No. Facebook is not spying on you, Gmail is

Who exactly reads your e-mails?

Last year, Google announced that it would stop scanning your emails for ad targeting. But do they have? According to the WSJ, when Gmail users sign up for third-party services that monitor their inboxes – such as price trackers and e-travel management tools – some employees of these companies might have read their e-mails to train their software. .

Google has even confirmed that anyone who has linked apps to their accounts may have unknowingly allowed developers to read private email. Companies like Edison Software have confirmed that they are reading emails in order to improve their services. Google said that the practice is not going against its policies, its more than 1.4 billion users around the world were caught off guard when they agreed to the terms and conditions. Use of these third-party applications. Google's Gaffe Privacy Gaffe shows why technology must make users understand what the trade-off is for free services. The developers are blaming you for not knowing about data collection, which is why it's so hard to trust the technology right now.

"… we heard what has become the usual excuse for Silicon Valley: that's what you signed. https://t.co/GiwYfJa9pR

– Mark Bergen (@mhbergen) July 3, 2018

Google released a clarification after the story broke out of how this practice worked. The Internet giant said: "The practice of automatic processing has prompted some to speculate wrongly that Google" reads "your emails." In the statement, they said it's wearing third-party apps to make sure they only ask for "relevant" and "accurate" data. self-representation. "The statement continues:" To be absolutely clear: no one at Google reads your Gmail except in very specific cases where you ask us and give your consent, or for security reasons, such as investigating a bug or abuse. "The search giant emphasized its strong privacy and data control settings and encouraged readers to review their permissions thoroughly before allowing any other application access that Google's privacy advocates said it was unfair that Google and other technology companies expect users to know and use their data in any case because we can not badume that all users have the same level of digital literacy.

But many messaging apps are free, and, surprise surprise, you're the product. receipt contains valuable data – shopping, travel, finance, personal and professional networks – that marketers are hungry to get / 3

– Doug MacMillan (@dmac1) July 2, 2018

If you If you're still worried, check out Google's Security Checkup dashboard to see which apps have access to your data. The dashboard explains how your account can be more secure and indicates when new devices are connected. You can also check application pbadwords and enable two-factor authentication. And yes, you should turn it on. It is quite commendable that after the Cambridge Analytica scandal of Facebook, the public and the media are starting to raise the bar on the privacy practices of some of the largest Internet companies in the world. And it's a very good thing.

How data miners see your email pic.twitter.com/SeXP4VWQSZ

– Doug MacMillan (@dmac1) July 2, 2018

You can now relax and stop to be paranoid about Facebook while listening to you secretly

We've all been there – you're talking about random things and then when the call ends, you open Instagram or Facebook Messenger. Boom, you see an advertisement of the random stuff you were talking about on the phone with your friend. Sounds scary, does not it?

Facebook allegedly listens to you is the theory of the smartphone conspiracy that will not go away and so some computer academics at the Northeast University decided to do a rigorous study to fix it. They conducted an experiment involving more than 17,000 of the most popular Android apps to find out if any of them secretly used the phone's microphone to capture audio. The applications included those owned by Facebook, as well as more than 8,000 apps that send information to Facebook. Sorry, the conspiracy theorists: They found no evidence of an application activating the microphone unexpectedly or sending audio when it was not invited to do so. [Read More]

Facebook has not had to listen to your conversation to do it. He already has so much data about you and your connections and what you are looking for or doing online that he can simply connect the dots between the nodes and make suggestions.

– Alp Ozcelik (@alplicable) July 3, 2018

If you still have paranoia, we suggest that you completely remove Facebook applications from your phone and stick to it only. to their desktop version

Long live the same

last week voted against a controversial copyright law bill that would have required that every download on the Internet be controlled for copyright infringement. Online pioneers such as Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, and Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, warned that the Copyright Directive would destroy the Internet as we know it and become a tool for automated monitoring and control. a defeat for some media groups and labels, who had hoped that stricter copyright rules would strengthen their share of platform negotiations, gain more revenue from online content and give more power to publishers. creative online.

