[ DuckDuckGo Privacy Weekly ] For Feb 3, 2022

• ICYMI: FLoC is Dead. But Topics Won't Fix Google's Ad Targeting Problems. [protocol.com]
  Google is replacing "FLoC" with "Topics" as its tracking method in Chrome but privacy advocates aren't fans of it (neither are we). As Justin Brookman tells Issie Lapowsky: "it just seems like rearranging deck chairs on the sinking ship of targeted ads." We plan to block "Topics" in our Privacy Essentials Chrome browser extension. Ditch Chrome or get the extension today.
• Twitter Privacy Settings to Change Now [washingtonpost.com]
  Heather Kelly shared tips to protect your data on Twitter, starting with unchecking these boxes in Privacy and Safety settings:
  • Personalized ads
  • Allow use of where you see Twitter content across the Web
  • Allow additional info sharing with business partners
• France/Germany: Small Businesses Want EU to Get Tough on Google and Facebook's Invasive Advertising New Research [amnesty.org]
  In France and Germany, a YouGov poll of leaders of small- and medium-sized businesses revealed 75% believed tracking-based advertising undermines people's privacy and other human rights.
• Having a Data Privacy 'Family Tech Talk' [priv.gc.ca]
  The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada suggests having a family "tech talk" to help kids better protect themselves online. Some of the talking points include:
  1. Change your privacy settings
  2. Remember that what you post is not private
  3. Choose your passwords carefully
• College Prep Software Naviance is Selling Advertising Access to Millions of Students [themarkup.org]
  Todd Feathers found that Naviance, required by many schools, "gathers data through its college guidance software and then lets colleges and universities target students with paid ads encouraging enrollment." Ed tech must protect student privacy, not violate it.

And finally…

• DuckDuckGo Email Protection: the Easy Way to Block Email Trackers and Hide Your Address [spreadprivacy.com]
  You may be surprised to learn: since launching our beta, we’ve found 80% of emails contain trackers (from third parties like Google) that can detect when you’ve opened a message, where you were when you opened it, and the device you were using. DuckDuckGo Email Protection can help.

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