TikTok to address privacy and security concerns via transparency centre
Video-sharing app TikTok says it plans to launch a European Transparency and Accountability Centre to allow researchers and policymakers to see how it moderates content, how its recommendation technology works and how it handles data.
Health data of 164,000 people exposed in Wyoming due to 'insider error'
Laboratory test results, including for coronavirus, on an estimated 164,000 people have accidently been made available online by a member of Wyoming’s Department of Health (WDH).
Italian DPA warns European Commission’s digital Covid-19 certificates contain privacy flaws
Italy’s data protection authority Garante has warned the European Commission’s digital green certificates have privacy problems serious enough to warrant them invalid in their current form.
Chinese tech giants required to set up their own data privacy ‘watchdogs’ under proposed law
China’s major internet companies are each expected to create an independent body to oversee protection of users’ information, according to the second draft of the country’s Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL).
EDPS urges ban on facial recognition systems in public spaces
The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has warned that the European Commission’s proposed law to regulate Artificial Intelligence does not go far enough and should include a temporary ban on the use of facial recognition systems in public.
Apple to roll out App Tracking Transparency privacy feature next week
Tech giant Apple has confirmed it will start rolling out an update to its iPhone operating System, including its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature next week.
Think tank suggests ways to handle Augmented and Virtual Reality privacy
The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) has published a set of recommendations to deal with privacy risks associated with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), often referred to as XR technologies.
UK Covid-19 app update delayed ‘due to Google and Apple privacy concerns’
A new version of a United Kingdom government Covid-19 contact tracing app has been delayed, reportedly after privacy concerns were raised by Apple and Google
Apple tells developers to prepare for imminent launch of App Tracking Transparency feature
Apple has urged developers to make sure their apps are ready for its new App Tracking Transparency privacy feature that is expected within weeks.
Irish DPC probes whether Facebook data leak falls under GDPR time frame
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) is probing whether any of the data records of 533 million Facebook users published over the weekend were leaked after the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Google lawsuit over ‘incognito tracking’ gets the go-ahead
A United States judge has given the green light for a lawsuit against Google alleging it tracks users even when they switch to Incognito mode in the company’s Chrome browser. The tech giant had attempted to have the $5bn (€4.16bn) case dismissed.
Privacy lawsuit against Zoom mostly dismissed
A US judge has dismissed much of a proposed class action which claimed Zoom Video Communications violated users’ privacy rights by sharing personal information with Facebook, Google and LinkedIn, and let intruders ‘Zoombomb’ meetings held via the online platform.
Facebook to pay $650m to settle privacy dispute over photo-tagging
A United States federal judge has reportedly approved Facebook’s $650 million payment to settle a class action privacy lawsuit with 1.6 million users in the state of Illinois
Consumer body says TikTok potentially breached GDPR
TikTok may have breached the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) through the misleading processing of personal data, according to the European Consumer Organisation BEUC said.
Probe launched after ‘data of 102m Brazilians leaked’
The Brazilian National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) has confirmed it is investigating the leakage of personal data from telephone companies, following media reports of a huge personal data breach.
Swedish DPA fines police for unlawful processing of facial recognition app data
The Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection (IMY) has ordered the country’s police authority to pay a SEK2.5m ($297,000, €247,000) financial penalty for incorrect processing of personal data when using Clearview AI’s facial recognition technology to identify individuals.
EU member states agree negotiating stance for ePrivacy regulation
European Union member states have agreed a joint position on the proposed ePrivacy regulation, allowing the EU President to open talks with parliament about the final text.
EU antitrust chief warns Apple must apply iOS 14 privacy policy to its own apps
EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager warns Apple that its own apps must abide by its new privacy update amid accusations of anti-competitiveness from Facebook.
Thousands of Australians remain unaware cyber attack affected them
Service NSW has been unable to contact between 20% and 30% of the 104,000 people whose data was compromised in a breach last March, a Parliamentary inquiry was told.
Clearview AI’s anti-crime facial recognition technology broke Canadian privacy law, probe finds
Clearview AI’s scraping of billions of images of people from the internet was mass surveillance and a clear violation of Canadians’ privacy rights, a investigation by four of the country’s privacy commissioners has concluded.
One Year on from the Cambridge Analytica Scandal
Just one year after news broke of the shocking relationship between Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, the scandal has lost none of its relevance in terms of how organisations worldwide handle data on consumers and employees.
Norway’s DPA proposes €9.65m fine for Grindr dating app
Norway’s data protection authority has notified gay dating app Grindr that it intends to impose a financial penalty of NOK100 M ($11.7m, €9.65m) on the company for breaching consent requirements under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
ICO resumes real-time bidding and adtech probe
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the UK has restarted its investigation into real-time bidding (RTB) and the adtech industry, paused last May so the authority could prioritise activities related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Health insurer fined $5.1m for data breach affecting 9m-plus people
Excellus Health Plan of New York state is to pay $5.1m (€4.2m) to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the US and implement a corrective action plan following a data breach.
ICO adds two projects to Sandbox service in bid to bolster children’s online privacy
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the UK has added two projects to its Sandbox service with the aim of improving children’s online privacy.
