U.S. Privacy And World Privacy News
Lawmakers press companies that collect U.S. consumer data to reveal how they buy and sell it:
Media Monopolies and Prosecution of Assange Drive Drop in US Press Freedom Rank:
WEF Affiliated Pro-Censorship Group Is Hit With House Panel Subpoena:
https://reclaimthenet.org/garm-wfa-subpoena
Facebook suppresses journalist's censorship report that mentions company 31 times:
https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1656330593448124419
Tennessee Law Puts Schoolbook Sellers, Distributors at Risk for Criminal Prosecution:
Court Thinks Senator Warren’s Attempt To “Persuade” Amazon To Ban Books Doesn’t Violate First Amendment:
https://reclaimthenet.org/warren-mercola-amazon-book-ban-demands-ruling-1a
Defunding Libraries Won’t End Book Bans — It Will Further Undermine Libraries:
https://truthout.org/articles/defunding-libraries-wont-end-book-bans-it-will-further-undermine-libraries/
Ruling Class Created An AI Tool That Will Police Free Speech:
How the World’s Leading Academic Publishers Became Surveillance Publishers:
https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/surveillance-publishing/
Baby Ninth Amendments: How Americans Embraced Unenumerated Rights and Why It Matters
https://www.fulcrum.org/concern/monographs/ww72bd75z
Nationwide push to require social media age verification raises questions about privacy:
https://cyberscoop.com/age-verfication-schatz-cotton-social-media/
Disinformation and the State: The Aptly Named RESTRICT Act:
https://mises.org/wire/disinformation-and-state-aptly-named-restrict-act
The Data Broker That Targeted Abortion Clinics Landed a US Military Contract:
https://www.wired.com/story/safegraph-us-air-force-location-data/
Mastercard invests in 6 fintech companies to expand its Start Path digital ID program:
DISGUSTED- Drugmakers set strategy for legal fight against US pricing regulation:
Fake websites impersonating link to ChatGPT pose high risk to users:
Schools Spend Millions on Evolv's Flawed AI Gun Detection:
https://theintercept.com/2023/05/07/ai-gun-weapons-detection-schools-evolv/
I unintentionally created a biased AI algorithm 25 years ago – tech companies are still making the same mistake:
https://theconversation.com/i-unintentionally-created-a-biased-ai-algorithm-25-years-ago-tech-companies-are-still-making-the-same-mistake-203734
Google's AI is coming to more companies near you:
https://www.reuters.com/technology/googles-ai-is-coming-more-companies-near-you-2023-05-10/
Google introduces new search with AI chat feature:
https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/10/tech/ai-search-google-io/index.html
Google promised to delete sensitive data. It logged my abortion clinic visit:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/05/09/google-privacy-abortion-data/
House Judiciary chair threatens to hold Google in contempt of Congress for failing to produce censorship collusion documents:
How Google tried to fix the web by taking it over:
https://www.theverge.com/23711172/google-amp-accelerated-mobile-pages-search-publishers-lawsuit
Users Complain That Gmail Is Sending Them More Advertising:
https://9to5google.com/2023/05/05/gmail-ads-increase-2023/
Google to pay $8M to settle claims of deceptive ads:
https://www.reuters.com/legal/google-pay-8-million-settle-claims-deceptive-ads-texas-ag-2023-05-12/
Google Asks Appeals Court To Reject Claims Over 'Passive' Data Transfers:
https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/385166/google-asks-court-to-reject-claims-over-passive.html
She didn't trust her movers. A single Apple AirTag proved she was right:
https://www.zdnet.com/article/she-didnt-trust-her-movers-a-single-apple-airtag-showed-she-was-right/
Android TV Boxes Sold on Amazon Come Pre-Loaded with Malware:
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/05/android-tv-boxes-sold-amazon-come-pre-loaded-malware
Spying WIZ's smart lights monitor your home:
https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/12/23720293/wiz-smart-home-monitoring-indoor-camera-price-release-date
WiZ SpaceSense motion detection technology
https://www.wizconnected.com/en-us/explore-wiz/spacesense
WhatsApp user claims company activated his microphone without consent, company blames Android OS bug:
Twitter’s Encrypted DMs Are Deeply Inferior to Signal and WhatsApp:
https://www.wired.com/story/twitter-encrypted-dm-signal-whatsapp/
How to Reclaim Your Online Privacy:
