Menu
EN

AdGuard’s digest: WhatsApp and Brave boost privacy, hackers exploit Facebook ads, Toyota leaks again

In this edition of AdGuard’s digest: WhatsApp, Brave and Google offer new tools to help you take control over your data, Meta lets hackers impersonate itself and run scam ads, as Toyota exposes years of car location data.

WhatsApp lets you hide your chats from prying eyes

Many of us feel antsy when someone else takes our phone into their hands, even if we let them. One of the risks is that they might inadvertently see something you’d rather keep private. WhatsApp’s new feature is designed to prevent this. Called “Chat Lock,” it allows you to hide your “most personal” conversations in a separate folder that can only be opened with a password or biometric identifier, such as a fingerprint. What’s more, notifications about new messages from locked chats won’t include a preview, so both the sender and the content of the message will remain hidden.

Previously, you could lock your entire WhatsApp app with your fingerprint, Face ID, or Touch ID. However, some users may find this inconvenient as it requires you to authenticate every time you re-enter the app or after a short period of time. To protect your privacy in WhatsApp, you can also use disappearing messages, two-step verification, and hide sensitive chats from your chat list.

WhatsApp’s new feature gives users more control over who can see their messages, and may help prevent accidental or not-so-accidental snooping by friends, family, or strangers — anyone who have gained physical access to your device. However, keep in mind that WhatsApp is not the most secure and private messenger out there, as it can share metadata with both its parent company, Meta, and law enforcement.

Brave to prevent sites from re-identifying you

Privacy-focused browser Brave has unveiled a new feature that stops first-party tracking. Called “Forgetful Browsing,” it causes a site to delete all of your data when you close it, including cookies, local storage, and cache. You can turn this feature on for all sites in Brave’s browser settings, or you can turn it on for some sites by clicking Brave’s shield lion icon in the URL bar and selecting “Forget me when I close this site” when you’re on a site.

Brave will allow users to turn off first-party tracking for the sites they want

The downside of setting this as the default option is that you’ll be logged out of your accounts on all sites as soon as you close them. This can be inconvenient for sites you use frequently, such as online shopping sites, social media, and email. However, Brave says that sites where you might want to be remembered are “the exception, not the rule.”

This new feature of Brave, which has yet to be rolled out, can be a great tool for protecting your privacy (with the added benefit of helping you get past paywalls). It reduces your online footprint and therefore your risk of being tracked and profiled across the web. While many browsers, including Brave, already block third-party tracking, which is mostly done by advertisers, analytics platforms, and social media, blocking first-party tracking on top of that is a step toward a safer and less intrusive web experience.

Google will scan dark web for your email… if you want

Have you ever wondered if your email address has been exposed on the dark web? If you have, Google has good news for you: soon you’ll be able to ask it to scan the dark web for your Gmail address. If the scan finds that your email address is on the dark web, Google will give you advice on how to secure your account, such as by turning on two-step verification.

Google will scan dark web for your email address for free

The feature, known as ‘dark web report,’ was launched in March 2023 and was initially only available to Google One subscribers (plans start at $1.99 a month) in the US. In a blog post from May 10, Google announced that the feature would soon be extended to all US users, and then to “select international markets.” When it was first introduced to paid subscribers, the ‘dark web report’ feature offered more than just email monitoring. Google also said it would help scan the dark web for personal information, such as your name, address, email, phone number and Social Security number, and alert you if it could find any matches. It’s unclear if non-paid users will also get access to this extra monitoring over time.

If you already use Gmail, it might seem like a good idea to let Google notify you if your email address ends up on the dark web. However, we generally advise against giving personal data to Big Tech companies if you don’t absolutely need to. Therefore, we would not recommend giving, for example, your Social Security number to Google, or any other information that is not necessary to use the service. There is always a risk that Google may use this data for other purposes than security, such as tracking or even sharing this information with third parties.

Meta allows hijacked Facebook pages, including fake ‘Meta,’ to run ads

Meta allowed hackers who took over verified accounts on Facebook to run ads on its platforms. Some of the hacked accounts pretended to be Meta itself, but this, apparently, did not raise any alarm with Meta’s automated ads system. The rogue ads were spotted by social media security expert Matt Navarra, who shared screenshots of messages posted by fake “Meta Ads” accounts. He said that this was not an “isolated case” and that these shady ads were luring users into downloading possible malware.

Meta allows fake pages posing as Meta to buy ads

What begs the question is how is it possible that Meta’s ad systems did not flag these ads before they were greenlit. And if Meta can’t catch these blatant and obvious cases of abuse of its advertising system, how many other harmful ads are slipping through unnoticed?

The problem of malware being spread through ads is not new, but it seems to be getting worse. We recently wrote about bad actors exploiting Google search ads to spread malware, and Google’s inability to cope with the ever-increasing volume of such ads. To avoid seeing malicious ads (actually, most ads), you can use ad blocking software such as AdGuard.

Toyota’s 10-year-long leak: 2.15 million car locations revealed

Toyota has revealed that the car location data of more than 2 million customers in Japan was exposed for 10 years due to a database misconfiguration. The Japanese carmaker said that vehicle records stored on a cloud-based platform were accessible to anyone without a password from November, 2013 to April, 2023. The breach affected Japanese customers who used Toyta’s T-Connect, an in-car service that offers various features, such as navigation, remote control, security, and entertainment.

