According to Gizmodo, a class-action lawsuit of $100 million was filed against Google Photos for allegedly breaking the state of Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act. Basically, the act says that any company collecting user data of the state's inhabitants must offer a publicly available and … [Read more...] about Google Photos sued by the state of Illinois in a $100 million class-action face-scanning lawsuit
Privacy and Security
Google strengthens security for Enterprise customers with launch of new partner integrations
Google has always been at the forefront of providing strong, industry-leading digital security, and it goes one step further today by launching new tools for Enterprise customers. It is launching a collection of new plug-and-play partner integrations in the Chrome browser and ChromeOS to provide … [Read more...] about Google strengthens security for Enterprise customers with launch of new partner integrations
You can no longer buy Kindle books through the Amazon app on Android
While I'm personally all in on the Google Play Books ecosystem for eBooks and audiobooks, I can understand that there is a much larger percentage of people that prefer Kindle and Audible for their content. Because Android is the dominant handheld operating system, it stands to reason that most of … [Read more...] about You can no longer buy Kindle books through the Amazon app on Android
Google launches My Ad Center, lets you see more or fewer ads from brands and categories
YouTube recently decided to let users hide more sensitive ad categories to protect their privacy. Things like ads pertaining to alcohol, dating, gambling, pregnancy and parenting, or weight loss can now be limited while signed in to a Google Account on YouTube so long as these have been toggled. … [Read more...] about Google launches My Ad Center, lets you see more or fewer ads from brands and categories
Google is one step closer to killing the password with new FIDO ‘passwordless sign-in’ on Android
Google has been working to kill off the traditional password as a means of account access for some time, but until now, it hadn't revealed how it planned to do so beyond enforcing 2SV (two-step verification) on millions of more accounts and encouraging users to perform the occasional security … [Read more...] about Google is one step closer to killing the password with new FIDO ‘passwordless sign-in’ on Android
YouTube will now let you hide more sensitive ad categories to further protect your privacy
It's either fortunate or unfortunate that advertising has to be a part of life, depending on whether you're a business owner or a consumer, but when used appropriately, I'm of the personal opinion that it can lead to an improved quality of life, as well as better revenue for small businesses. That's … [Read more...] about YouTube will now let you hide more sensitive ad categories to further protect your privacy
Google Play apps now show way more detailed information on how they will use your data
The Google Play Store has had information on how app developers will utilize your personal data to drive and improve the experience for quite some time now. With the introduction of this though, it was never very detailed. Luckily, that's all changing now as this feature is being further developed … [Read more...] about Google Play apps now show way more detailed information on how they will use your data
Google is cracking down on spam and gibberish in your Search results this year
On the Google Search Central website, the company reported that something called "SpamBrain", an AI-based spam prevention system that it's been developing since 2018 has helped it identify and reduce hacked spam by 70% and gibberish spam on hosting platforms by 75% this year over 2020. To … [Read more...] about Google is cracking down on spam and gibberish in your Search results this year
Using a game controller through Chrome could leave you vulnerable, but it’s being fixed
If you've ever played a game through the web, you'll have a need for something called the "Gamepad API". This Chrome feature allows the physical controller to connect to the browser and send your inputs to the cloud game or server where the content is being run. Unfortunately, this API has become a … [Read more...] about Using a game controller through Chrome could leave you vulnerable, but it’s being fixed
Grab a free Titan Security Key if you have a 2TB+ Google One subscription
I recently wrote up a tutorial on how to use your brand new Google Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro as a security key for your Google Account. These devices have the company's Titan security chip built right in, and it works just as well as the externally available USB-A/NFC or USB-C/NFC Security Key models … [Read more...] about Grab a free Titan Security Key if you have a 2TB+ Google One subscription
Here’s how your Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro could one day save your life
Did you know that your Pixel phone could one day save your life? It's true! Well, if you have Android 10 and up, that is. In addition to good sense and awareness of your surroundings, the Pixel phone's Personal Safety app can help you out in unavoidable emergencies or life-threatening situations by … [Read more...] about Here’s how your Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro could one day save your life
Chrome Web Store to issue two new badges for extensions that are trustworthy
Bad actor extensions on the Chrome Web Store have run rampant for far too long, promising to utilize user data only for the intended purpose, and then breaking that promise and misusing it for personal gain or malicious intent. Now that Manifest V3 has become the standard though, Google has limited … [Read more...] about Chrome Web Store to issue two new badges for extensions that are trustworthy
