Matthew Renda reports: A federal judge chastised lawyers representing Google for splitting hairs during a hearing Thursday over whether the company is illegally collecting private information from users of the Chrome internet browser. U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh said she was “disturbed” by Google’s rationale when discussing how the company’s privacy policy relates to…
Category: U.S.
State Privacy Laws Move Forward, but Are They Strong Enough?
Thomas Germain writes: A number of states are moving to adopt sweeping consumer-privacy laws in the coming weeks, though some advocates are urging the states to impose even stronger measures. Consumer Reports, meanwhile, unveiled a model privacy bill that would make protections automatic rather than force consumers to “opt out” of sharing personal information. […]…
Treasury Watchdog Warns of Government’s Use of Cellphone Data Without Warrants
Byron Tau reports: A new Treasury Department watchdog report warns that law-enforcement agencies may not be on firm legal footing when they use cellphone GPS data drawn from mobile apps without obtaining a warrant first. In a review of the Internal Revenue Service’s use of a commercial platform that allowed the agency to track cellphones, the Treasury Department…
Absurdity: Police Surveillance Will Reduce Racial Bias And Allow People To “Maintain A Safe Lifestyle”
Joe Cadillic writes: As the pandemic enters its second year, two recent stories used to justify increasing public surveillance seem almost too incredulous to believe. Joe highlights two news stories out of Virginia and Arizona to express his utter scorn for claims that more surveillance will reduce bias or make communities safer. Read more on…