dataprivacy
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White House reportedly working on federal data privacy policy
The Trump administration is working on a set of data privacy protections, the Washington Post reports, and according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, officials have held 22 meetings with more than 80 companies and groups since last month. Companies like Facebook, Google, AT&T and Comcast have been involved, according to four Washington Post sources familiar with the matter. The short-term goal is to deliver a data privacy proposal -- including how data should be collected and handled and what rights consumers have regarding that data -- which could serve as a guide for lawmakers as they consider legislation.
Georgia congressman is the latest to introduce data privacy bills
Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA) announced today that he's introducing two bills that address digital privacy, one that specifically focuses on data privacy on mobile devices and another that would allow consumers to opt out of data collection. In a press release, he noted that the Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed how little control consumers have over their digital data and highlighted evidence that US residents want more. "Privacy is an issue that should unite us, not drive us apart," Johnson said in a statement. "We have fully entered the era of big data, and consumers access the internet through mobile devices now more than ever. It's past time our laws to reflect this reality through common sense rules for data collection, transparency and use."
Despite scandals, Facebook is still raking in cash and users
It's no secret that 2018 has been quite a rocky year for Facebook, after controversies over the Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal and, most recently, its handling of fake news on the platform. But, despite these troubling issues, the company's bottom line hasn't been affected -- it made $12 billion during the last quarter alone. And today, Facebook reported a total revenue of $13.23 billion in Q2 2018, a 42 percent year-over-year increase. Meanwhile, daily and monthly active user numbers are still growing, though they didn't jump by much compared to Q1 2018. Monthly users are now at 2.23 billion, only up 1.54 percent from the last quarter.
Facebook could have another Cambridge Analytica on its hands
Facebook has suspended a Boston-based analytics firm from both Facebook and Instagram as it investigates the company's data collection practices, the Wall Street Journal reports. Facebook said that so far, it hasn't found any evidence that the company has improperly obtained any Facebook or Instagram information, but it would be looking into whether Crimson Hexagon violated any of its policies on how to collect, share and store user data. "We don't allow developers to build surveillance tools using information from Facebook or Instagram," Facebook told Engadget. "We take these allegations seriously, and we have suspended these apps while we investigate."
Senator probes Alphabet and Twitter on data-sharing with Chinese firms
The New York Times recently revealed that Facebook entered into agreements with at least 60 mobile device companies, giving them access to Facebook user data so that the companies could recreate Facebook-like features. Among those companies are four Chinese firms -- Huawei, Lenovo, Oppo and TCL -- which has spurred some concern among US lawmakers. Today, Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) sent letters to both Alphabet and Twitter, inquiring as to whether they entered into similar data-sharing agreements with any mobile device companies based in China.
Senator wants Mark Zuckerberg to testify on Huawei data sharing
Mark Zuckerberg could be in for another Senate hearing if Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) has his way. Today, Markey sent a letter to Senators Bob Corker (R-TN) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) -- chair and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, respectively -- requesting they call the Facebook CEO to testify about Facebook's practice of sharing private user data with mobile phone companies. Specifically, Markey is concerned about the data provided to four Chinese companies -- Huawei, Lenovo, Oppo and TCL.
Facebook is rolling out its GDPR privacy rules to the world
At first, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg only agreed with the European Union's General Data Protection Rules (GDPR) "in spirit." Now, following Zuckerberg's appearance before EU parliament, the social network is applying GDPR's framework to accounts across the globe. "People have told us they want clearer explanations of what information we collect and how we use it," chief privacy officer Erin Egan writes. Egan explains that within the next few weeks, when you log in, you'll have a notification so you can review details about advertising, face recognition and information you've chosen to share on your profile.
Watch Mark Zuckerberg's EU privacy hearing right here
Mark Zuckerberg is visiting European Parliament today and you can watch the livestream right here. The broadcast starts at around 12:20 PM ET, with EU officials holding a press conference roughly an hour later to discuss the meeting's events. Zuckerberg will be questioned by Antonio Tajani along with other EU officials, likely regarding the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) law that goes into effect May 25th.
Whistleblower: Cambridge Analytica couldn’t work with Democrats
Although Cambridge Analytica (CA) is preparing to shut down, US Congress isn't done trying to get answers about the firm's tactics to harvest online user data for political research. Today, in the latest chapter of a matter that has affected up to 87 million Facebook users, the Senate Judiciary Committee is holding another hearing, titled "Cambridge Analytica and the Future of Data Privacy." One of the people testifying before the panel of senators is none other than whistleblower Christopher Wylie, the former director of research at CA who helped break the story earlier this year. In written testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Wylie said that what he bore witness to during his time at CA, between 2013 and 2014, should alarm everyone.
Facebook to UK parliament: No Zuckerberg for you
Following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the UK asked Mark Zuckerberg to appear before a parliamentary committee in order to address questions and concerns about user data privacy. The CEO declined in March and the company sent CTO Mike Schroepfer to testify instead. But the UK's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee wasn't satisfied with Schroepfer's answers and sent follow up questions to Facebook as well as a renewed request for Zuckerberg to appear himself. "We hope that he will respond positively to our request, but if not, the committee will resolve to issue a formal summons for him to appear when he is next in the UK," wrote Committee Chair Damian Collins. However, despite the threat of a summons, Zuckerberg has again declined the request.
