The Daily Crunch 08/26/16

Update all your iOS things right now (even before you read this email), and then turn off your WhatsApp info sharing. All that and more personal data privacy and security advice in The Daily Crunch for August 26, 2016.

1. The new era of mobile security

Yesterday, researchers found a major security exploit in use by attackers targeting an activist living in the UAE. The attack showed a surprising amount of sophistication, and was later traced back to Israel-based surveillance software developer NSO Group, which is the first time someone has been able to credibly identify them as the seller of malicious software. From the seriousness of the attack (and update your iOS devices if you haven't yet, by the way), to the target who revealed it, to the research group that identified it and its source, this is a mobile security story for the ages.

2. Facebook should be paying attention to Apple's video footsteps

Facebook's mobile video uploader is sorely old-fashioned, and our own Josh Constine wants the company to smarten up and realize that's an area of weakness before it gets one-upped by Apple. Apple's rumoured to be working on its own "Snapchat-like" social video editor, which could target social platforms like Facebook as sharing vectors and cut out the need for their own native tools. Since video is so important to FB in general, it is weird that this part of the product is such a laggard – but experiments like their Olympics video filter test is at least an indication they're thinking about the problem.

3. Prevent your own personal data WhatsAppocalypse

WhatsApp is going to start sharing user info with parent company Facebook, but you don't have to go along with that plan. There's a way to opt out, which is somewhat buried in the updated terms and conditions notice WhatsApp is already pushing to users. And if you fell for the big "Agree" button with no apparent alternative, you can still go back on it, and TechCrunch's Natasha Lomas has all the deets on how.

4. Can affordable organic indulgence also be sustainable?

Shopping organic sounds great in theory, but it's also really pretty absurdly expensive, which isn't great when you're not overflowing with disposable income. LA-based Thrive Markets is hoping to help by offering organic products like you might find at Whole Foods, but for about 25 to 50 percent less than regular retail prices. The catch? A $60 annual membership fee, Costco-style. Still, consumers probably win out in the long run, depending on how much they buy. Interesting model, but the big question will be whether they can operate this model sustainably over the long term.

5. A carpooling service with its own cars wants you to drive for free

How do you make a carpooling service sustainable? A new startup with top talent from all over the car industry is counting on using electric cars it designs itself from scratch, combined with a business model where people who sign up to drive get free use of the car – but also operate as the labor component of the marketplace, picking up other customers who actually pay for the rides. There are a lot of question marks here, not the least of which is what kind of car they came up with (the full vehicle reveal is Sept. 20), but it's a bold idea at any rate.

6. Audi's latest driver assistance makes table stakes

All eyes are on self-driving, but what about the state of driver assist features? TC's Kristen Hall-Geisler had a chance to take a look at the 2017 Audi A4 and evaluate its semi-autonomous features, including adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping, but the results were fairly 'meh,' with the car matching up to her expectations based on experience with the competition. It's looking more and more like the next significant leap is going to be directly to Level 4 or Level 5 autonomy from more or less what we have today.

7. True Ventures has a new $310 million fund

True Ventures, the Valley-based firm with an early stake in WordPress crater Automattic, has raised a new $310 million fund, its fifth, up from the $290 million fund it closed in 2014. The firm is co-founded by my old boss Om Malik, who shard some interesting thoughts on the fund, and the firm at 10, an anniversary it's celebrating this year.