Category: tracking

This $99 ‘smart case’ records when you take your birth control pill

[ad_1] Each year, an estimated 10 million people in the US take birth control pills. But remembering to take each pill can be challenging, and 80 percent of people miss at least one pill per month. That leads to an estimated one million unplanned pregnancies and may cause complications for those who take the pill […]

WSJ: TikTok used a loophole to track MAC addresses on Android

[ad_1] As the WSJ explains, Google presents an anonymized advertising ID that users can easily reset, as opposed to the MAC address that doesn’t have the same opt-out capabilities. There are other techniques used for this “ID bridging” that don’t involve the MAC address, and according to their investigation, TikTok removed its tracking with an […]

Robotic camera backpack shows a day in a beetle’s life

[ad_1] To hit that goal, the team took a lesson from the insect world they’re trying to explore. “Flies are using 10 to 20 percent of their resting energy just to power their brains, most of which is devoted to visual processing,” said the study’s co-author Sawyer Fuller. “To help cut the cost, some flies […]

Arizona sues Google over Android smartphone tracking

[ad_1] “The Attorney General and the contingency fee lawyers filing this lawsuit appear to have mischaracterized our services,” Google told The Post in a statement. “We have always built privacy features into our products and provided robust controls for location data. We look forward to setting the record straight.” The lawsuit is the latest in […]

Israel restricts COVID-19 phone tracking to ‘special cases’

[ad_1] Officials initially wanted to track the location of virtually every infected person with the technology, which was originally intended to fight terrorism. It theoretically helped Israel determine if people were isolating properly, and would help determine who might have been exposed. Privacy advocates quickly objected, though, and the Israeli parliament put a stop to […]

Shopify’s new app helps you buy from local businesses

[ad_1] With widespread shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, online shopping has become more important than ever. Shopify, which until now has mostly helped online retailers sell their products, wants to make it easier for consumers to browse and buy goods, especially from local businesses. Today, it’s unveiling its new consumer app, Shop. With location […]

Israel barred from COVID-19 phone tracking without new legislation

[ad_1] While the phone tracking hasn’t been detailed in earnest, it’s believed to involve anti-terrorism tech from the Shin Bet domestic security agency. The tracking was used to enforce quarantines, flagging infected people who left home. The government isn’t happy with the decision. Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz claimed the technology made a “critical contribution” to […]

Safari now blocks all third-party cookies by default

[ad_1] The move should make life more difficult for aggressive advertisers and attackers alike. It should prevent sites from using login fingerprinting or even the state of your anti-tracking prevention to watch your behavior. It should also thwart cross-site request forgery attacks, and prevents the use of auxiliary third-party domains to identify users. The updated […]

Ford hopes you’ll trade some privacy for discounted car insurance

[ad_1] The companies are promising discounts of up to 40 percent, although that will likely vary. The insurance is available now in 39 states with notable exceptions like New York and Washington, although it should reach other states “over time.” This is more convenient than other forms of usage-based insurance. You don’t need to buy […]