3, 6, 9! Hacks, Cuts, Fines!
Uber Gets Hacked AGAIN, Because Why Not?
In a not-so-surprising turn of events, Uber has fallen victim to yet another cyberattack. This time, the sensitive data of Uber drivers in New Jersey has been stolen, leaving them vulnerable to identity theft and other cyber threats. According to the law firm who discovered the attack, Genova Burns, an unauthorized third party managed to infiltrate their systems between January 23 and 31, 2023, siphoning Uber drivers' names, social security numbers, and tax Identification numbers. It's unclear how this breach went undetected for months, but hey, who's counting? Genova Burns has taken some steps to improve their security measures, including offering free identity monitoring services for 12 months for affected drivers. 5 star rating for Uber!
Startup 4.screen Raises $23 Million to Make Your Commute Even More Annoying
Munich-based startup 4.screen has raised $23 million in funding for its in-car marketing platform, which enables retailers to advertise to drivers in real-time through a vehicle's connected display. That makes sense! We can’t think of a more opportune time to be bombarded with ads than when you’re flying on the highway at 75mph. 4.screen's platform is already live with Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Skoda, and the company aims to capture a market it believes will consist of over 600 million connected vehicles by 2030. The funding round was led by S4S Ventures, and 4.screen plans to use the funds to expand its team and geographical footprint. Apparently, we didn’t have enough distractions while driving.
Palantir Teams Up with NIH to Unlock Secrets of Long Covid, Triggering PTSD-Like Flashbacks of the Pandemic
Palantir, a company specializing in analyzing big data, has partnered with the US National Institute of Health to create one of the largest collections of Covid-19 health records in the world, called the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C). N3C is where geeks and medical experts unite to decode data from people suffering from Covid-19 or related conditions. Currently, over 65 million people are still suffering from long COVID so this partnership has the potential to have significant impact. This is the kind of work we like to see from Palantir, not their surveillance partnerships with the NSA, unless you’re into that Orwellian 1984 thing.
TikTok: Underage Kids Will Be Underage Kids!
The UK's Information Commissioner's Office slapped TikTok with a hefty fine of £12.7 million (~$15.9 million) for breaking data protection laws, including those designed to keep kids safe. Shockingly, they had a whopping 1.4 million underage users in the UK from May 2018 to July 2020, despite their terms of service stating users must be 13 or older. Oh, and lest we forget how TikTok failed to provide clear information about data collection, use, and sharing, breaching transparency and fairness requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation. TikTok's response? They're "reviewing their options" and claiming they've taken steps to improve safety. So we’d say this feels resolved, wouldn’t you?
From Orchard to Chopping Block: Apple's Layoffs
Apple is eliminating some roles within its "corporate retail teams," with a focus on workers responsible for the "construction and upkeep" of its retail locations and physical facilities, according to Bloomberg. Basically, you should prepare for even longer and slower lines for the Genius Bar.This marks a departure from Apple's usual practice of avoiding layoffs, unlike other big tech companies such as Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Google, which have laid off thousands of workers in recent months. Apple has faced criticism for its aggressive approach to in-office work, with CEO Tim Cook emphasizing the importance of in-person collaboration. Sound familiar? Remember that Apple is going full on creepy uncle and following employees’ whereabouts as they badge in and out of the office? Yikes!