Congress is now demanding answers from Apple and Google regarding data collection on iOS and Android devices. Both Apple CEO Tim Cook and Alphabet CEO Larry Page received letters from the Energy and Commerce Committee seeking explanations about how these devices collect and use recorded audio, location information, how third-party partners and developers access data, and more.
The probe arrives just after reports surfaced that third-party developers have full access to messages in Gmail along with the recipient’s address and time stamps. The access also includes data stemming from the use of the Gmail plugin for price comparison, travel planning, and so on. So far there is no evidence that these third parties misused personal data.
As an example, Google partner Return Path reportedly scans more than 100 million emails a day sent and received by Gmail users accessing its network. The company claims that its algorithms can detect and discard personal emails from its system, but the algorithm initially miscategorized personal emails, forcing data analysts to spend several days reading 8,000 emails so they could train the system to properly label emails.
According to Google, it vets all third-party developers before granting access to Gmail messages and requires user permission. The problem is that permission requests often don’t state whether users are granting email access to a human or a computer.
The letter to Page addresses the Gmail scandal, pointing out that in June 2017, Google said content scanning in Gmail to provide personalized advertisements would halt to “keep privacy and security paramount.” But despite the promise, third-party developers still have access to Gmail content even if they’re not creating personalized advertisements.
“Google still permitted third parties to access the contents of users’ emails, including message text, email signatures, and receipt data, to personalize content. In the context of free services offered by third parties, these practices raise questions about how representations made by a platform are carried out in practice,” the letter states.
But the probe doesn’t stop there. The letter to Page points out that Android devices can/do collect “non-triggered” audio data from conversations conducted near the device to detect a “trigger” phrase. There are also suggestions that third-party apps on Android have access to and use “non-triggered” audio data without informing the device owner.
Meanwhile, Cook is feeling the heat as well. Congress points to apps still served up on the App Store that Apple deems “contradictory” to the company’s values, such as the apps provided by Google and Facebook. Apple claims it recently changed its App Store policy to limit the amount of data collected by third parties, yet they’re reading Gmail messages.
The two letters also address data collection used by cellular towers when location services, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth are disabled, there are no installed apps, and the device doesn’t have a SIM card. Data is stored locally on the device and provided to Google once network capabilities are re-established. Congress wants to know if Apple’s products have the same data-retaining capabilities.
Updated on July 10: Added news about the two information requests.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Google DeepMind's AI world model Genie 4 can now build interactive worlds that you can explore and reshape as they run. It also generates ambient sounds, music, and dialogue that respond to your actions.
The new world model builds on Genie 3 with improved realism, more natural human movement, and better simulations of real-world physics. It could eventually help with everything from game development to training robots.
Apple has an incredible talent for making me admire its products while simultaneously questioning what on earth it's thinking with the pricing. This isn't even something as bizarre as a monitor stand, but the audacity for starting a new laptop lineup from $2,000 doesn't surprise me.
The newly announced 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 is just the latest to showcase this. The funny thing is, I already know that it's going to be a reliable workstation. You get a powerful new 2nm M6 processor, a gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display, and up to 24 hours of battery life. We were impressed by the M5 MacBook Air, so the high-end M6 powered MacBook Pro definitely won't let us down.