U.S. Privacy And World Privacy News
Judge holds veteran journalist in civil contempt for refusing to divulge source from 7 years ago
"A federal judge held veteran investigative reporter Catherine Herridge in civil contempt on Thursday for refusing to divulge her source for a 2017 series of Fox News stories about a Chinese American scientist who was investigated by the FBI but never charged."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/catherine-herridge-held-civil-contempt-refusing-divulge-source/
White House proposes banning sale of personal data to China
https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/28/white_house_sensitive_data/
White House Issues Executive Order to Protect Americans’ Sensitive Personal Data
Biden’s new data security order leaves industry officials, privacy advocates scratching their heads
“I’m sure that foreign adversaries are using our information … just like we’re seeing our own government use our information in ways that we do not like and we’re seeing domestic, private companies use our information in ways that we may not like,” said Cody Venzke, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union.
https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2024/03/bidens-new-data-security-order-leaves-industry-officials-privacy-advocates-scratching-their-heads/394622/
Their States Banned Abortion. Doctors Now Say They Can't Give Women Potential Lifesaving Care
https://www.propublica.org/article/abortion-doctor-decisions-hospital-committee
Police Bodycam Shows Hunt for 'Obscene' Books at Library
https://www.404media.co/email/b3d9cb53-c0fa-43fc-b824-a302be50bb95/
How the Government Used ‘Track F’ to Fund Censorship Tools
Supreme Court torn over Florida, Texas laws regulating social media
https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-supreme-court-weigh-florida-texas-laws-constraining-social-media-companies-2024-02-26/
Big Tech Censorship Goes to the Supreme Court
"Florida and Texas want government to police free speech on social-media platforms. That never turns out well and it violates the First Amendment."
https://www.wsj.com/articles/big-tech-censorship-goes-to-the-supreme-court-texas-florida-twitter-netchoice-8a30dc3d
Supreme Court justices express free speech concerns about GOP-backed social media laws
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-weighs-free-speech-challenges-gop-backed-social-media-re-rcna140180
When Corporations Serve As a Front for Government Censors
https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/technocensorship_when_corporations_serve_as_a_front_for_government_censors
Can Top NYPD Officials Pick a Fight with Someone on Social Media and Then Delete the Posts?
https://hellgatenyc.com/top-nypd-officials-pick-a-social-media-fight-and-then-delete-the-posts
National Speech Index shows a mixed bag for free speech
https://www.thefire.org/news/first-national-speech-index-shows-mixed-bag-free-speech
Privacy Warning: Automotive industry poised to become digital identity stewards
"Consumers have been satiated with functionality like Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto, which offer plug-and-play access to internet connectivity, maps and music apps on vehicle dashboards. However, these free offerings have largely been about learning how drivers and passengers interact with apps in an automotive environment. Automakers have begun taking the next step of taking this knowledge and integrating smart functionality directly into the car’s official OS. At CES, Mercedes-Benz touted its new integrated MBUX virtual assistant and native integration of a range of third-party apps, such as Booking.com Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Antstream Arcade and many more."
https://www.automotiveworld.com/articles/automakers-poised-to-become-digital-identity-stewards/
Mercedes Says Customers Want to Talk to Their Car Like a Friend
https://www.thedrive.com/news/mercedes-says-customers-want-their-car-to-talk-to-them-like-a-friend
Google Gemini caught creating fake book reviews defending Google
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/google-gemini-invented-fake-reviews-smearing-my-book-about-big-techs-political-biases
Amazon coffee machine camera at warehouse raises privacy concerns
https://sahanjournal.com/business-work/amazon-coffee-machine-camera-surveillance/
BNSF Railway to pay $75M to resolve biometric privacy class-action
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/bnsf-railway-pay-75-mln-resolve-biometric-privacy-class-action-2024-02-27/
Visa Applies for Biometric Payment Authentication Patent
https://www.thedailyupside.com/technology/visa-takes-biometrics-on-the-go-without-privacy-issues
Credit Card Issuer Price-Gouging Over Last Decade
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/credit-card-interest-rate-margins-at-all-time-high/
Capital One Takeover of Discover: More Predatory Credit Card Interest Rates and Junk Fees
