Topic
Privacy
60 stories related to this topic, newest first.
TechCrunchtechnology11 hrs ago
Google Expands AI Training to Include User Media Files
A June update to Google's privacy settings now stores images, audio, and other media uploaded to Search services for AI model training. Users can adjust the new Search Services History and Personalized Recommendations controls to limit data retention.
The Sydney Morning Heraldbusiness20 hrs ago
Court Bars Broadcaster From Publishing Athletes' Group Chat Messages
Three professional athletes obtained a temporary court order preventing the ABC from reporting on private messages that included crude descriptions of sexual acts and domestic violence. The messages were obtained after an ex-partner photographed the group chat and shared it with…
bgr.inworld2 days ago
Wired Reports Meta Safety Tests, Researcher Ticket Hack, and Apple Email Flaw Status
A Wired investigation detailed contractors testing AI chatbots with child personas. Separate reports covered an Apple privacy tool vulnerability and a hacking arrest.
helpnetsecurity.comtechnology5 days ago
Apple Hide My Email feature bug exposes real addresses in tests
A reported vulnerability in Apple's Hide My Email tool allowed real addresses to be revealed during limited testing. The issue was identified more than a year ago and remains unresolved. Details of the flaw have not been released publicly.
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theverge.comai6 days ago
Proton Releases Lumo 2.0 Adding Image Recognition and Generation
Proton upgraded its AI chatbot Lumo on Tuesday with image analysis, image generation, and faster response times. The update includes persistent memory for projects and a new thinking mode while preserving zero-access encryption.
vitals.lifehacker.comworld6 days agoUpdated
WhatsApp to Let Users Reserve Usernames, Allowing Messaging Without Sharing Phone Numbers
The messaging app will let people contact others by username instead of phone number. The change begins with reservations this week and rolls out globally over the coming months.
world6 days agoUpdated
WhatsApp Rolls Out Optional Usernames That Hide Phone Numbers on First Messages
WhatsApp has started allowing users to reserve usernames for messaging without sharing phone numbers. The optional feature targets the app's more than 3.3 billion users and will expand over coming months. Phone numbers remain required for registration.
axios.comworld7 days ago
Supreme Court Requires Warrants for Broad Cell-Phone Location Searches but Leaves Specific Warrant in Robbery Case for Review
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on June 29 that sweeping geofence warrants for cell phone location data need judicial approval. The decision addressed a 2019 Virginia bank robbery case and sent it back for further review.
washingtonpost.comtechnology7 days ago
WhatsApp to Add Usernames Later This Year
WhatsApp will let users reserve usernames starting this week. The change lets people connect without sharing phone numbers and will roll out gradually later in 2026.
androidauthority.comworld13 days ago
Court Blocks Government Request for Apple and Google User Data
A federal court denied a government request seeking information on roughly 100,000 users from Apple and Google. The ruling prevents the companies from being compelled to turn over the data.
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nypost.compolitics14 days ago
Judge Halts Federal Bulk-Search Tool for Verifying Voter Citizenship
US District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan on Monday halted the Trump administration from consulting a revamped SAVE system. The 75-page ruling found the database violated statutory privacy protections and threatened voting rights. At least 25 states have scanned 67 million registrat…
Techcrunchtechnology16 days ago
Signal President Says AI Chatbots Are Not Friends or Sentient Beings
Meredith Whittaker warned against giving AI systems broad access to personal data and services. She contrasted limited formatting use with deeper integration proposed by Microsoft.
theverge.comtechnology16 days ago
Meta Tests Rank One Face Recognition for Smart Glasses but Deletes Enabling Code from App
Meta is testing face-recognition software from Rank One for potential use in its smart glasses. The company previously removed related code from the glasses app.
The Vergetechnology21 days ago
Roblox Begins Video Selfie Age Checks, Places Younger Users in Restricted Accounts and Reports Drop in Daily Users
Roblox began using facial age estimation in April to place players under 16 into Select accounts and those under 9 into Kids accounts. The company reported a drop in daily users after the change.
Fox Newsai21 days ago
New York City to Install 80 More AI Sensors Tracking All Street Users at 100 Intersections
The Department of Transportation will expand its program from 20 to about 100 locations. The sensors classify road users and delete video frames after counting.
Wiredworld21 days ago
Meta Licensed Rank One Face Recognition for Smart Glasses App but Kept Systems Inactive for Users
A software license shows Meta acquired face recognition and liveness detection from Rank One Computing for testing in its Meta AI app. The systems were removed on June 5 after remaining dormant in a version downloaded to more than 50 million phones.
