dataprivacy
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India wants to keep online shopping data close to home
India published a draft e-commerce policy that could have a big impact on major players like Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart, as well as foreshadow regulations for social media companies like Facebook Inc. and Google. The policy calls for "consumer protections, data privacy and maintenance of a level playing field" -- in other words, data localization, improved privacy safeguards and measures to combat counterfeits.
To Facebook, your privacy is worth a $20 gift card
Another day, another Facebook controversy. The latest backlash follows a TechCrunch report that the company was secretly paying teenagers to access their data and basically monitor their every move on the web. Facebook was asking people to install a VPN app called Facebook Research that gave it full access to a user's phone and internet activity. That, according to security expert Will Strafach (who helped TechCrunch with the investigation), gave the company the ability to continuously collect "private messages in social media apps, chats from in instant messaging apps (including photos/videos sent to others), emails, web searches, web browsing activity and even ongoing location information."
Tech companies spent more than $64 million on lobbying in 2018
The biggest companies in tech spent more money lobbying the government in 2018 than in any year previous. According to a report from Reuters, Google dropped $21.2 million on lobbying efforts in 2018, a new record for the company and the most it has spent on lobbying since 2012. Likewise, Facebook cranked up its lobbying efforts by dropping $12.62 million, the most the social network has ever spent on political influence.
Marco Rubio proposes a totally uninspiring data privacy bill
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) announced Wednesday a new privacy bill aimed at protecting personal data of American consumers from being sucked up indiscriminately by tech giants, according to Axios. The American Data Dissemination Act would ask the Federal Trade Commission to recommend potential rules and regulations that Congress would finalize. The rules created under the proposed law would preempt any state laws, which runs the risk of stripping states of their power to protect citizens.
Apple reportedly hires former Facebook privacy employee turned critic
Apple has hired a former Facebook employee, turned Facebook critic, as part of its privacy team, the Financial Times reports. Sandy Parakilas worked at Facebook between 2011 and 2012, leading the company's third-party privacy and policy compliance efforts, and recently, he's spoken out about the social media giant's privacy practices. Last year, when it was revealed that Facebook had shared detailed user data with major mobile device makers, Parakilas told The New York Times that the practice had been noted internally as a privacy issue. "It is shocking that this practice may still continue six years later, and it appears to contradict Facebook's testimony to Congress that all friend permissions were disabled," he said at the time.
Microsoft tests feature to give people control over their personal data
Microsoft appears to be working on a project called Bali that would give users the ability to control data collected about them. The feature, spotted by Twitter user Longhorn, is being developed by the Microsoft Research team and appears to be in the stages of private testing for the time being.
Popsugar’s celebrity look-alike app is leaking users’ photos
I can't think of a more fitting way to end 2018 than with another, final data leak. This one is from #Twinning tool, the popular new app from Popsugar that matches your selfie with your top five celebrity look-alikes. Turns out, while you were uploading your face and crossing your fingers for who you would or wouldn't be compared to, Popsugar was doing a poor job of protecting your images.
Didn’t think Facebook could get any worse? Think again.
Just about 24 hours ago, we published a story recapping Facebook's terrible 2018. But the year isn't over, and it looks like the drama is going to continue until the bitter end. According to an investigation by The New York Times that cites interviews with more than 60 people, including former Facebook employees, the company gave Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix, Spotify and other tech firms far greater access to user data than previously disclosed. Earlier this month, the paper reported how some of these companies were receiving favored access to people's information, but we didn't know it was allegedly giving certain ones the ability to read, write and delete private messages.
Washington, DC sues Facebook over Cambridge Analytica scandal
Washington, DC's attorney general has filed a lawsuit against Facebook over the Cambridge Analytica scandal that unfolded earlier this year. The suit comes just after the New York Times released a report detailing new information about Facebook's extensive data sharing practices, and sources told the Washington Post that the lawsuit could be amended in order to incorporate some of the more recent charges made against the company.
Once again, Facebook has a lot of explaining to do
Just when you thought things couldn't get worse for Facebook, The New York Times has come out with a bombshell exposé of the company's tumultuous last two years. That, of course, includes its handling (er, mishandling) of the Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal and other controversies, like the lack of transparency around Russian interference on its site leading up to the 2016 US presidential election. The paper says it spoke with more than 50 people, including current and former Facebook employees, who detailed the company's efforts to contain, deny and deflect negative stories that came its way.
