Privacy

EU privacy body adopts view on Meta’s controversial ‘consent or pay’ tactic

Privacy /

Incoming guidance by an expert steering body on European Union data protection law could have major implications for Meta’s advertising business model. The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has decided that large platforms such as Facebook and Instagram cannot force a “binary” pay or consent choice on users, Politico reported on Wednesday, citing two people […]

EU privacy body adopts view on Meta’s controversial ‘consent or pay’ tactic Read More »

Meta’s ‘consent or pay’ tactic must not prevail over privacy, EU rights groups warn

Privacy /

Nearly two dozen civil society groups and nonprofits have written an open letter to the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), urging it not to endorse a strategy used by Meta that they say is intended to bypass the EU’s privacy protections for commercial gain. The letter comes ahead of a meeting of the EDPB this

Meta’s ‘consent or pay’ tactic must not prevail over privacy, EU rights groups warn Read More »

Government spyware is another reason to use an ad blocker

Privacy /

Ad blockers might seem like an unlikely defense in the fight against spyware, but new reporting casts fresh light on how spyware makers are weaponizing online ads to allow governments to conduct surveillance. Spyware makers are reportedly capable of locating and stealthily infecting specific targets with spyware using banner ads. One of the startups that

Government spyware is another reason to use an ad blocker Read More »

Alternative browsers report uplift after EU’s DMA choice screen mandate

Privacy /

A flagship European Union digital market regulation appears to be shaking up competition in the mobile browser market. It’s been a little over a month since the Digital Markets Act (DMA) came into application and there are early signs it’s having an impact by forcing phone makers to show browser choice screens to users. On

Alternative browsers report uplift after EU’s DMA choice screen mandate Read More »

Proton picks up Standard Notes to deepen its pro-privacy portfolio

Privacy /

Switzerland-based Proton, the privacy-focused firm behind end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) webmail ProtonMail and other apps, has acquired Standard Notes, a note-taking app founded back in 2017. It offers the same kind of robust privacy promise to its 300,000+ users by also applying E2EE. In a press release announcing the move, Proton emphasized the pair’s “shared values,”

Proton picks up Standard Notes to deepen its pro-privacy portfolio Read More »

As AI accelerates, Europe’s flagship privacy principles are under attack, warns EDPS

Privacy /

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has warned key planks of the bloc’s data protection and privacy regime are under attack from industry lobbyists and could face a critical reception from lawmakers in the next parliamentary mandate. “We have quite strong attacks on the principles themselves,” warned Wojciech Wiewiórowski, who heads the regulatory body that

As AI accelerates, Europe’s flagship privacy principles are under attack, warns EDPS Read More »

Indian government’s cloud spilled citizens’ personal data online for years

Privacy /

The Indian government has finally resolved a years-long cybersecurity issue that exposed reams of sensitive data about its citizens. A security researcher exclusively told TechCrunch he found at least hundreds of documents containing citizens’ personal information — including Aadhaar numbers, COVID-19 vaccination data, and passport details — spilling online for anyone to access. At fault

Indian government’s cloud spilled citizens’ personal data online for years Read More »

‘Reverse’ searches: The sneaky ways that police tap tech companies for your private data

Privacy /

U.S. police departments are increasingly relying on a controversial surveillance practice to demand large amounts of users’ data from tech companies, with the aim of identifying criminal suspects. So-called “reverse” searches allow law enforcement and federal agencies to force big tech companies, like Google, to turn over information from their vast stores of user data.

‘Reverse’ searches: The sneaky ways that police tap tech companies for your private data Read More »

Your cut-out-and-keep guide to Big Tech talking points in a new age of antitrust

Privacy /

With tech giants facing new laws and enforcements aimed at cutting their empires down to size, a lobbying frenzy replete with wildly binary claims is underway. As the likes of Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok face unprecedented (yes, actually!) scrutiny from lawmakers and law enforcers around the world, lobbyists are working overtime to

Your cut-out-and-keep guide to Big Tech talking points in a new age of antitrust Read More »