Nothing Chats mobile app removed from Google Play Store because of huge privacy issues

Mobile app - Privacy issues

The developer has withdrawn its iMessage bridge application following discovery of widespread data concerns. The Nothing Chats iMessage compatible mobile app has been taken off the Google Play Store by Nothing and Sunbird because of widespread privacy concerns. The companies took the application down voluntarily, but only after the data usage behaviors were discovered. The mobile app was taken down after it was found out that Sunbird was logging and retaining user vCards, messages, and more. That said, that same user data was also downloadable by other parties. This led…

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US Department of Commerce calls Google and Apple mobile app “gatekeepers”

Mobile app - Research

A report from the Biden administration recommends legislation to encourage greater competition. Officials from the Biden administration released a new report in which they described Apple and Google as “gatekeepers” of the mobile app market used by consumers and businesses. The report stated users “should have more control over their devices” and more competition is needed. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the Department of Commerce’s report stated that device users “should have more control over their devices” and presented the argument that additional legislation is likely the…

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Android and Chrome get passwordless logins from Google

Passwordless logins - Login and password

The mobile operating system and browser have set up support for the FIDO Alliance. Passwordless logins have been a goal for many tech companies for some time now, due to a spectrum of drawbacks to this security strategy. Google, Microsoft and Apple have collaborated on unified standards for authentication. Leading tech giants Google, Microsoft and Apple have come together to establish unified authentication key standards to allow device users to use their devices for unlocking apps and websites across Android, Windows, iOS and macOS, among a spectrum of browsers. Google…

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T-Mobile is selling consumer app data to advertising companies

App data - T-Mobile Store

The company uses network-level tools for tracking applications people are using on their phones. T-Mobile has a reputation for being rather loose with the online and app data collected from consumers and now it has placed its intentions to keep it up right out in the open. The company has launched a new ad platform that is called T-Mobile Advertising Solutions. T-Mobile Advertising Solutions comes with a business model that aggregates customer app data such as usage patterns, and then sells that information to advertisers. The program’s specifics aren’t entirely…

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