Privacy

The company has introduced Proton Authenticator, an open-source two-factor authentication app that can sync 2FA codes across devices using end-to-end encryption. Though Proton’s password manager already comes with a built-in 2FA feature, Proton says using its standalone Authenticator offers an “extra layer of security” by generating codes in a separate app.

Until now it’s stayed quiet on whether it received the same order to open a backdoor to user data as Apple, but a spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch that it never did. If it had, Google wouldn’t be allowed to say so.

I appeared on On the Media to discuss our story about the Anime Nazi who allegedly hacks universities. I explain why the identity of the alleged hacker is important, why the Times’ obfuscation of its sources is troubling, and what’s at stake in the Republican war on higher education: upward mobility.

Purportedly searching for illegal cannabis grow houses, the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District (SMUD) has been tipping off police about “high” electricity usage based on smart meter readings.

21-year-old Mads Mikkelsen (not the famous one) tells Norwegian newspaper Nordlys that he was pulled aside by customs officials at Newark Airport. An agent searched his phone and found (1) a photo of a wooden pipe he had made, and (2) that one meme of JD Vance where he has the giant bald baby head.

While Meta said ads will be globally introduced to WhatsApp’s updates tab “slowly over the next several months,” the company has now clarified to Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DCP) that they won’t arrive in the European Union market until 2026. That gives EU privacy regulators time to discuss data-sharing concerns about the ad model.

On the list of apparel-related data breaches, Adidas was early to the trend. Then, the Victoria’s Secret website was offline for a few days last week as it dealt with a “security incident.”

Palantir has received more than $113 million in federal funds since Trump took office and is reportedly discussing potential contracts with the Social Security Administration and the IRS. The ubiquity of Palantir’s tech within federal agencies may help Trump achieve his goal of creating a master database allowing administration officials to access data on nearly anyone in the US.

TechCrunch found that the RAW dating app actually exposed its user’s personal information and location data. That’s... not great! As for why that even matters, earlier this week I wrote about how the folks behind the app are also creating a smart ring for couples that some have described as a “dystopian loyalty tracker.” The company has since fixed the bug, and the RAW Ring doesn’t exist yet. But this definitely isn’t a great look.

David Pierce and I dug into this and other privacy questions on this week’s episode of The Vergecast.