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Apple will let all users download their collected personal data
Virtually every tech company is bending over backwards to comply with Europe's impending GDPR rules, and Apple is no exception to the rule. It just opened a Data and Privacy site that lets people with accounts in the European Union (plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) download everything the company knows about them. While it is only available for European users right now, Apple will make it available globally in the future. This mostly revolves around your Apple ID account and device info as well as data you've synced through iCloud, although it also includes your activity on services like Apple Music and the App Store, your AppleCare support history and your online shopping habits.
Spotify's GDPR updates add privacy and data download tools
In the lead up to the EU's May 25th GDPR enforcement deadline, companies like Facebook, Oculus and Google are all updating their privacy policies to maintain compliance with the guidelines (which can be enforced with some stiff penalties). Now Spotify is taking steps to be more transparent about how it handles your data with new privacy policies set to go into effect on the 25th.
Zuckerberg's EU meeting was mostly a waste of time
At a hearing in the European Parliament today, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced a barrage of questions ranging from privacy concerns to the rise of fake news. But much of Zuckerberg's replies were similar to what we've heard before, and did not address the specific concerns of EU lawmakers.
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.
Oculus’ privacy center now shows you what data is being collected
Last month, Oculus announced updates to its privacy policies, likely to comply with GDPR, which goes into effect this Friday. Ahead of that deadline, a new feature is available today for users worldwide: My Privacy Center is a dashboard showing what personal data the company keeps on them and letting them tweak their own disclosure settings.
Google updates privacy policy so you can actually understand it
Europe's new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) privacy laws are about to go into effect, and one of the key rules is that companies must provide "clear and transparent" notice about how your data will be used. Google has done just that, releasing its upcoming privacy policy that explains exactly how it will use your data in surprisingly easy-to-understand terms.
Volvo cars and trucks can now share traffic alerts with each other
Volvo Cars announced today that some of its models will begin sharing real-time data with certain Volvo trucks. When drivers of Volvo cars with the Hazard Light Alert system switch on their hazard lights, an alert is sent to all other nearby cars with the cloud-based service. The alerts act as a warning about slowdowns or potentially hazardous accidents. Now, for the first time, Volvo Cars is sharing that data with another company -- Volvo Trucks -- which will help identify more traffic incidents and possibly improve driver safety.
WhatsApp will require users in Europe to be at least 16 years old
As we get closer to the launch of Europe's new GDPR privacy standards, a number of companies are announcing some changes that will affect European users. Today, Sky News reports that WhatsApp has changed its age requirements in order to comply with the new regulations and users living in Europe will have to be at least 16 years old in order to use the service.
Facebook to exclude 1.5 billion users from GDPR privacy protections
Europe's GDPR privacy regulations go into effect May 25th and Facebook showed how it plans to comply earlier this week. What has been on many people's minds though is whether the company will extend those consumer protections to users outside of Europe. Facebook has given a few answers to that question over the past few months, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg telling Reuters earlier in April that the company would extend it "in spirit" elsewhere but then telling Congressman Gene Green during his hearing last week, "We believe that everyone around the world deserves good privacy controls...The GDPR requires us to do a few more things and we are going to extend that to the world." But Reuters reports that whether or not Facebook decides to offer the same protections worldwide, it's at least making sure it can't be punished by the European Union if it doesn't.
Facebook explains how it will comply with the EU's GDPR
After a lot of scandal and a great deal of confusion, Facebook has finally made clear what its privacy settings will look like in the wake of Europe's forthcoming GDPR (the General Data Protection Regulation). In a news release, the company said that everyone, no matter where they live, will be asked to review information on the way Facebook uses their data. The options will roll out in Europe first, ahead of GDPR implementation on May 25.
Can Facebook really apply the EU's data-privacy rules worldwide?
During his testimony in front of the House Energy & Commerce Committee on Wednesday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that Facebook would adopt the European Union's General Data Protection Rules (GDPR) as its privacy standard moving forward. This marks an evolution in Zuckerberg's position on the issue, having told Reuters earlier this month that he only agreed "in spirit" with the laws. If Zuckerberg follows through with this promise, it could have a significant impact on Facebook users around the world.
Facebook CEO: Europe's GDPR standards to be implemented worldwide
Mark Zuckerberg's Congressional testimony continues today as he speaks to the House Energy & Commerce Committee. During questioning, Congressman Gene Green asked the Facebook CEO about Europe's new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and inquired as to whether the requirements set by that set of regulations will be applied outside of Europe. Previously, Zuckerberg has said that the company wouldn't necessarily be extending those user protections in full elsewhere in the world, telling Reuters earlier this month that he agreed with GDPR "in spirit" but not going so far as to say that it would be adopted as a worldwide standard. "We're still nailing down details on this, but it should directionally be, in spirit, the whole thing," he said at the time. Today, however, Zuckerberg changed his tune a little saying GDPR would be the standard going forward.
Facebook is struggling with the EU's stricter privacy laws
There's never an ideal time for your multi-billion dollar company to take center stage in one of the most high-profile privacy scandals ever seen, but for Mark Zuckerberg, the Cambridge Analytica fiasco couldn't have come at a worse point. As Europe readies itself for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) coming into force on May 25, all eyes are on Facebook, scrutinizing its every move ahead of the biggest web privacy shake up of our time. And it's not done a great job of instilling confidence so far.
Facebook teaches you how to keep your data private
Facebook isn't the first name you think of for robust user privacy, but it's hoping a new educational campaign will change that. Ahead of the introduction of new EU data protection laws, the big blue social network has revealed its "privacy principles" for the first time. It's also adding videos to the News Feed that will show users how to manage the ads they see, delete old posts, and what happens to their info when they delete their account.