Privacy class action over unauthorized voiceprint collection to proceed against Meta
https://www.courthousenews.com/privacy-class-action-over-unauthorized-voiceprint-collection-to-proceed-against-meta/
A poster’s guide to who’s selling your data to train AI
https://www.vox.com/technology/24086039/reddit-tumblr-wordpress-whos-selling-your-data-to-train-ai
Big Tech’s Roaring Profit Machine Eases Fears of Rally Reversal
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/big-tech-s-roaring-profit-machine-eases-fears-of-rally-reversal/ar-BB1iYrFt
US to investigate if Chinese cars pose national data security risks
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/us-says-investigate-national-security-data-risks-chinese-vehicles-2024-02-29/
GEICO’s ‘Eye-Popping’ 2023 Insurance Profits
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2024/02/26/762172.htm
BS Warning: TAG Launches "Project Brand Integrity 2.0"
https://www.tagtoday.net/pressreleases/tag-launches-pbi2.0
WTF? Wendy’s to test surge pricing based on demand, time of day
https://www.today.com/food/restaurants/wendys-surge-pricing-rcna140601
NIST Publishes the Cybersecurity Framework 2.0
https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/CSWP/NIST.CSWP.29.pdf
Prescription drug market in disarray as ransomware gang attacks
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/03/01/prescription-drug-hack-alphv/
Concentra Health Services data breach affects 13M people
https://www.concentra.com/about-us/notice-of-data-security-event/
Keenan & Associates data breach affects 1.5M people
Plaza Radiology data breach affects 569K people
https://www.chattanoogan.com/2024/1/24/481596/Cyberattack-Impacts-Radiology-569000.aspx
Columbus Regional Healthcare System data breach affects 133K people
UnitedHealth hit by ransomware attack
Singing River Health System sued over 2023 data breach
https://www.wlox.com/2024/02/02/lawsuits-filed-against-singing-river-health-system-2023-cyberattack/
State & Local Privacy News
Comparison of State Privacy Laws Data Protection Assessments
How state “privacy” laws fail to protect privacy and what they can do better
https://epic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/EPIC-USPIRG-State-of-Privacy.pdf
ME- Judge orders trial for ACLU’s suit against state’s indigent defense system
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/28/judge-again-rejects-settlement-agreement-over-maines-indigent-defense-system/
RI- House Committee Holds Hearing on Bill to Limit Stingray Surveillance
NY- NYPD Turns Minor Parking Violations Into A String Of Rights Violations
https://www.techdirt.com/2024/02/28/court-turning-a-minor-parking-violation-into-a-string-of-rights-violations-is-a-great-way-to-lose-your-evidence/
NY- Senate Committee Passes Bill to End Civil Asset Forfeiture
MD- House Committee Holds Hearing on Bill to Limit “No-Knock” Warrants
VA- State lawmakers quietly killed a bill to limit campaign donations
On Friday morning, a freshman Republican delegate voiced an unusually blunt opinion on why Virginia lawmakers are still finding it so difficult to pass a law stopping them from spending donors’ money on themselves. “We want people to trust us when we ask for money,” Sen. Jennifer Boysko said. “It’s a commonsense transparency bill.”
https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2024/02/virginia-legislature-killed-a-bill-to-limit-campaign-donations
https://virginiamercury.com/2024/02/23/senate-bill-on-personal-use-of-campaign-cash-heads-to-house-panel-that-killed-it-before/
KY- House Passes Bill to Limit License Plate Data Retention
"The proposed law also makes using drones for illegal surveillance illegal, which would include drones equipped with AI-powered facial recognition or other biometric identification technologies. Flying a drone over private property to record residents going about their daily lives would violate a reasonable expectation of privacy, according to the legislation. There are exceptions built in for utility inspections, cargo delivery, search warrants, and other authorized drone operations. Victims of violations could sue for damages under the bill."
https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2024/02/kentucky-house-passes-bill-to-limit-alpr-data-retention-help-block-national-license-plate-tracking-program/
https://babl.ai/kentucky-bill-seeks-to-regulate-ai-technologies-impacting-privacy/
FL- Gov. DeSantis Is Trying To Clean Up His Book-Banning History
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/opinion-ron-desantis-book-banning-florida_n_65e12254e4b013678e148fcb
FL- For second straight year, lawmakers consider bills targeting defamation law
https://www.rcfp.org/fla-defamation-analysis-2024/
OH- Kettering police to increase Flock Safety license plate readers by 300%
"Kettering is one of more than a dozen area cities using stationary license plate readers. It plans to take the concept mobile as that capability will be part of 30 in-cruiser cameras set to be installed this spring."
