[ DuckDuckGo Privacy Weekly ] For Jan 21, 2021

• The Truth About Your WhatsApp Data [nytimes.com]
  Facebook hasn't given WhatsApp users an option to refuse data collection since 2016, says Shira Ovide. So why is everyone reacting now? "The confusion was the result of Facebook’s bungled communications, mistrust of the company and America’s broken data-protection laws."
• Retailers, Beware: Shoppers Don't Like to Be Watched Online [wsj.com]
  Proof (if it's needed) that consumers don't like being tracked while shopping online: "In studies, participants were 'significantly less interested' in using an online platform that monitors their decision making."
  Read the full study here. [oup.com]
• Police Robots Are Not a Selfie Opportunity, They're a Privacy Disaster Waiting to Happen [eff.org]
  "Snitch robots" are a thing. Their "Orwellian menace" might not be immediately apparent, says Matthew Guariglia, but "a robot’s machine learning and so-called suspicious behavior detection will lead to racial profiling and other unfounded harassment."
• Dozens Sue Amazon's Ring After Camera Hack Leads to Threats and Racial Slurs [theguardian.com]
  If you're considering Amazon's Ring, please beware of multiple privacy and security concerns, including:
  • Growing surveillance partnership with police forces;
  • Third party trackers on its app;
  • Data breaches and hackers infiltrating user homes via Ring camera.
• Singapore Says Its Contact-Tracing Data Can Be Used for Criminal Investigations [latimes.com]
  Despite initial claims that data collected by Singapore's "voluntary" contact tracing app (TraceTogether) would not be accessed unless directly related to COVID-19, David Pierson reveals that data collected is now up for grabs for criminal investigations.

Our thoughts

• What is the revenue generation model for DuckDuckGo? [quora.com]
  DuckDuckGo is a profitable company without ever collecting users' personal information. Our CEO and Founder, Gabriel Weinberg, explains how our privacy-focused business model works.

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