privacy
Android 17 adds ECH support to make web browsing harder to track
Google is introducing new network security protections in Android 17 to strengthen connection privacy, address cellular vulnerabilities, and protect the privacy of users’ home networks. Android 17 adds support for Encrypted Client Hello (ECH), a new privacy standard that operates in conjunction with private DNS to hide profiling metadata, including visited domain names. ECH acts […]
Microsoft tests new privacy controls for Windows 11 desktop apps
Microsoft has begun testing new privacy controls that will let Windows 11 users choose which desktop applications can access their camera, microphone, and precise location. This new feature is shipping to systems upgraded to Windows 11 Insider Experimental Preview Build 26340.9233, and the goal is to make privacy permissions easier to understand in Windows 11 […]
TikTok reaches $400M settlement with US over COPPA violations
The U.S. Department of Justice announced a $400 million settlement with TikTok, ByteDance, and affiliated companies over allegations that they violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The TikTok social media platform, owned by the Chinese technology company ByteDance, allows users to create, watch, and share short-form videos. In 2024, the U.S. Department of […]
WhatsApp rolls out usernames to help users hide their phone number
WhatsApp is finally allowing users to reserve usernames, a privacy feature that lets them hide their phone numbers from people not in their contact list. Meta says that more than 3 billion people in over 180 countries use WhatsApp’s instant messaging and video-calling platform, which started as an alternative to the Short Message Service (SMS) […]
Google releases new privacy controls for activity history, personalization
Google is rolling out new privacy controls for Search services and Google Play, giving you more control over saved history and personalized recommendations. In an email titled “New privacy settings for Search services,” sent to users and seen by GeekFeed, Google said it is “updating our settings to give you even more control over saved […]
Telegram admits it couldn’t police exam-leak channels, India tells court
India’s government has told the Delhi High Court that Telegram was warned about two weeks before it was blocked, and that the platform conceded it could not proactively detect the channels selling leaked exam papers. The nationwide block, imposed ahead of a national medical exam, disrupted Telegram access well beyond India, reaching users as far away […]
Google to use UK and EU user IP addresses for ad personalization
Google has begun notifying advertisers that it will start using IP addresses for ad measurement and personalization across the European Economic Area (EEA), the UK and Switzerland on or shortly after August 3, 2026. IP addresses are received by online services on nearly every request, and the practice is routine across much of the world. […]
UK to require ID or face scan before you can make social media accounts
The UK government will ban under-16s from social media, with regulations due before Christmas and the rules taking effect in spring 2027. To enforce it, platforms must age-check their users. In practice that means anyone opening a new account will likely have to prove they’re over 16 by uploading an ID or passing a facial […]
Brave Software releases Origin for a paid, bloat-free browsing experience
Brave Software has announced the public release of Origin, a paid minimalist, bloat-free version of its browser that strips out cryptocurrency, AI, rewards, and other monetization-focused features. The browser maker says Brave Origin is designed for users who want a more streamlined, privacy-focused browser without the company’s optional revenue-generating services and integrations. “Today, Brave is […]
Android 17 to expand banking scam call and privacy protections
Android 17, expected to roll out next month, will introduce several security and privacy features focused on device theft, threat detection, and banking scam calls. Google will be expanding protections against scammers spoofing caller IDs to impersonate financial institutions and trick users into transferring money or revealing account-related information. Android will work with banking apps to detect […]