Cassandre Coyer reports: Genetic testing company Gene by Gene Ltd. was hit with a proposed class action accusing it of sharing the DNA testing results of more than 10,000 customers with Alphabet Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. without their knowledge or consent. Gene by Gene, which conducts business as FamilyTreeDNA, deployed tracking tools—often called pixels—on its website to share…
Author: Dissent
Schools Using AI to Send Police to Students’ Homes
Victor Tangermann reports: Schools are employing dubious AI-powered software to accuse teenagers of wanting to harm themselves and sending the cops to their homes as a result — with often chaotic and traumatic results. As the New York Times reports, software being installed on high school students’ school-issued devices tracks every word they type. An algorithm then…
Michigan Senate Passes Michigan Personal Data Privacy Act
EPIC reports: The Michigan Senate voted during the final days of its session to pass SB 659, the Michigan Personal Data Privacy Act. The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration. The bill includes many strong protections for Michiganders, including a ban on the sale of sensitive data, a prohibition on targeted advertising…
Texas Sues New York Doctor, Challenging Abortion Provider Shield Laws
Jennifer Calfas and Laura Kusisto report: Texas is suing a New York-based doctor for allegedly prescribing abortion pills through telemedicine to a patient from the Lone Star state. The lawsuit is believed to be the first challenge to laws designed to shield doctors in states with abortion protections from legal challenges elsewhere. Texas Attorney General Ken…