#Privacy
Science & Technology | Tech
Apple Preaches Privacy. Here's Why Your iPhone Is Tracking Your Location Anyway
Ultra-wideband technology enables some pretty cool features, but it also means that your phone is always tracking you.
Politics | Conservative Voices
Portland FBI Office Has Important Warning For Smart TV Purchasers
Many Americans purchased smart TVs on Black Friday and planned to get more on Cyber Monday, but the FBI wants you to know a few things before you drop a couple of thousand dollars on a system that could steal your privacy.
Science & Technology | Technology
When Algorithms Decide Whose Voices Will Be Heard
As AI’s reach grows, the stakes will only get higher.
Science & Technology | TECH
How SMS Works—and Why You Shouldn’t Use It Anymore
It's time to understand how SMS messaging works. Here’s the breakdown, and what kind of safer text messaging to use instead.
Science & Technology | Tech
Shady app lets stalkers view private Instagram accounts in exchange for their own data
Facebook doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to minding its users' privacy, and Cambridge Analytica exploiting the social network's third-party
Travel | Travel
Is your Airbnb host spying on you with a hidden camera? Use this simple trick to find out.
A cybersecurity expert has identified a simple trick anyone can use to find out whether their Airbnb host might be monitoring them from afar.
Politics | Conservative Voices
Facebook gave Tinder and other dating apps special access to user data
New documents reveal that Facebook gave Tinder and other popular dating apps special "whitelist" privileges to access user data.
Science & Technology | Tech
Clicking this link lets you see what Google thinks it knows about you based on your search history — and some of its predictions are eerily accurate
By clicking a link from Google's account settings page, users can find out what the tech giant thinks it knows about them.
Miscellaneous | Interesting Links
Neighbors are using these smart cameras to track strangers' cars — and yours
Neighborhoods around Los Angeles are signing up for a new service: security cameras that automatically read the license plates of every car that drives by from a company called Flock Safety
Science & Technology | Tech
Another convincing deepfake app goes viral prompting immediate privacy backlash - The Verge
Zao is a new deepfake face-swapping app that’s able to to place your likeness into famous movies and TV shows based off just a single photograph. The app went viral in China over the weekend after releasing on Friday.
Science & Technology | Tech
Apple contractors were allegedly listening to 1,000 Siri recordings a day — each
That likely means about two per minute per person.
Science & Technology | TECH
Bluetooth is bad and you should stop using it
Everyone uses Bluetooth. Perhaps they shouldn't.
Science & Technology | Technology
Facebook has been collecting, listening, transcribing Messenger chats - Business Insider
The company reportedly didn't disclose to users that it was sharing any collected audio from Messenger voice chats with third parties.
Miscellaneous | Interesting Links
Startpage.com - The world's most private search engine
Startpage.com delivers online tools that help you to stay in control of your personal information and protect your online privacy.
News | News
Capital One announces hack affecting 106 million U.S. and Canadian customers | VentureBeat
Capital One said that personal information of about 100 million individuals in the United States and 6 million people in Canada were obtained by a hacker.
Science & Technology | Tech
Apple Siri Eavesdropping Puts Millions Of Users At Risk
Apple is employing contractors to listen to Siri conversations, it has been confirmed. However, the voice assistant is picking up private conversations including people talking to their doctor, drug deals and sexual encounters. Here’s what to do.
Miscellaneous | Other Stories
You could make $125 by filling out this Equifax data breach claim form
Equifax this week agreed to pay nearly $700 million to settle claims related a massive data breach at the consumer credit reporting agency in 2017.
Science & Technology | TECH
Facebook Knows More About You Than the CIA
Facebook hired Yael Eisenstat, a CIA veteran, to help it address election meddling. Now she's deeply worried about the company's sway over our lives.
Science & Technology | Tech
Facebook vs the feds: The tech giant will have to pay a record fine for violating users’ privacy. But the FTC wanted more.
The settlement the FTC brokered marks the most significant privacy punishment ever levied against a tech giant. But the story behind it -- described by 10 people familiar with the matter -- illustrates the challenges facing a 105-year-old agency tasked wi
Politics | Censorship
DuckDuckGo Is Funding Your Enemies
This brief video explains that DuckDuckGo.com is just a typical technology company from Silicon Valley. Meaning totally without scruples. While pretending to...
