privacy
New WinRAR version strips Windows metadata to increase privacy
WinRAR 7.10 was released yesterday with numerous features, such as larger memory pages, a dark mode, and the ability to fine-tune how Windows Mark-of-the-Web flags are propagated when extracting files. WinRAR is a popular file archiver and compression tool for Windows that allows users to create, extract, and manage compressed files, primarily in RAR, ZIP, […]
Microsoft to remove the Location History feature in Windows
Microsoft announced the deprecation of the Location History feature from Windows, which let applications like the Cortana virtual assistant to fetch location history of the device. By deprecating and removing the feature means that the data will no longer be saved locally and the setting will disappear from the operating system (Windows 10 and 11). […]
X now blocks Signal contact links, flags them as malicious
Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) is now blocking links to “Signal.me,” a URL used by the Signal encrypted messaging to share your account info with another person. According to GeekFeed’s tests and other users’ reports, attempting to post Signal.me links via public posts, direct messages, or profile bios receive error messages citing spam or […]
Brave now lets you inject custom JavaScript to tweak websites
Brave Browser is getting a new feature called ‘custom scriptlets’ that lets advanced users inject their own JavaScript into websites, allowing deep customization and control over their browsing experience. The new feature is coming in Brave Browser version 1.75 for the desktop and is very similar to the popular TamperMonkey and GreaseMonkey browser extensions, which allow users to create […]
Microsoft kills off Defender ‘Privacy Protection’ VPN feature
Microsoft announced it is killing off its Privacy Protection VPN feature in the Microsoft Defender app at the end of the month to focus on other features. The tech giant’s announcement does not give a detailed explanation as to why the feature is being deprecated. However, the wording indicates the feature is not being heavily used, and the […]
Brave Search now lets users ‘Rerank’ results from favorite sites
Brave Search has introduced a new feature called Rerank, which allows users to define search results ordering preferences and set specific sites rank higher. Brave Search is a privacy-focused search tool created by Brave Software, which uses its own web index to generate search results. It is marketed as a privacy-first alternative to Google or Bing search […]
Cloudflare CDN flaw leaks user location data, even through secure chat apps
A security researcher discovered a flaw in Cloudflare’s content delivery network (CDN), which could expose a person’s general location by simply sending them an image on platforms like Signal and Discord. While the geo-locating capability of the attack is not precise enough for street-level tracking, it can provide enough data to infer what geographic region a […]
FTC orders GM to stop collecting and selling driver’s data
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking action against General Motors (GM) and its subsidiary, OnStar, for unlawful collection and selling drivers’ precise geolocation and driving behavior data from millions of vehicles. The U.S. government organization proposes a settlement in which the automotive giant will be barred from sharing drivers’ sensitive data for five years. The car […]
GDPR complaints filed against TikTok, Temu for sending user data to China
Non-profit privacy advocacy group “None of Your Business” (noyb) has filed six complaints against TikTok, AliExpress, SHEIN, Temu, WeChat, and Xiaomi, for unlawfully transferring European user’s data to China and infringing European Union’s general data protection regulation (GDPR). Founded by Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems, NOYB works through legal action against companies that violate users’ privacy rights, particularly in […]
Allstate car insurer sued for tracking drivers without permission
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Allstate and its data subsidiary Arity for unlawfully collecting, using, and selling driving data from over 45 million Americans. The two companies are accused of paying millions of dollars to app developers to embed tracking code in widely used mobile apps to gather the location […]