U.S. Privacy And World Privacy News

Mass. police apologize after officer searched a middle school for LGBTQ book:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/21/us/gender-queer-memoir-middle-school-police-search-reaj/index.html

https://www.salon.com/2023/12/22/massachusetts-police-department-searches-classroom-for-a-book-over-one-complaint_partner/

AI can find your location in photos, worrying privacy experts:
https://www.npr.org/2023/12/19/1219984002/artificial-intelligence-can-find-your-location-in-photos-worrying-privacy-expert

Shopping app puts a price tag on all your contacts:
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-12-21/flip-shopping-app-price-tag-on-friendships

ACLU Urges the Supreme Court Not to Make it Harder to Bring Retaliatory Arrest Cases:

https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-urges-the-supreme-court-not-to-make-it-harder-to-bring-retaliatory-arrest-cases

EPIC Urges Appeals Court to Reverse Decision That Threatens the Future of Privacy:
https://epic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/EPIC-Amicus-NetChoice-v.-Bonta.pdf

Ex-Marine Sues Gov’t Over Its Demand He Take Down His ‘Fuck The Government’ Sign:

https://www.techdirt.com/2023/12/19/ex-marine-sues-govt-over-its-demand-he-take-down-his-fuck-the-government-sign/

Mr. Cooper, formerly Nationstar Mortgages data breach affects 14M people:

https://gizmodo.com/mr-cooper-mortgage-hacked-data-breach-14-million-users-1851108077

Xfinity data breach affects 36M people:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231218979935/en/Notice-To-Customers-of-Data-Security-Incident/

Yawn: House Committee Grills Shein on Biometric Data Collection, Slave Labor
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/business/money-report/chair-of-powerful-house-committee-pushes-shein-about-data-protections-its-relationship-with-china/4968940/

Real estate database left sensitive data on celebrity homes unprotected:
https://www.dailydot.com/debug/real-estate-database-leak-exposes-celebrities-politicians-addresses/?amp

Latest Wave of Wiretap Class Actions Continues Despite Dismissals as Plaintiffs Try New Approaches:
https://privacylaw.proskauer.com/2023/12/articles/privacy-litigation/privacy-class-action-spotlight-latest-wave-of-wiretap-class-actions-continues-despite-dismissals-as-plaintiffs-try-new-approaches/

Dead People Fingerprint Sales Inspire Novel Florida Privacy Bill:

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/florida-tests-waters-for-privacy-law-with-focus-on-dead-people

Disney’s “Generation Stream” reveals how the company use geotargeting and age/gender targeting of customers and families:
https://insights.disneyadvertising.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Generation-Stream-VolumeOne.pdf

Tennessee AG Skrmetti Slaps BlackRock with Lawsuit for Allegedly Harming Consumers:
https://tennesseestar.com/justice/tennessee-ag-skrmetti-slaps-blackrock-with-lawsuit-for-allegedly-harming-consumers/admin/2023/12/18/

How Strangers Got My Email Address From ChatGPT:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/12/22/technology/openai-chatgpt-privacy-exploit.html

Mindsift (NH) Brags About Using Smart Device Microphone Audio to Target Ads on Their Podcast:
https://www.404media.co/mindsift-brags-about-using-smart-device-microphone-audio-to-target-ads-on-their-podcast/

Huntington Beach proposes ban on Pride, Black and women’s history celebrations:
https://www.ocregister.com/2023/12/20/monthly-heritage-identity-celebrations-in-huntington-beach-will-be-replaced-with-focus-on-citys-history/

Nearly 700 books have been removed from classroom libraries in Florida:
https://www.npr.org/2023/12/21/1221040451/nearly-700-books-have-been-removed-from-classroom-libraries-in-one-florida-count

FTC Proposes Rules to Strengthen Children’s Privacy Law:
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/12/ftc-proposes-strengthening-childrens-privacy-rule-further-limit-companies-ability-monetize-childrens
FTC suggests new rules to shift parents’ burden of protecting kids to websites:
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/12/ftc-moves-to-block-platforms-from-making-money-off-data-of-children/

Congress Made a Lot of Noise About Kids’ Privacy in 2023—and Not Much Else:
https://www.wired.com/story/us-congress-children-privacy-reform-2023/

The Obscure Google Deal That Defines America’s Broken Privacy Protections
https://www.wired.com/story/google-consent-decree-ftc-broken-privacy-protections/

