Federal Privacy Law Has Momentum, but There’s a Catch:
"The bill also prevents states from passing additional privacy laws that are stronger than the protections in the act."
https://themarkup.org/newsletter/hello-world/federal-privacy-law-has-momentum-but-theres-a-catch
RCFP and Pulitzer Center launch partnership to support journalists reporting on AI, surveillance:
https://www.rcfp.org/pulitzer-center-partnership-ai-reporting/
Twitter Stops Censoring The Epoch Times Following Outcry:
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/twitter-censors-all-content-epoch-times
Florida Power & Light secretly took over a news site to bash critics:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/powerbrokers-how-fpl-secretly-took-over-a-florida-news-site-and-used-it-to-bash-critics/ar-AAZXKAy
US power companies secretly spending millions to protect profits and fight clean energy:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/27/leaked-us-leaked-power-companies-spending-profits-stop-clean-energy
Feds working to uncover full scope of PACER court system data breach:
https://www.courthousenews.com/feds-working-to-uncover-full-scope-of-court-system-data-breach/
PA School District Enacts One of ‘Strictest’ Book Bans Yet:
https://www.thedailybeast.com/central-bucks-school-district-enacts-one-of-strictest-book-bans-yet-after-raucous-meeting
Texas kids read prohibited books at 'Banned Camp'
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/texas-kids-read-prohibited-books-banned-camp-rcna39907
ACLU Picks Its Side, And It’s Not Free Speech:
https://blog.simplejustice.us/2022/07/28/aclu-picks-its-side-and-its-not-free-speech/
New bill aims to make digital ID pervasive in the US:
https://reclaimthenet.org/new-bill-aims-to-make-digital-id-pervasive-in-the-united-states/
1 in 4 Homeowners Admit They Use Security Cameras to Spy on Neighbors:
https://www.studyfinds.org/homeowners-spy-on-neighbors/
https://www.vivint.com/resources/article/most-shocking-things-on-security-cameras
Supreme Court could decide whether police need warrant to search abandoned cell phones:
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/supreme-court-could-decide-whether-police-need-warrant-to-search-abandoned-cell-phones
Supreme Court Asked To Deny Qualified Immunity To County Engineer Who Decided Entrapment Was The Best Use Of Taxpayer Money:
Dozens of Data Brokers Are Selling Pregnancy Data:
https://gizmodo.com/data-brokers-selling-pregnancy-roe-v-wade-abortion-1849148426
South Carolina Bill Would Criminalize Sharing Abortion Info Online:
Kansas GOP Seeks to Remove Abortion Rights From State Constitution in Primaries:
BS Warning: Google Urged To Curb Data Collection, Protect Users From 'Creative Prosecutors'
Republican AGs Warn Google Against Curbing Links To Anti-Abortion Centers:
https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/375951/republican-ags-warn-google-against-curbing-links-t.html
Google is full of Ex-CIA agents:
https://www.mintpressnews.com/national-security-search-engine-google-ranks-cia-agents/281490/
The federal FOIA backlog continued to grow last year:
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/agency-oversight/2022/07/the-foia-backlog-continued-to-grow-last-year/
https://www.justice.gov/oip/page/file/1521211/download
Feds won’t prosecute Uber for covering up 2016 data breach:
https://www.courthousenews.com/feds-wont-prosecute-uber-for-covering-up-2016-data-breach/
How big is the risk that someone will hack an EV charging network?
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2022/07/ev-charging-networks-create-a-tempting-target-for-cyberattacks/
T-Mobile To Pay $500M For 2021 Data Breach That Affected 76M People:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/22/business/t-mobile-hacking-settlement.html
Judge approves TikTok's $92M class-action for selling users private info:
https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/tiktok-privacy-settlement.pdf
JusTalk stored millions of user messages and locations in plain text for months:
New Android malware apps installed 10 million times from Google Play:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-android-malware-apps-installed-10-million-times-from-google-play/
https://www.hackread.com/play-store-apps-spread-android-malware-millions/
37 Companies Are Collecting Data From Your Car:
https://themarkup.org/the-breakdown/2022/07/27/who-is-collecting-data-from-your-car
https://github.com/the-markup/vehicle-data-collection/blob/main/connected-vehicle-players.csv
Wejo claims 13M active vehicles are supplying data to its data hub. Investors include GM, Microsoft, and Palantir.