https://www.wired.com/story/have-a-nice-future-podcast-5/
Former Uber Security Officer Won’t Go To Prison For Covering Up A 2016 Data Breach:
(Old Privacy Parody) Alexa Driver Assist:
Qualcomm to acquire Israeli auto-chip maker Autotalks:
https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/qualcomm-acquire-israeli-auto-chip-maker-autotalks-2023-05-08/
Porsche and VW commercial vehicles to put driver spying Mobileye in automated vehicles:
https://www.reuters.com/technology/porsche-incorporate-mobileye-automated-driving-navigation-software-2023-05-09/
https://www.mobileye.com/solutions/super-vision/
New cars, once part of the American Dream, now out of reach for many:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/new-cars-once-part-of-the-american-dream-now-out-of-reach-for-many/ar-AA1aQXGT
How to hack a smart fridge:
"Take, for example, a Samsung refrigerator. Mattia Epifani used data from VTO Labs, a digital forensics lab in the US, to investigate just how much information a smart fridge keeps about its owners. What he found was a treasure trove of personal details. Epifani found information about Bluetooth devices near the fridge, Samsung user account details like email addresses and home Wi-Fi networks, temperature and geolocation data, and hourly statistics on energy usage. The fridge stored data about when a user was playing music through an iHeartRadio app. Epifani could even access photos of the Diet Coke and Snapple on the fridge’s shelves, thanks to the small camera that’s embedded inside it."
https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/05/08/1072708/hack-smart-fridge-digital-forensics/
The Tragic Fallout From a School District’s Ransomware Breach:
https://www.wired.com/story/minneapolis-public-schools-ransomware-attack/
https://www.the74million.org/article/from-campus-rape-cases-to-child-abuse-reports-worst-case-data-breach-rocks-mn-schools/
How To Delete Your Data From ChatGPT:
https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-delete-your-data-from-chatgpt/
Discord data breach:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/discord-discloses-data-breach-after-support-agent-got-hacked/
CISA, FBI Need Data from Cybercrime Victims to Support Policy:
https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2023/05/cisa-fbi-need-data-cybercrime-victims-support-policy/386090/
Privacy Law Is Devouring Internet Law (and Other Doctrines)…To Everyone’s Detriment:
https://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2023/05/privacy-law-is-devouring-internet-law-and-other-doctrines-to-everyones-detriment.htm
Western Digital Confirms Customer Data Stolen by Hackers:
https://www.westerndigital.com/company/newsroom/press-releases/2023/2023-05-05-western-digital-provides-update-on-network-security-incident
U.S. Postal Service, ‘US Job Services’ Data Breach:
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2023/05/promising-jobs-at-the-u-s-postal-service-us-job-services-leaks-customer-data/
SchoolDude data breach:
https://www.ias.edu/security/notice-recent-schooldude-data-breach
U.S. Transportation Department data breach:
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/data-237000-us-government-employees-breached-2023-05-12/
Department of Health and Human Services fined the Office of David Mente in MA $15K for HIPPA violations:
Healthcare acquisitions excepted to increase over the next 18 months:
McPherson Hospital data breach:
https://apps.web.maine.gov/online/aeviewer/ME/40/e65dea74-7be2-40f7-af77-392dc0b1dec4.shtml
New Mexico Department of Health data breach:
https://www.nmhealth.org/news/awareness/2023/5/?view=1960
ASAS Health data breach:
https://apps.web.maine.gov/online/aeviewer/ME/40/cccbf408-3655-4da4-85b5-fbdbd0246616.shtml
Catholic Health Consultants data breach:
https://blog.chsbuffalo.org/mds-data-breach/
University Urology data breach:
https://www.universityurology.com/data-incident/
State & Local Privacy News
VT- Franklin County sheriff loses access to national, state police databases due to assault charge:
https://vtdigger.org/2023/05/11/franklin-county-sheriff-loses-access-to-national-state-police-databases-due-to-assault-charge/
VT- Lawmakers launch probe that could lead to impeachment of Franklin County state's attorney:
"A resolution was expected to be introduced in the Vermont House to create a bipartisan committee to investigate the allegations against Franklin County State's Attorney John Lavoie and Franklin County Sheriff John Grismore."
