The Trump administration's war on TikTok continues to escalate, and today's news of a September 20 deadline to pull the app - along with WeChat - from US app stores has users understandably concerned that the short video social network might stop working. Turns out, today's announcement makes it a little more complicated than that: read on for what you need to know if you're a TikTok fan.
The Trump government will force the removal of TikTok and WeChat from app stores in the US as of this weekend, unless a deal divorcing the popular services from the Chinese ownership is finalized. It's the latest in a series of high-profile escalations done, the US Department of Commerce insisted today, to stop "malicious collection of American citizens' personal data," though critics have accused the policies of being the result of xenophobia and political maneuvering.
Given its more open ecosystem, Android has become notorious for the rampant operation of all kinds of malware. Some of those even get past Google's own scrutiny in reviewing apps for the Google Play Store. Those covertly try to hide their less than innocent behavior but it seems that a certain class of software has been operating out in the open under Google's nose. Starting today, however, stalkerware apps are banned from the Google Play Store, except in cases when they're allowed.
A data breach surfaced this week showing personal identifiable information for Razer product consumers. Information appeared in a leaked Elastisearch data cluster - something that should never, ever be public, in this case. In the data leaked, Razer customer purchases, email, physical address, phone number, and more were exposed. Per the report, this data wasn't just readable, it was indexed by public search engines!
Yubico has revealed its latest hardware security key, with the YubiKey 5C NFC combining USB-C and NFC support for easier authentication. Billed as the top request from the company's users, the newest key looks like a thumb drive but is actually a cross-platform way to make sure it's you that's logging into your various accounts.
Today we're taking a look at a set of three WhatsApp news stories that should help you decide whether to continue using the app. One has to do with a viral "Argentina Is Doing It" message about COVID-19. Another is about a future update to WhatsApp that'll introduce a Vacation Mode - hopefully. The third story includes information on 6 previously undisclosed security vulnerabilities delivered by WhatsApp.
Threema, an encrypted messaging service that offers a substantial number of features, has announced a big business change that may increase some otherwise skeptical users' trust in the platform. In its announcement, the Threema team said its messaging apps will soon be made fully open source, making it easier to independently review the apps' security and verify their code.
Apple is delaying its new rules around in-app tracking in iOS 14, postponing the controversial disclosure requirement that set it at odds with Facebook. Announced at WWDC 2020, the new feature was intended to make explicit that software could use data to deliver personalized adverts, and indeed track users across multiple apps and websites.
Google ruffled not a few feathers when it made a change in Android 11 that also passed by unnoticed. In the next version of Android, only the pre-installed camera apps will be launched when apps request that a photo or video be taken. That has naturally raised many questions, especially on Google's motivations, and the company has now updated its developer guidance to explain what user privacy it is trying to protect with this change.
Encrypted messaging app Signal is making it easier to evaluate a potential contact before letting them have access to your profile, giving users more control over who is able to connect with them. This new feature comes in the form of message requests, which means anyone who isn't already in your phone's contacts will be presented for you to accept or reject before they can message.
The Internet is packed full of billions of photos, many of which are lost into the depths of abandoned accounts and old hosting services. A huge number of this media is readily discoverable and easily downloaded, however, and due to the rise of social media platforms, it is easier than ever to link them with the people featured in the photos. Unknown to the public, some companies are quietly downloading this content en masse and using it to create secret facial recognition models of the subjects...but there's a solution, and it is called Fawkes.
Given the threat of a ban and the acquisition demands being imposed upon it by the US government, it's almost too easy to view popular social media platform TikTok as an innocent victim. It may not be without its own faults, however, that could, in turn, sour the public's opinion of the service and the Chinese company that runs it. According to a new report, the app may have been tracking Android users until last year using a method that has been expressly forbidden by Google's policies.