Privacy

Wojcicki’s nonprofit gets court approval to buy 23andMe for $305M

July 12, 2025 Wyatte Grantham-Philips

NEW YORK — Anne Wojcicki’s bid to buy 23andMe, the genetic testing company she cofounded nearly 20 years ago, has received the court green light. That means Wojcicki’s nonprofit TTAM Research Institute will purchase “substantially […]

Apple delays iPhone photo-scanning plan amid fierce backlash

September 6, 2021 Michael Liedtke and Matt O'Brien, Associated Press

BERKELEY, Calif. — Apple is indefinitely delaying plans to scan iPhones in the U.S. for images of child sexual abuse following an outcry from security and privacy experts who warned the technology could be exploited […]

Article

Microsoft exec: Targeting of Americans’ records ‘routine’

July 9, 2021 Erick Tucker, Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal law enforcement agencies secretly seek the data of Microsoft customers thousands of times a year, according to congressional testimony last week by a senior executive at the technology company. Tom Burt, […]

Apple reaffirms privacy stance amid Trump probe revelations

June 17, 2021 The Associated Press

SAN RAMON, Calif. — Seeking to protect its image as a guardian of personal privacy, Apple maintains it was blindsided and handcuffed by a Trump administration probe that resulted in the company handing over phone […]

Article

Leak of billionaires’ tax data draws GOP outcry over privacy

June 17, 2021 The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Republicans in Congress are alarmed by the leak of confidential IRS data to the investigative news organization ProPublica, enabling it to reveal that famous billionaires including Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Mark […]

Google tweaks privacy settings to keep less user data

June 25, 2020 The Associated Press

Google is tweaking its privacy settings to keep less data on new users by default. The search giant said that starting Wednesday, it will automatically and continuously delete web and app activity and location history […]

Apple, Google release technology for pandemic apps

May 21, 2020 Matt O'Brien, Associated Press

Apple and Google on Wednesday released long-awaited smartphone technology to automatically notify people if they might have been exposed to the coronavirus. The companies said 22 countries and several U.S. states are already planning to […]

COVID-19 data sharing with law enforcement sparks concern

May 19, 2020 Kimberlee Kruesi, Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Public health officials in at least two-thirds of U.S. states are sharing the addresses of people who have the coronavirus with first responders. Supporters say the measure is designed to protect those […]

News

Privacy groups: TikTok app violating children’s privacy

May 16, 2020 Tali Arbel, Associated Press

Privacy watchdogs say that the popular TikTok video app is violating a children’s privacy law and putting kids at risk. A coalition of 20 groups, including Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and the Center for […]

The Justice Department’s new quarrel with Apple

January 22, 2020 The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The deadly shooting of three U.S. sailors at a Navy installation in December could reignite a long-simmering fight between the federal government and tech companies over data privacy and encryption. As part of […]