Privacy
“When you watch Netflix, Netflix watches you:” Texas sues streaming giant for spying on kids
The State of Texas filed a lawsuit against Netflix on Monday, accusing the streaming giant of spying on children and adult consumers – and illegally collecting their data without knowledge or consent.
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Only approved phones can pass Google’s new reCAPTCHA, locking out privacy-focused alternatives
Verify you’re human – by owning an approved Android or an iPhone. Google’s new reCAPTCHA system forces users to scan a QR code with a “compatible mobile device” and locks out anyone using a privacy-focused OS and device, warns GrapheneOS, a security-hardened OS alternative.
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Uber hid drivers’ data rights, Dutch watchdog rules, stands by €10M penalty
The Dutch privacy and data protection authority (DPA) has ruled that Uber’s appeal against a €10 million fine is unfounded.
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Apple and Meta warn Canadian bill could weaken private messaging protections for users
Apple and Meta have publicly opposed a Canadian bill that the companies say could require them to break the encryption of their devices and services if passed.
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Dutch government moves ahead with national ID system despite US tech takeover fears
The District Court of The Hague has dismissed the claims of three citizens seeking to prevent the Dutch government from renewing its contract with Solvinity. But there’s still a sliver of hope for opponents.
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Kremlin’s war on VPNs continues as regulator aims to block 92% of VPN services by 2030
Roskomnadzor, Russia’s communication regulator, intends to block nearly all VPN servers operating within the country by 2030.
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An important Instagram update rolling out today: here's what you need to know
Starting today, direct messages on Instagram will no longer be end-to-end encrypted. Anyone who wants to keep messaging with end-to-end encryption has to switch to an alternate messaging app, such as WhatsApp or Messenger.
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Meta asks court to overturn landmark verdict linking social media to woman’s depression
Meta Platforms has asked a Los Angeles judge to throw out a jury’s verdict finding the company liable for a woman’s depression in a landmark trial over whether the company has harmed young users by designing its platforms to be addictive.
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Could online age checks reshape the internet? Privacy groups warn the UK is risking digital freedoms
The openness of the internet and the opportunities it provides are at peril in the United Kingdom. Policy interventions, such as bans on access to social media platforms or VPN services, hardly improve the online experience of young people but instead undermine the open internet and infringe on human rights.
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Nearly half of young Europeans turn to AI for mental health support, experts urge caution
According to a new study, a growing number of young Europeans are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) tools for mental health issues. Experts say this isn’t without risks for their well-being and privacy.
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Dutch citizens are suing to stop the US from taking over their national ID system
Three citizens have filed summary proceedings against their government to block a US company, Kyndryl, from buying Solvinity. The purchase would greenlight the American company’s control over DigiD – the Netherlands' national digital identity system used by over 16 million people.
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Europol built “shadow IT database” under terror pressure, then lost control
A new investigation has revealed that the EU’s police agency created an emergency data system to fight terrorism, but it gradually evolved into a vast, insecure “shadow database” holding sensitive information on millions of people, many of whom were not linked to any crimes at all.
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British kids using fake mustaches, IDs, and VPNs to bypass online age checks, study finds
The UK Online Safety Act (OSA) is supposed to protect children online. Now, kids are using VPNs, fabricating data, using someone else’s IDs, or even drawing on fake mustaches to bypass age verification on various platforms. Still, most families welcome the change and see improvements, a study suggests.
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German regulator sits on hands as facial recognition tool PimEyes amasses billions of faces
The Austrian privacy advocacy group noyb has launched legal action against Hamburg’s data protection authority (DPA), arguing that the regulator fails to enforce European privacy laws against PimEyes’s controversial facial recognition services.
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Tens of thousands of screenshots linked to European celebrity exposed in spyware breach
A security researcher discovered a non-password-protected, publicly accessible database containing almost 90,000 images, showing a celebrity’s private messages, photos, and phone usage. Breach appears to be linked to a now defunct spyware app.
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Meta faces billions in fines as Brussels finds Instagram and Facebook fail to keep minors out
The European Commission has concluded that Facebook and Instagram fail to identify, assess, and mitigate the risks of minors under 13 from accessing their social media services. The American tech company now risks receiving a multi-billion-euro fine.
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Greece moves towards banning anonymity on social media, quoting toxicity
The Greek government plans to ban anonymity on social media, Euractiv reports, citing government officials who say that in ancient Greece, people would express their opinions openly by name.
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Your adblocker might be tracking you: researchers flag dozens of browser extensions openly selling data
Dozens of extensions are openly extracting data from over 6.5 million users and selling it for profit, “and it’s all completely legal,” security researchers from LayerX have found. These extensions disclose the practice in their privacy policies – something that two-thirds of extensions don’t have at all.
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Meta set to alert parents of what teens are discussing with AI: “This is just the starting point”
In the coming weeks, Meta will begin notifying parents about the topics their teens are discussing with its AI chatbot.
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Norway bans under-16s from social media, tech giants must verify ages by year-end
Norway said on Friday it would present a bill in parliament by year-end to ban children from using social media until they turn 16, making technology companies responsible for the task of age verification.
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