google Google Launches Verified Calls to Combat Spam on Android Google introduces a new Verified Calls feature for Android that displays a business name, logo, and call reason to help users avoid spam. The system verifies caller information in real-time and deletes private data shortly after the check.
facebook Facebook Expands Photo Transfer Tool With Dropbox and Koofr Support Facebook adds Dropbox and EU-based Koofr as new destination options for its encrypted photo and video transfer tool. The expansion stems from the Data Transfer Project and hints at more services and content types arriving soon.
tiktok Global Backlash Against TikTok Grows as Microsoft Offers US Acquisition Plan India and the United States are taking strong actions against TikTok due to national security and privacy concerns tied to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. Major corporations like Wells Fargo and Amazon are also restricting the app on company devices.
android 11 Android 11 Final Beta Arrives Ahead of Official Consumer Launch Google releases Beta 3 as the final preview of Android 11, reaching platform stability so developers can complete their app testing. The update also includes a special privacy exception for COVID-19 Exposure Notification apps.
coronavirus Google and Apple Coronavirus Contact Tracing Apps See Slow Adoption The Google and Apple Exposure Notification system provides a privacy-focused framework for smartphone-based COVID-19 contact tracing, but public adoption remains sluggish. Health officials and tech advocates still consider the Bluetooth-based technology a crucial tool for pandemic response.
microsoft Microsoft Confirms TikTok Acquisition Talks Amid White House Pressure Microsoft officially confirms discussions to acquire TikTok's U.S. operations from Chinese parent company ByteDance. The tech giant aims to finalize a deal by September 15 following direct conversations between CEO Satya Nadella and President Trump.
microsoft Microsoft Faces Complex Hurdles in Race to Acquire TikTok Microsoft and ByteDance have a tight six-week deadline to finalize a deal for TikTok's operations in the U.S. and three other countries. The companies must navigate complicated technical, political, and privacy questions alongside a divided U.S. government.
microsoft Microsoft Pursues TikTok Acquisition After Trump Talks Microsoft confirms plans to explore a purchase of TikTok in the US and several other countries following direct talks with President Trump. The tech giant promises strict data security measures and aims to finalize negotiations by September 15.
tiktok Trump Vows to Ban TikTok as Microsoft Acquisition Talks Emerge President Trump announces plans to ban TikTok from the U.S. through executive action, rejecting a potential Microsoft acquisition of the app. TikTok pushes back by highlighting its U.S. job creation and data privacy measures.
ccpa California Attorney General Officially Begins Enforcing CCPA Privacy Law California officially begins enforcing the CCPA, giving businesses a 30-day window to cure violations before facing hefty civil penalties. Enforcement starts immediately even though final regulations await formal approval.
amazon Amazon Ring Partners With Police Departments Linked to Fatal Encounters Amazon's Ring doorbell cameras facilitate thousands of police video requests each quarter, and an analysis reveals that roughly half of partner law enforcement agencies have been responsible for fatal encounters in the last five years.
amazon House Subcommittee Presses Amazon on Ring Police Partnerships and Privacy Risks A House subcommittee demands Amazon clarify how its Ring doorbell cameras and Neighbors app interact with law enforcement. Lawmakers threaten to end these police partnerships if the company fails to address mounting surveillance and privacy concerns.
google Google Offers Concessions to Avoid EU Antitrust Probe Over Fitbit Acquisition Google attempts to clear regulatory hurdles for its $2.1 billion Fitbit purchase by promising not to use health data for advertising. EU regulators are set to make a final decision on the deal by July 20.
twitter Twitter Hack Exposes Private Messages of Dozens of Compromised Accounts Twitter confirms that attackers accessed the direct messages of 36 high-profile accounts during the massive July 2020 breach. The revelation fuels ongoing demands for the platform to implement end-to-end encryption.
twitter Massive Twitter Data Breach Threatens Heavy Financial and Regulatory Fallout Twitter faces severe financial and operational consequences as European regulators probe a massive data breach potentially affecting hundreds of millions of users. The company's silence on the true extent of the exposed information only increases the risk of heavy penalties.