https://www.wejo.com/resources/wejo-palantir
Privacy Nightmare: Spotify’s new personalized playlist recommends tracks based on what your friends are listening to
https://techcrunch.com/2022/07/28/spotifys-friends-mix-playlist/
‘Airspace’ trespass lawsuit advances against corner-crossing hunters:
Google “disinformation” and “election integrity” expert joins The White House:
Google Maps rolls out location sharing notifications:
Google restricts app that alerts parents when their kids’ blood sugar falls dangerously low:
https://reclaimthenet.org/google-restricts-diabetes-app/
Virtual assistants are listening to children and using the data:
Apple Wallet student IDs feature expands to Valley City State University:
https://9to5mac.com/2022/07/27/apple-wallet-student-ids/
Senate panel turns to kids’ online safety:
https://thehill.com/policy/3573852-senate-panel-turns-to-kids-online-safety/
Senate Democrats’ Priority Is To Spy On Kids Online:
Commerce Committee approves two children's online privacy bills:
https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2022/7/commerce-committee-approves-2-bills-and-4-nominations-including-bipartisan-children-s-online-privacy-legislation-and-ostp-nomination
After Huge Illuminate Data Breach, Ed Tech’s ‘Student Privacy Pledge’ Under Fire:
Anti-vax dating site that let people advertise ‘mRNA FREE’ semen left all its user data exposed:
https://www.dailydot.com/debug/anti-vax-dating-site-unjected-data-leak/
“Smart Necklace” Monitors Wearers’ Health with Their Sweat:
https://www.studyfinds.org/smart-necklace-sweat/
New Oura Rings can now measure the oxygen levels in your blood:
https://ouraring.com/blog/blood-oxygen-sensing-spo2/
U.S. Bank Fined $37.5M for Illegally Exploiting Customers Personal Data:
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-fines-us-bank-37-5-million-for-illegally-exploiting-personal-data-to-open-sham-accounts-for-unsuspecting-customers/
Credit unions might finally be required to report data breaches:
https://www.scmagazine.com/analysis/incident-response/ncua-wants-credit-unions-to-join-the-cyber-incident-reporting-game
Data Brokers, Elder Fraud, and DOJ Investigations:
"In 2020 and 2021, three data brokers—Epsilon LLC, Macromark Inc., and KBM—all faced legal punishment for supplying lists of individuals who were elderly and vulnerable to scammers. All three data brokers were charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349."
https://www.lawfareblog.com/data-brokers-elder-fraud-and-justice-department-investigations
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Analysis of Potential Impacts of Medical Debt Credit Reporting Changes:
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-publishes-analysis-of-potential-impacts-of-medical-debt-credit-reporting-changes/
Patient survey shows unresolved tension over health data privacy:
https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/patient-survey-shows-unresolved-tension-over-health-data-privacy
Did Cassava Sciences Manipulate Alzheimer’s Research?
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/exclusive-cassava-sciences-faces-us-criminal-probe-tied-alzheimers-drug-sources-2022-07-27/
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of MA Reports Third-Party Vendor Data Breach:
https://healthitsecurity.com/news/bcbs-of-massachusetts-reports-third-party-vendor-data-breach
Avamere Health Services data breach:
https://www.avamere.com/data-security-incident/
PlayStation VR2 Will Scan Your Room to Allegedly Help People Avoid Toe-on-Chair Collisions:
https://blog.playstation.com/2022/07/26/early-look-at-the-user-experience-for-playstation-vr2/
Hyundai to Pay $19.2M Fine for Ruining Customers Credit Scores:
https://jalopnik.com/hyundai-agrees-to-pay-19-2-million-in-fines-for-ruinin-1849334022?
These fintech startups want to make credit scores a thing of the past:
Bellingham, Wash., Library hack affected 735 people:
https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article263713543.html
Wawa agrees to pay $8M to settle data breach that compromised 34M payment cards:
The cost of a data breach increased to $4.35M in 2022 and organizations typically have more than one:
https://venturebeat.com/2022/07/26/cost-of-a-data-breach/
https://www.ibm.com/security/data-breach
What to Do if Your Password Is Exposed in a Data Breach:
https://gizmodo.com/data-breach-leak-password-stolen-what-to-do-facebook-1849328712
California Lawmakers, Governor Oppose Federal Privacy Bill:
https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/data-privacy-bill-17321100.php
DHS Convenes Regulators, Law Enforcement Agencies on Cyber Incident Reporting:
https://www.dhs.gov/news/2022/07/25/readout-inaugural-cyber-incident-reporting-council-meeting
What lawyer would represent an AI in court?
