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Privacy

As gadgets and services get smarter, they need more data, and face the hard problem of keeping it safe. Data privacy has become a huge problem for Google, Facebook, Amazon, and any company using artificial intelligence to power its services — and a major sticking point for lawmakers looking to regulate. Here's all the news on data privacy and how it's changing tech.

PSA: Don’t post your coronavirus vaccination card selfie on social media

The temptation to humblebrag about getting vaccinated is understandable but ill-advised

Baltimore’s spy planes will fly no more

Google is weighing an anti-tracking feature for Android, following Apple’s lead

Clearview’s facial recognition tech is illegal mass surveillance, Canada privacy commissioners say

Facebook prompt will encourage ad tracking opt-in ahead of Apple’s privacy push

Amazon’s Ring now reportedly partners with more than 2,000 US police and fire departments

WhatsApp is using Status messages—its version of Stories— to try to reassure users about privacy

University will stop using controversial remote-testing software following student outcry

Global Privacy Control wants to succeed where Do Not Track failed

Apple’s next iOS 14 beta will begin forcing developers to ask for permission to track you

Weeks later, Google still hasn’t added privacy labels to its most popular iPhone apps

Facebook users’ phone numbers are for sale through a Telegram bot

Amnesty International calls for a ban on facial recognition in New York City

Italian watchdog tells TikTok to block users whose ages can’t be verified

US Defense Intelligence Agency admits to buying citizens’ location data

Signal is back after an outage that lasted more than 24 hours

WhatsApp to delay new privacy policy amid mass confusion about Facebook data sharing

Period tracking app settles charges it lied to users about privacy

WhatsApp clarifies it’s not giving all your data to Facebook after surge in Signal and Telegram users

The company is trying to contain fallout over a privacy policy update

FTC settles with photo storage app that pivoted to facial recognition

Use of Clearview AI facial recognition tech spiked as law enforcement seeks to identify Capitol mob

Social media and telco companies urged to preserve evidence from Capitol attack

Intel launches RealSense ID, facial recognition tech that uses the company’s depth-sensing cameras

Signal sees surge in new signups after boost from Elon Musk and WhatsApp controversy

ExamSoft’s proctoring software has a face-detection problem

A new report urges ExamSoft to change its features

Google’s Wing warns new drone laws ‘may have unintended consequences’ for privacy

Your car may be recording more data than you know

A Facebook bug exposed Instagram users’ personal email addresses and birthdays

Facebook’s UK users will lose EU privacy protections next year

Apple launches new App Store privacy labels so you can see how iOS apps use your data

Google and Apple are banning technology for sharing users’ location data

Privacy group files complaint against five online test-proctoring services