U.S. Privacy And World Privacy News

Accountable.US Condemns Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk For Allowing Republican States To Judge Shop Abortion Pill Lawsuit

https://accountable.us/accountable-us-condemns-judge-matthew-kacsmaryk-for-allowing-republican-states-to-judge-shop-abortion-pill-lawsuit/

FBI Sounds Alarm Over AT&T Hackers Stealing Agent Call Logs That May Expose Informants

https://www.wired.com/story/hackers-likely-stole-fbi-call-logs-from-att-that-could-compromise-informants/

AT&T and Verizon Hacks Linked to US Army Soldier
https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/18/doj-confirms-arrested-us-army-soldier-is-linked-to-att-and-verizon-hacks/

Walgreens says locking up products to prevent shoplifting hurts sales

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/walgreens-lock-product-up-sales/

DOJ sues Walgreens, claims it 'knowingly' filled millions of opioid prescriptions
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/doj-sues-walgreens-knowingly-filling-millions-prescriptions-rcna188224

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-files-nationwide-lawsuit-alleging-walgreens-knowingly-filled-millions

Getting Away With The Murders Of Thousands: Sackler Family ‘Raise Offer to $6.5B to Settle Opioid Lawsuits
https://www.wsj.com/articles/purdues-sacklers-back-new-bankruptcy-settlement-for-opioid-lawsuits-fc4df44d

Apple Suspends Program That Sent Error-Filled AI-Generated News Alerts

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ap-us-apple-artificial-intelligence_n_678aacfae4b097ab569780fd

The Trump Administration Should Not Mess With the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework

https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-trump-administration-should-not-mess-with-the-eu-u.s.-data-privacy-framework

American Free Speech vs. European Censorship

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21307/us-free-speech-eu-censorship

Amazon is Censoring Caitlin Johnstone's Recent Magazine Issue

https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2025/01/14/amazon-is-censoring-my-most-recent-magazine-issue/

NY Post: Fact Checking Is Now Censorship

https://www.techdirt.com/2025/01/13/ny-post-fact-checking-is-now-censorship/

Disney under pressure from conservative shareholders to disavow ad censorship

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/jan/8/disney-pressure-conservative-shareholders-disavow-/

Disney Holds Secret Meeting With the Alliance Defending Freedom in an Attempt To Move the Company to the Right

https://insidethemagic.net/2025/01/disney-hosts-conservative-legal-firm-for-secret-meeting-rl1/

ACLU Slams Supreme Court TikTok Ruling

(Where was the outrage over 4+ years of government/Big Tech censorship?)

https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-slams-supreme-court-tiktok-ruling

ACLU barely mentioned Supreme Court ruling on government censorship last year

https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-statement-on-supreme-courts-decision-related-to-whether-public-officials-can-block-social-media-followers

‘Most Wanted CEO’ Playing Cards Get User Banned From Most Platforms

https://gizmodo.com/most-wanted-ceo-playing-cards-get-user-banned-from-most-platforms-2000550574

TN Adult Website Age Verification Law Upheld by Appeals Court
https://www.columbiadailyherald.com/story/news/politics/2025/01/14/tennessee-law-requiring-age-verification-porn-sites-appeals-court-ruling/77680731007/

Supreme Court will hear Texas anti-pornography law that challengers say violates free-speech rights

https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-pornography-texas-minors-8aa396102ec0cdf5c86e90c1e573d562

Digital Currency Group, former Genesis CEO to pay $38.5M fine

https://www.reuters.com/legal/digital-currency-group-former-genesis-ceo-pay-385-mln-over-sec-charges-2025-01-17/

FTC Finalizes Order Prohibiting Gravy Analytics, Venntel from Selling Sensitive Location Data
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/01/ftc-finalizes-order-prohibiting-gravy-analytics-venntel-selling-sensitive-location-data

FTC Finalizes Children's Privacy Rule Minimizing Data Collection

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/privacy-and-data-security/ftc-finalizes-childrens-privacy-rule-minimizing-data-collection

Marvel Rivals Game And Chinese Censorship Explained

"The banned phases and words include, but are not necessarily limited to: Winnie the Pooh, Free Taiwan, Free Tibet, Free Hong Kong, Tiananmen Square, 1989 Wuhan Virus, Mao Zedong.

https://gamerant.com/marvel-rivals-censorship-chat-messages-explained-winnie-pooh/

New DC Think Tank Staffed Entirely By Robots

"In October, a new foreign policy think tank calling itself the Beltway Grid Policy Center quietly entered D.C.'s diplomatic fray. While there was no launch party and no K Street office we could find, the think tank nevertheless began producing its intellectual product at a startling pace, issuing reports, press releases, and pitching journalists on news coverage—much of it focused on South Asia, and, in particular, the ongoing political crisis in Pakistan."

