india India Moves to Regulate Social Media Platforms Amid Disruption Concerns India's government announces plans to revise intermediary rules by January 2020, citing threats to democracy and national security. The filing emerges amid a legal battle with Facebook over WhatsApp message traceability.
mercedes Mercedes App Glitch Exposes Owner Data to Strangers A severe bug in the Mercedes-Benz remote control app temporarily exposes sensitive user information, including names and phone numbers, to other account holders.
mercedes-benz Mercedes-Benz App Glitch Exposes Customer Data to Other Drivers A security lapse in the Mercedes-Benz connected car app allows users to view sensitive account and vehicle information belonging to complete strangers. The company takes the app offline for maintenance shortly after customers report the bizarre data mix-up.
facebook Facebook Faces Trial as Court Rejects Bid to Block $35 Billion Lawsuit A federal appeals court denies Facebook's request to halt a massive class action lawsuit over its facial recognition practices. The case now moves toward trial, threatening the company with up to $35 billion in penalties.
google Google Pixel 4 Uses Soli Radar for Hands-Free Gestures and Face Unlock Google's new Pixel 4 smartphones feature a built-in Soli radar chip that enables fast face unlocking and touchless Motion Sense gestures. All sensor data processes locally on the device to protect user privacy.
instagram Instagram Shuts Down Notorious Following Tab to Curb Digital Stalking Instagram officially removes its Following tab, a feature notorious for exposing user activity rather than aiding account discovery. The company directs users to the Explore tab instead.
facebook Officials Demand Facebook Halt Encryption Expansion, Sparking Security Debate US and international officials urge Facebook to delay end-to-end encryption plans across its messaging platforms, citing law enforcement concerns. Critics warn that creating backdoors ultimately weakens digital security for all users.
facebook US and Allied Officials Urge Facebook to Abandon Encryption Plans Law enforcement leaders from the US, UK, and Australia are pressuring Mark Zuckerberg to halt Facebook's planned shift to end-to-end encryption. Officials argue that locking down messages completely severs their ability to investigate and rescue children from exploitation.
salesforce Salesforce Founder Benioff Warns Startups Stay Private Too Long Marc Benioff argues that delayed IPOs allow bad governance to fester at private companies like WeWork and Uber. He also calls for a national privacy law and declares that traditional capitalism is dead.
twitter Twitter Rolls Out Anti-Abuse Filter for Direct Messages Across All Platforms Twitter expands its spam and abuse filtering tools to Direct Messages on iOS, Android, and the web, allowing users to hide potentially offensive content previews without opening them.
doordash DoorDash Confirms Massive Data Breach Affecting Nearly 5 Million Users DoorDash reveals that hackers stole the personal information of 4.9 million customers, workers, and merchants through a third-party service provider. The company faces questions over a five-month detection delay and previous unexplained account compromises.
facebook Facebook Hides Like Counts in Australia to Improve User Well-Being Facebook begins testing hidden Like counts in Australia, allowing only post authors to see the exact number of reactions. The social network hopes this change reduces social pressure and encourages more authentic sharing.
dna Justice Department Sets Strict Rules for Police Use of Consumer DNA Data The U.S. Department of Justice issues interim guidelines restricting how law enforcement utilizes genetic genealogy from consumer services to solve crimes. The new policy requires secondary verification and explicitly protects user privacy and civil liberties.
facebook Facebook Suspends Tens of Thousands of Apps Over Data Hoarding Concerns Facebook suspends tens of thousands of apps created by 400 developers for improperly collecting and exposing user profile data. The sweeping ban reflects the ongoing fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal and increasing regulatory scrutiny.
thinkful Thinkful Confirms Data Breach Days After Chegg Acquisition Online coding school Thinkful notifies users of a credential compromise just after its $80 million acquisition by Chegg. The company forces password resets but remains silent on breach timeline details.