Privacy
Your Personal Information Is Probably Being Used to Train Generative AI Models
Companies are training their generative AI models on vast swathes of the Internet—and there’s no real way to stop them
Privacy57 articles archived since 1845
Physiology
Your Body Odor Could Be Used to Track Your Movements or Health
Human scent signatures could one day be collected at places like crime scenes and COVID testing sites
Privacy
Online Ads Can Infect Your Device with Spyware
An investigative report reveals that new spyware can slip in unseen through online ads—and there is currently no defense against it
Privacy
Satellite Internet Companies Could Help Break Authoritarianism
In Iran and elsewhere, governments restrict Internet access to restrict freedoms. Companies that launch communications satellites can ensure a free and open Internet for all
Privacy
Here’s How to Actually Keep Kids and Teens Safe Online
Controversial policy proposals such as the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) are making headway across the country, but there are other ways to help protect young people in the digital world...
Automobiles
High-Tech Cars Might Be More Trouble Than They’re Worth
Drivers may sacrifice safety and privacy in exchange for the advanced tech features in their “smart” cars
Automobiles
Car Thieves Can Hack into Today’s Computerized Vehicles
To steal cars that rely on remotes and computer networks, thieves are trading their pry bars for laptops and wireless devices
Privacy
Chatbot Honeypot: How AI Companions Could Weaken National Security
AI chatbots blur the line between intimacy and secrecy, posing risks for users with national security interests and access to sensitive information
Energy
Hackers Could Use Electric Vehicle Chargers to Attack the Power Grid
Hackers have already infiltrated electric vehicle chargers, usually for innocuous reasons, but bad actors could use that foothold to bring down the power grid
Privacy
Secret Messages Can Hide in AI-Generated Media
In steganography, an ordinary message masks the presence of a secret communication. Humans can never do it perfectly, but a new study shows it’s possible for machines
Privacy
Science Shouldn’t Give Data Brokers Cover for Stealing Your Privacy
In the guise of collecting scientific data, data brokers are running a massive privacy invasion. Researchers should stop helping them
Privacy
How Indigenous Groups Are Leading the Way on Data Privacy
Indigenous groups are developing data storage technology that gives users privacy and control. Could their work influence those fighting back against invasive apps?
Privacy
FBI Takes Down Hive Criminal Ransomware Group
A cybersecurity expert explains how the FBI’s operation against the ransomware group Hive will impact the rest of this criminal industry
Quantum Computing
Are Quantum Computers about to Break Online Privacy?
A new algorithm is probably not efficient enough to crack current encryption keys—but that’s no reason for complacency, researchers say
Privacy
What You Need to Know about Iran’s Surveillance Tech
Scientific American technology editor Sophie Bushwick explains how Iran is using surveillance tech against vulnerable citizens.
Privacy
How Iran Is Using the Protests to Block More Open Internet Access
The Iranian government is taking advantage of Internet shutdowns to push citizens onto a local intranet that is vulnerable to surveillance and censorship
Privacy
How Census Data Put Trans Children at Risk
The Census Bureau must improve its data anonymization methods to protect vulnerable groups
Privacy
The Robocalls Problem Is So Bad That the FCC Actually Did Something
A cybersecurity expert explains how we might learn to trust our phones again
Privacy
Data Vu: Why Breaches Involve the Same Stories Again and Again
Data breaches involve the same old mistakes; we must break the cycle
