smart city Exposed Chinese Smart City Database Leaks Facial Recognition Scans A publicly accessible database hosted on Alibaba Cloud reveals how smart city technology collects and stores sensitive facial recognition data on hundreds of residents.
facebook Facebook Shifts Focus From News Feed to Privacy and New Features at F8 Facebook uses its F8 conference to outline a future beyond the news feed, focusing instead on privacy, Groups, and new consumer products. TechCrunch analysts break down how this pivot creates new opportunities for startups and investors.
facebook Facebook Unveils FB5 Redesign to Focus on Groups and Marketplace Facebook introduces its biggest interface change in five years, shifting focus from the News Feed to community Groups and Marketplace to repair its reputation.
instagram Instagram Tests Hidden Like Counts to Reduce User Anxiety Instagram is running a test in Canada that hides public Like counts from viewers in an effort to shift the platform's focus from a popularity contest back to genuine self-expression.
facebook Federal Regulators Fine Facebook Up To $5 Billion Over Privacy Violations Facebook faces a record-setting fine from the FTC for breaking a 2011 privacy agreement. The social media giant easily has the funds to cover the massive penalty.
cybersecurity Facebook Buries Millions of Leaked Instagram Passwords Amid Weekly Cyber Threats Facebook quietly revises its estimate of exposed Instagram passwords from thousands to millions during a major political news cycle. Meanwhile, Utah strengthens digital privacy laws and an unknown agent exposes an Iranian hacking group.
mueller report Mueller Report Reveals Encrypted Apps Hindered Trump Investigation The Mueller report highlights how Trump associates and Russian hackers use encrypted and self-destructing messaging apps to evade investigative scrutiny. Unlike other law enforcement officials, Mueller simply notes this obstacle without attacking the technology companies.
facebook Facebook Slashes Portal Video Chat Device Price by Half Amid Privacy Concerns Facebook drops the price of its face-tracking Portal video chat camera from $199 to $99 ahead of Mother's Day. The significant discount follows a rocky launch in a highly privacy-conscious market.
facebook Facebook Announces Faster Messenger and Privacy-Focused Social Platform Vision Facebook kicks off its F8 developer conference by outlining a major shift toward privacy-focused social networking and unveiling a completely re-engineered Messenger app.
iot inspector Princeton Researchers Develop Open Source Tool to Monitor Smart Home Privacy A new web app called IoT Inspector allows users to easily monitor their smart home devices to see if they are secretly sending data to third parties. The Princeton University research team also uses the collected network traffic to study IoT security and privacy risks.
facebook Facebook Ships VR Headsets With Embarrassing Hidden Inscriptions Facebook admits that tens of thousands of upcoming Oculus VR controllers ship with internal prototype messages like "Big Brother Is Watching." The company reveals the embarrassing hardware error ahead of two major headset launches.
facebook Facebook Spends $20 Million on Zuckerberg's Personal Security in 2018 Facebook pays over $20 million for Mark Zuckerberg's personal security in 2018, nearly tripling the previous year's costs amid heightened public scrutiny. Sheryl Sandberg also receives millions for her own protection detail.
algorithmic accountability act New Algorithmic Accountability Act Demands Bias Testing for Big Tech Democratic lawmakers introduce the Algorithmic Accountability Act, a bill that requires large tech companies to evaluate their automated systems for bias and discrimination. The legislation routes regulatory enforcement through the Federal Trade Commission.
dark patterns Bipartisan Senate Bill Targets Manipulative Dark Patterns in Big Tech Senators Warner and Fischer introduce the DETOUR Act to ban deceptive design tactics that trick users into surrendering personal data. The legislation holds large online platforms accountable for manipulative interfaces and compulsive design targeting children.
self-sovereign identity Decentralized Self-Sovereign Identity Promises to End Traditional Documents Self-sovereign identity aims to put control of personal documents like passports and driver's licenses directly into the hands of individuals through decentralized technology. This system replaces physical paperwork with cryptographic attestations stored on a shared global network.