U.S. Privacy And World Privacy News
The GOP Wants to Auto-Enroll Your Child in a MAGA Savings Account
The first page of the list of amendments included the following language: "Page 10, in the item relating to section 110115, strike 'MAGA' and insert 'Trump'." The swap of "MAGA" for "Trump" appears to refer to House Republicans' proposal to include seed money to be posted to "MAGA accounts" for children. The idea came from Sen. Ted Cruz, and includes a pilot program to start the accounts with $1,000
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-accounts-name_n_682edc16e4b0ef574bf585b4
https://www.rawstory.com/maga-kids-account/
White House asks Supreme Court to block access to DOGE records
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-house-asks-us-supreme-court-block-access-doge-records-2025-05-21/
DISGUSTED: Supreme Court Blocks DOGE Personnel and Communications FOIA Request
https://www.courthousenews.com/doge-wins-supreme-court-shield-blocking-records-release-to-watchdog/
DOGE staffers made their first political contributions in 2024 and most gave to Republican candidates
https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2025/05/doge-staffers-followed-musks-lead-in-2024-campaign-contributions
https://archive.ph/Vqvux
After GAO Started Investigating DOGE, DOGE Decided To ‘Investigate’ GAO
GAO thwarts attempt by DOGE to set up a team within the watchdog
https://fedscoop.com/gao-watchdog-blocks-doge-from-agency/
DOGE: Slashing Health Care, Feeding Billionaires
https://accountable.us/trump-and-musks-doge-slashing-health-care-feeding-billionaires/
USDA Sued for Illegally Demanding the Personal Information of Millions of SNAP Beneficiaries
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/22/nx-s1-5407994/usda-doge-snap-nutrition-privacy
Republicans Approve Largest Medicaid, SNAP Cuts in US History
https://www.commondreams.org/news/republicans-cut-medicaid
DOGE could scrap identity protections for those impacted by OPM data breach
https://fedscoop.com/doge-could-end-opm-breach-identity-protections-mark-warner/
Musk AI "Grok" Pivots From ‘White Genocide’ to Being ‘Skeptical’ About the Holocaust
https://www.yahoo.com/news/grok-pivots-white-genocide-being-215912338.htm
Musk’s DOGE expanding his Grok AI in US government, raising conflict concerns
State Department demands African countries use Musk's Starlink in exchange for aid
"Working closely with executives at Starlink, the U.S. government has made a global push to help expand Musk’s business empire in the developing world."
https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-musk-starlink-state-department-gambia-africa-pressure
DHS staff are no longer allowed to use Chat GPTand Claude, only allowed to use DHSChat
https://fedscoop.com/homeland-security-cuts-off-access-to-chatgpt-and-other-commercial-ai/
Scientists use AI to encrypt secret messages that are invisible to cybersecurity systems
https://completeaitraining.com/news/scientists-use-ai-chatbots-to-hide-encrypted-messages/
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2504.08871
Microsoft’s AI security chief accidentally reveals Walmart’s AI plans after protest
Microsoft blocks emails that contain ‘Palestine’ after employee protests
https://www.theverge.com/tech/672312/microsoft-block-palestine-gaza-email
Advocates and child development experts urge Google to halt Gemini AI chatbot rollout to young children
https://epic.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Google-Gemini-Letter_5.21.2025.pdf
By putting AI into everything, Google wants to make it invisible
https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/21/1117251/by-putting-ai-into-everything-google-wants-to-make-it-invisible/
Google faces DOJ probe over Character.AI deal
Period Tracking Flo App Users Win Class Status in Google, Meta Suit
Why a new anti-revenge porn law has free speech experts alarmed
https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/24/why-a-new-anti-revenge-porn-law-has-free-speech-experts-alarmed/
Kids Don’t Have IDs And Age-Estimation Tech Is Frequently Very Wrong
How Trump’s Law Firm Settlements Circumvent Congress and Violate Federal Spending Laws
https://www.justsecurity.org/112943/trumps-law-firm-settlements-congress-federal-laws/
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Says No Right to Fight Library Book Removals
CBS News CEO Steps Down Amid Donald Trump’s Lawsuit
Lawmakers concerned that CBS News parent Paramount risks violating bribery laws in pursuit of potential Trump settlement
Bloomberg Reporter Arrested With Anti-Israel Group That Seized Columbia Library, Fired
Trump administration puts new limits on reporters at Pentagon
Chicago Sun-Times publishes made-up summer reading book list and fake experts using AI
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/20/nx-s1-5405022/fake-summer-reading-list-ai
FCC commissioner blasts Trump administration employee censorship policies
“When minority commissioners dissent, they are fired,” Commissioner Anna Gomez said of the Trump administration’s assault on free speech. “This FCC has made clear that it will go after any news outlet that dares to report the truth, if that truth is unfavorable or inconvenient to this administration,” Gomez said.
