Latest news with #dataPrivacy
Phone Arena
3 hours ago
- Business
- Phone Arena
EU country asks Apple and Google to remove AI app from their app storefronts
Back in January, the AI world was buzzing about China's DeepSeek AI. The Large Language Model (LLM) was trained for a comparatively low cost of $5.6 million using approximately 2,000 Nvidia H800 GPUs. That is a small percentage of the amount of money spent by OpenAI and Google to develop their LLM models like ChatGPT and Gemini, respectively. For a brief period of time, DeepSeek became the number one free app in the U.S. App Store surpassing the previous leader, AI LLM app ChatGPT. However, it soon become known that answers were regulated by the Chinese government especially if the response to a query could make China and its government look bad. Additionally, DeepSeek's own privacy policy revealed that DeepSeek keeps user's personal data, including user prompts and uploaded files, on servers in China. The country's intelligence laws allow the government to access these files. Today, Germany's top data protection regulator demanded that Apple and Google remove the DeepSeek app from the App Store and Google Play Store respectively. Meike Kamp, Germany's data protection commissioner, said that she made the request to Apple and Google because DeepSeek transfers users' personal data to China illegally. -Meike Kamp, Germany's data protection commissioner Italy and South Korea have already had the DeepSeek app removed from local app stores and in the Netherlands the app has been removed from government devices. But what happens next in Germany? Apple and Google will review the request from Kamp's team and decide whether they should remove the app from the German App Store or Play Store. Kamp's office did not give Apple or Google a specific deadline as to when the two tech firms have to reach a decision about the DeepSeek app. The DeepSeek app for iOS. | Image credit-PhoneArena Also concerning to U.S. and European lawmakers is an exclusive report from Reuters that says China's military and intelligence operations are being aided by DeepSeek. Commissioner Kamp first gave DeepSeek the opportunity in May to meet the requirements for non-EU data transfers or voluntarily withdraw its app. DeepSeek did not comply with the request. In the U.S., lawmakers plan to introduce a bill that would prevent U.S. executive agencies from using any AI models developed in China. These AI models would include DeepSeek. Right now, those in the U.S. can still install DeepSeek from the App Store for iOS or the Play Store for Android." Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
CNET
10 hours ago
- General
- CNET
Get Up to $300 in Gift Cards When You Pre-Order a Samsung Smart Monitor
909 We and ourpartners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting I Accept enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. Selecting Reject All or withdrawing your consent will disable them. If trackers are disabled, some content and ads you see may not be as relevant to you. You can resurface this menu to change your choices or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the Manage Preferences link on the bottom of the webpage [or the floating icon on the bottom-left of the webpage, if applicable]. Your choices will have effect within our Website. For more details, refer to our Privacy Policy. Our Privacy Policy
Phone Arena
11 hours ago
- Business
- Phone Arena
This Android brand could be the next to face U.S. trade restrictions
In a surprising twist, it looks like two members of the U.S. House of Representatives are asking the Commerce Department to investigate OnePlus over concerns that its smartphones may be sending user data to servers in China without permission. In a letter obtained by Reuters, Representative John Moolenaar, a Republican from Michigan, and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois, raised concerns based on a recent analysis provided to the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. According to the letter, the analysis suggests that OnePlus devices might collect and transmit large amounts of user data to servers located in China. This could include sensitive personal information and may be happening without the user's knowledge or consent. The lawmakers are urging the Commerce Department to consider adding OnePlus to the U.S. Entity List. This list limits companies' access to American-made technologies and has previously included other Chinese firms like Huawei, DJI, and TikTok's parent company ByteDance. Being added to the list would place restrictions on OnePlus and its ability to do business with U.S. companies. OnePlus 13. | Image credit — PhoneArena As of now, the Commerce Department has not provided more info, and OnePlus also has not issued a public statement addressing the claims. As you may be aware, OnePlus is based in Shenzhen, China, and is a subsidiary of BBK Electronics, which also owns Oppo, Vivo, and Realme. While OnePlus has built a reputation in markets like the U.S. and Europe for offering high-spec smartphones at competitive prices, its Chinese roots continue to draw attention amid rising concerns over data privacy and foreign influence. This