The exposed data included GPS terminal ID numbers, vehicle location information with time data as well as videos recorded outside of vehicles. Toyota said it had not found any evidence that the exposed data was misused, and that no personal identifiable information was leaked.

This breach follows another one disclosed in October last year, when nearly 300,000 customer emails and management numbers were compromised. That breach lasted for five years and was caused by a subcontractor’s error. The repeated incidents of data breaches at Toyota put the company’s data protection practices in bad light. This is especially worrying when you take into account the increasing amount of data automobile companies collect about us for the sake of providing connected services.

Liked this post?
18,421 18421 user reviews
Excellent!

AdGuard for Windows

AdGuard for Windows is more than an ad blocker. It is a multipurpose tool that blocks ads, controls access to dangerous sites, speeds up page loading, and protects children from inappropriate content.
By downloading the program you accept the terms of the License agreement
Read more
18,421 18421 user reviews
Excellent!

AdGuard for Mac

AdGuard for Mac is a unique ad blocker designed with macOS in mind. In addition to protecting you from annoying ads in browsers and apps, it shields you from tracking, phishing, and fraud.
By downloading the program you accept the terms of the License agreement
Read more
18,421 18421 user reviews
Excellent!

AdGuard for Android

AdGuard for Android is a perfect solution for Android devices. Unlike most other ad blockers, AdGuard doesn't require root access and provides a wide range of app management options.
By downloading the program you accept the terms of the License agreement
Read more
18,421 18421 user reviews
Excellent!

AdGuard for iOS

The best iOS ad blocker for iPhone and iPad. AdGuard eliminates all kinds of ads in Safari, protects your privacy, and speeds up page loading. AdGuard for iOS ad-blocking technology ensures the highest quality filtering and allows you to use multiple filters at the same time
By downloading the program you accept the terms of the License agreement
Read more
18,421 18421 user reviews
Excellent!

AdGuard VPN

74 locations worldwide

Access to any content

Strong encryption

No-logging policy

Fastest connection

24/7 support

Try for free
By downloading the program you accept the terms of the License agreement
Read more
18,421 18421 user reviews
Excellent!

AdGuard Content Blocker

AdGuard Content Blocker will eliminate all kinds of ads in mobile browsers that support content blocker technology — namely, Samsung Internet and Yandex.Browser. While being more limited than AdGuard for Android, it is free, easy to install and still provides high ad blocking quality.
By downloading the program you accept the terms of the License agreement
Read more
18,421 18421 user reviews
Excellent!

AdGuard Browser Extension

AdGuard is the fastest and most lightweight ad blocking extension that effectively blocks all types of ads on all web pages! Choose AdGuard for the browser you use and get ad-free, fast and safe browsing.
18,421 18421 user reviews
Excellent!

AdGuard Assistant

A companion browser extension for AdGuard desktop apps. It offers an in-browser access to such features as custom element blocking, allowlisting a website or sending a report.
18,421 18421 user reviews
Excellent!

AdGuard DNS

AdGuard DNS is a foolproof way to block Internet ads that does not require installing any applications. It is easy to use, absolutely free, easily set up on any device, and provides you with minimal necessary functions to block ads, counters, malicious websites, and adult content.
18,421 18421 user reviews
Excellent!

AdGuard Home

AdGuard Home is a network-wide software for blocking ads & tracking. After you set it up, it’ll cover ALL your home devices, and you don’t need any client-side software for that. With the rise of Internet-Of-Things and connected devices, it becomes more and more important to be able to control your whole network.
18,421 18421 user reviews
Excellent!

AdGuard Pro for iOS

AdGuard Pro has much to offer on top of the excellent iOS ad blocking in Safari already known to the users of the regular version. By providing access to custom DNS settings, the app allows you to block ads, protect your kids from adult content online, and safeguard your personal data from theft.
By downloading the program you accept the terms of the License agreement
Read more
18,421 18421 user reviews
Excellent!

AdGuard for Safari

Ad blocking extensions for Safari are having hard time since Apple started to force everyone to use the new SDK. AdGuard extension is supposed to bring back the high quality ad blocking back to Safari.
18,421 18421 user reviews
Excellent!

AdGuard Temp Mail

A free temporary email address generator that keeps you anonymous and protects your privacy. No spam in your main inbox!
18,421 18421 user reviews
Excellent!

AdGuard for Android TV

AdGuard for Android TV is the only app that blocks ads, guards your privacy, and acts as a firewall for your Smart TV. Get warnings about web threats, use secure DNS, and benefit from encrypted traffic. Relax and dive into your favorite shows with top-notch security and zero ads!
Downloading AdGuard To install AdGuard, click the file indicated by the arrow Select "Open" and click "OK", then wait for the file to be downloaded. In the opened window, drag the AdGuard icon to the "Applications" folder. Thank you for choosing AdGuard! Select "Open" and click "OK", then wait for the file to be downloaded. In the opened window, click "Install". Thank you for choosing AdGuard!
Install AdGuard on your mobile device