In 2021, a threat actor claimed to be selling data of 73 million AT&T customers, but the telecom demurred saying there hadn’t been a breach. Well, apparently, that was incorrect as AT&T now confirms, and highly sensitive information dating back to 2019 has been leaked on the dark web. This includes Social Security numbers, passcodes, email addresses and birth dates, and has raised concerns over risks for identity theft.
Charmingly named Project Ghostbusters, Facebook (Meta) apparently went to great trouble to spy on competitors, including Snapchat, Amazon and YouTube for user data. This revealed in unsealed documents in California federal court, was done to gain competitive advantage and understand how users behaved on other sites – and was supported by Meta executives including CEO Mark Zuckerberg. It was done by intercepting and decrypting network traffic between user devices and company servers.
The Cybersecurity Administration of China (CAC), has published the Provisions on Promoting and Regulating the Cross-border Flow of Data (New Provisions), which eases up on select requirements for data controllers. This follows concerns that had been raised about viability of data controllers adhering to the CAC’s previous outline of obligations, so companies doing cross-border business should review changes for applicability.
Google lashed out at the Department of Justice’s threat to break up the company, calling the proposals “radical.” Among other things, Google says the proposals would threaten users’ privacy, stifle innovation and break Android and Chrome. Given the appeals process, it will likely be years before we know whether Google will stay in one piece.