Science & Technology | Technology
Internet group brands Mozilla ‘internet villain’ for supporting DNS privacy feature | TechCrunch
An industry group of internet service providers has branded Firefox browser maker Mozilla an “internet villain” for supporting a DNS security standard. The U.K.’s Internet Services Providers’ Association (ISPA), the trade group for U.K. internet service p
Science & Technology | Tech News
Amazon is watching, listening and tracking you. Here's how to stop it
You can turn off some of the tracking, but then many Amazon features won't work. And if you want to delete your Alexa recordings, you need the app.
History | History
Nest Just Sent Out This Email and It's a Reminder of Why People Just Don't Trust Google
Nest is now sending marketing emails for Google products, in the surest sign that it is officially dead as an independent brand and product.
Science & Technology | Tech
Here's how to view, download, and delete your personal information online
Download your personal data from Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, and other tech heavies.
Science & Technology | Tech
Flipboard hacks prompt password resets for millions of users | TechCrunch
Social sharing site and news aggregator Flipboard has reset millions of user passwords after hackers gained access to its systems several times over a nine-month period The company confirmed in a notice Tuesday that the hacks took place between June 2, 20
Science & Technology | Tech
Apps Are Using Background App Refresh to Send Data to Tracking Companies
When Background App Refresh is enabled, some iOS apps are using the feature to regularly send data to tracking companies, according to a privacy...
Science & Technology | Social Media
Snapchat Employees Abused Data Access to Spy on Users - VICE
Multiple sources and emails also describe SnapLion, an internal tool used by various departments to access Snapchat user data.
Science & Technology | Tech
Google Is Probably Tracking Your Location Right Now—Here’s How to Stop That | Mental Floss
Google says it uses around-the-clock location tracking to improve the services it offers consumers. But if you're uncomfortable with that idea, there's a way to turn it off.
Science & Technology | Tech News
The US Urgently Needs New Genetic Privacy Laws | WIRED
The laws governing DNA data in the US are patchy and incomplete. Yet people keep putting their DNA on the internet, compromising everyone's genetic anonymity.
Science & Technology | Technology
Smart TVs Are Cheaper Than Ever, and It's Because They're Selling Your Data | Mental Floss
Those big-screen televisions are sold at or near cost because manufacturers know they can profit from your personal data, including your viewing habits.
Science & Technology | Tech
If You Care About Privacy, Throw Your Amazon Alexa Devices Into the Sea
Remember a couple of weeks ago when we learned that humans were monitoring Amazon Alexa commands, essentially spying on users in the name of product improvement? Well, we’ve got some more bad news about the always-on microphone that we’ve all invited
Science & Technology | Social Media
Facebook exposed millions more Instagram passwords than we realized
Facebook today revealed it'd discovered millions of improperly secured passwords on its server. So, you know... business as usual.
Science & Technology | Tech
How Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Samsung treat your voice data | VentureBeat
Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, Amazon, and Google traffic in lots of voice data, but they handle it differently. Here's what you need to know.
News | National News
Amazon Employs Thousands Of People Just To Listen In On Your Alexa Device
If you've ever wondered if your Alexa device is listening to you while you're not directly interacting with it, Bloomberg has some bad news for you: the answer appears
Miscellaneous | Interesting Stuff
That Email You Didn’t Reply To? The Sender Could Be Tracking It—Here’s How to Find Out
With a special email tracking service, senders can see if you opened their email and chose not to respond. Here's how to stop that from happening and continue to ignore your emails in peace.
Science & Technology | Tech
With facial recognition, shoplifting may get you banned in places you've never been - CNET
There are hundreds of stores using facial recognition -- none that have any rules or standards to prevent abuse.
Science & Technology | Tech News
You May Have Forgotten Foursquare, but It Didn’t Forget You | WIRED
The once-hyped social media company, known for gamifying mobile check-ins, is still alive and well as an incomprehensibly vast data empire.
