Why Russia Can’t Block iMessage, Even If It Wants To
Russia’s telecom regulator is banning WhatsApp and FaceTime, citing illegal activities. Yet Apple’s iMessage is still working. The reason is a mix of clever tech and simple market irrelevance.
Category: Privacy
EU Probes Google AI, Australia’s Social Media Ban Begins
The European Commission is investigating Google over its AI summaries in search and use of YouTube data. Meanwhile, Australia’s controversial ban on social media for users under 16 officially begins today, targeting apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.
The internet is getting locked down, one age check at a time
A wave of new age verification laws is reshaping the internet, forcing platforms to check IDs or scan faces. But these well-intentioned rules are creating privacy risks and making the web less open for everyone.
Uber’s New Ad Platform Uses Your Ride and Food Data
Uber is launching a new advertising insights platform called Uber Intelligence. It will let marketers combine their customer data with Uber’s anonymized trip and takeout information. The move comes as Uber’s ad business is already on track to hit $1.5 billion in revenue this year.
Meta’s EU Ad Choice: A Real Shift or Just More DMA Theater?
Meta is rolling out a new choice for EU users: share all your data for fully personalized ads, or share less for limited targeting. This follows a €200 million fine over their unpopular “pay or consent” subscription model. The move highlights the ongoing tug-of-war between Big Tech and European regu
Uber’s Newest Revenue Stream: Selling Your Ride and Food Data
Uber is launching a new platform called Uber Intelligence to sell insights gleaned from customer trip and delivery data to advertisers. The company says the data is anonymized and will be used to identify consumer trends. This move is part of Uber’s push to grow its advertising business, which is al
Dartmouth Breach Shows Why Zero-Days Are So Scary
Dartmouth College confirmed a massive data breach affecting over 40,000 people. Attackers used a secret flaw in Oracle’s software for three days before anyone knew it existed. It’s a brutal lesson in supply chain risk.
Chatbots Are Scarily Good at Changing Your Mind, Study Finds
A new study published in the journal *Science* reveals that chatbots can be surprisingly effective at changing people’s political beliefs. The research, involving nearly 77,000 UK adults, found that a chatbot’s persuasiveness is boosted by specific post-training and by packing responses with informa
Google Just Killed the Best Part of Nest
Google is disabling the “Works with Nest” program, which lets devices like thermostats talk to other smart home gadgets. This move essentially bricks a fundamental feature for many still-functional older Nest thermostats, highlighting a major flaw in the connected home dream.
EU fines X $140 million for its deceptive blue checkmarks
X has been fined €120 million (about $140 million) by the European Commission for violating the Digital Services Act. The charges center on the deceptive nature of its paid blue checkmark and failures in ad transparency and data access for researchers.