As social distancing forces us online, rural America is being left behind
Social distancing has affected remote areas, where a lack of internet service makes videoconferencing software, telehealth services, and homework impossible.
Cyberbullying against Asian people skyrockets 900% in wake of pandemic
Hateful online abuse targeting Asian people has increased by a whopping 900% since the coronavirus outbreak began, according to a report.
Is Zoom’s new privacy policy worth a damn? Proceed with caution, experts say
The videoconferencing app was caught by a flurry of bad press around its privacy policy, but the recent changes might not amount to much.
Houseparty could be a digital privacy nightmare, experts warn
The video chatting app has seen a huge spike in popularity since people were confined inside, but it comes with some major security questions.
‘The internet is in no way a part of my job’: Not everyone can work from home
Restaurant and hospitality jobs cannot be done from a computer at home, and workers in those sectors are struggling during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Attacks from Chinese hacking group have spiked, U.S. firm says
Attempted cyberattacks from a sophisticated Chinese hacking group have spiked since late January, according to cybersecurity firm FireEye Inc.
How coronavirus is forcing online learning to evolve
The coronavirus may force schools to get their digital acts together unlike any other potential catalyst. Online degrees may gain the prestige they've lacked.
Google’s coronavirus screening website accused of mining health data for profit
Project Baseline, a pilot site set up by Google to give access to COVID-19 testing sites, has been accused of collecting patient data and selling it for profit.
Uncanny Face ID mask can deter the spread of germs, but won’t unlock your phone
When a San Francisco-based artist joked that she was making medical masks with people's face printed on them, she was surprised the internet really wanted them.
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos commits $10 billion to fighting climate change
Jeff Bezos announced the formation of the Bezos Earth Fund and a $10 billion commitment to fight climate change, following his "climate pledge" for Amazon.
Chinese firm working on facial recognition that can identify you under a mask
The Chinese government may now grant startup Megvii millions of yuan to develop facial-recognition technology that could be used on mask-wearers in a crowd.
The time you lost watching YouTube ads last year netted Google $15 billion
Google’s parent company, Alphabet, revealed YouTube’s revenue from advertising: $15 billion. That's just under 10 percent of Alphabet’s total revenue for 2019.
Ring’s defense of recent hacks is as shoddy as its security, lawyer claims
After a series of Ring camera hacks, the Amazon-owned company claimed that hackers obtained login credentials from hacking forums or the dark web, not from the Ring's database. But lawyers representing victims said their clients used unique passwords that could not have been stolen anywhere else.
Microsoft will release a fix for major Windows vulnerability found by the NSA
Update all your Microsoft-related software ASAP. The National Security Agency alerted Microsoft that there’s a major flaw in the Windows operating system. Reportedly it could affect the Windows 10 operating system and the Windows Server 2016, but Microsoft has not yet addressed this directly.
Apple rejects U.S. Attorney General request to unlock another phone
The question of privacy vs law enforcement's access to our data looms large again, as U.S. Attorney General William Barr asks Apple to unlock the phone of another alleged shooter. But as the government insists on having backdoor access to our phones, tech companies say that's not how encryption works.
Why a deepfake ban won’t solve Facebook’s real problems
Facebook leaves a large loophole in its deepfake policy in the form of satire and parody. This will be hard to enforce, from an operational and enforcement standpoint. In addition, if Facebook is serious about combating misinformation, deepfakes are not where it should be focusing, experts say.
Uber founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick leaves board, for good this time
Uber has announced that Travis Kalanick, the founder and former CEO of the company, would be stepping down from his position on the board of directors and has sold all of his stock options, estimated to be worth at least $2.5 billion. Kalanick’s last day at the company will be December 31.
Snopes says ex-partner Facebook is ‘not committed’ to fighting fake news
Snopes used to partner with Facebook on its fact-checking operation. After Facebook removed a web of fake user profiles following a Snopes report on the problem, Snopes says Facebook is not taking fighting fake news seriously. Snopes has launched an independent crowdfunding campaign to support its fact-checking work.
Calm down about The Rise of Skywalker: Why can’t I just like a movie anymore?
It used to be one could simply have an opinion about a movie and not have to hire extra security because of it. Then alsog came The Last Jedi. Why does Star Wars: Episode IX -- The Rise of Skywalker have me afraid to like the movie, even before I've seen it? Answer: The fandom.
Why have Americans turned a cold shoulder to messaging giant WhatsApp?
It's one of the most popular messaging apps worldwide, yet Americans barely know it exists. Why is WhatsApp still so unpopular in the U.S. when it dominates the markets in places like India and Germany?
Why deepfakes will soon be as commonplace as Photoshop
Amid the hype around deepfakes, the simple truth is that this technology isn’t going away. In fact, it’s going to become as commonplace as Photoshop: We could soon see hyper-targeted ads with our own faces on them. Some companies, in fact, see deepfakes as the future of media.
The anti-Amazon movement is gaining steam. Will Black Friday shoppers care?
The biggest shopping season of the year is here. And just in time, a new anti-Amazon initiative has revved up. The new worker coalition Athena says its goals are to prevent worker abuse and shield communities from what it calls Amazon’s predatory actions. Will it be able to sway people's attitudes toward the company?
Uber may be banned in London. Could the same thing happen in the U.S.?
London announced Monday that it would revoke Uber’s operating license. Uber might soon be banned in a city that's grown accustomed to easy rideshares, just as many American cities rely on similar apps. But there's little many U.S. cities can do to outright ban them as London is attempting to do.
Facebook says white supremacists ‘cannot have a presence’ on the social network
Facebook has removed more than 200 white supremacist organizations from its platform for violating both terrorism and hate speech community standards, a Facebook representative told Digital Trends, part of a broader crackdown on harmful content.
Prophet or puppet-master? Meet the man behind the Zuckerberg deepfake
Bill Posters is a former street artist based in the U.K. You may not know his name, but if you’ve been paying attention, you’ve likely seen his work. The videos that Posters makes are intentionally fabricated to illustrate a political point, but indicate to a growing online problem.
Yes, China is probably watching us through our IoT devices
There's a good chance that if it was built in China, your IoT smart home gadget is likely sending some kind of info to China. Thing is, it's mostly innocuous.
Why posting photos of your boarding pass is a terrible idea
You may want to show off, but stop posting your boarding passes online. It's turning you into an easy target for hackers and indentity thieves.
A Twitter bug could use your phone number to expose personal information
A security researcher has revealed that it's possible to find phone numbers and match them to Twitter usernames, a security flaw that could leave millions of people's accounts exposed. The researcher said he'd already found the phone numbers of several high-profile users and politicians.
Massive ‘Blueleaks’ trove of law enforcement documents leaked
Thousands of U.S. police documents were leaked to the public in what’s being called “BlueLeaks” on Juneteenth. The data could contain private information.
As college resumes, students protest against invasive proctoring apps
COVID has forced schools to figure out how to do everything, including administering tests, remotely. This has led to privacy complications and student revolt.
Four fired employees plan to file charges against Google. Here’s what’s next
It may be a long road ahead for the four former Google employees who were unceremoniously fired, while attempting to organize a Google employee union. They have said they will file charges of “unfair labor practices” with the National Labor Relations Board.
Streaming services are the ‘Wild West’ for political ads, report finds
Streaming services are the 'Wild West' for political ads, a new report found, involving little fact checking and reactive policies about misinformation.