tagged with #privacy
WIRED tests Muse Spark, Meta's health-focused AI, which encourages users to paste lab results and biometric data for analysis, but privacy risks loom since data can be stored to train models and used for ads, HIPAA protections don’t apply to consumer AI, and experts warn the tool is not a doctor and can give risky guidance (including an extreme fasting plan).
The FBI reportedly retrieved incoming Signal messages from a defendant’s iPhone not by accessing the Signal app, but by scraping the device’s push notification database to capture alerts that displayed messages on the Lock Screen, even after the app was deleted. Signal users can mitigate this by enabling notification content blocking (Settings > Notification Content > No Name or Content) to prevent revealing who a message is from or what it contains; note that any app displaying lock-screen previews can create a similar vulnerability.
Former Apple Vision Pro engineers unveiled Button, a $179 AI wearable that looks like an iPod Shuffle. It houses a generative AI chatbot and only listens when you press the button, addressing privacy concerns by not passively listening. It can speak aloud or connect to earbuds/glasses via Bluetooth, ships in December, and can be worn or kept in a pocket. The founders frame Button as a fast, hardware AI interface competing with other wearables, not a smartphone replacement.
A viral X account, NHL Follow Tracker, exposes which NHL players follow or unfollow on Instagram, turning private online activity into public drama after Olen Zellweger’s post. Turkish MBA student Fuat Aras built a bot to monitor hundreds of player accounts and launched a paid app, prompting teams to consider social-media education and players to rethink their online presence as privacy concerns grow.
Google is rolling out in the US a new option to change your Gmail address (they call it your 'account username') with a limit of once per year. To switch, go to Personal info > Email in your Google Account (or Gmail Settings > Manage Your Google Account on mobile). Your old emails will continue to arrive at the old address, and no data is lost during the transition. This can help users who want to fix a deadname or adopt a more professional email. If you’d rather avoid Google altogether, Proton Mail is highlighted as a privacy-focused alternative that can import data from Google.
The FTC says OkCupid and Match Group shared nearly three million OkCupid user photos, plus location and other data, with Clarifai, a facial-recognition company, without user consent or clear restrictions, violating the company’s privacy promises. The data-sharing, dating back to 2014 and highlighted by media reports, was not disclosed to users and was described as concealed during the FTC investigation. Under a settlement submitted for court approval, the companies are permanently barred from misrepresenting how they collect, use or share personal data and from restricting user privacy controls—yet they face no financial penalty.
The FTC filed a complaint against OkCupid and Match Group Americas, alleging they deceived users by sharing personal data (including photos and location) with a third party without proper disclosure or opt-outs, in violation of their privacy promises. The proposed settlement permanently bans misrepresenting privacy practices and data handling; the investigation, conducted under a Civil Investigative Demand, led to a case in the Northern District of Texas and centers on nearly three million user photos and related data.
Photos often embed EXIF metadata with GPS coordinates that can reveal where you were; you can view this data in Google Photos, Apple Photos, Windows, and macOS, and remove or wipe location data using built-in tools (e.g., Apple Photos) or dedicated apps such as ExifTool or ExifViewer.Pro. You can also stop saving location by denying camera location access on Android or iOS, though that may limit location-based search in photo apps. Some sites automatically strip location data when you upload images.
Google has expanded its 'Results about you' privacy tool to let users remove more sensitive data—such as passport numbers, driver’s license numbers and Social Security numbers—from search results, in addition to already removable phone numbers, emails and home addresses. The rollout is rolling out for US English users 18+, and removals now require a reason with a faster process for deleting non-consensual explicit images. The move aims to reduce identity theft, a risk highlighted by FTC fraud data showing billions lost to scams.
A class-action filed in Northern California accuses the Justice Department and Google of exposing victim-identifying information in Epstein-related files released in 2025–26, allegedly outing about 100 survivors and enabling further publication by Google. The DOJ says it has removed documents flagged for redaction and continues reviewing for privacy protections, while survivors say the ongoing online publication and low redaction accuracy retraumatizes victims and endangers them.
An iOS 26.4 guide detailing 12 settings to optimize battery life, privacy, and usability—from Adaptive Power and automatic security patches to auditing app permissions, reducing display effects, enabling audio zoom, disabling lock-screen camera swipes, allowing iCloud search, limiting notifications, downloading podcasts for offline viewing, and completing reminders from alarms.
Idaho lawmakers are considering a bill that would criminalize transgender people using bathrooms and changing rooms that align with their gender identity in any place of public accommodation, with penalties of up to a year for a misdemeanor and up to five years for a felony on a second offense; it includes carve-outs for emergencies, dire need, and other staff roles, but faces opposition from law-enforcement groups and LGBTQ advocates who warn it could lead to profiling and harassment. The Senate was expected to vote on the bill this week, potentially sending it to Governor Brad Little for signing.
Epstein survivors filed a class-action lawsuit in the Northern District of California against the Department of Justice and Google, arguing that documents released in 2025–26 publicly exposed approximately 100 survivors and their private information. The suit claims Google continued to republish the material after redactions were identified, renewing trauma and safety concerns. The DOJ says it has redacted thousands of victims’ names and is still processing requests, while Google’s actions to de-index or remove content are cited as insufficient in the complaint. The case hinges on the Epstein Files Transparency Act’s redaction requirements and alleged failures to protect victims’ privacy.
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.
Firefox 149 adds a free built-in browser VPN that routes only Firefox traffic through a secure proxy, offers 50GB per month per Mozilla account, supports per-site activation, notifies you as you near the limit, and is rolling out in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and France alongside other updates and security fixes.