Every time you go online, you are putting your data and privacy at risk. Websites, apps, browsers and social media all have the potential to collect your information and do whatever they want with it. It can be used to hit you with targeted ads or sold to third parties. Either way, it’s an invasion of privacy and you should be angry about it.
Your choice of browser does affect your level of privacy. You would be surprised at what some of the most popular browsers do with your data. Tap or click here to check out how each browser measures up regarding data collection and sharing.
Have you used Zoom recently? The video conferencing app saw a surge in popularity during the pandemic. People use it to keep in touch with loved ones, work remotely and attend class. It turns out that Zoom has been deceptive regarding privacy and security and just settled an $85 million class-action lawsuit. Read on to see if you are eligible for some of that money.
Zoom settled an $85 million class-action lawsuit in California court last weekend. The lawsuit claimed that Zoom violated users’ rights by sharing data with the likes of Facebook and Google.
RELATED: Amazon has also caught some heat for mishandling user data
Additionally, Zoom was called out for letting “Zoombombings” take place. This term indicates an interruption of a Zoom meeting by an unauthorized user, usually involving disturbing content. Tap or click here to learn everything you need to know about Zoomboming.
Zoom’s lack of end-to-end encryption was also part of the suit, despite the company saying it had this security measure in place.
If you paid for a Zoom account between March 30, 2016, through July 30, 2021, you are entitled to receive a 15% refund of your core Zoom subscription or $25, whichever is greater. If you were a free member, you could make a claim for $15.
The plaintiffs estimate paid subscribers will receive an average of $35, while non-paying users will get $12.
Zoom will provide a list of users eligible for compensation to the Administrator of the settlement, who in turn will notify those users via email. If you don’t get contacted but feel you should be part of the settlement, you need to provide “either an email associated with a Zoom account, a Zoom account number, or failing that, documentation and an attestation demonstrating that” you are a Class Member.
To combat the rampant spread of COVID-19, tech giants Google and Apple worked together to develop an exposure notification system. The system is used not only in the U.S. but in several other countries. Tap or click here for a map that predicts the next COVID hotspot.
Google says it will now automatically start deleting user data, by default for new users and with a quick settings change for the rest of us. Now one question remains: Can you ever truly erase what Google knows about you? I wouldn’t bet on it.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that social media giant Facebook knows a lot about you. Most people fill out their profile information as thoroughly as possible, allowing them to connect to more people.
Besides signing into different websites and services with your Facebook credentials, you could reasonably expect that it stops tracking you as soon as you leave the platform. After all, what business does it have knowing what you do? Another Facebook data breach? Tap or click here to find out if your account was exposed.
To say Parler has had an eventful week would be the understatement of the year. First, Apple and Google booted it from their app stores. Then, an Amazon subsidiary deactivated the app, so you can’t find it anywhere.
You have tons of options when it comes to email services. It can be tough to narrow down which one works best for you — especially since they all offer different features.
Gmail has been the go-to for many thanks to an easy-to-navigate interface and simple chat feature. But while Gmail may be one of the top email choices, Google is notorious for collecting tons of user data. This massive tech company tracks almost everything users do, search for or use.
Working from home has many benefits for workers, but a major drawback for some employers is a lack of supervision. Without a physical office space, there are few ways to keep track of worker productivity without some seriously creepy tactics.
Our smart devices are constantly gathering information about us, whether we like it or not. Even gadgets you might not expect like smart speakers and TVs are learning about your habits and preferences every time you use them.
It’s astonishing to see how Amazon has grown over the past decade. Back in 2010, it was already a top-performing e-commerce platform. And now, it’s one of the biggest companies on Earth — and its growth during COVID-19 has only cemented its place at the top.
It’s finally happened: The Department of Justice has filed a landmark antitrust suit against Google over its domination of the online search and ad industry. DOJ claims Google’s corporate behavior is anticompetitive, and that its online practices threaten any alternative services from gaining a foothold.
One of the best things about a flexible browser is how easy it is to add new features. This is mostly thanks to extensions — the small apps that run inside your browser.
But as good as many extensions are, not every program has your best interest in mind. Security researchers have actually found several extensions that spied on users or acted like malware. Tap or click here to see how 100 or more extensions were caught snooping on users.
How much time do you spend binging your favorite shows on streaming services? If you don’t know, check with Netflix, Hulu or Roku — because these companies certainly do.
Streaming services collect user data the same way social media companies do. But unlike social media companies, streaming services have in-depth knowledge about your tastes and viewing habits. Tap or click here to see how long it takes to binge-watch the most popular shows on streaming.
Change can be tough. As humans, we grow accustomed to seeing the same things over and over in our daily lives, and anything that switches up our routines can feel intrusive or frustrating.
Think about the last time you had to learn a new software program or figure out how to navigate through a new computer. Chances are, it took a while to get used to before things felt seamless and routine, right? Ever wanted to write computer code? Tap or click here for free coding lessons from Microsoft.
As anyone who lives in California can tell you, late summer is wildfire season. During this time of the year, the dry Santa Ana winds kick into gear, which can spread small sparks over a wide distance until massive flames erupt.
Instagram is one of the most popular social networks on the planet, but are you familiar with who is running the platform? No, it’s not an independent company — it’s everyone’s favorite data aggregator: Facebook.
Unlike Facebook proper, Instagram has managed to steer clear of most of the reputational damage endured by its parent platform. Plus, as a visually-focused medium, it’s a lot more obvious when you’re being marketed to on Instagram than it is on Facebook. Tap or click here to see why it feels like there are more ads on Instagram nowadays.
If there’s one app that’s defined social media for the past few years, it’s TikTok. Originally designed for sharing videos of karaoke and dancing, the app has skyrocketed to success as a fun, short video platform beloved by Generation Z.
The fact that analytics firms buy and sell data is nothing new, but what happens when the entity buying the data happens to be federal law enforcement?
This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Last year, a DNA testing platform gave the FBI full access to its database of millions of users. Tap or click here to see how this data was used to solve a cold murder case.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Google is the backbone of the web. Not only is its search engine used by 87.35% of the people online, but its ad services are also responsible for much of the digital economy as we know it today.
We’re so deeply plugged into social media these days that untangling ourselves from it seems like more trouble than doing nothing. Though Facebook, Twitter and Google have all been caught mishandling user data, most people don’t know the first thing about restoring their online privacy.
We already know tech companies are gleefully collecting our data for profit. Between selling data to advertisers and sharing it with law enforcement, you never know what’s happening with your information. But one thing remains certain: Data is big business.