https://slate.com/technology/2022/07/could-an-a-i-hire-a-lawyer.html
Smart City: Dumb Idea? Is the promise of the smart city over?
https://slate.com/podcasts/what-next-tbd/2022/07/death-of-smart-city
State & Local Privacy News
VT- Burlington city council approves police union contract raising pay:
VT- Corrections department, union agree to higher pay rate for longer shifts:
NH- Governor FINALLY creates a police accreditation program:
"As of February, just 17 departments in the state had been certified by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, a national program."
https://www.concordmonitor.com/Sununu-creates-voluntary-accreditation-program-for-New-Hampshire-police-departments-47369712
NH- State Police has grown by 30% since 2000:
"The operating budget for the State Police has increased about 73% between fiscal years 2000 and 2020, from $32 million to $56 million."
https://www.concordmonitor.com/police-transparency-project-state-police-growth-46826428
NH- State Police Saturation Patrols Coming To Concord Area:
https://patch.com/new-hampshire/concord-nh/new-hampshire-state-police-saturation-patrols-coming-concord-area
NH- Police want more officers to deal with homelessness and people mental health issues:
https://www.concordmonitor.com/police-staffing-project-transparency-46826338
NH- Few police departments collect demographic data, but those that do are overwhelmingly white and male:
https://www.concordmonitor.com/police-departments-racial-demographics-46610966
MA- Son of State Police superintendent got special treatment from Barnstable cops:
RI- Providence police claim 25 Flock Safety license plate readers "will not threaten civil liberties"
NY- NYC Has 98 Closed Playgrounds, Despite Mayor Eric Adams' Pledge:
https://reason.com/2022/07/27/eric-adams-nyc-closed-playgrounds-city/
NJ- Getting FOIA Requests From Gov Agenices Could Take 2 Years:
https://newjerseymonitor.com/2022/07/26/n-j-s-lag-in-public-record-disputes-undermines-transparency-watchdog-says
https://www.nj.gov/comptroller/news/2021/approved/20220726.shtml
GA- Judge blocks grand jury investigation into senator Burt Jones’s alleged election interference:
GA- Stacey Abrams Can’t Find a Single Cop Who Supports Her:
https://freebeacon.com/democrats/stacey-abrams-cant-find-a-georgia-cop-who-supports-her/
GA- Austell police to purchase 15 Flock Safety license plate readers:
OH- The Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program being used by Butler County police departments to purchase 26 Flock Safety license plate readers:
MI- Sterling Heights Police Department unveils transparency dashboard:
IL- 63% of traffic stops in Chicago targeted African Americans last year:
https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2022/7/28/23282553/traffic-stops-chicago-black-drivers-aclu
WI- Here's why it may soon be costlier to seek some public records:
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/heres-why-may-soon-costlier-221256065.html
NE- Supreme Court OKs warrantless DUI blood tests:
TX- Houston police install more than 100 Flock Safety license plate readers while creating a massive private business surveillance camera network:
TX- Proposal by Austin police to reinstall Vigilant Solutions license plate readers sparks privacy concerns:
CA- Bill allows private citizens to sue gunmakers and dealers:
World Privacy News
Communist Party professor, who supported govt surveillance during COVID, joins the WHO:
https://reclaimthenet.org/professor-susan-michie-joins-who/
EU countries will screen migrants criminal records:
European Union employee phones compromised with NSO Group spyware:
https://www.reuters.com/technology/exclusive-eu-found-evidence-employee-phones-compromised-with-spyware-letter-2022-07-27/
European Commission Report on the "Application and Functioning" of the EU Law Enforcement Directive:
European Cops Helped 1.5M People Decrypt Their Ransomwared Computers:
Czech Presidency pushes narrower AI definition, shorter high-risk list:
https://www.euractiv.com/section/digital/news/ai-act-czech-presidency-pushes-narrower-ai-definition-shorter-high-risk-list/
Amazon hikes Prime subscription prices in Europe by up to 43%
https://techcrunch.com/2022/07/26/amazon-hikes-prime-subscription-prices-in-europe-by-up-to-43/
Russia- Police arrest journalist holding a sign that said "you are afraid of the truth"
https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-must-support-free-press-russia-war-ukraine/
Russia- Police arrest opposition politician Gozman in Moscow:
Russia- Government Is Quietly Ramping Up Its Internet Censorship Machine:
https://www.wired.com/story/russia-internet-censorship-splinternet/
Russia- Court fines Tinder 2M rubles for privacy violations:
Germany- Data Protection Authority fined Volkswagen 1.1M euros for GDPR violations:
Austria- Microsoft says DSIRF behind spyware targeting law firms, banks:
"The firm, DSIRF, developed spyware - malicious software designed to spy on or steal information from a target's device - called "Subzero" which uses so-called Zero-day exploits to access confidential information such as passwords, or logon credentials."
