privacy

There are still debates on the usefulness not to mention the accuracy of benchmarking apps but now AnTuTu has an even bigger problem to deal with. One of the most popular benchmarking tools on mobile, especially on Android, the AnTuTu is repeatedly getting kicked out of Google's ecosystem. After it got removed from Google Play Store earlier this year, the Android maker's Play Protect security platform is now treating the app as something dangerous, effectively scaring off users from trying to install it.

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Some people take it as a badge of honor when you've become big or popular enough to be the target of attacks. Considering how OnePlus is slowly becoming such a target, one could assume it has definitely crossed that threshold. Unfortunately, it also means that the company has to step up its efforts in making sure that most of its biggest security holes are not left open for long. Sometimes it may not be directly in control but it still has the responsibility of safeguarding its customers' information. Fortunately, it was able to plug up such a gaping hole in this latest case before the cat got out of the bag, at least as far as we know.

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Smartphones have put a lot of power into our hands, literally, but they have also exposed potential security and privacy violations in things we've been taking for granted on desktops. Things like asking permission to use certain hardware and software capabilities were almost an alien concept on desktop operating systems until Android and iOS showed how those can be easily abused, like how some mobile apps have been discovered to be reading clipboard content even when not in use.

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Recent events have put privacy-conscious people in a dilemma. The need to protect their privacy from both corporations and governments has become even more critical but, at the same time, the use of technologies like computers, smartphones, and the Internet has also become inescapable. Purism is one of the few companies that has put protecting privacy as their actual business and it has now announced the pre-order of its latest Linux-based laptop that boasts of a larger screen and more powerful specs while retaining the same privacy-focused spirit.

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Advocacy groups in the United States and the European Union issued a statement on Wednesday rallying against Google's acquisition of Fitbit. The statement was signed by twenty advocacy groups from countries around the world, primarily in the USA and Europe. Google currently has a bid in place to acquire the fitness wearable company Fitbit - but the deal's not quite done just yet.

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This week Facebook admitted to wrongly sharing the personal data of thousands of app users with thousands of developers. The issue here isn't as simple as Facebook selling your personal information to advertisers, or Facebook allowing political advertisers to publish inaccuracies and lies on their platforms. Instead, it's more like a little mistake. A little mistake that lends more evidence to the idea that when a company is as big as Facebook, a little mistake can have big consequences.

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The deadline for affected apps to implement Apple's new single sign-on or SSO experience has now passed. Announced mid-2019, the system was praised for its privacy-focused implementation compared to what the likes of Facebook and Google have been offering on apps and services for years. While few will contest Apple's intentions and the security of its system, there are some who are still on the fence about it. In fact, one app will be throwing out all third-party logins because of the problems that Apple won't tell you about Sign in with Apple.

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Although Google loves to talk about how it uses the latest AI and machine learning technologies to power its anti-malware systems, Android's security and its sibling privacy are almost points of ridicule for the mobile platform. Of course, that gives Google even more reasons to double down on improving Android's security and privacy features. Such is the case with Android 11 and Google developers are now sharing the changes that will affect how users interact with apps and permissions.

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Google's enacted an auto-delete system in their Web & App Activity section of all user accounts. Google Account settings will include an "auto-delete" option by default. It'll be up to you to decide when Google deletes your user info - or if you'd like them to keep your info forever. But don't let that make you think you're good to go forever, automatically! It's not quite that simple.

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Chris Lacy is one of the more prominent indie Android app developers that have remained active in recent years. Best known for his Action Launcher, Lacy has also authored other popular Android apps such as Link Bubble and ActionDash. The latter was his response to Google's Digital Wellbeing which, while useful, was severely limited in its compatibility. Now, however, Lacy has announced its sale but the app's buyer could raise red flags for some more privacy-conscious users.

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Zoom is that kind of product that everyone loves to hate but still remains one of the most widely-used in its field. Time and again, the company that is close to officially becoming a verb has been involved in one privacy or security scandal or another, including one that is being linked to the Chinese government. One of the most recent issues that has earned it no small amount of criticism is withholding its end-to-end encryption or E2EE from its free users. Zoom has now backtracked on that stance but it comes with a small catch.

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This week the Facebook for Android app updated the way they show their brand - with all sorts of icons. You'll see Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus. This is just the tip of the iceberg, really, as Facebook's ramped up acquisitions of companies over the last several years. Do you know if your favorite app and/or service is owned by Facebook? Let's take a look at the list of names that are actually owned and/or run by Facebook, from top to bottom.

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