https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/politics/2023/05/05/vermont-legislature-to-consider-impeachment-of-prosecutor-sheriff/70187292007/
VT- Corrections commissioner denies records appeal, keeps ID of out-of-state prison bidder secret:
VT- Pallet Shelter in Burlington is fighting homelessness, one person and modular pod at a time:
https://www.bdcnetwork.com/pallet-shelter-fighting-homelessness-one-person-and-modular-pod-time
NH- NEFAC to Nashua Officials: Repeal Unconstitutional Civility Ordinance
https://www.nefac.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/5.3.23-Nashua-ALCUNH-NEFAC-letter.pdf
MA- Sued for a wrongful conviction, Milford has a few weeks to respond:
MA- One of the people behind exonerating Victor Rosario who never gave up
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/05/11/opinion/one-people-behind-exonerated-who-never-gave-up/
MA- Feds investigating cyberattack of Lowell network:
https://www.lowellsun.com/2023/05/09/feds-investigating-cyberattack-of-lowell-network/
MA-Boston to turn the Comfort Inn in Dorchester into homeless shelter:
https://www.dotnews.com/2023/bpda-s-board-signs-900-morrissey-proposal-convert-comfort-inn
RI- East Providence police to install 24 Flock Safety license plate readers:
https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/providence/east-providence-preparing-to-launch-flock-cameras/
MD- Former police chief writes pro-license plate reader article:
https://www.mdjonline.com/opinion/dan-flynn-license-plate-readers-powerful-crime-fighting-tools/article_34e1a4d4-ef3c-11ed-8fe1-bb3f3ff9c916.html
Marietta Police Chief Dan Flynn Retires After 15 Years:
https://cobbcountycourier.com/2022/01/mpd-chief-dan-flynn-retires/
VA- Crime Board awards local police departments $1.6M for new license plate readers:
https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/05/15/virginia-crime-board-awards-local-law-enforcement-1-6-million-for-new-license-plate-readers/
License plate reader funding draws ire from some lawmakers, who cite privacy concerns:
https://www.pilotonline.com/government/virginia/vp-nw-privacy-driving-technology-20230512-p5bxbnxxungthmp4j2raf76hdi-story.html
VA- License plate readers are a bad deal for Virginians. That’s why we already rejected them
https://cardinalnews.org/2023/05/11/automatic-license-plate-readers-are-a-bad-deal-for-virginia-thats-why-we-already-rejected-them/
TN- Governor Enacts Comprehensive Consumer Privacy Bill:
https://www.workplaceprivacyreport.com/2023/05/articles/consumer-privacy/tennessee-enacts-comprehensive-consumer-privacy-bill/
FL- DeSantis's Anti-Immigrant Bill Will Open the “Floodgates for Racial Profiling”
https://truthout.org/articles/floridas-anti-immigrant-bill-will-open-the-floodgates-for-racial-profiling/
FL- Consumer Reports calls on lawmakers to strengthen newly passed privacy legislation:
https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/consumer-reports-calls-on-florida-to-strengthen-newly-passed-privacy-bill/
FL- Lawmakers Pass Privacy Bill With Limited Opt-Out Rights:
https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/385144/florida-lawmakers-pass-privacy-bill-with-limited-o.html
FL- University of Florida Launches Digital ID for Students, Staff:
https://businessservices.ufl.edu/2023/04/27/uf-to-offer-mobile-gatorone-on-digital-wallets-this-fall/
FL- Courts abiding by sunshine law, giving public access to records:
https://www.courthousenews.com/sunlight-now-pours-into-the-florida-courts/
OH- The Oberlin College free speech project:
https://www.thefire.org/news/oberlin-free-speech-project
MI- Detroit police request more vehicle surveillance with 100 license plate readers:
https://wdet.org/2023/05/12/detroit-police-request-more-vehicle-surveillance-with-100-automated-license-plate-readers/
'I am tired of being surveilled': Detroit's plan to add more license plate readers draws backlash
https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/i-am-tired-of-being-surveilled-detroits-plan-to-add-more-license-plate-readers-draws-backlash
IL- Bill would limit use of license plate readers to protect women seeking out of state abortions:
