Privacy Digest 11/26
Google Search As You Know It Is Over
Google is shifting Search away from its long-standing list of ranked links toward AI-driven conversations and interactive experiences. Rather than choosing separate modes, users will type longer, more natural questions into an expanded search box that can guide and refine requests in real time. AI systems will increasingly gather information, answer follow-up questions, and even assist with creating personalized tools.This marks a shift from manual web navigation to AI-mediated experiences.
techcrunch.com
Websites Break California Privacy Law At ‘Industrial Scale,’ Survey Finds
A large-scale audit of more than 7,000 websites found widespread failures to respect California’s Global Privacy Control (GPC), a signal that tells websites not to sell or share user data. Researchers reported that major tracking systems continued collecting information even when the privacy setting was enabled, with Google, Microsoft, and Meta-linked technologies frequently identified in the findings. Researchers argued that many of these issues could be fixed through relatively small technical changes, while companies disputed the conclusions and defended their compliance practices. The findings raise broader concerns about whether privacy rights are being enforced in practice across the web.
themarkup.org
Data Brokers’ And AI Firms’ Opt-Out Forms Are Built To Fail, Report Finds
A new report from EPIC argues that privacy opt-out systems are often designed in ways that make exercising rights difficult or impractical. Researchers found some companies required users to log in before accessing opt-out options, while others limited instructions to specific regions despite broader legal requirements. Even where tools existed, they were frequently hard to locate or lacked clear choices around data sharing. EPIC argues the larger problem extends beyond confusing forms: requiring individuals to chase countless companies for privacy protection creates an unrealistic burden, making reduced data collection the more effective solution.
wired.com
Only Approved Phones Can Pass Google’s New reCAPTCHA, Locking Out Privacy Focused Alternatives
Google’s updated reCAPTCHA system introduces QR code verification that requires a “compatible mobile device,” currently limited to iPhones and Android devices with Google Play Services. According to GrapheneOS, this could block users of privacy-focused operating systems and deGoogled devices from accessing websites and services that rely on reCAPTCHA. Critics argue the change extends hardware-based verification beyond security and may increase dependence on approved ecosystems. The broader concern is that access to parts of the web could increasingly depend on using devices and software controlled by a few major platforms.
cybernews.com