Concerns rise over Instagram’s latest testing of a new location tracking feature, Facebook and Apple confirm they got hit with a software attack, and California aims to ban weak passwords in 2020.
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On Reddit – Weeks after Instagram’s co-founders resigned from the company thanks to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s handling of the service, it turns out Instagram is testing a feature that would allow it to share your location data with Facebook – even when you’re not using the app. TechCrunch reports the new privacy setting would help Facebook target you with ads and recommend you relevant content. A Facebook spokesperson has confirmed that the location settings have not been updated, and that if any changes are made, people will know about it.
Trending on Flipboard on the heels of of a bombshell report about a Chinese supply-chain attack on Apple and Amazon through the server manufacturer Supermicro, a second story suggests bad actors also infiltrated Apple and Facebook with malware. Facebook says that it was made aware of servers with compromised firmware in 2015 on a select number of Supermicro hardware, but that it didn’t affect users. Apple, which also strongly denied Bloomberg’s reporting about malicious chips in its data centres, followed up by saying it discovered malware on a single server in 2016.
And lastly, also on Reddit – The state of California has passed a law that demands all net-connected gadgets be given a unique password when it’s made. The Information Privacy: Connected Devices bill requires that electronics manufacturers equip their products with “reasonable” security features, such as a unique password or a start-up procedure that forces users to create their own code. The bill also lets customers sue for damages when a company ignores the law.