Science & Technology | Social Media
Some major Android apps are still sending data directly to Facebook - The Verge
Major Android mobile apps from companies including Yelp and Duolingo send data to Facebook immediately after a user logs in, according to a new report from the London-based UK charity and watchdog group Privacy International (PI). This data transfer happe
Science & Technology | Tech
How to disguise your personal web-surfing at work
When you read your favorite site at work, you don't necessarily want your boss to find out about it. Here's how to sneakily browse the web.
Science & Technology | Technology
New flaws in 4G, 5G allow attackers to intercept calls and track phone locations | TechCrunch
TechCrunch - Reporting on the business of technology, startups, venture capital funding, and Silicon Valley
Travel | Travel
Discovery of cameras built into airlines’ seats sparks privacy concerns - The Verge
Cameras pointed at passengers have been noticed in the inflight entertainment systems used by some American and Singapore Airlines aircraft. Both airlines have confirmed that the cameras exist, but they say they have not been activated.
Travel | Travel
Discovery of cameras built into airlines’ seats sparks privacy concerns - The Verge
Cameras pointed at passengers have been noticed in the inflight entertainment systems used by some American and Singapore Airlines aircraft. Both airlines have confirmed that the cameras exist, but they say they have not been activated.
Science & Technology | Tech
The Trump administration is trying to give AI a boost in the US
The order is designed to protect American technology, national security, privacy and values when it comes to artificial intelligence.
Science & Technology | Tech
Many popular iPhone apps secretly record your screen without asking
Many major companies, like Air Canada, Hollister and Expedia, are recording every tap and swipe you make on their iPhone apps. In most cases you won’t even realize it. And they don’t need to ask for permission. You can assume that most apps a
Science & Technology | Technology
Anyone Can Spy on You With FaceTime. Here's How to Turn It Off
A new bug allows anyone to listen in on your iPhone and, for now, there's no fix.
Science & Technology | Tech News
In 2019, Best Single Way To Block, Stop Robocalls, Spam On The iPhone, Android
While apps provide some level of protection against robocalls, spam, and scams, they're not bulletproof. When all else fails, try this nuclear option.
Science & Technology | Tech
Change your phone settings so Apple, Google can't track your movements
Most tech companies make it difficult for users to say no to aggressive surveillance practices. But it is helpful to know about the default settings on your smartphone and how to change them.
Science & Technology | Technology
AT&T is cutting off all location-data sharing ties in March
After senators called the practice an invasion of privacy, the mobile carrier is ending the service.
Science & Technology | Tech
6 Times “Opting Out” Doesn’t Actually Stop Data Collection
Telling a company you want out doesn’t necessarily mean it stops collecting, or even sharing, your data.
Science & Technology | Tech
How to download your personal data from Apple
Apple has a new process for requesting all the data the company has on you, and it's very simple. Here's how to do it.
Science & Technology | Tech
Apple launched a new privacy website that lets you find all the data the company has on you
Apple's privacy website relaunch is another step in the company's bid to differentiate its brand as one that avoids dealing in the sale of personal information of its customers.
Science & Technology | Social Media
Here’s how to find out if your Facebook was hacked in the breach | TechCrunch
Are you one of the 30 million users hit by Facebook’s access token breach announced two weeks ago? Here’s how to find out. Facebook breach saw 15M users’ names & contact info accessed, 14M’s bios too Visit this Facebook Help center link while
Science & Technology | Social Media
Facebook, the Company That Keeps Selling and Losing Your Data, Wants to Put a Camera in Your Home
Facebook Portal (and a larger model, Portal Plus) is an in-home smart display designed for video chatting, better known as the worst part of the Jetsons' vision of the future.
Science & Technology | Social Media
Facebook Hacked, 50 Million Users Affected - Motherboard
Facebook "discovered a security issue" that the company said allowed attackers to "take over people's accounts."
Science & Technology | Social Media
Twitter says bug may have exposed some direct messages to third-party developers | TechCrunch
Twitter said that a “bug” sent user’s private direct messages to third-party developers “who were not authorized to receive them.” The social media giant began warning users Friday of the possible exposure with a message in the app. “The issue
Science & Technology | Tech
Dozens of iPhone Apps 'Constantly' Sending Location Data to Data Monetization Firms
Dozens of popular iPhone apps are sharing the location data of millions of mobile devices with third-party data monetization firms, according to a...
Miscellaneous | Interesting Links
How to Stop Google From Tracking Your Location
A new report shows that Google still tracks your location even if you thought you opted out.