New DC Think Tank Staffed Entirely By Robots (Seriously)

A Spymaster Sheikh Controls a $1.5 Trillion Fortune. He Wants to Use It to Dominate AI

https://www.wired.com/story/uae-intelligence-chief-ai-money/

HHS AI plan looks to the private sector for collaboration

https://www.nextgov.com/artificial-intelligence/2025/01/hhs-ai-plan-looks-private-sector-collaboration/402148/?oref=ng-homepage-river

Biden issues last-minute order to advance AI infrastructure

https://fedscoop.com/biden-issues-ai-infrastructure-data-center-order/

The feds opened an investigation into a side-hustle company helping pump out AI-generated books

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/the-feds-opened-an-investigation-into-a-side-hustle-company-helping-pump-out-ai-generated-books-records-reveal/ar-BB1rn303

2025 May be the Year of AI Legislation

"In 2024, lawmakers across the United States introduced more than 700 AI-related bills, and 2025 is off to an even quicker start, with more than 40 proposals on dockets in the first days of the new year."

https://www.techpolicy.press/2025-may-be-the-year-of-ai-legislation-will-we-see-consensus-rules-or-a-patchwork/

Candy Crush, Tinder, MyFitnessPal: See the Thousands of Apps Hijacked to Spy on Your Location

https://www.wired.com/story/gravy-location-data-app-leak-rtb/

Google, YouTube Users Advance Privacy Suit Over Children's Data

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/privacy-and-data-security/google-youtube-users-advance-privacy-suit-over-childrens-data

Massive Google Ads Phishing Campaign Targets Advertisers

https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2025/01/the-great-google-ads-heist-criminals-ransack-advertiser-accounts-via-fake-google-ads

BS WARNING- Google Wants To Use AI To Protect Consumer Data Online

https://cloud.google.com/security/ai

Your Exercise Bike Knows a Lot About You—and It Doesn't Keep Every Secret

https://www.consumerreports.org/health/health-privacy/exercise-machine-privacy-a3907557984/

U.S. to ban smart cars containing Chinese, Russian technology
Where's the ban on Elon Musk's spying Tesla's?
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/business/us-finalizes-rule-banning-smart-cars-with-russian-chinese-tech/articleshow/117235696.cms

FTC Stops GMC Sharing Drivers’ Location and Driving Behavior Without Their Consent

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/01/ftc-takes-action-against-general-motors-sharing-drivers-precise-location-driving-behavior-data

FTC Sues John Deere Over Its Right-To-Repair Monopoly
https://www.wired.com/story/ftc-sues-john-deere-over-repairability/

Booz Allen Hamilton fined a mere $16M for running a decade-long conspiracy to influence contract awards

https://www.washingtontechnology.com/companies/2025/01/booz-allen-agrees-159m-settlement-over-subcontractors-fraud-scheme/402135/

FTC Surveillance Pricing Study Indicates Wide Range of Personal Data Used to Set Individualized Consumer Prices

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/01/ftc-surveillance-pricing-study-indicates-wide-range-personal-data-used-set-individualized-consumer

https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/p246202_surveillancepricing6bstudy_researchsummaries_redacted.pdf

FTC Report Shows Big Pharma Middlemen Jack Up Prices by Up to 7,736 Percent

https://www.commondreams.org/news/pharmacy-benefit-managers-profiteering

A new Supreme Court case seeks to make it harder to get screened for cancer

https://www.vox.com/scotus/394765/supreme-court-braidwood-management-obamacare-cancer

UnitedHealth hid its Change Healthcare data breach notice for months

https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/15/unitedhealth-hid-its-change-healthcare-data-breach-notice-for-months/

UnitedHealth found to have overcharged some cancer patients for drugs by over 1,000 percent

https://fortune.com/2025/01/15/ftc-pbms-unitedhealth-brian-thompson-cvs-caremark-cigna-pharmacy-benefit-managers/amp/

UnitedHealth Revenue Rises to $5.5B

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/unitedhealth-revenue-rises-but-falls-short-of-expectations/ar-AA1xiU1t

Athira Pharma fined $4M for to settle Alzheimer's and Parkinson's data falsifications

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/athira-pharma-inc-agrees-pay-4m-settle-false-claims-act-allegations-related-scientific

State & Local Privacy News

VT- ACLU: Keep police out of the deportation business

https://www.acluvt.org/en/news/keep-vermont-police-out-deportation-business

ME- State police overtime sets a new record at more than $10M

https://www.pressherald.com/2025/01/17/maine-state-police-overtime-sets-a-new-record-at-more-than-10m/

ME- Retired cop selected as new chair of Maine Republican Party

https://www.pressherald.com/2025/01/13/retired-police-officer-selected-as-new-chair-of-maine-gop/

NH- As A New Session Begins, With 1,155 Bills, Here's How To Find, Track, And Testify

https://patch.com/new-hampshire/across-nh/new-session-begins-1-155-bills-heres-how-find-track-testify-legislation

NH- The Defend the Guard Act is scheduled for a House committee hearing on Friday, Jan. 17

https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2025/01/new-hampshire-action-alert-defend-the-guard-act-hearing/

NH- Study says a ambulance transport should cost anywhere from $414 to $2,317

https://www.concordmonitor.com/ambulance-fees-new-hampshire-study-cost-medicare-medicaid-58826218

MA- WTF? Prosecutors of Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson ask for evidence to be filed under seal

https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/01/14/prosecutors-of-boston-city-councilor-tania-fernandes-anderson-ask-for-evidence-to-be-filed-under-seal/

MA- BS Warning: Karen Read’s dog bite expert will be allowed to testify at retrial

https://www.boston.com/news/crime/2025/01/13/karen-read-dog-bite-expert-allowed-to-testify-at-retrial/

RI- Governor blocks rotunda from protesters, bans TV cameras from State of the State address

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/14/metro/ri-governor-mckee-state-of-the-state-address-bans-cameras/

CT- The DMV Won’t Tell Us How Many Cars Tow Companies Have Sold

https://www.propublica.org/article/connecticut-dmv-towing-public-records

NY- Bill Would End Civil Asset Forfeiture

https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2025/01/new-york-bill-seeks-to-end-civil-asset-forfeiture-and-limit-federal-equitable-sharing-participation/

NY- Staten Island groups use ‘flower power’ against NYC speed cameras

https://www.silive.com/news/2025/01/staten-island-groups-use-flower-power-against-nyc-speed-cameras.html

NY- What to know about Greece Police Department license plate readers

https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2025/01/14/greece-ny-police-department-installs-license-plate-readers-what-to-know/77517028007/

NY- State Legislature Proposes Background Checks on Anyone Buying a 3D Printer

https://gizmodo.com/new-york-proposes-doing-background-checks-on-anyone-buying-a-3d-printer-2000551811

NJ- Governor signs new law to limit book bans and protect librarians

https://newjerseymonitor.com/2024/12/09/governor-signs-new-law-to-limit-book-bans-and-protect-librarians

NJ- Division of Consumer Affairs Publishes Privacy Law FAQs

https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/ocp/Pages/NJ-Data-Privacy-Law-FAQ.aspx

PA- Gun Restrictions for Young People Unconstitutional: Appeals Court

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/court-holds-pennsylvania-youth-gun-restrictions-unconstitutional-2025-01-14/

MD- Bill Would Ban No-Knock Warrants

https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2025/01/maryland-bill-would-prohibit-no-knock-warrants/

VA- The Institute for Justice Condemns City of Germantown for Fining Resident Over “Spooky” Christmas Decorations

https://ij.org/press-release/public-interest-law-firm-condemns-city-of-germantown-for-fining-resident-over-spooky-christmas-decorations/

VA- School Employee Kicked 25 Times in 11 Days Denied Workers Comp

https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2025/01/17/328481.htm

KY- Bill Would Block Unconstitutional National Guard Deployments

https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2025/01/defend-the-guard-act-kentucky-bill-would-block-unconstitutional-deployments/

