U.S. Privacy And World Privacy News
New tool allows taxpayers to see how government is spending money
https://cbsaustin.com/news/nation-world/new-tool-allows-taxpayers-to-see-how-government-is-spending-money-benjamin-the-bot-openthebooks
BenjaminTheChatbot
https://www.openthebooks.com/benjaminthechatbot/
May public officials block critics on social media? It depends, says the Supreme Court
USAID's Disinformation Primer Global Censorship in the Name of Democracy
https://www.mintpressnews.com/usaid-disinformation-primer-global-censorship-name-of-democracy/287075/
https://www.scribd.com/document/713373775/USAID-Disinformation-Primer-Feb-2021-America-First-Legal-FOIA-Production
DHS's Virality Project’s Censorship Agenda
"Initiated by DHS and CISA and led by the Stanford Internet Observatory, the Virality Project sought to censor those who questioned government Covid-19 policies."
https://brownstone.org/articles/the-virality-projects-censorship-agenda/
My plan to protect Americans’ privacy from digital currency surveillance
https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/4553064-my-plan-to-protect-americans-financial-privacy-in-a-digital-economy/
Court Greenlights Privacy Lawsuit Over Program that Spies on 150M Money Wire Transfers
On the Brink of a Dramatic Change: The Digitalization of Money
"In my opinion, we're going to need a digital constitution of human rights if we're going to have digital money."
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/technical/on-the-brink-of-a-dramatic-change-the-digitalization-of-money
Feds Demand Identity Of YouTube Users Who Watched Certain Videos
https://www.pcworld.com/article/2278729/feds-demanded-id-of-youtube-users-who-watched-certain-videos.html
Fresno High School uses app to track students bathroom breaks
“If you have the tendency to take eight minutes in the bathroom, instead of the seven that you’re getting, ‘We’re gonna take away your bathroom,” student Oliver Buchanan said. The app acts like a digital ID and every student in each participating school has a profile that includes a headshot. Fresno High mandates that students with smartphones download the free app. It’s also used to timestamp student attendance, in general, in addition to monitoring time spent on bathroom breaks.
https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article286882795.html
Privacy Regulation in the US
Digital kiosks like these collect your phone's data if you go near them
"Soofa, a tech and advertisement company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, makes the digital kiosks, which have popped up in cities and towns in 18 states. The 7-foot devices, which resemble giant Amazon Kindles, are present in Boston, Revere, Somerville, Chelsea and other Massachusetts communities."
Jeffrey Epstein’s Island Visitors Exposed by Data Broker
https://www.wired.com/story/jeffrey-epstein-island-visitors-data-broker-leak/
AT&T data breach affects 73M people
https://www.reuters.com/technology/cybersecurity/att-says-leaked-data-set-impacts-about-73-million-current-former-account-holders-2024-03-30/
2 wireless protocols expose mobile users to spying — the FCC wants to fix that
"The FCC has been working to reduce vulnerabilities in the Signaling System No. 7 — or SS7 — protocol, as well as the Diameter protocol, a pair of foundational wireless signal functionalities that enable phone calls, text messages and other communications to travel across different network layers uninterrupted."
Apple Sued Over AirTags Privacy: Everything You Need to Know
https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/apple-sued-over-airtags-privacy-everything-you-need-to-know/
Elon Musk, X Fought Surveillance While Profiting Off Surveillance
https://theintercept.com/2024/03/25/elon-musk-x-dataminr-surveillance-privacy/
Court Says Elon Musk’s Lawsuit Against Anti-Hate Group Is an Attack on Free Speech
https://gizmodo.com/elon-musks-lawsuit-against-anti-hate-group-free-speech-1851363423
Kamala Harris Touts DHS Program Encouraging High School Students To Spy On Each Other
https://theintercept.com/2024/03/28/secret-service-school-spying-snitching/
Age Verification Laws Drag Us Back to the Dark Ages of the Internet
https://www.404media.co/age-verification-laws-will-drag-us-back-to-the-dark-ages-of-online-porn/
Censorship Concerns Remain Despite Revisions to Kids Online Safety Act
https://truthout.org/articles/censorship-concerns-remain-despite-revisions-to-kids-online-safety-act/
The Kids Online Safety Act and the State of Tech Policy
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-kids-online-safety-act-and-the-state-of-tech-policy
NYC’s AI Chatbot Tells Businesses to Break the Law
https://themarkup.org/news/2024/03/29/nycs-ai-chatbot-tells-businesses-to-break-the-law
Big Tech Has a New Favorite Lobbyist: You
"Lobbyists began spending more of their time targeting ordinary people living thousands of miles outside the Beltway. They teamed up with PR gurus, social-media experts, political pollsters, data analysts and grassroots organizers to foment seemingly organic public outcries designed to pressure lawmakers and compel them to take actions that would benefit the lobbyists’ corporate clients."
