Internet Privacy

Explained: Google's $5 billion lawsuit for tracking ‘private’ browsing

Many Google subscribers will be able to join the lawsuit that alleges the company has violated US federal wiretap law.

Refugees take Germany to court over mobile phone data checks

Three refugees are suing the German state for accessing personal data on their mobile phones and violating privacy unnecessarily. Germany can examine the mobile phones of asylum seekers under a 2017 law.

Here come Covid-19 tracing apps and privacy trade-offs

Experts say containing infectious disease outbreaks boils down to a simple mantra: test, trace and isolate. Smartphone apps potentially speed up that process by collecting data about your movements and tracing patients.

India makes government tracing app mandatory for all workers

"Such a move should be backed by a dedicated law that provides strong data protection cover and is under the oversight of an independent body," said Udbhav Tiwari, public policy adviser for internet company Mozilla.

Showdown looms between Silicon Valley, US states over contact tracing apps

Public health authorities have determined that technology is crucial to apps that will alert people when they have been close to people who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Zoom sued for overstating, not disclosing privacy, security flaws

The company is facing a backlash from users worried about the lack of end-to-end encryption of meeting sessions and “zoombombing”, where uninvited guests crash into meetings.

Smartphone vs virus: is privacy bound to always be violated?

Health officials eyeing possibility of using smartphones to ascertain with whom someone diagnosed with Covid-19 has been in contact.

Privacy rights may become next victim of killer pandemic

Governments from China to Singapore to Israel, ordered electronic monitoring of their citizens' movements to tackle Covid-19 and even some digital privacy defenders say it may be prudent to use some of the available data to help control the outbreak.

Should India be concerned about upcoming internet measures?

Observers fear intermediary rules that include proactive monitoring, user verification and tight timelines that dictate how quickly a company should take down material authorities deem questionable.

Barrage of mysterious bomb hoaxes plagues Moscow

The warnings of planted bombs, all of them false, have been sent to numerous Russian cities, but particularly targeted the capital, where around 16 million live and work, with up to 1,000 threats per day.

Amnesty calls out Facebook, Google on human rights abuse

A 60-page report by the London-based rights group says the so-called “Surveillance Giants” have business models that are incompatible with the right to privacy, freedom of expression and the right to equality and non-discrimination.

Zuckerberg defends Facebook's currency plans before Congress

Zuckerberg took pains to reassure lawmakers that his company won't move forward with Libra, the digital currency project of Facebook, without explicit approval from all US financial regulators.