Topic: privacy concerns
-
How Murena’s Pixel Tablet Is Reducing My Google Dependence
Murena's Pixel Tablet offers a privacy-focused alternative to Google's ecosystem by running on /e/OS, which removes Google tracking while maintaining functionality. The tablet features high-end specs like a 10.95-inch display, 8GB RAM, and 128GB/256GB storage, alongside privacy-respecting apps li...
Read More » -
Privacy Experts Warn Over YouTube's AI Selfie Age Checks
YouTube is testing an AI-powered age verification system that estimates users' ages by analyzing behavior patterns like search history and watch habits, raising privacy concerns. Flagged minors will face restrictions like disabled personalized ads, but critics highlight risks in the appeals proce...
Read More » -
Meta's 'Super-Sensing' AI Glasses: A New Gaze on Privacy?
Reports suggest Meta is developing a new generation of AI-powered smart glasses, codenamed Aperol and Bellini, that could incorporate facial recognition technology and "always-on" sensing capabilities. This development marks a potential shift from the company's earlier
Read More » -
Your ChatGPT Secrets Aren't Safe
On August 28th, vandals caused extensive damage to 17 vehicles at a Missouri university, leading to tens of thousands in damages, and the investigation was aided by evidence including messages sent to ChatGPT by student Ryan Schaefer. ChatGPT conversations were also used in a separate case involv...
Read More » -
AI Video Surveillance: The End of Privacy?
AI video surveillance enhances public safety but raises significant privacy concerns due to its ability to track individuals and create detailed profiles. The technology is prone to errors and biases, leading to false identifications and unfair targeting, with data management practices varying wi...
Read More » -
Waymo co-CEO takes hard stance against robotaxi vandalism
Waymo is facing a significant increase in vandalism against its driverless vehicles and is working with police to prosecute those responsible, as co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana emphasized such acts are criminal and unacceptable. The vandalism is linked to broader public resistance against tech companies...
Read More » -
Beware: This 'Privacy Browser' Has Hidden Dangers
The Universe Browser, marketed as a privacy tool, secretly routes user data through Chinese servers and installs malware-like programs, including keyloggers and hidden network connections. It is linked to the Vault Viper criminal syndicate, which engages in money laundering, human trafficking, an...
Read More » -
Meta Ray-Ban Display: A Glimpse Into a Stunning, Scary Future
The Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses combine audio and visual features to reduce phone dependency, offering capabilities like live captioning, map navigation, and message responses through a small display and Meta AI integration. While the glasses deliver moments of technological magic with their 600...
Read More » -
Ring Cameras Deepen Ties with Law Enforcement
Amazon's Ring is partnering with Flock Safety to allow police departments to request video footage directly through surveillance platforms, enabling officers to post alerts in the Ring Neighbors app for voluntary user submissions with specific incident details. The integration raises significant ...
Read More » -
Apple, Google Forced to Adopt Texas Age Checks
Starting in 2026, Texas, Utah, and Louisiana will require age verification for app downloads from major platforms like Apple's App Store and Google Play to protect minors online. Apple and Google are implementing these systems under state laws but have raised privacy concerns, as the measures nec...
Read More » -
Google Claims Full Ownership of Advertiser Assets in Local Services Ads
Google is asserting ownership of all content within Local Services Ads (LSA) profiles, including phone calls, and this extends to its affiliates, marking a significant shift in data control. The company is now collecting and analyzing detailed information from LSA calls – such as pricing, special...
Read More » -
Harvard Dropouts Launch AI Glasses That Record Everything You Hear
Halo X smart glasses, developed by former Harvard students, use AI to record, transcribe, and display real-time information, aiming to enhance cognition with features like instant answers and infinite memory. The glasses, priced at $249 and backed by $1 million in funding, prioritize discretion a...
Read More » -
Users Outraged as YouTube AI Scans Every Video You Watch
YouTube's new AI-powered age verification system, which analyzes viewing habits, has sparked backlash, with nearly 50,000 petition signatures demanding its removal due to privacy concerns. Critics argue the system forces users to submit sensitive data (IDs, credit cards, or facial scans) to regai...