Google to pay $700M to US states, consumers in app store settlement:
https://apnews.com/article/google-android-play-store-apps-antitrust-settlement-e4e2f422baa846c66deac90c7866c5fd

DISGUSTED: Google Urges Judge To Throw Out Privacy Suit By Online Tax Filers
https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/391988/google-urges-judge-to-throw-out-privacy-suit-by-on.html

EPIC Urges Appeals Court to Rebuff Google’s “Notice and Choice” Defense in Browser Tracking Suit:
https://epic.org/epic-urges-ninth-circuit-to-rebuff-googles-notice-and-choice-defense-in-browser-tracking-suit/

Former Google CEO Urges Social Media to Verify Users, Block VPNs, and Watermark AI Deepfakes:
https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/12/15/1085441/eric-schmidt-plan-for-fighting-election-misinformation/

How Google’s co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have ‘escaped all scrutiny’
https://nypost.com/2023/12/18/business/how-larry-page-sergey-brin-escaped-all-scrutiny-in-google-antitrust-trials/

CEO of Gig-work Surveillance Firm Resigns

Microsoft must face privacy class action over Kaiser website data:

https://www.courthousenews.com/microsoft-must-face-privacy-class-action-over-kaiser-website-data/

Microsoft 365 Copilot is here. What are the legal risks of using it?

"Microsoft says it captures and may access your Copilot prompts and outputs for 30 days. It operates an abuse monitoring system to review that material for violations of its code of conduct and other applicable product terms. Microsoft says its customers with special needs regarding inputs containing sensitive, confidential, or legally regulated input data can apply to Microsoft for an exemption from this abuse monitoring."
https://richmond.com/zzstyling/column/microsoft-365-copilot-is-here-what-are-the-legal-risks-of-using-it/article_9004342e-9f9c-11ee-9b82-df3d9f4cc1df.html

Amazon under fire for selling hidden cameras disguised as ordinary objects:
https://www.foxnews.com/tech/amazon-under-fire-for-selling-hidden-cameras-disguised-as-ordinary-objects.amp

Amazon Warehouse Told Workers With Financial Hardship to Write to Its Mascot:

https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-warehouse-workers-financial-hardship-write-mascot-peccy-report-2023-12

Utah Supreme Court Upholds Right to Refuse to Tell Cops Your Passcode:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/victory-utah-supreme-court-upholds-right-refuse-tell-cops-your-passcode

WTF? Verizon Gave Her Data to a Stalker. ‘This Has Completely Changed My Life’

https://www.404media.co/verizon-gave-her-data-to-a-stalker-this-has-completely-changed-my-life/

This Smart Cane Makes Calls and Tracks Your Activity:

https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/this-smart-cane-makes-calls-and-tracks-your-activity/

Tesla blamed drivers for failures of parts it long knew were defective:

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/tesla-musk-steering-suspension/

Lawmakers want details on the funding methods and oversight of NIST’s AI Safety Institute:

https://democrats-science.house.gov/imo/media/doc/2023-12-14_AISI%20scientific%20merit_final-signed.pdf

Texas and Oregon Adopt New Rules for Data Broker Laws:

https://www.wilmerhale.com/en/insights/blogs/WilmerHale-Privacy-and-Cybersecurity-Law/20231214-texas-and-oregon-adopt-new-rules-for-data-broker-laws

Humana using AI tool with 90 percent error rate to deny care, lawsuit claims:

https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/12/humana-also-using-ai-tool-with-90-error-rate-to-deny-care-lawsuit-claims/

Here's Why You'll Hear About a Lot More Data Breaches in 2024:

https://gizmodo.com/sec-rule-cyber-security-data-breach-cfo-reporting-days-1851114300

Georgia supreme court: A court order for medical records by statute requires probable cause
https://www.gasupreme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/s23a1158.pdf

Seattle Hospital sues after Texas AG asks for handover of patient records:

https://news.yahoo.com/seattle-hospital-sues-texas-attorney-180707303.html

Delta Dental of California data breach affects 7M people:

https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/health-and-medicine/article283100123.html

State & Local Privacy News

ME- Probate courts ripe for reform:
https://themainemonitor.org/probate-courts-ripe-for-reform/

ME- BS Warning: Courts shut off online records access over security concerns:
https://themainemonitor.org/maine-courts-disable-online-records/

ME- DISGUSTED: L.L. Bean fights state's comprehensive data privacy bill

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/18/ll-bean-joins-the-national-privacy-wars-00132120