680news.compolitics24 days ago
Commerce Department Orders Census Bureau and BEA to Stop Using Statistical Noise for Privacy Protection
The order directs the Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis to use coarsening instead of noise infusion for privacy protection. Officials said the change aims to restore public confidence in federal statistics.
politics25 days ago
OAIC Orders American Express to Pay Complainant Over $23,000 After Privacy Breach
Australia's privacy regulator found American Express failed to protect customer data from insider access and ordered compensation. It will publish a summary of its final determination on June 13 while restricting the complainant from disclosing the full report.
nbcnews.comai25 days ago
Canada Privacy Commissioner Finds xAI Violated Law With Grok Image Tool
The regulator said xAI launched the Grok image generator without safeguards. The company later restricted edits of real people in revealing clothing.
Nbc Newsai28 days ago
Meta Removes Unreleased NameTag Face-Recognition Code From AI App One Day After WIRED Report
The Meta AI app no longer contains the NameTag face-recognition libraries identified by WIRED. The update follows the Thursday disclosure that the code had been embedded in an app installed on more than 50 million phones.
thurrott.comtechnology32 days ago
New iOS and macOS feature enables ad blocking inside apps
A developer released an update that uses a network-level URL filter introduced in the latest Apple operating systems. The tool blocks ad domains across iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps rather than only inside the browser.
news.google.compolitics32 days ago
Class-Action Lawsuit Alleges Amazon’s Ring 'Familiar Faces' Feature Collected Biometric Data Without Consent
A suit filed June 1 in Washington state federal court alleges Ring’s Familiar Faces feature collected biometric data without consent. Plaintiffs seek more than $5 million in damages.
Wiredtechnology32 days ago
Meta Adds On-Device Face Recognition Code to AI App Required for Smart Glasses
Wired reported that Meta added NameTag components to its AI companion app as early as January 2026. The code can create faceprints from images captured by Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses.
New York Postai33 days ago
UK MP Prompted Grok to Generate Revealing Images of Herself, Then Sued xAI
A U.K. legislator filed suit against xAI alleging the Grok chatbot created non-consensual fake images of her in a bikini. The claim seeks damages and aims to establish liability for AI system design.
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finance35 days ago
Dayton Covers Flock License Plate Cameras During Policy Review After Finding Policy Violations
City crews in Dayton, Ohio placed trash bags over Flock Safety license plate readers after an internal review found thousands of immigration-related searches. Similar disputes have led other cities to deactivate or remove the devices.
Engadgettechnology37 days ago
Meta Employee Mouse Tracking Tool Captures Non-U.S. Data
Reuters reported that Meta's internal tracking program for U.S. employees could record messages involving staff outside the United States. The company stated it notified non-U.S. employees and reviewed privacy risks.
9to5google.comai38 days ago
Google Rolls Out Gemini Spark AI Agent to Ultra Subscribers
Google began distributing Gemini Spark this week to users paying at least $100 per month for its AI Ultra plan. The agent can access Gmail, Docs, and Calendar data to complete tasks such as creating events and sending messages.
usmagazine.comworld40 days ago
Mother of Tennessee Titans Quarterback Says Son Spent Large Sum Removing Leaked Video
The mother of Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis stated that he spent an exorbitant amount of money to remove a leaked sex tape circulating online. The report contains no additional details on timing, content, or legal actions taken.
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winnipegfreepress.compolitics41 days ago
Complaint Filed With Canadian Privacy Commissioner Over Court Data Breach
A formal complaint has been lodged with Canada's privacy commissioner after a transcription contractor exposed litigant data from at least 146 Australian court matters. The Federal Court also extended the contractor's agreement by $5.3 million despite the breach and the firm's ad…
world41 days ago
Regina Victims Seek Stronger Penalties for Police Data Misuse
A group of about 20 people gathered outside Regina police headquarters on Tuesday to urge the board of police commissioners to impose job loss and criminal breach of trust charges on officers who misuse private data.
theconversation.comworld43 days ago
Ultrawealthy Silicon Valley Buyers Use LLCs and Off-Market Deals for Privacy
Tech and AI executives in Silicon Valley are routing home purchases through limited liability companies, privacy trusts, and whisper listings to limit public exposure. The practice has increased over the past three years as wealth and security concerns have grown.
