European Commission could temporarily bar facial recognition in public places as new rules to protect individuals’ privacy are worked out
News Data protection
Most Website Consent Mechanisms ‘Illegal’ Under GDPR
Study finds websites’ consent platforms largely fail to comply with data protection rules, and may even incentivise ‘illegal configurations’
European Commission Launches New Google Data Probe
Commission taking a new look into Google’s collection and use of data in wake of multiple antitrust decisions and 8 billion euros in fines
EU Member States Block Progress Of Controversial ePrivacy Rules
Member states fail to agree on scope of regulations that aim to apply more rigorous privacy standards to the likes of Skype and WhatsApp
Tim Berners-Lee Launches ‘Contract’ To Save The Web
Contract for the Web, backed by 150 organisations, seeks to protect the web from becoming a ‘dystopia’ dominated by misinformation and abuse
Microsoft Updates Cloud Agreements Following EU Probe
New cloud contract terms to roll out worldwide after European regulators found ‘serious concerns’ over the way Microsoft was handling citizens’ data
Google To Buy Fitbit For £1.63bn
Deal would put Google into direct competition with Apple Watch, but faces close scrutiny from antitrust regulators over privacy implications
EU Data Regulator Finds ‘Serious Concerns’ Over Microsoft Contracts
Microsoft’s contracts with EU agencies found to have ‘significant scope for improvement’ where it comes to protecting citizens’ data
‘Less Than One-Third’ Of Companies Fully GDPR-Compliant
Capgemini finds firms struggle with legacy IT systems, complex requirements and mounting costs to bring themselves into line with strict data protection rules
Google Changes Terms For Virtual Assistant Transcripts
Company to require users to reconfirm if they want to allow humans to listen to Assistant recordings, following privacy row
Facebook Suspends Tens Of Thousands Of Apps
Social network says probe has addressed ‘millions’ of apps so far, as company seeks to repair its image in wake of Cambridge Analytica data scandal
Google To Pay Up To £165m Fine For YouTube Children’s Privacy Violations
Google’s settlement with the FTC to pay $150m to $200m fine was criticised as too low and as ‘effectively rewarding’ the company
King’s Cross District Tracks Visitors Using Face Recognition
Canary Wharf also said to be considering private face recognition trials, in spite of controversy over police use of the technology
Top EU Court Says Websites Liable For Facebook ‘Like’ Button Data
Decision makes websites and Facebook jointly responsible for collecting user data via ‘Like’ button plugins, potentially meaning ‘serious repercussions’
Third Of European Businesses Not GDPR Compliant
Over a year since it was introduced, 30 percent of European organisations are still not GDPR compliant
Facebook Fined $5bn Over Cambridge Analytica Scandal
But FTC refrains from imposing strict limits on Facebook’s data practices, adding to criticism that the penalty is a slap on the wrist
Watchdog Warns Police Over Use Of Facial Recognition
Police warned about data protection implications of using of facial recognition technology
Facebook EU Privacy Challenge Raises Prospect Of Data Disruption
Case opening this week in European Court of Justice could invalidate legal basis for transfer of citizens’ data to any country outside the European Union
Ireland Opens Third Apple Data Protection Probe
European regulators are tightening their grip on multinationals including Apple, Facebook, Twitter and Google as stricter GDPR rules come into play
EE Fined £100,000 Over Illegal Marketing Texts
Some 2.5 million direct marketing messages were sent to mobile customers without their consent
Tinder Ordered To Store User Data Within Russia
Dating app ordered to hand over messages, videos and photos of Russian users, as part of tough ‘data protection’ laws
Google Targeted By Fresh Round Of GDPR Complaints
Google faces more data protection scrutiny in Europe following series of actions filed in the UK, Germany, France and other EU countries
US Congress Targets Tech Giants With Competition Probe
The focus on ‘anti-competitive conduct’ at major tech companies comes as the Department of Justice and the FTC reportedly prepare their own investigations into Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google
Zuckerberg Defeats Shareholder Revolt
Facebook chief executive and chairman sees off a series of votes aimed at reducing his power at the social media giant
Study Finds Airline Apps Riddled With Security Bugs
Airlines’ mobile apps typically contain an average of 21 vulnerabilities each and transmit data over multiple unsecured connections, researchers find
ICO: UK Data Breach Reports Up Four Times Under GDPR
Information commissioner urges firms to focus on ‘getting it right’ – but promises first GDPR penalties coming soon
Snap Employees ‘Abused Internal Tools To Spy On Users’
The ‘disappearing’ message platform vendor has dedicated tools to gather user data for internal purposes, and has had to contend with staff abuse of those tools in the past, finds a report
EU Security Official Calls For Loopholes In 5G Standards
Next-generation networks make it too difficult for security agencies to spy on targets, says EU counter-terrorism coordinator Gilles de Kerchove in leaked memo
Privacy Groups Warn On ISPs’ ‘Widespread’ Use Of Deep Packet Inspection
The practice undermines the EU’s existing net neutrality rules and also has worrying privacy implications, campaigners say
Facebook US Settlement Could Impose 20 Years Of Oversight
A deal with the FTC reportedly in the works could extend oversight of Facebook’s data practices, but critics say it’s too little, too late