DuckDuckGo uses privacy labels to call out Google, a small company says it’s building a web browser from scratch, and the potential consequences of the Rogers and Shaw mega-merger are discussed online.
It’s all the tech news that’s popular right now. Welcome to Hashtag Trending! It’s Wednesday, March 17, and I’m your host Baneet Braich.
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Google is updating many iOS applications with App Store privacy labels in an effort to become more transparent about data collection. After the updates, DuckDuckGo quickly called Google out for spying on users. DuckDuckGo says Google only added the labels “after months of stalling” and that “spying on users has nothing to do with building a great web browser or search engine.” When comparing both search engines, The DuckDuckGo privacy label says it does not collect any data linked to the user, while Google and Chrome show that data such as location, browsing history, financial information, search history, and more are linked to the user for things like analytics, personalization, and third-party advertising. This is not really a surprise for many Google users, but DuckDuckGo is not shying away from hammering the point home.
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One company is taking on the daunting challenge of building their own browser…from scratch. A small U.K-based company called Ekioh wants to make web-based apps run smoothly even on cheap microcomputers like the Raspberry Pi. Building new browsers has pretty much been unheard of for 2 decades when anyone can really modify the work Google and Apple are doing. If Ekioh’s Flow project succeeds, it could change web browsing and make cheaper gadgets accessible. Ekioh says it’s laser-focused on improving performance for animations and effects while providing secure and functional web-based applications for connected TV boxes, smart displays, and car dashboards.
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And lastly, as Rogers plans to buy Shaw Communications, Canadians are bracing for the potential consequences. CBC reports that consumer watchdogs are concerned the merger may hinder competition in Canada where we have some of the world’s highest cellphone and internet costs. Rogers has said it will not increase wireless prices for Freedom Mobile customers for at least three years after the deal closes. Canada’s competition bureau is eyeing the deal closely, and is expected to receive major backlash. [LinkedIn]
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire Newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your inbox every day. I’m Baneet Braich, thanks for listening!