Privacy is a growing concern in today’s world. Follow along with all our coverage related to privacy, security, what Apple and other companies are doing to keep your information safe, and what steps you can take to keep your information private.
Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerburg, outlined a detailed vision for the future of the social media platform today, specifically its messaging services. Notably, in contrast to how the company operates today, he says the future of the platform will be privacy-focused with features like end-to-end encryption, interoperability between its various apps like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, reducing how long it holds data, secure storage of personal data, and more.
WhoIs records show that Apple has purchased the domain PrivacyIsImportant.com, a domain which hasn’t previously been owned.
The domain is not yet in use …
We always recommend that people take advantage of two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect online accounts, but a second problem with Facebook 2FA has now been discovered.
The company last year admitted that it used 2FA phone numbers for ad targeting, and it has now been revealed that it also makes your phone number searchable – and you cannot fully opt out …
A New York regulator has written to Facebook and the developers behind at least 11 popular iPhone apps found to be sending sensitive data to Facebook, to demand an explanation.
This data included things like weight, BMI, menstrual cycles, alcohol consumption, food consumption, heart-rate, blood pressure and calories burned during exercise – including in one case the category ‘sexual activity’ …
A new post from the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) today has announced a new initiative called “Fix It Already.” The first post describes specific privacy and security issues that Apple and eight other major tech companies should fix right now.
While 5G promises significantly faster mobile data connections, it does also raise two privacy concerns, according a former researcher at Bell Labs and AT&T Labs Research …
The Cellebrite Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED) is a smartphone hacking tool commonly used by the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement agencies in the US and elsewhere. It’s the most powerful tool yet created by the Israeli company, able to extract a huge amount of data – even data which has been deleted from phones.
A brand new one normally costs $5,000 to $15,000 depending on the model, but older models can be found on eBay for as little as $100 …
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A senior FBI official who testified to Congress during its battle with Apple over access to a locked iPhone has said that end-to-end encryption ‘infects’ law enforcement.
The remark was made as Apple and other tech companies warn of the danger of compromising strong encryption after the Australian government passed a law which would require them to help access encrypted messages on demand …
Facebook has shared today that its previously announced “clear history” feature is set to be released sometime this year. It will allow users to see all the apps and websites they’ve interacted with and delete the data. Facebook will also begin allowing users to stop the platform from recording such data moving forward.
A report from TechCrunch details three new serious security flaws in both 4G and 5G networks and one of them affects all four major US carriers in addition to many more networks around the world. The vulnerabilities allow attackers to track a user’s location as well as intercepting phone calls.
Pressure is growing on Apple and Google to remove Absher, a controversial Saudi app which can be used by male family members to track the movements of women and even bar them from travelling. Some 14 members of Congress have accused the two companies of being ‘accomplices in the oppression of Saudi women’ …
A new investigative report from The Wall Street Journal today looks into the controversial practice of popular third-party iOS and Android apps sending very personal user data to Facebook. In some cases, this happened immediately after an app recorded new data, even if the user wasn’t logged into Facebook or wasn’t a Facebook user at all. Notably, the report highlights that Apple and Google don’t require apps to divulge all the partners that user data is shared with.
After Apple forced Facebook to pull Onavo Protect from the iOS App Store, and to cease using Facebook Research, the social network seems to be finally taking the hint about its spyware …
A WhatsApp security vulnerability has been discovered in a new feature introduced earlier this month …
Yesterday, 9to5Mac was alerted to a flaw in a third-party utility app for Instagram, called Exposure. The app helps brands connect with Instagram posters, automating the collection of agreements to use imagery for commercial purposes.
It just so happens that Apple was using this tool for its Shot on iPhone campaign. 9to5Mac contacted Apple to report the security issue. Following an investigation, a few hours later, Apple cut ties with the Exposure service. (Update: Statement from the parent company of Exposure below)
An attempt by Apple to protect your Safari browsing history in macOS Mojave has a security hole which allows full access by a rogue app, says a Mac and iOS developer.
Prior to Mojave, your browsing history was freely available to any app that looked inside ~/Library/Safari. In macOS 10.14, however, Apple locked down access so tightly that you can’t even list the contents in Terminal – in theory …
Stolen account details from 16 hacked websites have gone on sale on the dark web. In all, 617 million records are available, with data including account holder names, email addresses and hashed passwords …
Tim Cook says that he was unaware of the Absher app, a Saudi-based government app which allows men to track female family members, and even prevent them from travelling, but will investigate.
It follows Oregon Senator Ron Wyden writing to both Cook and Google’s Sundar Pichai, calling on them to ‘immediately remove’ the app from their App Stores …
After Facebook and Google had their Enterprise Certificates revoked by Apple, a new investigation by TechCrunch has revealed more companies exploiting the program for uses outside of the terms and conditions. Specifically, TC verified over two dozen gambling and porn apps that use the Enterprise Certificates to distribute their apps to non-employees, with thousands more likely doing the same. The publication also discovered just how easy it is to gain access to an Enterprise Certificate.
Both Apple and Google have come under fire this month for hosting a Saudi-based app called Absher on their mobile platforms. Among other uses, the app is designed to let Saudi men track and control Saudi women. Now, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden has formally written to both Apple and Google urging them to remove the app from iOS and Android.
A judge has ruled that the public cannot know the details of a battle between the US government and Facebook on whether or not the social network could be forced to decrypt Facebook Messenger calls …
A new Apple patent application suggests that the company has boosted the security of Face ID in order to defeat the attack method demonstrated in 2017, when a specially-designed 3D-printed mask was able to unlock an iPhone X.
The attack was a sophisticated one, meaning that ordinary users didn’t have much to fear, but the security researchers did suggest that high-profile targets – like company CEOs – might want to avoid using Face ID …
A new report from Motherboard today takes a look into the practices of US wireless carriers selling user location data to third-parties. While it’s often credit card and other financial companies buying the location data for fraud detection and more, Motherboard says some rogue third-parties have access to user location data and it’s landing the hands of bounty hunters and the black market.