https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/more-police-mobile-license-plate-readers-coming-as-kettering-plans-cams/ISAJCCKJ2ZHWFFS3MQ2KDPXHPI/
OH- DOT officials get approval to fly oversized drone over highway
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/02/whats-that-in-the-sky-ohio-transportation-officials-gets-approval-to-fly-oversized-drone-over-highway.html
OH- Dayton police to purchase 20 Flock Safety License plate readers
https://www.daytondailynews.com/community/lebanon-considering-license-plate-reader-use-by-police/F2FGFTRCARCFRFOX3I6JSTGJ5Y/
OH- Lebanon police to purchase 20 Flock Safety License plate readers
https://www.daytondailynews.com/community/lebanon-considering-license-plate-reader-use-by-police/F2FGFTRCARCFRFOX3I6JSTGJ5Y/
IL- Secretary of state wants to create digital IDs
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2024/02/27/secretary-alexi-giannoulias-digital-drivers-licenses-ids-in-illinois-bill
WI- WTF? Judge dismisses Senate from audio surveillance in public hallways lawsuit
https://www.apg-wi.com/news/state/in-partial-victory-for-green-bay-federal-judge-dismisses-senate-from-audio-surveillance-lawsuit/article_36e3c49a-c521-577e-bc43-5e14fb65829f.html
WI- GOP Senate Candidate Waged 25-Year Battle Campaign to Kill a Beloved Dive Bar
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/wisconsin-senate-candidate-eric-hovde-dive-bar-1234975966/
MO- State Law Prevents Pregnant Women From Getting Divorced—Even If They’re Victims of Domestic Violence
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/missouri-law-prevents-pregnant-women-from-getting-divorced
MO- AG suing Planned Parenthood for ‘taking minors out of state to obtain abortions’
https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article286073731.html
MO- Bill Would Ban Warrantless Geofencing
https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2024/02/missouri-bill-would-ban-warrantless-reverse-location-tracking/
MO- Fulton City police to install Flock Safety license-plate readers
https://www.komu.com/news/midmissourinews/city-of-fulton-will-install-license-plate-readers-to-help-solve-crimes/article_19f1a0d0-d5f4-11ee-bd6e-dfc0e3e90c74.html
NE- Sate Enacts Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Privacy Law
MT- Judge declares 3 laws restricting abortion unconstitutional
https://www.npr.org/2024/02/29/1235084997/montana-judge-declares-3-laws-restricting-abortion-unconstitutional
TX- Uvalde Parent Arrested For Saying 'F**k' At County Meeting
https://foxsanantonio.com/newsletter-daily/uvalde-shooting-victims-father-arrested-after-confrontation-at-commissioners-court-texas-police-sheriff-investigation-robb-elementary-verbal
TX- AG Sues Pornhub, Claiming It’s Ignoring Age Verification Law
https://www.404media.co/texas-sues-pornhub-claiming-its-ignoring-age-verification-law/
AZ- AG sues landlords over apartment rent hikes
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2024/02/28/arizona-attorney-general-sues-landlords-over-apartment-rent-hikes/72599827007
NV- AG sues to deny kids access to Meta's Messenger
https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/26/nevada_meta_encryption/
CA- Judge rules state ban on ‘billy clubs’ unconstitutional, AG appeals
CA- Judge: DOJ Violated the Second Amendment by Disarming People Based on Nullified Convictions
WA- GOP Hatched a Secret Assault on the Voting Rights Act
OR- Outrage Erupts as Democrats Move to Recriminalize Drugs
“It is a visceral reaction to visible homelessness combined with fearmongering ‘law and order’ narratives,” said Sandy Chung, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon said.
https://truthout.org/articles/outrage-erupts-in-oregon-as-democrats-move-to-recriminalize-drugs/
World Privacy News
Global freedom drops sharply in 2023
https://news.yahoo.com/global-freedom-drops-sharply-2023-052430571.html
https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2024-02/FIW_2024_DigitalBooklet.pdf
Chinese Hackers are stealing facial biometrics to access victims’ bank accounts
https://venturebeat.com/security/face-off-attackers-are-stealing-biometrics-to-access-victims-bank-accounts/
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gadgets-news/criminals-stealing-iphone-android-users-facial-data-what-google-has-to-say/articleshow/107782283.cms
Worldcoin Competitor Finds Financing For Palm-Based Global ID
https://cryptodaily.co.uk/news-in-crypto/observers:worldcoin-competitor-finds-financing-for-palm-based-global-id
DISGUSTED: Bill Gates Praises India’s National Digital ID System as a Model for Other Nations
https://www.gatesnotes.com/India-is-changing-the-world-with-innovation
Google hit with €2.1B lawsuit from more than 30 European media companies
https://www.politico.eu/article/32-european-media-groups-claim-e2-1-billion-from-google/
Complaint claims LinkedIn is violating DSA ad targeting restrictions
https://edri.org/our-work/civil-society-complaint-raises-concern-that-linkedin-is-violating-dsa-ad-targeting-restrictions/
European Parliament adopts transparency rules for political advertising
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240223IPR18071/parliament-adopts-new-transparency-rules-for-political-advertising
EU To Ban Repairs On Cars Older Than 15 Years
https://www.wheels-alive.co.uk/eu-plans-to-restrict-repairs-on-older-vehicles
Russia- Human rights activist Oleg Orlov gets 2 1/2 years in prison for criticizing war
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-orlov-nobel-sentenced-8539517d8b2c846706607584ba5f9bbb