https://www.reuters.com/technology/microsoft-says-austrian-firm-behind-spyware-targeting-law-firms-banks-2022-07-27/
https://www.reuters.com/technology/austrian-spy-firm-accused-by-microsoft-says-hacking-tool-was-eu-states-2022-07-29/
France- Data Protection Authority publishes recommendations for age verification systems:
https://www.cnil.fr/fr/controle-de-lage-sur-les-sites-web-la-cnil-invite-developper-des-solutions-plus-efficaces-et
Spain- Data Protection Authority publishes proper treatment and evaluation of biometric data:
UK- European visitors to apply for permission to visit country and submit to a facial recognition scan:
UK- Home Office trial self-service facial recognition kiosks to ID airport passengers:
UK- Department for Education updates guidance on school facial recognition of students:
UK- The Southern Co-Op under fire for using facial recognition and ‘secret watch-lists’
https://fortune.com/2022/07/27/southern-coop-supermarket-legal-challenge-big-brother-watch-facial-recognition-technology-watch-lists-crime/
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-62297546
UK- Big Brother Watch files legal complaint against Co-op’s facial recognition:
UK- Police Commissioner Chastises Cops for Arresting People for Memes:
UK- Millions of smart meters rendered 'utterly useless'– inaccurate readings grow:
UK- Banks Using Information-Sharing Tools to Detect Financial Crimes:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/banks-start-using-information-sharing-tools-to-detect-financial-crime-11658741402
UK- Electricity demands of data centers are making it harder to build new homes in London:
UK- Manchester City smart scarfs collects fans heart rates, body temperatures and more:
IRL- Government approves expansion of the Data Protection Commission:
https://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/PR22000157
China- SenseTime defied US sanction to raise capital in Hong Kong. Where does it go from here?
https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3186219/sensetime-defied-us-sanction-raise-capital-hong-kong-where
China- Facial recognition company Megvii faces uncertain future in global AI race:
https://kr-asia.com/chinese-tech-firm-megvii-faces-uncertain-future-in-global-ai-race
Myanmar- Global Outcry as Junta Hangs Prominent Political Prisoners:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7znmb/myanmar-hangs-political-prisoner
Israel- Supreme court blocks Gaza lawsuits gives military full immunity:
https://www.lawfareblog.com/moving-toward-blanket-immunity-israeli-supreme-court-blocks-gaza-tort-cases
Israel- Government Bans Large Cash Transactions, Requires Digital Payments:
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/banking-and-finance/article-713354
Afghanistan- Woman Imprisoned For 27 Days For Protesting The Taliban’s Policies Against Women’s Rights:
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/syedzabiullah/womens-rights-protest-taliban-arrest
Kenya- IDEMIA's national digital ID program sued for failing to consider human rights risks:
https://datarights.ngo/news/2022-07-29-kenya-due-diligence-biometric-id-case/
Africa- Leveraging DIGITAL ID's for the Financial Inclusion of Forcibly Displaced Persons:
https://www.afi-global.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Leveraging-Digital-ID-and-e-KYC-for-the-Financial-Inclusion-of-Forcibly-Displaced-Persons-FDPs-Risks-and-Opportunities.pdf
AU- Bunnings and Kmart temporarily halt facial recognition in stores:
NZ- Social media companies agree to censor “misinformation” and “harmful” content:
https://reclaimthenet.org/nz-social-media-censorship-pact/
Canada- CIO Strategy Council Seeks Public Input on National Digital ID Program:
Canada- RCMP cop disciplined for passing out drunk in Burger King drive-thru: