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Italy is investigating Apple, Google and Dropbox cloud storage services
Italy launches six investigations into Apple, Google and Dropbox cloud storage services.
Avast is shutting down its subsidiary that sold user data
Avast is shutting down its Jumpshot subsidiary after a joint investigation by Motherboard and PCMag found that the two were selling user data to a host of large companies such as Expedia, Intuit and Keurig. The news comes just days after the two publications published their reporting.
Avast packaged detailed user data to be sold for millions of dollars
The popular antivirus program Avast has been selling users data to giant companies like Google, Home Depot, Microsoft and Pepsi, a joint investigation by Motherboard and PCMag found. Avast reportedly scraped data from its antivirus software and handed it off to its subsidiary Jumpshot, which repackaged the data and sold it, sometimes for millions of dollars. While Avast required users to opt-in to this data sharing, the investigation found that many were unaware that Jumpshot was selling their data.
Facebook's new data tool lets you transfer your media to Google Photos
Facebook users will soon get more control over their data, with the introduction of a tool that lets them bulk export their media, rather than having to save and re-upload things one by one.
Senate bill would block US companies from storing data in China
US Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) wants to make it illegal for US companies to store user data or encryption keys in China. He also wants to prevent Chinese companies from collecting any more info from American users than is necessary to provide their service. He proposed these measures as part of a new National Security and Personal Data Protection Act announced today.
Facebook agrees to pay the UK £500K for the Cambridge Analytica scandal
Facebook may be looking ahead to the 2020 election, but it's still sweeping up debris from 2016. Today, Facebook agreed to pay the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) £500,000 (about $644,000) for its role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. As part of the deal, Facebook will not admit to any wrongdoing.
Senate bill aims to make user data 'portable' across social networks
Three senators think they have a way to address some of the antitrust concerns around social media companies. Today, Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-Virginia), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) will introduce a bill that would force social media companies to make user data "portable," so that it can be easily transferred to competing (read: smaller) services.
‘Harry Potter: Wizards Unite’ gathered location data while users slept
It's no secret that games like Harry Potter: Wizards Unite and Pokémon Go track their users' locations. But it can be alarming to see just how much data companies like Niantic have. As part of an extensive report on how tech companies are mapping the world, Kotaku revealed that Niantic's Wizards Unite, in particular, gathered a surprising amount of data.
Facebook suspends tens of thousands of data-scraping apps
In the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook promised to investigate other apps with access to large amounts of user data. The app developer investigation is ongoing, but today, Facebook said it has reviewed millions of apps and suspended tens of thousands associated with about 400 developers.
Apple will still review Siri recordings, but only if you opt in
Earlier this month, Apple suspended the program which used contractors to review clips of audio gathered by Siri. Users were up in arms after they learned that the contractors sometimes heard sensitive information, like medical records, personal interactions and criminal activity. Today, Apple issued an apology and promised changes.
Facebook’s Libra Association is being investigated by EU antitrust regulators
Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency project is being probed again, this time by European Union antitrust regulators. The European Commission said it is "currently investigating potential anti-competitive behavior," related to the Libra Association, Bloomberg reports. In a questionnaire sent out this month, the EU authority expressed concerns that Libra would unfairly shut out rivals.
Twitter may have shared your data without permission
Yesterday, Twitter came clean about a data mishap. According to the company, it may have shared data it didn't have permission to with advertisers. It may have also made assumptions about what device you use, again without permission.
Apple might force Facebook to change how its apps handle voice calls
A change coming in iOS 13 could force Facebook to change Messenger and WhatsApp. As The Information reports, Apple will no longer allow these apps to run Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) in the background when it's not in use. At the moment, apps like Messenger and WhatsApp run VOIP continuously in order to connect calls faster, but doing so could also allow them to do other things, like collect user data. According to The Information, Facebook may have to redesign its messaging apps in order to comply.
Tencent adds age-based playtime limits to ‘League of Legends’ in China
In the face of pressure from the Chinese government, Tencent and Riot Games have added age-based time limits to League of Legends in China, Polygon reports. Minors now get booted from the game after two hours of play, and the companies use China's national ID numbers -- which are used to make accounts -- to verify ages. Supposedly, the new rules are an attempt to curb gaming addiction.
Google Chrome extensions must obey new privacy rules by October 15th
Time is running out for Chrome developers to follow Google's new privacy rules. The company announced today that third-party developers have until October 15th to comply with updated restrictions on user data, or risk getting kicked off Chrome's Web Store. Google unveiled the changes earlier this year as a result of Project Strobe, its audit on how third-party services handle user privacy.
Snapchat employees reportedly snooped on users with 'SnapLion' tool
A bombshell Motherboard report reveals that employees across several departments at Snapchat can view user location information, saved Snaps, phone numbers and email address through a tool known as SnapLion. It's not clear exactly how widespread abuse of the tool is; a former Snapchat employee quoted in the report said that data access abuse happened a "few times" at the organization.
Facebook will be liable for future Cambridge Analytica-style scandals
Facebook is updating its terms and conditions after agreeing several changes with the EU. It will have to clearly explain to users they can access the social network for free because it uses targeted ads that rely on user data. Facebook will also have to disclose what revenues it generates through the use of such data.
Grindr may be sold by its Chinese owner due to US national security risk
Apparently, the US government views Grindr as a threat to national security. According to Reuters, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) informed the Chinese gaming company that owns the dating app that its ownership constitutes a national security risk. Now, facing pressure from the US, Beijing Kunlun Tech Co Ltd is looking to sell.
LinkedIn brings back contact export feature after user backlash
LinkedIn has discovered that folks really don't like waiting for their contact info. A couple of days ago, the company removed its CSV and VCF file export tool, supposedly to discourage third-parties from "scraping" user data. You could still get the data by requesting an archive from the company, but that process took up to 72 hours. LinkedIn's business-oriented community was not thrilled, so the company quickly backpedaled, saying "we've heard you loud and clear... effective immediately, we have turned the CSV download link back on." However, once it gets the wait time for archival requests down to "within minutes," the feature will be turned off again.
LinkedIn's making it harder to download your account data
Sometimes things are way harder than they should be. If you're a LinkedIn user, the networking site is now making it more difficult to download your contact list and other personal information. Instead of being an instant process, as is the case with Facebook or Google's products, LinkedIn (quietly) announced you'll have to wait up to three days to get that data from its service. The change, which took effect yesterday, also applies to additional account info -- like your LinkedIn updates, daily activity, IP records and searches. So plan ahead, folks, because you're going to be waiting and waiting.