Read More » -
How to Disable Your Location on Instagram's New Map Feature
Instagram's new map feature has raised privacy concerns due to confusion about location sharing, though Meta describes it as an opt-in tool for connecting friends. Users can disable location visibility in settings, but past geotagged posts may still appear on the map, requiring separate review of...
Read More » -
OpenAI Removes Shared ChatGPT Chats From Google Search
OpenAI disabled a feature that made shared ChatGPT conversations appear in Google search results due to privacy concerns, removing the indexing toggle and purging existing links. The feature, initially opt-in, exposed sensitive personal data when shared chats were indexed, with over 4,500 links s...
Read More » -
Brave and AdGuard Block Microsoft's Controversial Recall Feature
Microsoft's Recall feature faces growing opposition from privacy-focused apps like AdGuard and Brave, joining Signal in blocking the tool over data security concerns. AdGuard and Brave criticize Recall for capturing unsolicited screenshots, calling it invasive and risky for sensitive user data li...
Read More » -
Zillow Reveals Your Home's Value-and Maybe Your Wealth
Zillow has evolved from a real estate platform into a cultural phenomenon, allowing users to explore home values and inadvertently revealing personal wealth, sparking debates about privacy and financial transparency. The platform's popularity, with 227 million monthly visitors, includes features ...
Read More » -
Zero-Party Data: The Future of Email Engagement Beyond Cookies
Zero-party data, willingly shared by users, replaces traditional tracking methods, fostering trust and transparency in customer interactions. Privacy regulations and consumer expectations make zero-party data valuable for higher-quality insights, stronger trust, and hyper-personalized experiences...
Read More » -
Meta AI Gives Fake Helpline to Dodge Questions
Meta’s AI chatbot provided a fake helpline number for a UK train service, raising concerns about AI sharing incorrect or private information. The bot initially shared a personal WhatsApp number unrelated to the train operator, later admitting the mistake but offering inconsistent explanations. Th...
Read More » -
Ray-Ban Meta Glasses: Check Your Privacy Settings Now
Meta updated its privacy terms for Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, enabling automatic AI data collection by default unless users manually adjust settings, raising privacy concerns. Voice transcripts and recordings activated by the "Hey Meta" wake word may be stored for up to a year, with no blanket o...
Read More » -
Unlock Customer Sentiment & Risk Hidden in Your CRM Emails
Generative AI transforms inbound CRM email analysis by uncovering customer sentiment and risks, shifting focus from traditional outbound metrics to understanding actual communication content and emotional tone. Natural language processing reveals nuanced customer emotions, pain points, and buying...
Read More » -
Ring CEO: Our Cameras Could 'Zero Out Crime' in 12 Months
Jamie Siminoff, founder and CEO of Ring, predicts that widespread use of AI-enhanced security cameras could nearly eliminate neighborhood crime within one to two years through advanced technology and sufficient coverage. Despite facing legal battles, product malfunctions, and near-collapse, Ring ...
Read More » -
The 'Papers, Please' Internet Is Here
Global mandatory online age verification is rapidly expanding from initial UK proposals to worldwide legislation, with the EU, Australia, and the U.S. Supreme Court enabling such requirements. Implementation reveals significant challenges including security vulnerabilities, loopholes, VPN usage, ...
Read More » -
Partiful Exposed User Locations in Uploaded Photos
Partiful has become a leading social event planning app, surpassing Facebook in popularity due to its retro designs and easy RSVP system, earning it Google's best app of 2024 award. The app faced scrutiny over data privacy, as it failed to strip location metadata from user-uploaded photos, potent...
Read More » -
Neon App Pays Users to Record Calls & Sells Data to AI
Neon Mobile, an app that pays users to record their phone calls and sells the audio to AI companies, has rapidly risen to the number two spot in the U.S. Apple App Store's Social Networking category. The app records only the user's side of conversations unless both parties are Neon users, a strat...