https://www.wsj.com/politics/how-big-techs-grassroots-tactics-transformed-lobbying-in-d-c-075539c7
Meta Refuses to Answer Questions on Gaza Censorship
https://theintercept.com/2024/03/26/meta-gaza-censorship-warren-sanders/
Meta cannot delay FTC from reopening privacy probe, court says
Facebook spied on users' Snapchat traffic in secret project
https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/26/facebook-secret-project-snooped-snapchat-user-traffic/
https://www.techdirt.com/2024/03/29/details-emerge-of-facebooks-long-history-of-spying-on-encrypted-user-communications-across-different-apps-and-service/
BS Warning: Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service Promises to Protect the Data of Commercial and Customers Data
https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2024/03/28/data-protection-responsible-ai-azure-copilot/
Free VPN apps on Google Play turned Android phones into proxies
https://www.humansecurity.com/learn/blog/satori-threat-intelligence-alert-proxylib-and-lumiapps-transform-mobile-devices-into-proxy-nodes
Amazon’s palm-scanning service now lets you sign up from your phone
https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-one-app
Judge Sides With Google And Apple In Battle Over Search Partnership
https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/394738/judge-sides-with-google-and-apple-in-battle-over-s.html
I toured Google's new $2.1B office in NYC and it's like an all-inclusive wellness resort
https://www.businessinsider.com/new-google-office-nyc-photo-tour-2024-3
Amazon spends $2.75B on AI startup Anthropic in its largest venture investment yet
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/amazon-spends-2point7-billion-ai-startup-anthropic-rcna145327
TikTok’s troubles just got worse: The FTC could sue them
"The commission is weighing allegations that TikTok, and its Beijing-based parent company ByteDance, deceived its users by denying that individuals in China had access to their data, and also violated a children’s privacy law, according to the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss a confidential matter."
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/26/biden-administration-tiktok-data-practices-00149139
Next-gen facial robot allegedly predicts human smiles
https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/synced-smiles-next-gen-facial-robot-masters-human-mimicry
Insecure Passwords Rampant Among .Gov Emails
https://spycloud.com/resource/spycloud-annual-identity-exposure-report-2024/
The 2025 Tucson SUV comes equipped with fingerprint scanner
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hyundai-reveals-smarter-more-capable-2025-tucson-suv-at-new-york-international-auto-show-302100700.html
If Wheels Could Talk: Fourth Amendment Protections Against Police Access to Automobile Data
https://www.nyulawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/98-NYU-L-Rev-2232.pdf
New Fourth Traffic Light Would Improve Travel Time for Both Pedestrians and Autonomous Vehicles
https://news.ncsu.edu/2024/03/traffic-signal-pedestrians-vehicles/
We Tested Kids’ Smart Toys for Privacy. Here’s How You Can, Too
https://themarkup.org/privacy/2024/03/28/we-tested-kids-smart-toys-for-privacy-heres-how-you-can-too
Skyflow raises $30M more as AI spikes demand for its privacy business
https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/28/skyflow-raises-30m-ai-spikes-privacy-business/
EPIC Urges the NTIA to Tackle Privacy Harms and Bias
https://epic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/EPIC_Comment_NTIA_Dual_Use_Foundation_Models_with_Appendix.pdf
National Telecommunications and Information Administration's AI Accountability Policy Report
https://www.ntia.gov/issues/artificial-intelligence/ai-accountability-policy-report
US requiring new AI safeguards for government use, transparency
https://www.reuters.com/technology/us-requiring-new-ai-safeguards-government-use-transparency-2024-03-28/
The Supreme Court Abortion Pill Case Is Based on Imaginary Patients and Shoddy Science
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/03/mifepristone-supreme-court/
If Supreme Court Restricts Abortion Pills, Birth Control Could Be Next
https://truthout.org/articles/if-supreme-court-restricts-abortion-pills-birth-control-could-be-next/
Big Pharma Sent Massive Payments to NIH During COVID-19 Pandemic