IL- River Forest police to purchase 37 license plate readers

https://www.oakpark.com/2025/01/06/more-license-plate-reading-cameras-coming-to-river-forest/

IA- Cedar Rapids Police Expanding use of License Plate Readers

https://www.kcrg.com/2025/01/10/cedar-rapids-police-expanding-use-automated-license-plate-readers/

CO- Bill Would End Civil Asset Forfeiture

https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2025/01/colorado-bill-would-end-civil-asset-forfeiture-and-restrict-federal-loophole/

TX- Judge says states can revive challenge to abortion pill access nationwide

https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-mifepristone-telehealth-weeks-judge-03706a1e95fc7725684be582a00a6700

TX- AG sues Allstate, alleging it violated data privacy rights of 45M Americans

https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-sues-allstate-and-arity-unlawfully-collecting-using-and-selling-over-45

TX- Copyright Battles Over Lakeway City Council Videos

https://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2025/01/copyright-battles-over-city-council-videos.htm

WI- Government imposes tax on electric vehicle charging stations

https://www.wmtv15news.com/2025/01/06/wisconsins-new-electric-vehicle-tax-sparks-mixed-reactions-drivers-advocates/

ND- North Dakota State Univ. pledge against ‘violence in language’ raises free speech concerns

https://www.thecollegefix.com/north-dakota-state-u-pledge-against-violence-in-language-raises-free-speech-concerns/

NV- Court Shuts Down Police Use of Federal Loophole for Civil Forfeiture

https://ij.org/press-release/nevada-court-shuts-down-police-use-of-federal-loophole-for-civil-forfeiture/

CA- Judge Sides Against Google In Privacy Suit Over Children's Data

https://www.courthousenews.com/google-cant-shake-class-claims-it-invaded-minors-privacy-through-ads/

World Privacy News

Former UK Secretary of State admits Pfizer-BioNTech expected payouts of up to £300B for vaccine injuries

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/01/17/covid-vaccine-harms-cost-government-17bn-inquiry/

Despite truce, Israel has damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings in Lebanon

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/despite-truce-israel-has-damaged-or-destroyed-hundreds-of-buildings-in-lebanon/ar-AA1xsfDb

More Than Two Dozen Civil Rights Groups Urge EU to Prioritize Human Rights in AI Act Implementation Guidelines

https://www.statewatch.org/news/2025/january/eu-human-rights-must-be-central-guiding-basis-for-new-ai-guidelines/

The FBI Seeks Vendors for Somalia's Facial Recognition ID System

https://sam.gov/opp/5b72760286944814b8270407ab578ef3/view

World (Coin) has used Iris scanning to ID 10M people worldwide

https://www.binance.com/en/square/post/18852204607162

PRIVACY NIGHTMARE- 5.6B people to have digital IDs by 2030

https://www.financemagnates.com/fintech/digital-wallets-are-going-to-reach-about-56-billion-by-2030-digital-wallet-revolution/

Humanity Protocol Launches ‘Humanity Foundation’ to Promote Digital IDs

https://www.humanity.org/blog/humanity-protocol-launches-the-humanity-foundation

Prove acquires Portabl to expand digital ID programs

https://www.prove.com/blog/prove-acquires-portabl

Regula updated its Regula Digital ID Reader SDK

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250115990355/en/Regula-Launches-Full-Support-for-Digital-Travel-Credentials-in-Latest-Software-Update

CJEU Orders the European Commission to Pay Damages for Data Transfers to the U.S.

https://www.hunton.com/privacy-and-information-security-law/cjeu-orders-the-european-commission-to-pay-damages-for-data-transfers-to-the-u-s

How Barcelona became an unlikely hub for spyware startups

https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/13/how-barcelona-became-an-unlikely-hub-for-spyware-startups/

Prosecuted for Protesting (UK, France, Serbia, Russia, India, Thailand and Colombia)

https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/5460/prosecuted-protesting

China’s censorship goes global — from secret police stations to video games

https://www.thefire.org/news/blogs/free-speech-dispatch/chinas-censorship-goes-global-secret-police-stations-video-games

