EU could fine Meta $22 million per day
Facebook’s parent firm has reportedly refused to make further changes to its controversial pay-or-consent model.
privacy
Drones Used by California Cities to Patrol for Illegal Fireworks and Issue Fines
California residents who lit illegal fireworks over the July 4 holiday may be in for a nasty surprise in the mail thanks to covert fire department operations.
Palantir to Build Centralized Database on Americans
The Trump administration is collecting data on all Americans, and they are enlisting the data analysis company Palantir to do it.
Five Things to Know about the Supreme Court Case on Texas’ Age Verification Law, Free Speech Coalition v Paxton
The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday in a case that will determine whether states can violate adults’ First Amendment rights to access sexual content online by requiring them to verify their age.
GAO Report Shows the Government Uses Face Recognition with No Accountability, Transparency, or Training
Federal agents are using face recognition software without training, policies, or oversight, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
America’s IRS Can’t Find Millions of Sensitive Tax Records: Watchdog
The US Internal Revenue Service cannot locate thousands of microfilm cartridges containing millions of sensitive individual and business tax account records, according to a watchdog report.
FTC: Amazon/Ring workers illegally spied on users of home security cameras
Amazon agrees to Ring and Alexa settlements but didn’t admit violating any laws.
Your Messaging Service Should Not Be a DEA Informant
A new U.S. Senate bill would require private messaging services, social media companies, and even cloud providers to report their users to the DEA if they find out about certain illegal drug sales.
Amazon’s Ring Neighbors App Exposed Users’ Precise Locations and Home Addresses
A security flaw in Ring’s Neighbors app was exposing the precise locations and home addresses of users who had posted to the app.
U.S. Schools are Buying Phone-Hacking Tech That the FBI Uses to Investigate Terrorists
By Tom McKay and Dhruv Mehrotra December 11, 2020 In May 2016, a student enrolled in a high-school in Shelbyville, Texas, consented to having his phone searched by one of Read More…
Arizona DMV Sells Drivers’ Photos and SSNs to Private Investigators
Whereas many DMVs sell drivers’ names, addresses, or vehicle information, the Arizona Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) sells some residents’ most personal information.
Texting App with Ties to Trump Campaign to Be Repurposed for Contact Tracing
A mobile app once used by the Trump campaign and other partisan interests has been rebranded and is now part of an “approved” national app database specifically designed for use by public health and safety agencies.
Firm That Tracked Protesters Targeted Evangelicals During 2016 Election
The CEO of data broker Mobilewalla, which worked with Republican SuperPACs, says it tracked Evangelicals’ cell phone locations for six months.
Mass-Tracking COVI-PASS Immunity Passports Slated to Roll Out in 15 Countries (VIDEO)
COVI-PASS will determine whether you can go to a restaurant, if you need a medical test, or are due for a talking-to by authorities in a post-COVID world. Consent is voluntary, but enforcement will be compulsory.
The Secretive Company That Might End Privacy As We Know It
A little-known start-up helps law enforcement match photos of unknown people to their online images — and “might lead to a dystopian future or something,” a backer says.