Russia- ‘We Are Being Punished for Daring to Criticize the Authority’
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/03/oleg-orlov-russian-activist-memorial/677619/
Poland- FREENOW and Regula use facial recognition to ID taxi drivers
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240220785402/en/FREENOW-Elevates-Security-Standards-in-Polish-Ride-Hailing-Services-with-Regula-Identity-Verification-Solutions
France- Government rolls out national digital ID program
https://www.connexionfrance.com/article/French-news/French-driving-licence-mobile-app-lets-you-keep-original-at-home
UK- Human rights organization Liberty challenges legality of restrictions on protest
https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/issue/government-broke-law-with-new-protest-powers-court-told/
UK- Government Is GPS-Tagging Thousands of Migrants
https://www.wired.com/story/gps-tags-migrants/
Home Office pilot that put ankle tags on migrants ‘breached data protection law’
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/home-office-pilot-put-ankle-000100647.html
UK- ICO Orders Companies to Cease Using Facial Recognition and Fingerprint Scanners
https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2024/02/ico-orders-serco-leisure-to-stop-using-facial-recognition-technology/
UK- Petition: The End of Privacy in Public (Facial Recognition)
https://action.privacyinternational.org/node/129
UK- Government Minister Defends Counter Disinformation Unit
https://freespeechunion.org/uk-minister-defends-governments-rebranded-counter-disinformation-unit
UK- Police ‘mounted surveillance op’ after journalists’ arrest in bid to find source
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/police-mounted-surveillance-op-journalists-153827569.html
UK- Leeds cop made unlawful searches on people she knew
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/crime/leeds-officer-used-police-systems-to-make-unlawful-searches-on-people-she-knew-without-a-policing-purpose-4530063
UK- Cops visit school of 'wrong person’s child,' mix up victims and suspects
https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/01/west_midlands_police_data_protection/
UK- Russell Group universities: “the most qualified person should get the job” is a “microaggression”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/23/russell-group-universities-microaggressions-guidance-caf/
UK- FCC and ICO sign MoU to protect customer data
https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-ico-strengthen-privacy-and-robocall-enforcement-partnership
IRL- Police arrested journalists as part of surveillance operation to identify confidential sources
https://news.yahoo.com/trevor-birney-barry-mccaffrey-court-112853037.html
IRL- Gardaí to spend €2.1M on trial run of body cams
https://www.thejournal.ie/gardai-body-worn-cameras-trial-6294006-Feb2024/
India- Logsafe to use CyberLink's facial recognition to ID Human Resource's customers
“It is exciting to see our facial recognition technology being used in new ways,” said Mei Guu, President of CyberLink Business Unit 2. “Not only is facial recognition used in access control, but with our partner Logsafe we are seeing a new and improved way to take classroom attendance and focus more time in the classroom on learning. It's quite exciting!”
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240227607565/en/Logsafe-HRMS-Integrates-FaceMe%C2%AE-to-Power-Facial-Recognition-Time-and-Attendance
Head of Innovation at Visa Asia Pacific: Scanning your palm to pay could be a reality in Singapore one day
Vietnam- Government considers using FaceID to ID at border
https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/vietnam-considers-using-faceid-for-immigration-procedures-4714967.html
Turkey- Interior Minister all cops will be equipped with facial recognition body cams
https://bianet.org/haber/yerlikaya-all-police-officers-will-be-equipped-with-cameras-292501
Tiko Africa seeks partner for voice recognition project in Kenya
"Tiko Africa is looking to source a partner to conduct the collection of voice samples at Tiko clinics, Tiko pharmacies and households in Kenya. The voice collected shall assist Tiko Africa to solve 3 needs for our business."
https://reliefweb.int/job/4040422/request-proposal-tiko-voice-collection
Nigeria- The National Identity Management Commission wants 124M people to use national digital ID program
https://leadership.ng/nimc-targets-124m-nins-registration-by-2024/
Ethiopia- French journalist arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to ‘create chaos’
https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20240226-french-journalist-covering-african-union-summit-detained-in-ethiopia
Canada- Toronto officers admit misconduct for arrest, Tasering of young Black man in case of 'mistaken identity
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/police-misconduct-taser-arrest-black-man-1.7126763
Canada- BS Warning: Police federation praises Manitoba bail reform plan
Canada- Montreal police spending keeps surging over budget. What are we paying for?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-police-budget-canadian-cities-1.7062604
Canada- The Office of the Privacy Commissioner investigates Global Affairs Canada data breach
https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/opc-news/news-and-announcements/2024/an_240226/
Brazil- Government used Serpo facial recognition to ID G20 delegates
https://www.g20.org/en/news/facial-recognition-technology-is-available-for-use-by-g20-delegates