Data Breach Leaks SSNs of Over 230,000 Comcast Customers
A data breach has exposed the names, addresses, social security numbers, and birthdates of more than 237,700 Comcast customers.
The breach stems from a security incident at Financial Business and Consumer Solutions (FBCS), a debt collection agency Comcast previously used, according to a filing with the state of Maine on Friday, as reported by BleepingComputer and TechCrunch.
FBCS revealed that it had suffered a breach in February, exposing the sensitive information of more than 4.2 million people.
FBCS informed Comcast in July that its customer data had been affected, saying an “unauthorized party downloaded data from FBCS systems and encrypted some systems as part of a ransomware attack.”
Texas Sues TikTok for Privacy Violations Affecting Minors
The state of Texas has filed a lawsuit against social media giant TikTok, alleging breaches of the State’s Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act (SCOPE Act).
The legal action was lodged in a Galveston County court, seeking to hold TikTok accountable for purportedly sharing personal information of minors without parental consent.
Designed to shield minors from the potential dangers of digital services, the SCOPE Act mandates that providers such as TikTok must not disseminate a minor’s personal data without explicit permission from their parents or guardians.
Moreover, the Act obligates companies to furnish parents with the necessary tools to regulate their children’s privacy and account settings.
According to the lawsuit, filed by Texas Attorney General (AG) Ken Paxton, TikTok has not adhered to these stipulations.
CBDCs and Financial Privacy
When it comes to designing digital currencies that protect the identity and transactions data of their users, developers have made a lot of progress in a relatively short period of time.
It is technically feasible to design a retail central bank digital currency — or, CBDC — that promotes financial privacy.
But one must also consider what is politically feasible.
Unfortunately, there is little prospect that the U.S. government would actually adopt a privacy-protecting CBDC.
If adopted, a CBDC will eventually — if not initially — be used to surveil the transactions of Americans.
The government is already using existing technologies to surveil its citizens.
There’s no reason to think the government would give up its ability to monitor transactions with the introduction of a CBDC.
Indeed, it seems much more likely that the government would seize the opportunity to expand its capabilities.
Therefore, it is absolutely crucial to maintain a private banking system firewall between the government and our transactions data.
The Tech Lobbying Group Helping to Broaden the First Amendment’s Reach
“We believe that the First Amendment should apply fully in the digital age,” Chris Marchese, center, director of NetChoice, said in an interview.
Ahead of a recent vote in Congress on a child safety bill, a powerful tech lobby representing Google, Meta and other major tech firms sent a forceful warning to lawmakers.
The Kids Online Safety Act was “bad on policy and bad on the law,” the lobby, NetChoice, said in a statement, adding, “Courts across the country repeatedly halted these types of provisions.”
The child safety bill, which would require social media platforms and other sites to limit features that can promote cyberbullying, harassment and the glorification of self-harm, has been a rare piece of legislation with bipartisan support.
Google Is About to Learn How DOJ Wants to Remake Its Empire
Google is about to find out what the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) believes should be done to dismantle the tech giant’s dominance of the online search market.
Prosecutors are expected to submit a document as early as Tuesday in federal court outlining potential remedies after successfully arguing in a landmark trial that Google acted as an illegal monopoly.
It will be up to District of Columbia District Court Judge Amit Mehta, who sided with DOJ’s monopoly argument, to decide what should happen now in a separate “remedies” phase of the trial that will likely start in 2025.
Facebook Launches a Gen Z-Focused Redesign
Facebook wants to woo more younger users to join its social network, instead of spending all their time on TikTok, Instagram and other social apps.
To do so, parent company Meta on Friday announced a series of changes to the older social network which will put greater emphasis on local community information, videos and Facebook Groups, among other things.
Other Facebook products, like Meta AI, Facebook Dating and Messenger are receiving updates as well.
The updates come as the Facebook brand is in decline, which led the company to rename itself Meta in 2021, shifting its focus away from its top social app and onto the metaverse instead.
Facebook’s user base has been growing older, and younger people haven’t been signing up in great numbers to create a new generation of users.
Veriff Report Shows Comfort With Selfie Biometrics for Online Transactions
A convergence of AI-driven technologies and strategic partnerships have been introduced to secure digital identities and access across the financial services sector, including cryptocurrency exchanges, lending and digital payments.
Reports and announcements from identity verification companies such as Veriff, AuthenticID, iDenfy and Trulioo signal growth in the market for enhanced fraud detection and prevention.
The surge reflects the increasing importance of securing digital platforms against high-frequency fraud attempts, which are prevalent in both emerging and established markets.
The report also underscores the importance of sophisticated AI-powered tools in preventing fraud, and identity verification and biometric technologies are gaining widespread acceptance.
This is evident through the 61.74% of responders that feel comfortable using IDs and selfie biometrics to verify their identities online, according to the report.
Additionally, a comparable percentage (62.44%) are at ease using face biometrics to access their online accounts.