https://wpde.com/news/nation-world/big-pharma-sent-massive-payments-to-nih-during-covid-pandemic-watchdog-finds-open-the-books-nih-national-institute-of-health-royalty-transparency-act-rand-paul-650-million-dollars-scientist-doctors-federal-employees
Taxpayers were overcharged for patient meds. Then came the lawyers
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/21/us/centene-health-care-fraud.html
Avem Health Partners fined 1.5M for data breach that affected 271K people
UnitedHealth admits to massive data breach
https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/ns/changehealthcare.html
The American Hospital Association asks Health and Human Services to Clarify Data Breach Duties
State & Local Privacy News
VT- Burlington Police report tracking devices found on cars returning from Canada
VT- House unanimously passes Data Privacy Act
https://epic.org/vermont-house-unanimously-passes-vermont-data-privacy-act/
ME- Lawmakers advance data privacy bill after months of debate
MA- Why the state needs more Parole Board members
https://commonwealthbeacon.org/opinion/why-we-need-more-parole-board-members/
PA- LawmakersTo Grant Amnesty To Bars That Violated COVID Lockdown Orders
MD- EPIC Attorney to Testify Again on Privacy Protections for Speed and Red-Light Cameras
https://epic.org/documents/epic-testimony-to-maryland-senate-judicial-proceedings-committee-on-privacy-protections-for-automated-traffic-enforcement-programs/
NC- Flock Safety must seek license for its tech — or face possible ban
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article286951590.html
TN- Senate Passes Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act
KY- Credit Card Data Privacy Bill Passed Into Law
https://www.nraila.org/articles/20240326/kentucky-credit-card-data-privacy-bill-passed-into-law
FL- Rutherford Warns Desantis ‘No Go Zone’ Law Could Chill First Amendment Activity, And Embolden Police Misconduct
“Florida Senate Bill 184, which awaits the governor’s signature or veto, would criminalize approaching or remaining within 25 feet of a police officer or other first responder with an intent to impede or interfere, threaten physical harm, or cause substantial emotional distress in the first responder after having been warned not to approach. An offense is classified as a second-degree misdemeanor which can carry up to 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $500.”
FL- Gov. Desantis signs bill requiring parental consent for kids under 16 to hold social media accounts
FL- New law restricts First Amendment rights online
https://www.thefire.org/news/new-florida-law-restricts-first-amendment-rights-online
OH- Supreme court: Off-duty cops can make traffic stops
https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/4/2024/2024-Ohio-1068.pdf
MN- Lake County Sheriff’s Office purchases 15 Flock Safety license plate readers
https://www.dailyherald.com/20240326/crime/lake-county-sheriffs-office-purchases-15-license-plate-reading-cameras/
IA- State does not recognize state constitutional torts; here excessive force
https://www.iowacourts.gov/courtcases/18786/embed/CourtAppealsOpinion
WI- Disgusted: Milwaukee police union can continue suit over body cam footage policy
TX- DISGUSTED: AG Paxton gets off fraud charges by paying $300k and promising to attend two days ethics training
TX- Searches for VPN services spike in Texas after Pornhub blocked access
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/trending/article/searches-vpn-services-spike-texas-pornhub-blocked-19364806.php
TX- Fort Worth police want 240 Flock Safety license plate readers (they have 217)
https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article286965490.html
CO- The Denver Regional Transportation District Police Department reaches 56 officers, with goal of 119 by year's end
CO- Law enforcement agencies warn against bill that would outlaw prone restraint
Colorado Springs police chief concerned about wording of restraint bill
https://www.fox21news.com/top-stories/cspd-chief-concerned-about-wording-of-restraint-bill/
MT- Lewis and Clark County seeks grant to replace cameras, increase courthouse security
CA- Court Rules North Hollywood Business Owner Not Entitled to Compensation After SWAT Team Destroyed Shop
CA- Capitola Police Want 10 Flock Safety License Plate Readers
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2024/03/27/capitola-to-weigh-license-plate-reading-camera-lease/
