data privacy

A new research paper analyzes how web and mobile conversational AI agents handle user privacy, looking at what data they collect and share during interactions. The study, 'Prompt Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Tracker', is being discussed on Hacker News, where it has drawn strong engagement. Readers are weighing its findings on tracking and data practices across popular AI chat services.

The Internet Society is asking how people can be helped to have safer, more secure experiences online. The initiative focuses on helping users detect scams, spot false information and protect personal data. The organisation says it is working on ways to support people in navigating these risks, and the appeal for input is drawing attention from internet policy and digital rights communities.

More than 44,000 people have lodged legal requests asking NHS England to remove their data from the health service's data platform operated under contract by Palantir. The campaign against the US software firm's role in handling NHS patient data is growing, with supporters now preparing for potential court battles over how patient information is used.

Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital Network, a provider with facilities in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, is the subject of a potential data breach report. Legal news outlet ClassAction.org has raised the question of whether patient information may have been compromised. Details about the number of affected individuals and the type of data exposed remain limited.

Singapore has received its first AI-related data breach notification under the Personal Data Protection Act, after a food company exposed customers' email addresses in a bulk email, according to the Straits Times. The case is being watched as an early test of how regulators classify AI-related data incidents, and it has drawn attention to the privacy risks companies take on when adopting AI tools.

A medical records firm has deployed an artificial intelligence tool to uncover security weaknesses that put patient privacy at risk. According to The New York Times, the company is using the technology to detect flaws in systems holding sensitive health data, highlighting growing concern over the protection of medical records as cyber threats against the healthcare sector intensify.

The Center for Democracy and Technology is running its Privacy + Security Forum Fall Academy, a training and discussion program focused on data privacy, security law, and emerging technology policy. Sessions typically bring together lawyers, policymakers, and academics to examine issues such as surveillance, encryption, and regulatory compliance. The event is drawing attention as privacy debates intensify around AI and new data rules.

Lawyers are investigating reports of a data breach at the Northern New Jersey Eye Institute. The inquiry, publicized on ClassAction.org, is aimed at determining whether patient or employee personal information was exposed and whether legal action is warranted. Individuals who believe their data may have been affected could be contacted as the potential class action develops.

Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services, an Illinois healthcare provider, is facing questions over a possible data breach affecting patient information. Legal outlet ClassAction.org is investigating whether affected individuals may pursue a class action, and inquiries like this typically follow a security incident exposing personal or medical data. Patients whose information may have been exposed are watching for confirmation and details on what was compromised.

A Lagos judge has ruled against Meta in a privacy lawsuit brought in Nigeria, finding that a contract is not a valid legal basis for profiling Facebook and Instagram users for behavioural advertising. The court ordered Meta to pay $100,000 and set an eight-week compliance deadline ending in November. The ruling is being read as a significant test of whether platforms can rely on user agreements to justify data-driven ad targeting.

University of Miami law professor Thomas Kadri is featured in a piece examining how privacy law and technology intersect with public safety concerns. The discussion covers how courts and regulators should balance surveillance, data protection, and security needs as digital tools expand. It contributes to an ongoing legal debate over the limits of government and corporate data use.

The Trump administration is preparing to ask people filing federal tax returns whether they are U.S. citizens. The reported plan has drawn criticism from immigration advocates, who fear it could discourage undocumented immigrants from filing taxes, while supporters argue it will help verify eligibility for tax benefits. The move adds to ongoing disputes over how citizenship data is collected by federal agencies.

Anthropic's Claude has launched a Compliance API that routes user conversations to more than 100 third-party security and monitoring tools. The feature is aimed at enterprises that need audit trails and oversight of AI use, but it has raised questions about how widely chat data is shared beyond the company itself.

A widely shared reply to Nextcloud on Mastodon argues that rooting an Android device is the basic starting point for de-Googling a phone. The steps suggested: download a browser from the Google Play store, allow software installation in settings, then get apps from F-Droid, the independent open-source app repository, instead of relying on Google services.

A national teachers union and Microsoft have announced a joint plan on artificial intelligence in schools, centered on protecting student privacy. The initiative comes as districts increasingly adopt AI tools in classrooms and educators press for safeguards around how student data is collected and used.

The US Postal Service is fitting its delivery trucks with cameras that continuously record, saying the footage will gather data on roads, signage and improve community safety. The cameras are also marketed to capture passing license plates, though USPS says the vehicles will not run automated license plate reader software. Observers are raising questions about mass surveillance and how the recorded footage will be stored and used.

With the launch of iOS 27, Apple is rolling out new AI features to its voice assistant Siri, prompting the Electronic Frontier Foundation to examine how these tools handle user data. In its latest EFFector newsletter, the digital rights group offers guidance on how iPhone users can limit AI access to their personal information as the features roll out.

Labcorp has agreed to a settlement with a coalition of US states over a data breach affecting the medical testing company. The agreement follows a coordinated multistate investigation into the exposure of customer information. Details of the settlement terms, including any payments or required changes to Labcorp's data security practices, have not yet been fully disclosed.

Meta is disputing an accusation that its Muse AI assistant read a user's private messages without permission. The company rejects the claim, which has raised fresh concerns about how AI assistants handle access to personal communications. The dispute is drawing attention to privacy safeguards around Meta's AI products and what data the assistant can actually access.

OpenSave, an open-source save manager popular with Linux gamers and Steam Deck users, has released version v2.4.0, which introduces end-to-end encryption for synced save data. The update aims to give players stronger protection when backing up or transferring game saves across devices. Coverage so far has been modest, with the release circulating mainly among Linux gaming and open-source communities.