It took twelve years to strike the deal, but Google just agreed to pay $23 million, almost three times its original offer, to settle a class action claiming its search engine leaked personally identifiable data by transmitting queries to publishers and third parties. The case alleged the company violated the Stored Communications Act which governs access to records held by internet providers, as well as California laws.
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has imposed a fine of $411 million on Meta for serving behavioral ads based on personal data without providing an opt-in option for users. The ruling issued by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission stated this is a requirement under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and rejected Meta’s claim its practice was covered by contractual law requirements.
Spain’s new Real Decreto 933/2021 legislation sets stage for extensive data collection on travelers – and raises alarms about privacy overreach. Beginning with a five-month adoption period that kicked off January 2nd, accommodation and car rental providers, which had been collecting no more than 8 personal data points on travelers, will now be expected to collect more than 30.
The U.S. Senate has passed a bill that could potentially ban TikTok in the U.S. if its Chinese owner, ByteDance, does not sell its holdings within a year. The bill now goes to the President Biden, who has said he will sign it. Court challenges are likely to follow.