Science & Technology | Social Media
The Simplest Way to Hide Old Facebook and Twitter Posts | Mental Floss
Test your knowledge with amazing and interesting facts, trivia, quizzes, and brain teaser games on MentalFloss.com.
Science & Technology | Technology
What you need to know about your browser's digital fingerprints
Your browser has a fingerprint. It’s not as obvious as the real ones on your fingertips, but it exists nonetheless.
Science & Technology | Social Media
Facebook bug switches 14 million users' default sharing settings to public - TechSpot
Facebook is informing 14 million users that what they assumed were private posts could have been viewable by the public. A bug caused the users' “suggested” sharing option to be set to “public” by default, rather than basing the suggestion&hel
Science & Technology | Tech News
Alexa recorded a woman’s private conversation and sent it to a random contact
A woman claims that her Amazon Echo recorded her voice and sent it to a random contact without her knowledge.
Science & Technology | Social Media
Report: Facebook App Exposed 3 Million More Users' Data
Researchers at the University of Cambridge, via a myPersonality app on Facebook, reportedly used data from 3 million users to power a spin-off company that
Science & Technology | Tech
Apple is removing apps that share your location data without consent
Apple has recently started removing apps from the App Store for violating the Terms of Service — or, more specifically, the rule against sharing location data with third parties without the consent of the app users. According to 9to5Mac, several app dev
Science & Technology | Social Media
This Company Will Give You $100,000 to Build a Better, Alternative Facebook - Motherboard
A startup incubator is giving seven companies $100,000 in seed money to build a privacy-oriented, democratic Facebook alternative.
Science & Technology | Technology
This is how Facebook collects data on you even if you don’t have an account
There’s little you can do about it.
Science & Technology | Technology
Did Facebook share my data with Cambridge Analytica? How to check
Cambridge Analytica harvested personal information from 87 million Facebook users. Here's how to tell if you were affected.
Science & Technology | Tech
This change can make your online browsing faster and more private
There is a small, simple step you can take right now that promises to make your online browsing faster and more private.
Science & Technology | Technology
This new privacy tool would speed up your internet, too
It's no joke how much data your internet service provider can collect about you. A new service from Cloudflare aims to change that.
Science & Technology | Technology
Google Knows Literally Everything About You - Here's How To Delete That Data
Take back control of your information with these easy steps.
Science & Technology | Tech News
No, Facebook, It's Not OK to Track Users' Calls and Texts for Years Because They Let You Share Contacts
Some users who've quit Facebook got a surprise when they looked at their data.
Science & Technology | Technology
How to use Facebook while giving it the minimum amount of personal data
The Cambridge Analytica revelations illustrate why we can’t trust Facebook to police its own platform
Science & Technology | Social Media
Why Facebook Owes You More Than This | WIRED
You give Facebook all of your data in exchange for using their service—an exchange that seems increasingly out of whack.
Science & Technology | Apps I Like
Secure messaging app Signal is the most important app of 2017
Pull out your smartphone and scroll through your list of recently downloaded apps. What do you see — Snapchat, HQ Trivia, or maybe some random face-filtering nonsense? Is Signal in there? If not, you've messed up in a major way.
Science & Technology | Tech
What Amazon Echo and Google Home Do With Your Voice Data—And How to Delete It | WIRED
Like the idea of Amazon Echo and Google Home, but feel uneasy about all that recording? Here's what they listen to—and how to delete it.
Science & Technology | Tech
Everybody lies: how Google search reveals our darkest secrets | Technology | The Guardian
What can we learn about ourselves from the things we ask online?
Miscellaneous | Interesting Links
Naked sunbathing and other naughty things you should never, ever do on a ship's balcony
Catching some rays in your birthday suit may seem like a good idea, but it's not. You're not exactly hidden from view. And there are other things that will land you on the bad passenger list.
Miscellaneous | Interesting Links
How to See What the Internet Knows About You (And How to Stop It)
Welcome to second edition of the Smarter Living newsletter.
Science & Technology | Social Media
Snapchat’s newest feature is also its biggest privacy threat - The Verge
Earlier this week, Snapchat introduced Snap Map, an opt-in function that allows you to share your location with your friends on a map. Snapchat’s introduction video to Snap Map, seen above, focuses...
