[ DuckDuckGo Privacy Weekly ] For Feb 25, 2021

• Manage Your Alexa Data [amazon.com]
  Have an Amazon account? Take a minute to check your Alexa privacy settings for voice recordings, even if you don't have an Echo home assistant. By default, they're saved forever but you can change the setting to "never" (currently linked to the US site, but you can edit the Amazon URL to your region).
• Google's Next Big Chrome Update Will Rewrite the Rules of the Web [wired.co.uk]
  As a duck, we generally like flocks, but not this one: “Since FLoC uses your browsing history to assign you to interest-based cohorts, the end result is akin to a super-tracker” says DuckDuckGo's Vice President of Communications Kamyl Bazbaz.
• Minneapolis Police Tapped Google to Identify George Floyd Protesters [techcrunch.com]
  Peacefully protesting the killing of George Floyd shouldn't make anyone the suspect of a crime. We will keep saying this over and over: Privacy isn't for people who have something to hide. It’s an essential part of a functioning and inclusive democracy.
• Privacy Survey: Consumers Have Poor Understanding of Data Privacy yet Think They Are Taking Proactive Steps [zdnet.com]
  Why? Because consumers have been intentionally mislead by companies like Facebook and Google to believe they are getting more privacy than they actually are. A better understanding of privacy would be bad for their business.
  For everyone who's had enough, take back your privacy now with DuckDuckGo.
• Video Analytics User Manuals Are a Guide to Dystopia [eff.org]
  "The lack of oversight of police acquisition and use of surveillance tech has dangerous consequences for those misidentified or caught up in self-fulfilling prophecies of AI policing." The EFF explores concerning capabilities of advanced video analytics tech.

And finally…

When you get cookie notices on websites, we recommend clicking the option to review, since it is usually just a few clicks to disable the most invasive ones. Get the DuckDuckGo app to totally block major trackers from even loading in your browser.

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