Privacy
FTC approves Facebook fine of one month’s revenue in privacy settlement
The fine is related to an investigation around the Cambridge Analytica data scandal.
US tech companies are helping China monitor millions of its citizens, report shows
China has a history of oppression and a new report suggests US tech firms are profiting off of it.
Scotlands NHS health symptoms checker website is sharing data with Google and Facebook
The situation raises privacy concerns for people looking up medical symptoms.
Google responds to eavesdropping reports, admits humans listen to some audio recordings from Google Assistant
This follows Google’s previous claims that it doesn’t eavesdrop on Google Home and Google Assistant recordings.
German privacy officers says it’s illegal for schools to be using Microsoft Office 365
Arguments over data storage are becoming increasingly important in Europe.
Britain’s state health service announces partnership with Amazon Alexa, raising privacy concerns
This comes months after reports revealed it was possible for Amazon staff to listen to customer Alexa chats.
Transport For London will start collecting traveler data through WI-FI, by default without consent
TfL says if you don’t like it, turn your Wi-Fi off.
LAPD ends invasive “crime prediction” – not on the grounds of civil liberties, but because it was a flop
The “Minority Report” experiment has come to an end.
UK’s ICO advises that website owners need to get users’ permission to use analytics
Whether analytics are considered essential has long been debated among website owners.
Australia’s anti-encryption bill is allowing the government to openly spy on journalists
Here’s another consequence of Australia’s shockingly invasive law.
Senator Lindsey Graham to host “Protecting Innocence in a Digital World” hearing tomorrow
There are no details on what the hearing will cover but the title suggests it will focus on measures to protect children online – measures that often result in more censorship and data collection.
Privacy court hearing threatens data storage and transfers between Europe and the US
The final decision won’t be announced until next year.