Privacy Digest 01/26
Tidy up your tech: How to protect your digital data and privacy
Kick off the new year by building smarter digital habits and inspire the people around you to do the same. From enabling multi-factor authentication to turning off Bluetooth when it’s not in use, NBC’s Vicky Nguyen joins TODAY with simple steps to help you clean up your devices, protect your personal information, and share this great digital cleansing routine with friends and family.
youtube.com
Yes, the government can track your location – but usually not by spying on you directly
A privacy researcher explains how your phone routinely reveals your location, how companies collect and sell that data, and how the government ultimately gains access to it simply by buying it. Mobile phones always generate location information through normal operation, legal 911 requirements, and app permissions. Once you allow apps or websites to access location services, that data is often shared in the background, especially through advertising systems like real-time bidding, where third-party ad tech firms can keep and resell it. These companies sell the data to brokers, who repackage it and provide tools used by businesses, law enforcement, and agencies like ICE to track people without warrants. Because location data reveals where you live, work, and travel, it is extremely sensitive, poorly regulated, and nearly impossible to truly anonymize.
theconversation.com
Texas is suing all of the big TV makers for spying on what you watch
Texas has filed lawsuits against Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL, accusing them of secretly monitoring what people watch at home through Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology. The state claims this system tracks content across streaming apps, cable, Blu-ray, YouTube, and even security camera feeds, AirPlay, Google Cast, and HDMI-connected devices. Texas officials say manufacturers mislead users into enabling ACR while hiding the extent of data collection, with some TVs allegedly capturing screen images every 500 milliseconds and sending data back for targeted ads without real consent. The lawsuits seek penalties and a ban on collecting or selling Texans’ viewing data, while also warning about national security risks tied to Chinese-based companies Hisense and TCL. Texas argues these practices are invasive, deceptive, and unlawful.
theverge.com
5 Best Tips To Browse The Internet Anonymously
Ghostery's guide walks you through practical steps on how to browse the web anonymously using a mix of tools and habits that protect your identity, reduce tracking, and keep more of your browsing activity to yourself.
ghostery.com