May 2024 Roundup of Privacy News
News, news, news again
Welcome to another edition of my monthly roundup of privacy-related news. Once again, facial recognition technology was the biggest headline that I found, and we are definitely going to see more of that, even though FRT possesses numerous flaws and concerns. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
Notable Substack Reads:
Dropbox announces data breach of Dropbox Signature - Link
Hacker gets jail time for extorting and publishing patients personal therapy notes - Link
Microsoft says that April Windows update can break VPN connections - Link
Bitwarden releases solo MFA authentication app - Link / Additional Link
Senators want to limit facial recognition in airports - Link
Google announces Passkeys have been adopted by over 400 million accounts - Link
WhatsApp is being secretly used in countries that banned it - Link
To make AI safe, countries need better data collection regulations - Link
Microsoft announces Passkeys for users accounts - Link
Outabox, an Australian firm that used facial recognition for bars and clubs, has a data breach - Link
FCC's big fines aren’t a privacy success story - Link
Microsoft bans US police departments from using enterprise AI tool for facial recognition - Link
EU proposal of forcing messaging apps to scan private communication for CSAM could lead to millions of false positives - Link
Australia privacy commissioner Carly Kind says third party providers are a weak spot - Link
Michigan Supreme Court rules against couple regarding drone photos dispute - Link
End-to-End encryption isn't going anywhere - Link
WhatsApp could soon show you who was online - Link
Google is changing how to set up 2Fas - Link
Australia: New government app will tell you in real time if someone is using your personal information - Link
VPN might not be secure - Link
Proton faces scrutiny for the role it played in arrest in Spain - Link
Proton announces Proton Monitor, security features to protect data for Proton Pass - Link
Scotland Yard bans Met Police officers from accessing controversial facial recognition search engine - Link
Apple's iPhone Spyware problem - Link
Finland warns of Android malware that is trying to breach bank accounts - Link
Mullvad VPN introduces defend against AI-guided traffic analysis - Link
Mozilla to protect Firefox users from bounce trackers - Link
Maryland passes 2 internet privacy laws - Link
RateMDs does violate privacy and law suit can move forward - Link
TSA is looking to AI to improve screening process - Link
Bitcoin and privacy is under threat due to new EU regulation - Link
Local Monero is shutting down - Link
Apple and Google launch cross platform feature to block Bluetooth tracking - Link
Apple is reportedly near a deal with OpenAI - Link
Apple shouldn't compromise their "privacy" value with AI ambitions - Link
Vermont passes data privacy law that can allow consumers to sue if their privacy rights were violated - Link
New healthcare cyber regulations prepared are happening despite backlash - Link
Meta is reportedly looking to create AI earbuds with cameras - Link
How to block your phone number on iPhone - Link
EU’s failure with reining in spyware - Link
FTC warns auto manufacturers about connected-car data privacy - Link
Helsinki suffers data breach - Link
Flock Safety now has solar powered cameras, which brings new surveillance concerns - Link
Gmail will now have AI features - Link
Mortgage brokers sent people’s estimated credit, address, and veteran status to Facebook - Link
How to avoid multi factor authentication code scams - Link
iOS 17.5 update is bringing back deleted photos - Link
Google's Gemini AI tool promises promises data privacy for schools - Link
Facebook Marketplace should improve privacy and transparency according to study - Link
Librarians are waging a quiet war against international “Data Cartels” - Link
Apple is tracking you even when the settings say they are not - Link
These cities barred facial recognition tech. Police still found ways to access it - Link
Zoom adds post-quantum end-to-end encryption to video meetings - Link
Facial recognition technology is on the rise at sporting events - Link
Spyware found on US hotel check in computers - Link
EFF is urging the US Supreme Court to reject Texas's Age Verification Law - Link
Sports and surveillance - Link
Mullvad VPN can no longer accept cash payments (Danish kroner) - Link
UK and facial recognition technology developments - Link
Tracking private jets will be harder now - Link
EU task force on ChatGPT - Link
Meta is making it hard to opt out of AI training your posts - Link
BBC: 'I was misidentified as shoplifter by facial recognition tech' - Link
Census Bureau considering cellular tracking - Link
Ticketmaster gets hacked - Link
Mullvad VPN: Hiding account numbers - Link
Tech watchdog fears social media regulation bill could harm minors’ privacy - Link
EFF: Georgia prosecutors stoke fears over use of encrypted messengers and Tor - Link
EFF: The Alaska Supreme Court takes aerial surveillance’s threat to privacy seriously, other courts should too - Link
Apple and OpenAI have reached a deal - Link
If you have any other privacy related news that you saw in May, feel free to leave them in the comments.
Until Next Time,
Monique 🗞️