Tag Archives: privacy

How to pick the right VPN now that you’re working from home

It’s nearly complete. You’ve transformed a corner of your house into your new coronavirus-proof home office, you’ve selected the perfect ergonomic rolling chair and eyestrain-preventive lighting, and now you’ve decided to shore up the privacy of your home internet — effectively now your workplace internet — with a steadfast virtual private network.  Whether you’re searching …

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Ultimate webcam tips: How to look and sound great online

We’re all on more web conferences and video meetings via Skype, Zoom, Google Meet and WebEx lately, so you may as well make a professional impression and get your point across memorably. Here are the six easiest ways to look (and sound) sharp when you meet online. Now playing: Watch this: You have to look good on a webcam today 7:47 Coronavirus …

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This VPN built on blockchain could be the next step in privacy tech

No matter how much we trust any particular virtual private network to help mask our internet browsing, we engage in that service knowing that all of our data is essentially funneled to a single company, whose servers most of us have never seen with our own eyes. That’s the core problem with even the best VPN — despite all the …

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TikTok to open ‘transparency center’ to counter privacy concerns

Popular social video app TikTok on Wednesday said it plans to open a transparency center at its office in Los Angeles as part of its effort to “deepen our engagement with, and earn the trust of, our community as well as policymakers and the broader public.” TikTok, known for its quirky 15-second videos, has surged in popularity over the past year, but …

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Sensor Tower used VPN, ad

Sensor Tower has reportedly been collecting data from millions of people who’ve installed popular VPN and ad-blocking apps for iOS and Android. These apps don’t disclose their connection to the analytics firm or that they feed user data to Sensor Tower’s products, according to an investigation by BuzzFeed News published Tuesday.  Since 2015, Sensor Tower has also owned at least …

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Nokia and Ericsson pitch themselves as Huawei 5G alternative

European telecom equipment makers were on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to reassure lawmakers that their 5G gear is a safe and secure alternative to equipment from Chinese giant Huawei. Their testimony comes as new legislation, allocating $1 billion in subsidies to rip and replace Huawei gear in rural wireless networks, awaits the signature of President Donald Trump. The Senate Commerce …

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Microsoft Edge privacy settings to change right away

Microsoft’s new Edge browser may share the same underpinnings as the popular Chrome web browser, but it takes a much more active role in minding your privacy than Google’s browser does. Microsoft’s Chromium-based browser for Windows 10 ($144 at Amazon) and MacOS gives you control over how you are tracked across the web and what browsing data Edge keeps. And …

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US senators ask UK to reconsider use of Huawei gear

A bipartisan group of US senators is urging UK lawmakers to reconsider their government’s decision to allow equipment from China’s Huawei to be used on its 5G network. In a letter sent to the House of Commons on Tuesday, 20 Republican and Democratic senators voiced the latest US opposition to the plan. “Given the significant security, privacy, and economic threats …

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Clearview AI probed over facial recognition sales to foreign governments

Sen. Edward J. Markey wants answers from controversial facial recognition app Clearview AI, noting that the app is being marketed to foreign countries with authoritarian regimes and could also be collecting and processing images of children taken from social media platforms. “Reporting suggests that Clearview has already provided its software to organizations in countries like Saudi Arabia and the United …

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iOS 13 vs. Android 10: Which OS is more secure?

For years, iOS has maintained an iron grip on its reputation as the most secure mobile operating system, but Android 10’s granular controls over app permissions and increased efforts toward security updates are a noticeable improvement. Plus, the upcoming Android 11 (currently available as a developer preview) further shows Google is making more headway with its latest privacy-focused features. Both Android …

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