Senator Wyden wants to jail execs who don't protect consumer data
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) released a draft the Consumer Data Protection Act, which would create new protections for consumer information and strict punishments for those found to be abusing user data. The proposed bill would send senior executives to jail for 10 to 20 years if they fail to follow the guidelines for data use.
Facebook’s confusion about its Portal camera is concerning
Facebook couldn't have picked a worse time to introduce Portal, a camera-equipped smart display designed to make video chatting in your home easier. And, if the rumors are true, the company is reportedly also preparing to launch a video chat camera for your TV, based on the same system as Portal. Not only does news of this hardware come at a time when when Facebook is under major scrutiny after suffering a massive data breach in September, which exposed private information of 29 million users, including usernames, birth date, gender, location, religion and the devices used to browse the site. But the most concerning part about Portal, is that Facebook's own executives don't seem to have a basic understanding of what types of data the company will be collecting or what it will be using it for.
Congress seeks more information on the Google+ data exposure
Since the Google+ data exposure came to light earlier this week, European regulatory authorities have announced investigations into the matter and a US Senator has called for an FTC probe. Now, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation has sent the company a letter requesting more information about the incident and Google's decision to keep it under wraps.
Senator calls for FTC investigation into Google+ data exposure
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said during a Congressional hearing today on consumer data privacy that he's calling for an investigation into Google's latest data exposure. During his questioning of those testifying before the committee -- which included Andrea Jelinek, chair of the European Data Protection Board, and Alastair Mactaggart, the real estate developer who introduced a consumer privacy ballot measure in California -- he called the Google+ data exposure "the elephant in the room" and emphasized the need for greater consumer privacy protections in the US.
Trump administration suggests firmer controls on data privacy
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has laid out the Trump administration's approach to bolstering data privacy. The agency is seeking to strike a balance between increased consumer protection and affording companies room to innovate with its proposals, which could lead to a US version of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (better known as GDPR).
Google discusses privacy regulation ahead of Senate hearing
On Wednesday, a number of tech companies, including Apple, AT&T, Amazon, Twitter and Charter, will discuss data privacy before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Google will be there as well, represented by its new chief privacy officer, Keith Enright. In a blog post, Enright, who previously led Google's privacy legal team, discussed his new role and shared the company's thoughts on what data protection regulation should look like in the US.
Apple and Google will testify to Senate on data privacy September 26th
More tech companies are about to face congressional scrutiny. Leaders from Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Charter and Google are scheduled to testify before a US Senate panel at a data privacy hearing on September 26th. Senators will grill the companies on their existing approaches to privacy, how Congress can press for "clear privacy expectations" and how firms will adapt to stricter requirements like the European Union's GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act.
CCleaner promises to give users more control over data after backlash
CCleaner, the popular Mac and Windows system cleaning tool, has responded to user outrage over its new user data collection policies, which collected anonymized data to "gain greater insight into how our users interact with the software," according to the CCleaner staff. The data collection methods, called Active Monitoring and heartbeat, were incredibly difficult to opt out of. The team at CCleaner has promised to give users more control over whether or not their data is collected and submitted, as well as implement these changes in a timely fashion.
Senator suggests ways to combat misinformation and boost data privacy
Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) has put together a policy paper that both highlights some of the bigger problems facing online platforms today and includes potential ways in which to address them. Axios got ahold of the 23-page paper and it focuses on three main issues -- misinformation, data privacy and competition. "The hope is that the ideas enclosed here stir the pot and spark a wider discussion -- among policymakers, stakeholders and civil society groups -- on the appropriate trajectory of technology policy in the coming years," says the paper.
John Oliver made his own version of Facebook’s ‘we're sorry’ video
In April, after the Cambridge Analytica scandal erupted, Facebook put out an ad that was meant to reassure users about how their data would be treated going forward. Dubbed the "Here Together" ad, the video points to some of the issues that have come along with Facebook, like spam, clickbait and fake news, though the closest it gets to actually acknowledging the Cambridge Analytica debacle is noting "data misuse." "Facebook will do more to keep you safe and protect your privacy," said the ad. Well last week, Facebook's stock prices plummeted, knocking off around $120 billion in market value from the social media giant and inspiring John Oliver to tweak the ad just a bit.