Read More » -
DHS Data Hub Leaked Sensitive Intel to Thousands
A misconfigured DHS online platform exposed 439 classified intelligence products to thousands of unauthorized users, including government staff, contractors, and foreign nationals, over two months in early 2023. The leaked data included sensitive reports on cybersecurity threats, foreign hacking,...
Read More » -
Can We Trust AI to Build a Smarter Home?
Ambient computing aims to create intuitive, seamless smart homes, but current systems often remain fragmented and intrusive. AI and machine learning are advancing smart homes by enabling contextual awareness, such as interpreting events and predicting needs, though privacy and infrastructure chal...
Read More » -
Your $2,000 Samsung Smart Fridge Will Soon Show Ads
Samsung will introduce advertisements on the screens of its premium Family Hub smart refrigerators in the U.S., starting with a widget on select themes from November 3rd, following a software update. The ads will appear in a rotating widget alongside news, weather, and calendar panels, but users ...
Read More » -
Tile Trackers' Security Flaw Exposes Users to Stalking Risk
A security flaw in Tile tracking devices allows malicious actors to exploit vulnerabilities for stalking, enabling unauthorized tracking through unencrypted data broadcasts and static MAC addresses. Unlike competitors that rotate both unique IDs and MAC addresses, Tile only changes the unique ID,...
Read More » -
Kevin Rose's AI Test: Would You Punch Someone Wearing It?
Kevin Rose avoids investing in AI hardware that violates social norms or privacy, preferring devices that foster emotional connection and social acceptance rather than intrusive technology. He is concerned about the societal impact of AI, drawing parallels to early social media missteps and highl...
Read More » -
AI Browsers: Are the Security Risks Worth It?
AI browsers integrate powerful language models to automate tasks like shopping and summarization, but they introduce significant security and privacy risks that users must weigh. Key threats include prompt injection attacks that can bypass safety protocols and allow unauthorized data access, with...
Read More » -
Kohler's New Smart Toilet Camera Revealed
Kohler has launched the Dekoda, a $599 smart toilet camera that attaches to the bowl and analyzes digestive health, hydration, and blood presence through images. The device requires an annual subscription of $70 to $156 for full feature access, with preorders shipping starting October 21. Privacy...
Read More » -
Facebook's AI Can Now See Photos You Haven't Shared
Meta has launched an AI feature in the U.S. and Canada that scans users' smartphone camera rolls to identify and enhance "hidden gems" for creating polished, shareable content. The company states that it will not use photos from your camera roll to train its AI models unless you actively edit the...
Read More » -
Petlibro Scout Smart Camera Review: Features vs. Flaws
The Petlibro Scout Smart Camera offers AI-driven insights into pet behavior but suffers from significant operational issues, including tracking failures and server errors after firmware updates. Its AI generates detailed, formal descriptions of pet activities, such as litter box use and feeding, ...
Read More » -
UK Renews Push for Apple to Unlock Encrypted iCloud Data
The UK government is pressuring Apple to create access to encrypted iCloud data for British users, despite previous claims that such efforts had stopped. Apple has removed its Advanced Data Protection feature from the UK market and reaffirmed its commitment to not building backdoors into its serv...
Read More » -
Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 Review: All-Day Smart Glasses Still Face Key Questions
The second-generation Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses feature significantly improved battery life, offering up to eight hours of continuous use and a charging case that provides an extra 48 hours of power, making them suitable for all-day wear. They include hardware upgrades such as 3K video recording...
Read More » -
Ring's Search Party Is On by Default: Should You Turn It Off?
Ring's Search Party feature uses AI to scan footage from nearby outdoor cameras to help locate lost dogs, notifying camera owners of potential matches for manual review and sharing. The feature is enabled by default on compatible devices, raising concerns about user consent and digital privacy, t...
