Google's upcoming plans to replace third-party cookies with a less invasive ad targeted mechanism have a number of issues that could defeat its privacy objectives and allow for significant linkability of user behavior, possibly even identifying individual users. "FLoC is premised on a compelling idea: enable ad targeting without exposing users to risk," said Eric Rescorla, … [Read more...] about Mozilla Says Google’s New Ad Tech—FLoC—Doesn’t Protect User Privacy
Privacy
Facebook Will Limit Your WhatsApp Features For Not Accepting Privacy Policy
WhatsApp on Friday disclosed that it won't deactivate accounts of users who don't accept its new privacy policy rolling out on May 15, adding it will continue to keep reminding them to accept the new terms. "No one will have their accounts deleted or lose functionality of WhatsApp on May 15 because of this update," the Facebook-owned messaging service said in a statement. The … [Read more...] about Facebook Will Limit Your WhatsApp Features For Not Accepting Privacy Policy
Privacy Bug in Brave Browser Exposes Dark-Web Browsing History of Its Users
Brave has fixed a privacy issue in its browser that sent queries for .onion domains to public internet DNS resolvers rather than routing them through Tor nodes, thus exposing users' visits to dark web websites. The bug was addressed in a hotfix release (V1.20.108) made available yesterday. Brave ships with a built-in feature called "Private Window with Tor" that integrates the … [Read more...] about Privacy Bug in Brave Browser Exposes Dark-Web Browsing History of Its Users
Privacy Comes of Age During the Pandemic
What happens to privacy protections in a pandemic? When any serious threat to our safety and well-being arises, many would think privacy protections would take a back seat. After all, our personal data, including our health status, social contacts, and physical locations, have been needed to help control the spread of COVID-19. What’s more, the rapid shift to remote working has … [Read more...] about Privacy Comes of Age During the Pandemic
WhatsApp Delays Controversial ‘Data-Sharing’ Privacy Policy Update By 3 Months
WhatsApp said on Friday that it wouldn't enforce its recently announced controversial data sharing policy update until May 15. Originally set to go into effect next month on February 8, the three-month delay comes following "a lot of misinformation" about a revision to its privacy policy that allows WhatsApp to share data with Facebook, sparking widespread concerns about the … [Read more...] about WhatsApp Delays Controversial ‘Data-Sharing’ Privacy Policy Update By 3 Months
Building trust through transparency and privacy by design
Privacy by design and default are principles that have been in the privacy engineering lexicon for decades, but only recently have come more broadly to light. These principles aren’t just recommendations or best practices anymore. Privacy by design and default are legally required of companies building products and services in or for the European Union market and other … [Read more...] about Building trust through transparency and privacy by design
Maintaining Data Privacy in the Age of COVID
As the world continues to struggle with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, data and data privacy have never been more critical. Our health status; our test results; our physical locations; our contacts with others – these are exactly the types of information that governments want to collect from individuals to control the spread of the virus, and that companies need to … [Read more...] about Maintaining Data Privacy in the Age of COVID
Android 11 — 5 New Security and Privacy Features You Need to Know
After a long wait and months of beta testing, Google last week finally released Android 11, the latest version of the Android mobile operating system—with features offering billions of its users more control over their data security and privacy. Android security is always a hot topic and almost always for the wrong reason, including Google's failure to prevent malicious apps … [Read more...] about Android 11 — 5 New Security and Privacy Features You Need to Know
New Privacy Features Added to the Upcoming Apple iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur
Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures.No, we're not talking about 'coronavirus,' the current global pandemic because of which Apple—for the very first time in history—organized its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) virtually.Here we're talking about a world in which we are all connected and constantly sharing data, also known as the new oil, with something … [Read more...] about New Privacy Features Added to the Upcoming Apple iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur
Why We Must Get Data Privacy Right
As consumers the world over gear up for the holiday shopping season, and with Black Friday and Cyber Monday soon upon us here in the US, global consumers will be purchasing online more than ever before. In fact, global e-commerce sales are projected to be more than $140 billion over the holidays, up 15 percent from last year’s record. With all this online commerce, consumers … [Read more...] about Why We Must Get Data Privacy Right