Kieren McCarthy reports: The Chinese government is requiring citizens in Xinjiang province to install spyware on their mobile phones and is enforcing the policy with police spot-checks, according to several online reports. Reflecting a country-wide clampdown on internet usage, users of WeChat in the regional capital of Urumqi received a message on their phones earlier…
Month: July 2017
Your Roomba May Be Mapping Your Home, Collecting Data That Could Be Sold
Maggie Astor reports: Your Roomba may be vacuuming up more than you think. High-end models of Roomba, iRobot’s robotic vacuum, collect data as they clean, identifying the locations of your walls and furniture. This helps them avoid crashing into your couch, but it also creates a map of your home that iRobot is considering selling…
Creepy ‘FruitFly’ Surveillance Malware Hits American Apple Macs
Thomas Fox-Brewster reports: Apple Mac malware outbreaks are rare. So when they happen, people pay attention. Law enforcement agents are now investigating what appears to be a slice of malicious code that’s been hitting Mac users in recent weeks and appears to be purely for targeted surveillance, though it’s unclear whether it’s for perverse reasons,…
New Jersey Shopper Privacy Bill Signed into Law
Hunton & Williams writes: On July 21, 2017, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed a bill that places new restrictions on the collection and use of personal information by retail establishments for certain purposes. The statute, which is called the Personal Information and Privacy Protection Act, permits retail establishments in New Jersey to scan a…