AR- Critics wary of new funding for license plate readers:
https://www.wvtf.org/news/2023-05-12/critics-wary-of-new-funding-for-license-plate-readers
WI- Black kids are supporting each other in ways the state hoped an algorithm would:
"The Dropout Early Warning System (DEWS) assesses every incoming high schooler in Wisconsin and issues a numerical score as well as a color-coded label: green for low risk, yellow for moderate risk, or red for high risk of dropping out. Irrespective of race, DEWS is wrong nearly three quarters of the time when it predicts a student won’t graduate on time. But it was also designed to use factors like race, gender, income, and attendance, to cast a wide net—one that is ensnaring Black and Latino kids far more frequently."
https://themarkup.org/hello-world/2023/05/06/stitching-your-own-safety-net
TX- House Overwhelmingly Approves Restrictions on No-Knock Warrants:
https://reason.com/2023/05/08/texas-house-overwhelmingly-approves-restrictions-on-no-knock-warrants/
TX- Austin police plan to install 40 license plate readers in its final stages:
https://www.fox7austin.com/news/austin-license-plate-reader-program-in-its-final-stages
TX- Letting election officials carry guns is a bad idea:
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/more-guns-wont-make-election-officials-safer
TX- Dallas Fire-Rescue, police see delays and mistakes answering calls after ransomware attack:
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/public-safety/2023/05/07/dallas-fire-rescue-police-see-delays-and-mistakes-answering-calls-after-ransomware-attack/
CO- Tension mounts in Senate over bill aimed at rehabilitation instead of incarceration of young criminals:
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/tension-mounts-colorado-senate-bill-rehabilitation-instead-incarceration-young-criminals/
CA- Ahead of Data Privacy Day, AG Focuses on Mobile Applications’ Compliance with the Consumer Privacy Act:
CA- AG Files Brief to Protect the Safety of Children Online, Maintain Law Protecting the Privacy of Minors:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-files-brief-protect-safety-children-online-maintain
CA-Madera Community College professor suspended after handing out Jeremy’s Chocolate during event:
https://www.dailywire.com/news/most-popular-item-prof-under-fire-for-sharing-jeremys-chocolate-bars-says-students-loved-them
WA- New law allows more police vehicle chases:
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2023/05/08/police-pursuits-washington-state
WA- Seattle adds firefighters to the list of protected public officers:
World Privacy News
It would be healthier for humanity to sign an agreement with the Columbian drug cartel than with WHO, says MEP:
https://expose-news.com/2023/05/12/it-would-be-healthier-and-safer-for/
Where the Internet Has Been Restricted:
https://www.statista.com/chart/29962/where-the-internet-has-been-restricted-shutdown/
EncroChat ordered to reveal encrypted messages to UK police:
https://www.theregister.com/2023/05/12/nca_encrochat_warrants/
Bank Of England Fintech Director Says Anonymity Is “A Public Policy Problem And Something That Should Not Be Allowed To Continue”
https://www.cityam.com/britcoin-boes-cbdc-head-says-digital-pound-will-have-very-highest-standards-of-privacy/
EU facial-recognition ban in public places gets lawmakers’ backing in AI Act vote:
https://www.politico.eu/article/meps-adopt-ai-act-text-in-committees/
EU lawyers say plan to scan private messages for child abuse may be unlawful:
EU chat control plans for indiscriminately searching private messages doomed to failure:
https://www.patrick-breyer.de/en/leaked-eu-council-legal-analysis-eu-chat-control-plans-for-indiscriminately-searching-private-messages-doomed-to-failure/
Frontex to spend hundreds of millions of euros on surveillance and deportations:
"At least €180 million for border surveillance, covering equipment for land and maritime surveillance, drones, infrared, night vision, radiation detection devices, and helicopters capable of transmitting live visual data."
