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Facebook asks users to opt into activity tracking ahead of iOS 14 changes
Starting today, some iOS users will see a new notification when they launch the Facebook app on their device prompting them to opt into activity tracking.
Tim Cook takes aim at Facebook's practices during privacy conference
We must do more. We’ve spoken out, time and again, for strong encryption without backdoors, recognizing that security is the foundation of privacy. We believe that ethical technology is technology that works for you. It’s technology that helps you sleep, not keeps you up.
LA residents can use their phones to provide COVID-19 vaccination proof
Los Angeles County has teamed with startup Healthvana on an app that will that will store vaccination records in Google or Apple wallets.
Facebook runs full-page newspaper ads to attack iOS 14 privacy changes
Facebook is using full-page newspaper ads to criticize an upcoming Apple policy that will give iPhone and iPad customer the choice over whether advertisers can track them. If the policy change goes ahead, it argues, these sorts of companies will be unable to find and target customers with personalised ads. If they can’t do that, their sales will plummet, “adding to the many challenges they face right now,” the company argues in the ad, which Bloomberg reports will be running in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post papers.
Homeland Security is investigating CBP's warrantless phone tracking
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is launching an inspector general investigation into the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s warrantless use of commercially-available phone location data to track individuals.
This $99 'smart case' records when you take your birth control pill
The new Emme Smart Case records when you take your birth control pill and automatically updates the companion app.
WSJ: TikTok used a loophole to track MAC addresses on Android
As TikTok continues to face accusations that it spies on users, a breakdown of its software confirms that until late last year it collected specific device information from Android phones including their MAC address.
Vodafone's Curve is a GPS tracker to help find lost items
Vodafone says Curve’s four different tracking technologies help keep better track of items.
Miniature robotic camera backpack shows how beetles see the world
After creating tiny sensor backpacks for bees, researchers from the University of Washington have built a more advanced model for beetles. Dubbed “a GoPro for beetles,” the robotic backpacks carry a tiny steerable camera that can stream video at 1 to 5 fps and pivot up to 60 degrees.
Arizona sues Google claiming it illegally tracked Android users
Arizona has sued Google over claims that it illegally collected location data from users without their permission, according to the Washington Post. The state’s attorney general Mark Brnovich argued that Google kept location tracking running in the background for mapping, weather and other apps, along with searches, even if users turned the feature off.
Israel restricts COVID-19 phone tracking to 'special cases'
Israel's cabinet has limited COVID-19 phone tracking to 'special cases' where normal methods might not be enough.
Three weeks in, Quibi has its first privacy scandal
An internet security research revealed that several popular companies have leaked personal email addresses to advertisers and trackers.
Shopify’s new app helps you buy from local businesses
Shopify's new app, Shop, helps consumers order from local businesses, follow favorite brands and track online orders.
Israel barred from COVID-19 phone tracking without new legislation
Israel's Supreme Court has ruled that the government must draft a new law if it wants to keep tracking phones of COVID-19 sufferers.
Polar’s latest watch promises 40-hour battery life with all features on
The Grit X includes a host of smart coaching tools for fitness buffs.
Saudi Arabia may be spying on its citizens via US mobile networks
Data shared by a whistleblower suggests Saudi Arabia may be using a weakness in mobile telecom networks to track its citizens in the US, The Guardian reports. The data shows that over a four-month period, Saudi Arabia's three biggest mobile phone companies sent 2.3 million requests for Provider Subscriber Information (PSI). Normally, that data is used to help foreign operators register roaming charges, but the high volume of requests could also give the Saudi telecoms enough info to track users within hundreds of meters of accuracy.
Safari now blocks all third-party cookies by default
Apple's latest flurry of software updates included an important step forward for web privacy. The latest version of Safari for iOS, iPadOS and macOS now blocks all third-party cookies by default -- it's the first mainstream browser to do so, the WebKit team's John Wilander said. The Tor Browser is the only known browser to do so before Safari, while Brave's browser still has a few (if minor) exceptions.
Ford hopes you'll trade some privacy for discounted car insurance
Ford thinks it has a way to make car insurance more appealing: taking advantage of the data available from connected cars. It's teaming up with Nationwide to introduce its own take on usage-based insurance. If you have one of several 2020 Ford or Lincoln models (like the Mustang you see above), you can sign up for a policy that uses the vehicle's built-in modem to track your driving habits and adjust your rates accordingly with each renewal. The technology tracks distance, your aggressiveness with pedals, idle time and night driving. You'll get a better deal if you're a gentle commuter than a foot-to-the-floor enthusiast, in other words.
Carnegie Mellon built an 'opt-out' system for nearby tracking devices
It's getting easier to control what your smart home devices share, but what about the connected devices beyond your home? Researchers at Carnegie Mellon's CyLab think they can give you more control. They've developed an infrastructure and matching mobile app (for Android and iOS) that not only informs you about the data nearby Internet of Things devices are collecting, but lets you opt in or out. If you're not comfortable that a device in the hallway is tracking your presence, you can tell it to forget you.
Tinder is working on a panic button for dangerous situations
Tinder is taking more steps to beef up user safety, rolling out features that give daters the option to receive check-ins, hit a panic alarm and even call authorities to their location. Its parent company, Match, has taken a stake in a location tracking and personal safety app called Noonlight, Wall Street Journal reports, and plans to test the features in the US from the end of January.