Science & Technology | Technology
Google to stop scanning users' Gmail inboxes to send ads - Business Insider
Google will use data other than your email messages — like your search history — to figure out which ads to show you.
Science & Technology | Technology
There’s an Invisible Tracking Code Embedded in the Documents You Print | Mental Floss
Test your knowledge with amazing and interesting facts, trivia, quizzes, and brain teaser games on MentalFloss.com.
Science & Technology | Science & Technology
The Russian App That Has Destroyed Privacy Forever
See a pretty girl or guy on the street? Snap a pic, and you can find out who they are. What could go wrong?
Politics | Politics
Top Obama Adviser Sought Names of Trump Associates in Intel - Bloomberg View
Investigators saw a pattern behind requests from Susan Rice.
News | That's News to Me
Quest Diagnostics says 34,000 customer accounts hacked
Medical laboratory operator Quest Diagnostics Inc. says a hack of an internet application on its network has exposed the personal health information of about 34,000 people.
Miscellaneous | Interesting Links
A 10-Digit Key Code to Your Private Life: Your Cellphone Number
A mobile number can be even more valuable than a Social Security number, since it’s tied to so many databases and connected to a device you carry with you.
Advice & Self-Help | Spiritual Awareness
It's Officially Cool to Be Completely Apathetic About Pokémon Go
The life cycle of a trend usually goes something like this: manic obsession, backlash, backlash to the backlash, slow death. With the Pokémon Go craze, it seems that the “manic obsession” phase has just about run its course, which is lovely because t
Miscellaneous | Interesting Links
Police look for victim in body-shaming photo taken by Playboy model at L.A. gym
Los Angeles police are seeking to identify a woman who they said was illegally photographed by Playboy model Dani Mathers inside a locker room shower at an LA Fitness gym to move forward with their investigation.
News | Interesting Links
How to see everything Google knows about you - Business Insider
Even if you consider yourself a privacy buff, it's worth taking a look at your settings to make sure that you're comfortable with what you are sharing.
Science & Technology | Tech
How to see everything Google knows about you
You can access a lot of the information Google is collecting on you.
Science & Technology | Social Media
How to see who’s tracking you on Facebook (aside from Facebook)
Being tracked on the internet is something that’s only to be expected, since advertising is still the biggest online moneymaker out there. Google and Facebook are two of the biggest companies that make money by being able to tell advertisers what we li
Business & Finance | Advertising/Marketing
How to find out everything Google knows about you
Here's how to find out what Google knows about you and is sharing with advertisers, and how to get Google to stop.
Science & Technology | Technology
Apparently there's ANOTHER hidden message inbox on Facebook
We're about to share with you something that will change your life, probably (and suck up any free time you have). There is a whole vault of unseen Faceboo
News | That's News to Me
Justice Department cracks iPhone; withdraws legal action - Yahoo News
From Yahoo News: The FBI said Monday it successfully used a mysterious technique without Apple Inc.'s help to hack into the iPhone used by a gunman in a mass shooting in California, effectively ending a pitched court battle ...
Family & Parenting | Kids
California Student Data Release: Court Changes Course | Patch
Pleasanton, CA - Parents worried about the release of sensitive records sent an avalanche of objection letters to the court.
Science & Technology | Technology
This company hacked an iPhone with Play-Doh
If you’re protecting your smartphone with your fingerprint, beware strangers bearing Play-Doh.
Science & Technology | Technology
Apple Unlocked iPhones for the Feds 70 Times Before - The Daily Beast
A 2015 court case shows the tech giant was willing to play ball with the government before—and is only stopping now because it might ‘tarnish the Apple brand.’
Science & Technology | Technology
NSA chief: ‘Paris would not have happened’ without encrypted apps
National Security Agency Director Adm. Michael Rogers warns that encryption is making it “much more difficult” for the agency to intercept the communications of terrorist groups like the Islamic State, citing November’s Paris attacks as a case where
Family & Parenting | Kids
10 million California student records about to be released to attorneys - San Jose Mercury News
In a massive data release, California public-school records on about 10 million students -- including their Social Security numbers -- are about to be handed over to attorneys for a group suing the state, with both parties blaming the other for the impend
Science & Technology | Privacy and Security
Lenovo protects your Security with '12345678' as Hard-Coded Password
Lenovo's file-sharing app SHAREit uses hard-coded Wi-Fi Hotspot password to protect files for Hackers.
