privacy Archives | Page 2 of 10 | Digital Watch Observatory

Hackers can use AI to de-anonymise social media accounts

AI technology behind platforms like ChatGPT is making it significantly easier for hackers to identify anonymous social media users, a new study warns. LLMs could match anonymised accounts to real identities by analysing users’ posts across platforms.

Researchers Simon Lermen and Daniel Paleka warned that AI enables cheap, highly personalised privacy attacks, urging a rethink of what counts as private online. The study highlighted risks from government surveillance to hackers exploiting public data for scams.

Experts caution that AI-driven de-anonymisation is not flawless. Errors in linking accounts could wrongly implicate individuals, while public datasets beyond social media- such as hospital or statistical records- may be exposed to unintended analysis.

Users are urged to reconsider what information they share, and platforms are encouraged to limit bulk data access and detect automated scraping.

The study underscores growing concerns about AI surveillance. While the technology cannot guarantee complete de-anonymisation, its rapid capabilities demand stronger safeguards to protect privacy online.

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Privacy lawsuit targets Meta AI glasses after reports of footage review

Meta is facing a new lawsuit in the US over privacy concerns tied to its AI smart glasses.

The legal complaint follows investigative reporting indicating that contractors working for a Kenya-based subcontractor reviewed footage captured by users’ devices, including sensitive personal scenes.

The lawsuit alleges that some of the reviewed material included nudity and other intimate activities recorded by the glasses’ cameras.

According to the complaint, the footage formed part of a data review process designed to improve the AI system integrated into the wearable device.

Plaintiffs claim Meta marketed the product as prioritising user privacy, citing advertisements suggesting that the glasses were ‘designed for privacy’ and that users remained in control of their personal data.

The complaint argues that such messaging could mislead consumers if the footage were subject to human review without clear disclosure.

A legal action that also names eyewear manufacturer Luxottica, which partnered with Meta to produce the glasses.

Meanwhile, the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office has begun examining the issue after reports that face-blurring safeguards may not have consistently protected individuals captured in the recordings.

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Debate grows over the future of privacy

Experts gathered in London, UK, to examine how the concept of privacy has evolved over centuries. Discussions in London, UK, highlighted that privacy was only widely recognised as a legal and social norm after the Second World War.

Speakers in London noted that earlier societies often viewed privacy with suspicion or did not recognise it at all. Historical examples discussed included practices from Roman society and the French monarchy.

Modern legal protections expanded rapidly in recent decades, with privacy laws now covering about 80 percent of the global population. Scholars said the concept remains relatively new despite its central role in modern democracies.

The debate also explored whether privacy will remain a stable social value as technology evolves. Analysts in London said emerging technologies such as AI are reshaping debates over personal data and surveillance.

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Calls grow to strengthen New Zealand privacy law

Pressure is growing in New Zealand to strengthen the Privacy Act following several high-profile data breaches. Debate in New Zealand intensified after a cyberattack exposed medical records from the Manage My Health patient portal.

The breach in New Zealand affected about 120,000 patients and involved threats to release documents on the dark web. Another incident forced the MediMap medication platform offline after unauthorised changes were detected in patient records.

Privacy specialists argue that current enforcement powers are too weak to deter serious failures. The Privacy Act allows only limited financial penalties, with fines generally capped at NZD10,000.

Officials are now considering reforms, including stronger penalties for privacy violations. Policymakers also warn that failure to strengthen the law could threaten the country’s EU data adequacy status.

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Europe pressed to slow digital age-verification push amid privacy fears

Hundreds of academics urged governments to halt plans for mandatory age checks on social media, rather than accelerating deployment without assessing the risks.

The warning arrives as several European states consider restrictions on children’s access to online platforms and as companies promote verification tools such as live selfies or uploads of government-issued IDs.

Researchers argue that current systems expose people to privacy breaches, security vulnerabilities and malicious sites that ignore verification rules instead of offering meaningful protection.

They say scientific consensus has not yet formed on the benefits or harms of age-assurance technologies, making large-scale implementation premature and potentially discriminatory.

The letter stresses that any credible system would require cryptographic safeguards for every query, protecting data in transit rather than leaving identity checks to platforms without robust technical guarantees.

Academics believe such infrastructure would be complex to build globally and would create friction that many providers may refuse to adopt.

Concern escalated after early deployments in Italy and France, where verification is already mandatory.

Signatories, including Ronald Rivest and Bart Preneel, warn that governments risk introducing a socially unacceptable system that increases exposure to data misuse instead of ensuring children’s safety online.

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EU pressures Meta over alleged smart glasses privacy breaches

Lawmakers in the European Parliament are pressing the European Commission for clarity after reports that Meta’s smart glasses recorded people in intimate moments without their knowledge.

Concerns intensified when Swedish outlets reported that Ray-Ban AI glasses captured and uploaded sensitive footage in violation of strict consent requirements under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.

The reports indicate that personal data from EU users was sent to Sama, a third-party contractor, in Kenya for human review. Annotators working there said they viewed images of individuals changing clothes and believed the recordings were taken without consent.

They added that Meta’s attempts to blur faces or apply other safeguards failed often enough to expose identifiable material instead of ensuring proper anonymisation.

EU privacy law requires clear information and consent before collecting and processing personal data, and additional safeguards when exporting data to countries without recognised adequacy status.

Kenya is still negotiating such recognition with the Commission, meaning contractual protections would be necessary.

