Data Brokers Hide Privacy Tools from Google Search: WIRED Investigation Reveals Accountability Demanded by US Senator Maggie Hassan
Data brokers are concealing opt-out and personal data deletion tools from Google Search, making it challenging for individuals to access and utilize them, according to an investigation jointly conducted by Wired, The Markup, and CalMatters this week. This revelation has prompted US Senator Maggie Hassan to call for accountability from the companies involved.
The report also delves into the activities of data-analysis giant Palantir. Recent findings suggest that Russia may have been involved in or responsible for the breach of the US Courts records system. Despite ongoing federal investigations, details about the exact nature of the incident remain elusive.
Research is shedding light on the murky world of the multimillion-dollar market for video game cheats. Wired offers advice on how to protect yourself against portable point-of-sale scams that can potentially steal your credit card data or other sensitive information.
Last week, researchers at the Defcon security conference in Las Vegas presented open-source instructions on building a quantum sensor at a low cost, complete with a special diamond. The research also includes crucial details for those interested in constructing their own quantum sensors.
Russia has reportedly started blocking WhatsApp and Telegram calls this week, citing violations of information-sharing requirements between tech companies and the government due to the platforms’ use of end-to-end encryption. With close to 100 million users each in Russia, according to Al Jazeera and Mediascope, the move highlights Moscow’s expanding mechanisms for internet censorship and control.
WhatsApp spokesperson stated that “WhatsApp is private, end-to-end encrypted, and defies government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication, which is why Russia is trying to block it from over 100 million Russian people.” Telegram, on the other hand, has said it takes steps to address criminal behavior on its platform, including deploying moderators equipped with AI tools to monitor public discourse and communications that are not end-to-end encrypted.
ICE agents inadvertently added a random individual to a group chat named “Mass Text,” exposing sensitive discussions related to ongoing investigations, including details about a manhunt for a convicted attempted murderer who had been flagged for deportation. The person, who is not associated with law enforcement or the investigation in any way, initially mistook the messages as spam after being added to the chat weeks ago.
Messages reportedly included ICE Field Operations Worksheet details about the target, as well as communications indicating that ICE agents were accessing data from DMV and license plate readers. This breach bears similarities to SignalGate, a recent incident where senior Trump administration cabinet members accidentally added the editor in chief of The Atlantic to a Signal group chat designed to plan US air strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
In a speech this week, the head of Norway’s security police service, Beate GangÃ¥s, accused Russian hackers of targeting a dam in Norway in April and releasing millions of gallons of water during the four hours they had control. The Russian embassy has denied these allegations.
Police in England will have increased access to facial recognition tools, with ministers announcing that law enforcement will deploy 10 live facial recognition vans around the country to aid investigations related to “sex offenders or people wanted for the most serious crimes,” according to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. This marks an additional expansion of police usage of facial recognition in England.
