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Protect your digital life with the latest privacy news, covering smart device surveillance risks and OS security backdoors.
Requiring Google to share data and system access with competitors may come with some security risks, but Google undeniably has a vested interest in maintaining its market position. Both of those things can be true, but is one maybe a little more true than the other? That’s the issue with which the European Commission must grapple. The EU is undertaking this effort under the auspices of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which has designated Google, Meta, Amazon, and other giant tech firms as “gatekeepers” that are subject to additional regulation. Google has openly opposed the DMA, calling for the
Google warns EU's plans to weaken its monopoly could expose user data… He claims that AI tools are widely supported, with phone makers playing a key role in vetting them. Granting non-Gemini AI platforms deeper integration with Android could circumvent safeguards, he said. Similarly, Google contends that sharing search data as the EU now demands will risk user privacy. …
… There are many ways to anonymize user data in aggregate, and Google would know—it frequently leverages anonymized user data, and it stresses the privacy-protecting aspects of this process. Sometimes it hides identities by merging all the data for a group that shares some trait, like a postal code. …
… But the company is still making the same privacy promises it did before, when all of its AI models were either running locally on your devices or on Apple-controlled server hardware. For years, Apple has touted user privacy as a key benefit of using its platforms. …
… However, those laws do not cover worker confidentiality, and that allegedly leaves a huge privacy loophole in Google’s deal, especially when you consider that the tech giant is buying worker data, not consumer data. “The privacy architecture of this transaction is consumer-facing; its payload is di… …
… If you’re uncertain about using AI tools on a site, you should always try to parse its privacy policy, which will tell you how your data AI-generated or not will be used. As long as Google is deploying AI as an opt-out service, you’ll have to be extra vigilant. …
… Confidential Computing keeps data encrypted on Nvidia GPUs while it’s being processed in the cloud, which could help Apple claim it’s still sensitive to user privacy concerns . It might even retain its own Private Cloud Compute branding for the system. …
… With these laws now going into effect, Google has announced an expansion of its beta Play Age Signals API, which it claims will allow developers to confirm user ages without impinging on privacy. …
Several months ago, Motorola and the makers of GrapheneOS announced a team-up that would expand support for the privacy-centric OS to beyond Google’s Pixel phones. The announcement, however, was bereft of details. …
… Google’s selfie sign-in landing page includes the typical disclaimers about privacy and data access, promising that the company will keep the video encrypted and won’t use it for any other purposes unless you opt in. …
… Skiff reportedly served 2 million users , giving rivals like Proton Mail a run for their money before the Notion acquisition. As a Gmail client that didn’t support end-to-end encryption, Notion’s AI-centric approach to email lacked the privacy focus that Skiff carried as an email provider. …