Twitter recently released a shocking statement revealing that they have been sharing private information of users with advertisers. In the statement posted on the Help Center of the company’s site, they admitted to matching customers to advertisers’ marketing lists using the email addresses and phone numbers they provided for security features like their Two-factor authentication process: “We recently discovered that when you provided an email address or phone number for safety or security purposes (for example, two-factor authentication) this data may have inadvertently been used for advertising purposes, specifically in our Tailored Audiences and Partner Audiences advertising system. “ According to Twitter, the Tailored Audiences feature allows advertisers to target ads to customers based on the advertiser’s own marketing lists (e.g., email addresses or phone numbers they have compiled). Partner Audiences then allows advertisers to use the Tailored Audiences feature to target ads...

From TSA unnecessarily searching Black women’s hair to their profiling of Muslims, airport security can quickly turn from a simple headache into a reminder of your status as an inherent threat. Now, airports are introducing a new, invasive security measure that is raising alarms. Throughout the United States, the US Customs and Border Protection program known as Biometric Exit is in use at departure gates in 17 airports, as reported by CNET . The program uses facial recognition technology to take pictures of people and “verify their identity.” The agency says it only holds onto the photos of citizens “until their identities have been verified” and everyone else’s for 14 days. The photos of every non-U.S. citizen are also sent to the Department of Homeland Security’s Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT), which can store information for 75 years . By 2021 the system will be used to scan 97 percent of all travelers leaving the country, according to CNET. However, facial...

If you have an old device, you might bring it to a thrift store, recycling center, or pass it down to somebody else you know. However, according to new research , those donated devices may still contain your personal information. For the study — published by security firm Rapid7 — researcher Josh Frantz purchased 85 devices for only $650, including computers, removable media like flash drives, hard disks, and cell phones. He ended up finding over 366,300 files of pretty sensitive information that included images and documents. Frantz was able to gain access to emails, social security, credit card numbers, passport information, dates of birth, and more. Essentially, all the data that you really don’t want falling into a random stranger’s hands. This highlights that a lot of centers aren’t properly wiping data before they pass devices on, even if they’re promising to do so. Frantz only found two devices that were erased properly, and only three of them were encrypted. It’s important...

A Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaint filed in December is alleging that Facebook failed to protect private health information in its groups. The complaint– which was recently made public–alleges that Facebook leaked data about individuals in their patient support groups. These groups are dedicated to providing a sense of community for those who share the same medical conditions. BRCA and NGLY1 community advocates helped file the complaint. BRCA is a genetic mutation that has been linked to breast cancer, while NGLY1 is a rare genetic disorder. “Facebook offers the illusion of control but ignores and obscures privacy decisions,” the complaint said. The complaint alleges that Facebook was deceptive in using the terms “safety” and “control” for its medical support groups while giving users the ability to download personal information about group members. Support group members could have their names, phone numbers and email addresses downloaded which would link them to specific...