Data Privacy

Anthropic's Claude Code coding tool is under scrutiny after a report that it transmits users' email addresses to websites it interacts with. The claim was filed in an issue on the project's GitHub repository and has drawn heavy discussion online, with developers debating the privacy implications and questioning what data the agent shares when browsing or fetching web content.

A newly circulated report claims Google's Gemini AI routes users' personal Google Drive files and Gmail messages to human annotators for review, raising fresh privacy concerns about how data shared with the assistant is handled. Commenters are questioning the scope of the practice, whether users were adequately informed, and what it means for trust in Google's AI products.

A discussion on Hacker News claims that Google's Gemini uses personal account holders' chat history for training, including paying subscribers. The post has drawn significant engagement, with users debating privacy implications, whether the practice is clearly disclosed, and how it compares to policies at other AI providers.

OpenAI is facing claims that it has quietly re-enabled the use of Codex chat data to train its models without clearly notifying users. Critics say the change undermines trust, particularly for developers who assumed their coding conversations were excluded from training, and are calling on OpenAI to be more transparent about its data policies.

Sony Life has announced that personal information of more than 380,000 customers has leaked following unauthorized access to systems including its policyholder-only website. The Japanese life insurer disclosed the breach after detecting an intrusion into its customer-facing platforms, and reports say it is investigating the scale of the incident and notifying those affected.

Reports are circulating that a hack involving Double Counter has exposed serious privacy problems, with users' personal information potentially at risk. The story is drawing heavy attention online, with many commentators calling it a wake-up call about how little control people have over their data and how easily widely used tools can become a privacy liability.

A developer posted a warning on Hacker News urging others to stop using Postman, claiming the API tool proxies user information without permission. The post drew nearly 100 upvotes, prompting discussion among developers about privacy, telemetry and trust in widely used API development tools.

Vizio smart TVs are reportedly continuing to collect viewing data even after users opt out, despite the company already paying $20 million in fines over tracking practices. The report argues the opt-out setting has no real effect, renewing criticism of how smart TV makers handle viewer privacy and regulator enforcement.

Hackers have published the personal data of more than 700,000 people for free online after a breach at a Walloon training network. Belgian media report that the leaked data includes national register numbers and bank details, and that the information was also circulated on the dark web. The scale of the breach and the sensitivity of the exposed records have raised concerns about identity fraud.

Fuji Television has announced it suffered a cyberattack, with personal information of up to 730 people connected to the company potentially leaked. The broadcaster is investigating the unauthorized access and its scope. The news lands as Fuji TV also draws attention for its New Year's Eve special lineup and the STAR Fes live event featuring acts like NCT DREAM and ME:I.

UberEATS has reportedly suffered a data breach, with personal records of users of the food delivery service leaked on the dark web. The news, reported by cybersecurity outlets, raises concerns about the exposure of customer data such as names and contact details. Uber has not yet detailed the scale of the breach or how many customers are affected.

EU governments are seeking to make it easier for companies to access citizens' data for developing artificial intelligence, according to a new report. The report points to heavy lobbying behind the push, raising concerns among privacy advocates that member states may be weakening data protection standards to accelerate AI development in Europe.