Forwarded from BlackBox (Security) Archiv
Data protection activist Max Schrems: Google illegally tracks Android users
Facebook watchdog Max Schrems is taking on Google. He has filed a complaint in France accusing Google of massive violations of the GDPR - specifically, tracking via advertising ID.
Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems has filed a complaint against Google in France with his privacy association Noyb, alleging that the U.S. tech giant is illegally tracking the use of Android smartphones without the consent of their users. He bases his accusation on the unique advertising ID that every Android smartphone carries.
Accusation: Google's advertising ID allows tracking without consent
These IDs allow Google and its advertisers to track the surfing behavior of Android users in order to target them with suitable advertising. Apple has very similar technology with its Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA).
In the complaint filed Wednesday with France's data protection authority, Schrems accuses the tech giant of conducting "illegal operations" that violate EU data protection laws when creating and storing the advertising ID. In particular, he arguably sees the requirement for prior consent violated.
Schrems is calling on the data protection authorities to launch an investigation against Google. This should reveal Google's tracking practices and ultimately force the company to behave in a DSGVO-compliant manner. In addition, Schrems is calling for the imposition of hefty fines in the event that the authority finds evidence of misconduct.
"Trail of powder" allows detailed tracking
‼️ "These hidden identifiers on your phone allow Google and third parties to track users without their consent," Schrems' privacy lawyer Stefano Rossetti tells the Financial Times, adding, "It's like having a powder on your hands that leaves a trail of everything you do on your phone - from whether you swiped right or left to what song you were listening to."
Google has not yet commented on the allegations. Apple has just impressively proven that Schrems' concerns are not without substance by wanting to make the use of the advertising ID subject to consent in the upcoming iOS update.
(Paywall) https://www.ft.com/content/4617cc99-3ed2-49e1-b97f-db4f1b45b5db
https://t3n.de/news/google-trackt-android-1371162/#%E2%80%9ESpur_aus_Puder%E2%80%9C_erlaubt_detailliertes_Tracking
#dataprotection #android #advertising #id #user #tracking #illegal #gdpr #thinkabout
📡 @nogoolag 📡 @blackbox_archiv
Facebook watchdog Max Schrems is taking on Google. He has filed a complaint in France accusing Google of massive violations of the GDPR - specifically, tracking via advertising ID.
Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems has filed a complaint against Google in France with his privacy association Noyb, alleging that the U.S. tech giant is illegally tracking the use of Android smartphones without the consent of their users. He bases his accusation on the unique advertising ID that every Android smartphone carries.
Accusation: Google's advertising ID allows tracking without consent
These IDs allow Google and its advertisers to track the surfing behavior of Android users in order to target them with suitable advertising. Apple has very similar technology with its Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA).
In the complaint filed Wednesday with France's data protection authority, Schrems accuses the tech giant of conducting "illegal operations" that violate EU data protection laws when creating and storing the advertising ID. In particular, he arguably sees the requirement for prior consent violated.
Schrems is calling on the data protection authorities to launch an investigation against Google. This should reveal Google's tracking practices and ultimately force the company to behave in a DSGVO-compliant manner. In addition, Schrems is calling for the imposition of hefty fines in the event that the authority finds evidence of misconduct.
"Trail of powder" allows detailed tracking
‼️ "These hidden identifiers on your phone allow Google and third parties to track users without their consent," Schrems' privacy lawyer Stefano Rossetti tells the Financial Times, adding, "It's like having a powder on your hands that leaves a trail of everything you do on your phone - from whether you swiped right or left to what song you were listening to."
Google has not yet commented on the allegations. Apple has just impressively proven that Schrems' concerns are not without substance by wanting to make the use of the advertising ID subject to consent in the upcoming iOS update.
(Paywall) https://www.ft.com/content/4617cc99-3ed2-49e1-b97f-db4f1b45b5db
https://t3n.de/news/google-trackt-android-1371162/#%E2%80%9ESpur_aus_Puder%E2%80%9C_erlaubt_detailliertes_Tracking
#dataprotection #android #advertising #id #user #tracking #illegal #gdpr #thinkabout
📡 @nogoolag 📡 @blackbox_archiv
Ft
Max Schrems accuses Google of illegally tracking Android users
Activist’s complaint alleges tech giant’s use of tracking identifiers without user consent breaches EU law
Forwarded from BlackBox (Security) Archiv
Tracking the WhatsApp habits of 5000 random Smartphones
In the previous blog post, we have seen that this is quite simple to hack the WhatsApp online status of a contact. A simple Online or last seen yesterday at 19:00 insight can be reverse engineered to leak phone habits at a couple of seconds accuracy.
‼️ There is an even more silly thing not mentioned yet: You can track any mobile phone ! So let’s play and scale to track 5000 random numbers.
Like previously, I am sharing the source code as a PROOF OF CONCEPT. You can jump straight to the end if you are more curious about the results than by the technical stuff I’m about to resume. We are reusing the previous code with Node.js, Puppeteer & Grafana.
https://jorislacance.fr/blog/2021/04/16/whatsapp-tracking-2
💡 Hack the WhatsApp status to track contacts
https://jorislacance.fr/blog/2020/04/01/whatsapp-tracking
💡 How a WhatsApp status loophole is aiding cyberstalkers
https://t.me/BlackBox_Archiv/2018
💡 Sudden New Warning Will Surprise Millions Of WhatsApp Users
https://t.me/BlackBox_Archiv/1987
💡 All the Numbers are US: Large-scale Abuse of Contact Discovery in Mobile Messengers (PDF)
https://t.me/BlackBox_Archiv/2042
#DeleteWhatsapp #user #tracking #whatsapp #thinkabout #change
📡 @nogoolag 📡 @blackbox_archiv
In the previous blog post, we have seen that this is quite simple to hack the WhatsApp online status of a contact. A simple Online or last seen yesterday at 19:00 insight can be reverse engineered to leak phone habits at a couple of seconds accuracy.
‼️ There is an even more silly thing not mentioned yet: You can track any mobile phone ! So let’s play and scale to track 5000 random numbers.
Like previously, I am sharing the source code as a PROOF OF CONCEPT. You can jump straight to the end if you are more curious about the results than by the technical stuff I’m about to resume. We are reusing the previous code with Node.js, Puppeteer & Grafana.
https://jorislacance.fr/blog/2021/04/16/whatsapp-tracking-2
💡 Hack the WhatsApp status to track contacts
https://jorislacance.fr/blog/2020/04/01/whatsapp-tracking
💡 How a WhatsApp status loophole is aiding cyberstalkers
https://t.me/BlackBox_Archiv/2018
💡 Sudden New Warning Will Surprise Millions Of WhatsApp Users
https://t.me/BlackBox_Archiv/1987
💡 All the Numbers are US: Large-scale Abuse of Contact Discovery in Mobile Messengers (PDF)
https://t.me/BlackBox_Archiv/2042
#DeleteWhatsapp #user #tracking #whatsapp #thinkabout #change
📡 @nogoolag 📡 @blackbox_archiv
Joris La Cancellera
Tracking the WhatsApp habits of 5000 random Smartphones | Joris La Cancellera
Portfolio of Joris La Cancellera. Hacker on various things.