Research shows installations of Signal messaging app approaching one million a day, amid concern over WhatsApp data policy update

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Research shows installations of Signal messaging app approaching one million a day, amid concern over WhatsApp data policy update
What is the point of end-to-end encryption? Facebook to access people’s WhatsApp data, whether they like it or not, from February
NEC launches facial recognition system that can identify people, even if they are wearing masks to protect against Coronavirus
Bad news for advertisers. Search giant is to update all its iOS apps to carry Apple’s privacy labels that will disclose how data is used
Rare step for tech industry sees workers at Google form their own bespoke trade union, after years of employee unrest and complaints
In a demonstration of its Covid-19 contact-tracing system earlier this year, researchers allege NSO Group used real people’s location data
Racial bias and facial recognition. Black man in New Jersey arrested by police and spends ten days in jail after false face recognition match
Security firm Cellebrite alleges it has cracked encryption of the most secure messaging app on the market, but Signal founder rubbishes claims
Complaint alleges Google broke US labour laws when it ‘spied’ on staff who organised employee protests, before firing them
Two privacy complaints filed by Max Schrems campaign group draws robust response from Apple, which labels allegations as ‘factually inaccurate’
Amazon’s smart home device maker Ring has issued new installation instructions for 350,000 doorbells in the United States, after some catch fire
Privacy nightmare? Police ask residents in US city to link their smart doorbells to surveillance hub to reduce local crime
Amazon names former NSA director to board of directors, who was also the man in charge when Edward Snowden blew spying whistle
After pushback from Facebook and advertising associations, Apple delays implementation of new privacy controls on advertisers tracking ability
Spying setback. US Court of Appeals rules the NSA surveillance and mass data collection program exposed by Edward Snowden, was unlawful
No need for official government app! Apple and Google to roll-out built-in Covid-19 exposure notifications to smartphones
Google and Facebook’s Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN) cable will not be activated in Hong Kong, after security law and national security concerns
Data requests from Hong Kong authorities are being ignored, Google confirms, after China imposed controversial national security law
Milestone ruling. The UK Court of Appeal rules use of automatic facial recognition (AFR) tech by South Wales Police is unlawful
‘Madness’ says Chinese state-backed media, as America pushes ahead with ‘clean Internet’ plan, with purge of Chinese tech from US networks
European competition regulators launch formal antitrust investigation of Alphabet’s Google and its decision to acquire Fitbit
Campaigners claim that UK’s track and trace scheme broke data protection laws, but experts say non-compliance understandable considering unprecedented emergency
Alphabet may be able to offset looming EC antitrust probe of its Fitbit acquisition, if it pledges not to use its data for targeted adverts
Tech giants pledge pause data sharing with authorities in Hong Kong, after China imposed draconian security law for the territory
Privacy win? Google will automatically delete user’s website searches and visits, as well as some location data, after 18 months
Software giant follows IBM and Amazon with police facial recognition ban until there is national regulation of the technology
Strategic move? Google, Facebook, Microsoft pledge to improve and standardise annual disclosures around online child exploitation
E-commerce giant Amazon joins other tech firms with announcement it will pause police use of its facial recognition software
Big Blue cancels its facial recognition programs and calls for reform and new ways to work with law enforcement, “to advance justice and racial equity”