https://cyberscoop.com/fcc-anna-gomez-free-speech-censorship-trump-administration/
Republicans Against Pandemic Aid Fraudsters, Now Consider Trump IRS Nominee Who Peddled Notorious “Magnet for Fraud” Pandemic-era Tax Credit
FDA 'expert panel' could help law firm of RFK Jr.'s son win talc lawsuits
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Sold Stocks Two Days Before Trump Announced a Plan for Reciprocal Tariffs
https://www.propublica.org/article/sean-duffy-stock-sales-trump-tariffs
Trump's DOJ launches unit to target DEI policies at colleges with civil fraud probes
Trump signs the Take It Down Act into law
https://www.theverge.com/news/661230/trump-signs-take-it-down-act-ai-deepfakes
2 Government Contractor's (Opexus) Hackers Erased Hundreds of FOIA Requests
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-05-21/how-2-hackers-erased-hundreds-of-foia-requests
'Elastic' database containing 184M records includes user logins for Apple, Google, and Meta and Google logins and accounts connected to multiple govt's taken down
23andMe Sale Shows Your DNA Is Worth A Mere $17
Regeneron agrees to buy bankrupt 23andMe, promises ethical use of customers' DNA data
“Nonprofit Killer” Law Disappears From Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill
DISGUSTED: Appeals court allows Meta lawsuit against FTC banning them from using kid's data for personal ads to proceed
https://media.cadc.uscourts.gov/opinions/docs/2025/05/23-5280-2116125.pdf
Signal’s new Windows update prevents the system from capturing screenshots of chats
Researchers Publish 2 Billion Scraped Discord Messages Online
Malicious VPN Extensions on Chrome Web Store Intercept User Data
https://dti.domaintools.com/dual-function-malware-chrome-extensions/
The US is the largest spammer in the world and it's only going to get worse
Kroger Stores Overcharging Shoppers on Sale Items
Kroger using loyalty program to package, sell customer data
https://therecord.media/kroger-using-loyalty-program-to-sell-customer-data
French government covered up Nestle mineral water scandal
https://www.france24.com/en/video/20250519-en-grab-french-senate-alleges-nestle-cover-up
Coinbase data breach affected 70K people
https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/21/coinbase-says-its-data-breach-affects-at-least-69000-customers/
Big Pharma Front Groups Muddle Debate Over Drug Prices
Dr. Phil’s Son is charging Alaskan natives 700% for small business loans
Serviceaide and Nationwide Recovery Services data breach affected 500K people
https://www.serviceaide.com/notices
State & Local Privacy News
Gov't Secrecy Warning: Kristi Noem Asks Governors To Start Carrying Satellite Phones And Build Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIF)
https://statescoop.com/kristi-noem-governors-scif/
Over 140 Organizations Oppose Ban on State AI Regulation
ME- Advocates urge lawmakers to bar police cooperation with ICE
ME- Some criminal records would automatically be sealed under bill before Legislature
NH- Governor bans sanctuary cities and policies preventing ICE cooperation
https://newhampshirebulletin.com/briefs/gov-ayotte-signs-two-anti-sanctuary-city-bills/
NH- AG says the state should regulate A.I. since Congress won’t do it
https://www.concordmonitor.com/new-hampshire-artificial-intelligence-regulation-formella-61286628
NH- Judge Rules in Favor of Conway Bakery in Fight Over Donut Mural
MA- UMass Paid $446K for Report Exonerating Chancellor in Police Assault on Peaceful Student Protestors
MA- Why Is The Parole Board On The Governor’s Back Burner?
https://horizonmass.news/2025/05/22/why-is-the-parole-board-on-the-governors-back-burner/
MA- Assumption University student Matthew Lane will plead guilty in PowerSchool hacking case
https://cyberscoop.com/massachusetts-man-will-plead-guilty-in-powerschool-hack-case/
NC- Forsyth and Guilford counties might be pilot for in-home driver's license renewals
GA- The City of Sandy Springs Repeals ADL Sponsored Law Requiring Protestors Seek Consent to Speak Within Eight Feet of Someone
In April, the city of Sandy Springs passed three new ordinances expanding the definition of disorderly conduct, which critics immediately flagged as unconstitutional restrictions on First Amendment rights. One of the ordinances, which was rescinded on Tuesday, criminalized handing someone a leaflet, displaying a sign, or engaging in oral protest within eight feet of someone without their consent. The Anti-Defamation League — an organization founded to combat anti-Jewish bias and bigotry that has been criticized for falsely conflating criticisms of Israel and support of Palestine with antisemitism — drafted the model legislation used to shape the ordinances, and in some instances the word-for-word language approved by the city council in Sandy Springs. “It is not surprising the ADL is advancing them,” adds CAIR-GA Executive Director Azka Mahmood. “The timing of the introduction of the buffer zone ordinances, too, shows that they are clearly designed to limit people’s ability to protest or educate others about Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, in violation of their right to free speech.”
AL- Residents File Lawsuit Challenging Warrantless Spying and Searches by Game Wardens
"Three Alabama residents teamed up with the Institute for Justice to file a lawsuit challenging an Alabama statute that permits game wardens from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to search private property without a warrant or consent."
