Trump Files Lawsuits Against Google, Facebook and Twitter

July 13, 2021

Former President Donald Trump has filed lawsuits against Google, Facebook, Twitter and their CEOs accusing them of First Amendment violations for alleged censorship after he was banned from the social media platforms earlier this year after the U.S. January 6 Capitol riot.

Amazon’s Sidewalk Launch Raises Privacy Concerns

June 16, 2021

Privacy and tech experts are highlighting the potential for Amazon Sidewalk customers to have their Alexa devices linked to those owned by neighbors as the company plunges further into surveillance capitalism.

Browne: The Tide Turns Against Surveillance Capitalism

June 16, 2021

CTO of Wiise, Hamish Browne, writes on how, after a decade of surveillance capitalism growth, tech’s new focus on privacy will lead to new rules and new ways of doing business for marketers.

Google will Change Advertising Practices as France imposes $268 Million Fine

June 08, 2021

Google has agreed to change its global advertising practices after the French Competition Authority fined Google 220 million euros ($268 million) for abusing its market power in the online advertising industry by sending business to its own services and discriminating against competition.

Mind Matters: How Much Does Big Tech Control?

May 26, 2021

In a review of Shoshana Zuboff’s Surveillance Capitalism (2019), computer science historian Erik J. Larson explores a 1950s conflict of ideas between Norbert Wiener (1894-1964) and John McCarthy (1927–2011) and how big corporations today are making money out of tracking individual’s movements.

Germany Bans Facebook from Using WhatsApp Data over Privacy Concerns

May 12, 2021

Google Android Data Collection Transparency in 2022

May 10, 2021

Google has announced that it will create a new safety section in its app store that will let Android smartphone users see what data developers collect about them and share, plus additional privacy and security information beginning in 2022.

Facebook Oversight Board Upholds Trump Ban

May 05, 2021

Facebook’s Oversight Board has announced that it has upheld the company’s decision to block former President Donald Trump from its platforms, meaning that Trump will continue to be blocked from Facebook and Instagram, but not indefinitely, giving Facebook six months to reassess.

MIT Launches Data Privacy-Focused Initiative

April 28, 2021

As citizens are demanding more responsible, respectful use of personal data, MIT has launched a new initiative to bring state-of-the-art computer science research together with public policy expertise and engagement and will provide forums for dialogue amongst MIT researchers, policymakers, and industry consortium members.

Lawyer Monthly: TikTok Sued for Billions Over Children’s Data Collection

April 28, 2021

Former children’s commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, has launched legal action against TikTok alleging that the social media app illegally gathered the personal data of millions of children since May 2018, when General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect.