Morning Tidings

Tag: tracking

  • Google To Pay 1 Million Fine For Users’ Location Data Tracking Lawsuit

    Google To Pay $391 Million Fine For Users’ Location Data Tracking Lawsuit

    San Francisco, November 15 : Google will pay a historic $391.5 million in settlement to 40 states in the US over allegations that the tech giant tracked users location data without their consent in the country. Last month, Google paid $85 million to the state of Arizona to settle the claims that the tech giant illegally tracked the location of Android users.

    The new settlement with Google over its location tracking practices, led by Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and Nebraska AG Doug Peterson, is the largest attorney general-led consumer privacy settlement ever. Google To Release Software Update for Nest WiFi Pro Routers To Fix Slow Internet Speeds.

    Because of Oregon’s leadership role in the bipartisan investigation and settlement, Oregon will receive $14,800,563.

    “For years Google has prioritized profit over their users’ privacy,” said Attorney General Rosenblum. “They have been crafty and deceptive. Consumers thought they had turned off their location tracking features on Google, but the company continued to secretly record their movements and use that information for advertisers,” he said in a statement late on Monday. Google One VPN Service Now Available on Windows and Mac; Check Who Can Access.

    As outlined in the settlement, Google misled its users into thinking they had turned off location tracking in their account settings, when, in fact, Google continued to collect their location information.

    In addition to the multimillion-dollar settlement, as part of the negotiations with the AGs, Google has agreed to significantly improve its location tracking disclosures and user controls starting in 2023.

    According to the Oregon Department of Justice, location data is a key part of Google’s digital advertising business. Google uses the personal and behavioural data it collects to build detailed user profiles and target ads.

    In fact, location data is among the most sensitive and valuable personal information Google collects. Even a limited amount of location data can expose a person’s identity and routines and can be used to infer personal details.

    The attorneys general found that Google violated state consumer protection laws by misleading consumers about its location tracking practices since at least 2014. Specifically, Google confused its users about the extent to which they could limit Google’s location tracking by adjusting their account and device settings.

    In a blog post, Google said the lawsuit is based on “outdated product policies” that the company has already addressed. Google said it will also start providing more “detailed” information about the data it collects tracking during the account setup process and is launching a new toggle to turn off and delete your location history and web and app activity “in one simple flow.”

    (The above story first appeared on Morning Tidings on Nov 15, 2022 11:14 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website morningtidings.com).

  • Mozilla Firefox’s New Feature Automatically Removes Tracking From URLs: Report

    San Francisco: Mozilla’s latest Firefox browser update has a new feature that prevents sites like Facebook from tracking users across websites. According to Bleeping Computer, Mozilla Firefox 102 was released with a new privacy feature that strips parameters from URLs that are used to track users around the web. Mozilla To Reportedly End Support for Firefox Lockwise Password Manager Next Month.

    Numerous companies, including Facebook, Marketo, Olytics, and HubSpot, utilise custom URL query parameters to track clicks on links. For example, Facebook appends a fbclid query parameter to outbound links to track clicks, the report said.

    With the release of Firefox 102, Mozilla has added the new ‘Query Parameter Stripping’ feature that automatically strips various query parameters used for tracking from URLs when you open them, whether that be by clicking on a link or simply pasting the URL into the address bar.

    The new feature is part of Firefox’s Enhanced Tracking Protection. To enable Query Parameter Stripping, go into the Firefox Settings, click on Privacy and Security, and then change ‘Enhanced Tracking Protection’ to ‘Strict’. However, these tracking parameters will not be stripped in Private Mode even with Strict mode enabled.

    (The above story first appeared on Morning Tidings on Jun 30, 2022 05:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website morningtidings.com).

  • Post-Roe Verdict: Women Rush To Delete Period Tracking Apps After US Supreme Court Strikes Down Abortion Rights

    After the US Supreme Court struck down abortion rights, on Friday, the first day in a post-Roe America, women from different walks of life rushed to delete the period tracker apps. Reports state that women are deleting the apps out of fear that the data might be used against them in states where abortion is now criminalised. Doree Shahrir, a podcaster said that women should not google “where to get an abortion” if they live in Texas while another person said the data can and likely will be used to arrest women.

