A set of smart vending machines at the University of Waterloo is expected to be removed from campus after students raised privacy concerns about their software. The machines have M&M artwork on them and sell chocolate and other candy. They are located throughout campus, including in the Modern Languages building and Hagey Hall. Earlier this month, a student noticed an error message on one of the machines in the Modern Languages building. It appeared to indicate there was a problem with a facial recognition application. "We wouldn't have known if it weren't for the application error. There's no warning here," said River Stanley, a fourth-year student, who investigated the machines for an article in the university publication, mathNEWS.

The project announced today the introduction of a new feature called “Sync & Backup,” which allows users to import bookmarks, passwords, and personal settings from other browsers to DuckDuckGo. Moreover, it enables users to move that data from one device to another or restore it on a new device in case they lose their original device. DuckDuckGo’s announcement declares that the new feature can do the following: Privately sync and access the bookmarks and passwords saved in your DuckDuckGo browsers – including any you’ve imported from other browsers – across multiple devices. Back up passwords, bookmarks, and favorites in case your device is lost or damaged. Migrate your bookmarks and passwords to a new device. Sync your Email Protection account between devices.

There’s a saying that data is the new oil(new window) because of how valuable it is to the digital economy. But what’s the value of your data, personally? Depending where you live, information about you could be worth at least several hundred dollars a year to Facebook and Google alone. For someone living in the United States, your data generated over $600 in revenue for just those two companies last year, according to our analysis of their regulatory filings. (We explain how we reached this number below.) That doesn’t include the income you generate for other ad tech companies, data brokers, internet service providers, dark web marketplaces, and any number of other entities that leach profit out of your behaviors and attributes.