Controversial aerial surveillance program in major US city to reduce crime ended, after lawsuit and pressure from civil rights group
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Facebook App Pop-up To Explain Benefits Of Data Collection
Response to Apple privacy rule. Facebook testing new pop-up alert for iPhone apps, explaining benefits of data collection
Microsoft Criticised For ‘Workplace Surveillance’ Feature
Microsoft 365 Productivity Score feature, introduced last month, criticised for analysing 'extensive data' on individual employees' activities
Police Ask Residents To Link Smart Doorbells To Surveillance Hub
Privacy nightmare? Police ask residents in US city to link their smart doorbells to surveillance hub to reduce local crime
Amazon Respects Rights Of Workers To Join Union
Not a problem? Amazon responds to media report on union activity tracking, by saying it respects worker rights to join trade union
Amazon Hires Former NSA Director In Charge During Snowden Revelations
Amazon names former NSA director to board of directors, who was also the man in charge when Edward Snowden blew spying whistle
Palantir Opens Books To Investors Ahead Of NYSE Listing
Controversial loss-making data intelligence company to lay out its business to investors ahead of unusual direct listing on New York Stock Exchange
NSA Surveillance Program Exposed By Edward Snowden, Ruled Unlawful
Spying setback. US Court of Appeals rules the NSA surveillance and mass data collection program exposed by Edward Snowden, was unlawful
Google Stops Responding To Data Request From Hong Kong
Data requests from Hong Kong authorities are being ignored, Google confirms, after China imposed controversial national security law
German Court Strikes Down Telecoms Data Access Law
Current laws give security services 'excessive' access to citizens' data, finds top court, giving government until end of 2021 to bring in higher thresholds
Tech Firms Withhold Data Sharing With Hong Kong
Tech giants pledge pause data sharing with authorities in Hong Kong, after China imposed draconian security law for the territory
Microsoft Bans Facial Recognition Sales To Police
Software giant follows IBM and Amazon with police facial recognition ban until there is national regulation of the technology
Tech Firms Pledge Child Abuse Disclosures To Blunt Anti-Encryption Drive
Strategic move? Google, Facebook, Microsoft pledge to improve and standardise annual disclosures around online child exploitation
IBM Cancels All Facial Recognition Programs, Urges Police Reform
Big Blue cancels its facial recognition programs and calls for reform and new ways to work with law enforcement, "to advance justice and racial equity"
Coronavirus: France Approves Contact Tracing App
French minister defends centralised approach of its Covid-19 contact-tracing app, citing the French and UK's nuclear deterrent
Coronavirus Tracing Apps Must Not Be Used For Surveillance, Says EU
EU officials warn member states that Covid-19 tracing apps must not be used for 'mass surveillance' and need to be deactivated when pandemic ends
Coronavirus: Amazon Uses Blacklisted Chinese Firm For Thermal Cameras
Chinese firm banned by the United States over allegations it aided the Chinese government, supplies thermal cameras to Amazon for Coronavirus protection
Coronavirus: NSO Offers Covid-19 Tracking Software
Surveillance specialist NSO offers Western governments software that uses mobile phone data to monitor and predict the spread of coronavirus
Russia To Delay Electronic Sales Ban
Delay to implementation of law banning sales of electronic devices in Russia unless they come pre-loaded with Russian-made software
Coronavirus: Operators Share Location Data With Health Authorities
European mobile operators are sharing location data with health authorities in certain European countries to limit the spread of the pandemic
NSO Fails To Appear In Court After WhatsApp Lawsuit
NSO Group fails to show up in US court to contest WhatsApp spyware lawsuit, despite promising to 'vigorously fight' Facebook's allegations
Amazon Ring Logs All Doorbell And App Interactions
Privacy issue emerges as Amazon confirms it logs records of every motion detected by installed Ring doorbells, and interactions with its app
Mozilla Turns On DoH By Default For US Firefox Users
Mozilla Foundation has turned on its privacy feature called DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) for American users of the Firefox browser
Twitter Demands AI Firm Cease Facial Image Collection
Privacy concern. Cease-and-desist letter from Twitter to AI firm Clearview demands it stop collecting photos from social media platforms
Chat App ToTok Is Spy Tool For UAE – Report
ToTok chat and messaging app that is popular in UAE, is allegedly a spy tool for the government, it is claimed in a report
Russia ‘Successfully Tests’ Sovereign Internet – Report
Russian pursuit of “sovereign internet” sees the country test its Internet unplugged from rest of the world
Russia Bans Electronic Sales Unless Russian Software Is Pre-installed
Electronic devices such as smartphones, computers and smart televisions must come pre-loaded with Russian-made software
WhatsApp Sues NSO For ‘Advanced’ Surveillance Hack Claim
Facebook division files lawsuit against NSO Group, because of alleged surveillance tool exploit
Google Allegedly Developing ‘Spy Tool’ To Use On Staff – Report
Relationship between Google staff and management sinks to new low after worker surveillance allegation
Official Chinese App Allows Backdoor Access To Phones, Warns Cure 53
Security vendor finds heavily promoted Chinese app contains code to allow state monitoring of phones