VA- Fairfax County Public Schools Urged to Toughen Privacy Safeguards After Data Probe:
https://www.the74million.org/article/fairfax-district-urged-to-clean-up-student-privacy-protections/

Ohio- Court Suspends Unconstitutional Fee That Violates Motorists’ Right to Due Process:

https://ij.org/press-release/ohio-municipal-court-suspends-unconstitutional-fee-that-violates-motorists-right-to-due-process/

MI- Bill Would End Unconstitutional National Guard Deployments:

https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2023/12/michigan-bill-set-foundation-to-end-unconstitutional-national-guard-deployments/

MN- Yawn: Lawmakers changed the law to make police release more body cam footage
https://minnesotareformer.com/2023/12/20/minnesota-lawmakers-changed-the-law-to-make-police-release-more-body-camera-footage/

MS- Anonymous call shuts down Rapid Analytics cannabis testing lab accused of not conducting proper procedure for pesticides:
https://www.mississippifreepress.org/38538/nightmare-scenario-msdh-places-hold-on-rapid-analytics-tested-medical-cannabis-products

IA- Privacy experts concerned over license plate reader expansion:
https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/license-plate-reading-cameras-becoming-more-common-in-iowa/

MO- Bill Would End Police Qualified Immunity:
https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2023/12/missouri-bill-would-create-state-process-to-end-police-qualified-immunity/

KS- DISGUSTED:  ACLU request to halt excessive wait times at Larned State Hospital turned down by judge
https://kansasreflector.com/2023/12/19/kansas-aclu-request-to-halt-excessive-wait-times-at-larned-turned-down-by-judge/

NM- Courts to reinstate First Amendment public access:
https://www.courthousenews.com/new-mexico-courts-to-reinstate-first-amendment-public-access/

UT- Women Trying to Report Sexual Assaults to Police Faced Delays and Language Barriers:

https://www.propublica.org/article/utah-women-tried-to-report-their-sexual-assaults-to-police-they-say-they-faced-delays-and-language-barriers

UT- NetChoice sues AG over new social media laws:

https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2023/12/18/utah-faces-new-lawsuit-over-social/

UT- Charter schools want student data from school districts — so they can advertise to families:

https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2023/12/19/utah-public-schools-may-soon-share/

NV- Judge denies Review-Journal motion to dismiss police union lawsuit:

https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/courts/judge-denies-review-journal-motion-to-dismiss-union-lawsuit-2969530/
https://www.courthousenews.com/las-vegas-newspaper-cant-shake-police-union-suit-over-undercover-videos/

World Privacy News

New biometric border system for entering the EU finally gets 2024 launch date:

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/eu-ees-launch-date-2024-b2465741.html

Herta: Transforming Security with Cutting-Edge EU-Recognized Facial Recognition
"FUTURE’s revolutionary approach to security technology incorporates three core pillars: Video Surveillance on the Edge, Crowd Behavior Analysis, and Face Recognition of Suspects and Terrorists."
https://hertasecurity.com/news/future-transforming-security-with-cutting-edge-eu-recognized-excellence/

Regula and ICTS Europe Systems work together to accelerate passenger digital IDs:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231219902938/en/Regula-and-ICTS-Europe-Systems-Automate-and-Accelerate-Passenger-ID-Processing-in-New-Tech-Collaboration

EU Parliament Supports Granting Access to Sensitive Health Data Without Asking Patients:
https://www.patrick-breyer.de/en/european-health-data-space-eu-parliament-opposes-mandatory-electronic-patient-records-for-all-citizens-but-supports-granting-access-to-sensitive-health-data-without-asking-patients/

Worldcoin is no longer offering iris scanning verification in India, Brazil and France:
https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/20/worldcoin-is-no-longer-offering-orb-verification-in-india-brazil-and-france/

CIPL: Understanding Privacy-Enhancing and Privacy- Preserving Technologies

https://www.informationpolicycentre.com/uploads/5/7/1/0/57104281/cipl-understanding-pets-and-ppts-dec2023.pdf

EU Commission opens formal proceedings against X under the Digital Services Act:

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_6709

Russia- UN human rights expert concerned over disappearance of Alexei Navalny:

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/12/russia-navalnys-enforced-disappearance-raises-grave-concerns-un-expert

Poland- Pro-EU Govt Seizes Public News Channels In Massive Police Raid:

