Mozilla has announced that it’s rolling out changes under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) to all Firefox users worldwide. ZDNet reports: The CCPA, known as America’s toughest privacy legislation, came into effect on January 1, 2020, offering Californian users data-protection rules better suited to today’s world of data collection. Much like Europe’s GDPR, the CCPA gives consumers the right to…
Tag: gdpr
Google, Facebook In EU Probe Over User Data
European officials have launched a “preliminary” investigation into Facebook and Google in order to determine how people’s information is used for ad purposes. The Mercury News reports: The European Commission, which oversees antitrust issues for the European Unions, said it has opened a preliminary investigation into Facebook and Google in order to determine if the two companies are adhering to new…
Democrats Propose Sweeping Online Privacy Laws
mspohr quotes a report from The Guardian: Top Democrats on Tuesday proposed tough new privacy laws to rein in the U.S.’s tech companies after a series of scandals that have shaken confidence in the companies and exposed the personal data of millions of consumers. The effort, led by Senator Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Senate commerce, science and transportation…
Twitter Fesses Up To More Adtech Leaks
Twitter has disclosed more bugs related to how it uses personal data for ad targeting that means it may have shared users data with advertising partners even when a user had expressly told it not to. TechCrunch reports: Back in May the social network disclosed a bug that in certain conditions resulted in an account’s location data being shared with a…
YouTubers Union Teams With Actual Labor Union To Pressure YouTube
A group of content creators say they’re organizing to make YouTube become a fairer platform, reports Motherboard: The YouTubers Union, a community-based movement fighting for the rights of content creators and users, has joined forces with IG Metall, Germany’s largest union and Europe’s largest trade union. Together, they have launched a joint venture called FairTube and sent a letter of demands…
Microsoft Office 365: Now Illegal In Many Schools in Germany
“Schools in the central German state of Hesse [population: 6 million] have been told it’s now illegal to use Microsoft Office 365,” reports ZDNet:
The state’s data-protection commissioner has ruled that using the popular cloud platform’s standard configuration exposes personal information about students and teachers “to possible access by US officials”. That might sound like just another instance of European concerns about…
Italy Stings Facebook With $1.1 Million Fine For Cambridge Analytica Data Misuse
Italy’s data protection watchdog has slapped Facebook with a $1.1 million fine for violations of local privacy law attached to the Cambridge Analytica data misuse scandal. TechCrunch reports: Last year it emerged that up to 87 million Facebook users had had their data siphoned out of the social media giant’s platform by an app developer working for the controversial (and now…
Google’s Ad System Under EU Probe For How It Spreads Your Private Data
Ireland’s data protection watchdog has launched an investigation into Google’s collection of personal data for the purpose of online advertising. From a report: “A statutory inquiry pursuant to section 110 of the Data Protection Act 2018 has been commenced in respect of Google Ireland Limited’s processing of personal data in the context of its online Ad Exchange,” the Data Protection Commission…
Microsoft Calls For Federal Regulation of the Tech Industry
In a blog post, Microsoft Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Julie Brill says the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been very effective in changing the way that tech companies handle personal data, and feels the U.S. should enact something similar at the federal level. TechSpot reports: “[Companies] have adapted, putting new systems and processes in place…
‘Technology Needs To Be Regulated’: Apple CEO Tim Cook Says No Oversight Has Led To Great Damage To Society
In an interview at the TIME 100 Summit in New York, Apple CEO Tim Cook said more government regulation on the tech industry is needed in order to protect privacy. “We all have to be intellectually honest, and we have to admit that what we’re doing isn’t working,” said Cook. “Technology needs to be regulated. There are now too many examples…