FL- More than 600 books pulled from classrooms after state pressure
FL- Judge rules AI chatbots not protected by First Amendment
https://www.courthousenews.com/florida-judge-rules-ai-chatbots-not-protected-by-first-amendment/
MN- State FINALLY decriminalized bong water
https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2025/05/bong-water-decriminalized-in-minnesota/
MO- Lawmakers approve referendum to repeal abortion-rights
KS- Mom Sues Porn Sites Because Her Son Visited Chaturbate 30 Times
"Kansas is among roughly 20 other states that have enacted age-verification laws for porn sites."
TX- Lawmakers Consider Legislation to Ban Minors From Social Media
https://gizmodo.com/texas-lawmakers-consider-legislation-to-ban-minors-from-social-media-2000604261
OR- Eugene police to use 57 Flock Safety license plate readers to spy on everyone
CA- $1 Billion Disparity in Prosecution Funding vs Public Defense
https://davisvanguard.org/2025/05/funding-imbalance-indigent-defense-california/
CA- Appeals court blocks Temecula Valley Unified School District's critical race theory ban
https://www.courthousenews.com/appeals-court-blocks-socal-school-districts-critical-race-theory-ban/
CA- Google reneges on promise to pay newsroom's $55M over five years
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/21/california-google-journalism-deficit-newsom-00363504
World Privacy News
Netanyahu Says Israel to Take Control of Gaza
No aid has reached Palestinians in Gaza yet, despite Israeli claim of delivery
Israeli Occupation Forces Shoot Live Rounds at Foreign Diplomats in West Bank
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/21/middleeast/diplomats-israeli-fire-west-bank-intl
https://www.commondreams.org/news/israel-shoots-at-diplomats
The International Committee of the Red Cross calls for Gaza ceasefire following murder of two employees
https://www.icrc.org/en/article/icrc-grieves-two-colleagues-killed-strike-gaza
Israel 'completely rejects' EU decision to review trade and cooperation deal
Netanyahu Says Israel Will Not Back Down Until Gaza Is Emptied of Palestinians
Seven countries extend temporary emergency biometric border checkpoints
European Commission Launches Shared Biometric Matching Service
https://www.bal.com/immigration-news/european-union-commission-launches-shared-biometric-service/
https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-announces-launch-shared-biometric-matching-service-2025-05-19_en
EU Commission wants to revise the concept of a "safe third country", effectively tightening asylum procedures
Deportation camps: EU member states want to “prevent judicial scrutiny”
MCC Brussels Exposes EU’s Covert ‘Propaganda War against Free Speech’
https://hungarytoday.hu/mcc-brussels-exposes-eus-covert-propaganda-war-against-free-speech/
https://brussels.mcc.hu/uploads/default/0001/01/9fcfc904bd2e930bef107b7725b7f3ff9d0779d0.pdf
GDPR is cracking: Brussels rewrites its prized privacy law
https://www.politico.eu/article/brussels-gdpr-technology-rewrites-prized-loathed-privacy-law/
Meta Accused of Flouting EU Privacy Rules With AI Training Data
WHO’s Pandemic Agreement is adopted despite concerns about unelected institutions imposing global policies
https://expose-news.com/2025/05/21/whos-pandemic-agreement-is-adopted/
Russia- Putin labels Amnesty International as ‘undesirable’ organization
Germany- 'Machines don't work!': The problem of getting digital ID photos
https://www.thelocal.de/20250513/how-is-the-transition-to-digital-id-photos-progressing-in-germany
France- Did the government ask Telegram founder Durov to silence Romanian conservatives?
Greece and Cyprus Link Their Digital ID Systems
https://www.tovima.com/society/greece-cyprus-announce-interoperability-of-digital-id-platforms/
Spain- Mysterious hacking group Careto was run by the government
Portugal- Government Launches Advanced Biometric Border Control Systems
https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2025-05-21/new-border-control-systems-now-operational/97849
UK- Cops tased and pepper sprayed a 92-year-old amputee, claim they ‘didn’t see he was disabled'
https://metro.co.uk/2025/05/23/officer-used-pepper-spray-amputee-92-didnt-see-disabled-23227890
UK- Asda Supermarket faces legal complaint after “unlawful” facial recognition trial
UK- The New South Wales education department acts surprised by Microsoft Teams using facial recognition to ID students
Overview of Microsoft Teams voice and face enrollment
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/rooms/voice-and-face-recognition
UK- Chemical Castration of Alleged Sex Offenders ‘Worthwhile’ Exploring
UK- Almost All ‘Extreme’ Temperature Highs are Being Recorded at Junk Sites
Philippines- Reporters Without Borders urges Congress to enact press freedom reforms
https://rsf.org/en/philippines-rsf-presses-new-lawmakers-implement-urgent-press-freedom-reforms
Philippines- Valenzuela City Launches Digital ID Program for Senior Citizens
Azerbaijan- Azerbaijan Railways requires passengers to use national digital IDs
Egypt- EygptAir to use SITA facial recognition to ID passengers
AU- UN raise concerns over indigenous youth justice systems
Brazil- Government to use facial recognition to ID people taking payroll-deductions