Google removed 210 YouTube channels earlier this week as part of its effort to combat misinformation. The channels were “coordinated influence operations” related to the ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, the company said Thursday in a blog post. The decision follows Twitter suspending 936 accounts from China on Monday that attempted to undermine the …
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Apple’s continued push for privacy control went further than Monday’s WWDC announcement of the new sign-in with Apple offering. In a less publicized update, the tech giant also adjusted its App Store guidelines. Among the new updates, Apple revealed that apps designed for kids or in the “kids” category of the App Store can no longer “include third-party advertising or analytics …
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Dear Maggie, I’m freaked out by reports about how my smartphone can be used to track my every move. Is there anything I can do to maintain my privacy? Thanks, Paranoid Dear Paranoid, Unfortunately, your concerns are rooted in reality. Smartphones have become a human “electronic tag” that we constantly carry with us. Precise locations, dates, times, durations and what …
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Facebook has all the photos you took at your girls’ weekend at the beach. That’s no surprise, because you posted them to your profile page. But Facebook has ways to get even more information about your getaway. The company isn’t just a social network. It’s an ad network too, and it follows you around on the internet and in real …
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It’s some of the most sensitive medical information a person could have. Records for potentially tens of thousands of patients seeking treatment at several addiction rehabilitation centers were exposed in an unsecured online database, an independent researcher revealed Friday. The 4.91 million records included patients’ names, as well as details of the treatments they received, according to Justin Paine, the …
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Porn sites serving UK users will soon be required to confirm the age of visitors before letting them access content, the British government said Wednesday. As of July 15, commercial providers of pornography will have to ensure that only those over the age of 18 are able to access adult content, to protect minors. It’ll be up to individual sites and services …
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The latest version of the Opera web browser launched Tuesday for Mac, Windows and Linux. Opera 60, codenamed Reborn 3, includes a cryptocurrency wallet, Web3 explorer and a free VPN. Reborn 3 has increased privacy and security features, including a built-in ad blocker, the company said in a release. Like previous versions of Opera, it also offers an unlimited VPN, …
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Opera has added a free, built-in VPN service to its mobile browser for Android users in version 51, which launched Wednesday. This means you won’t need to sign in, download additional apps or pay extra for protection while browsing public Wi-Fi. Opera says this gives you even more control over your online privacy. The built-in VPN creates a private, encrypted connection between …
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Facebook appears to have pulled its controversial Onavo mobile VPN app from the Google Play Store. The app, called Onavo Protect, will immediately stop pulling user data for market research, TechCrunch reported Thursday, but will remain as an active VPN while users look for a replacement. The app will eventually shut down, according to the report. Facebook didn’t immediately respond to …
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Some Facebook users have been giving the social network access to their phone activity in exchange for money as part of a research project since 2016, according to a Tuesday report by TechCrunch. Facebook, which critics say isn’t doing enough to protect the privacy of its users, has been giving people between the ages of 13 and 35 a payment …
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