All articles tagged with #privacy and security
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports Apple weighed a 'white-glove' plan to ship leased devices preloaded with a user’s iCloud data, removing setup friction; the data-loaded approach raised privacy concerns and was not pursued, as public sentiment shifted from privacy nihilism to a privacy backlash and Apple tunes its messaging ahead of new products like smart glasses.
The FTC, joined by Utah and California, filed a federal lawsuit against telehealth provider Hims & Hers alleging deceptive billing (charging nearly immediately after intake and making cancellation difficult) and sharing sensitive health information with third‑party ad platforms, despite assurances of privacy; the case, filed in the Northern District of California, seeks to halt the practices and impose remedies under federal and state laws.
Apple is piloting a feature called Live Notes in a limited number of Genius Bars that auto-records conversations, transcribes them, and uses AI to summarize the session. The program is opt-in for both staff and customers, and Apple says transcripts aren’t viewed by managers and audio isn’t saved currently. Workers are wary of potential surveillance, drawing comparisons to corporate monitoring tools in finance, even as Apple cites privacy commitments and recalls past Siri eavesdropping controversies.
A team behind the Signal protocol is building Encrypted Spaces, open-source infrastructure to bring end-to-end encrypted, verifiable storage to collaboration apps like Slack, Google Docs, and Discord. Described in a Research Preview with a Spaces demo, the project uses zero-knowledge proofs to keep data encrypted on central servers while allowing cryptographically verifiable collaboration. It aims to be a reusable platform for developers rather than a consumer product, potentially fueling encryption-policy debates, with existing options from Proton, CryptPad, and Fileverse offering E2EE tools.
The U.S. House did not pass a reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, letting the surveillance authority lapse at midnight. The 218-198 vote split saw 19 Republicans oppose the bill alongside most Democrats, while seven Democrats voted in favor. A key clash centers on Bill Pulte’s appointment as acting Director of National Intelligence, with critics saying he lacks necessary national-security experience, and Democrats seeking a different DNI. Sen. Ron Wyden proposed a five-week extension to pursue reforms, but Republicans rejected it. Even with potential extensions, questions remain about Section 702’s use to surveil Americans and what guardrails will be put in place, underscoring a partisan fight over surveillance oversight as Trump pushes for a more permanent DNI appointment.
A German AI-training startup, MicroAGI, is partnering with Shift to offer New Yorkers free home cleaning in exchange for recording the cleaning process with cameras to train future household robots, promising anonymization of faces and IDs; cleaners may decline specific tasks, and the service covers chores from vacuuming to reorganizing spaces; the offer is limited-time with plans to expand to London, Munich, and Zurich, though questions remain about data usage and how (or if) videos can be removed after training.
A new Android app called Nearby Glasses scans Bluetooth advertising signals to alert users when camera-enabled smart glasses from Meta, Snap, and others are nearby, aiming to counter covert filming in public. The developer notes the system can produce false positives and an iOS version is in development; Meta and Snap didn’t comment. The story frames the tool within broader concerns about wearable surveillance and potentialMeta features like facial recognition.
An open-source, always-on AI assistant named Moltbot can push proactive prompts and operate across apps, but its need for deep system access and constant connectivity creates serious security risks, including prompt-injection attacks and exposed admin ports; experts warn it is not ready for broad use and urge caution.
Wegmans in NYC has expanded its biometric data collection to all shoppers, capturing facial, eye, and voice data without clear assurances on data storage or sharing, raising privacy concerns and sparking criticism from privacy advocates and some shoppers.
The article provides a 7-step checklist for travelers to quickly detect hidden cameras in Airbnb rentals using technology like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scans, flashlight sweeps, infrared detection, and camera-spotting apps, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding privacy during stays.
The article provides detailed advice on how protesters can prepare their phones for demonstrations by securing their devices with passcodes, disabling location tracking, encrypting data, neutralizing notifications, and being cautious about sharing content, to minimize surveillance and legal risks.
Microsoft is integrating generative AI into Windows 11 with new features like Copilot, which aims to improve user interaction through voice commands, file creation, and editing, attempting to revive the failed Cortana concept. These features include a new 'Hey, Copilot' voice activation, AI-driven file management, and visual guidance tools, all designed to work across all Windows 11 PCs with a focus on privacy and security improvements following past issues. The rollout is gradual, with some features still in testing phases.
Using a burner phone, a cheap prepaid device that can be disposed of after use, is an effective way to protect personal data during border crossings and reduce digital distractions, as it limits the amount of personal information stored and minimizes tracking. Burner phones are widely available at retail stores and can be purchased with cash for anonymity, making them a popular choice for privacy-conscious individuals.
The article discusses the increasing use of burner phones as a privacy measure to prevent border agents from snooping through personal devices, highlighting their affordability, ease of use, and benefits for maintaining anonymity and reducing digital footprint, especially during border crossings or for general privacy concerns.
A whistleblower claims that former officials at the Department of Government Efficiency copied the personal data of over 300 million Americans, including Social Security numbers, to a private, inadequately secured server within the SSA's cloud infrastructure, raising concerns about potential data exposure and misuse, despite SSA's assurances of data security.