Thomas Kent

Thomas's Latest Articles

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  U.S. Border Agents Can Search Your Phone Without Suspicion, Federal Court Rules

  A federal appeals court ruled that border agents can manually search travelers' phones without individualized suspicion, drawing criticism from digital privacy advocates.

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  Your Gig App May Know More About You Than You Think — California Launches First-Ever Privacy Audit

  California regulators are investigating whether gig economy platforms properly disclose the personal data they collect and use to make decisions about workers.

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  Your Bank May Leak Your Data to Advertisers, Even If You Reject Cookies

  New research suggests some financial institutions continued sharing sensitive information with advertising platforms even before users consented… and after they rejected tracking altogether.

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  France Just Approved a Social Media Ban and Your Privacy Could Be Next

  French lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a ban on social media accounts for children under 15. But enforcing it could require millions of users to prove their age online.

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  You Never Signed Up. AI Recruiters May Have Built a Profile on You Anyway

  Platforms like SeekOut say they can search more than 1 billion candidate profiles built from your profiles across the web, without your consent.

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  This Period Tracker Promised Privacy. Researchers Say It Shared Users’ Health Data Anyway

  Mozilla researchers found the app shared users' reproductive health information with a third-party analytics company despite marketing itself as a privacy-first option.

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  Android Is Finally Opening Up to Rival App Stores, But There's a Catch

  Google's biggest Android app store shakeup in years could give users more choice, but it also brings new security considerations.

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  Stop Answering FaceTime Calls From These Numbers. Apple Warns Of Devastating New Phishing Scam

  Scammers are impersonating banks and Apple Support in convincing FaceTime phishing attacks designed to steal passwords, verification codes and financial information.

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  Your Wi-Fi Router Could Be a Target in Russia's Latest Cyber Campaign, Officials Warn

  A joint advisory from the UK, U.S., Canada, and other allies warns that Russian state-backed hackers are exploiting weak router security — and one outdated setting could put your network at risk.

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  The World's Biggest Social Media Crackdown on Kids Is Moving Forward, And Your Privacy Is The Next Casualty

  A new EU proposal targeting children's social media use could also introduce stricter age checks and reshape how platforms operate for everyone.

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  Meta Files Patent To Track Your Conversations All Day Under The Guise of Emotional Wellbeing

  A newly published Meta patent describes AI that could analyze your voice, estimate your emotional state and connect it to where you are, what you're doing and more.

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  EU Chat Control Was Just Extended Until 2028. Here's What That Means For Your Privacy

  A failed EU vote just revived mass scanning of private messages on Gmail, iCloud, and Instagram, here's what EU chat control actually changes for everyday users, everywhere.

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  The Creepy Reason Your Secret Instagram Already Knows Everything About You

  A fresh email address doesn't erase your digital identity. Here's how Instagram pieces together clues to figure out who you know.

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  Delete This FIFA World Cup Email Immediately If It Lands in Your Inbox

  One click on the wrong World Cup giveaway could hand cybercriminals your name, address, and credit card details.

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  Say Goodbye to Online Privacy? The UK Government Is Eyeing a Massive VPN Crackdown

  The UK’s online safety dragnet is eyeing VPNs next, with Technology Secretary Liz Kendall promising a pivotal update in the coming weeks.

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  Congress Just Took Aim At Infinite Scroll, AI Chatbots, and Kids’ Online Privacy. What Parents Need to Know

  From AI chatbot disclosures to limits on addictive platform features, the House-passed KIDS Act could reshape kids' online experiences if it becomes law.

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  $10B AI Darling Mercor Hit by 4-Terabyte Hack, Exposing Biometrics and SSNs After LiteLLM Breach. How to Protect Yourself

  An internal investigation into the late-March LiteLLM breach details a three-month notification delay — while dark web auctions and court filings expose the staggering scope of compromised files.

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  Reddit's CEO Said He Didn't Want Your Identity. Now Reddit Is Asking for Your ID

  Platform CEO Steve Huffman said Reddit didn't want users' identities. Now some users say they're being asked for selfies or government IDs.

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  7-Eleven Data Breach: Did You Apply for a Franchise? Your SSN May Have Been Stolen

  ShinyHunters published 9.4GB of stolen 7-Eleven franchise application data on May 24. If you ever applied to open a franchise, your SSN and driver's license may be exposed.

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  Hackers Broke Into NYC's Hospital System for 3 Months and Stole Your Fingerprints

  At least 1.8 million patients and employees were affected. Unlike a stolen password, your fingerprints can't be reset. Here's what to do.

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  Your Therapist May Be Using AI to Record Your Sessions. Here's What Happens to That Data

  A growing number of therapists are using AI tools to record and transcribe sessions. The companies behind that technology now have access to some of your most sensitive personal data.