gdpr UK Regulator Slaps British Airways With Record $230M GDPR Fine The UK's Information Commissioner's Office issues a historic $230 million fine to British Airways over a 2018 data breach that exposes the personal and payment details of 500,000 customers.
zoom Zoom Patches Mac Web Server Flaw That Enabled Secret Camera Activation Zoom releases a patch for its Mac client to remove a hidden web server that allows websites to force users into video calls without permission. The vulnerability, which remains active even after uninstalling the app, affects over four million Mac users.
apple Apple Transparency Report Details Government App Takedown Demands Apple reveals that it received 80 government requests to remove 770 apps from the App Store in late 2018, with the vast majority originating from China. The company also publishes previously secret US national security letters for the first time.
superhuman Superhuman Disables Email Location Tracking Amid Privacy Backlash Superhuman is turning off its default location-tracking pixel feature after heavy criticism over privacy concerns. The email app will now require users to explicitly opt-in to see read statuses.
superhuman Superhuman Ends Email Location Tracking After Privacy Backlash Superhuman officially removes location logging from its email app and makes read receipts an opt-in feature following intense community criticism over privacy concerns.
faceapp FaceApp Scandal Highlights Unfixable Flaw in Biometric Security The recent FaceApp controversy reveals that using faces as passwords leaves people permanently vulnerable to data scraping. Protecting facial images from recognition software is now essential for safe biometric authentication.
faceapp FaceApp Surges to 30 Million Downloads Amid Rising Privacy Concerns A face-altering mobile app goes viral with 30 million July downloads, but its Russian origins and broad data policies spark user anxiety.
apple Apple Reveals Government App Takedown Requests in Landmark Transparency Report Apple publishes government app removal requests for the first time, revealing 80 requests from 11 countries to pull 634 apps. China accounts for the vast majority of these takedown demands.
virginia Virginia Becomes First State to Outlaw Deepfake Revenge Porn Virginia officially bans the use of deepfake technology to create non-consensual pornography, marking a major legislative first.
deepfakes Virginia Outlaws Deepfake Revenge Porn Amid Rising AI Threats Virginia updates its 2014 revenge porn law to criminalize the sharing of fabricated, AI-generated nude images and videos without consent. The legislative shift responds to rapidly advancing deepfake technology that currently outpaces most state and federal regulations.
facebook Tech Giants Face Global Scrutiny Over Privacy and Cryptocurrency Plans Technology companies face intense worldwide scrutiny this week as Facebook defends its cryptocurrency plans and FaceApp sparks major data privacy concerns. Meanwhile, Huawei expands into Italy despite growing pushback in the US and UK, and Indonesia implements a new digital tax.
axon Top Police Body Camera Maker Axon Rejects Flawed Facial Recognition Tech Axon, the largest manufacturer of police body cameras, refuses to implement facial recognition software due to accuracy and bias concerns. An independent ethics board warns the technology currently threatens privacy and disproportionately misidentifies people of color and women.
axon Body Camera Maker Axon Rejects Facial Recognition Following Ethics Board Review Axon's independent ethics board strongly advises against implementing facial recognition on police body cameras due to accuracy and bias concerns. The company agrees and halts commercialization of the technology for now.
facebook Lawmakers Demand Halt to Facebook's New Libra Cryptocurrency Congress reacts angrily to Facebook's unveiled Libra cryptocurrency, demanding a moratorium and hearings. The digital currency faces immediate regulatory pushback over data privacy and oversight concerns.
youtube YouTube Updates Give Users More Power Over Video Recommendations YouTube introduces new features that allow users to block unwanted channels from recommendations and see exactly why specific videos are suggested.