Privacy 19 October 2025 - 10 November 2025

Foreign-Owned Apps Are Harvesting Your Data — What Changed Today (Nov. 10, 2025) and How to Protect Yourself
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Foreign-Owned Apps Are Harvesting Your Data — What Changed Today (Nov. 10, 2025) and How to Protect Yourself

Apple confirmed it removed Blued and Finka from the China App Store following a directive from the Cyberspace Administration of China. The apps may still run on phones where they’re already installed, but they’re no longer available for download in China. For consumers outside China, the episode is a real‑time illustration of two realities: Meanwhile in the U.S., the FCC voted 3–0 to tighten restrictions on equipment associated with Chinese firms already on its “Covered List,” and even opened the door to curbing some previously authorized gear. While this is telecom hardware policy, not app policy, it’s driven by the same concern: foreign access to sensitive data and networks. Reuters
November 10, 2025
Your Phone’s Default Apps Are Spying on You — Here’s How to Reclaim Your Privacy
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Your Phone’s Default Apps Are Spying on You — Here’s How to Reclaim Your Privacy

Smartphone users often assume that the apps pre-installed on Android or iPhone respect their privacy. In reality, built-in apps from Google and Apple collect vast amounts of data by design. Cybersecurity researchers and privacy advocates have repeatedly warned that default phone tools spy on you. For example, a 2025 study by Trinity College Dublin found that Google’s Play Store and Play Services quietly drop advertising “cookies” and device identifiers on Android phones without user consent tcd.ie. On iPhones, Aalto University’s Janne Lindqvist reports that apps like Safari, Siri and even FaceTime keep gathering information in the background – “because these apps are glued to the platform, getting rid of them is virtually impossible” nasdaq.com. In short, default apps often leak
October 19, 2025
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