Kevin Shalvey reports: Amazon customers are being automatically opted in to Sidewalk, a feature set to launch later this year that the company says will connect Alexa devices to nearby WiFi networks, even those owned by someone else. […] Anticipating privacy concerns, Amazon published a research paper detailing the technology behind Sidewalk and the steps taken to…
Category: Featured News
Millions of Facebook users pass on $650 million privacy jackpot
Bloomberg reports: Facebook Inc. will be making payouts to only about a quarter of the 6 million Illinois residents eligible for the biggest consumer privacy settlement in U.S. history. Based on a tally filed in court after Monday’s claims deadline, some 1.57 million people will probably pocket more than $300 each — after about a…
Amazon’s Pharmacy Venture Opens New Privacy, Security Law Risks
Jacquie Lee and Jake Holland report: Amazon’s push into delivering prescription drugs puts it in the crosshairs of everyone from state attorneys general to data thieves—who will all be scrutinizing how the e-commerce giant protects sensitive patient information. Amazon’s new online pharmacy business will sell brand and generic prescription medications that consumers can buy through their insurance…
IRS Could Search Warrantless Location Database Over 10,000 Times
Joseph Cox reports: The IRS was able to query a database of location data quietly harvested from ordinary smartphone apps over 10,000 times, according to a copy of the contract between IRS and the data provider obtained by Motherboard. The document provides more insight into what exactly the IRS wanted to do with a tool…