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Substrate placeholder — needs reviewfinance43 days ago
Silicon Valley home buyers use LLCs and off-market deals to limit public records
Luxury buyers in the Bay Area increasingly route purchases through limited liability companies and privacy trusts. Off-market sales have risen in several high-cost markets as owners seek to reduce visibility in public records.
earther.gizmodo.comworld44 days ago
DOJ Seeks User Data From Apple And Google In EZ Lynk Emissions Case
The Department of Justice has issued subpoenas to Apple, Google, Amazon and Walmart seeking identities and purchase records of more than 100,000 users of EZ Lynk car software. The requests are part of a 2021 lawsuit alleging the company sold devices that defeat vehicle emissions…
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Substrate placeholder — needs reviewtechnology47 days ago
Trump Mobile Customer Data Exposed Online
YouTubers Coffeezilla and penguinz0 reported that Trump Mobile is leaking customer email and mailing addresses. The company has not responded to alerts about the exposure. Only about 30,000 units appear to have been ordered so far.
dailycaller.comai48 days ago
University of Washington Ends AI Study Involving Preschool Cameras
University of Washington researchers ended a plan to record preschool classrooms for AI training after parents raised privacy concerns. The study would have used wearable or fixed cameras for up to 150 minutes per visit.
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theverge.comfinance49 days ago
Lawsuit Alleges Hisense Smart TVs Collect and Share Viewing Data
A class action lawsuit filed in federal court claims Hisense smart televisions capture viewing data and may transmit it to Chinese entities. Plaintiffs seek to halt the practice and obtain damages.
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mhealth.jmir.orgai49 days ago
New Device Aims to Block AI Wearable Recordings
A tech startup has developed a portable device designed to prevent nearby AI wearables from recording conversations. The product responds to growing availability of small recording devices that use speech-recovery algorithms.
nationalpost.compolitics50 days ago
Texas Attorney General Files Lawsuit Accusing Netflix of Collecting User Data
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Netflix alleging the company collected user data without consent. The suit claims violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and seeks to stop the alleged practices.
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CoinDeskfinance50 days ago
Bitcoin Sidechain Project Aims to Add Programmable and Private Features
VerifiedX is developing a Bitcoin sidechain to enable programmable transactions and optional privacy tools while keeping assets native to the original blockchain. The project targets institutional users seeking DeFi options without relying on custodians or synthetic wrappers.
Substrate placeholder — needs reviewfinance51 days ago
ExpressVPN Partners with GB News to Promote Privacy Tools
ExpressVPN has formed a partnership with GB News to offer viewers discounted access to its virtual private network service. The company cited shared values around privacy and open access to information.
The Vergetechnology52 days ago
YouTube Expands AI Likeness Detection Tool to All Adult Users
YouTube is making its facial likeness detection program available to anyone 18 years or older with an account. The tool scans the platform for videos that match a user's uploaded facial scan and allows removal requests for matching content. The company previously limited the feat…
forbes.comai53 days ago
Verkada Reaches 30,000 Customers and $1 Billion in Annual Sales
Verkada CEO Filip Kaliszan said the company is bringing physical AI into the world to deliver safety in the physical world. The firm now manages over 2 million devices while shifting the security industry from hardware competition to software-driven intervention. Kaliszan emphasi…
Rest of Worldtechnology53 days ago
Future of Privacy Forum CEO Discusses Online Safety Measures for Minors
Jules Polonetsky said governments are moving to regulate children's access to social media but that blanket bans may not be effective. He called for risk-based approaches, improved parental tools, and greater use of AI for content moderation. Polonetsky spoke at a Rest of World v…
Techcrunchai54 days ago
Anthropic in Talks to Raise Tens of Billions at $950 Billion Valuation
Anthropic is in talks to raise tens of billions of dollars in a funding round that would value the company at $950 billion, surpassing OpenAI's $854 billion valuation from March. The AI developer has quadrupled its market share among business customers since May 2025 and released…
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Usa Todayai54 days agoUpdated
Meta Adds Incognito Chat Mode to WhatsApp AI Assistant
Meta Platforms announced Incognito Chat on Wednesday, a new feature for its artificial intelligence assistant on WhatsApp that uses private processing technology to ensure conversations remain invisible to anyone, including the company. Messages disappear by default and are not s…
The Vergetechnology56 days agoUpdated
Apple Releases iOS 26.5 With Encrypted RCS Messaging Beta
Apple began rolling out iOS 26.5 on Monday, adding end-to-end encryption for RCS messages exchanged with Android users in the default Messages app. The feature is in beta, requires carrier support and the latest Google Messages app on the Android side, and is enabled by default w…
