5 stories in the last 7 days
The latest Privacy news, distilled by AI into sharp ~100-word summaries covering privacy, surveillance, data protection and digital rights. ByteBrief scans dozens of tech sources and surfaces only what matters, updated hourly. Tap any story for the full brief, or open the original source.
Zcash prices drop following disclosure of a 2022 vulnerability in its Orchard shielded pool. The flaw could have enabled undetectable ZEC counterfeiting. The vulnerability affects the Orchard shielded pool specifically. This impacts ZEC holders and blockchain security protocols.
A new study by Surfshark finds 90% of top iOS messaging apps include AI tools that could expose private data. Signal uses quantum-secure cryptography and collects only phone numbers. Meta's Messenger and LINE collect vast user data for advertising and tracking. Nine out of ten apps offer end-to-end encryption but AI features undermine privacy protections. The study analyzed 35 specific data types from Apple's privacy framework.
Bitcoin briefly fell below $60,000 on Friday, extending its weekly loss to nearly 20%. A 40%-plus plunge in Zcash occurred after Shielded Labs disclosed a years-old bug that could have allowed undetected counterfeit ZEC creation. Bitcoin is now perfectly correlated with stocks, which were down nearly 4% on Friday. The bug's disclosure has caused market volatility, with some investors describing Bitcoin as 'swallowing broken glass'.
The Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2 Sapphire smartwatch is now available for $500, half its original price. It features a large and bright AMOLED screen, top-tier health and fitness tracking, and multi-GNSS with SatIQ technology for optimal location tracking. The watch can last up to 16 days on a single charge and includes features like mapping, fitness coaching, and a built-in flashlight. It is available for a limited time at this discounted price. The watch normally costs $1,000.
Samsung is upgrading its Health App with AI-generated features to help users understand complex biometric data. The new features include Vitals, Heart Health Score, Daily Cardio Load, and Fitness Index. These insights will be organized into five categories: Sleep, Nutrition, Activity, Mindfulness, and Vitals. The updates will start rolling out on June 8.