[ad_1] Mobile Network Insights had only launched in March 2017, but was apparently valuable to providers. Although they do have other ways of gauging network quality, Google’s feature was helpful precisely because of the sheer number of Android phones in the field. A telecom could get real-world usage stats from the phone’s software. A Google […]
Category: Privacy
Amazon sent 20 order confirmations to the wrong people
[ad_1] In a statement to Engadget, an Amazon spokesperson said the company has addressed the issue and is in the process of contacting affected customers. While only a small number of individuals were affected, Amazon didn’t seem too concerned, at least according to one Twitter user. “Carmen GB,” a neuroscientist from Texas, shared a 24-tweet […]
Apple promises hostile treatment for sites that break Safari privacy rules
[ad_1] Cross-site tracking is the practice of monitoring a person’s browsing behavior. Often, it involves sharing data with third parties such as advertisers. If you’ve ever looked at a product on Amazon, and then seen ads for it follow you from website to website, you’ve been a victim of cross-site tracking. As CNET notes, Apple […]
Microsoft says humans will still transcribe Cortana and Skype audio
[ad_1] The company amended its privacy policy and other pages to make it clear human workers are listening to recorded conversations and commands to improve the services. “We realized, based on questions raised recently, that we could do a better job specifying that humans sometimes review this content,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Motherboard, which spotted […]
Facebook paid people to transcribe Messenger voice chats
[ad_1] The problem, according to Bloomberg‘s sources, is the lack of transparency. Contractors from TaskUs reportedly weren’t told where the audio came from or why they were transcribing it. That led some of the workers to believe their work was “unethical,” especially when some of the conversations included vulgar material. Facebook’s data privacy policy also […]
Some robocall blockers sent private data without permission
[ad_1] Some companies have responded. Truecaller told TechCrunch that it fixed data transmissions through an app update, while the TrapCall team changed its privacy policy after Hastings got in touch with Apple. Hiya said it didn’t transmit personal info, but was “strengthening our privacy even further” by ensuring that it didn’t send device data without […]
Group dating service 3Fun exposed data for 1.5 million users
[ad_1] While that data would be sensitive in most any context, it could be particularly damaging with an app like 3Fun. An attacker could have used the info for extortion, scams or stalking knowing that many of the victims might be hesitant to let this knowledge escape into the wild. The consequences wouldn’t necessarily be […]
Appeals court allows Facebook facial recognition lawsuit to proceed
[ad_1] The court “concluded that the development of a face template using facial-recognition technology without consent (as alleged in this case) invades an individual’s private affairs and concrete interests.” Judge Sandra Ikuta wrote in an opinion that “the facial-recognition technology at issue here can obtain information that is ‘detailed, encyclopedic, and effortlessly compiled,’ which would […]
Instagram removes ad partner that tracked millions of users’ locations
[ad_1] The company didn’t collect any private information. However, it still resulted in detailed profiles of users that it didn’t have permission to generate and could make people uncomfortable, such as targeted ads and surprise comments from location owners. Facebook’s rules specifically prohibit relying on “automated means” to collect data without its explicit approval, and […]
CafePress resets passwords months after reported data breach
[ad_1] We’ve asked CafePress if it can comment, although there don’t appear haven’t been any notification emails or formal disclosures mentioning a breach. About 77 percent of the email addresses in the breach have shown up in previous HIBP breach alerts. Provided the reports of a breach are accurate, they raise a number of questions. […]