Lena Cohen writes: A new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report confirms what EFF has been warning about for years: tech giants are widely harvesting and sharing your personal information to fuel their online behavioral advertising businesses. This four-year investigation into the data practices of nine social media and video platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and X (formally Twitter),…
Reasonable expectation of privacy in Facebook private messages — Florida Fourth District Court of Appeals
John Wesley Hall writes: (1) Florida’s 4th DCA finds a reasonable expectation of privacy in Facebook private messages as analogous to cell phone text messages. (2) When the records were seized under a warrant for a theft, they couldn’t be searched for evidence of this crime, a shooting. Therefore, the good faith exception is not…
Damages in Social Media Lawsuits: Understanding the Psychological and Financial Effects of Social Media Harm
Nick Oberheiden of Oberheiden P.C. writes: Social media harm is a significant concern for users of all ages. However, studies have identified particular mental health concerns among children and teens who use social media platforms, and social media companies are now facing social media addiction lawsuits across the country from families who are grappling with…
Calif. Governor vetoes bill requiring opt-out signals for sale of user data
Jon Brodkin reports: California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have required makers of web browsers and mobile operating systems to let consumers send opt-out preference signals that could limit businesses’ use of personal information. The bill approved by the State Legislature last month would have required an opt-out signal “that communicates the consumer’s choice to opt…