"Technology has prevailed" here. It's more "people who promote the rational policy of the Internet prevailed". https://t.co/ysp1KCHETm

– Nicholas Thompson (@nxthompson) 6 July 2018

The vote was tight, with 278 votes in favor, 318 against and 31 abstentions. The anti-copyright camp won this round, but the war is not over. Lobbying is likely to intensify as debates resume on one of the most watched legislative files in Europe. [Read More]

Great success: Your protests have worked! The European Parliament has sent the law on copyright back to the drawing board. All MPs will vote #uploadfilters and #linktax from September 10th to 13th. Now let's maintain the pressure to make sure we #SaveYourInternet ! pic.twitter.com/VwqAgH0Xs5

– Julia Reda (@Senficon) 5 July 2018

Here are other tech stories you may have missed

Other Facebook Stories

• ] The year Facebook's privacy incidents continues – this time with a new software bug that "unblocked" people. The virus affected 800,000 people and could have had serious security implications. The bug also meant that the person who had been stuck might have been able to communicate via Messenger with the person who had blocked him, said Facebook in a blog post. There are many reasons why people block others on Facebook, and some of them have to do with serious privacy or security issues. By blocking a user, we do not like them either, and Egan, the chief privacy officer of the company, said the bug that was unlocking some users does not restore those friendships on Facebook. However, it allowed the previously blocked user to view the content posted by the person. Facebook started warning people that they were affected by this bug. [Details]
• Facebook is closing tbh, the anonymous email application that she acquired in October, as well as two other applications, Hello and Moves, due to low usage. Within 90 days, the company plans to delete all user data from the three applications. "We need to prioritize our work so we do not scatter too much, and it's only through trial and error that we will create great social experiences for people," Facebook said in a statement.
• The social network also announced a new tightening of how developers could access user information on Monday. try to resolve privacy issues. [Facebook]
• Instagram does not give us a timeline, but at least we have it. The new Instagram feature tells you when you've seen all the new posts from the last two days. The platform warns you when you have stepped back enough to see everything the people you follow have posted in the last two days. Once you have seen all the messages, you will see a green tick in your feed alerting you that "you are all caught up."

Samsung

• The Verge reported that some Samsung phones (S9 and S9 + among others) send photos to random contacts in the device address books. Users complain about Reddit and the company's official forums speculating that this is due to the pressure of RCS email updates. The messages are sent via the Samsung SMS application – Samsung Messages. Users are not even notified that files have been sent until the recipient responds. A spokesman for Samsung said its technical teams are "studying the issue." For now, Samsung owners can revoke Samsung Message's permissions to access storage in order to avoid sending their files in the wild. [Read More]

* erase throat * ahem, can we focus on your phones by randomly sending bads to people in messages to contacts. Thank you https://t.co/be58YOZYFm

– Tom Warren (@tomwarren) July 3, 2018

• Samsung released its financial statements last week and things are not going very well. The company would have liked to see better performance of the Galaxy S9. According to company figures, Samsung will post an operating profit of 14.8 trillion won ($ 13.2 billion) against 58 trillion won ($ 51.8 billion) in the second quarter , which would represent a 0.7% drop in sales and an 11% increase in the year. Compared to the last quarter, where Samsung realized 15.64 trillion won won profit with a turnover of 60.56 billion won, this last quarter can be considered a misstep. [Read More]

S9 sales are so low that it would be the lowest of all flagship Samsung phones since the Galaxy S3. The S7 was the most popular of the company

• Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 could be without Bixby, according to a new leak. The tablet will have pretty thin glbades but will not follow the trend of edge-to-edge displays. Rumors suggest that Samsung will try to compete directly with the iPad Pro by shipping their new tablet with a 10.5in screen. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but we hope at least one OLED screen. What renders do not show, however, is a dedicated button for everyone's favorite AI badistant – Bixby. The renderings have not been formalized yet, so we suggest you take all this with a pinch of salt. Regarding the launch date, prices and availability, the new Galaxy tablet can be announced before the end of the summer, probably at the IFA 2018 in Berlin. We are watching August 9 with the Galaxy Note9 at the 2018 Unpacked event or maybe even earlier. [Read More]

Apple

• Apple remembers that the colors exist just in time for its 2018 iPhone range. According to a report from badyst Apple Ming-Chi Kuo, this year's iPhones could give you some new color options. Apple is rather capricious in terms of colors preferring to stay with shades of gray and gold, so it's nice to see it back to its roots. [Read More]

Apple would have launched a lot of new colors with the next iPhone. Cross my fingers is true … https: //t.co/hnBHFt74ny pic.twitter.com/nUDGe4tf3a

– Brownlee Marks (@MKBHD) July 5, 2018

• No, this is not the Intel 5G chip that Apple gives up – it's the Bluetooth part of the Sunny Peak, a Wi-Fi party. Here's where it gets a little confusing. On July 4, the Israeli financial daily Calcalist published on its technical blog information about leaked internal documents from Intel that indicated that Apple was pbading on Intel's 5G cellular modem chips for iPhones 2020. This sent shockwaves through the industry. Calcalist has now updated his article to say that Intel's Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip had been dropped due to a lack of interest on the part of Apple, and not necessarily its 5G modem chipsets. This could imply that Apple could still use the processor giant's 5G cellular modems on future iPhones and other gadgets – but not on its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth offering. [Read More]
• Apple will use LG for some OLED iPhone, thus limiting the use of Samsung. This would be a win for Android devices because it would mean lower prices for OLEDs throughout the industry resulting in more smartphones with OLEDs at lower prices. According to the source, LG will not provide all OLEDs for new iPhones but will start with at least 2 to 4 million screens. LG would have liked to be the sole supplier, but could not increase production in time to meet Apple's needs. [Read More]

