apple Apple Faces Heavy Scrutiny Over Security Flaws and Siri Privacy Apple's strong reputation for privacy faces serious challenges after a major iPhone security flaw and revelations that human contractors listen to Siri recordings.
uber Uber Promotes Privacy Features Amid New Safety Fee Controversy Uber attempts to reassure riders about privacy following a damning book excerpt that reveals the company misled customers about a safety fee. The email blast highlights hidden phone numbers and locations, though Uber denies any connection to the recent negative press.
google Google Introduces Privacy Budget to Thwart Web Tracking and Fingerprinting Google unveils a new web standard proposal that limits how much data sites can extract to identify users, building on its broader Privacy Sandbox initiative. The plan aims to balance user anonymity with publisher revenue needs.
moviepass Unprotected MoviePass Server Exposes Tens of Thousands of Card Numbers A critical MoviePass database left without a password exposes over 58,000 customer card numbers, personal credit card details, and mistakenly typed passwords. The company only takes the leaking server offline after TechCrunch contacts executives.
facebook Facebook Overhauls Infrastructure to Launch Off-Facebook Activity Tool Facebook rolls out its new Off-Facebook Activity tool, allowing users to view and disconnect off-site data shared by third-party apps and websites. This launch requires a massive infrastructure redesign to overcome the challenge of decentralised data storage.
amazon Amazon Security Flaw Sends Order Details to Wrong Customers A technical glitch at Amazon causes the company to send order invoices and shipping updates to the wrong users, exposing private names and addresses. Amazon confirms it fixes the issue but declines to provide further details.
zao Viral Chinese Deepfake App Zao Faces Intense Privacy Backlash A wildly popular Chinese face-swapping app called Zao sparks a major privacy controversy after users discover its aggressive data policies. The app's developers promise to update their terms following immediate public outrage.
microsoft Microsoft Updates Privacy Policy to Acknowledge Human Review of Audio Microsoft revises its privacy policy to explicitly state that human workers review select Skype and Cortana audio snippets to improve AI accuracy.
traces ai New Startup Traces AI Tracks People Without Using Facial Recognition Traces AI offers a privacy-focused computer vision alternative to facial recognition that tracks individuals using clothing and physical attributes instead of faces. The Y Combinator startup aims to provide effective security solutions for a market increasingly wary of invasive surveillance.
credit karma Credit Karma Faces Major Glitch Exposing User Financial Data Credit Karma users report a severe technical malfunction that displays other people's credit factors and account balances upon logging in. The company denies a data breach but confirms the issue is now fixed.
facebook Facebook Employs Contractors to Transcribe User Audio Clips Facebook pays hundreds of human contractors to listen to and transcribe audio snippets from its users. This practice raises significant privacy concerns among consumers and regulators.
facebook Facebook Faces Backlash Over Secret Audio Transcriptions by Contractors Facebook reportedly uses third-party contractors to transcribe user audio from Messenger without explicit permission. The social giant halts the practice as it joins Amazon, Google, and Apple in facing audio privacy scrutiny.
facebook Facebook Admits Paying Contractors to Transcribe User Audio Chats Facebook confirms it pays outside contractors to transcribe audio clips from Messenger users to test its AI, but now pauses the practice following industry backlash.
gdpr Study Finds Most EU Cookie Banners Use Dark Patterns to Force Consent A new academic study reveals that the vast majority of EU cookie consent notices rely on manipulative design tricks rather than offering genuine choices. Researchers conclude that if websites asked for consent legally, almost no one would agree to be tracked.
student data Teen Researcher Exposes Massive Flaws in Student Data Systems An 18-year-old security researcher uncovers severe vulnerabilities in popular school software, potentially exposing the data of over five million students and teachers.