Technologies

FTC Accuses GoodRX of Sharing User Data Without Consent

Under the FTC’s proposed order, GoodRX would be barred from sharing user health data for advertising purposes.

GoodRX will pay $1.5 million and be barred from sharing user data with outside companies for advertising purposes under a deal that would settle allegations that it shared some of its users’ most intimate health-related information with companies like Facebook and Google.

The Federal Trade Commission characterized the action, which is pending approval by a federal court, as the first of its kind under its Health Breach Notification Rule, adding that the agency won’t hesitate to use its full legal authority to take action against companies that willingly misuse or exploit consumer data.

«Digital health companies and mobile apps should not cash in on consumers’ extremely sensitive and personally identifiable health information,» Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement.

According to the FTC’s complaint, GoodRX, which helps users find deals on prescription drugs and offers telehealth and other health-related services, shared its users’ data with outside companies for advertising purposes, despite promising it wouldn’t.

It also made money from that same data by using it to target its own users with personalized health-related ads on Facebook and Instagram, the FTC said. The complaint also accuses the company of failing to limit third-party use of the data, misrepresenting its compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, and failing to put in place policies and procedures to protect its users’ data.

In a company blog post, GoodRX pushed back against the FTC’s allegations, saying they’re focused on an «old issue» that was «proactively addressed» more than three years ago before the FTC’s inquiry began. The company admitted no wrongdoing, adding that the proposed settlement will allow it to move on and avoid the time and costs of drawn-out litigation.

In addition to the civil penalty and ban on collecting data for advertising purposes, the settlement requires GoodRX to get users’ consent before sharing data for purposes other than advertising; reach out to the third parties it shared the data with and ask them to destroy it; limit its own retention of user data; and put in place a privacy program designed to protect user data.

Technologies

Apple Says a Digital Version of Your Passport Is Coming Soon to iPhones

The feature will be REAL ID compliant, but you still need a physical passport to leave the country.

Apple will soon allow iPhone owners to add digital versions of their US passports to their phones, said Jennifer Bailey, vice president for Apple Pay and Wallet, on Sunday.

The digital document will be compliant with REAL ID, but you’ll still need a physical US passport to fly internationally or cross US land borders with Canada and Mexico.

Apple wants to broaden how people can use its online Wallet feature for identification purposes. You can already use a digital ID for your driver’s license in certain states, and Bailey said Apple wants people to use Wallet for concert tickets, student IDs, house keys, car keys and more.

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Not for international travel

When the feature becomes available, iPhone users can scan their physical US passport to add it to the Wallet app, creating a digital ID that’s compliant with REAL ID. When flying domestically, travelers can show that digital version from their iPhone or Apple Watch, instead of using their physical passport, at participating TSA checkpoints. REAL ID is required to fly within the US and to US territories such as Puerto Rico.

However, travelers will not be able to use their digital ID to fly internationally, not even to Mexico or Canada. When crossing borders, you’ll still need your physical US passport to enter and leave the country.

Convenience … and risk

While relying on Apple Wallet might be convenient, there are risks, according to the Identity Management Institute, a global identity and access management organization. Possible dangers of digital ID wallets include security breaches, identity theft and data privacy issues. Losing your device is another major risk.

The organization said that people using digital ID wallets must take several precautions, which are good tips for any online activity.

Use strong, unique passwords or PINs.
Enable two-factor authentication.
Keep devices and software up to date.
Be cautious about where you’re making digital transactions. Verify that you’re shopping or otherwise using your digital ID at legitimate sites.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Oct. 28

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 28.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I found 6-Across kind of tricky, as it could be so many different words. Read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: N.B.A. team with purple-and-orange jerseys
Answer: SUNS

5A clue: «___ Demon Hunters» (hit 2025 movie)
Answer: KPOP

6A clue: Scrumptious
Answer: TASTY

7A clue: «Next ___ on the agenda …»
Answer: ITEM

8A clue: Politician Buttigieg
Answer: PETE

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Rink rental
Answer: SKATE

2D clue: Ticked off
Answer: UPSET

3D clue: Blame-shifting words
Answer: NOTME

4D clue: Fittingly, the outside letters of «snoopy»
Answer: SPY

6D clue: What might be requested after spinning around an iPad
Answer: TIP

Technologies

TikTok’s Fate May Be Decided This Week After Years of Threats and Bans

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to seal a TikTok deal on Thursday, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

After years of political wrangling, lawsuits, looming bans and uncertainty for millions of people, TikTok’s long-running dramatic saga might finally conclude this week. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to «consummate» a long-negotiated agreement on Thursday, allowing TikTok to continue operating in the US under new ownership terms.

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«The details are ironed out,» Bessent said, stating that his purpose in the negotiations was «to get the Chinese to agree to approve the transaction» and that it was «successfully accomplished.»

It’s possible, of course, that Thursday could come and go without a TikTok deal finalization. Dates and deadlines have been flexible along the way. Trump set numerous deadlines for changes involving TikTok and has bumped those dates several times. TikTok went briefly offline in January hours ahead of a planned ban, but returned the next day.

TikTok’s controversial history in the US

TikTok’s political rollercoaster began in 2020, when Washington first raised alarms about the app’s Chinese ownership and potential data vulnerabilities. Congress passed a 2024 law forcing ByteDance, TikTok’s Beijing-based parent, to divest its US operations or face a total ban. Since then, the video-sharing site has faced multiple executive orders, court challenges and failed acquisition attempts.

The time to make a deal has been running out. The US Supreme Court upheld the divestment order earlier this year, rejecting arguments that a ban would violate free speech. That ruling pushed both sides back to the negotiating table, but there have been numerous delays and shifts to the TikTok deal deadline over the last few months.

Trump signed an executive order on Sept. 25, allowing the new ownership to be US-based and made up of a majority of American investors and stakeholders.

The all-important algorithm

The White House confirmed in September that TikTok’s algorithm will be operated in the United States and overseen by American tech company Oracle. Private equity firm Silver Lake and Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, will also be among the investors. In September, Trump said that News Corp founder Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan Murdoch will also be part of the ownership group, but CNN later reported that the Murdochs’ media company, Fox Corp, would be the investor, not the two Murdochs individually.

TikTok’s algorithm is a major part of the deal. The algorithm is what recommends content to you while you’re scrolling on TikTok, and it is controversial because of US concerns that ByteDance, TikTok’s original Chinese owner, could be forced by the Chinese government to use those recommendations in pro-Chinese, anti-US ways.

Under the new TikTok deal, the algorithm will be retrained on US user data.

What this means for TikTok users

For TikTok users, the alleged deal could preserve access to an app that has become a cultural mainstay in the US, eliminating the looming threat of a shutdown or spinoff app.

As part of the new arrangement, TikTok’s US user data will remain stored domestically and managed by a dedicated oversight board, which may appease many Americans with concerns about data privacy.

Trump and Xi will meet again in Korea on Thursday, which means a TikTok deal could be announced by the end of this week. However, implementing the deal and changing ownership will likely take months.

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison is a personal friend of Trump, and some users fear his role with TikTok could mean the algorithm could push right-wing political content to users. A recent NPR story reported that analysts say that this could happen, but they will also need to refrain from alienating the existing audience.