In April 2018, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sat before members of both houses of Congress and told them his company respected the privacy of the roughly two billion people who use it. “Privacy” remained largely undefined throughout Zuckerberg’s televised flagellations, but he mentioned the concept more than two dozen times, including when he told the … Continue reading In Court, Facebook Blames Users for Destroying Their Own Right to Privacy
Privacy
Google wants to phase out support for third-party cookies in Chrome within two years
Google today announced its plans to phase out support for third-party cookies in Chrome within the next two years. The fact that Google will drop support for these cookies, which are typically used to track users across the web, doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise, given Google’s announcements around privacy in Chrome, including its proposed … Continue reading Google wants to phase out support for third-party cookies in Chrome within two years
Why GDPR is a gift to Google’s competitors
Google has taken some hits this week. First, news broke of Google’s $170 million settlement with the FTC and the New York attorney general. The settlement centers around allegations that YouTube collected data on and served targeted ads to children, without parental consent. Then, reports surfaced that a group of 30 state attorney generals will … Continue reading Why GDPR is a gift to Google’s competitors
Facebook collected and transcribed users’ audio without permission
“The future is private.” Clearly, Facebook still has a way to go. Facebook has become the latest tech giant to face scrutiny over its handling of users’ data, following a report that said the social media giant collected audio data and recordings from its users and transcribed it using third-party contractors. The report came from … Continue reading Facebook collected and transcribed users’ audio without permission
Facebook collected device data on 187,000 users using banned snooping app
Facebook obtained personal and sensitive device data on about 187,000 users of its now-defunct Research app, which Apple banned earlier this year after the app violated its rules. The social media giant said in a letter to Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s office — which TechCrunch obtained — that it collected data on 31,000 users in the … Continue reading Facebook collected device data on 187,000 users using banned snooping app
Google will stop peddling a data collector through Apple’s back door
It looks like Facebook was not the only one abusing Apple’s system for distributing employee-only apps to sidestep the App Store and collect extensive data on users. Google has been running an app called Screenwise Meter, which bears a strong resemblance to the app distributed by Facebook Research that has now been barred by Apple, … Continue reading Google will stop peddling a data collector through Apple’s back door
Facebook will shut down its spyware VPN app Onavo
Facebook will end its unpaid market research programs and proactively take its Onavo VPN app off the Google Play store in the wake of backlash following TechCrunch’s investigation about Onavo code being used in a Facebook Research app the sucked up data about teens. The Onavo Protect app will eventually shut down, and will immediately … Continue reading Facebook will shut down its spyware VPN app Onavo
How I Quit Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and Amazon
A reflection on my month without Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and Amazon, plus a how-to guide if you want to quit the biggest companies in tech. It was just before closing time at a Verizon store in Bushwick, New York last May when I burst through the door, sweaty and exasperated. I had just sprinted—okay … Continue reading How I Quit Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and Amazon
Facebook moves to shrink its legal liabilities under GDPR
Facebook has another change in the works to respond to the European Union’s beefed up data protection framework — and this one looks intended to shrink its legal liabilities under GDPR, and at scale. Late yesterday Reuters reported on a change incoming to Facebook’s T&Cs that it said will be pushed out next month — meaning … Continue reading Facebook moves to shrink its legal liabilities under GDPR
The Price of Google’s New Conveniences? Your Data
For the past 20 years, Google’s mission has been to organize the world’s information. Increasingly, the information it serves up is ordered around you—your browsing habits, where you go, who you talk to, what you say, and what you search for. The trend came into stark relief Tuesday at Google’s annual developer conference, where the … Continue reading The Price of Google’s New Conveniences? Your Data
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