The rise of “catch a cheater” apps exploits our worst human tendencies
The rise of "catch a cheater" apps exploits our worst human tendencies When people sign up for a dating site like Tinder, they don’t expect their profiles and personal information to be searchable – especially by a scorned lover, or worse. But that’s what popular apps like Cheaterbuster or CheatEye seem to be doing under […]
Welcome to the ‘papers, please’ internet
Welcome to the 'papers, please' internet This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on the downward spiral of the internet, follow Adi Robertson. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started Back in […]
Apple pulls ICEBlock from the App Store
Apple pulls ICEBlock from the App Store Apple has removed the “Waze but for ICE sightings” app ICEBlock from its App Store, as reported previously by Business Insider. A post from its developer relayed Apple’s App Review message about the ban, saying, “We just received a message from Apple’s App Review that #ICEBlock has been […]
Adam Mosseri’s ‘we’re totally not spying on you’ video is raising a lot of questions
Adam Mosseri's 'we're totally not spying on you' video is raising a lot of questions Today, the same day that Meta announced that it will soon use your AI chats to personalize the ads it shows you, Instagram head Adam Mosseri made a “myth busting” video attempting to set the record straight on a persistent […]
Proton Mail’s updated app adds an offline mode
Proton Mail's updated app adds an offline mode Proton has launched a major update for its encrypted Mail app, which not only adds a refreshed layout but also includes a new offline mode. That means you’ll now have full access to your inbox when you don’t have an internet connection, giving you the ability to […]
Google will use hashes to find and remove nonconsensual intimate imagery from Search
Google will use hashes to find and remove nonconsensual intimate imagery from Search On Wednesday, Google announced a partnership with StopNCII.org to combat the spread of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII), the company announced today. Over the next few months, Google will start using StopNCII’s hashes to proactively identify nonconsensual images in search results and remove […]
Signal’s first paid feature adds encrypted media and message backups
Signal's first paid feature adds encrypted media and message backups Signal is launching its first paid feature: the ability to make secure, end-to-end encrypted backups of your media history older than 45 days and of your text message history for $1.99 per month. “Media requires a lot of storage, and storing and transferring large amounts […]
Jury orders Google to pay $425 million for violating user privacy
Jury orders Google to pay $425 million for violating user privacy A federal jury in California has ordered Google to pay $425 million for violating user privacy by collecting the data of millions of people even after they disabled tracking, as reported earlier by Reuters. The decision stems from a class action lawsuit filed in […]
‘Vibe-hacking’ is now a top AI threat
'Vibe-hacking' is now a top AI threat ‘Vibe-hacking’ is now a top AI threat “Agentic AI systems are being weaponized.” That’s one of the first lines of Anthropic’s new Threat Intelligence report, out today, which details the wide range of cases in which Claude – and likely many other leading AI agents and chatbots – […]
Supreme Court opens door to social media age-gating in US
Supreme Court opens door to social media age-gating in US The Supreme Court will let Mississippi’s social media age verification law take effect while the case is being argued in court. In an unsigned ruling on Thursday, the court declined to block the law after an emergency petition from trade association NetChoice. The order offers […]