Read More » -
UK Renews Push Against Apple Encryption
The UK government has renewed demands for Apple to provide special access to encrypted iCloud user data, specifically targeting British citizens' backups, reversing earlier indications that the effort was dropped. Despite previous reports that the UK had dropped the mandate due to US pressure and...
Read More » -
OpenAI Adds Parental Controls for Teen ChatGPT Users
OpenAI has launched parental controls for ChatGPT, enabling parents to receive alerts if teens discuss self-harm or suicide, and law enforcement may be notified in urgent cases. Enhanced content protections are automatically applied to teen accounts, restricting exposure to graphic material, harm...
Read More » -
Take Control: Self-Host Your Data and Ditch Third-Party Clouds
Self-hosting data on personal hardware is increasingly accessible and driven by concerns over privacy, security, and autonomy, as reliance on third-party cloud services grows. The process involves running applications like Nextcloud or Trilium on a local network, requiring minimal technical exper...
Read More » -
India's Creative Twist on Google's Nano Banana Leads the Way
India has become the leading user of Google's Nano Banana AI image-generation tool, driving the Gemini app to the top of app store rankings in the country. Indian users are creatively applying the tool to generate culturally resonant content, such as retro Bollywood portraits, vintage saree image...
Read More » -
When Friendship Fails: Navigating Difficult Relationships
Schiffmann has matured and now emphasizes real-world relationships, requesting his AI creation, the Friend, not be unboxed in his presence due to personal sentiment. The Friend AI is bold and sarcastic but often comes across as overly opinionated and condescending, leading to a disappointing user...
Read More » -
7 Must-Have Features for the iPhone 17: AI Leads the Way
The iPhone 17 must deeply integrate advanced AI features at a system level, such as conversational voice assistants and context-aware tools, to compete with rivals like Google's Pixel 10. Key improvements could include AI-enhanced computational zoom for photography, group photo optimization, and ...
Read More » -
Your Smart Lights Are Listening: Get Used to It
Lepro's new AI Lighting Pro series integrates a microphone directly into the power cord, enabling voice control without a separate hub or smart speaker. The series includes multiple models with a proprietary voice assistant that uses a large language model to generate dynamic lighting scenes base...
Read More » -
Must-Have AI Features for the iPhone 17
The iPhone 17 must achieve deeper system-level AI integration to compete with rivals like Google Pixel 10, which are redefining smartphone intelligence. Key features to consider include a more advanced voice assistant like ChatGPT's Voice Mode, computational zoom for better photography, and conte...
Read More » -
Bluesky Blocks Mississippi Users Over New Age Verification Law
Bluesky is blocking all users in Mississippi to avoid implementing the state's new age verification law, citing technical limitations and privacy concerns. The law requires social media platforms to verify every user's age and obtain parental consent for minors, with noncompliance fines up to $10...
Read More » -
Google's New App Lets You Run AI Models Offline
Google launched Google AI Edge Gallery, an app allowing offline use of open-source AI models on Android (iOS soon), enhancing privacy and accessibility without internet. The app hosts diverse AI models for tasks like image generation and coding, processing data locally on devices to ensure pr...
Read More » -
Australian Consumer Trust Plummets as Security Fears Soar: Ping Identity
Only 11% of Australian adults fully trust organizations with their digital identities, reflecting a significant decline in consumer trust driven by AI-related data security fears. Australians are increasingly concerned about AI-driven threats, with 82% more worried about data security than five y...
Read More » -
Meta's New Smart Glasses Are the Best I've Ever Tried
Meta's Ray-Ban Display glasses offer a practical and stylish wearable tech experience with a discreet, full-color display that shows messages, maps, and media without being visible to others. The glasses feature intuitive gesture control via the Meta Neural Band wristband, enabling hands-free ope...
Read More » -
Google Home's New Feature Sparks Supernatural Reactions
Google's new Home Brief feature uses AI to summarize key events from home camera footage, offering convenience but showing mixed accuracy in early user reports. Initial feedback includes both precise event detection and significant errors, such as misidentifying animals, vehicles, and even report...
Read More »
