Privacy Concerns

The German state of Hesse has banned schools from using Microsoft Office 365 because it fears the software opens up student and teachers' private information to the risk of "potential access by US authorities". The Hesse Commissioner for Data Protection and …

Tyler Lizenby/CNET Prime Day is almost upon us, and among all the deals out there from Amazon, Walmart, and other retailers, you can expect to be tempted by at least a few discounted smart home products.  Do you really need a smart lock? Is it that crucial …

Ring's Door View Cam works well with Alexa. Chris Monroe/CNET Alexa is Amazon's voice assistant, accessible via compatible Alexa smart speakers and displays. Start with the wake word "Alexa" and ask your speaker for the local weather forecast, to order food…

The Federal Trade Commission in the United States has reportedly leveled a massive fine against Facebook over privacy violations. According to a report on Friday from The Wall Street Journal, Facebook has been hit with a fine upwards of $5 billion by the FTC…

The proliferation of smart speakers has made it easier to listen to tunes and control smart home devices, but they also raise some potential privacy concerns. After all, these are internet-connected microphones capable of listening to your conversations from …

Devices like Google Home, Google Assistant or Amazon's Alexa have risen in popularity in recent years. Their main purpose is to make life easier for people, by answering questions or controlling certain functionality such as music playback. The devices are p…

While the recordings are not associated with user accounts, people often share personal information like names and addresses that can reveal their identities. And while Google doesn't record until users say phrases like "Hey, Google" or "OK, Google," the devi…

A report from a Belgian network, VRT, has uncovered how Google is using human subcontractors to help transcribe and improve its Assistant speech-recognition systems around the globe and how this could be a privacy concern (via BoingBoing). We knew that Googl…

Megan Rapinoe at World Cup parade: 'Love more, hate less' - BBC News

The late 1990s was a simpler time for Google. The nascent company was merely a search engine, and Gmail, Android and YouTube were but glimmers in the startups eye. Googles first privacy policy reflected that simplicity. It was short and earnest, a quaint arti…