Liisa Thomas of SheppardMullin writes: HyperBeard, the makers of several children’s mobile apps (including KleptoCats), recently settled with the FTC over failure to obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting children’s personal information online, in violation of COPPA. In its complaint, the FTC argued that the HyperBeard apps were clearly directed to children. The apps contained brightly-colored animated…
Category: Online
TikTok and 53 other iOS apps still snoop your sensitive clipboard data
Dan Goodin reports: In March, researchers uncovered a troubling privacy grab by more than four dozen iOS apps including TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media and video-sharing phenomenon that has taken the Internet by storm. Despite TikTok vowing to curb the practice, it continues to access some of Apple users’ most sensitive data, which can include…
Domestic Abuse Prevention App Exposed Voice Recordings
Another week, another leak. And this one was a sensitive one involving Aspire News App. The app was created by a U.S. non-profit, When Georgia Smiled. It was designed to appear to be a news app, but actually featured an emergency help function that would allow domestic abuses victims to send emergency distress messages to…
Google’s piecemeal privacy changes now let users auto-delete their data
Zack Whittaker reports: Google said Wednesday it’s making a handful of privacy changes for users. In a blog post, the search giant said it’ll make it easier for users to go “incognito” and pause data collection as they use Google’s mobile apps. It’s also adding proactive account security recommendations to its Security Checkup tool. Google also…