Category: Global Domination

Researchers devise method using mirrors to monitor nuclear stockpiles offsite

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Researchers say they have developed a method to remotely track the movement of objects in a room using mirrors and radio waves, in the hope it could one day help monitor nuclear weapons stockpiles. According to the non-profit org International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, nine countries, including Russia, the United States, China, France, the Read more about Researchers devise method using mirrors to monitor nuclear stockpiles offsite[…]

Drugmakers Are Set To Pay 23andMe Millions To Access Your DNA – which is also your families DNA

Posted on by Robin Edgar

GSK will pay 23andMe $20 million for access to the genetic-testing company’s vast trove of consumer DNA data, extending a five-year collaboration that’s allowed the drugmaker to mine genetic data as it researches new medications. Under the new agreement, 23andMe will provide GSK with one year of access to anonymized DNA data from the approximately Read more about Drugmakers Are Set To Pay 23andMe Millions To Access Your DNA – which is also your families DNA[…]

Privacy advocate challenges YouTube’s ad blocking detection (which isn’t spyware)

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Last week, privacy advocate (and very occasional Reg columnist) Alexander Hanff filed a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) decrying YouTube’s deployment of JavaScript code to detect the use of ad blocking extensions by website visitors. On October 16, according to the Internet Archives’ Wayback Machine, Google published a support page declaring that Read more about Privacy advocate challenges YouTube’s ad blocking detection (which isn’t spyware)[…]

Apple’s MAC Address Privacy Feature Has Never Worked

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Ever since Apple re-branded as the “Privacy” company several years back, it’s been rolling out features designed to show its commitment to protecting users. Yet while customers might feel safer using an iPhone, there’s already plenty of evidence that Apple’s branding efforts don’t always match the reality of its products. In fact, a lot of Read more about Apple’s MAC Address Privacy Feature Has Never Worked[…]

Air Canada Sues Website That Helps People Book More Flights simultaneously Calls own website team incompetent beyond belief

Posted on by Robin Edgar

I am so frequently confused by companies that sue other companies for making their own sites and services more useful. It happens quite often. And quite often, the lawsuits are questionable CFAA claims against websites that scrape data to provide a better consumer experience, but one that still ultimately benefits the originating site. Over the Read more about Air Canada Sues Website That Helps People Book More Flights simultaneously Calls own website team incompetent beyond belief[…]

New French AI Copyright Law Would Effectively Tax AI Companies, Enrich French taxman

Posted on by Robin Edgar

This blog has written a number of times about the reaction of creators to generative AI. Legal academic and copyright expert Andres Guadamuz has spotted what may be the first attempt to draw up a new law to regulate generative AI. It comes from French politicians, who have developed something of a habit of bringing in new laws attempting Read more about New French AI Copyright Law Would Effectively Tax AI Companies, Enrich French taxman[…]

Empowering Responsible and Compliant Practices: Bridging the Gap for US Citizens and Corporations with the New EU-US Data Privacy Framework

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Data Privacy Framework (DPF) presents new legal guidance to facilitate personal data sharing between US companies and their counterparts in the EU and the UK. This framework empowers individuals with greater control over their personal data and streamlines business operations by creating common rules around interoperable dataflows. Moreover, the DPF will help enable clear Read more about Empowering Responsible and Compliant Practices: Bridging the Gap for US Citizens and Corporations with the New EU-US Data Privacy Framework[…]

Clearview Gets $10 Million UK Fine Reversed, Now Owes Slightly Less To Governments Around The World

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Here’s how things went for the world’s most infamous purveyor of facial recognition tech when it came to its dealings with the United Kingdom. In a word: not great. In addition to supplying its scraped data to known human rights abusers, Clearview was found to have supplied access to a multitude of UK and US Read more about Clearview Gets $10 Million UK Fine Reversed, Now Owes Slightly Less To Governments Around The World[…]

Google Decides To Pull Up The Ladder On The Open Internet, Pushes For Unconstitutional Regulatory Proposals

Posted on by Robin Edgar

It’s pretty much the way of the world: beyond the basic enshittification story that has been so well told over the past year or so about how companies get worse and worse as they get more and more powerful, there’s also the well known concept of successful innovative companies “pulling up the ladder” behind them, Read more about Google Decides To Pull Up The Ladder On The Open Internet, Pushes For Unconstitutional Regulatory Proposals[…]

Universal Music sues AI start-up Anthropic for scraping song lyrics – will they come after you for having read the lyrics or memorised the song next?

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Universal Music has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against artificial intelligence start-up Anthropic, as the world’s largest music group battles against chatbots that churn out its artists’ lyrics. Universal and two other music companies allege that Anthropic scrapes their songs without permission and uses them to generate “identical or nearly identical copies of those lyrics” Read more about Universal Music sues AI start-up Anthropic for scraping song lyrics – will they come after you for having read the lyrics or memorised the song next?[…]

Equifax poked with paltry $13.4 million following 147m customer data breach in 2017

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Credit bureau company, Equifax, has been fined US$13.4 million by The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), a UK financial watchdog, following its involvement in “one of the largest” data breaches ever. This cyber security incident took place in 2017 and saw Equifax’s US-based parent company, Equifax Inc., suffer a data breach that saw the personal data Read more about Equifax poked with paltry $13.4 million following 147m customer data breach in 2017[…]

Museum Collection Of Historical TV Culture At Risk Due To Copyright Takedowns

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] the informal nature of their collections means that they are exposed to serious threats from copyright, as the recent experience of The Museum of Classic Chicago Television makes clear. The Museum explains why it exists: The Museum of Classic Chicago Television (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is constantly searching out vintage material on old videotapes saved in basements or Read more about Museum Collection Of Historical TV Culture At Risk Due To Copyright Takedowns[…]