situation mirrors past investigations and actions taken by the U.S. government against Chinese tech companies believed to pose national security risks — Huawei, for example. Lawmakers in both parties have increasingly raised questions about how international tech firms collect, store, and share user data, especially if those firms are subject to foreign government regulations. It is not yet clear if the Commerce Department will move forward with an investigation, but the request from Moolenaar and Krishnamoorthi highlights growing concern in Washington over digital privacy and security. From my perspective, the call for an investigation reflects a broader trend of caution toward Chinese tech brands. However, it is important that any actions taken are based on clear evidence and transparency. If there is proof of unauthorized data transfers, then regulatory action may be justified — but fair review and due process must come first. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kevin O'Leary Says TikTok Deal Is Dead — And U.S. Law Must Finally Decide Who Owns Your Data
Celebrity investor Kevin O'Leary says the window to buy TikTok with its current Chinese-owned algorithm has officially closed. As a new 90-day deadline ticks down, O'Leary is sounding the alarm: TikTok's future in the U.S. hangs in the balance, and at the heart of it is a much bigger issue — who truly owns your personal data? TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, is under pressure from a U.S. law enacted last year that requires it to sell its TikTok assets in the U.S. or face a nationwide ban. The law was upheld by the Supreme Court, but enforcement has been repeatedly delayed. Most recently, President Donald Trump granted a 90-day extension until September, marking the third postponement. Don't Miss: Peter Thiel turned $1,700 into $5 billion—now accredited investors are eyeing this software company with similar breakout potential. Learn how you can invest with $1,000 at just $0.30/share. Invest early in CancerVax's breakthrough tech aiming to disrupt a $231B market. Back a bold new approach to cancer treatment with high-growth potential. While TikTok has continued to operate, critics say these delays are avoiding a key national security concern: the possibility that the Chinese government could access American user data. Beijing denies this, but many U.S. lawmakers remain skeptical. According to O'Leary, a new sale involving TikTok's existing algorithm is no longer on the table. "We know that we can't buy the algorithm," he said in a video he posted to X. "So we're gonna have to rewrite this whole thing." O'Leary is part of a group led by billionaire Frank McCourt and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian proposing a new version of TikTok — one without Chinese-owned code. Their goal? Create a U.S.-based platform that puts data ownership in the hands of users, not corporations. The alternative, O'Leary warns, is a legal minefield. "Every mothers' group and state attorney general is suing social media," he said. "All stemming from the fact that the platform owns the data and the customer doesn't." Trending: Tired of Grid Failures and Charging Deserts? This Startup Has a Solar Fix and $25M+ in Sales — Now Raising at $3/Share O'Leary also tied the TikTok debate to the broader issue of U.S. technology exports, especially AI chips made by companies like Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) and Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD). He used a bee analogy to explain: The chip is the queen bee, and software developers are the honeybees building AI — or "honey" — on that chip. O'Leary argued there will soon be only two types of AI: "American honey" and "Chinese honey." "If you want the world running on Chinese honey, stop shipping American queen bee chips," he said. His point: limiting chip exports could backfire by encouraging foreign adversaries to build their own alternatives — like Congress acts or a new buyer is found, TikTok could be pulled from U.S. app stores after the September deadline. O'Leary believes this is likely the "last extension." As lawmakers debate national security, global trade, and personal privacy, the clock keeps ticking. One thing is clear: TikTok's fate is tied not just to politics, but to a fundamental question about the future of the internet — who controls the data, and who gets to decide? Read Next: Are you rich? Here's what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy. Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES (AMD): Free Stock Analysis Report NVIDIA (NVDA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Kevin O'Leary Says TikTok Deal Is Dead — And U.S. Law Must Finally Decide Who Owns Your Data originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Forbes
14 hours ago
- Forbes
Delete Every App That's On This List—‘Risks Are Too Great'