The European Commission Denies Its Censorship Law is a Censorship Law

https://reclaimthenet.org/europe-denies-its-censorship-law-is-a-censorship-law

Why Europe fears free speech: A war of repression is under way

https://unherd.com/2025/01/why-europe-fears-free-speech/

EU lines up intel-sharing, cyber squads to stop hospital data breaches

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-intel-system-cyberattacks-hospital-hacks-henna-virkkunen/

Russia- Navalny's lawyers sentenced to prison terms of up to 5 1/2 years on 'extremism' charges

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/three-navalny-lawyers-jailed-belonging-extremist-organisation-mediazona-news-2025-01-17/

Romania- Immigration to use fingerprint scanners to ID everyone

https://ted.europa.eu/en/notice/-/detail/33462-2025

Denmark- Football Club Copenhagen to use facial recognition to ID fans

https://www.fck.dk/en/news/fc-copenhagen-granted-permission-use-facial-recognition-technology

UK- The MHRA failed and allowed the biggest assault (COVID) on civil liberties and economic prosperity in my lifetime, Rupert Lowe MP said
https://expose-news.com/2025/01/18/during-covid-the-mhra-failed/

UK- Gama Aviation: The company that helped the Ministry of Defense spy for Israel

https://www.declassifieduk.org/gama-aviation-the-company-helping-britain-spy-for-israel/

UK- ‘National scandal’: The BBC’s Gaza cover-up

https://www.declassifieduk.org/national-scandal-the-bbcs-gaza-cover-up/

UK- PM unveils national AI plan, says public must fully embrace digital IDs

https://fortune.com/europe/2025/01/13/ai-uk-keir-starmer-technology-world-leader/

https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/13/uk-throws-its-hat-into-the-ai-fire/

UK- Government Mandates Age Verification for Porn Sites by July 2025

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwye3qw7gv7o

UK- Labour MP Openly Suggests Banning Social Media Platforms Over Non-Compliance with Censorship Laws

https://reclaimthenet.org/uk-labour-mp-supports-social-media-bans-online-safety-act-censorship

UK- BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg Urges Tech Secretary Peter Kyle to Expand Online Censorship Laws

South Korea- The Korea Financial Telecommunications & Clearings Institute to use Connect Inc. palm and vein scanners to ID customers

https://www.mk.co.kr/en/economy/11219477

India- Government to use facial recognition to ID people buying SIM cards

https://udaipurkiran.in/new-sim-card-rules-aadhaar-based-biometric-verification-now-mandatory/

Sri Lanka- Government launches national digital ID program

https://srilankamirror.com/news/digital-nics-to-be-issued-this-month/

Afghanistan- Government to open 73 digital ID centers
https://nsia.gov.af/media-room/media/21202

The South African Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority Accepting Bids to Create National Digital ID Program

https://www.psira.co.za/dmdocuments/tender/Final%20Bid%20Document-%20Facial%20Recognition%20System.pdf

Nigeria- Government creates digital ID program to farmers

https://von.gov.ng/ffg-to-commence-capturing-of-farmers-for-comprehensive-farmer-register/

Zambia- People seeking healthcare must use national digital IDs

https://itweb.africa/content/JN1gP7OALyGqjL6m

AU- The Commonwealth Bank to use digital IDs to identify customers

https://www.innovationaus.com/commbank-to-trial-govts-id-data-stopper/

AU- Why the Australian Open is using facial recognition to ID fans

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/smile-you-re-at-the-tennis-why-the-australian-open-is-using-facial-recognition-tech-20250112-p5l3oq.html

AU- Greater Sydney council bans G-string bikinis at public pools

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jan/15/greater-sydney-council-bans-revealing-swimwear-sparking-debate-about-double-standards

Canada- WestJet to use Checkin.com facial recognition to ID passengers

https://news.cision.com/checkin-com-group/r/checkin-com-group-has-signed-an-agreement-with-major-north-american-airline-group,c4091422

Canada- Prosecutors give excuses and denials for wrongful convictions, blame police

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/allan-woodhouse-brian-anderson-lawsuit-defence-1.7433555

Mexico- Veracruz Civil Registry states that facial recognition CURP is not mandatory

https://www.eldictamen.mx/registro-civil-curp-biometrico-obligatorio/

Honduras- UN Sends Hundreds of Laxton "Iris Scanner Citizen Registrations" to the Government

https://www.ungm.org/Public/ContractAward/145335

https://www.laxton.com/biometric-registration-kits/