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As parts of the world slowly start easing restrictions and opening up, life is a far cry from returning to normal. With employees returning to the office and retail slowly opening their doors, this invites a slew of new questions when it comes to getting back to business as usual. This week, we are discussing the $5 billion dollar lawsuit Google is facing due to the company tracking people in incognito mode. It seems like this was a popular time for lawsuits, as we previously examined the class action lawsuit Tim Hortons is facing over app location tracking. This just goes to show you how difficult it is to remain anonymous online and to protect your privacy. We also dive into the researcher who claims to have reversed engineered Tik Tok and some of the other privacy concerns that continue to come to light with the company.
SIGNAL
While every news broadcast for the past few months has been centred primarily around the Pandemic, some things have come to light this week that deserve some serious attention. First, Google is facing a potential class action lawsuit of $5 billion dollars. The search giant is being accused of invading the privacy of millions of Americans. If you thought you were gaming the system by creeping the internet in incognito mode, you would be wrong.
Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda says, “Incognito mode in Chrome gives you the choice to browse the internet without your activity being saved to your browser or device,”
Google faces $5 billion lawsuit for tracking people in incognito mode
What you need to know about privacy and Google’s Incognito mode
However, the suit alleges Google violates wiretapping and privacy laws by continuing to "intercept, track, and collect communications" even when people use Chrome's incognito mode and other private web browser modes.
$5 Billion Privacy Violations Lawsuit Claims Google Violated Federal Wiretap Laws by Tracking Users in “Private Browsing” Mode
Why is this a big deal? Asides from the fact that these huge corporations are getting our personal data for free and tracking us even if we opt out, a bigger issue that is raised is what these companies will do with the information. There needs to be better oversight when it comes to corporations tracking our every move.
BANDWIDTH
Tik Tok is back in the news with another scandal. A researcher publicly claimed to reverse-engineered the Tik Tok app, and uncovered some pretty alarming privacy breeches. He advises users to stop using it as well as to convince their friends and family to stop using it as well, due to its intrusive user tracking among other serious problems. He claimed that he has a strong understanding of how the app works and stated that it was a data collection service thinly disguised as a social media platform. The app tracks users' phone hardware that means it tracks CPU type, hardware IDs, memory usage, disk space, etc.
It also tracks the apps you have installed. In addition to all this, everything network-related like, IP addresses, MAC addresses, WiFi access points, etc. are also monitored.
India has recently banned over 58 apps in their app store, including Tik Tok, which resulted in the app loosing 200 million users in the span of 24 hours.
TikTok Just Lost 200 Million Users In 24 Hours
The Indian government alleged that these apps were “compiling, mining and profiling” users’ data that posed threats to “national security and defence of India.”
Kevin Mayer, the CEO of Tik Tok said on Wednesday that the popular short-form video app complies with “all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law.
Life Back to Normal?
You probably have already started getting those emails from your employers, asking you to return to the office, with many new safety protocols in place. But a new report that recently came out by the Better Business Bureau advises employers to be careful when using technology for contact tracing.
How Contact Tracing by Employers Could Change the Economics of Motivation
While it is legal for employers to mandate their employees get tested for coronavirus before returning to work, take daily temperatures, and participate in contact-tracing solutions, companies need to tread carefully when documenting and storing personal health information.
Contact tracing could become a regular part of office life. Here's how it will work
NOISE
Here are some other stories making headlines:
Major brands like Coca-Cola, Ford, Starbucks, and Verizon have joined the boycott.
Facebook and Google may be forced to share their data with rivals, as the UK seeks to check their power.
The UK's competition regulator has recommended closer scrutiny of the two platforms, noting the 'unassailable' market positions in digital advertising.
Major Technology Company CEOs to Testify Before Congress
Top executives of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google will appear before House Judiciary Committee later this month, as it investigates their power over the digital marketplace.
Have a great week everyone!
The Hamiltonian