https://www.statewatch.org/news/2023/april/frontex-to-spend-hundreds-of-millions-of-euros-on-surveillance-and-deportations/
BS Warning: New EU border chief vows to clean up Frontex agency
https://www.politico.eu/article/new-eu-border-chief-hans-leijtens-vow-clean-up-frontex-agency-migrant-number-surge/
Inside the Italian Mafia’s Encrypted Phone of Choice ( No. 1 Business Communication):
https://www.vice.com/en/article/88xgjz/inside-italian-mafias-encrypted-phone-no1bc
https://no1bc.com/
2023 World Press Freedom Index – journalism threatened by fake content industry:
https://rsf.org/en/2023-world-press-freedom-index-journalism-threatened-fake-content-industry
States must take immediate action to stop NSO Group spyware threatening press freedom:
https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/spyware-press-freedom-statement/
EU lawmakers launch plea for NSO Group spyware controls:
https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-lawmakers-launch-plea-for-spyware-controls/
Google broke European privacy law, hoarded personal data of potential job candidates for years:
https://fortune.com/2023/05/10/exclusive-google-recruitment-ghire-gdpr-violation-whistleblower/
Russia- 60-year-old woman given suspended sentence for ‘insulting’ note on Putin’s parents’ grave
Russia- Police Create Anti-Drone Unit:
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-05-12/police-in-russia-debut-anti-drone-unit-following-kremlin-incident
Netherlands- Government uses a secret and potentially illegal algorithm to score visa applicants:
https://www.lighthousereports.com/investigation/ethnic-profiling/
Austria- Data Protection Authority deems Clearview AI illegal, must delete their existing data:
https://noyb.eu/en/clearview-ai-data-use-deemed-illegal-austria-however-no-fine-issued
France- Clearview fined €5.2M for failing to comply with privacy orders:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/clearview-fined-again-france-failing-100956677.html
Italy- ChatGPT ban underscores why consent is fundamental:
https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2023/05/11/existential-threat-italy-s-chatgpt-ban-underscores-why-consent-fundamental
Spain- Data Protection Authority fined GSMA €200,000 for privacy violations:
https://hindustanherald.com/mwc-organiser-gsma-slapped-with-gdpr-fine-of-e200000-by-data-protection-watchdog/
Spain- SALTO expands facial recognition presence by acquiring Touchbyte:
https://saltosystems.com/en-us/news/salto-introduces-face-recognition-access-control-acquisition-touchbyte/
Portugal- Public Safety Communications to use Motorola Solutions:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230505005443/en/
UK- 'Dystopian' traffic cameras use AI to 'spy' on drivers inside their cars:
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/tech/news/dystopian-new-uk-traffic-cameras-29953616
UK- Government Offers £600,000 To Contractors For Social Media Surveillance Of “Misinformation Narratives”
https://reclaimthenet.org/uk-government-contractors-social-media-surveillance-of-misinformation
UK- Tell Capita Surveillance to stop profiting from the hostile environment:
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/capitalsurveillance
UK- They look like the police, but are they? The worrying rise of Britain’s pseudo-cops:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/may/10/police-britain-private-security-firms-powers
UK- Met police staff linked to gangs, sex offenders and drug dealers slipped through vetting net, Home Office warned:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/police-officers-vetting-home-office-warned-b2336976.html
UK- Met cops kicked and punched Black boy, 14, then lied about it:
UK- Met Police chief defends coronation arrests and says crowds cheered crackdown:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/met-police-coronation-arrests-protest-chief-b2335549.html
UK- BS Warning: Met police expresses 'regret' over arresting six anti-monarchy protesters:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-65527007
UK- Necessity and proportionality: questions police must ask when considering sharing personal information with the public
