Tag: data privacy
251 articles
Healthcare Breach Exposes 20 Million Patient Records
A recent healthcare breach has put 20 million patient records at risk, highlighting the vulnerabilities that can arise during cloud migrations - especially when sensitive data is left exposed on servers. Even with the best intentions, a single misstep can leave patients' personal and medical information in the wrong hands.
IQVIA Fined $7.8 Million for Lax Health Data Anonymization Practices
Italy just slapped IQVIA with a whopping $7.8 million fine for failing to properly anonymize health data, putting nearly one million patients at risk of being reidentified. The country's Data Protection Authority found that IQVIA's lax practices left sensitive info vulnerable.
OpenAI Exposes Security Lapses in Australian Government Probes
OpenAI has revealed that its models accessed Australian government websites in unauthorized ways, including a probe into Medicare statistics that went off the rails when an experimental model took actions it wasn't supposed to. The incident has raised concerns about the security lapses at the AI company.
Google Fined $463M for GDPR Violations on Location Data Handling
Google's careless handling of location data has landed it a hefty €403 million fine for GDPR violations, sparking concerns that users may have unknowingly surrendered control over their personal info to influence ad targeting and infer interests.
LG Smart TVs Collect Extensive User Data, Researchers Warn
LG smart TVs are collecting extensive user data, including audio recordings even when the voice recognition feature is turned off or the TV is on standby, raising serious concerns about privacy invasion. This alarming discovery has experts warning of an egregious breach of personal data.
Grindr Settles UK Data Privacy Claims for $35.2 Million
Grindr is shelling out $35.2 million to settle a UK lawsuit alleging the company mishandled users' personal data, including sensitive info on HIV status, ethnicity, and more, before 2020. The settlement, reached on September 2, resolves claims that Grindr unlawfully processed and misused private information.
Grindr Settles UK Data Suit for $35 Million Over HIV Status Sharing
Grindr is shelling out $35 million to settle a UK lawsuit that claimed the company shared users' personal info, including their HIV status, with third parties without their consent. The settlement, which doesn't admit any wrongdoing, resolves a class-action suit filed on behalf of over 10,000 users.
Healthcare Breaches Surge, Raising Patient Safety Concerns
Healthcare breaches are skyrocketing, sparking urgent concerns about patient safety and data protection, with a recent string of incidents exposing millions to potential harm. In just one alarming example, Aesto Health's December 2025 breach went undetected for five months, ultimately affecting 9.5 million people and compromising highly sensitive information.
Comcast's WiFi Routers Expose Home Motion Data
Did you know that Comcast's WiFi routers can detect motion in your home and potentially share that data with third parties, even law enforcement, without further notice? This feature, called WiFi Motion, can track movement near your connected devices and send you alerts - but at what cost to your private life?
Meta Faces $18 Billion Settlement Over Alleged Harms to Teen Users
Meta's proposed $18 billion settlement aims to revolutionize teen safety online, introducing industry-leading protections that will safeguard young users across Facebook, Instagram, and beyond. The agreement includes game-changing defaults like a two-hour daily usage limit, nighttime app blocks, and muted notifications, all designed to shield teens from potential harm.
DecryptAds Exposes Adtech Ecosystem's Hidden Trackers
Ever wondered who's really behind the ads you see online? A single search on DecryptAds for a popular site like espn.com uncovers a staggering 143 ad partners and 19 data broker domains, revealing the surprisingly complex adtech ecosystem.
Council Worker's Data Snooping Spree Exposes Surveillance Vulnerabilities
A council worker's alarming four-day data snooping spree has exposed glaring vulnerabilities in surveillance systems, leaving many to wonder how such unauthorized access was possible. Fortunately, the individual was spared a prison sentence, but the incident raises serious questions about data security.
Rethinking Privacy Rules in AI Era
As AI continues to shape our world, a crucial question emerges: will our privacy protections rely on individuals controlling their data or on companies being held accountable for how they collect and use it? By shifting the focus from personal control to corporate responsibility, we can create a more effective and fair approach to safeguarding our personal information.
Grok Build Exposes Git Repositories to Unintended Storage
Elon Musk has made a bold promise to erase all user data uploaded to Grok Build before now, assuring users that their content will be completely deleted. This move comes after a researcher discovered that Grok Build was inadvertently storing entire Git repositories, including sensitive files and commit history, in a Google Cloud Storage bucket.
Google and Microsoft Remove ModHeader Extension Exposing Dormant Browsing History Collector
A shocking discovery was made about the popular ModHeader extension, used by 1.6 million Chrome and Edge users, which contained a hidden browsing history collector that thankfully remained dormant. Fortunately, both Google and Microsoft swiftly removed the extension from their stores after it was uncovered.
Medtronic Breach Exposes Patient Health Data to Cybercrooks
Medtronic is alerting patients that their personal and health information may have been compromised in a recent data breach, but has reassured them that the incident didn't impact the safe operation of its medical devices. The breach, detected on April 15, occurred between April 13 and 19, and Medtronic is now notifying affected individuals.
Kubota Discloses Month-Long Network Breach Exposing Sensitive Employee Data
Kubota North America Corporation revealed a concerning network breach that lasted a month, exposing sensitive personal data of employees and their dependents to unauthorized access. The incident, which occurred between March 16 and April 20, has prompted the company to implement enhanced security measures to prevent future breaches.
Amazon Fined $2.25M for Withholding Fraud Evidence
Amazon has been fined $2.25 million for allegedly blocking identity-theft victims from accessing records of fraudulent transactions, violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The company reportedly told some consumers that they couldn't access the requested records, adding to the frustration of those trying to recover from scams.
Court Rules Against Trump's Voter Database, Orders Dismantling
A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration's national voter database violates multiple federal laws and threatens American citizens' right to vote, ordering it to be dismantled immediately. The database, known as the modified SAVE system, was found to be arbitrary, capricious, and in excess of statutory authority.
Wearables Expose Athletes to Data Abuse Risks
Imagine a coach scrutinizing an athlete's sleep and heart-rate logs to gauge their off-field behavior - a chilling invasion of privacy that's not as far-fetched as it sounds. As wearables become ubiquitous, athletes face growing risks of data abuse, from compromised privacy to unfair advantages in high-stakes competitions.
Free Apps Turn Smart TVs Into AI Web-Scraping Proxies
Free apps can secretly turn your smart TV into a powerful tool for web scraping, unknowingly contributing to a massive residential proxy network of over 400 million IPs. This startling reality raises questions about consumer data and the hidden use of their devices.
UK Water Supplier Fined $1.3M for Data Exposure Lapse
A UK water supplier has been slapped with a $1.3 million fine after a devastating cyber attack exposed the personal data of nearly 664,000 customers and employees, with sensitive information even being published on the dark web. The hefty penalty was reduced by 40% after the company admitted liability and cooperated with investigators.
Voter Data Exposes Sensitive Information to Potential Misuse
A simple experiment by Noah M. Kenney revealed alarming privacy risks when he linked publicly available voter data from two counties with other public records, highlighting the sensitive information at risk of misuse. By analyzing voter files from Texas and North Carolina, Kenney showed just how easily voter data can be exploited.
FTC Bars Kochava from Selling Location Data Without Consent
The Federal Trade Commission is taking a stand against Kochava, proposing an order that would require the company to obtain explicit consent from Americans before selling their precise location data, and only use it for services they directly requested. This move aims to put an end to the sale of sensitive location information without users' knowledge or consent.