Privacy Concerns

Does govt-backed DigiYatra store passengers' personal data? Centre explains

Digi Yatra uses facial recognition technology for entry and security clearance at various airports in India. The air travel online platform is voluntary

AI-powered deepfakes rise in 2023; concerns of its impact on privacy

From politics to films and even war, the year 2023 has demonstrated that not everything one sees or hears on the internet may be real. With the ever-evolving Artificial Intelligence technology rapidly becoming a part of people's lives, a sharp rise in deepfakes has raised concerns in the country about its potential to influence electoral politics, especially during the Lok Sabha polls slated to be held next year. Deepfakes are manipulated videos or other digital representations that use artificial intelligence to create cogent videos or audio of individuals they never did or said, posing a risk of spreading misinformation and damaging their reputation. According to the '2023 State of Deepfakes Report' by 'Home Security Heroes' -- a US-based web security services company -- deepfake videos saw a five-times increase since 2019. In 2023, India witnessed scores of troubling instances related to deepfake videos, like the one involving actor Rashmika Mandanna, whose face was superimposed

Tech Giant Apple declines allegation for evading users' privacy controls

Tech giant Apple has rubbished the allegation of evading the users' privacy controls, and said that it has fixed a potential privacy vulnerability with iOS 16.3 and other updates.

Google rolls out tool to let people remove personal info from Search

Earlier this year, Google updated its policies around removing personally identifying information

Railways floats tender to monetise customer data, may withdraw it: Report

The Railways has floated a tender to hire a consultant to monetise its passenger and freight customer data with the aim to generate revenue up to Rs 1,000 crore, but sources said it may be withdrawn amid concerns over privacy issues. While many on social media, including advocacy groups have raised concerns over violation of data privacy issues, government sources have clarified that the consultant would advise the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) on steps to improve its existing business and plan strategies to monetise future opportunities. While the Railways has not officially commented on the tender, highly placed sources said it will be withdrawn "considering the fact that the Data Protection Bill has not been finalised". According to the tender document, the data to be studied will include information captured by the transporter's various public facing applications such as "name, age, mobile number, gender, address, e-mail ID, class of journey, payment ..

Google toughens privacy compliance, disclosures for app developers

Tech giant asks developers to give people more information about how apps collect, share and secure users' data

Explained: The security flaw that's freaked out the internet

Security pros say it's one of the worst computer vulnerabilities they've ever seen. They say state-backed Chinese and Iranian hackers and rogue cryptocurrency miners have already seized on it. The Department of Homeland Security is sounding a dire alarm, ordering federal agencies to urgently eliminate the bug because it's so easily exploitable and telling those with public-facing networks to put up firewalls if they can't be sure. The affected software is small and often undocumented. Detected in an extensively used utility called Log4j, the flaw lets internet-based attackers easily seize control of everything from industrial control systems to web servers and consumer electronics. Simply identifying which systems use the utility is a prodigious challenge; it is often hidden under layers of other software. The top US cybersecurity defense official, Jen Easterly, deemed the flaw one of the most serious I've seen in my entire career, if not the most serious in a call Monday with st

US reveals new software vulnerability, warns millions of devices at risk

The US on Monday revealed a new software vulnerability and warned that hundreds of millions of devices are at risk.

Over 700 cases registered under IT Act in 2020 for privacy violation

More than 700 cases were registered in 2020 for violation of privacy under Section 66E of the Information Technology Act, 2000, Parliament was informed on Friday

The Amazon lobbyists who kill US consumer privacy protections

Amazon executives and staffers detail these lobbying victories in confidential documents

Clubhouse to soon let users pin links to top of rooms

Anyone would be allowed to add, change, or remove a link, so long as they are a moderator of a room and regardless of the number of followers they have.

'Buck stops with Mark': Whistleblower blasts Facebook 'metrics-led culture'

"Facebook's products harm children, stoke division and weaken our democracy," the whistleblower said

WhatsApp fined $266 mn by Irish regulator over data transparency breaches

The fine comes weeks after Amazon.com Inc. was hit with a record 746 million-euro penalty in Luxembourg, where it has its European base

Pegasus issue: SC to hear plea of journalists N Ram, Sashi Kumar next week

The Supreme Court will next week hear a plea by senior journalists N Ram and Sashi Kumar seeking an independent probe by a sitting or a retired judge into the Pegasus snooping matter

Opposition parties disrupt Parliament, seek probe into Pegasus

Shouting out slogans agai­nst Modi's govt, the Opp­osition members said they wanted an independent probe into the complaints of spying and the resignation of HM Amit Shah

Best of BS Opinion: Illegal surveillance, co-operation ministry & more

Here are the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for Saturday

Illegal surveillance

Govt must reveal who is targeting Indian citizens

WhatsApp's tactical retreat

Govt must move fast on personal data protection law

Facebook, WhatsApp urge Delhi HC to stay CCI notice in privacy matter

A vacation bench of Justices Anup Jairam Bhambhani and Jasmeet Singh said it will pass an order on the application

Best of BS Opinion: Storm over social media, Covid-19 vaccination & more

Here are the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for Thursday