Data Privacy and Cybersecurity

Apps on iPhone home screen

Australia Passes Encryption Bill That's Sparking Privacy Concerns

The new law will require tech companies to let security agencies access encrypted private messaging services, like iMessage and WhatsApp.

 | Cristina Mutchler

Sign in front of Marriott hotel

Marriott To Pay For New Passports If Fraud Is Found After Data Breach

The hotel chain told media outlets it will cover passport replacement costs for guests affected by fraud as a result of its recent data breach.

 | Cristina Mutchler

Marriott announces data breach

Marriott Announces Massive Data Breach Affecting 500 Million Guests

Marriott said hackers accessed personal information in its Starwood reservations database.

 | Andrea Gonzales

Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a House committee

International Lawmakers Pick Up Chatter On Trust-Busting Facebook

Despite scandal after scandal, Facebook has managed to evade government regulation. Now, lawmakers are more often suggesting antitrust measures.

 | Tyler Adkisson

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai

Proposed Text Message Rules Echo The Fight Over Net Neutrality

The FCC wants to regulate text messages just as it did broadband internet — and rights groups are worried it could erode consumer protections, too.

 | Evan Thomas

Facebook's logo on the exterior of a building

Amid Privacy Fallout, Facebook Announces New Smart Home Device

In November the company will roll out Facebook Portal, a voice-activated webcam that can be used for video chats.

 | Cristina Mutchler

Apple logo on the exterior of the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in New York City in 2015

Apple Denies Hacking Report In Letter To Lawmakers

The tech company said it found no evidence that microchips sold to Apple gave China access to spy on American systems.

 | Cristina Mutchler

Using your debit or credit card can provide a lot of information to a data broker.

Is Your Health Profile For Sale?

Data brokers compile health and frailty profiles that have wide-ranging applications for drug companies, advertisers, insurers and other buyers.

 | Ashley Holt

Google logo is displayed at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. in 2015

Google Says Third-Party Apps Can Still Access Gmail User Data

The company defended its email data-sharing practices in a letter to lawmakers.

 | Cristina Mutchler

Person uses a debit card in a chip and pin machine in England in 2015.

UK Regulators Hit Equifax With A Fine That Isn't As Big As You'd Think

The $660,000 penalty is the maximum amount allowed under the previous data protection law.

 | Cristina Mutchler

Google page reflected in an eye

Google Fights Global Expansion Of EU's 'Right To Be Forgotten' Law

Users in the EU can have certain data removed from EU internet searches, but a case argues that that should apply globally. Google disagrees.

 | Gabrielle Ware

Google home screen on smartphone.

Google Under Investigation For Location Privacy Practices In Arizona

Google could face "potential litigation" in Arizona.

 | Ahmed Jawadi

The Bottom Line: Is Any Data Safe Online?

Newsy and Consumer Reports discuss the bottom line. In this segment, expert Bree Fowler shares tips on how to keep your data private online.

 | Cody LaGrow

Microsoft President Brad Smith

Microsoft President Wants Congress To Regulate Facial Recognition Use

The technology could be used to identify and track people without their permission.

 | Gabrielle Ware

Data feeds from Twitter and Instagram

California Just Passed A Historic Data Privacy Bill

The bill gives consumers much more power over their data.

 | Gabrielle Ware

A woman uses a smartphone outside the Supreme Court building

Supreme Court Smartphone Ruling Is A Privacy Law For The Modern Age

The Supreme Court's ruling on cellphone tracking modernizes some decades-old privacy protections and could pave the way for more strict guidelines.

 | Evan Thomas

Supreme Court building

Supreme Court Rules Officials Need Warrants To Get Cell Location Data

The case rose out of a number of robbery cases from 2010 and 2011.

 | Ethan Weston

A facial recognition camera

There Aren't Many Laws Governing Facial Recognition At US Airports

Orlando International Airport will scan the faces of travelers arriving on international flights. These tools still aren't closely regulated.

 | Evan Thomas

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Facebook Automatically Set 14 Million Users' Posts To Public

The bug occurred when Facebook was building a new feature.

 | Gabrielle Ware

Protestors hold signs denouncing Facebook's data collection practices

Facebook Collects Data On People Who Don't Even Have An Account

Facebook's data-sharing partnerships show that even if you're on top of data privacy, strangers may unwittingly expose your data.

 | Tyler Adkisson

An example of Locky ransomware is displayed on a computer

Why Ransomware Is The Most Popular Tool For Cyberattacks

The first known ransomware attack happened in 1989 and used floppy disks to encrypt data. But hackers still are using the popular malware to this day.

 | Tyler Adkisson

Facebook on phone and on computer

Lawsuit Alleges Facebook Gathered Data Via Texts, Photos, Microphone

A new filling in an ongoing lawsuit claims Facebook's apps read texts, tracked locations, accessed photos and listened through device microphones.

 | Ethan Weston

Amazon sign with convention attendees

ACLU Asks Amazon To Stop Selling Facial Recognition Software To Police

The ACLU says the software can identify, track and analyze people in real time.

 | Ethan Weston

Facebook logo reflected off of a user's eye

A New EU Privacy Rule Is Changing How Facebook, Google Treat Your Data

The General Data Protection Regulation requires companies that collect user data to guarantee some of that data is secure and protected.

 | Tyler Adkisson

The U.S. Department of Justice seal

DOJ And FBI Reportedly Investigating Cambridge Analytica

The New York Times reports the investigation seems to focus on the data firm's financial dealings.

 | Katherine Biek

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Facebook Suspends About 200 Apps Under Suspicion Of Misusing User Data

Facebook said Monday that it investigated thousands and suspended about 200 apps under the suspicion that they were misusing user data.

 | Katie Cammarata

Illustration of people using smartphones and devices

Smart Cities Are The Next Frontier In The Data Protection Debate

Smart cities strive to make cities run more smoothly by using residents' data. But can they keep that data safe at the same time?

 | Eugene Daniels

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies in front of Senate members

Congress Doesn't Know How To Talk About Facebook's Data Collection

Facebook's data collection practices are so complicated that some members of Congress had a hard time framing questions on how it works.

 | Tyler Adkisson

Mark Zuckerberg testifies before congressional committees

Mark Zuckerberg Says His Own Personal Data Was Sold To Third Parties

Zuckerberg revealed this Wednesday while answering questions from Rep. Anna Eshoo on Capitol Hill.

 | Briana Koeneman