The Data Drop News for Friday, September 17, 2021
White Castle biometric privacy case. McDonald’s accidentally exposed Monopoly database in email to winning customers. WhatsApp Fined $266 Million Over Data Transparency Breaches. Study finds growing government use of sensitive data to ‘nudge’ behavior. Plus, the latest in privacy-enhancing tech!
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White Castle biometric privacy case
A privacy battle against fast-food chain White Castle could have far-reaching implications for the future of data privacy. The case could determine whether Biometric Information Privacy Act claims accrue each time a company violates the law, or if only the first instance of violation constitutes a claim. This could be the difference between a single claim against a company, and thousands.
Organizations manage 10 times more data than they did five years ago
"Dell has published a survey of 1000 IT decision-makers from around the globe, which found that data consumption by organizations had grown more than 10-fold in just 5 years. This underscores the importance of improving data privacy protections meaningful data ownership."
Study finds growing government use of sensitive data to ‘nudge’ behavior
Researchers warn that national and local governments are now using micro-targeted ads to influence public behavior. Called “influence government”, it’s intended to “nudge” the behavior of the country at large. Examples range from deterring online fraud to spreading tips on safely using candles.
Can brands turn the tide for users’ fear of data misuse?
Research from Ipsos and the Boston Consulting Group, in collaboration with Google, finds that only 3% of respondents believe they have complete control of the disclosure and removal of their data online. More than two-thirds of those surveyed said they felt skeptical about the way companies used their data in marketing.
Google settles with worker allegedly fired for his workplace activism
"Google reached a settlement with a fired employee who was fired in 2019 allegedly for violating data security policies. However, the employee had been a vocal critic of Google’s work with the US Customs and Border Protection, and was terminated amid internal organizing. The settlement was approved by the National Labor Relations Board."
Facebook used facial recognition without consent 200,000 times
"Facebook, Netflix and Google have all received reprimands or fines from South Korea's government data protection watchdog for violating privacy laws or having insufficient privacy protection. Facebook was found to have used facial recognition technology without consent over 200,000 times, and has been ordered to pay a fine of $5.5-million."
WhatsApp Fined $266 Million
"WhatsApp was ordered to pay a $266 million penalty for failing to be transparent about how it handled personal information, its first fine under the GDPR. The violations centered around how WhatsApp processed users’ and non-users’ data, and how that data was shared between WhatsApp and other Facebook companies."
UAE announces new federal data law
The United Arab Emirates will introduce a new federal data protection law, the first of its kind in the UAE. Currently, data regulation differs between the UAE’s free trade zones and its onshore areas.
Employers hold too much power over information.
When it comes to data access and portability protections, most workers are poorly protected. This is according to the World Economic Forum, who cite workers’ data privacy and protection as major concerns.
McDonald’s accidentally exposed Monopoly database
"McDonald's accidentally exposed a Monopoly database - but it claims no customer data or winning numbers were at risk. An error caused the user name and passwords for a practice database to be sent in an email to winning customers."
Indonesians' data 'just sitting there', hackers say
Data security is a global issue, and a recent report by the Jakarta Times indicates Indonesia's data is woefully unprotected as a whole.
Latest Cybersecurity Threat: Pay Us or We Release the Data
The Wall Street Journal explores the recent ransomware trend of stealing company data to use in attempted blackmail.
T-Mobile hacker notes T-Mobile security is "awful"
In a recent interview, the person behind the T-Mobile security breach that affected more than 50 million people says he broke through the carrier's defenses using a publicly available tool and discovering an unprotected T-Mobile router. He notes that, quote, “Their security is awful.”
Despite claims of valuing user privacy, Apple has lucrative deal with Google
"Apple has made data privacy a key focus of its recent marketing efforts, and it’s backed up the talk with privacy-protecting features like App Tracking Transparency. However, the company still uses Google as the default search on its Safari browser. And the reason could be simple - Google pays Apple some $15-billion a year for this privilege. In case you wondered just what the price tag on your data privacy looks like, there it is."
PET news
Here's the latest stories in privacy-enhancing technology!
Dell EMC tunes PowerProtect for data protection at scale
Updates to Dell’s PowerProtect data protection platform provide a faster way to take VMware snapshots, and include new software to manage multiple data protection appliances as well as a managed service for Cyber Recovery Vault.
Scrub the internet with Optery data broker removal
A new service from Optery promises to remove your home address, phone number, email address, and other private information from the internet by opting you out of the top data brokers that trade in this information.
ZeoTap secures $11-Million in additional Series C funding
"Customer data platform ZeoTap announced an $11 million extension to its earlier Series C funding round, bringing its total investment to $90 million. The German-based platform is designed specifically for the demands of the GDPR and other major privacy requirements, while helping advertisers prepare for a post-cookie internet."
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