contact tracing French Security Researchers Warn of Surveillance Risks in Contact Tracing Apps Hundreds of French cryptography experts urge parliament to mandate privacy safeguards before approving the StopCovid contact-tracing app. The letter highlights significant surveillance vulnerabilities in both centralized and decentralized tracking protocols.
zoom Zoom Halts New Features for 90 Days to Fix Security Flaws Zoom founder Eric S. Yuan announces a 90-day feature freeze to address severe privacy and security vulnerabilities as the platform's user base surges to 200 million daily users.
chatbots COVID-19 Chatbots Show Alarming Inconsistencies in Data and Privacy As overwhelmed hospitals turn to chatbots for COVID-19 triage, major disparities emerge in how these tools source medical information and handle user data. These inconsistencies raise serious concerns about the reliability of health guidance during a critical crisis.
apple Apple and Google Strengthen Privacy in Joint Virus Exposure Tech Apple and Google update their joint coronavirus contact tracing system with stronger privacy protections and new developer flexibility. The companies now call the technology "exposure notification" to better clarify its specific role.
telegram Telegram Reaches 400 Million Users, Plans Video Calls to Rival Zoom Telegram grows its monthly active user base to 400 million and announces upcoming secure video calling features. The messaging app continues to gain popularity globally despite ongoing challenges with platform piracy.
apple Apple and Google Accelerate Release of Joint COVID-19 Contact Tracing API Apple and Google are moving up their timeline to release the first version of their cross-platform contact tracing API to developers next week. The accelerated rollout aims to support public health agencies in their efforts to track and slow the spread of the coronavirus.
bluetooth Bluetooth Contact Tracing Faces Significant Technical Hurdles Contact tracing apps rely heavily on Bluetooth signal strength to measure proximity, but real-world variables make accurate distance tracking incredibly difficult.
covid-19 Privacy Fears Spark Expert Exodus From European COVID-19 Tracing Project A major European initiative to create coronavirus contact-tracing apps faces a growing backlash from cybersecurity experts over centralized data concerns. Over 300 specialists warn the approach could lead to unacceptable government surveillance.
coronavirus Rapid Virus Tests, 3D Printed Bugs, and the Universe's Matter Mystery This week's top tech stories highlight a push for universal coronavirus self-testing, a breakthrough in printing cheap insect-like robots, and new clues explaining why the universe contains matter instead of nothing.
eu data strategy EU Commission Unveils Ambitious Plan to Create Single Data Market The European Commission presents a new data strategy aimed at establishing a single market for data that benefits citizens and businesses while upholding strict privacy rules. The initiative relies on four key pillars to boost the digital economy.
google Google Removes Over 500 Malicious Chrome Extensions Exposing Millions Google removes more than 500 data-stealing Chrome extensions from its Web Store after a security researcher uncovers a massive ad fraud network.
zoom India Warns Government Officials Against Using Zoom Over Security Fears India declares Zoom an unsafe platform and prohibits government employees from using it for official purposes. The advisory follows similar actions by Germany and Taiwan amid growing global scrutiny of the app's privacy practices.
clearview ai Clearview AI Source Code Exposed in Major Security Lapse A misconfigured server exposes the secretive facial recognition startup's source code, apps, and internal credentials to the open internet, raising serious privacy concerns.
digital markets act EU Finalizes Digital Markets Act With Stricter Gatekeeper Rules The European Union reaches a political agreement on the Digital Markets Act, establishing new obligations for large tech companies classified as gatekeepers. The final text raises financial thresholds for gatekeepers and places strict limits on cross-platform data combining.
zoom Researchers Find Major Encryption Flaws in Zoom Video Meetings A new report reveals that Zoom uses a weak, custom encryption scheme rather than the robust AES-256 standard it claims to offer. The study also uncovers that meeting encryption keys sometimes route through servers in China.