Privacy
Canadian lender TD tells some employees it will use software to monitor their work
Toronto-Dominion Bank told some employees working in its financial crimes and risk management team that it would run software to track their work, prompting questions around consent and privacy in the workplace as the Canadian lender tries to increase productivity, according to a recording of a team call reviewed by Reuters and a document TD shared with employees.
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Dutch privacy regulator warns municipalities are struggling to control public camera surveillance
The Dutch privacy and data protection authority (DPA) claims that many municipalities in the Netherlands attempt to comply with privacy rules and regulations for camera surveillance, but fail miserably.
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It’s just become impossible to de-Google from Volkswagen, say GrapheneOS users
Carmaker Volkswagen is facing criticism from privacy-conscious drivers after GrapheneOS users reported being locked out of the company’s mobile app, leaving some unable to log in, sync vehicle data, or remotely control their cars.
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The fathers of internet encryption are watching their invention enter middle age
Half a century after a paper rewrote the rules of digital security, the system it spawned is being rebuilt while the world prepares for a shift toward quantum computing. With Father’s Day on Sunday, the legacy of Whitfield Diffie and Martin Hellman, the “fathers of encryption,” is being reflected on at a moment when the cryptographic systems they helped create face one of their biggest challenges yet.
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Teens under 16 in Ohio will need parents’ permission to sign up for social media, court rules
Ohio can implement a law requiring social media companies, including Meta Platforms' Instagram, to obtain parental consent before allowing children under 16 to use their platforms, a US appeals court ruled on Thursday.
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Swedish regulator says Securitas, a security company, unlawfully monitored drivers with in-car cameras
The Swedish data protection authority IMY has criticized security company Securitas for unlawfully monitoring employees using in-car cameras installed in company vehicles. Securitas, a security firm, used the system to track driver behavior, including phone use, seatbelt use, fatigue, and smoking, during a pilot program.
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Is the UK really considering a VPN ban after its social media crackdown?
Speculation is mounting that the UK government could move to restrict or ban virtual private networks (VPNs) as part of its efforts to enforce a social media ban for under-16s. However, the idea of a “Great British Firewall” may be little more than clickbait.
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Security risks overshadow the debut of Europe’s X rival, W
W, Europe’s answer to X (formerly Twitter), has an unconventional approach to privacy, prompting security researchers to question how safe the platform really is.
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Apple makes “Hide My Email” easier to block, raising privacy concerns
Apple is rolling out a change that many fear will degrade one of its most useful privacy features. Email addresses generated by “Hide My Email” and “Sign in with Apple” will migrate to a dedicated subdomain, making it easier for services to block them entirely. Some users are scrambling to generate aliases on the old domains before the switch.
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Starmer’s social media ban for under-16s wins regulator backing
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and Ofcom are happy with the government’s proposal to restrict access to social media for children under the age of 16, thus giving momentum to one of the country’s most ambitious online safety proposals.
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Google’s new CAPTCHA asks users to wave hand at camera, users fear privacy trade-off
Google has introduced a new hand-gesture verification system for reCAPTCHA that asks some users to grant camera access and perform simple hand movements to prove they are human.
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Telegram CEO warns against VPNs amid UK social media ban
Why does the CEO of Telegram care about the UK’s under-16 social media ban if Telegram isn’t on the list?
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UK watchdog now investigating smart TVs collecting your personal data
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) will investigate whether smart TV manufacturers comply with privacy laws and how they handle users’ personal data.
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Russia’s VPN crackdown starts hitting online retailers as shoppers abandon purchases
The Russian government’s attempt to crack down on VPNs is beginning to take a toll on the country’s economy. Online retailers are reporting lower traffic and lost sales as online shoppers struggle to navigate the increasingly restricted digital environment.
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UK bans under-16s from social media in sweeping new rules
The government might also announce an overnight curfew.
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Britons largely unaware how smart devices are quietly harvesting personal data, survey finds
Millions of people in the United Kingdom own at least one smart device. However, only 1 in 7 has a clear understanding of how their data is collected, shared, and used.
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EU orders Meta to open WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots, says users should be free to choose which AI assistant they use
The European Commission has ordered Meta to restore free access to WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots, such as OpenAI, while it investigates whether the company had unfairly blocked competitors. The decision could help preserve users’ ability to choose between different AI assistants instead of being limited to Meta’s AI.
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It might be harder to hide behind smart glasses when recording in Pennsylvania
Smart glasses could face new legal requirements in Pennsylvania as lawmakers move to make it a legal requirement to visibly indicate when a user is recording.
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Signal slams UK for “dystopian” device scanning
Signal says the UK’s demands to scan, detect, and block nude images are dystopian. The Home Office says big tech companies like Google and Apple have just three months to comply.
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Meta blasts facial recognition claims, then deletes the code from its app
Just days after Meta executives publicly attacked reports that the company had embedded facial recognition technology in its smart glasses app, the code in question is no longer there.
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