Privacy

FTC notifies 3.7 million Avast customers about compensation

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is emailing 3.7 million Avast customers, informing them they may be eligible for compensation due to Avast’s deceptive privacy practices. Avast collected and sold users’ browsing data without proper consent while falsely claiming its software protected privacy. The FTC ruled that this practice violated U.S. law. Avast’s data was […]

Encryption Privacy

Apple halts encrypted iCloud backups in the UK

Apple has stopped offering end-to-end encrypted iCloud backups in the UK due to government demands. UK authorities issued a Capability Notice requiring Apple to provide access to encrypted backups. As a result, the ‘Advanced Data Protection’ feature, which enables full encryption, will no longer be available to new UK users. Existing UK users who already […]

AI Privacy

DeepSeek database leak exposes AI security risks

Wiz Research uncovered a publicly accessible ClickHouse database belonging to DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup. The database exposed over a million sensitive log entries, including chat history, API keys, and backend details. The database was entirely open, allowing full control without authentication. This posed severe security risks, making it vulnerable to unauthorized access and potential […]

AI Privacy

Italy probes DeepSeek data risks

Italy’s Privacy Guarantor has requested information from DeepSeek AI providers in China about their data collection practices. Authorities are concerned about potential risks to the personal data of millions of Italians. Key inquiries include data sources, the legal basis for collection, storage locations, and the use of web scraping. Regulators want to understand how DeepSeek […]

Privacy

Australian Bunnings faces backlash for privacy violations with facial recognition

Bunnings, Australia’s largest hardware chain, has been accused of violating the privacy of hundreds of thousands of customers by using facial recognition technology in over 60 stores. According to the OAIC, Australia’s privacy regulator, the system was overly intrusive and operated without obtaining proper customer consent. The OAIC found that Bunnings failed to meet transparency […]

Privacy

FTC sounds alarm on social media’s massive user surveillance

The FTC revealed that major social media and streaming platforms, like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, engage in large-scale user surveillance for profit. The investigation found that these companies collect and monetize vast amounts of personal data. This raises serious privacy concerns, especially for children. The report highlights how these companies’ reliance on targeted ads drives […]

Privacy

Snowden: The arrest of Durov is an attack on the fundamental human rights of freedom of expression and association.

The arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov by French authorities is an attack on the fundamental human rights of freedom of expression and association, according to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden on X. The French authorities have since issued a statement regarding Durov’s arrest. They stated that the Telegram founder was detained as part of an […]

Privacy Surveillance

Patternz: Commercial Surveillance Tool Tracking Billions Via Advertisements

The commercial surveillance tool named Patternz, offered by ISA, utilizes advertisements across numerous apps to track billions of people, according to claims by journalists, researchers, and the company itself. Patternz employs real-time bidding (RTB) through advertisements to monitor over five billion individuals, as outlined in a report titled ‘Europe’s hidden security crisis.’ RTB is a […]