privacy

A jury has found Facebook liable for deceiving users in the long-running Cambridge Analytica case, stemming from the scandal in which data from millions of users' profiles was harvested without proper consent and used for political targeting. The verdict marks a significant legal setback for Meta, holding the company accountable years after the 2018 revelations first sparked global outrage and regulatory scrutiny.

The Pentagon is asking for $30.3 million over five years to develop an AI-powered lie detection system that can analyze body language remotely, without physical contact. The program, called Polygraph Next, is included in the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency's 2027 budget request. Commenters are raising concerns about the privacy implications and scientific reliability of automated deception detection, noting that traditional polygraph accuracy is already contested.

Developer Daniel Gultsch has announced that Conversations, the popular open-source XMPP chat app for Android, is no longer distributed through Google Play and is now available free of charge. In his announcement he explains the reasons for leaving Google's store, and the move is drawing wide discussion among open-source and privacy-minded users.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is planning to purchase robot dogs, according to ABC News. The robotic quadrupeds would potentially be used in enforcement operations, though details on how many units or their specific deployment remain limited. The move is likely to draw scrutiny from immigration advocates and privacy groups concerned about expanding surveillance and enforcement technology at the agency.

Some parents are expressing concern over school policies that require families to disclose information about students' mental health. Critics worry the requirements could lead to stigmatization, privacy violations, or misuse of sensitive data, while schools argue such disclosures help them support struggling students. The debate touches on broader tensions between student wellbeing programs and parental rights over children's personal information.

A new battle over financial privacy is emerging, with debate centering on how much access governments and institutions should have to individuals' financial data. The dispute touches on surveillance, consumer rights, and the balance between security and personal freedom in the digital economy. Observers expect the issue to grow as regulators weigh new rules affecting how financial information is collected and shared.

Walmart says it is not using shoppers' personal information to set prices as it rolls out digital shelf labels in more of its US stores. The company addressed privacy concerns raised around the technology, which lets stores change prices remotely instead of with paper tags. The statement comes as retailers face growing scrutiny over personalized and surveillance-based pricing.

A New Mexico jury on Friday found Facebook liable for deceiving users about privacy protections on its platform, delivering another legal setback to the social media company. The Associated Press reported the verdict, which adds to the company's mounting legal troubles over how it handled user data and its privacy claims, and observers are weighing its implications for future privacy litigation against major tech firms.

A newly published research paper argues that Bitcoin could gain Zcash-style shielded privacy without requiring a protocol change or fork. The claim is drawing attention in crypto circles, where privacy upgrades for Bitcoin have long been debated and typically assumed to demand consensus-breaking changes. Details of the paper's method and whether experts consider the no-fork claim credible remain limited so far.

Meta is facing questions over whether Muse, its latest AI effort, can win user confidence given the company's ongoing trust problems. Observers point to past controversies over privacy and content moderation as obstacles the new product must overcome. Commentators are divided on whether the launch can repair Meta's reputation or will be judged through it.

A new research paper dubbed 'Shielded Bitcoin' proposes bringing private payments to BTC by adapting Zcash's shielded transaction technology. The proposal suggests applying zero-knowledge proof techniques so Bitcoin payments could be made confidential while remaining verifiable. CoinDesk examined the paper, which is drawing attention in crypto circles to the long-running debate over privacy and compliance on public blockchains.

Revolut is promoting 'selfie payments', a pair of new features that use facial biometrics to make checkout faster, as part of its broader push to disrupt traditional banks and legacy payment providers. Commenters are weighing what the fintech stands to gain from the move and whether biometric payments will catch on with shoppers and regulators.

Meta is preparing to launch three new devices: smart glasses without a built-in camera, an AI-powered keychain, and a new pair of VR glasses. The camera-free design is drawing particular attention as it addresses privacy concerns that have weighed on previous smart glasses. The AI keychain suggests the company is exploring smaller, wearable form factors for its assistant technology. Tech commentators are watching to see how the trio of products fits into Meta's broader push into artificial intelligence hardware.

TechCrunch asks whether Muse, Meta's latest product effort, can win over users and developers despite the company's ongoing credibility problems. The piece frames the debate around whether trust in Meta's handling of privacy, moderation and platform policy will limit adoption of the new offering, regardless of its technical merits. Commenters online are picking apart whether a better product alone can repair Meta's reputation.

Oura, the Finnish maker of the Oura Ring sleep and health tracker, is moving toward an initial public offering, and the milestone is drawing attention to a bigger question: who should lead and set standards for the handling of sensitive consumer health data. Commentators note that as wearables companies grow into public markets, scrutiny of their privacy practices and governance is likely to intensify.

Congressional investigators are examining Flock, the license plate surveillance company, following reports that Illinois' new law restricting immigration-related surveillance may be effectively moot. Questions are mounting over whether the company's data-sharing practices with federal immigration authorities undermine state-level privacy protections. The probe adds to growing national scrutiny of automated license plate readers and the reach of immigration enforcement surveillance networks.

A digital camouflage shirt designed to prevent AI-based surveillance systems from recognising the wearer has been unveiled. The garment uses patterns intended to confuse computer vision algorithms that detect and track people in public spaces. It highlights growing public interest in privacy-protection clothing as facial recognition and AI monitoring become more widespread.

A group of researchers has put forward a proposal to add privacy features to Bitcoin by adapting shielded transaction technology from Zcash. The idea, covered by Yahoo Finance and other outlets, would allow Bitcoin transactions to be encrypted rather than publicly visible on the blockchain. The proposal touches on a long-running debate in the crypto community over whether Bitcoin should offer stronger financial privacy by default.

Researchers have proposed a method for enabling private Bitcoin transfers based on the Zcash model. The proposal suggests adapting Zcash's zero-knowledge proof technology to shield Bitcoin transactions, addressing the blockchain's current lack of transaction privacy. The idea has drawn attention in the crypto community, where debates over Bitcoin privacy and regulatory scrutiny of privacy tools remain ongoing.

A new opinion piece argues that governments are struggling to close the gap between AI regulation and the speed at which artificial intelligence is developing. The author contends that existing legal frameworks cannot keep up with rapid advances in AI tools, leaving risks around safety, privacy and accountability inadequately addressed. The piece adds to a widening global debate over how regulators should respond without stifling innovation.