WY- Governor Signs Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act into Law
WY- New Law Prohibits Enforcement of Federal Red Flag Laws
OR- EFF Asks Supreme Court Not to Limit Fourth Amendment Rights Based on Terms of Service
WA- State law does not offer cash for reporting hate speech and bias
https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-washington-bill-hate-speech-bias-cash-974358541296
Lawmakers pass bill to create hotline for hate crimes and bias incidents
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/wa-to-establish-hotline-for-hate-crimes-and-bias-incidents/
World Privacy News
Horrifying: Israel Deploys Expansive Facial Recognition Program in Gaza
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/27/technology/israel-facial-recognition-gaza.html
iVALT launches a “Universal Biometric ID“
Sita funds Indicio to help expand digital ID programs
https://www.sita.aero/pressroom/news-releases/sita-takes-the-lead-in-indicio-series-a-funding-round-cementing-a-partnership-delivering-trusted-digital-identity-for-travel/
https://indicio.tech/
WEF Promotes Digital IDs- Metaverse Identity: Defining the Self in a Blended Reality
https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Metaverse_Identity_Defining_the_Self_in_a_Blended_Reality_2024.pdf
DSA, digital IDs take spotlight on protection of minors online
https://www.euractiv.com/section/digital/news/unreleased-document-dsa-identity-wallets-take-spotlight-on-protection-of-minors-online/
EU Data Protection Board "Pay or Okay": 1,500 € a year for your online privacy?
https://noyb.eu/en/pay-or-okay-1500-eu-year-your-online-privacy
The EU is the Real Culprit of Censorship
https://brownstone.org/articles/the-eu-is-the-real-culprit-of-censorship/
Brussels asks Big Tech to counter threats to integrity of European elections
https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-wields-new-tech-law-protect-eu-election/
Serious security breach hits EU Europol
https://www.politico.eu/article/europol-internal-agency-eu-police-agency-engulfed-in-clean-up-over-missing-files/
SWIFT planning launch of new central bank digital currency platform in 12-24 months
https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/swift-planning-launch-new-central-bank-digital-currency-platform-12-24-months-2024-03-25/
World Bank promotes Pakistan’s digital income support program
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099022924085074880/pdf/P17986812db6c301f1afee12f2ecbee7a73.pdf
EU Commission investigates Google, Apple and Meta for non-compliance with Digital Markets Act
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_1689
Poland- Data Protection Authority fined Amazon $8M for misleading customers
https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/amazon-fined-78-mln-by-polish-consumer-watchdog-2024-03-27/
Belgium- Health official caught on secret camera by corporate spies violated government standards
https://www.politico.eu/article/belgium-health-ministry-medista-audit-frank-vandenbroucke-black-cube/
Bulgaria- Sofia Airport Launches Smart Boarding Pass (Facial Recognition) System
https://etias.com/articles/sofia-airport-smart-boarding
France- Government's latest foreign interference bill questions democratic control over surveillance services
https://www.euractiv.com/section/data-privacy/news/frances-latest-foreign-interference-bill-questions-democratic-control-over-surveillance-services/
France- Data Protection Authority publishes a 2024 personal data security guide
https://www.cnil.fr/fr/guide-de-la-securite-des-donnees-personnelles-nouvelle-edition-2024
France- Data Protection Authority publishes 5-year GDPR compliance review
https://www.cnil.fr/fr/violations-de-donnees-personnelles-bilan-de-5-annees-de-rgpd
France- Amazon appeals $34.6M fine by Data Protection Authority over spying on employees
https://www.reuters.com/technology/amazon-appeals-346-mln-fine-by-french-regulator-over-staff-monitoring-2024-03-22/
France- Aiming to make Big Tech cough up for content, the French Competition Authority levies fines
Portugal- National Data Protection Commission suspends Worldcoin's Iris collection practices
UK- Met Police facial recognition cameras result in 17 arrests in south London
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68638348.amp
UK- Uber Eats fined for using facial recognition to ID drivers
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-68655429