The Irish Data Protection Commission, responsible for Meta’s GDPR oversight, has been contacted amid questions about whether Meta complied with EU requirements.

Lawmakers also want the Commission to examine whether proposed changes in the Digital Omnibus package could dilute privacy protections rather than strengthen them.

Critics argue the reforms might ease data-use rules for AI training at a moment when allegations about Meta’s smart glasses have intensified scrutiny of the EU’s broader digital policy agenda.

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AI smart glasses raise new privacy and safeguarding concerns

AI-powered smart glasses are quietly moving from novelty gadget to mainstream consumer device, and the shift is raising uncomfortable questions about privacy, consent and safeguarding. Models such as the Ray-Ban Meta glasses are now widely available in the UK, offering hands-free video capture, livestreaming and AI-driven features such as object recognition and translation. Yet as functionality expands, scrutiny is growing.

Public concern intensified after a BBC report revealed Meta AI glasses had recorded a woman without her consent. The episode reignited debate over whether existing privacy laws are equipped to deal with wearable devices that can identify, track and analyse people in real time. Unlike smartphones, smart glasses operate discreetly, blurring the line between passive wearables and active recording devices.

Manufacturers insist safeguards are being built in. EssilorLuxottica, which partners on the Meta glasses, says design changes have made recording more visible, including enlarging the camera lens and providing user guidance during setup.

The company says it is exploring further design adjustments, including mechanisms that turn off recording when the lens is covered. Compliance with current regulations, it argues, remains a priority.
Critics, however, believe regulation is lagging behind technological capability. Iain Rice, professor of industrial AI at Birmingham City University, warns that UK privacy frameworks were not designed with real-time AI surveillance tools in mind.

He points to risks including facial recognition integration, automated identity matching and the potential for large-scale deepfake generation using live public footage. While cloud processing enables useful features such as navigation and translation, experts argue that stronger safeguards may be needed, including on-device masking of individuals who have not consented to being recorded. The debate suggests that AI glasses may soon test the limits of existing digital rights frameworks.

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Reddit hit with a major ICO penalty over children’s privacy failures

The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office has fined Reddit £14.47 million after finding that the platform unlawfully used children’s personal information and failed to put in place adequate age checks.

The regulator concluded that Reddit allowed children under 13 to access the platform without robust age-verification measures, leaving them exposed to content they were not able to understand or control.

Although Reddit updated its processes in July 2025, self-declaration remained easy to bypass, offering only a veneer of protection. Investigators also found that the company had not completed a data protection impact assessment until 2025, despite a large number of teenagers using the service.

Concerns were heightened by the volume of children affected and the risks created by relying on inadequate age checks.

The regulator noted that unlawful data processing occurred over a prolonged period, and that children were at risk of viewing harmful material while their information was processed without a lawful basis.

UK Information Commissioner John Edwards said companies must prioritise meaningful age assurance and understand the responsibilities set out in the Children’s Code.

The ICO said it will continue monitoring Reddit’s current controls and expects online platforms to align with robust age-assurance standards rather than rely on weak verification.

It will coordinate its oversight with Ofcom as part of broader efforts to strengthen online safety and ensure under-18s benefit from high privacy protections by default.

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Global privacy regulators warn of rising AI deepfake harms

Privacy regulators from around the world have issued a joint warning about the rise of AI-generated deepfakes, arguing that the spread of non-consensual images poses a global risk instead of remaining a problem confined to individual countries.

Sixty-one authorities endorsed a declaration that draws attention to AI images and videos depicting real people without their knowledge or consent.

The signatories highlight the rapid growth of intimate deepfakes, particularly those targeting children and individuals from vulnerable communities. They note that such material often circulates widely on social platforms and may fuel exploitation or cyberbullying.

The declaration argues that the scale of the threat requires coordinated action rather than isolated national responses.

European authorities, including the European Data Protection Board and the European Data Protection Supervisor, support the effort to build global cooperation.

Regulators say that only joint oversight can limit the harms caused by AI systems that generate false depictions, rather than protecting individuals’ privacy as required under frameworks such as the General Data Protection Regulation.

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Medical AI risks in Turkey highlight data bias and privacy challenges

Ankara is seeing growing debate over the risks and benefits of medical AI as experts warn that poorly governed systems could threaten patient safety.

Associate professor Agah Tugrul Korucu said AI offers meaningful potential for healthcare only when supported by rigorous ethical rules and strong oversight instead of rapid deployment without proper safeguards.

Korucu explained that data bias remains one of the most significant dangers because AI models learn directly from the information they receive. Underrepresented age groups, regions or social classes can distort outcomes and create systematic errors.

Turkey’s national health database e-Nabiz provides a strategic advantage, yet raw information cannot generate value unless it is processed correctly and supported by clear standards, quality controls and reliable terminology.

He added that inconsistent hospital records, labelling errors and privacy vulnerabilities can mislead AI systems and pose legal challenges. Strict anonymisation and secure analysis environments are needed to prevent harmful breaches.

Medical AI works best as a second eye in fields such as radiology and pathology, where systems can reduce workloads by flagging suspicious areas instead of leaving clinicians to assess every scan alone.

Korucu said physicians must remain final decision makers because automation bias could push patients towards unnecessary risks.

He expects genomic data combined with AI to transform personalised medicine over the coming decade, allowing faster diagnoses and accurate medication choices for rare conditions.

Priority development areas for Turkey include triage tools, intensive care early warning systems and chronic disease management. He noted that the long-term model will be the AI-assisted physician rather than a fully automated clinician.

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