You should never use these apps on your phone. Republished on June 28 with new national security warnings over use of these apps. Tens of millions of Android and iPhone users are being warned they have installed free apps that leave them at serious risk. Those users could now be sending their sensitive data to companies under the control of the Chinese government. Earlier this week, I reported on the list of iPhone and Android apps issued by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP). These are all VPNs — virtual private networks. Apps which are meant to make users safer and more secure but are doing the very opposite. 'Millions of Americans have downloaded apps that secretly route their internet traffic through Chinese companies,' TTP says. It last reported on this threat in April, and now says 'Apple and Google app stores continue to offer private browsing apps that are surreptitiously owned by Chinese companies… six weeks after they were identified.' A raft of warnings now have followed that report, urging users to delete the apps. 'The risks are too great' to keep them on your phone, warns Top10VPNs Simon Migliano. 'In light of these findings, I strongly urge users to avoid Chinese-owned VPNs altogether." For its part, Google says it is "committed to compliance with applicable sanctions and trade compliance laws. When we locate accounts that may violate these laws, our related policies or Terms of Service, we take appropriate action.' While Apple makes similar assurances, and says it enforces App Store rules but does not differentiate its handling of apps by the location of their developers. It does say where VPNs are concerned that data sharing with third parties is prohibited. vpnMentor's Lisa Taylor says this is 'no surprise,' that "China usually uses different methods to gain other countries' citizen's personal information, most of which are often covered behind a legal front.' And that 'free VPNs are perfect cover up to these kind of operations,' often recording user activity even when they say they don't. BeyondTrust's James Maude agrees. 'If you aren't paying for a product, you are the product. These VPN services are a perfect example of the hidden costs of free apps where users seeking more privacy online are potentially unknowingly feeding data to a foreign nation state out of fear their local coffee shop Wi-Fi is spying on them.' While Black Duck's Vijay Dilwale calls TTP's report 'a sobering wake-up call that VPNs, which claim to protect privacy, can pose very serious security risks, especially when their true ownership is hidden. These apps have access to all user traffic, and when handled by Chinese-based entities, the implications are well beyond individual privacy.' TTP reports that all of the VPNs it has identified "are listed as free in the app stores. But during TTP's May spot check, researchers observed that some of the VPNs offered in-app purchases on top of whatever users get with the 'free' app.' This lack of transparency, Taylor told me, 'is one of the main reasons why we do not recommend free VPNs and we are concerned that with all the content restrictions throughout the world, people are flocking to free VPNs.' Migliano says "true internet freedom and privacy depend on transparency and trust. Yet despite being made aware of glaring privacy failures and opaque corporate structures, Google and Apple continue to permit these high-risk apps on their platforms.' There are also some more serious national security concerns that have been raised. The nature of these apps on devices with obscure geographical locations and ownership is a major issue when it comes to those handling sensitive data or making their locations. Cequence Security's Randolph Barr warns 'there's no question Apple and Google can and should do more to mitigate the national security and privacy risks posed by VPN apps with undisclosed foreign ownership, particularly those tied to hostile nation-states.' Which raises a question around an added layer of app store security. 'While they have frameworks in place for data protection and transparency,' Barr told me, 'enforcement is often inconsistent or delayed, especially when developers obscure their true ownership through complex corporate structures. Conducting deeper vetting requires significant legal, technical, and geopolitical effort, something these platforms have been slow to scale.' This leaves a vacuum others may need to fill. Barr suggests the following mitigating actions, and says if they can't be handled at app store level, they must be done by organizations needing to control such risks: Deepwatch's Chad Cragle has issued the same warning. 'When owned by Chinese companies and hidden behind layers of shell companies, it becomes a serious concern. Apple advocates for protecting our privacy, yet these apps are still accessible. Google?' Cragle says 'they often allow nearly any app on their store. It's time for the platforms to take responsibility and set the example. You can't claim to prioritize privacy if you're letting other parties control the playbook. If they don't properly scrutinize these apps, they're not just passively allowing it—they're helping to create the problem. And let's be honest, this isn't just about privacy; it's about national security, too.' Here is the list of apps from TTP's report: Apple App Store: Google Play Store: The Android app vpnify is also in TTP's report, but has now relocated outside China and has contacted TTP to update its information and to be removed from the report.