Science & Technology | Privacy and Security
Oscar-Winning Documentarian Laura Poitras Is Emerging—Carefully—Into the Spotlight
With a new solo art exhibition about mass surveillance, and a film about Julian Assange in the works, filmmaker and journalist Laura Poitras is emerging, ever so carefully, into the spotlight.
Science & Technology | Tech
How to listen to (and delete) everything you've ever said to Google | Technology | The Guardian
Whether you’re asking directions or drunkenly swearing, Google never forgets, recording everything you’ve ever said to it. Do you dare listen back?
Science & Technology | Social Media
Don't believe that privacy hoax all over your Facebook feed
Sound the alarms: Facebook is about to start charging a monthly fee to keep your data private! It's all over your News Feed, so it must be true!
Miscellaneous | Interesting Links
'Just Room Enough Island' Is Exactly That | Mental Floss
Here's one way to ensure you never have to deal with obnoxious neighbors: Build a summer home on an island big enough for your house and your house only. That's exactly what the Sizeland family did when they purchased this tiny speck of land, part of the Thousand Island chain, in the 1950s.
Science & Technology | Technology
Facebook Gives Users More Control Over Their News Feeds
Facebook announced a set of features that will give users more control over what they want to see in their news feed. In essence, you get to reprogram the social network’s algorithm.
Science & Technology | Tech
Facebook Is Probably Tracking All Those Rainbow Profile Pictures
Friday’s Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage was a historic moment for civil rights in America, and for the first time ever, Facebook released a tool that encouraged people express solidarity with a rainbow profile picture. Naturally, Faceboo
Science & Technology | Social Media
Facebook tracks all visitors, breaching EU law: report
Exclusive: Social network even sets a new cookie to track untracked EU users who have explicitly opted out of tracking
Science & Technology | Tech
How To Discover Everything Facebook Knows About You
And how to make Facebook stop tracking your activit There's an unwritten agreement every user makes with Facebook when they sign up for the service. Facebook is free and fun to use, but it will track your activity and content to help its advertisers.
Science & Technology | Tech
Man who owns a smart TV says he’s ‘afraid’ of using it after reading its privacy policy
Just like with other electronic devices that used to be “dumb,” TVs have become increasingly smart lately, but that doesn’t mean that’s necessarily a good thing, especially when it comes to user privacy.
Science & Technology | Social Media
Twitter gives away Tweets, so why does Facebook's apology ring hollow?
It's fine for one social network to give away your data in the name of research, while another's ongoing experiments seem distasteful.
Science & Technology | Social Media
Facebook advanced privacy settings: how to go invisible | BGR
Those Facebook users looking to make their social networking experience more private without ditching Zuckerberg’s empire in favor of something else should know there’s a way to do this, at least according to Business Insider.
Science & Technology | Tech
Apple Won't Decrypt Your iPhone, Even if the Government Requests It
Apple made public its updated Privacy Policy, accompanied with an open letter from Tim Cook.
News | The News
U.S. threatened massive fine to force Yahoo to release data - The Washington Post
Unsealed documents detail firm’s unsuccessful bid to keep personal information away from feds.
Science & Technology | Tech
Change This iPhone Setting To Stop Closed Apps From Tracking Your Location
If you don't want apps to know where you and your smartphone are when you're not using them, you should change this iPhone setting.
Science & Technology | Social Media
Reddit Users Get Remorse Over Nude Pictures, Try Donating to Charity
Redditors attempt to redeem themselves after sharing leaked celebrity photos.
Science & Technology | Tech
Private Browsing Settings Aren't as Private as You Think
Whether you're secretly searching for a gift for someone who uses your computer, planning a surprise event or just looking at websites you'd prefer to keep to yourself, there are plenty of reasons to want to keep your web history in the shadows.
Science & Technology | Technology
How to Delete Yourself from the Internet
We are relaying more personal data than ever to trackers, hackers and marketers with and without our consent. Are we sharing too much?
