Online Safety

Shoppers’ Top AI Fear? Privacy. Here’s What to Know and How to Protect Yourself Introduction If you’ve used an AI-powered shopping assistant—like ChatGPT to compare products, a retailer’s chatbot for recommendations, or Google Shopping’s AI summary—you’ve probably appreciated the convenience. But a new survey from eMarketer confirms what many consumers already suspect: data privacy is shoppers’ biggest AI shopping fear, by far. The survey, published in May 2026, found that concerns about how personal data is collected, used, and shared topped the list of worries, ahead of accuracy of recommendations and even cost. ...

That Productivity Chrome Extension Might Be Spying on You: How to Spot a Backdoor Introduction Chrome extensions make the browser more useful—saving passwords, blocking ads, taking screenshots, or integrating with tools like Trello and Slack. But some of these “productivity helpers” are not what they seem. Over the past few years, security researchers have documented cases where benign-looking extensions were quietly stealing login credentials, harvesting browsing data, or even giving attackers remote access to corporate networks. In March 2026, Security Boulevard reported on how these extensions have become a rising enterprise attack vector, and the risk isn’t limited to large companies. ...

How to Protect Your Privacy While Using AI Shopping Assistants If you’ve tried an AI shopping assistant lately—whether it’s Amazon’s Rufus, Google Shopping’s AI, or a plugin for ChatGPT—you’ve likely enjoyed the convenience of instant product recommendations, price comparisons, or summary reviews. But behind that convenience, there’s a growing worry: what happens to the data you share with these tools? ...

Shopping with AI? Here’s How to Protect Your Privacy (and What to Watch Out For) AI shopping tools have quietly become part of everyday online retail. Chatbots help you find products, recommendation engines suggest what to buy next, and virtual try-ons let you see how a jacket fits without leaving your couch. But as these tools spread, so do concerns about what happens to your personal data. A new survey from eMarketer confirms what many shoppers suspect: data privacy is the number one fear when using AI for shopping. This article explains the findings and offers practical steps you can take to protect yourself. ...

What the Fireflies.AI Lawsuit Means for Your Privacy in AI Meeting Assistants AI meeting assistants have become common fixtures in remote and hybrid work. Tools like Fireflies.AI, Otter.ai, and others promise to record, transcribe, and summarize conversations, saving time and reducing note-taking. But a recent lawsuit against Fireflies.AI has brought to light a privacy risk that many users may not have considered: the collection and storage of biometric data, such as voice prints, without explicit consent. ...

What the Fireflies.AI Lawsuit Means for Your Privacy When Using Meeting Assistants AI meeting assistants like Fireflies.ai, Otter.ai, and Rev have become common in remote work. They transcribe conversations, summarize action items, and claim to boost productivity. But a recent lawsuit against Fireflies.ai has drawn attention to a less visible cost: the collection of biometric data such as voice prints and facial expressions—often without explicit consent. The case, filed under Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), offers a practical warning for anyone using these tools. ...

Is That Productivity Chrome Extension a Security Risk? Here’s How to Check Introduction If you use Chrome regularly, you probably have a handful of extensions installed. A grammar checker, a password manager, a PDF tool, maybe a tab organizer. We install them to save time and work more efficiently. But recent security research has shown that even popular productivity extensions can be turned into backdoors, giving attackers access to your browsing data, credentials, and more. This article explains how that happens, why it matters for everyday users, and—most importantly—what you can do right now to check your own extensions. ...

Your local police may be using AI surveillance—here’s what you need to know Earlier this month, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office announced it was expanding its use of AI-powered surveillance cameras across the county. The new system, supplied by Flock Safety, adds automatic license plate readers and video analytics to dozens of intersections and public spaces. Facial recognition software is also part of the mix, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. ...

Is Your Chrome Extension Spying on You? How Productivity Tools Become Backdoors You probably have a handful of Chrome extensions you rely on daily—a password manager, an ad blocker, a note-taking tool, maybe a grammar checker. They’re small, convenient, and easy to install. But what if one of them was secretly logging your keystrokes, reading your email, or sending your corporate credentials to a third party? It happens more often than you might think. ...

5 things you should never tell your AI chatbot (to protect your money) AI chatbots are convenient. They can draft emails, summarize articles, help with travel plans, and even offer financial advice. But the ease of conversation can lead to oversharing—and that can be costly. A recent column in The Washington Post drew attention to five categories of personal information that should never be handed over to a chatbot, no matter how helpful it seems. Below is a summary of the advice, along with context on why it matters and what you can do instead. ...