ICE, CBP, Secret Service All Illegally Used Smartphone Location Data

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In a bombshell report, an oversight body for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Enforcement (CBP), and the Secret Service all broke the law while using location data harvested from ordinary apps installed on smartphones. In one instance, a CBP official also inappropriately used the Read more about ICE, CBP, Secret Service All Illegally Used Smartphone Location Data[…]

EPIC urges FTC to investigate Grindr’s data practices

Posted on by Robin Edgar

On Wednesday, EPIC filed a complaint with the US government watchdog over Grindr’s “apparent failure to safeguard users’ sensitive personal data.” This includes both present and past users who have since deleted their accounts, according to the complaint. Despite promising in its privacy policy to delete personal info if customers remove their account, Grindr allegedly retained Read more about EPIC urges FTC to investigate Grindr’s data practices[…]

Singapore plans to scan your face instead of your passport

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] “Singapore will be one of the first few countries in the world to introduce automated, passport-free immigration clearance,” said minister for communications and information Josephine Teo in a wrap-up speech for the bill. Teo did concede that Dubai had such clearance for select enrolled travelers, but there was no assurance of other countries planning Read more about Singapore plans to scan your face instead of your passport[…]

UK passport and immigration images database could be repurposed to catch shoplifters

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Britain’s passport database could be used to catch shoplifters, burglars and other criminals under urgent plans to curb crime, the policing minister has said. Chris Philp said he planned to integrate data from the police national database (PND), the Passport Office and other national databases to help police find a match with the “click of Read more about UK passport and immigration images database could be repurposed to catch shoplifters[…]

Firefox now has private browser-based website translation – no cloud servers required

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Web browsers have had tools that let you translate websites for years. But they typically rely on cloud-based translation services like Google Translate or Microsoft’s Bing Translator. The latest version of Mozilla’s Firefox web browser does things differently. Firefox 118 brings support for Fullpage Translation, which can translate websites entirely in your browser. In other Read more about Firefox now has private browser-based website translation – no cloud servers required[…]

Feds Probing Tesla For Lying About EV Ranges, Bullshitting Customers Who Complained

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Back in July, Reuters released a bombshell report documenting how Tesla not only spent a decade falsely inflating the range of their EVs, but created teams dedicated to bullshitting Tesla customers who called in to complain about it. If you recall, Reuters noted how these teams would have a little, adorable party every time they Read more about Feds Probing Tesla For Lying About EV Ranges, Bullshitting Customers Who Complained[…]

Philips Hue / Signify Ecosystem: ‘Collapsing Into Stupidity’

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Philips Hue ecosystem of home automation devices is “collapsing into stupidity,” writes Rachel Kroll, veteran sysadmin and former production engineer at Facebook. “Unfortunately, the idiot C-suite phenomenon has happened here too, and they have been slowly walking down the road to full-on enshittification.” From her blog post: I figured something was up a few Read more about Philips Hue / Signify Ecosystem: ‘Collapsing Into Stupidity’[…]

Chip firm Rivos countersues Apple, alleges illegal contracts and unecessary court cases

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A chip startup and several of its employees are being sued by Apple for theft of trade secrets and breach of contract and filed a countersuit. Rivos was sued [PDF] by Apple early last year over claims it lured away a gaggle of Apple employees working on the system-on-chip (SoC) designs like those in its Read more about Chip firm Rivos countersues Apple, alleges illegal contracts and unecessary court cases[…]

Philips Hue will force users to upload their data to Hue cloud – changing their TOS after you bought the product for not needing an account

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Today’s story is about Philips Hue by Signify. They will soon start forcing accounts on all users and upload user data to their cloud. For now, Signify says you’ll still be able to control your Hue lights locally as you’re currently used to, but we don’t know if this may change in the future. The Read more about Philips Hue will force users to upload their data to Hue cloud – changing their TOS after you bought the product for not needing an account[…]

T-Mobile US exposes some customer data, but don’t say breach

Posted on by Robin Edgar

T-Mobile US has had another bad week on the infosec front – this time stemming from a system glitch that exposed customer account data, followed by allegations of another breach the carrier denied. According to customers who complained of the issue on Reddit and X, the T-Mobile app was displaying other customers’ data instead of Read more about T-Mobile US exposes some customer data, but don’t say breach[…]

EU reinstates $400 million fine on Intel for blocking sales of competing chips

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The European Commission has imposed a €376.36 million ($400 million) fine on Intel for blocking the sales of devices powered by its competitors’ x86 CPUs. This brings one part of the company’s long-running antitrust court battle with the European authority to a close. If you’ll recall, the Commission slapped the chipmaker with a record-breaking €1.06 Read more about EU reinstates $400 million fine on Intel for blocking sales of competing chips[…]

Dutch privacy watchdog SDBN sues twitter for collecting and selling data via Mohub (wordfeud, duolingo, etc) without notifying users

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Dutch Data Protection Foundation (SDBN) wants to enforce a mass claim for 11 million people through the courts against social media company X, the former Twitter. Between 2013 and 2021, that company owned the advertising platform MoPub, which, according to the privacy foundation, illegally traded in data from users of more than 30,000 free Read more about Dutch privacy watchdog SDBN sues twitter for collecting and selling data via Mohub (wordfeud, duolingo, etc) without notifying users[…]

The maestro: The man who built the biggest match-fixing ring in tennis

Posted on by Robin Edgar

On the morning of his arrest, Grigor Sargsyan was still fixing matches. Four cellphones buzzed on his nightstand with calls and messages from around the world. Sargsyan was sprawled on a bed in his parents’ apartment, making deals between snatches of sleep. It was 3 a.m. in Brussels, which meant it was 8 a.m. in Read more about The maestro: The man who built the biggest match-fixing ring in tennis[…]