Data Privacy
Ongoing coverage on Data Privacy.
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Evening Safety Dance
Meta has reportedly paused an employee tracking program after it inadvertently exposed sensitive company data to the entire organization. The program's failure to secure data led to its temporary suspension.
Italy is probing Apple over iCloud services like iPhone backups
Apple is under investigation in Italy concerning its iCloud services, specifically regarding iPhone backups. This marks another instance of the company facing scrutiny in the European Union over its practices.
No, Pokémon Go Data Isn't Being Used to Train Military Drones, Niantic Spatial Insists
Niantic has denied claims that location data collected from its game Pokémon Go is being used to train military drones. The company insists that player data is not being utilized for such purposes.
Dutch journalists show Pokemon Go player data are being used for military drone software
Dutch journalists have reported that data collected from Pokemon Go players, amounting to approximately 30 billion area scans since 2021, is allegedly being used by Niantic Spatial and Vantor to develop software for military drones. Vantor's software suite, Vantor Raptor, utilizes visual positioning systems to enable drone operation during electronic countermeasures, with a partnership announced in December 2025 to ensure functionality during GPS unavailability. Niantic, which sold Pokemon Go and its Niantic Spatial studio to Scopely in 2025, has a history of privacy controversies.
Your happy Pokémon Go memories were probably used to train military drones
A recent article suggests that player data from Pokémon Go may have been used to train military drones. This raises concerns about data privacy and the potential misuse of information gathered from popular mobile games for purposes beyond entertainment.
Report: Pokemon Go video scans may have been used for AI drone training
A report indicates that scans made by Pokémon Go players may have been sold to a military drone technology company, Vantor, through Niantic Spatial. These video scans are reportedly used to train a 3D navigation system for drones and robots, though Vantor denies using Pokémon Go data directly. Niantic stated that player data has not been sold and that their products are used responsibly.
Morning Legal Briefs
Two individuals who sold data belonging to victims of car accidents have been ordered to repay £118,000. The case highlights issues related to data privacy and legal repercussions for unauthorized data sales.
Amnesty International reports unprecedented AI data theft and VPNs are more popular than ever
Amnesty International reports that generative AI companies like OpenAI, Google Gemini, and Midjourney are unlawfully scraping private data from the internet. This has led to a significant increase in VPN popularity, with searches for VPNs reaching unprecedented levels. The article discusses concerns about AI's impact on data privacy, copyright, and potential misuse for manipulation.
If these AI spying allegations are true, that's another reason to get a VPN
A new class action lawsuit alleges that ChatGPT shares user data with Google and Meta, potentially for targeted advertising and content manipulation. The article suggests this controversy is another reason to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to protect personal data when interacting with AI chatbots. It recommends using reputable VPN services and avoiding account creation with AI tools to limit data collection.
The ChatGPT desktop app for Mac just got hit with a security breach
OpenAI has reported a security breach affecting its ChatGPT desktop application for Mac. The company stated that there is no evidence to suggest that user data was accessed during the incident.
Subnautica 2 Sells Over 1 Million Copies, Peaks at Nearly 468,000 Concurrent Steam Players
Unknown Worlds' Subnautica 2 has achieved over one million copies sold in early access for Xbox Series X/S and PC, with nearly 468,000 concurrent players on Steam. However, some players have raised concerns regarding the game's license agreement, particularly its clauses on content ownership, class-action waivers, and data collection practices which are reportedly non-optional and include sharing and selling.
Amidst Xbox boycotts and media pressure, Microsoft reportedly restructures Israeli office after internal investigation into ethical violations
Microsoft has reportedly restructured its Israeli office following an internal investigation into ethical violations concerning its work with the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the use of its cloud services. The investigation, prompted by reports of military use of Microsoft's AI and cloud technology in Gaza, has led to the departure of the general manager and several other managers. Despite ongoing protests and calls for boycotts of Microsoft and Xbox, the company and the Ministry of Defense are reportedly interested in renewing their contract on a smaller scale.
Netflix Digugat, Dituding Bikin Anak-anak Kecanduan Nonton
Netflix is facing a lawsuit in Texas, filed by Attorney General Ken Paxton, accusing the company of deceptive trade practices. The lawsuit alleges that Netflix designs its platform to be addictive, particularly for children, through features like "autoplay" and engages in illegal data collection and sharing with advertising technology companies. Netflix has denied the allegations, calling them "unfounded" and "distorted," and stated they take member privacy seriously.
Texas AG sues Netflix, claiming the streaming service collects user data without consent
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Netflix, alleging the streaming service collects user data without proper consent, with a particular focus on children's accounts. The suit claims violations of privacy laws.
GM agrees to pay $12.75 million to settle California lawsuit over misuse of customers' driving data
General Motors has agreed to a $12.75 million settlement in a California lawsuit alleging the misuse of customer driving data. The company is accused of collecting data through its OnStar service and subsequently selling it to third-party data brokers.
Google isn't scanning your Gmail to train Gemini, it's letting Gemini scan your inbox to provide 'personalized insights' but I'm not sure that's better
Google's Gemini AI is being integrated into Gmail to provide personalized insights and assist with drafting emails, rather than to train AI models. While this feature is opt-in, the data from user interactions and summaries of emails may be used to train generative AI models, raising concerns about data privacy despite Google's assurances.
Chrome downloads a 4GB AI file without user consent, researcher alleges
A researcher has alleged that Google Chrome is downloading a 4GB artificial intelligence file without user consent. The file reportedly reappears if deleted and lacks an opt-in mechanism for users.
CWA Canada president says Saudi buyout of EA should trigger 'virtually every alarm bell'
CWA Canada president Carmel Smyth has urged the Canadian government to scrutinize the proposed $55 billion buyout of Electronic Arts by a consortium including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund due to national security risks. Concerns include potential data misuse, surveillance, and the transfer of sensitive AI technology to a foreign state. The union also highlighted potential job losses for Canadian EA workers due to the deal's financing structure.
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AI Yi-Yi!
OpenAI has launched Privacy Filter, an open-source, on-device model designed to remove personal information from enterprise data. This comes as Anthropic's "Mythos" is described as a "nothingburger" in the AI space.