Nov 01 Google buys Fitbit for $2.1 billion By Michelle Chapman, Associated Press Google has struggled to stake a big presence in the wearables market, though this deal could give it more of an opportunity to compete with the Apple Watch. Continue reading
Aug 20 Facebook launches tool that lets users block its data collection on other websites By Barbara Ortutay, Associated Press The company is allowing users to see the activity that Facebook tracks outside its service via its "like" buttons and other means. Users now have the option to turn off the tracking. Continue reading
Aug 14 Facebook paid contractors to transcribe users’ audio clips By Mae Anderson, Rachel Lerman, Associated Press Companies say the practice helps improve their services. But users aren't typically aware that humans and not just computers are reviewing audio. Continue reading
Jul 24 Is FaceApp a security risk? 3 privacy concerns you should take seriously By Nsikan Akpan We asked five experts with backgrounds in data security and tech law if FaceApp worries them. Their resounding answer was yes. Continue reading
Jul 18 Watch 6:25 How FaceApp highlights a gap in U.S. privacy protections The growing popularity of FaceApp, a photo filter app that allows users to transform their features by adding or removing wrinkles, is sounding alarm bells among privacy advocates and lawmakers. There are questions about how the images of people's faces… Continue watching
Jul 10 WATCH: Facial recognition technology, privacy under scrutiny at House committee hearing By Gretchen Frazee The hearing comes during a week when Immigration and Customs Enforcement has come under scrutiny for requesting states provide it with scans of driver's license photos. Continue reading
May 01 Watch 5:35 With proposed changes, is Facebook sincere about prioritizing privacy? While Facebook remains one of the world's largest companies, it has lost some public trust in recent years, due to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Russian influence campaigns during the 2016 election and privacy issues. Now, founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg… Continue watching
Mar 14 Watch 3:15 The dangers of our ‘new data economy,’ and how to avoid them Roger McNamee was an early investor in Facebook and still holds a stake in the social media giant--but he’s also become a vocal critic of its practices, especially around how it handles user data. McNamee offers his humble opinion on… Continue watching
Sep 30 Watch 4:07 How Facebook uses a hidden feature to share your information with advertisers By PBS News Hour This week, Facebook revealed that security breaches on the social media site could expose personal data for approximately 50 million users. This comes as the company faces renewed criticisms for utilizing a hidden function to share users' contact information, like… Continue watching
Sep 18 Majority of Americans believe constitutional rights being ‘diluted,’ poll shows By Alison Thoet Eight in ten Americans are worried that some of their constitutional rights are being “diluted or taken away,” according to a new survey by the Montpelier Foundation. Continue reading