    Check tweets:

    Delete period tracking apps

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  • Facebook’s Advertising Tools Are Tracking People Seeking Abortion Services: Reports

    San Francisco, June 16: Meta-owned Facebook is collecting ultra-sensitive personal data about abortion seekers and allowing anti-abortion organisations to use that data to target and influence people online, media reports say.

    A joint investigation by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting and The Markup found that Facebook is already collecting data about people who visit the websites of hundreds of crisis pregnancy centers.

    Meta prohibits websites and apps that use Facebook’s advertising technology from sending Facebook “sexual and reproductive health” data. US Abortions Rise: 1 in 5 Pregnancies Terminated in 2020

    After investigations by The Wall Street Journal in 2019 and New York state regulators in 2021, the social media giant created a machine-learning system to help detect sensitive health data and blocked data that contained any of 70,000 health-related terms.

    But Reveal and The Markup have found Facebook’s code on the websites of hundreds of anti-abortion clinics.

    Using Blacklight, a Markup tool that detects cookies, keyloggers and other types of user-tracking technology on websites, Reveal analysed the sites of nearly 2,500 crisis pregnancy centers — with data provided by the University of Georgia — and found that at least 294 shared visitor information with Facebook.

    In many cases, the information was extremely sensitive — for example, whether a person was considering abortion or looking to get a pregnancy test or emergency contraceptives.

    In a statement to Reveal and The Markup, Facebook spokesperson Dale Hogan said: “It is against our policies for websites and apps to send sensitive information about people through our Business Tools,” which includes its advertising technology.

    “Our system is designed to filter out potentially sensitive data it detects, and we work to educate advertisers on how to properly set up our Business Tools,” the spokesperson added.

    Facebook declined to answer detailed questions about its filtering systems and policies on data from crisis pregnancy centers.

    The report mentioned that it is unknown whether the filters caught any of the data, but our investigation showed a significant amount made its way to Facebook.

    (The above story first appeared on Morning Tidings on Jun 16, 2022 09:48 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website morningtidings.com).

  • Google Introduces Reject All Button for Tracking Cookies in Europe, UK

    San Francisco: After facing fines from European consumer and market regulators, Google has introduced an equal “Reject all” and “Accept all” buttons for tracking cookies on its platforms. Anyone visiting Search and YouTube in Europe, while signed out or in Incognito Mode, will see a new cookie consent choice. Google Launches Switch to Android App for iPhone Users in Some Countries: Report.

    “This update, which began rolling out earlier this month on YouTube, will provide you with equal ‘Reject all’ and ‘Accept all’ buttons on the first screen in your preferred language,” Sammit Adhya, Product Manager, Privacy, Safety & Security, said in a statement late on Thursday.

    “We believe this update responds to updated regulatory guidance and is aligned with our broader goal of helping build a more sustainable future for the web,” said the company.

    The users can also still choose to customise their choice in more detail with “More options”. The new cookie button has been launched in France and will be rolled out across Europe, the UK and Switzerland.

    “Before long, users in the region will have a new cookie choice — one that can be accepted or rejected with a single click,” said Adhya.

    Earlier this year, France’s data protection agency CNIL fined Google $170 million for confusing cookie tracking policies. The new privacy change, said Google, would impact not only Search and YouTube, but also the sites and content creators who use them to help grow their businesses and make a living.

    (The above story first appeared on Morning Tidings on Apr 22, 2022 12:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website morningtidings.com).

  • Apple Announces New Updates for AirTag To Curb Unwanted Tracking: Report

    New Delhi: With an aim to curb unwanted tracking, Apple has announced to make key updates to AirTags that lets users keep track of personal items like their keys, wallet, purse, backpack, luggage and more through the Find My app. The company said it will soon implement a series of updates to both AirTags and the Find My network, initially beginning with new privacy warnings, alerts and documentation. Apple iOS Privacy Changes Will Cost Meta $10 Billion This Year: Report.

    “In an upcoming software update, every user setting up their AirTag for the first time will see a message that clearly states that AirTag is meant to track their own belongings,” said Apple.

    The will also be notified that using AirTag to track people without consent is a crime in many regions around the world, AirTag is designed to be detected by victims, and that “law enforcement can request identifying information about the owner of the AirTag”.

    The warning alerts will make it clear that the AirTag is linked to an Apple ID, that using it to track people is a crime, and that law enforcement can request identifying information about the owner of the AirTag. Apple also said it’s been actively working with law enforcement on all AirTag-related requests it receives, and noted it’s able to provide the account details in response to valid law enforcement request.

