The Norwegian Data Protection Authority (NDPA) fined the gay dating app $7.16 million for violating EU privacy laws, saying it sent personal data to advertisers without user consent. This is the highest fine Norway has issued to date against the company.
While Pegasus (NSO Group) has been in the news for hacking politicians and journalists, new surveillance groups have been identified for using never-before-seen tactics to quietly hack and steal phone data of critics of authoritarian governments. Predator, from North Macedonian company Cytrox, was found by Citizen Lab and Meta (fka Facebook) to be targeting as many as 50,000 victims in more than 100 countries.
The US and Australia are partnering to combat cybercrime under an extension of the U.S.’s Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act. The law, originally passed in 2018 enables law enforcement collaboration to combat crimes, including terrorism and ransomware attacks, via electronic data.
It’s tough to get brand safety right, but the industry keeps trying. IPG Mediabrands announced a new set of tools to find and block inappropriate ad placements, while IAS expanded its suitability measurements to include standards from the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM). Meanwhile, DoubleVerify admitted a mistake made brand safety on X/Twitter look worse than it really was in October 2023 and March 2024.