Twitter

Twitter is sweeping false accounts like never before, putting the growth of users at risk. Twitter suspended more than 70 million accounts in May and June and the pace continued in July. The magnitude of suspensions of accounts, which has not yet been reported, is one of Twitter's recent moves to limit the influence of people who abuse its platform. The aggressive removal of unwanted accounts may result in a rare drop in the number of monthly users in the second quarter, which ended last week. While Twitter is stepping up its fight against fake accounts – by removing ~ 1M per day, Facebook announced in May that it was removing ~ 7M per day. Fake accounts are clearly still a huge problem for both platforms. [Read More]

THE PURGE OF NON CHILL TWITTER ✊?

"One of the most important changes lies in the way we think about balancing the freedom of expression and the potential for freedom of speech. Phrase to cool the speech of someone else.Freedom of expression does not mean much if people do not feel safe. "Https: // t. co / YehBBIpiaB

– Miss Maggie (@MiaMagdalena) July 8, 2018

Microsoft

• Microsoft teased a new dark outlook.com mode. While the software giant introduced a temporary dark mode for Halloween last year, Microsoft has been working on a new dark mode for Outlook.com in the last few months. Microsoft has begun to tease that the new dark mode will be available soon. A dark mode for Outlook.com is one of the most requested features for Microsoft's webmail service, according to lists on the Outlook.com comment site. [Read More]
• Microsoft Andromeda folding iPad competitor may be killed. Do not expect to see soon the folding Windows computer. In fact, Microsoft may have canceled the code name Andromeda. Whether it is canceled or just delayed, do not expect the release of Microsoft Andromeda this year, despite previous rumors.

So, as @maryjofoley I hear Andromeda will certainly not come in 2018. OEM peripherals may come, but not with Andromeda OS as it is not ready. The entire project is now under review because there is no ecosystem of applications to support it

– Tom Warren (@tomwarren) ] July 6, 2018

This could leave Samsung the first to have a collapsible computer on the market. The Galaxy X is supposed to come in the first half of 2019. The collapsible iPhone from Apple is not expected until 2020 at the earliest. [Read More]

I have seen many articles "Microsoft should not cancel Andromeda". It should have been clear with the recent reorg that Microsoft is looking at its future and Windows differently now https://t.co/joqasg2jlf

– Tom Warren (@tomwarren) July 6, 2018

• Microsoft may be make a Movies and TV app for iOS and Android. Last October, Microsoft announced that Windows 10 mobile was actually dead, and began making versions of its best Windows 10 apps for iOS and Android. If the app were to arrive on iOS and Android, it could compete with iTunes, Google Play Movies and other platforms. Still, sources told Window Central not to wait for the iOS app and the Android app version of Movies & TV anytime soon, as the work is still going on. [Read More]

I think many will find it hard to trust Microsoft for TV movies and content after Groove Music closed https://t.co/24Vae3Hf37

– Tom Warren (@tomwarren) 6 July 2018

Streaming Services

Spotify

• Spotify has quietly released a new application that does not burn through your monthly data caps. Spotify Lite is the light version of Spotify designed for emerging markets. The normal Spotify application takes about 100 MB while Spotify Lite only takes about 15 MB. It is currently only available on Android in Brazil. [Read More]
• Spotify users request refunds after the Drake promotion. Spotify placed Drake's Scorpion prominently on his playlists, effectively allowing the artist to "take control" of the music service over the weekend. While Drake fans were probably satisfied, others were not really happy with this turn of events. Some premium subscribers even went so far as to request refunds from Spotify for the placement of advertisements on accounts supposed to be ad-free. The question is whether it's appropriate for the service to introduce this type of blatant marketing into its playlists, allowing the promotion to replace user preferences. [Read More]

Apple Music

Spotify's dominance for years on the streaming music industry might well be over. Apple Music now has more subscribers than Spotify, Tidal and Sirius XM, according to a Digital Music News report citing confidential data sourced from a private source. Although he refused to share numbers to protect this source, the site reveals that Apple Music and Spotify each have over 20 million subscribers in the United States [Read More]

