Meta and Russian search engine Yandex have been secretly tracking what Android users do on their web browsers—even when users are in private or incognito mode—according to experts from Radboud University and IMDEA Networks.
Researchers discovered that Meta’s apps like Facebook and Instagram, and Yandex’s apps such as Yandex Maps, were running hidden scripts in the background on Android phones. These scripts sent browser activity data back to the apps without users knowing or giving consent.
This bypasses Android’s security rules and breaks privacy protections built into browsers and the Android system itself.
Google confirmed these companies used Android features "in unintended ways that blatantly violate our security and privacy principles."
Meta said it’s investigating the issue and paused the tracking feature while working with Google. Yandex denied collecting sensitive data and said the feature only improves personalization in their apps.
The covert tracking by Meta reportedly lasted about eight months and involved data from 16,000 websites in the EU. Yandex has been doing this since 2017, with data from 1,300 sites.
Major browsers like Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and DuckDuckGo were affected, but Mozilla and DuckDuckGo have taken steps to block this kind of tracking.
The UN has welcomed a U.S.-brokered peace deal between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, calling it a major step toward regional stability.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 28th June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A Russian drone strike on a residential high-rise in Odesa killed two people and injured at least 14, including three children.
The European Commission has warned Meta that it may face daily fines starting 27 June if its modified pay-or-consent advertising model fails to meet EU antitrust requirements under the Digital Markets Act.
Germany’s data protection commissioner has called on Apple and Google to block the Chinese AI app DeepSeek from their platforms over illegal data transfers and privacy concerns.
Thousands of Iranians filled the streets of Tehran on Saturday to mourn senior military leaders and nuclear scientists killed in recent Israeli airstrikes.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized the urgency of a U.S.-Iran agreement to prevent further regional escalation, pointing to ongoing diplomatic momentum following recent military tensions.
The UN has welcomed a U.S.-brokered peace deal between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, calling it a major step toward regional stability.
U.S. President Donald Trump has strongly denied reports suggesting his administration considered offering Iran $30 billion for a civilian nuclear program, calling the claims a “hoax.”
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 28th June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
The U.S. economy faces a 40% risk of recession in the second half of 2025, JP Morgan analysts said on Wednesday, citing rising tariffs and stagflation concerns.
Severe rain in Venezuela has caused rivers to overflow and triggered landslides, sweeping away homes and collapsing a highway bridge, with five states affected and no casualties reported so far.
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar has advised American citizens to shelter in place amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, as part of a broader global security alert issued by Washington.
In a televised address on Saturday night, U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced that American forces, in coordination with Israel, had conducted precision strikes on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites, aiming to dismantle Tehran’s enrichment capabilities.
Chile's Vera C. Rubin Observatory has unveiled its first cosmic images, captured using the world's largest digital camera, paving the way for breakthroughs in understanding the solar system and monitoring asteroid threats to Earth.
Germany’s data protection commissioner has called on Apple and Google to block the Chinese AI app DeepSeek from their platforms over illegal data transfers and privacy concerns.
Australian scientists have developed synthetic chemicals to attract crown-of-thorns starfish for mass removal, offering a safer, targeted method to protect coral reefs.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said on Friday the group aims to become the world’s top platform provider for artificial super intelligence within the next decade, signaling a bold new direction for the Japanese tech giant.
A belt of volcanic rock in northeastern Quebec has been dated to 4.16 billion years ago, making it the oldest known rock on Earth and offering rare insight into the planet’s mysterious infancy.
Thousands of Iranians filled the streets of Tehran on Saturday to mourn senior military leaders and nuclear scientists killed in recent Israeli airstrikes.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized the urgency of a U.S.-Iran agreement to prevent further regional escalation, pointing to ongoing diplomatic momentum following recent military tensions.
The UN has welcomed a U.S.-brokered peace deal between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, calling it a major step toward regional stability.
U.S. President Donald Trump has strongly denied reports suggesting his administration considered offering Iran $30 billion for a civilian nuclear program, calling the claims a “hoax.”
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 28th June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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