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Google is rolling out a really useful update for Google Password Manager, allowing users to sync passkeys across their many devices. Up until this point, folks could only save passkeys to Google Password Manager on Android, so the cross-device utility was limited. It was possible to use the passkeys on other devices, but it would require users to scan a QR code. The update allows for passkey saving via Google Password Manager on Windows, macOS, Linux and, of course, Android. ChromeOS is currently being beta tested, so that functionality should come sooner rather than later. Google also says that iOS support is coming soon. Once saved, the passkey automatically syncs across other devices using Google Password Manager. The company says this data is end-to-end encrypted, so itll be pretty tough for someone to go in and steal credentials. For the uninitiated, a passkey is slightly different from a password. A passkey is a digital credential that allows users to sign in to an account without using a password. The companys been using passkeys across its software suite since last year. Todays update also brings another layer of security to passkeys on Google Password Manager. The company has introduced a six-digit PIN that will be required when using passkeys on a new device. This would likely stop nefarious actors from logging into an account even if they've somehow gotten ahold of the digital credentials. Just dont leave the PIN number laying on a sheet of paper directly next to the computer. Google passkeys can already be used with the companys productivity software, of course, but also with Amazon, PayPal and WhatsApp. Google Password Manager is built right into Chrome and Android devices.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-passkeys-can-now-sync-across-devices-on-multiple-platforms-160056596.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
The FTC just published results of a sweeping study of social media sites that has been going on for four years. The organization said that many social media sites and streaming services engage in vast surveillance of consumers in order to monetize their personal information. This mass surveillance impacts adult users, but also children and teens. This isnt exactly surprising. After all, the old saying goes if you're not paying for the product, you are the product. Still, the study suggests a level of surveillance that could shock even the most cynical among us. According to the FTC, these entities collect and indefinitely retain troves of data. The companies also engage in broad data sharing with woefully inadequate security measures. The report also found that some companies didnt delete all user data in response to deletion requests. Thats not a good look. Additionally, some companies were found to be using privacy-invasive technologies like tracking pixels to facilitate advertising to users based on preferences and interests. But wait, theres more. The report found that users (and even non-users) had little or no way to opt out of how their data was used by automated systems, like algorithms, data analytics and AI. The FTC found that these companies employed different, inconsistent and inadequate approaches to monitoring and testing the use of these automated systems. Finally, the report found that social media and video streaming services didnt adequately protect children and teens on their sites. The study goes on to suggest that social media, and digital technology as a whole, contributes to negative mental health impacts on young users. This is nothing new, though some social media companies are putting tools in place to protect kids. Instagram just made it mandatory for teen accounts to include parental controls. The FTC says that all of these issues boil down to the profit models of the big social media and streaming companies. These business models mandate the mass collection of user data to monetize, especially through targeted advertising. This is in tension with privacy concerns as, well, privacy doesnt make money. The study concludes that self-regulation has been a failure. To that end, the FTC has issued several recommendations to help solve these problems. It wants Congress to pass comprehensive privacy legislation to limit surveillance and to offer baseline protections. It also wants social media and streaming companies to limit data collection and data sharing with third parties. The FTC also recommends that these companies actually delete consumer data when its no longer needed or upon request and to stop using invasive ad tracking technologies like pixels. It also wants these entities to address the overall lack of transparency regarding their methods. As for kids and teens, the FTC says these organizations should recognize teens are not adults and provide them greater privacy protections. Finally, it urges Congress to pass federal privacy legislation for teens over the age of 13. Again, none of this information is new, but it's pretty damning to see it all laid out this way. You can read the full report right here. The services involved in the study include X, TikTok, Reddit, Discord, Twitch, YouTube, Instagram and several others.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/sweeping-ftc-study-finds-that-social-media-sites-engage-in-vast-surveillance-of-its-users-155846997.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Amazon is joining Hollywood's top lobbying group as its seventh member. To be precise, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios will become part of the Motion Picture Association on October 1, alongside six other heavy hitters in Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix (which became a member in 2019). Amazon was already involved with the MPA, having worked with its Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, an anti-piracy coalition, as a governing board member since 2017. MGM (which Amazon bought in 2022) was previously an MPA member from 1928 until 2005. The MPA is the global voice for a growing and evolving industry, and welcoming Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios to our ranks will broaden our collective policymaking and content protection efforts on behalf of our most innovative and creative companies, Charles Rivkin, MPA chairman and CEO, said in a statement. MPA studios fuel local economies, drive job creation, enrich cultures and bolster communities everywhere they work. With Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios among our roster of extraordinary members, the MPA will have an even larger voice for the worlds greatest storytellers. Amazon's involvement with the MPA speaks to the foothold that the company has in entertainment. The fact that Amazon and Netflix are both members also highlights the major influence of streaming over the industry at large.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/amazon-joins-the-motion-picture-association-highlighting-its-power-in-hollywood-155129973.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
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