Subscribers Sue AOL Over Privacy Breach

By Ian Bell September 26, 2006

From what we can tell, this is the first lawsuit to become publicly known since AOL released more than 19 million search requests by more than 650,000 subscribers over a three-month time span. The suit was filed last Friday in the District Court of Oakland and does not mention how much the three people are seeking in damages. As for just how much data had been taken by AOL, the company admits that they substituted customer names with ID numbers instead, although the search queries themselves could have obtained information such as credit card numbers, medical conditions and other information. Search engines often keep subscriber information to help refine their searches and service. AOL has been playing a risky game lately in an effort to increase profits and stay alive. In April of this year the company officially changed their name from America Online to AOL and then decided to drop their subscriber fees in exchange for an advertising driven model.

Editors' Recommendations

Publisher

I work with the best people in the world and get paid to play with gadgets. What's not to like?

News

A massive Windows 11 AI feature may launch next week despite privacy concerns

Privacy settings in Windows 11.

Windows 11 continues to build a large toolset of AI features, but the one rumored to soon launch may be the biggest change yet -- especially when it comes to your PC's privacy. Windows Latest reports that in Build 26212, the Windows 11 AI integration is named Recall and can be found on the Privacy & Security page in settings (via Albacore on X).

The concern is due to its privacy toggle. According to the latest build, you can record everything on your screen to help you better find something you were working on or searching for. The positive side is that it can help you find the report you edited when you can't remember where you saved it by accessing the timeline interface. It will also help users with their browsing history. For example, if you searched for how to use WhatsApp Web, but can't remember which browser you used or what site the information was on, AI Explorer (or Recall, as it may be named) can find the information for you.

Computing

This Lenovo ThinkPad X1 is over $1,600 off in a surprise sale

A press photo of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11.

If you're on the hunt for laptop deals that will significantly boost your productivity, you should take a look at the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11. From its original price of $3,559, it's down to a more reasonable $1,957 following a $1,602 discount from Lenovo. It's still not cheap, but it's worth every single penny because it's an excellent tool for both professionals and students. We're not sure how long the laptop will stay 45% off though, so if you want to take advantage of this offer, you better hurry with your purchaes.

Why you should buy the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11
Lenovo is one of the best laptop brands in the market right now, and its X1 Series is the ultra-premium lineup of its ThinkPad brand, according to our explainer on the Lenovo brands. This should set your expectations on what you'll get with the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 -- a powerful machine that will be able to keep up with even the most difficult workloads. It's powered by the 13th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics, plus 32GB of RAM that our laptop buying guide says is a necessity if you're planning to run demanding apps or engage in any kind of content creation.

Computing

This HP laser printer deal cuts over 50% off the price for a limited time

The HP LaserJet Tank MFP 2604sdw laser printer on a white background.

There's no shortage of printer deals out there, which will make it hard to narrow down your options. If you want a recommendation, here's an offer that you'd probably find attractive -- the HP LaserJet Tank MFP 2604sdw laser printer for an affordable $200, as it's less than half its original price of $420 following a 52% discount. The $220 in savings is only available for a limited time though, so there should be some sense of urgency on your end if you want to take advantage of this bargain. Buy it now if you don't want to miss out.

Why you should buy the HP LaserJet Tank MFP 2604sdw laser printer
Among the advantages of laser printers versus inkjet printers is their ability to print documents quickly and efficiently. You'll enjoy these benefits with the HP LaserJet Tank MFP 2604sdw laser printer, which offers print speeds of up to 23 pages per minute, with the option for automatic two-sided printing while maintaining sharp text and bold black levels. With a full tank of HP toner, the printer can print up to 5,000 monochrome pages, and once the toner needs replacing, the process will only take seconds so you can resume printing with barely any interruption.