    “The alerts system Apple has notifying potential victims of any unwanted tracking has helped shine a light on a problem that existed long before AirTags came on the market,” said Erica Olsen, director of the Safety Net Project at the National Network to End Domestic Violence.

    “We are happy Apple is engaging in the conversation about victim safety and are continuing to improve safeguards. We hope others will follow their lead,” Olsen added. “What these unwanted tracking alerts are showing us is that Apple’s system is working and, at the same time, raising awareness of this issue,” said Renee Williams, Executive Director, National Center for Victims of Crime.

    In addition, the company said it heard from users how they received an alert about an “Unknown Accessory Detected”, which made them think an unknown AirTag was tracking them. Apple will now update this alert to indicate that “AirPods” have been travelling with the user instead of an “Unknown Accessory”.

    (The above story first appeared on Morning Tidings on Feb 11, 2022 11:11 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website morningtidings.com).

  • Apple AirPods Pro 2 To Reportedly Come With Built-In Fitness Tracking Sensor

    San Francisco: Apple is likely to launch the next version of its AirPods Pro in the second half of this year and now a new report has claimed that the upcoming AirPods would come packed with motion sensors for the fitness tracking capabilities. Apple Launches First Daily Newsletter for San Francisco Bay Area.

    The second-generation AirPods Pro will have a revamped design and it is also expected to be powered by an upgraded chip that brings advanced audio-related functions like active noise cancellation and more improvements, resulting in improved battery life, reports GizmoChina.

    Apple’s suppliers are getting ready for shipments of the new high-end AirPods. The second-generation AirPods Pro may support lossless audio support and a charging case that makes a sound to help you find it.

    The upcoming wearable may support Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) and can also have integrated AirTag features in the charging case and support for Apple Lossless.

    In the latest investors’ note, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he also expects more integration of health features in the AirPods Pro 2. In a previous memo, he had said that the model would feature updated motion trackers for greater fitness applications.

    (The above story first appeared on Morning Tidings on Feb 03, 2022 11:31 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website morningtidings.com).

  • Google Hits Back at Deceptive Android Location Tracking Lawsuit in the US

    San Francisco: Google has hit back at a lawsuit in the US against the company for alleged ‘deceptive’ Android location tracking, saying such suits mischaracterise and inaccurately describe the settings and controls the company provides users over location data. Google Reportedly Working on AR Headset Codenamed ‘Project Iris’.

    Earlier, the attorneys general of three states and the District of Columbia sued the tech giant, alleging that Google pushed Android users with “repeated nudging, misleading pressure tactics, and evasive and deceptive descriptions” to share more information either “inadvertently or out of frustration.”

    The lawsuit builds on a 2020 complaint filed by the Arizona Attorney General over location data collection. According to Google, a court in Arizona on Tuesday made a significant legal ruling against the Arizona Attorney General.

    “The AG is somehow claiming this as a big victory but in reality, a judge rejected his central argument. Unfortunately, just before today’s decision, four other state attorneys general rushed to file similar lawsuits making similarly inaccurate and outdated claims,” the company said in a blog post late on Tuesday.

    Google said that all smartphones use location data — it’s integral to how they work. Two years ago, Google updated its data retention practices.

    “For our part, location makes Google products work better for you — it’s what helps you navigate around a traffic jam, helps you find your phone when you’ve misplaced it, and lets you find a pizza shop in your neighbourhood instead of suggesting one in a different state,” said the company.

    “In addition to turning Location History and Web & App Activity off, you can choose to automatically auto-delete them after a set period of time (3 months, 18 months or 36 months). (For new users, the default is to auto-delete them after 18 months),” said the company.

    Google said that it will continue to focus on providing simple, easy-to-understand privacy settings to its users, and “will not be distracted from this work by meritless lawsuits that mischaracterise our efforts”.

    The fresh lawsuit claims that Google’s settings “purport to give consumers control over the location data that Google collects and uses. But Google’s misleading, ambiguous, and incomplete descriptions of these settings all but guarantee that consumers will not understand when their location is collected and retained by Google or for what purposes.”

    (The above story first appeared on Morning Tidings on Jan 27, 2022 08:42 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website morningtidings.com).