UK- Couple forced to flee home after 300 pedophile hunters start riot at wrong house:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/couple-forced-flee-home-after-29959787
UK- Government to deploy AI cameras to ticket motorists for littering:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/05/07/artificial-intelligence-cameras-litter-fines-motorways/
UK- Life under 24/7 GPS surveillance - A GPS ankle tag:
https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/5064/life-under-247-gps-surveillance-gps-ankle-tag-experiment
UK- Charities protest Capita AGM over controversial government GPS tracking contract:
https://privacyinternational.org/press-release/5065/charities-protest-capita-agm-over-controversial-government-gps-tracking-contract
China- The Government Built A Vast New Infrastructure To Imprison Uighurs:
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/meghara/china-new-internment-camps-xinjiang-uighurs-muslims
North Korea- Government orders citizens to read 10,000 pages of propaganda this year:
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/10000_pages-04282023093517.html
Vietnam- Government to require social media users to verify identity:
https://news.yahoo.com/vietnam-require-social-media-users-145211741.html
Singapore- Government announces passport-free facial recognition in car border checks:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/passport-less-clearance-to-be-rolled-out-at-all-checkpoints-from-2024
Japan- Fujitsu self-checkout convenience stores now serving up privacy breaches:
https://www.theregister.com/2023/05/10/fujitsu_japan_convenience_store_data_breach/
https://www.fujitsu.com/global/solutions/industry/retail/self-checkout/
Japan- More than 2 million Toyota users face risk of vehicle data leak
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/toyota-flags-possible-leak-more-than-2-mln-users-vehicle-data-japan-2023-05-12/
Israel- Death of Khader Adnan highlights government’s cruel treatment of Palestinian prisoners:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/05/israel-opt-death-of-khader-adnan-highlights-israels-cruel-treatment-of-palestinian-prisoners/
Pakistan- Government Internet Restrictions Could be 'Indefinite'
https://gizmodo.com/pakistan-interent-internet-blackout-imran-kahn-1850424232
Amnesty International: Authorities must show restraint and lift internet restrictions immediately
South Africa- Home Affairs to expand facial recognition in all ports of entry:
https://www.itweb.co.za/content/o1Jr5MxPKNBMKdWL
Democratic Republic of Congo- Sycamore and Tech5 work together to put facial recognition in universities:
https://tech5.ai/tech5-in-partnership-with-sycamore-powers-next-generation-student-ids-in-the-drc-with-its-digital-id-technologies/
AU- BS Warning: State police commissioner apologizes to Indigenous people for racism and discrimination
AU- Government to raise age of criminal responsibility from 10-years-old to 12 years-old:
AU- Government Earmarks $27M to Expand Digital ID Program:
https://www.innovationaus.com/mygov-gets-budget-certainty-new-money-flows-to-digital-id/
AU- Victoria pilot's digital drivers licenses:
https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/digital-driver-licences-way-victorian-motorists
Canada- Excited delirium: junk science used to distract from police killings
https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/commentary/excited-delirium-junk-science-used-to-distract-from-police-killings/
Canada- Versaterm Launches AI Tool for Non-Emergency Police Reports:
https://www.versaterm.com/announcements/versaterm-introduces-ai-powered-non-emergency-reporting-within-the-case-service-solution
Canada- Quebec traffic light only turns green if you're driving under the speed limit:
https://mass.streetsblog.org/2023/05/05/steal-this-idea-in-quebec-a-new-traffic-light-only-turns-green-for-safe-drivers/
Brazil- Supreme Court Justice Will Punish Tech Companies That Criticize Government’s Censorship Law:
https://news.yahoo.com/brazils-crusading-justice-moraes-ratchets-185629191.html