Tag Archives: privacy

Facebook privacy probes ramp up in Europe

Facebook continues to face scrutiny in Europe over its privacy practices. CNET Facebook is facing more pressure from European regulators concerned about its privacy policies. Government privacy regulators from France, Spain and Italy recently joined a regulatory group already looking into how the company deals with the personal data it collects from its users, The …

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What you need to know about the FCC’s 2015 net neutrality regulation

Editors’ note: On Dec. 14, 2017, the FCC, under a new chairman, voted to roll back the regulations described below. For more on the 2017 action and what it means, see this story: “What you need to know about the FCC’s net neutrality repeal.” Two weeks after voting to preserve the open Internet (also referred to as Net neutrality) the …

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Silent Circle reveals secure Blackphone 2 phone, Blackphone+ tablet

Now playing: Watch this: Blackphone security-conscious smartphone gets a sequel 1:17 BARCELONA — A year after debuting its first Blackphone, startup Silent Circle announced a second-generation secure-phone successor along with a tablet and broader ambition to protect customers’ privacy. The Blackphone 2 will bring the usual upgrades — a faster processor, more memory, better battery life and a bigger display …

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Reddit clamps down on ‘involuntary pornography’

Reddit has been criticized for allowing objectionable content to remain online in various forums. A new policy shift is designed to shield people from having personal imagery posted to the site. Reddit The wildly popular social news and networking site Reddit is updating its privacy policy to protect victims of so-called “involuntary pornography.” The change is set to take effect …

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Facebook’s new terms of service violates EU law, Belgian groups say

The main page for “Privacy Basics,” a new tips and FAQ hub on Facebook. Facebook The world’s largest social network is under scrutiny in Europe, following the publication of a report asserting that its updated terms of service and data policy are illegal. At the request of the Belgian government’s Privacy Commission, two groups spent the last several weeks analyzing …

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Disable this feature to stop your Samsung Smart TV from listening to you

Now playing: Watch this: Stop your Samsung Smart TV from spying on you 1:28 Editors’ note, March 7, 2017: This post is getting considerable attention in March 2017, now that a cache of Wikileaks documents has allegedly revealed that the CIA might be using these same Samsung TVs to spy on you. However, if that’s true, it’s unlikely that the …

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Samsung Smart TV raises spying privacy fears

The smart home is listening to everything you say. Should you watch what you say in front of a Samsung Smart TV? A privacy policy warns that the voice-recognition feature records what you say and sends it to a third party. But as our sister-site ZDNet reports, a third party is most likely Nuance, a voice-recognition software provider that works …

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Lawmakers push feds to investigate Verizon’s use of ‘supercookies’

Senate Democrats are asking federal regulators to investigate Verizon’s use of “supercookies” that track online activities. Spencer Platt/Getty Images On Friday, Sens. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) sent letters to the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission asking the agencies to look into Verizon’s use of tracking technology. The senators along, with Sen. …

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Verizon to let you opt out of ‘supercookies’

Verizon says it’s working on a way for customers to opt out of supercookies. The carrier says it will be “available soon.” Following an outcry from privacy advocates, Verizon says it will give users the ability to shut down supercookies that track their online activities. Supercookies aroused concerns last year when it was discovered that Verizon and AT&T were using …

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Google to change privacy policy following UK probe

Google has promised to improve its privacy policy in the UK. CNET Google has agreed to play ball with UK regulators to change how it collects user data in the country. In a notice released Friday, the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) announced that Google will “make further changes to its privacy policy to ensure it meets the requirements of …

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