F8 proved there’s no escape from Facebook
During a keynote about privacy at F8, Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos shared an image of the world that used light to show the sheer size of the company's network. It was intended to highlight all the places where people are using a Facebook product and, as you might expect, there weren't many dark spots.
Senator wants Facebook to stop tracking users after they log out
Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) isn't pleased with Facebook and he wants the FTC to do as much as it can to ensure the company is protecting its users' privacy and data. In a letter sent this week to the FTC chairman and commissioners, he requests certain actions be taken against the social media giant and asks for information about the commission's investigation into the company.
Developers would rather ignore Cambridge Analytica at F8
Facebook is ready to turn the page on the Cambridge Analytica user-privacy scandal, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg made that perfectly clear yesterday during his F8 opening keynote. "I'm going to go through all of that head on in just a minute, because I think it's important that everyone here knows exactly what we're doing to address [these issues]," he said -- "these issues" being the safety of your data, more-robust privacy controls and the spread of fake news (which was a major part of a campaign to interfere with the 2016 presidential election). "But we also have a responsibility to move forward." That he did, as he barely addressed the CA incident onstage and quickly moved on to making product announcements. And apparently all the developers in the room were eager to follow his lead.
Cambridge Analytica is closing, but it solves nothing
Cambridge Analytica is closing up shop. Company executives continue to deny any wrongdoing and insist that the shuttering of both it and parent company SCL is due to the loss of business resulting from "sensationalistic reporting." Cambridge Analytica has been accused of improperly obtaining data on some 87 million Facebook users -- a revelation that has led to its removal from Facebook, a slew of changes to the social media giant's handling of user data and two congressional hearings. But the issues surrounding Cambridge Analytica aren't just going to disappear after it closes.
Facebook fires engineer who reportedly used access to stalk women
Last week, Spyglass Security founder Jackie Stokes tweeted that a Facebook security engineer was using his access to personal data to stalk women online. Facebook confirmed to Motherboard on Monday that the social network was investigating the claims. Now, NBC News reports Facebook has fired the employee in question. "We are investigating this as a matter of urgency," Alex Stamos, the Chief Security Officer of Facebook told Engadget. "It's important that people's information is kept secure and private when they use Facebook. It's why we have strict policy controls and technical restrictions so employees only access the data they need to do their jobs –- for example to fix bugs, manage customer support issues or respond to valid legal requests. Employees who abuse these controls will be fired."
Facebook hopes to write the security 'playbook' for others to follow
It was only back in March that Facebook's Chief Security Officer, Alex Stamos, was rumored to be leaving the company after reportedly clashing with other execs over its disclosure of Russia's meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. But, that clearly never happened (though he did say his role "changed"), and Facebook has been dealing with a lot more problems than just election interference since then -- like ensuring that it keeps people's personal data safe. Today, Stamos took the stage at the F8 developers conference to talk about Facebook's efforts in security and how it plans to address the many issues it faces now and others that may arise in the future.
Facebook removes the middleman with its own dating feature
During the F8 developer conference keynote today, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will be launching a dating feature. The CEO said that people often tell him that they met on Facebook and since so many relationships now being online, a dating feature seemed like a logical next step. Of course, a dark cloud of data privacy concerns are hanging over the conference and in light of that, Zuckerberg made sure to note that the upcoming tool was designed from the beginning with privacy and safety in mind. The dating feature won't suggest any of your Facebook friends as a match and your friends, even those that have also opted into the feature, won't be able to see your dating profile. And only your first name will be displayed.
UK warns Zuckerberg will face summons if he doesn't testify
The UK has reiterated its request for Mark Zuckerberg to testify before its Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Parliamentary Committee and this time it says if the CEO declines, he'll be compelled to appear the next time he steps foot in the country. In March, following reports that Cambridge Analytica improperly obtained information on millions of Facebook users, the committee asked Zuckerberg to testify on the company's "catastrophic failure of process," but the CEO declined. Instead, Facebook sent a letter summarizing its recent data privacy changes and offered up some other high-level employees in place of Zuckerberg.
Your data is valuable, but you’re never getting paid for it
It's hard to find a positive side to the recent Facebook/Cambridge Analytica (CA) scandal. But if there is one, it's that it's caused tech companies, lawmakers and users to think more deeply about personal data, how it's being used and who actually owns it. Facebook says that you, the user, are the sole owner of whatever information you consent to share with it. But it will use that data to offer you a free service based on targeted ads. The thing is, Facebook makes billions of dollars doing that, and there are some people who believe you should be getting a piece of it. After all, you are the product.
Mozilla's approach to sponsored content aims to protect privacy
For a few months now, Mozilla and Pocket have been testing a new initiative to bring users a high-quality personalized experience while also protecting their privacy. Today, Mozilla announced that their experiment has been a success, and now they are expanding it to all Firefox 60 users in the US.
