In a new support document, Apple says not to close your MacBook’s lid while using a webcam cover, as doing so can damage the screen.
iOS 14: How to Use a Private MAC Address on iPhone and iPad
Apple lets you use a private MAC address in iOS 14, iPadOS 14, and watchOS 7. Here’s what that means and where to find the setting.
US Considers Banning Chinese Apps Like TikTok
During an interview with Fox News, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. is considering banning Chinese apps like TikTok.
Facebook Social Widgets May Be Considered Wiretaps, Court Ruling Says
In an order issued this week, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ruling in which Facebook social widgets may be considered wiretaps.
Senate Judiciary Committee Passes Anti-Privacy ‘EARN IT Act’
Today the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the EARN IT act, a bill that weakens Section 230 protections for social media companies in an attempt to fight online child abuse.
Private Social Network ‘MeWe’ Takes on Snapchat Stories
A private social network Andrew reviewed before is MeWe, and it just announced a featured called Journals for its premium subscription.
Here’s Why This Company Won’t Add ‘Sign In with Apple’
Today is the deadline for developers to add Sign In with Apple to their apps. One company, AnyList, doesn’t want to add it and explained why.
After considering the merits of Sign in with Apple, we have decided not to support it. We understand that this may surprise some of our customers, so we’d like to explain in detail why we made this decision.
A couple arguments make sense, but I’m not buying some others. 1) I’m not a programmer so I don’t know how hard it is to add Sign In with Apple. 2) Saying iCloud isn’t “real email” is stupid. 3) AnyList removed its Facebook login, which is still a privacy-positive move even without adding Apple login.
PSA: The Deadline to Add ‘Sign In with Apple’ is Tuesday, June 30
The deadline for developers to add Sign In with Apple into their apps is coming up tomorrow, June 30. Andrew has several guides available for readers.
16 Web APIs Apple Avoided Over Privacy Concerns
ZDnet has a list of 16 Web APIs that Apple declined to add to Safari over concerns they could be used to track users.
The vast majority of these APIs are only implemented in Chromium-based browsers, and very few on Mozilla’s platform.
Apple claims that the 16 Web APIs above would allow online advertisers and data analytics firms to create scripts that fingerprint users and their devices.
Apple Adds Encrypted DNS Support to iOS 14, macOS 11
A WWDC20 presentation shows how Apple is adding support for encrypted DNS to iOS 14 and macOS 11. It will support HTTPS and TLS.
Security Friday: Privacy Updates, Macworld All-Star Band Reunion – TMO Daily Observations 2020-06-26
Andrew Orr and Dave Hamilton join host Kelly Guimont to discuss the latest privacy changes from WWDC, and the Macworld All-Star Band reunion.
Safari 14 Adds Face ID, Touch ID to FIDO Logins
A feature coming to Safari 14 later this year involves logging into websites with Face ID and Touch ID through the Web Authentication API.
‘Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act’ is Latest Encryption Attack
Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) introduced the Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act yesterday. It seeks to bring back the Crypto Wars of the 1990s by crippling encryption with the introduction of backdoors.
Yet increasingly, technology providers are deliberately designing their products and services so that only the user, and not law enforcement, has access to content – even when criminal activity is clearly taking place. This type of “warrant-proof” encryption adds little to the security of the communications of the ordinary user, but it is a serious benefit for those who use the internet for illicit purposes.
”Adds little to the security of the communications of the ordinary user.” That’s the level of contempt these people have for the rest of us.
Craig Federighi Reveals iOS 14 Clipboard Will Be Locked Down
Michael Grothaus interviewed Craig Federighi where he talks about iOS 14 privacy features. One feature is restricted access to the system clipboard/pasteboard. Apps will no longer have full access, which was a problem in the past.
Though there isn’t a lot of evidence apps have done this on a wide scale, apps will now require your approval to access the pasteboard for the first time. If a messaging app requests approval, it’s probably legit–but look out if, say, a free gaming app wants to get at your pasteboard.
As regular readers can guess, I’m excited for the new privacy features in iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur.
WWDC 2020: New Privacy Features in iOS 14
Amid all of the announcements today we’re getting some new privacy features in iOS 14. Here are two main ones coming this year.
WWDC 2020: macOS Big Sur is the Platform's Biggest Design Change Ever
macOS Big Sur includes some of the biggest changes in design and Safari in years. The design copies iOS but keeps certain UI elements unique.
U.S. Lawmakers Ask Zoom About its Ties to China
Three lawmakers in the U.S. have asked Zoom to clarify its relationship with China after the company suspended user accounts at its request.
Transfer ‘Signal’ Data With its New Update
With a new update rolling out it’s now easier to transfer Signal data between devices. It uses a local connection encrypted end-to-end.
UK Government Releases NHS COVID Contracts With Private Companies
Faced with pressure, the UK government has released its contracts with Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Faculty, Palantir, and others.
The contracts show that companies involved in the NHS datastore project, including Faculty and Palantir, were originally granted intellectual property rights (including the creation of databases), and were allowed to train their models and profit off their unprecedented access to NHS data.
The REAL reason why they wanted to avoid Apple and Google’s privacy solution.
‘CamTag’ is a set of Reusable Privacy Camera Stickers
CamTag is a set of reusable privacy camera stickers for your devices. These stickers are a way to make sure that you aren’t being spied upon by malicious third parties. These stickers are glue-free so you can reuse them on your iPhone, iPad, and Macs. They come in different designs and you can customize it with your own design or branding. It’s a Kickstarter campaign and it’s been fully funded. Estimated delivery is October 2020. Pledge US$9 or more to get the first reward tier, which gives you 25 privacy stickers in 5 sizes.