UK- Fujitsu To Win Digital ID Contract Despite Past Failures
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/03/23/fujitsu-digital-id-cards-contract-horizon-scandal/
UK- Phantom Parrot review – cautionary tale of state surveillance and the war on privacy
UK- Meet the British lords taking on Big Tech
https://www.politico.eu/article/britain-big-tech-house-of-lords-digital-markets-bill-online-safety-act-dido-harding-chris-holmes-beeban-kidron-tim-clement-jones-maggie-jones/
SCT- Volume of peoples faces held for policing purposes concerning, says Biometrics Commissioner
SCT- Police To Stop Investigating Crimes While Enforcing New Anti-Free Speech Law
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/24/police-scotland-aberdeen-crime-investigation-policy/
IRL- Garda Commissioner wants to hire 18K cops and use facial recognition to ID suspects
Philippines- 85M people have joined government's national digital ID program
Singapore- Data Protection Authority Publishes Advisory Guidelines on Children's Personal Data
https://www.pdpc.gov.sg/-/media/files/pdpc/pdf-files/advisory-guidelines/advisory-guidelines-on-the-pdpa-for-children's-personal-data-in-the-digital-environment.pdf
Thailand- Court acquits 70 protesters who shut down Bangkok's airports in 2008
https://www.foxnews.com/world/thai-court-acquits-70-protesters-shut-down-bangkoks-airports-2008
Gaza- Video Footage Shows IDF Drone Killing Gazans
https://www.commondreams.org/news/palestinians-killed-by-israel
UN Special Rapporteur report on Gaza provides crucial evidence that must spur international action to prevent genocide
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/03/un-special-rapporteur-report-on-gaza-provides-crucial-evidence-that-must-spur-international-action-to-prevent-genocide/
UN Report on Israeli Killing of Journalist in Lebanon
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/03/29/un-report-israeli-killing-journalist-lebanon
South Africa- Data Protection Authority investigations into enforcement of the Protection of Personal Information Act
https://inforegulator.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/MEDIA-BRIEFING-STATEMENT-OF-THE-INFORMATION-REGULATOR-ON-OUTCOMES-ON-COMPLAINTS-ASSESSMENTS.pdf
Yemen- Houthis Sentence Men to Death, By Flogging and Crucifixion
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/03/27/yemen-houthis-sentence-men-death-flogging
Afghanistan- Taliban to publicly flog or stone women to death for adultery
Saudi Arabia- Detained football fans could face up to five years in prison for chanting during match
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/03/saudi-arabia-detained-football-fans-could-face-up-to-five-years-in-prison-for-chanting-during-match/
Saudi Arabia- Data Protection Authority drafts regulations for personal data transfers
https://istitlaa.ncc.gov.sa/en/Transportation/NDMO/Data/Pages/default.aspx
UNODC praises Djibouti police counter-terrorism use of facial recognition
"The purpose of the UNODC-CTED joint project was to provide legal support to Djibouti to draft regulations on the responsible collection, analysis, transfer, and protection of biometric data, in accordance with the rule of law and human rights, and to enhance capacities of the forensics laboratory of the Djiboutian National Police."
https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/terrorism/latest-news/2024-unodc-and-cted-partner-to-assist-djibouti-strengthen-its-normative-framework-on-the-responsible-use-of-biometrics-to-support-rule-of-law-based-criminal-investigations-and-bring-terrorists-to-justice.html
AU- Digital ID Bill passes Senate
https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2024/digital-id-bill-passes-senate.html
AU- WTF? Human Rights Law Center: Police permission for protests would set undemocratic path
https://www.hrlc.org.au/news/2024/03/25/protest-police-permit
AU- Alice Springs Introduces Curfew Ads More Cops
https://www.barrons.com/news/australian-outback-town-introduces-curfew-as-crime-soars-94c5a2bd
Canada- Cybersecurity Minister Attempts to Reassure People About Facial Recognition Car Insurance
https://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/caq-accuses-liberals-of-sowing-confusion-over-facial-recognition-tech
El Salvador- The institutionalization of human rights violations after two years of emergency rule
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/03/el-salvador-two-years-emergency-rule/