McDonald’s compiled a 515-page dossier on one of its loyalty-program customers — using years of fast-food purchases to predict how often he would return, how much he would spend and even what he was likely to order. Reece Rogers, a journalist for Condé Nast-owned Wired magazine, discovered the extensive digital profile after requesting the personal … Read more
California is putting a digital leash on AI fakes. A landmark new state law taking effect this week will require artificial intelligence companies to add invisible “digital fingerprints” to AI-generated images, videos and audio, giving users a way to determine whether the content they’re seeing was made by a human — or a machine. Written … Read more
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri has had it with the surge of obnoxious “harassing” videos shot using Meta’s ‘pervert glasses’ that are flooding the social media platform – causing the executive to ban the content. “If you’re posting content that is taking advantage of people and harassing them, like a lot of these pickup line kind … Read more
Forgetting your license at home could soon be a relic of the past. California residents will be able to flash their identification digitally under a new mobile driver’s license initiative signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Dubbed the SB 169, the mega transportation bill was first introduced in 2023. However, the law expands Mobile … Read more
Your iPhone calendar used to remind you about dentist appointments and dinner reservations. Now? It might be screaming that you’ve “won a prize” — or worse, that your device is infected and your bank account is toast. Welcome to the latest digital headache: a calendar con that’s turning Apple users’ schedules into spam central, per … Read more
Amal Clooney is laying down the law. When it comes to entertaining guests at the home she shares with George Clooney, the human rights lawyer has a strict no-phone policy. During a recent interview with Glamour, Amal detailed how she protects her family’s privacy while constantly being in the spotlight. “Creating private moments and spaces is becoming … Read more
It can’t ward off STDs, but it can safeguard your S-E-X. Unprotected hanky-panky is now, truly, a thing of the past thanks to a new, anti-revenge porn app. “Camdom is your digital condom, blocking anyone from taking pictures, filming or recording audio without your consent,” raved masterminds behind Billy Boy, a German condom company, of … Read more
This pernicious program is every stalker’s dream. Two Harvard students developed a program for Ray-Ban’s Meta smart glasses that can be used to identify an individual and obtain access to their personal information, including a home address. AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio, who are engineering students at the Ivy League school, posted a chilling demonstration … Read more
Snail mail is on the move. Despite misconceptions that younger generations only type away on their phones or don’t know what a post office is, a higher number of young people actually rely on the mailing system, according to a new survey conducted by Stamps.com. “Our research shows that mail is still incredibly relevant today,” … Read more
Wherever you go, there you are — but it doesn’t have to be that way on the internet. A new app will help consumers protect their personal data from being bought and sold by dozens of major companies. Powered by the nonprofit Consumer Reports, Permission Slip will put control back in the hands of its … Read more
Imagine if TikTok or Instagram existed when you were a baby. And your mom and dad had a public account and regularly posted photos of you – in the bath, at the playground, sleeping in your cot – for anyone and everyone to see. Now imagine being an adult and having thousands of your childhood photos floating around the internet for … Read more
They’re going AI-ncognito. Don’t like the idea of IT people peeping on your private ChatGPT messages? Not to fear: parent company OpenAI has unveiled a new stealth mode that protects users’ conversations from prying employees’ eyes, as well as potential leaks. “We’ll be moving more and more in this direction of prioritizing user privacy,” Mira … Read more