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New York Posttechnology56 days ago
British Woman Secretly Filmed by Man Using Smart Glasses Demands Payment to Remove Video
A woman in London was recorded without her knowledge by a man wearing smart glasses who later offered to remove the footage from social media only in exchange for payment. The video, which has been viewed about 40,000 times, was initially posted on one platform, removed after a b…
The Vergetechnology56 days agoUpdated
TikTok Ends Free Ad Opt-Out for UK Users, Launches £3.99 Ad-Free Subscription
TikTok announced on May 11, 2026, that it will begin notifying users about its new TikTok Ad-Free subscription from Monday, with rollout over the coming months. The £3.99 monthly plan removes company-delivered ads and stops use of subscriber data for advertising. The move follows…
marketwatch.comtechnology56 days ago
Venmo Tests App Redesign With Default Private Posts for New Users
Venmo has begun testing a redesign of its mobile app that changes the default privacy setting for new users so their payment posts are visible only to friends instead of the public. The company said the update gives users more visibility and control over shared information during…
Forbesai57 days ago
Google Adds 4GB Gemini Nano AI Model to Chrome for On-Device Processing
Privacy advocate Alexander Hanff discovered that Chrome installed a 4GB weights.bin file for on-device Gemini Nano without permission. The browser automatically re-downloads the file if deleted and no longer displays it to users. Google stated that nothing material has changed an…
Wiredtechnology58 days ago
Robot Lawn Mower Vulnerabilities Allow Remote Takeover and Data Theft
Security researchers identified multiple flaws in a $5,000 robot lawn mower that could let hackers seize control of the device, access its camera, and obtain owners' email addresses, Wi-Fi passwords and home locations. The company said it is developing a fix for at least one of t…
The Independenttechnology59 days ago
Meta Disables Optional End-to-End Encryption for Instagram Direct Messages
The change took effect on May 8, 2026, making messages accessible to Meta and internet service providers. The company cited low usage of the optional feature, which it introduced in 2023 after first announcing plans in 2019. Child protection groups welcomed the move while privacy…
Euronewstechnology59 days ago
Meta Discontinues Optional End-to-End Encryption Feature for Instagram DMs Due to Low Adoption
The change took effect on May 8, 2026, after the company cited limited user adoption. Instagram will revert messages to standard encryption, allowing Meta to access content when needed. The company is directing users seeking end-to-end encryption to WhatsApp.
BBC Newsworld60 days ago
Instagram Ends Optional End-to-End Encryption for Direct Messages
Meta switched off the feature on 8 May 2026 after updating its terms in March, citing low user opt-in rates. The reversal ends a 2019 pledge by the company to expand encryption across its messaging services. Child protection groups welcomed the move while privacy advocates expres…
The Independenttechnology60 days ago
Instagram Ends Optional End-to-End Encryption for Direct Messages
Instagram has discontinued support for end-to-end encrypted direct messages effective May 8 2026. The change reverses a plan announced by parent company Meta in 2019 to roll out the technology across its messaging services. Users will now only have access to standard encryption o…
marketwatch.comfinance60 days ago
Meta Opposes Surveillance Tool Requirements in Canada's Bill C-22
Meta has urged the Canadian government to revise Bill C-22 and opposes any requirement for companies to integrate surveillance tools. The company stated its position in direct response to the proposed legislation.
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680news.compolitics60 days ago
Canada Revenue Agency Reports Over 42,000 Breaches Since 2020, Accepts Most Privacy Commissioner Recommendations
Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne tabled a special report in Parliament detailing gaps in the agency's prevention, monitoring, detection and handling of unauthorized access to taxpayer information. The agency failed to implement mandatory multi-factor authentication in a tim…
slashgear.comtechnology60 days ago
Security Researcher Demonstrates Remote Takeover of Yarbo Robot Lawn Mowers
Andreas Makris showed he could seize control of Yarbo's 200-pound robotic lawn mowers from nearly 6,000 miles away, overriding safety features on devices located in the United States. The researcher accessed location data, owner email addresses, Wi-Fi passwords and GPS coordinate…
idropnews.comai61 days ago
Canadian Privacy Officials Release Findings on OpenAI ChatGPT Investigation
Canada's privacy commissioner and regulators from three provinces held a news conference to present the results of their joint investigation into how OpenAI's ChatGPT collects and handles personal information of Canadians. The officials examined the chatbot's compliance with fede…
Nbc Newsworld73 days ago
JetBlue Faces Lawsuit Over Use of Customer Browsing Data for Pricing
A lawsuit accuses JetBlue of accessing customers' private data, including internet browsing history, without consent to adjust ticket prices. NBC News reported that the allegations involve the airline's use of this information for pricing decisions. The case references a social m…