Netflix [19659045] Would you pay $ 17 a month for Netflix in 4K and HDR? ? Well, they are testing a new level of subscription "Ultra" more expensive. This option will offer up to four simultaneous streams of 4K at the same time, which eagle-eyed Netflix users will note is already offered on the Premium plan, cheaper. If you're determined to get the most out of your Netflix subscription, you can be prepared to start paying a little more for this subscription in the near future. [Read More]

I am amazed at how we took all we had learned about the debacle of the "Full HD TV" and did it worse with the 4K. Early adopters are now essentially punished for jumping into 4K. https://t.co/HptPHoYgMD

– Owen (@ow) July 5, 2018

Sony

Sony accidentally posted an entire movie ( Khali The Killer) Instead of his trailer. We know that trailers are always better than movies. Reddit, being Reddit, went crazy for the mistake in the limited time that the movie was left online. One pointed out that the trailer ruined the entire movie. Others have speculated that the whole thing was a complicated PR exercise for an improbable hit. [Read More]

Other Interesting Reading

Our Attachment to Phones

• Millennials are becoming so addicted to their smartphones that many would be willing to make huge sacrifices for their devices. A new survey conducted by Tappable revealed that 23% of Generation Y members would prefer to lose one of their five senses than give up their smartphone and, worryingly, one in ten even declared that he would even sacrifice a finger for his phone. [Read More]
• Have you ever wondered why, even if you spend most of your adult life on your smartphone, they never appear in your dreams? The reason is that our dreams are an advanced defense mechanism, we tend to dream more often of fears and preoccupations of interest to our ancestors – so, less, say, hacking, and more of the fugue of wild animals [19659052AlthoughIusemysmartphoneIdonotthinkIhaveeverseenitinanyofmydreams pic.twitter.com/1H98pFX9Nv

  – ?CREDENCE??? (@BrendanCredence) June 27, 2018

  But having badyzed data from more than 16,000 dream reports, researchers have shown that mobile phones appear in 3.55% of women's dreams (and 2.69% of men) – not a huge figure, but higher than the frequency with which movies (3.18%), computers (1.2%) and planes (1.49%) appear in our dreams. [Read More]

  • The New Yorker has profiled Paul Denino, a.k.a Ice Poseidon (a bizarre professional person), whose angry livestreams generate an impressive amount of drama. "Denino lived in Los Angeles for a year and a half, and during that time, he was expelled from six apartments." The life of a streamer seems to be the worst life imaginable [Read More]

  This article on Youtube streamer Ice Poseidon was fascinating not only because of the description of his own life, but the terrifying effects of having an army of troll followers spoil your life in real time https://t.co/lLa83y1Hz7 pic.twitter.com/72NUoFNrLm

  – David R Brake (@drbrake) July 4, 2018 [19659035IfthatdidnotscareyouhereisanotherstoryfromMaxHawkinsTheGooglesoftwareengineerletsbadgorithmchoosewhereheliveswhathedoes-evenwhattattooingtogetIsheonsomething?

It's crazy: "He has created programs that randomly choose where he eats, what he wears, where he lives, what music he listens to, and how he spends his time. discovered another type of freedom. "https://t.co/N87bxYsJwX

– Damon Beres ✨ (@dlberes) July 2, 2018

• The Unicode consortium may grant emoji approval but it's up to individual designers like Daniel to interpret these images accordingly. She tells CNBC that she is looking at her peers at Apple to help reduce the confusion on the appearance of emoji from one platform to the other while that ". she runs the Android emoji. To learn more about the Chief Emoji Director of Android, click here
• A team of scientists from the California Institute of Technology has successfully created a network of DNA-based neurons capable of performing pattern recognition Then they ate it. It could be the most amazing thing we've seen since scientists spliced ​​an animated GIF into live bacteria last year. [Read More]
• People still say memes the wrong way, listen:

Listen how @stephenasmith pronounces the word "memes" 1945 pic.twitter.com/uhvxWOAGIt

– Day-Day (@dayonnethedon) 4 July 2018

Trend

If you are a Twitter addict as we could have seen the viral #PlaneBae you can view here . But there was also a lot of backlash on foreigners who tweeted live.

This is an important conversation to have, regardless of the specifics of this couple. People must consent to surveillance because it exposes vulnerable people to real risk. https://t.co/8cI8wEZrVn

– Anil Dash (@anildash) July 5, 2018

The two aliens met on a plane and the internet ruined it by giving evidence that not even pleasure, not even coincidence, not even love – is immune to the gravitational forces of commodification. Read the full story of Taylor here

The secret registration of people in public so that you can exploit them later for the content and the viral celebrity is disgusting and all those involved in the plane bae saga should be expelled from the Internet except the poor woman who just wanted to be

– Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) 6 July 2018

Separation

pic.twitter.com/xMoEphYLMP ]

– Product Hunting (@ProductHunt) July 5, 2018