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.
edward snowden Edward Snowden Details His Path to Leaking in New Memoir Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden shares his personal journey from a patriotic government employee to a notorious whistleblower in his new book, Permanent Record. The memoir explains the moral awakening that leads him to expose massive government surveillance programs.
mozilla Firefox 70 Launches With Social Tracker Blocking and Privacy Reports Mozilla releases Firefox 70 across all major platforms, bringing default social tracking protection and a new Privacy Protections report. The update gives users greater visibility into the billions of tracking requests the browser automatically blocks.
google Bipartisan Coalition of 50 Attorneys General Launches Google Antitrust Investigation A coalition of 50 state and territorial attorneys general opens a major bipartisan antitrust probe into Google's business practices. The investigation focuses on the tech giant's dominance in the online advertising market and its use of consumer data.
apple Apple Disputes Google's Claims Over Massive iOS Security Exploit Apple pushes back against Google's detailed report of a severe iOS exploit, insisting the attack is narrowly focused rather than en masse. However, the math suggests thousands of targeted devices still fall victim to the malicious websites.
google Google Pays Record $170 Million FTC Fine Over YouTube Child Privacy Violations The Federal Trade Commission fines Google $170 million for illegally collecting children's personal data on YouTube without parental consent. The settlement forces the platform to implement new systems to protect kids and limit targeted advertising.
deepfakes Chinese Deepfake App Zao Sparks Immediate Privacy Concerns A new Chinese app called Zao allows users to effortlessly swap their faces onto movie stars in video clips, raising serious privacy and security alarms. The app goes viral quickly but faces intense backlash over its broad user data terms.
zao Viral Chinese Deepfake App Zao Sparks Major Privacy Fears A popular new Chinese app called Zao allows users to easily swap their faces onto celebrities, but its extreme user agreement raises serious privacy and intellectual property concerns.
facebook Facebook Considers Hiding Like Counts to Improve User Mental Health Facebook is prototyping a feature that hides public Like counts on News Feed posts, following similar ongoing tests on Instagram. The goal is to reduce unhealthy social comparison and encourage users to share more freely without fear of judgment.
wechat WeChat Blocks Viral Deepfake App Zao Over Privacy and Security Fears WeChat restricts access to the popular face-swapping app Zao amid intense backlash over its aggressive data policies and deepfake security risks. The app, which went viral in China for its realistic celebrity face replacements, promises to update its controversial user terms.