Millions of people in China who use loan apps to borrow money have ended up paying with their privacy. A security researcher discovered a public database left exposed online containing sensitive data on more than 4.6 million devices, including location history, debt logs, financial information and contacts. The database had over 899 gigabytes of data …
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Prime Day is over — pass the vodka! Although you haven’t been eating, breathing and sleeping Amazon’s big event the way I have, I’m sure you’re nearly as sick of it. Thus, it seemed a good time to update this post, which is all about perennial deals — items I consider a bargain every day, no coupon code or massive …
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Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has sent letters asking Facebook, Google and Twitter how they plan to deal with deepfakes ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Schiff’s concerns follow the disinformation campaigns that spread across social media during the 2016 presidential campaign, according to a statement released Monday. Deepfakes are fake videos or audio recordings that make people …
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iMessage envy is real. Apple’s chat service has set the gold standard for a seamless messaging experience, where iMessage on the Mac picks up where you leave off on your iPhone. The downside for Windows users — iMessage won’t on your PC. But that doesn’t mean you can’t chat from the comfort of your Windows PC. There are now a number …
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Researchers have discovered that more than 1,000 Android apps harvest your data, even when you tell them no. This is an eye-opening thought at a time when companies such as Facebook, Google and Amazon are under the microscope for their privacy and security policies. Studies have shown that apps with no permissions are able to piggyback on other apps you’ve given …
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Since it was announced in June, Facebook has received pushback for its Libra cryptocurrency from government officials in both the US and Europe. On Monday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin added his concerns and questioned what’s being done to curb illegal activity involving cryptocurrency. “The Treasury Department has expressed very serious concerns that Libra could be misused by money launderers and …
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Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency won’t be available until it gets the proper regulatory approvals, according to the head of the social network’s Calibra subsidiary, which is providing financial services for the digital coin. David Marcus’ comments come from prepared testimony ahead of his appearance in front of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs on Tuesday. “Facebook will not offer the Libra digital …
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Not far from a frenzy of screaming tweens chasing online video stars, in a glass building overlooking Disneyland, VidCon introduced a new celebrity to its pantheon: video forgeries known as deepfakes. But with the ability to manipulate video to make anyone do anything, people may instead be running in fear. VidCon, which started in earnest Thursday, is the world’s biggest conference …
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A day after the Trump administration announced plans to investigate whether France’s planned digital tax amounts to unfair trade practices by discriminating against US companies, the French government has passed the laws. On July 11, the Senate passed the bill creating a 3% tax on big tech companies providing services to French users. It could affect US giants Apple, Facebook, …
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The US Federal Reserve System has added its voice to the chorus of doubts raised by lawmakers, politicians and others worldwide about Facebook’s newly announced cryptocurrency, Libra. While speaking to House lawmakers Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the US central bank has “serious concerns” about Libra, The Wall Street Journal reported. Facebook last month unveiled the global digital coin, which …
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