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/polish-public-media-chiefs-dismissed-news-channel-stops-broadcasting-2023-12-20/

Spain- Thales Group delivers the new integrated surveillance system to Melilla's Command Headquarters:

https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/countries-europe/spain/press_release/thales-delivers-new-integrated-surveillance-system-melillas

UK- Guantánamo prisoner can sue government, supreme court rules:

https://www.theguardian.com/law/2023/dec/20/guantanamo-prisoner-can-sue-uk-government-supreme-court-rules

UK- Police Could Run Facial Recognition Search on 50M Driving License Records:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/dec/20/police-to-be-able-to-run-face-recognition-searches-on-50m-driving-licence-holders

UK- Regulating police facial recognition in public spaces:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-law-journal/article/regulating-use-by-law-enforcement-authorities-of-live-facial-recognition-technology-in-public-spaces-an-incremental-approach/AC209366CAD49EA97CBB5B9FF760F20F

UK- Family of man who died after police restraint seek ‘full and genuine apology’

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/exeter-devon-and-cornwall-police-county-hall-ipcc-health-and-safety-b1128776.html

UK- Google receives certificate of conformity for facial age estimation

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/12/15/google-develops-selfie-scanning-block-children-porn/

UK- Yoti's facial age estimation white paper:

https://www.yoti.com/blog/yoti-age-estimation-white-paper/

UK- Greater Manchester Police drowning in paperwork as Freedom of Information requests pile up:
https://www.theregister.com/2023/12/20/greater_manchester_police_foi/

UK- Military Surveillance Files:
https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/2023/12/released-military-surveillance-files/

UK- ICO Response to Data Protection and Digital Information Bill:
https://ico.org.uk/media/about-the-ico/consultation-responses/4027809/dpdi-commissioner-further-response-231218.pdf

UK- Supreme Court Says AI Can't Patent Inventions:
https://www.reuters.com/technology/ai-cannot-be-patent-inventor-uk-supreme-court-rules-landmark-case-2023-12-20/

Malaysia- Government to have 10M people using national digital IDs buy April 2024:
https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/694124

Indonesia- City of Nusantara hires Thales Group to create spying smart city:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Thales-aims-for-smart-city-development-in-Indonesia-s-new-capital

China- The government's judicial system is becoming even more secretive:

https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/12/20/1085741/china-judgements-online-transparency-government/

China- Government issues draft contingency plan for data breach incidents:

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-issues-draft-emergency-plan-data-security-incidents-2023-12-15/

Hong Kong- Privacy Commissioner's Office Publishes Two Investigation Reports:

https://www.pcpd.org.hk/english/news_events/media_statements/press_20231221.html

Vietnam- Bedroom camera footage hacked, sold online:

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/crime/thousands-of-private-camera-footages-from-bedrooms-hacked-sold-online-4688865.html

Thailand- Nightclubs in Phuket use facial recognition app to ID underage visitors:
https://www.pattayamail.com/thailandnews/entertainment-venues-in-phuket-use-app-to-check-underage-visitors-447643

Myanmar- Military should be investigated for war crimes:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/12/myanmar-military-should-be-investigated-for-war-crimes-in-response-to-operation-1027/

India- Government passes telecom law paving the way for Musk’s Starlink amid privacy concerns:
https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/21/india-telecom-bill-starlink-privacy-concerns/

Burundi- Government to issue biometric ID cards for use in elections:
https://bnnbreaking.com/politics/elections/biometric-id-cards-burundis-initiative-to-curtail-fraud-ahead-of-2025-elections/

Israel- Military Censor Bans Reporting on These 8 Subjects:
https://theintercept.com/2023/12/23/israel-military-idf-media-censor/

Canada- Quebec Data Protection Authority guidelines for drafting privacy notices:
https://www.cai.gouv.qc.ca/documents/CAI_GU_Pol_Confidentialite.pdf

Honduras- World Bank loans the government $40M to create national digital ID program for 1.3M children:
https://reliefweb.int/report/honduras/honduras-strengthen-its-civil-registry-and-identification-systems-and-facilitate-access-services-world-bank-support

Argentina- President Milei's New Anti-Protest Measures Are Put to the Test:
https://reason.com/2023/12/20/mileis-new-anti-protest-measures-are-put-to-the-test/

Brazil- Burger King turns hangovers into discounts with facial recognition:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/burger-king-turns-hangovers-discounts-093100384.html